Off the West Coast

Tuesday 28^th January

I had a look at the weather report yesterday and it said the whole of South Island was going to be bathed in sunshine for a few days, so we decided to cross the country to the West Coast and the glaciers!

We had the most wonderful drive from Hamner Springs over the mountains to Westport, straight across, through the mountains. . It was just stunning, wending our way our mountain passes, climbing up to the top of one, down and then back up another. All the time, a river running by our side, sometimes just a dribble others really wide.

 

We finally reached Westport on the other side. A small town on the coast, a great place to stop off for the night. We booked into a small camp site which is just great and we have already got a resident cat, a large grey and white, sitting outside looking at us pleadingly. I dropped him some morsels whilst Rod wasn't looking.

A brilliant quiet day, we had dinner, some good wine and watched the stars comes out.

Getting wrinkly at Hanmer Springs

Monday 27^th

 

They lied didn't they.  So much for crystal skies over the western side for the next four days.  We woke to grey skies and light drizzle, but that didn't stop us.... we were going to get wet, so it didn't matter.

We set off for the Springs at 10.30 thinking we would spend a couple of hours there and we left at 4.30 quite wrinkly. They have about 8 spring pools, all at different heat and different mineral levels, working your way up to the sulpher pool, which we did try but it was a bit hot for us. We had a break for lunch and then back in for the afternoon, it was fabulous.  We basically did nothing all day but relax in warm water.  Even after showing, I still think I can smell the sweet smell of sulphur in the van.

The sun came out in the afternoon, but of course you were so cool forgot about the sun, Rod has a red nose and I fell a little charred.

 

 

We sat around our van in the evening and cooked a spicy chicken dish with lovely white wine, and were only driven in when it got cold. As we were high up, as soon as the sun went down the temperature plummetted. I woke up about 4am freezing..... brr.a aa

 

We head for the Hills

Sunday 26^th

The Whale Watching and the Night Sky didn't happen again, so we've given up and left Kaikoura for the mountains and a place called Hamner Springs. Perhaps will get back on our way up to Picton.

 

We turned right just out of town and headed inland. What a treat for the eyes as we headed through mountain passes to Hanmer Springs – again it took us twice as long to get there as we kept stopping every five minutes to either take a photo, or occasionally to let a car pass us as we were just trundling along.

 

 

We booked into a camp site right in town and wandered up to the village. Hanmer is famous for it's hot springs, and we intend to spend the day there tomorrow getting crinkley. It's rained a little today and there has been high winds, really biiiiiiggg winds, so hope it calms down for tomorrow.

We had a walk around town and decided that Hanmer is very pretty, but reminded us of Stepford, beautiful houses, but no people.  Perhaps they come out at night! 

 

The camp site is quiet, so we are relaxing for the afternoon. The whole place is surrounded by mountains... Lovely.

Kiakoura

25^th January – Kiakoura

The stargazing didn't happen as it clouded over, and when we walked down to the Whale Watch place to see if we could get on a cruise, all sessions had been cancelled again, as the sea was really choppy. Don't really feel like being green, even for whales.

Instead we decided to walk the coastal path down to a seal colony. It took us about 3 hours there and back, and we must have walked about 7 miles! Everything hurts! But we saw seals. Right at the end you could walk up a vertical hill to the top, and look down on the colony, but we were so knackered by that time, and we had the walk back, so we gave up, but got to see some. Perhaps we might drive down tomorrow and just do the uphill walk.

 

                                                                               aaaah

He isn't dead, honest! we saw him moved

Trying again for the night sky, if not it will be another wild night in town.

Onward to Kiakoura

Friday 24^th January

We had a lovely drive today, down through miles of grape vines and wineries, soaring hills and farms, down to the coast road and the turquoise sea. It wasn't a long drive today, only about 2 hours, but we kept stopping at every view point, and then for coffee, before arriving in Kiakoura and our camp, two minutes walk into town.

                                                           Wild beaches along the way

We had time to have a good look around town and walk down the coast path. We passed the I-Centre and booked ourselves on a Star Gazing Tour tonight at 10pm. Really looking forward to that. Kiakoura has the feel of a backpackers place, but I'm sure there is much more to it and it seems so quiet, but then the holiday season has finished. It's mainly known for Whale Watching, but there many other things to see, seals, dolphins and Albatross', and for Crayfish, so thinks we should try some before we leave.

Rod took me on a date tonight, out for a drink in town.  There's not a lot going on in Kiakoura!  Lovely place.

