On Our Way Home

An update on today, we had a leisurely start, packed without needing the UN. I went for my final New Zealand run, number 23 out of 24 days, only day I missed was when we were on a boat in the middle of Doubtful Sound, good excuse I felt. Then we had lunch at the hotel while overlooking the Queenstown Lake. It was then to the airport for the flight to Auckland, even saw Mt Cook on the way and the sndspit at the end of South Island. Unfortunately the flights give a 5 hour connection in Auckland, so no rush. Fell very sad to be leaving but looking forward to seeing family and friends.

Marion: Well, we’re sitting at Auckland airport with a bit of time on our hands to reflect on our holiday. We have had a really great time and it was everything that we hoped it would be – probably the only real disappointment was the TranzAlpine train. Everything else at least met our imaginings – many exceeded them. NZ is truly a country of great scenery and, despite a very well-organised tourist infra-structure, conservation and ecology methods appear to be working in helping the country avoid being spoiled. Scenery-wise I guess we’d head the list with Doubtful and Milford Sounds. I was also very fond of the coast at Whangamata, turquoise sea rolling onto golden sands. Also the art deco town of Napier and the wine and art deco tours we had there, as well as Nelson and the Able Tasman Park were real highlights. More surprising was Martinborough which looked a real one horse town on first arrival was a place we put on the list of “like to return to”. The case of wine we treated ourselves to is being shipped home from this region. Since being here I find I prefer Sauvignon Blanc to Chardonnay and have developed a real love of Pinot Noir (the latter is what our shipment home will be!!) Everything has been great and now I am looking forward to coming home and picking up all my usual threads.
Nigel: Coming back to Auckland this evening made me realise how much we have done since we left here 3 weeks ago. It has been a great holiday, a totally different experience from any one we have had before. I think this is because it has such a relaxed feel, people have the knack of being efficient without seeming to try. Everything worked and the only couple of times that I felt hassled was with other groups of tourists. There is also of course the sheer lack of people particularly on South Island. Also of course the lack of pollution, the air seemed so clear particularly for the runner. To me every region had different merits, I loved the remoteness and wild feel of Cape Palliser, marvelled and the volcanic outpourings at Rotorua, and thought that the Tongariro National Park was out of this world. Otherwise I agree with Marion’s thoughts even though she left out the Marlborough Sounds and Able Tasman Park.
Unexpected to me was the amount of running that I managed, encouraged I think by the great and varied environments that I was able to run in. So I shall return fitter though probably heavier due to the great food that we ate. I have started to plan the return trip, although that might not be for sometime yet. Biggest downside is of course the long trip home!

Bungy Jumping in Queenstown & LOTR

Well our last day in New Zealand, I was going to write this blog about our twin bungy jump but that of course would be fibbing. However Queenstown is the only place I have ever been to where the site of the first commercial bungy jump is a historical monument!!! Altogether it is the liveliest place we have been to, probably because it is dominated by young people seeking thrills, white water rafting, jet boat rides, all terrain vehicles etc.. Well we settled on some of the more genteel pursuits.
First a ride on the chairlift to get a perspective of the town. First thing the views were tremendous, and you got a good impression of the spread of the town and the beauty of the lake and mountains. We then drove around the lake to the small settlement of Glenorchy, again the road was only built in the fifties, previously it had been supplied entirely by lake steamer. It is also LOTR country, an expression you hear a lot of here, LOTR – Lord of the Rings of course. Not having seen the film or read the book I cannot verify this, however it is very beautiful with the combination of mountains, lake, and rivers. It also had an excellent cafe where we refreshed on sandwiches and coffee. On the way back we stopped at a small beach and read our books for an hour, to the sound of the lapping waves and the biting sandflies. Time for a long run around the lake slightly spoilt by the rain.
Tonight we headed off on the TSS Earnshaw the world’s only working coal fired steamship. Absolutely brilliant you were able to walk close to the machinery and watch the stokers at work. The clang of the signal bells from the bridge showed how much of an art there is to controlling one. It was also quite hot as of course the funnel passed through the ship and is full of very hot exhaust fumes. It made me wonder how the heat was dispersed in the big ocean liners. Perhaps Thomas know about this. Anyway it was like travelling on a living thing.
We alighted at a sheep station where we had a buffet dinner followed by a demonstration of sheep shearing, now I know it is impressive handling a 95kg animal but I am afraid that I found it rather boring. As they say when you have seen one sheep shorn you have seen the lot. The sheepdog demo was impressive though. Then back on the steamer to Queenstown.
This maybe the last blog in New Zealand, it depends on the schedule tomorrow, when we will try to reflect on our wonderful holiday in a most interesting and hospitable country.

Milford Sound and non performing seals

An unexpected day today, we always planned to drive to Milford Sound as the road is reputed to be spectacular. So after a substantial cooked breakfast we set off early to be in front of the tour buses. The road journey was indeed spectacular, a gradual climb through mountain pastures to a tunnel that was only completed in 1953 having been started in 1935. The tunnel is very crude and completely unlit so it is single file throughout. We then dropped to Milford Sound over a steep winding road between sheer rock faces.
On first appearance Milford is disappointing, it is rather like a pleasure boat version of Dover Harboar, but undeterred we booked trip. Once on the Sound (it is really a fjord, there that Geography degree was not wasted), the scenery is awesome. Sheer rock walls drop down into the sound, punctuated by huge waterfalls. At one point a perfect hanging valley enters the Sound. We stayed on the top of the boat throughout the 2 hour cruise despite the very high winds that drove everybody except another stoic English couple downstairs. Having said that it was good and sunny so that we got a considerable tan.
We also had much amusement as there was the usual trip to the seal colony, by now I wnat to see those seals bouncing coloured balls on their noses, but instead as usual they just lay there, wallowing in the sun, really you cannot get the performers now a days.
The character of the sound was very different from Doubtful which was more brooding and atmospheric. This was more a fjord with light and shade, the magnificence being in the sheer scale of the rocks, the waterfalls and the sea. Interestingly it was not discovered until 1820 as Cook sailed straight by twice as the entrance is so disguised.
The drive back to Te Anau (120 kms) was even better, probably due to the perspective, there were frequent photo stops and then finally are first subsistance of the day at 4pm. (there are no facilities whatsoever on the drive). So then onto Queenstown where we arrived at about 6.30. Time for a quick run along the lake observing the world’s only working coal fired steamer which we are travelling on tomorrow. Then a surprisingly good meal in the restaurant with lovely views of the lake, sampling Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Mount Difficulty Pinot Noir from Otago which was delicious and a Riesling from Marlborough Sounds. And so to bed after a brilliant but tiring day.

