Month: October 2020

New Zealand Sth. Island. 1.

We had a great time on the Nth. Island, and early on the 2nd of October we lined up with others ready to board the Interisland vehicular ferry to take us to the Sth. Island. Boy, do they pack the cars in!

once the car was parked, we went up on deck to enjoy the view and some morning tea in the restaurant. We met up with a newlywed couple from Japan, both in med school, to become doctors. It was so interesting to hear of their culture and how as a young couple they are moving towards a more western way of life.

The trip between islands was a smooth one, and a couple of hours later we were docking at the Wharf in Picton on the Sth. Island.

That afternoon we went for a drive through the forest area of Malborough. No wonder the Wharves are covered in stacks of logs waiting for shipment. The forest is so dense up there.

From the Cullen Point lookout we were able to overlook the bays below. That afternoon we travelled down through the valley then back out to the east coast to stay in Blenheim.

The next morning we were eager to get on the road early, for more sights and photos of this beautiful country. Heading south and a bit in from the coast, we went through Seddon and on to Lake Grassmere, stopping for some short walks and pics.

A lot of roadworks were still being carried out here after the earthquake of 2011. I thought this sign was cute.

So much contrast here, rugged mountains and treacherous coastline to calm tranquil lakes, just love the place.

Next stay was at Hapuku Lodge on our way to Hanmer Springs

We, too, were as busy as the bees, travelling from one place to the next. Most of our accommodation had great views and well kept gardens.
Beautiful Leslie Lake, on the way into Hanmer Springs
Hamner Springs, is one of my favourite places, snow covered mountains, streams and green grass , great for walking in the sunshine, take lots of photos, and having a nice lunch.

Next few days were spent in the beautiful Akarowa area. A family get together at a farm B and B. overlooking Akarowa. The house and gardens were immaculate.

The meals and service were great, and as for the view from our upstairs room, you couldn’t get any better.

This was our upstairs room with a view.

We went driving through the hillside, giving us awesome views and some rather scary moments. Not to mention getting bogged, and with nowhere to turn around ,all hands were needed to push us out backwards. Thankfully there were no other’s sightseeing on the narrow tracks that day. !! How cute is this mum and bub.

We survived the drive, and enjoyed some time at Robinsons bay .

After our few days with the family, Chris and I went on our way heading further down south. We stopped for a break at Three Creeks to have a look at a good collection of old wares and timber furniture.

From here we headed inland through Burks Pass for some time in snow country.

The drive from Timaru on the coast through Burks Pass to Lake Tekapo Senic area was spectacular and my photos don’t do it justice. The Church of the Good Sheppard is on a hill overlooking the lake, and opened to the public

We were fortunate to have good weather, and seeing Lake Tekapo in spring was beautiful .

Mt Cook was up in the clouds the day we visited and rather cool, so we sat in the café for awhile and had something to eat before doing the Tasman Glacier walk. The walk wasn’t difficult, just rough going, but worth doing.

Interesting to see big drifts of ice coming down and floating around at the base of the mountain.

We stayed at Twizzel for a couple of days, which is down on the lakes and has the snow capped mountains in the distance.

From there we were able to do day trips, one being to see the Benmore hydro station. The water churning out through the gates was so clean and no doubt cold.

After the snow we headed back through Island Cliff, to Oamaru on the coast, then down to Dunedin.

Dunedin has the steepest drivable street in the world. So we just had to go for a drive up, and down Baldwin st. 35% gradient, from 30 m to 100 m.

After Dunedin, our next stop was Invercargill. It was raining the day we were there so we spent most of the day in the Transport Hall of Fame. Truly a credit to those that look after it . So clean and well presented.

The bathrooms were interesting to say the least

Such a great display of cars and vehicles, all highly polished and being dusted down continually by the floor attendants. Nothing shabby to see here,!

As well as the Transport display, there was the display of a recent competition, fashion clothes made from recyclable fabric.

Loved this one made from travel tickets

Some crocheted scrunchies, different . And how about this one resembling David Bowie, I think the outfit was made from washcloths !

This next one was made from grasses, bark, and what seemed like a lot of dead weeds for the hat !!

Dressed for the party in colourful balloons ,

And one made from postage stamps. so much time would have gone into making it

The cleanliness of the building is a credit to them. Upstairs where the finer things in life are displayed, was highly polished timber floors. Pastel painted walls and cool lighting. Fine millinery, baby clothes and so much more. A place not to be missed if over ths way.

I’m usually not one for museums, I get bored easily, but this place kept me interested for hours, and was well worth the visit. I also hope this one does have someone interested enough to keep it going into the future . Well that was our trip South, and reaching the bottom of the Island, it was time to head North up the west coast. I will start a new blog for that.

New Zealand Nth. Island.

Our trip to New Zealand at the end of last year was just great. It’s taken me 12 months to get around to sorting through some 2,000 photos. So here we go, starting with our flight out of the Gold Coast on the big black and white bird on the 23/09/19.

