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Day 29 – Maxed Out on Scenery

I was going to say that you can get too much, but that patently isn’t true.  But NZ just keeps showing more at every turn.  Had a short trip to Cathedral Cove, looking one way down the beach …
… and then the other.
The downside is that it is a steep 25 minute walk to get down there, and nearly double that climbing back up again.  Looking relaxed at the top.
So we could also stop a while and admire the view.
Then a 15 minute drive and a 15 minute scramble to the top of the hill in Tairua.  All you can do is admire and watch the sun go down.
Long drive again tomorrow, past Auckland and to the Bay of Islands.  Probably more fantastic views (yawn!)
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Day 28 – On the Road Again

Some big distances in the North Island (or perhaps just having less time to do it).
Before that, though, a bit of learning Kiwi ( or not).  The best way I can describe it is that when there is an “e” as in “test” it is pronounced about 75% “i” and 25% “e”, so closer to “tist” but not completely.  Haven’t fully mastered “i” as in “tin” but a similar concept.
So when paying for a meal with a credit card in Nelson and the waitress asks if I have a pen, I start rummaging around in my bag, wondering why she doesn’t lend me hers.  Then it dawns that I need to key in my PIN.
And on the ferry when parking up the lady says do we want to go to the left, there’s me thinking I need to move the car a bit.  In fact she obviously thought I was too infirm to use the stairs and was kindly offering an alternative!
So there you go – you don’t need a foreign language to find ways to be embarrassed.
Anyway, off to Tairua which is in the Coromandel.  Arguably less spectacular than some other places, but I think we’re past caring.  More fabulousness!
View from the house ..
… and the beach about 5 minutes walk.
Hot Water beach.  When most people say the sea is warm, it means that there is always that first “oooo” as you get used to it.  On this one, the warm springs mean it really is warm.
Then a short ferry ride to dinner of wine and fish and wine ( in that order)
.. before more views on the way home.
And a sunset to cap it all.
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Day 27 – Rotura

Did one of those touristy things today, and went to see a Maori village.  They seem to try to compete with the Welsh when forming long words!
Active Geyser which very kindly spouted for us.

And a Maori show of welcome.

It was a fun thing to do – not sure how “genuine” but still worth it.  But it meant we hadn’t seen a lake or a mountain for hours, so off to a nearby restaurant for lunch with a decent view (and brilliant fish & chips).

Followed by a ( very short) walk and a rest.

I had shown the Geyser and previously mentioned the smell in Rotura.  They say rotten eggs, although I’m not sure what rotten eggs smell like.  Anyway, very sulphurous throughout the whole town, so you tend to keep your windows closed.
Even with all the nasty smells (and whatever is in the water causing them), it does attract plenty of wildlife, but I rather liked the vision of the dead tree next to the lake.

And finally, because I know you’re all still interested – how are the selfies getting on?  Well, it’s easy – put a b****y great spouting geyser in the background, and what could possibly go wrong???
Had to resort to Jo taking a proper photo for us.
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Day 26 – Not as Planned

Good morning, sir.  What is your name and would you care to blow into this bag?  It’s 9.30 in the morning and we are picking up Jo.  She spent the New Year at a fabulous house on the beach owned by the parents of one of her friend’s parents.  Note the shades – it was a good evening by all accounts!
Anyway, the police were setting up a roadblock to stop everyone coming back from the beach that morning, so I didn’t feel picked on (and was clear).
And speaking of police, one of the many things we’ve learned is that when they say zero tolerance they really mean it.  The national speed limit is only around 60mph and absolutely everyone sticks to it.  When we were speaking to our hosts in Napier the lady had got a ticket for doing 52 (km ph) in a 50 zone.  And we know about what they think of folks cutting corners ….
So we have driven very very carefully, and whilst seeing lots of police cars, have avoided their attention (so far).
So today it’s off to Rotura (a smelly place, but more of that tomorrow).  For now, we stop to get some fruit
and then head off to Taupo for a stop en-route.  Sometimes you think you don’t really get a place, and this is one of those days.  All the books say it is fabulous, but it was New Year’s Day so very busy, and we never really understood it.
We went on a short walk to find the famous waterfalls (here’s the start – pretty tame as NZ walking goes) but the 2.8kms defeated us (it was very hot – not sure we’ll be getting the sympathy vote from those in the UK), so we thought we would drive to the falls instead.  Couldn’t find them!
We did find the natives bathing – strong currents apparently, so you can’t get far in to the river.

And then off to Rotura.  Mikey the pig was very friendly.
And if that’s how a bad day looks, I think we’re doing pretty well.
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4th January – A Quick Update

We have been out of wifi for ages, and even mobile phone coverage for much of it, so unable to do a proper update.  Since last time we have moved on to Rotura (where the sulphur makes it very smelly) and now Tairua.