Doubtful Sound Part 2

Well, Doubtful Sound was quite a trip! Woke up this morning to sheeting rain but somehow in this environment it simply doesn’t matter. After a very satisfactory breakfast with the Dutch people we met last night, we went to the observation lounge and divided our time between cosy, warm observation of the brooding hills and water from inside and the more bracing experience of the outside! We saw a couple of little penguins and a highlight for us was when the boat was taken to the edge of the mountain – no shore here and one of the crew collected water from the waterfall for brave should to try. Then the skipper killed the engine, switched off the generator and asked everybody to be silent to enjoy the total peace – it is hard to explain how wonderful that was – I braved the elements outside (cowardly Nigel was safely in the lounge , note because it was very very wet) and so enjoyed the rain on my face, the roaring of the waterfalls and the sight of the mountains looming through the mist .All my senses were engaged. Nigel and I both agreed that this overnight cruise was one of our holiday highlights. Also we’ve picked up some wonderful hints for the English tourism industry on how to make such a virtue of wet weather, that a nice sunny day seems like the rubbish option!!!
AS soon as we started our coach, lake coach trip back to the lodge in Te Anau the weather picked up and was warm and dry - Doubtful Sound Is one of the wettest places on earth. We spent the rest of the day pottering about at the lodge and deciding how to spend the last couple of days of our NZ odyssey, which will be in Queenstown.
Marion has well expressed the enormity of our trip to Doubtful Sound. The sheer remoteness of it, whether it was the absolute silence, or the complete darkness. This is a completely natural landscape, man’s only influence being the introduction of predators which he is now trying to eradicate. There is also the sense of awe that a sailor from North Yorkshire was first to map and discover these lands all in a converted collier. It is an imperative to read a biography when we return home. A really stunning trip probably like no other we have undertaken.

Tomorrow we are undertaking one of the worlds great drives to MIlford Sound.

Doubtful Sound Part 1

I am afraid that you will belate receiving this episode as we are sleeping the night on theFjordland Navigator in Doubtful Sound. There is no communication coverage at all, to give an idea how remote we had to travel 30 minutes by coach, a lake transfer for 1 hour to a hydro-electric site and then another bus trip across a dirt track. We then have navigated 20 miles out towards the Tasman Sea. When we went on deck it is pitch dark outside, it is just black there is no light source of any sort. We are also the farthest south we will ever sleep, 45 deg 20 mins, I have a photo of the ship GPS to prove it.
Well where to start, Doubtful Sound is simply a place of superlatives, it is a remote fjord, that is gloomy, because it is one of the wettest places on earth. The mountains come right down to the sea, interspersed with frequent waterfalls. Through the gloom there are occasional rays of sun. And it is remote.
The boat that we are on holds 70 people and we have a comfortable double cabin with ensuite facilities. The boat moves slowly, does not feel crowded, there is an informative commentary and ample viewing space. You can even visit the bridge and ask the captain things, they have an open door policy. Presumably there are not too many hijackers in these parts. It even made us feel enthusiastic about wild live even though we did not see a penguin, plenty of seals and albatrosses though.. Included in the tour was an opportunity to get out on the water in kayaks, which was fantastic feeling so low down and quiet in such a landscape.
To make it better we had great conversation with an American couple from Milwaukie (they are Packers sason ticket holders), and a Dutch couple who I made the mistake of calling German, all was forgiven over Fawlty Towers jokes. Well I must to bed as we have to be up at 6.45 tomorrow when the boat sails for more fantastic scenery. A real highlight of the holiday.

No pictures again I am afraid!

One end of South Island to the other

Today was a long drive as we moved from the West Coast to Fjordlan; around 700 kilometers, it is one of the surprises of New Zealand that it is so long, I suppose it is like driving from London to Edinburgh, without motorways, or dual carriageway. And even that is not the entire distance as there is another 300 km north of where we started in South Island. So it was an early start and away from the B & B before 6.30. The owners had kindly left out breakfast for us.
The first part of the drive was flat along the coast until we climbed into the mountains at Franz Josef Glacier. I am afraid we hurried through, but did stop at Fox Glacier (sounds like mint to me) for coffee. This was full of people arranging tramps or flights to the glacier. Interestingly the brochures were along the lines of we are better than the other glacier. The drive then followed some flattish forested land to the coast where after 300 kms we came to Haast a place that had been sign posted since the start. It turned out to be a petrol station and a couple of cafes, still we purchased some excellent rolls and drinks for a picnic lunch.
The scenary then grew more spectacular in what was described as the largest wilderness area in the Southern Hemisphere. Apart from the road it was a totally natural landscape of mountains, valleys and lakes. The lakes were an amazing turquoise blue, but quite rough because of the strong wind. At this point we had driven three hours without passing through any community big enough to have a speed limit.
Later we travelled through an area specialising in soft fruit. Marion bought fresh cherries at roughly half the price of the UK.(NB from Marion – not much is cheaper here!) There were vast cherry orchards completely enclosed by anti bird nets. Then it was a narrow gorge as we dropped down into Queenstown. The last part to Te Anau was little bit of a trial as we were tired. However we have a chalet room with a fantastic view over the mountains and lake. Hotel a little eccentric, I think Laura would appreciate some of the characters.
Tomorrow we are looking forward to our overnight on Doubtful Sound. All the pictures look marvellous. So beware readers our blog post might be delayed as I doubt there is a broadband connection on the boat. It will also be the first day that I will not have run, difficult on a boat. Maybe some kayaking instead.

