Sitting waiting for our flight, so this is obviously the 'last post'
We finished with four days at the beach, at a place called Mt Maunganui. Very pretty, even though we had slightly mixed weather.
This did not stop us walking up the mount (in the rain), and swimming in the surf (in the rain)
The mount is on a headland, and looking out one way, you see the Pacific. If you look the other way, you get a cruise ship in the foreground, and NZ's biggest container shipping port in the background. There's also an uninhabited spit of land in the harbour, which has quite a lot of geothermal activity going on.
We decided to finish with a bang, so booked a trip to White Island, which is NZ's most active volcano. It sits approx 30 miles off the coast, and is the easternmost visible sign of the string of volcanic activity, which starts at Tongariro (beyond Taupo). The 'ring of fire' then goes underwater for good, until resurfacing in Hawaii.
The volcano gave us yet another opportunity to say: "Never been anywhere like this before"
Hopefully took some great pictures inside the crater, as well as some 'short films'
Thursday, 3 March 2016
Sunday, 28 February 2016
Bubbling Mud
Taupo was great, with the biggest lake in New Zealand to swim in, lots of pubs and restaurants, and wonderful scenery.
The highlight of our stay was the trip to Orakei Korako, where the earth's crust has opened up and showed us a bit of what lies underneath.
Geysers, mud pools, silica terraces running with the clearest water you will ever see. We went quite early in the day, which was a good idea, since we virtually had the place to ourselves on arrival, though it had got a lot busier by the time we left. We have taken some short videos, which give a better idea of the activity going on, but they won't load on the blog, so here are some pictures.
Nearly forgot to mention Huka Falls. This is where New Zealand's longest river, the Waikato, is forced through a 12 metre wide gap, before heading off up north and into the Tasman Sea.
The highlight of our stay was the trip to Orakei Korako, where the earth's crust has opened up and showed us a bit of what lies underneath.
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| First view of the main terrace |
Geysers, mud pools, silica terraces running with the clearest water you will ever see. We went quite early in the day, which was a good idea, since we virtually had the place to ourselves on arrival, though it had got a lot busier by the time we left. We have taken some short videos, which give a better idea of the activity going on, but they won't load on the blog, so here are some pictures.
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| Did we mention the occasional bad smell/ |
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| No further explanation needed |
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| This mud pool's actually in a public park in Rotorua |
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| Huka Falls, near Taupo |
Friday, 26 February 2016
Wine, Wilderness and Art Deco
Following advice from a lot of people, we changed our travel plans to include a couple of days in Napier and Hawkes Bay, and we are glad we did.
Napier and Hastings were severely damaged by a massive earthquake in 1931, just as the great economic depression was starting to bite. The rebuilding was done very fast, a lot of it in the Art Deco style fashionable at the time. The results are remarkable, and we hope our pictures do the place justice.
Hawkes Bay is also fruit growing country. The grapes are pretty famous, but there are miles of orchards, lemon groves, and soft fruit growing: strawberries, raspberries, peaches, nectarines and peacharines (really)
From there, we drove over the mountains up to the central plateau, where a lot of the volcanic activity can still be seen.
The drive over featured a sign saying, Last Petrol for 130km. We got the message.
More volcano related fun in the next bulletin...
Napier and Hastings were severely damaged by a massive earthquake in 1931, just as the great economic depression was starting to bite. The rebuilding was done very fast, a lot of it in the Art Deco style fashionable at the time. The results are remarkable, and we hope our pictures do the place justice.
Hawkes Bay is also fruit growing country. The grapes are pretty famous, but there are miles of orchards, lemon groves, and soft fruit growing: strawberries, raspberries, peaches, nectarines and peacharines (really)
From there, we drove over the mountains up to the central plateau, where a lot of the volcanic activity can still be seen.
The drive over featured a sign saying, Last Petrol for 130km. We got the message.
More volcano related fun in the next bulletin...
Tuesday, 23 February 2016
The Windy City
Wellington is famous/infamous for its wind, but we were very lucky on Sunday to have a very smooth crossing from Picton.
Our last day on South Island was spent exploring the coastline around Picton, where we found traces of Maori settlements:
A bit of a gear change when we arrived in Wellington, a very dynamic place with loads to see. We were very lucky to be shown around some of the beautiful shoreline of the city, and also further up the coast, by Ted and Irene from Blythe Bridge, who have been spending half the year here for ten years now.
Lots of public art to be seen in Wellington city centre...