Heading over to South Island

Thursday 23^rd January

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. We woke up to blue skies and the winds have dropped a little. I was really worried about the ferry trip as I had be told it was a rock and roller if the weather was rough. Well we were up and down at the ferry terminal at 7am. The sun was shining and the sky was clear.

 

                                                       Exciting - Getting on board

I had also been told, that if clear, it is one of the most stunning ferry rides ever, and I have to say they were right, it was glorious from start to finish.

                                                  Sailing through the Marlborough Sound

                                                                         South Island

                                                         The Inlet into South Island

We stay on desk the whole time and the scenery was stunning. And in 3 hours we were off and parked in Picton for a coffee and deciding what we were going to next. We've decided that we may stay over in Picton for an afternoon and night on our way back to catch the ferry back to North island. It looks a pretty place.

Any way we decided to head a little way out of town to visit Omaka, an aircraft museum dedicated to 1^st world war planes from all over. The difference is that the museum and many of the aircraft are owned by Peter Jackson, the film producer (Lord of the Rings), and some of them are still flyable.

Thanks Trish/Roger for the heads up, it was a great place and we are probably making you jealous. The exhibition is called Knights of the Sky. All the sets at the museum were created by Peter Jackson with the help of the Weta Workshop, and many others. Brilliants.

Next Door was the Omaka Classic Cars, a car collection owned a local wine producer (obviously made good), and they all belong to him. Again just brillliant, and for you Terry and Michael, he had a particular interest in old Jags, and I've taken just a few photos for you.  Here's just a few of them

 

So after spending all afternoon at these two places, we decided to stay around the area, and we found a small camp at Spring Creek near Blenheim.  Our van was parked by a small river and we were surrounded by death defying ducks, and chicks. The river had the most enough eels I've ever seen. We were told we could swim in the river, but we both decided to miss out of the human eating eels.

                                                            I had a glass too, of course!

Made pasta bake for dinner, very nice.... I'm getting good at this one pot gourmet, although might run out of recipes soon. But the trusted internet should be able to help.

 

Down to Wellington

Wednesday 22^nd January.

It's stopped raining...yeh! Not bright sunshine, but it's not raining. We left quite early and Rod wanted to visit the Ohakea Airforce Museum. They were very nice when we got there, but told us the museum had move to the South Island 10 years ago. Ho hum, think the Hema map people need to update their maps.

We are heading for Wellington today to catch the ferry first thing tomorrow morning. We travelled through such exciting places as Foxton, Levin and Otaki – not much to look at, but at least got some pillows at Levin.

Can't say the scenery is much to look at down here, from Otaki we hit the coast road and our stop for the night quite early, didn't take us as long to get here than we thought. So the Capital Motor Inn might be the nearest stop to the ferry, but a little underwhelmed. We are basically parked up in car park at the back of the motel for the night with a lorry next to us. It is blowing up a hooley out there – I now know why Wellington is called the windy city. I wonder what the ride over to South Island will be like tomorrow. I think I have got some sickness pills with me.

Oh it's started raining again! Another night in me thinks, but will be cooking a seafood chowder with a nice bottle of white wine, following by the Westbrook Cinema in the back of the van.

Speaks tomorrow.

It's Still Raining

Tuesday 21st January

Well it's still raining and we got up to a very soggy day. Our first night's sleeps in our van wasn't bad, nice and cosy and warm, but the pillows are awful, so a trip to The Warehouse is called for, as soon as.

We are still heading North, but have decided to have a look at a couple of cave systems not far away, before we set off. The first one called the Glow Worm cave and the second The Arunai Cave. The whole area is riddled with about 130 lime stone caves, some you can walk into like the ones above, others you can cave dive, abseil into, sit on rubber rings if that is your wish, and swim through them, and some potholing, none of which we wanted to try. We were happy to wander through them.

The first one you walked through and then got a small boat which took you through a huge cathedral cavern, where the ceiling was covered with glow worms.... it looked like a fairy palace. Aaaaah. We couldn't take any photos here. The second was just beautiful, I can quite understand where the ancestors got their stories from, and how this has transformed into tales such as the Lord of the Rings.

They reckon there are still hundreds of caves to be discovered. Some are sacred places where people were buried, so of course you cannot visit them... fascinating place.

We set off for Wanganui from there and have to say I had a terrible day's driving. It was pelting down all day, I drove over a mountain so took for ever coz of the windy roads, and the top it all the windscreen wiper wasn't working properly kept slipping out and making the most horrible screeching noise. I was tearing my hair out and tired and grumpy by the time we reached the camp site at Bulls. Needless to say the minutes we got there, the rain stopped. Hurrmph. 