Pancakes, Rocks not Tea

Woke up quite late this morning and had a leisurely breakfast chatting to the other people staying at this lovely B&B. The huge windows have beautiful views and in our room you can hear the Tasma n Sea pounding on the beach. The other guests were all racing on to Franz Joseph to visit the glacier but we had decided when planning the holiday to have 2 days here as a bit of a rest. Listening to the others, Nigel and I decided we’d made the right decision. Franz Joseph sounds a bit of a circus. Asked our B&B host what he would recommend for us to do and he suggested a place to the north of here called the Pancake Rocks.
The weather has bucked up again and the drive northward along the coast was lovely. The mountains (Southern Alps) come right down to the ocean and it is really lovely. When we reached the rocks, it was quite a busy place with a bit of infra-structure; proper car park, tourist office and café. We soon saw why. A proper path had been cut through what would once have been native bush, with important species of trees labelled. As we approached the ocean the amazing Pancake Rocks became visible. They were huge stacks still joined to the headland but only just. They have their name because they consist of layer upon layer of thin rocks (literally like a stack of pancakes), with blow holes in. The scientists still do not really understand how such a strange rock formation has come into being. After our stroll around we decided to go a little further north, to enjoy more of the fabulous coastline – apparently some of the most spectacular in NZ.
On our return drive we stopped in a little place called Brunner, which had once been quite a big place with a coal mine. At the end of the 19th century a lot of miners had been encouraged to come to NZ to work in the mines further north of here but then proved an unpopular workforce because they had brought fledgling notions of unionisation with them. So they and their families moved on to the mine here at Brunner. An interesting point was made about the relative stability of this community compared with that of the gold mines nearby. The coal miners were living with their families whereas the gold mining communities were all male preserves.
I’m writing this while Nigel is out running. He has run every day of our holiday (only a couple of times resorting to hotel treadmills) and he is feeling very fit. He won’t be able to the day after tomorrow when we have our 24 hour cruise up Doubtful Sound, although he hopes to go sea kayaking – me, I’m happy with a good book and lovely scenery!! (Although I walked and scrambled quite a bit today).
It seems funny that we have been talking about our journey home today. The time has gone so fast, although we are beginning to look forward to returning to see everyone and pick up our routines.

Trains, Mountains & Rain

An early start today to catch the Tranz-Alpine scenic train. This involved leaving the hotel at 7.15, not a time we have recognised for sometime. The omens were not good as we drove to the station it was pouring, rather like boarding your East Coast Train at Seamer. Check-in was simple although we did not get the seats that I requested. The train had been refurbished so was comfortable and must have been 12 carriages long. The train was full mostly with Japanese tourists who at least in our carriage appeared to belong to the Dalan Fang sect. I thought there leader was talking them via implants, it turned out she had a mini speaker attached to her hip. We started at a smart lick across the Canterbury Plains, and the weather improved. Marion started conversing with the Cornish couple opposite, they were New Zealand virgins it being their first day here, therefore all sorts of useful tips were dispensed.
We stopped at Springfield duh….. I had to make that joke, where the mountains were clear in front of us. The climb up through river gorges was spectacular although the viewing carriage was too crowded to get good photographs. However as soon as we entered the mountains proper the weather closed in and it rained heavily. In retrospect this was not surprising as the summit station receives 20 metres of rain a year. The proceedings were kept lively by an informative commentary with typical NZ views. The guy obviously hated Thatcher and Regan and all that privatisation had done to the railways, he also thought that you would be bette roff with Doris Day movie than Sky TV.
After a brief stop at the summit Arthurs Pass the coach became pleasantly empty as the sect disembarked for some ritual coach travel. There followed the long descent to the West Coast past lakes and raging rivers. It was difficult to imagine the deprivations of those who had to travel the route by Stage Coach right upto 1923. It was also the site of many coal mines. Indeed the main purpose of the railway is to carry coal from the West Coast for export to Asia.
Greymouth Station was a scrum, presumably for 23 hours a day nothing happens then a train disgorges 400 passengers who want coaches, hire cars, feeding etc.. all at the same time!!! Still we got our new car, instead of the rugged vehicle we had requested we got a souped up Mondeo, that is going to be interesting in the South. The B & B is modern with coastal views and excellent facilities. We have a lovely fresh fruit bowl and biscuits. We have made a tentative exploration of Hokitika a small seaside town specialiseing in jade and gold, and yes we visited the sock museum, a darn good two minutes. It is now starting to brighten up as we read our books to the sound of the waves of the Tasman Sea.

Christchuch - More English than the English

Woke up to a rather gloomy morning. After breakfast we followed through with our plan of taking the old tram around its loop so that we could orientate ourselves. Marion sat on the same seat that the Queen did in 1995. She asked me if “I had come far”. We did the full loop and then got off at the arts centre. There were some nice little studio shops there and we had a coffee before crossing to the museum. We had a look around there, having had our interest in Christchurch’s history tickled by a bit in one of our guidebooks that said the founder’s aim when he came was to establish a kind of utopian Anglican (and we guess white middle class) society. There were some very interesting exhibits that basically showed this is exactly what happened as well giving the Maori history – there were no wars with the Maoris in the south and we speculated that this was probably one of the least hostile environments for those earlier settlers. (compared, say with the American West). Then we went to the Botanical gardens and took the Caterpillar (a very slow electric land train) around the gardens. There was an excellent commentary but we were seeing the fag end of the summer displays. It occurred to me that quite a lot of the plants that are popular in England at the moment are New Zealand natives. I think I mentioned before that agapanthus and ligulas seem to grow wild here. Also saw those nice black grasses that mum and dad have.
We went onto the tram loop again and found a café for lunch – I tried the speciality sandwich which, rather oddly, appeared to be a whitebait omelette sandwich!! We then went into the cathedral (nothing particularly special except that the architect was the same as St Pancras station). As it was starting to rain and I was feeling a bit tired I went back to the hotel room for a read while Nigel went to take a photo of Captain Cook’s statue and the bar where Ben worked during his time in New Zealand, disappointed that there in no plaque or Colchester United scarf. This man (Captain Cook not Ben) is becoming my historical hero – his mapping of New Zealand – and I guess everywhere else he went- is absolutely extraordinary
It has stopped raining and we are going out for something to eat – Mexican tonight. And an excellent Mexican it was, burritos etc…
Christchurch is a very manageable city and is very familiar in an English sort of way. Some things are even exaggerated English. For instance some of the school uniforms really exaggerate the style. Vertical striped blazers with horizontal striped ties and shorts for teenage boys. Also rather like the sons & daughters of the revolution there seems to be a lot of cachet to being a descendent of one of the families who emigrated on one of the original four ships