Lots of other great stuff in Wellington, particularly the National Museum, Te Papa, which really needs a whole day. Permanent exhibits included earthquake simulators, volcanoes, Natural History, including a skeleton of a blue whale, bush walks, and an amazing social history section, featuring photos and artefacts tracing the ups and downs of settlers' lives from 1840 to the 1980's.
There was also a magnificent exhibition on Gallipoli, which is running from the centenary of the event (May 1915) to the Armistice. No pics - you'll have to go yourself!
Wellington is also more of a cultural and ethnic hub than we had been used to on South Island. We ate Malaysian and Vietnamese food, went to an open mike comedy night, and saw some fringe theatre in an upstairs room.
We left this morning, and are now in Hawke's Bay. More soon...
Our last day on South Island was spent exploring the coastline around Picton, where we found traces of Maori settlements:
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| Ted, Irene and Brian by the Wahine ferry disaster memorial |
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| Wise words |
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| The bridge between the city and the sea |
There was also a magnificent exhibition on Gallipoli, which is running from the centenary of the event (May 1915) to the Armistice. No pics - you'll have to go yourself!
Wellington is also more of a cultural and ethnic hub than we had been used to on South Island. We ate Malaysian and Vietnamese food, went to an open mike comedy night, and saw some fringe theatre in an upstairs room.
We left this morning, and are now in Hawke's Bay. More soon...
Friday, 19 February 2016
Postman Pat's Busy Day
We'd been told the best way to see Marlborough Sound was to take the post boat on one of its rounds, serving the remoter parts of the sound.
On Fridays, they deliver the post to a grand total of eight families, which is a full day's work, due to the distances involved.
So we boarded the boat at Havelock at 9.30 and off we went.
At quarter to 12, we made our first delivery to a farming family, whose children, unsurprisingly, are home schooled. There followed six more calls, farmers, fishermen, a couple of holiday centres for people who really want to get away from it all, and best of all an 89 year old guy with a yacht, who lives on his own , now that his wife is in a care home. He sails his yacht into Havelock once a week to visit her.
One of our drops called the postman ahead of time, and told him he would wait a week for his post, since the seas near his jetty were a bit rough, so we gave him a miss.
On the way, we also saw lots of bird life, including the amazing Australasian tern, which crash dives into the water at speeds approaching 90mph in search of food.
We also saw the mussel fishermen, and a 'mobile salmon farm'. Havelock apparently processes around 80% of the green-lipped mussels in the world, 60,000 tonnes last year!
Jim the skipper(a Scot), kept us informed and entertained all day with tales of the way of life in one of the remotest areas we have seen so far.
On Fridays, they deliver the post to a grand total of eight families, which is a full day's work, due to the distances involved.
So we boarded the boat at Havelock at 9.30 and off we went.
At quarter to 12, we made our first delivery to a farming family, whose children, unsurprisingly, are home schooled. There followed six more calls, farmers, fishermen, a couple of holiday centres for people who really want to get away from it all, and best of all an 89 year old guy with a yacht, who lives on his own , now that his wife is in a care home. He sails his yacht into Havelock once a week to visit her.
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| Leaving the yachtsman's place |
One of our drops called the postman ahead of time, and told him he would wait a week for his post, since the seas near his jetty were a bit rough, so we gave him a miss.
On the way, we also saw lots of bird life, including the amazing Australasian tern, which crash dives into the water at speeds approaching 90mph in search of food.
We also saw the mussel fishermen, and a 'mobile salmon farm'. Havelock apparently processes around 80% of the green-lipped mussels in the world, 60,000 tonnes last year!
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| Harvesting mussels |
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| The mussel beds |
Wednesday, 17 February 2016
A whole lotta scenery
We left Greymouth on Tuesday, and the six hour journey was really quite interesting. We made a stop at the Pancake Rocks, so called because of their layered structure, and saw some great coastal erosion.
Pancake Rocks - think this is called a stack
We had our first rain as we approached Nelson, ironic that it claims to be the sunshine capital of NZ. However, we were still able to eat outside in a dry interval, and the motel we stayed in was very comfortable and well equipped.
On Wednesday we decided to see a bit of the Nelson area before moving on, and did a hike to the "centre" of NZ (the point they use for all distance measurements) before heading up the coast. The rain was torrential by then, so we did what any sensible person would do, had a very delicious seafood lunch, and even broke the "no alcohol before 6pm" rule.
We woke up to sunshine in Blenheim this morning, and had a lovely walk in a scenic bit of woodland next to a very swollen and silty looking river. We didn't see The Hobbit films, but the river was featured in them.