But I do have to say that even in the rain the scenery was lovely, the hills green, with farms and fields everywhere. Can't wait to see it in the sunshine and when the scenery gets more dramatic.

                                            Our home and a grump Rod as it is still raining

                                                        Steamy, wet and hot rain forest

I demanded a large glass of red wine immediately.

We had another night in, as we were in the middle of nowhere by a lake, it was lovely, quiet and I made a great spag bol which I have to say was very nice.

Happy Campers

Monday 20^th January

This is the next phase of the adventure where we turn into happy campers... I hope.

The taxi picks us up promptly at 9.15 and takes us down to Wilderness Campers. Unfortunately when we got to their address, there was a big sign up to say they had moved. That stumped us! But we passed the initiative test and found the new address.

It took us longer than we had expected to sort out our stuff, pack it away and get going out of Auckland, but we were on the road by 11.30. After a stop for coffee and a visit to the supermarket we were off highway 1 and heading south.

Well we love our little camper, and can't believe how much storage and space there is – of course ask us that again after seven weeks and I have stuffed Rod in the boot. 

All I can say is that the road signs in NZ are as terrible as in Oz. There we are trundling along, I know that the road splits and we have to come off the 1 onto the 39. You would think that there would be a sign up to say route 39, go that way.... oh No! Not that straight forward.... but we sorted out way finally.... without too much bickering.

It didn't help that it has rained all day, so I feel that we are getting into the spirit with you all in the UK, and I hope it makes you feel better..

On to a completely different subject. On the fight over to NZ with Air NZ the safety video was hilarious. It was done in the style of a Lord of the Rings video and was priceless and bonkers. Try and see if you can see it on Utube, it will make you laugh out loud.

We drove down to Otorohanga where we had booked a campsite, we came via the Kiwi House, a small bird and Kiwi sanctuary, small but lovely to see. Don't suppose we will ever get to see a Kiwi in the wild, and lots of ducks! They look the same as English Ducks.

Tonight is a night in, we have just had pasta, cheese and a bottle of NZ bubbly, come on we are celebrating the next adventure. So hope the rains stops and we get some sleep.... speak tomorrow.

Last Day in Auckland

Sunday 19^th January – our last day in Auckland

It's our last day in Auckland and with so much to do it is difficult to make a choice. We were going to do a Harbour Cruise, but decided when we got to the terminal to just take the ferry across to Devonport, a 10 minute jump across the bay. We spent most of the day walking down the lovely streets to see the beaches. We also walked half way up an extinct volcano (small one) which had fab views across to city. What a nice place to have a picnic or go for the weekend. Needless to say it was lovely, so me thinks it is an expensive place to live, or to have a weekend house.

                                                                Sky Tower in Auckland

                                                        Clapboard Houses in Devonport

                                                                 View over to the City

We are having a night in tonight to finish of the seafood, yes, we bought far too much yesterday, pack and sort ourselves out and watch Skyfall. We need to be up early tomorrow morning for the txi to take us out to the airport to pick up our camper van, and we begin the start of our next adventure/

1. 1.Getting all our stuff out to the van
2. Getting all our stuff into the van
3. Making sure we get out of Auckland on the right road
4. Don't crash the van in the first 10 minutes

Rod will have to drive tomorrow as yesterday I banged my left knee. It didn't really hurt when it happened, but today can't bend my knee or put pressure on it. Don't know what the hell I did, but it will get better.

                                           Night time in Auckland

Bye Bye Auckland and hello Hobbitland.

Saturday in Auckland

Saturday 18^th January

I think we've got over the jet lag, and Rod is on the mend with this cough. We walked over to an area called Parnell to the French food market and then back through Parnell to the City. What a pretty place, with white clapboard houses. Quite a trendy area me thinks to live, and probably rather expensive. The High Street was full of trendy shops, cafe, restaurants and galleries.

Clapboard house in Parnell

 

 

I would like to say one thing about Auckland.... it is hilly and everthing seems to up hill wherever you go.... but its a bit odd, cos you never seem to go down hill at all, all very weird. I can confirm that even after two days, I have managing my 10,000 steps a day easily, and that any muscles I may possibly have in my butt, are being challenged. I just need another two months of this and I will either be a)starting to get fit or b) completely knackered.

After a rest back at the pad, we walked down into city to the fish market and bought scallops and prawns for dinner. I thought they would be nice pan fried with garlic, butter, salt and pepper, served with crusty bread and cold white wine.... what do you think?

 

We might venture in a little wine for yet another walk, but perhaps stopping at a hostelry on the way back. Rod found a Brewery with bar on the front, so we will have to try it don't we.

Speak to you tomorrow.