After a very comfortable night in our self-catering apartment we were ready to set off for Christchurch. After the gloomy, misty-moisty weather yesterday you can imagine our surprise when we opened the blinds this morning and found we were extremely close to some mountains we hadn’t been able to see before. After checking out the good views in Kiakoura now the mist had rolled back, we set off on the drive to Christchurch. (One problem Kaikoura is famous for whale watching and we could not see any boats). Nigel very kindly took me to a lovely quilting shop where I found the fabric and a pattern that I wanted to make a quilt that will remind us of this holiday – I know just the spot in our bedroom that I will hang it.
The drive was really interesting. We went through a very mountainous area, having decided to go inland rather than follow the coastal plain. What we began to appreciate is just how many sheep there are on the plateaux between the mountains and we have not seen the Canterbury Plain yet. Also we saw lots of cattle, a couple of deer farms and even alpaca. I addition there were vineyards. I said to Nigel that it felt like a geography lesson from Junior School and will seem even more so when we get to the plain on Thursday Nigel also found the Weka Pass preserved railway!!! Really interesting old locos and station. I vividly remember learning about the Canterbury Plain and all the Marino sheep. Christchurch is a lovely city, set in the bowl of the mountains next to the Pacific Ocean .Before we returned the car we drove round the hills above the city and were rewarded with some spectacular views of the city and Lyttleton. We are in a hotel right in the middle, next to the cathedral and can walk or take a tram around everywhere we might want to go. We plan to take the full loop of the tram tomorrow with a hop on and off ticket.
We chose to go to a pub to eat tonight. Nigel was more than pleased to find they were serving their own brews – apparently his credit will be high with Thomas! We had a good supper and a couple of pints. (Not sure they were pints, more half a litre)! A great start to our visit to Christchurch. Marion underestimates her prowess the pub was a micro-brewery and had hand pumped ales on tap. Who can resist a brew called Old Blighty. Checkout the Twisted Hop in Christchurch.

A Transitional Day, and brrrr....

A transitional day today together with some much needed housekeeping. We slept well but woke to a much greyer day than expected. After a good breakfast, we spent the morning reading and having coffee, because our water taxi did not depart until late morning. It was our last ride on Cougar Lines back to Picton, much rougher than before. I have displayed the boat that we had for last evening’s cruise at the head of the blog today. I have decided that I am giving up Project Management and going to apply to be a crew member on the water taxis next year. Fantastic job; getting a great sun tan, being nice to happy people in a great environment. Marion thinks that I fail one of the key job criteria, I will leave the readers to guess which.
We picked the car up in Picton and then drove to Blenheim the centre of Marlborough Sound wine production. There were huge vineyards here on an almost industrial scale mainly producing Sauvignon Blanc. The town itself was workaday New Zealand but provided a good lunch.
As we drove south the weather deteriorated considerably. The temperature plummeted to 13 degrees and the mist and rain rolled in. As a result we could not appreciate the rugged coastline. Kaikoura where we are staying was a small fishing town but now is mainly based on whale watching tourism. It is ideally located because there is a huge chasm just offshore which attracts marine mammals. Again we are not seeing it at its best due to poor visibility. We did however find a Scarborough Street, next to Whitby Place!!!!!!
Tonight we have a self catering apartment which is well equipped. We were able to wash and tumble dry, and I had a spa bath after my run. Also we decided to visit the local supermarket for a homemade dinner as an alternative to eating out. So we feasted on open pies (quiche) coleslaw, bean salad and garlic bread, washed down with diet coke. Going to finish off with a game of Scrabble.

Marlborough Sound - Water and Wildlife

I am writing this on the balcony of our room overlooking Kenepura Sound. It is just idyllic, the hills reach right down to the turquoise blue water. The waves are lapping on the beach, and it is about 25 degrees View from the window will be at the head of the blog.. Fantastic. I hope I am not laying it on too thick but it really does seem a long way from home, especially when my mother told me she was stuck in the snow!!!
Getting here was fun, from the busy port of Picton, where there are boats of all shapes and sizes and a seaplane, we took a water taxi. It held about 20 people inside and six including us outside. As soon as it was out of the harbour it accelerated and it was like riding a jetboat, fantastic. This boat dodged in and out of the Sound until we reached a small inlet. From there all the baggage was unloaded to a truck and the passengers boarded a small minibus for a journey of about a mile to the modern hotel, tastefully built overlooking an inlet.. The best hotel transfer that I have done. Unfortunately the run today looks as though it might be up hill.
Previously we had driven Queen Charlottes Drive, this time in the sun, stopping at the Green Mussel capital of the world, Havelock for a flat white by the marina. Again it is very difficult to describe the scenery adequately, just fabulous. Round every bend another stupendous view.
Well must go now as there is wine tasting at 5.30 followed by an evening cruise on the Sound with local sauvignon blanc and salmon canapés, then a Valentines day dinner. Really life is just so stressful.
The boat cruise was very interesting, basically we joined the boat taxi that was serving the outlying parts of the Sound. it deposited guests at beautiful lodge hotels, an elderly lady going to see friends, bread for a hotel, and picked up people who had been walking around the Sound. It was a work-a-day cruise. Also looked at a salmon farm, contained 600,000 fish of which 10 to 12,000 are caught everyday. There was incredible wildlife, birds you would expect but we saw a black ray swimming in the shallows. Finally back to the hotel for a Valentines Night dinner, what a lovely day.

Abel Tasman and his park

We woke up this morning to some rather low cloud and were a bit concerned about our boat trip in Abel Tasman National Park. According to plan we went to the market in Nelson after a very good breakfast at the B&B. The market was excellent – lovely local produce and very interesting things to buy to bring home – not tat! However, did it ever rain!! Still, it was so warm we were not too alarmed at being pretty wet! Undaunted we set off on the drive to the National Park. The rain was sheeting down and the sea seemed to thunder in (you know how much I worry about rocking about too much on boats). As we took the very scenic drive the weather stared to cheer up and by the time we reached the beach where the boat came in the weather was bright and warm, although not with sparkling sunshine. Nigel is very keen for me to write about something that made us laugh a lot. When we reached the beach I began to worry because I could see no jetty. When Nigel told me that we had to board the boat there I wondered how on earth I was going to get on because I imagined that we’d have to paddle out and climb a rope ladder. As you know, I am far from nimble!! I didn’t tell Nigel of my anxiety because I didn’t want him to worry for me. You can imagine my relief when they dropped a kind of metal bridgehead from the front of the boat onto the beach, I told Nigel much later on about how I’d been wondering how on earth I’d managed a rope ladder and we laughed and laughed. If I had told him at the time he could have relieved my anxiety because he realised what would happen!
Now Nigel - The boat was basically a sort of water taxi taking people to sandy little coves where they would either lie on the beach or go on walks. The coves were delightful, really golden sand and pretty well deserted, surrounded by green hills. The boat just drew up to the beach and extended a gangplank, there was no rope ladder. Every time there were strict instructions to use the toilet on the boat. Not so much as a wee in the wild. We were on deck so the views were very good and as the afternoon went on very clear. The park was superb a true wilderness. There were also basking seals offshore. The only fly in the ointment was a large group of Germans who boarded on the way back, now I have nothing against Germans but in the middle of world class scenery all they could do was talk and talk.
We returned to the little beach where we started and had an iced coffee. Then it was a drive back to Nelson a city we are coming to appreciate. We had an informal dinner outside at a pub on what was now a perfect evening. Before this I had a run along the seafront, however at 29 degrees it was a little hot.
Every where we go we talk to people, even me. There are two groups of travellers, young people working there way round and oldies like us, while actually we are at the young age of the oldies. Everybody compares itineraries. I now wax lyrical on Pinot Noir as opposed to Cabernet Sauvignon.