This afternoon, we visited three wineries, so now we have supplies for the rest of our stay, and some to be delivered to Cheddleton.
We had our first rain as we approached Nelson, ironic that it claims to be the sunshine capital of NZ. However, we were still able to eat outside in a dry interval, and the motel we stayed in was very comfortable and well equipped.
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| The (wet) centre of NZ |
On Wednesday we decided to see a bit of the Nelson area before moving on, and did a hike to the "centre" of NZ (the point they use for all distance measurements) before heading up the coast. The rain was torrential by then, so we did what any sensible person would do, had a very delicious seafood lunch, and even broke the "no alcohol before 6pm" rule.
We woke up to sunshine in Blenheim this morning, and had a lovely walk in a scenic bit of woodland next to a very swollen and silty looking river. We didn't see The Hobbit films, but the river was featured in them.
This afternoon, we visited three wineries, so now we have supplies for the rest of our stay, and some to be delivered to Cheddleton.
Monday, 15 February 2016
Whales, trains and earthquakes
Christchurch got better the more we got to know it. On the last evening, we saw a band in a bar who specialised in Sea Shanties. They were promoting their new album, Now that's what I call sea shanties volume 2: good fun!
On Saturday morning, we took a ride in the cable car overlooking Christchurch and the Banks Peninsula, then drove up the coast to Kaikoura, which is known as the best spot for whale watching, due to the very deep waters just off the coast there. Saw four whales (maybe 2 plus one twice), as well as a shark, penguins and numerous albatross (es)
Drove back to Christchurch on Sunday pm, via a winery called Mt Beautiful. Very nice white wines, and a Pinot Noir which, judging by its price, was probably a bit too nice for us to appreciate.
Back in Christchurch at around 4, we were told there had been a significant earthquake, with part of the cliffs collapsing into the sea. Fortunately nobody hurt. There were a few aftershocks in the night, but not significant enough to wake us.
Today, Monday, we have been on the Tranzalpine train across to the west coast at Greymouth. It was billed as one of the great train rides in the world (better than Cheddleton to Froghall), and did not disappoint.
Greymouth gets bad reports from the locals (always raining, nothing to see or do, etc etc) but we are really enjoying it. It is a gold mining/coal mining/fishing port, and has a dramatic harbour looking out to the Tasman Sea.
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| Looking down on Lyttleton harbour and Banks Peninsula from the cable car summit |
On Saturday morning, we took a ride in the cable car overlooking Christchurch and the Banks Peninsula, then drove up the coast to Kaikoura, which is known as the best spot for whale watching, due to the very deep waters just off the coast there. Saw four whales (maybe 2 plus one twice), as well as a shark, penguins and numerous albatross (es)
Drove back to Christchurch on Sunday pm, via a winery called Mt Beautiful. Very nice white wines, and a Pinot Noir which, judging by its price, was probably a bit too nice for us to appreciate.
Back in Christchurch at around 4, we were told there had been a significant earthquake, with part of the cliffs collapsing into the sea. Fortunately nobody hurt. There were a few aftershocks in the night, but not significant enough to wake us.
Today, Monday, we have been on the Tranzalpine train across to the west coast at Greymouth. It was billed as one of the great train rides in the world (better than Cheddleton to Froghall), and did not disappoint.
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| Stranger on a train |
Greymouth gets bad reports from the locals (always raining, nothing to see or do, etc etc) but we are really enjoying it. It is a gold mining/coal mining/fishing port, and has a dramatic harbour looking out to the Tasman Sea.
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| Sculpture in Greymouth, reflecting the town's mining tradition |
Thursday, 11 February 2016
Christchurch
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| Banks Peninsula |
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| Okains Bay, lovely and quiet |
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| Hipsters this way! |
Star gazing
Tekapo is renowned for its clear night skies and lack of light pollution, so much so that the university's astronomy department is located on the top of Mount John, just above the town. Our star gazing ambitions were sadly thwarted, however, as the clouds rolled in and the stars disappeared. We did get to see the observatory the next morning...
Three sheep-themed images from the land of many woolly creatures:
The Himalayan tahr is now an endangered species
Three sheep-themed images from the land of many woolly creatures:
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| This statue in Tekapo is a tribute to the contribution made by collies in developing the sheep farming industry in the McKenzie region |
The Church of the Good Shepherd in Tekapo. The window is behind the altar and gives the congregation a magnificent view of the lake.