The flight took about 3 hrs, then a 1/2 hr taxi ride, arriving at our motel in the centre of Auckland. Our unit was high enough up to have a nice view over the city.

Only one night in Auckland. We’re not city people, we just wanted to get out and see the country. So the next day, we picked up our hire car and headed North, stopping along the way for lunch and some scenic shots.

By the late afternoon we had reached Paihia, in the Bay of Islands. Our accommodation for the next few days. We had a spectacular view from the balcony. So much so I couldn’t put the camera away.

Next morning it was down to the waterfront, catching up with some locals, and organizing a boat trip over to Russell Island
It was a little overcast and choppy out on the water, but by the time we docked on Russell Island the sun came out and we had a lovely few hours wandering around.
Beautiful old restored buildings, shops and eateries. Most of which are painted white, giving a look of cleanliness against blue skies.
Walking along one street we came across this wall of Cacti. Just imagine how long it would last in Australia, especially on the East Coast.
There appeared to be building works going on, so I stuck my head through the gate, [and chatted up a bloke , as you do] ,to see what was going on. Happened they were restoring the pub grounds. pays to be a sticky beak, as he invited us in to look around more of the gardens , Nice !
More dividing walls covered in cacti as well as shady palms and plants.
After a café meal, it was time to take the ferry back to the mainland, where we were welcomed by the chook brigade, in the car park

Ahhh, more of that beautiful view and a good nights sleep, before a lot of walking the next day . So many waterfalls and beautiful places to see.

A shower of rain came over, while visiting this place, so we sheltered under the bridge and enjoyed watching the ducks.

And I do like taking photos of old stone buildings. !

More walks and waterfalls, so much more than I was expecting.

Lush green farmlands, winding narrow roads and steep hills, till we were back on the East coast.

Who says the North Island isn’t beautiful ? Its rugged and we were loving it. Zig zagging from one peninsular to the next

Once back on the East coast we had some fun on the hot water beach. As you dig holes in the sand they fill up with hot water that filters through the cliffs , and yes it is hot, some holes were so hot you couldn’t stand in them. Others were just like a warm bath.
From East to west this Northland of the North Island is truly spectacular. Our next couple of days were spent looking around the Coromandel Coast while staying in Whitianga .
And we can always smell out a chocolate factory in an area, with lots of goodies .

We were really happy with the accommodation and the towns that we stayed in. Our street walks usually found interesting things to photograph. And Whitianga was no exception .

I liked these murals, and I think they are very well done.

The Waiau falls are somewhere in this area, surrounded by rainforest.

The huka bridge and falls, are also a must see. Every 2hrs [I think] the gates open and allow the backed up water to flow under the bridge, over the rocks and into the lakes and streams beyond. What a sight to see, it starts with a trickle, till the gates are fully open and the water gushes down the gorge.

We opted for a view from high up on the rocks downstream. Thinking of the pics ,haha.
Within a few minutes, the rocks were all covered below us. The colour of the water was an icy blue, and no doubt icy as well.

There is also a bush track further upstream that we walked, from there you could look over the fresh influx of water.

How beautiful is the setting of this building on the bank of the river.

Next on the list was the Thermal area of Rotorua and Taupo. Imagine living in this gated village, full of steam 24/7, we had to cross a foot bridge and go through a check point to get in .

Next we visited a thermal park, lots of walking and photos ahead.

We were greeted by the groundsman, then he turned and gave me a brown eye, obviously didn’t like having his photo taken. But I like this side of him better !

The walk started out rather flat, but gradually became more overgrown and steeper as we went up into the pine forest . Steam coming out of the ground everywhere.

We were handed a thermometer when we checked in, so we could check the temperature of the steam coming out of the holes in the rocks as we went.

Yes this is Celsius degrees, so a bit warm down there !

Just taking 5, before heading back to the entrance for a meet and greet with these chicks.

Mother hen was feeding the chicks moths, this little fellow was quite a guts, finally he just sat back in the sun, stuffed. Cute eh ?
The groundsman was clocked off by the time we came out.

I captured this handsome guy guarding his woman on the side of the road. probably would not have seen her, as she was so well camouflaged.

Our next stay was in Palmeston North. A beautiful park here to wander through.

Only 2 nights left on the North Island, and we stayed just around the corner from here, so nice to see all the spring flowers coming out

The following day on our way down to Wellington, we stopped into the Fielding Museum. They have quite a good general display of yesteryear, and a lot of John Deer machinery from the beginning to present day.

Whilst there we were able to hop up on a horse drawn buggy and do a virtual tour of town. I took the reigns, and off we went, clip clopping along as the tour came up on a big screen in front of us . Just a bit of light hearted fun.

Now for our last night before catching the interisland ferry the following day. Our room in Wellington was not far from the ferry terminal, and we had a good view over the city as well as the waterway.

We went for a evening walk after checking in. Like most cities, a lot of tar and cement, some nice old buildings and busy people. We wandered down a couple of arcades and around the water front.
That’s it for our 10 days on the North, and if you’ve got this far, I hope you have enjoyed our trip as much as we did.

The South Island Next…..