To the South

We are soon depart the North Island, after an early start (have forgotten what 6am is like), we are waiting for the ferry in Wellington. The drive here looked fantastic, unfortunately it was very cloudy and raining so we did not see a lot. It was a fortunate we left in good time as the traffic was heavy approaching Wellington. The ferry terminal is much like terminals the world over, crowded and full of anxious people. Looking forward to the ferry ride as the weather seems to be picking up. We have really enjoyed North Island, looking forward to the less populated south.
Nigel’s earlier hope that the weather was picking up was sadly wrong but at least the crossing was not choppy. I guess that if it had been clearer it would have been truly spectacular. However it did pick up considerably once we started the drive to Nelson. It was absolutely magnificent driving along and above the Queen Charlotte Sound. Once more, despite being quite well-travelled, we have never seen anything that we could compare the scenery to. Maybe if we had been to Norway, we might have had a point of comparison. Anyway it was pretty spectacular.
The B&B in Nelson is very old fashioned. The house is old and has large fireplaces and lots of Edwardian features. It is in a very central location and I think we will be very comfortable here.

Capes, Seals & Pinnacles

A lazy start today, that is we had a very good continental breakfast at about 08:30. Home made muesli and fresh fruit salad and two flat whites, heaven. The hotel has been converted from what was the old inn and has real character. There is a public bar and a café which is used by tourists and locals alike so there is a good atmosphere. Tonight we have had a relaxed bar meal and wandered round the village, the temperatures have soared during the day. The town of Martinborough is interesting in that it was founded by an Irishman and to show his patriotism he laid the streets out in the shape of the Union Jack. He then named the streets after places that he had visited, so there is Naples Street, New York Street and Oxford Street. I should imagine that it is now a well to do retreat for people from Wellington and a place to visit for the weekend. One sobering sight was the war memorial square and the incredible number of names of those who died in WW1. I later read that out of a population of 1 million, 100,000 went to fight, 60,000 of whom died.
Well today we visited Cape Palliser (the sponsor of Captain Cook) which is the southern most point of North Island. The drive was along a barren shoreline with black beaches unsafe for bathing although there were some serious surfers. At one point there is a huge seal colony right by the road. We were 20 feet from basking seals and took some fantastic photographs. At the end of the road is a lighthouse with 200 odd steps to climb to reach it, needless to say that the views are spectacular. Amazingly at the lighthouse we were the only people.
Also of note was a links golf course, green fees $5 and fairways a bit rough where the greens were surrounded by electrified fences to keep out wildlife.
We then stopped for a picnic lunch at the Putangiura Pinnacles. These are hard to describe but are called badlands erosion so consist of many columns of grey rock very close together. Walking to these involved a very stiff climb for about 40 minutes, but was well worth the effort. By this time it was getting very warm. Then we had a refreshing drink by the sea and then a meander back to the hotel, to repack so that we were ready for the ferry.
Tomorrow it is the ferry to South Island, a gale is forecast, we hope that it does not live up to its reputation.

It’s 4.45pm and I’m and writing this sitting in a bar! We are staying for the next 2 nights in an old style hotel in Martinborough which is about an hour east of Wellington. It is the middle of the wine growing area and we have just been into the wine centre and chosen a dozen bottles to be shipped home. (When they arrive in about 8 weeks it will come as a lovely reminder!). Nigel is going out for a run now so I am sitting here in the hotel bar with Premier League footie on the big screen, drinking a lemon cordial and soda. It’s quite a lively place with locals as well as hotel guests. I think we might eat in here tomorrow. Tonight we plan to have dinner in the hotel restaurant as it gets a good press, but we are trying to vary the way we eat as fine dining can pall if you do too much of it!
The weather is a little overcast today and there has been a bit of rain in the wind but the drive here was rather interesting. Although no longer in the thermal region or traversing the mountains there was a lot of interest to be had looking at the crops and orchards as we drove by. This area is known as the fruit basket of NZ and of course at the moment most of that fruit is nearly ready to harvest and the wooden crates are piled in the orchards. As we dropped down towards Martinborough the orchards and fields of veg were replaced with vineyards. The big wine in this area is Pinot Noir and that is what we tasted and decided to ship home.
We have had some very nice things to eat since we have been here. I guess it is a good time of year for fruit and veg and there is plenty of beef, lamb and pork as well as very nice fish and seafood. One of the things we find universally great is the coffee. Nigel has become addicted to what is known as a ‘flat white’ – a kind of cappuccino with non-bubbly froth. The black coffee is good too and we have both developed a taste for iced coffee – a slightly naughtier treat as it includes a scoop of ice cream and you have to get in quick to stop them adding extra cream to the top, which we find a little to rich.
We were talking to some other English people we met on the wine tour and we laughed because we all agreed that we had slept in comfortable beds everywhere. So there you go –top NZ treats:-the coffee and the comfy beds!!!
Tomorrow we are planning a lazy day. We hope to take a picnic and sit by the ocean with our books. This means that except for going through the port on the way to South Island on Friday, we won’t have been to Wellington which is a shame in some ways but compromises have to be made if we are to avoid total exhaustion. Maybe if it rains our choices will have to change!
Gosh I have been rambling on. I’ll stop now and read a bit of Rumpole which I picked up at the last hotel library – I haven’t become a book thief, I left one of mine there in exchange. This is a good way to get something new to read because books are very expensive here.
Nigel now -Note the fountain picture on last nights blog, the picture to night is of the wines that we are bringing back. Also took first railway pictures for Laura, all the railways are narrow guage. We stopped in a ilttle village that had been settle by Scandinavians. They had been encouraged to settle in a desolate area in the 1870s. Many had died or resettled to California. Still in the visitors book there was a predominance of Danes and Swedes.
Great run tonight round the vineyards and a little cooler, that is 9 in a row!!!