In summary:

– it’s very hot and sunny
– the scenery changes, but still stunning

We’re now into our final week in NZ and are going to be very sad to leave.

Photos and more when we’re properly connected.

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Day 25 – New Year’s Eve.

Napier.  Eileen and I were up early (Jo wasn’t!), so we decided to go into Napier and explore.  We quickly found the Art Deco shop, and signed up for a walking tour.  I hadn’t realised, but Napier had been destroyed by an earthquake in 1931, and when they decided to rebuild, Art Deco was in vogue at the time, so that was the style in which it reappeared.
The man in the straw hat was our guide, and this is one of many examples.
Later on, a quick drive up the hill to get a view, 
And then off to the docks to get probably the best example of an art-deco building in Napier.

We packed Jo off to her friends for New Year on the beach, and went back into town to the most famous hotel for smashing fish and chips.

So farewell to 2014 (13 hours before the UK).  Happy New Year.

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Day 24 – A long day’s travel

30th December, and the time to leave the South Island and head North.  A very early alarm call as we had a 45 minute drive to get to Picton to catch the ferry.  And guess what – the car hire firm had booked us on the wrong ferry (actually one going the other way!).  Fortunately, some of us have a propensity for arriving places quite a bit earlier than we need to, so luckily we were able to identify the problem, buy a proper ticket and still have time to catch the ferry.  A bill will be winging its way to the car hire firm in dire course.
Meanwhile a quick view of Picton and a last view of the Sounds.
Arrived in Wellington and the start of a very long (5 hour) drive to Napier.  Very little to report – stopped for lunch in a typical town (Dannevirke) which is in the middle of nowhere.  While Eileen and Jo were buying stuff I happened to look in an estate agents window and saw a 4 bed bungalow for £65,000!
Even in the middle of nowhere, Aon appears.
Arrive Napier to a beautiful art-deco house.
But a quick turnaround as we had been invited to the house of one of Jo’s friend’s parents for dinner.  They took us up to their local beauty spot to catch the sunset – fabulous.
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Day 23 – Tough, but worth it

The weather forecast isn’t great, and the weather continues the gloom from the day before.
However, we decided to at least start one of the great walks.  Jo has done her fair share of South Island hikes already, but she hadn’t done this one.

The whole lot is 71km (one way), so we didn’t plan on doing it all!

The first stop, after about an hour, definitely needed a picture of the Davies part of the family …

.. and turning the camera the other way, just so you can see what Davies Bay actually looks like.

Eileen decided that the beach, some shade and a good book were her best choice at this stage.  Jo and I decided to press on, without appreciating quite how far and high we were going to go.  As the path is in the woods, you spend about an hour in the shade with not much to look at, and going upwards.  Jo is fit; I’m not!

But it was well worth it.  Around a corner, and hey!

We had brought a picnic, and there was a rather nice view from the picnic table.  Tried a panorama but it didn’t really work, so here’s looking left …

… and a quick swivel and here’s looking right.  

I said previously it is almost impossible to give a sense of the Marlborough Sounds.  Not as magificent as Milford, but we think probably better overall.  So here are a few random shots to give you some feel for it.

Jo was kn*****ed, so Eileen and I decided to take a little drive to Havelock, about 10 miles away.  Lovely little cafe by the marina.

Then back home for Jo’s home made vegetarian lasagne.  We had it on very good authority (Jo) that this was counted as the number one dinner in her house in Castle Street – we can see why – delicious.

Although my legs were stiffening up a bit by now (let’s say we walked 16km to a height of 200m – not great by NZ standards but good for old me) we took one last still down to the water for some evening sunset.

And more.

 And more.

 That’s it.   Tomorrow we’re off to Picton to catch the ferry and on to the North Island.

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Day 22 – On Our Way (again)

We had 5 nights to enjoy Christmas in our fabulous house in Nelson – final picture while sitting in bed with a cup of coffee.
Then we’re off to the Marlmorough Sounds for the final couple of days before venturing North.  As luck would have it the weather decided to be grotty on a travelling day.
Quick stop to admire the start of the views …
… some didn’t even feel like venturing out of the car!
It’s almost impossible to get a picture to give a sense of Marlborough, but here’s a panorama as a first attempt.
Then we arrived at our house in Akiniwa – the rain has stopped and this is what Queen Charlotte Sound looks like from the bottom of the garden.
Bit of colour, because it is midsummer here.
And a quick wander in the evening to give a different perspective.
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Temporary Update

I did say we would be out of wifi for a while, and we still are.  Since Nelson we moved on to the Marlborough Sounds (fabulous ), then got the early morning Ferry to the North Island.  It’s New Years Eve and we’re in Napier.  Jo has hooked up with a Kiwi friend for beach celebrations; Eileen and I may be more sedate.

Lots of fantastic photos to share when we get the chance, but for now Happy New Year (which  will be 11.00 am UK time.