We are now in Christchurch, more later...
Sunday, 7 February 2016
Adrenalin junkie
Still in Wanaka, which is still great.
This has been the New Zealand national holiday weekend, and together with it being Chinese New Year, everywhere has been pretty busy by NZ standards.
On Sunday, we did a bit of a tour, first stop Arrowtown, which started life as a 19th century gold rush town. incredibly beautiful, and lots of effort has gone into preserving the town centre.
From there, we headed up the Kawarea river, to the bridge which is the birthplace of bungy! Stayed a while to watch, but we both remain convinced it is very much a spectator sport.
This valley is also home to some of New Zealand's most expensive wine producers, and I tried a couple of brilliant whites from Remarkable Wines.
Then it was on to the Peregrine Winery for a concert by one of NZ's top bands, Fat Freddys Drop. Great fun: watching the band AND the crowd!
This morning I went for my skydive. Everything about it was great, including the views from the light plane over the lakes and up towards Mt Cook. Before anyone thinks I've lost my mind, it was a tandem skydive. Many thanks to my new best friend Eugene for returning me safely back to terra firma.
Might do some kayaking on the lake later, before going to Cinema Paradiso to see The Revenant tonight.
This has been the New Zealand national holiday weekend, and together with it being Chinese New Year, everywhere has been pretty busy by NZ standards.
On Sunday, we did a bit of a tour, first stop Arrowtown, which started life as a 19th century gold rush town. incredibly beautiful, and lots of effort has gone into preserving the town centre.
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| A Chinese gold miner's hut in Arrowtown |
From there, we headed up the Kawarea river, to the bridge which is the birthplace of bungy! Stayed a while to watch, but we both remain convinced it is very much a spectator sport.
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| Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu and the Kawarea River |
This valley is also home to some of New Zealand's most expensive wine producers, and I tried a couple of brilliant whites from Remarkable Wines.
Then it was on to the Peregrine Winery for a concert by one of NZ's top bands, Fat Freddys Drop. Great fun: watching the band AND the crowd!
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| Fat Freddy's friend |
This morning I went for my skydive. Everything about it was great, including the views from the light plane over the lakes and up towards Mt Cook. Before anyone thinks I've lost my mind, it was a tandem skydive. Many thanks to my new best friend Eugene for returning me safely back to terra firma.
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| Thanks, Eugene, safely landed! |
Might do some kayaking on the lake later, before going to Cinema Paradiso to see The Revenant tonight.
Saturday, 6 February 2016
Rivers and lakes
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| After a lazy day yesterday, we took a jet-boat trip up Wilkin River. |
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| And saw the start of a glacier. |
Back at Lake Wanaka, the Chinese were struggling with the concept of rowing
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| Brian was ready for a beer after a cycle along the lakeside. |
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| Another way to keep cool. |
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| Cycling to the pub. |
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| Maybe a go on the pedalo tomorrow |
Thursday, 4 February 2016
Doubtful Sound to Wanaka
Our first glimpse of Doubtful Sound through the clouds from Wilmot Pass (quite high).
Cheers!
Tuesday, 2 February 2016
Te Anau
Waking up next to Te Anau Lake, this morning we are off to Doubtful Sound in the Fjordland. No wi-fi there, so will hopefully be posting some photos of stunning scenery in a couple of days..
Very hot yesterday, even Brian was lashing on the factor 50!
Very hot yesterday, even Brian was lashing on the factor 50!
Sunday, 31 January 2016
Auckland
We went up the Sky Tower for fantastic views of the city and harbour. Brian thought about doing the Sky Walk round the "halo"....
Today is Auckland's anniversary day, so there are lots of events, including some brilliant street entertainers such as Kilted Colin...
Friday, 29 January 2016
Safely arrived
We got to our Auckland accommodation shortly after 11 this morning. Very nice, and very central. Susan our host is very welcoming. Arrived a bit later than planned, due to a delay in Hong Kong.
Thanks to a faulty hold door a replacement plane was needed which meant a delay of 2 hours.
Several amusing fellow passengers, including bloke from Leeds, who was in the seat in front of Christine on the Manchester-Hong Kong leg, and tried to drink the plane dry. He was with us all the way to Auckland, but a lot more subdued on the second flight!
Also French bento box man, who tried to balance his tray of Japanese food while carrying a suitcase and showing his boarding pass to the steward. The result was fairly messy!
28C and quite humid. Brian on the sun terrace outside our room. Just off for a swim.
Tuesday, 26 January 2016
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