Eating by the Harbour

It was such a good night that we decided to eat outside by the harbour. A lot of the old warehouses have been opened up and converted into bars and restaurants. It had a lively atmosphere, and was great in shorts and a tee shirt. As a bonus the food was good as well, although Marion had a little too much pasta. Back along the seafront where there is a fountain playing different coloured lights (it all happens in Napier). Photos will appear tomorrow.

Napier has a very relaxed friendly feel, and seems properous. I guess it is all the wineries, fruit growing and timber expoting that is underpinning the economy. Tomorrow we are off 150 miles further south.

Back to the Thirties

The picture today is of the tourists by the second most photographed building in New Zealand after Dunedin railway station. Well thart is what the guide said.

What an interesting day in Napier, a city entirely focussed around the happenings of 3 Feb 1931 when a major earthquake hit the town. The scenes of devastation are just as if a major bomb had been dropped on the town. The town has been re-built in the art deco style, mainly because it was the cheapest way to build. This afternoon we have been on a bus tour of all the sites, it was just the two of us because of a mix-up, but was all the better for that.

The most amazing fact was that the earthquake raised land by several metres thus reclaiming major areas that were previously underwater. You can see the line of the former cliffs some 2 miles inland. The buildings are great and there is obviously now a high awareness of what a gem of a city they have here and all efforts are being made to retain the ambience. In fact our guide today said they were working towards a bid for World Heritage status, although she felt that might be a little too ambitious. Tonight we plan to go to a café on the beach next to the port. It’s a beautiful evening and a plate of seafood on an outdoor terrace seems in order!

A more considered view of Art Deco

Well, I haven’t woken up with a thick head after all the fun last night. I guess the truth of the matter is that it doesn’t take much to make me sing!
Napier is a fascinating little city. It was completely flattened by a violent earthquake in 1930 and rebuilt in the art deco style. My guess is that nothing much happened then and the town fell asleep, with the consequence that no modernisation occurred. In the 1980’s they woke up to the potential of their perfect example of an art deco town and put by laws into place which prohibited unsympathetic new building. It is absolutely delightful – we are looking forward to a bus tour of the whole place later today. I guess that we may be parted from a bit of cash today – there are some very interesting looking shops!
We have just popped our clothes into the laundramat which might provide a chance to look into the cathedral which is opposite. We could have come with just one suit case, everything is geared up for travellers like us who have come for a long time. The weather is looking good and I anticipate another great day in Napier. (By the way, travelling through the mountains to get here yesterday it absolutely bucketed down - quite nerve-racking driving conditions! Of course we had a picnic which had to be eaten in the car at a beauty spot overlooking a cloud filled valley!!).
Nigel – The wine tour was excellent, although some of the terminology was a little daunting, particularly after the first tasting. The wineries were lovely, one was an ultramodern stome and wood construction, and the other was an old style colonial run by catholic priests. The food was equally excellent, Marion has fabulous stuffed rabbit. The platters to start with contained huge mussels, and great curried squid.
The hotel we are staying in is beautifully restored, everything in a thirties style. Slept really well last night looking forward to a day of exploring.

A Wine Tour...hic

A late blog today and a short one as we have just been on the wine tour of the Hawkes Bay Region. We now know our Sauvignon Blanc from our Chardonnay. All I need to say is that Marion was singing in the minibus before the end. You will get the picture. Seriously the tour was very interesting, we visited a different winery for each course, and had tastings. Some serious money in the wines here.
Napier is a strange place full of Art Deco, nyot just one building but all the buildings. Ironicaly our building is the only original Edwardian building left, but the inside has been restored in the Art Deco style. Lots of interesting shops. A fuller description of today will follow tomorrow when we are sober.

Into the Mountains of Mordor

Another interesting physical geography day! We left the steaming Lake Rotorua to head towards our next stop in the mountains of the Tongariro National Park. All along the scenic drive there were patches of steaming ground where there is geo-thermal activity. We were heading for a place called Taupu as our first stop. Although beautifully situated on the lake, Nigel and I decided against stopping because it was commercialised – and not in a good way! Further around the lake we found some lovely spots to stop and take photos and a café that made a perfect elevenses stop. (As I write this, I keep getting sulphurous whiffs off my body – the residue of yesterday’s mud and sulphur baths. Why doesn’t expensive perfume stay on me like this? I’m almost thinking that I’ll miss it when it has gone!)
We arrived at our hotel at Whakapapa too early to have our room so we went to the nearby mountain resort and Nigel took the chairlift up. I couldn’t go because it took more speed and dexterity than I have to leap on and off the moving chair!! I am sure that Nigel will write a bit about his experience when he returns from his run. At the moment I am writing this sitting in a beautiful lounge in the hotel by an enormous window overlooking the kind of volcano that looks how a child would draw it. I forget to mention that before we came to the hotel we stopped at the Visitors’ Centre and learnt a lot about the local volcanic activity (which has been on a dramatic scale – one explosion making Pompeii and Krakatoa look like minor shakes of the earth!) Also I bought a couple of cards which are giving me some ideas for a quilt. I might have to come to my more artistic brethren for some help in drawing a pattern from the picture!! Tonight we are booked in for dinner here at the hotel – it will have to be pretty good to beat the very tasty meal we ate last night.
Ok here is the alternative version, Marion thought the chairlift looked a little violent for one with an artificial hip, quote “they were throwing children on”. Any way there turned out to be two chairlifts which took me to 6000 feet. The views were tremendous, and the landscape was fascinating. It was of rocks made from lava so that they were incredibly light. If you had the correct shoes you could walk to the summit and look down inside the crater. It was a truly unique experience. I will post the photos when we have a faster internet connection. As Marion said the information centre was interesting, and it is the first area I have ever been in that has a eruption risk status, today is 1 on a scale of 0 to 5, 5 being the most severe. However this is not reassuring as last time there was an eruption in 2006 the experts had just downgraded the status to 0. The hotel even has notices as to what to do in the event of an eruption. Good job we are on the second floor.
All around the hotel are well marked and constructed walks, so on advice from reception I ran one of the walks. It was tremendous, mountain views and ending at a remote waterfall. In all it took me an hour although I did walk some of the uphill sections. Rather put a dark night on Aldersbrook Road to shame.
The hotel is restored to its original thirties décor. The views from the lounge are tremendous and the food was excellent. There is a fine snooker table in the lounge but unfortunately there is nobody for me to thrash. Well now to bed and the start of another holiday week.

Muddy Waters with a whiff of Sulphur

Today we were up early to a glorious morning. A delightful breakfast on the terrace, fresh fruit, omelettes and lots of toast.. Then on the road to Rotorua and the first lesson - NZ signposting is incredibly vague. So we spent 30 minutes touring the town of Tauranga as Marion struggled with the map. For once I sympathised.
As the guidebooks say, you smell Rotorua before you arrive there - it is pungent sulphur. A good side effect is that it seems to clear the sinuses. The town seemed quiet, high season has obviously been and gone. Our room is pleasant typical modern hotel example, overlooking the lake on which the town is set. Think French spa town.
So off to Hells Gate, named by George Bernard Shaw who said that as a well known atheist it resembled the gates of hell that his friends said he would end up in. The volcanic park was fascinating, lots of bubbling naturally heated pools, some well above boiling point because of the mineral content of the water. You had to pinch yourself to realise the miracle of what you were seeing. I guess Laura might have seen similar in Iceland. Well after a stroll it was off to the spa. There we had a lecture on what it would do to our clothes, how to wash them and not to wear silver jewellery afterwards. Well, I am starting a mud bath in Scarborough, basically you sit in a concrete tub which has mud at the bottom which you rub all over you. Marion’s face looked like Francis Drake on a bad hair day. It felt good, but you only realised how good afterwards. There are photos - fortunately Marion had the wrong setting when photographing me!!!!!
Then an ice cold shower in which you had to wash all the mud off, not easy I tell you it gets in every crevice. Then into a warm (hot bath) sulphur pool which was very relaxing. Just lie and soak. Then a shower after which you felt great but still smelt awful. Marion was much less stiff afterwards so I will install one in the back garden, just need the volcanic water source!!!

Marion writing now! On return to centre of Rotorua we spent some time in the Government gardens – it had a very colonial “feel” – except that there are sudden examples of boiling, steaming geo-thermal pools around them. The buildings dated from the early 20th century and were rather Spanish in their architecture with lovely lawned gardens, full of impatiens, agapanthus and other, more exotic flora. I’m on a bit of a flora and fauna kick. All the swans in NZ appear to be black. I haven’t seen a white one since we’ve been here. In a minute I am going to have a shower to try to get rid of the last evidence of the mud bath. It’s going to take plenty exotic smelling products to get me acceptable again – I have become used to smelling like rotten eggs and will miss it when it’s gone! However we decided on quite a nice restaurant tonight and, although the smell of sulphur is in the air here, I don’t have to add to it!!

A Relaxing day by the Sea

I am writing this with some rather sore bits! The UV is deadly and this morning I got burnt even though it was cloudy. We are having an easy day and started with a very nice breakfast sitting outside on the terrace at the B&B. The view is just lovely and we lingered a bit. When we did go out, it was only as far as the beach where we sat for quite a while reading and watching the surfing dudes. It was lovely, although quite cloudy. Before we went out one of the other guests asked Nigel if he would like to go for a walk with him to see some local waterfalls. The path was very well maintained and drained. No fear of getting lost, bitten or falling over. This worked well because Nigel was able to go on a longer walk than I can manage with some company. I’m afraid I fell asleep for most of the time he was gone. When I woke up I rearranged the suitcases a bit so that we now have one that doesn’t need to be opened for 5 or 6 days and can stay in the car. Then to the beach again where the tide was right out and Nigel had a lovely run along the sand. Delayed somewhat watching the owner of one of the beachside houses taking off in his helicopter! It was great sitting there watching the families having a swim and the younger surf dudes who were probably in school earlier!

We then had a take away and played a not very competitive game of Scrabble which Marion won. I would say that she had the better letters but that would be an untruth. Tomorrow we are off to the springs at Rotorua and a mud bath, do not know what to expect, there may not be pictures so as to preserve modesty and decorum.

One amusing item on the radio which I overheard today. There was a debate on how proud New Zealanders are of their country, on the eve of their national day. One caller lamented the state of the nation and then said that New Zealanders should look to the example of Australia for a united nation with a strong sense of identity.

Random New Zealand Thoughts

I am waking up at 6am like clockwork and then feel wide awake. If that is the only impact of jet lag then that is good. As a result now is a good time to gather my almost lucid thoughts. What are my first impressions?

First of all there is a lot of cultural similarity, the sports pages could come from the Yorkshire Post (cricket, football etc....) Everywhere seems familiar, yet there are differeneces that shout at you. Driving is like being in Canada that strange mixture of kilometres withAamerican signage. Everybody we have met is very polite and very anxious to talk. Service so far is excellent.

The scenary is fantastic, and that is before we have seen the five star sites. Again becaause we are out of season there is no pressure on parking, the roads, restaurants etc...The atmosphere is very clear and unpollutted.

Already I have had one of my great runs, along the beach last night was heaven, great firm sand, bright blue seas, and a great temperature. This will sound pretentious it is up there with the Charles River in Boston, and Cloughton to Ravencar along the coast.

The food we have had so far is excellent, mostly it has to be said seafood. The mussels are huge, and we have yet to try mussel fritters which seem to be a delicacy. Also you can pies everywhere, yet to try those.

Importantly we are very relaxed, very quickly, although it is good to keep in touch via Twitter, blogging etc.. it is a pleasure rather than a chore. I am now uploading the photos to Picassa (www.picassa.com), not sure how you access this, but I am sure that Thomas can add a comment.

Here is the last pretentious cliche, it is also great to blog for ones own sanity. Perhaps I am discovering the benefits of keeping a diary at a late stage in life. You can collect your thoughts and summarise the day, My apologies for boring the readership.

Must go now as Marion has had "oooh Nigel" moment as she steps onto the balconey to look at the coast (we are about 200 feet up 2 miles from the sea).

Coromandel & The Pacific

Well, what a lovely day. We left Auckland to drive up the Coromandel Peninsula quite early – still slightly adjusting to being in a different time zone – although surprisingly few problems with this! We went to fetch the hire car and Nigel negotiated us out of Auckland in his usual efficient way. Once out of Auckland the population was very spare, settlement was few and far between, and hardly anywhere of any size. Our drive took us along the most beautiful Pacific coastline. The sea was a true turquoise and the rocky coastline punctuated with sandy bays was just great. The views were stupendous with volcanic islands poking out of the brilliantly coloured sea. Because of the completely different vegetation, we couldn’t compare it to anything we knew. Maybe a cross between Maine and the Caribbean? (Not that we’ve been to the latter). We had a paddle and it certainly was not as cold as the Atlantic in Maine. We stopped in the town of Coromandel and had lunch at the quaintly named Success Café – it deserved its name; the smoked salmon Panini was fab!
Whangamata is a seaside town probably smaller than Filey. It has a broad, long sandy beach with little islands off shore giving it the appearance of the beach in the film of the same name. I enjoyed a lovely evening run along the foreshore. Everywhere has that out of season feel, although most places are open there are few customers. This evening we went to a café close to the beach where, although there was only a limited menu, it was well cooked. This evening we are staying in a B & B which has a fantastic view over the bay. It is very quiet so tomorrow might be our reading day, maybe seated on the beach as the forecast is good.
The controversy in the paper today is a move to change the flag so that it does not include the union flag. This appears to be press talk as the paper failed to find any significant support for a hcange.
Feeling tired now, it was quite a long drive today in a strange car, although it is an automatic which is good, even though it is a dodgy Toyota.

A Day on the Water

Woke up this morning feeling remarkably fresh considering this was always going to be a ‘jet lag’ day. After breakfast we set out for the harbour front and took a boat to Devonport the seat of the New Zealand navy. Auckland harbour is absolutely lovely. It is beautifully situated amongst lots of peninsulas of land and volcanic islands. There is loads of activity on the water – yachts, ferries and some larger vessels. The weather changed from being quite cloudy to being clear and sunny and we really enjoyed our time on the water and at Devonport. We took a little tourist bus around and got a feeling for where we were, as well as stopping at a couple of beauty spots for photo opportunities! There were some lovely wooden bungalows; there is also a disappearing gun, which had been placed on a hill overlooking the harbour after much effort and labour. It only fired once after which the residents complained, that was it, never again!! An early case of consumer power?
We came back and mooched around the harbour area for a while and then set off on a cruise around some of the peninsulas and islands in the harbour, as well as seeing many magnificent - and hugely expensive - yachts at close quarters. The harbour cruise was fascinating. There is a lot of low density housing all around and golden- sanded beaches all set off by magnificent vegetation. Many of the plants that grow wild are things that we might have one or two of in an English garden. However the down town area of Auckland, although fairly compact, looks modern with its high rise buildings housing the usual suspects – HSBC, Price Waterhouse Cooper, Deloittes etc.etc.
An interesting question, the tour guide said that New Zealand was one of only three countries with no snakes, why? I take the parallel with Britain which is an island but still has snakes. He also said that many of the birds are flightless because there were no predators until they were introduced by foreigners.
The city looks a lovely to place to live with all the water activity and a good climate. Some nice looking beaches near the town centre. It also has a very relaxed feel, for instance there are very few emergency sirens and downtown in the evening feels very safe.
This evening we went to a restaurant on a terrace overlooking the harbour. It was lovely to sit outside and watch the commercial and pleasure boats come and go. Marion gave me an invaluable lesson on the use of spinnakers. Marion also chose the wine an excellent Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. The fish was great, particularly a good chowder.
Now to bed after a full day, I hope we sleep as well as last night. Quote of a the day seen on a tee shirt in the All Blacks shop. Rugby players don’t cry……unless they are Australian. Also described the iconic black shirt as a portal through which only a few entered……
We might be off the air for two days as we are heading for the more rural east and there may not be internet connections.

Considered Thoughts of Auckland

I realised now that the dates are wrong so have adjusted to Auckland time!!

Much better now to write a considered view of the first day. First impressions were that everything is quiett. The airport is the least busy international one that I have been to. There were no queues of traffic to exit. The hotel is pretty much cookie cutter international but suits us in our tired state. It is a mile or so from downtown but there is a shuttle bus every 30 mins.

We went to the harbour area where there are lots of small ferries to outlying parts. It was busy but on a small scale. There are the usual shops but it tooks us a long time to spot a Starbucks and so far only one! While by the harbour we stopped for refreshment and I drank my first NZ beer, an original (see picture). By 4pm we were tired and staggered back to the hotel. I realised how lagged we were when it took me several attemopts and the intervention of the attendant to work the changing room locker in the health spa. This is a good facility with outdoor pool and good gym.

We just had a simple dinner of Ceasar Salad and chips during which Marion fell to sleep. Then ten hours sleep, bliss.

Today a trip on a ferry and some scouting around, Marion is getting bookshop withdrawal.

Tired in Aucland

You’ll have to forgive errors in this post – we’re pretty jet lagged despite getting plenty of sleep on the flight. (Marion rather more than Nigel!). We flew down the Australian east coast in the dark but morning broke as we crossed the Tasmin Sea. Our first view of Auckland was watery – we were on the sea side not the down town side as we landed. We were pretty quick though the airport (not the world’s busiest) and were pleased to arrive at our hotel and have a shower, hair wash and change of clothing. Although very tired, we resisted the temptation to go to bed and took the hotel shuttle bus down to the harbour area. It was bustling and lively, with several very large cruise vessels moored up. We sat, watching the world wag by over the top of a beer glass and then returned to the hotel. To prevent sleeping, Nigel had a run in the gym and I took a swim in the heated outdoor pool.
We are both very tired now and are stuggling to stay upto the target time of 9pm. See the first shots of New Zealand uploaded.

If its Monday it is Hong Kong

Monday afternoon and sat at Hong Kong airport. 23deg and Nigel has bought an emergency tee shirt, well it is the year of the dragon.

Very good flight, service and food excellent. I watched An Education while Marion passed the time with Damned United. Odd seeing Scarborough while over Russia.

Woke to see a fabulous view of the moutain ranges of the interior of China, then a clear decent into Hong Kong. My Lantau has changed since we were last here 30 years ago. Still I suppose that we have changed as well.

Another 11 hours to go and we will be in Auckland. That will be great.

Marion & Nigel