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Published: November 22nd 2008
Road side Stop
or a gravel pit?Sitting here in the late afternoon sun at Picton (more lack of imagination from the early NZ white settlers, just as in Australia) it is hard to believe that we haven’t talked about some of the things we have seen and done during the last week. I will run through some of this in a moment. First, though, in the interest of fair dealing, we really should lay out some of those minor things that sometimes frustrate or that are a bit strange for us.
Let us start with rest/picnic areas. Most possibly wouldn’t see this as an issue but we are used to travelling long distances and we don’t normally eat ‘road’ tucker. We take our food with us and we make our lunch along the way, consuming it in picnic areas or road side stops. Kiwis are not with us on this one. Their roadside stops are simply pretty hopeless. One or two have been marginally OK but most have, at best, a picnic table, normally no shade and no toilet. There could be many reasons for this lack. Kiwis may not travel long distances often and may not see the need. It may be too cold for
Wild Coast
Typical scene up the coast. Not so many golden, sandy beaches that you are likely to ge sick of them. all but very silly people to eat outdoors on the side of the road. Perhaps the café, dairy or bakery proprietors control the councils or the government. Don’t really know but we are having to amend our behaviour - as you should in any new country.
Sandflies are an annoyance but are becoming less so. This is partly because one of us has found that, although they sting, they tend not to itch or otherwise cause any bother. Unfortunately, the other one of us has found that, while they don’t itch immediately, the itch kicks in after a few days and it is very annoying. Luckily, the one of us who is itching is not the whinger of the pair. We hope that we are moving out of the sandfly area but I have my suspicions that they are everywhere.
We are used to the way signs work in a number of countries and there is no earthly reason why NZ signs should not be uniquely Kiwi. But could there any problem with consistency? We go from signs that give plenty of warning that something is coming and then have no sign at the place concerned to situations
where there is no warning whatsoever and suddenly it is there - and often gone - with a need for a u-turn. Luckily, one of the many virtues of our Mitsubishi Express ‘Hippie Camper’ is that it has a good turning circle. I still haven’t worked out some of the traffic signs yet but am coming to grips with the big exclamation mark meaning something is definitely wrong up ahead.
As I said, these are minor annoyances. Things to laugh at really. The weather is something else. As people who are well used to waking in the morning and knowing that the weather will not be a lot different from yesterday, we are having adjustment problems. Wake up - sun shining brightly - not a cloud in the sky - definitely a day for shorts, T-shirt and thongs. No way. Less than an hour later it is raining, a strong wind is blowing and we are sheltering in the camper. On the other hand - wake up to the pitter patter of rain on the roof of the camper (this is OK because we realised early - on the first night no less - that you don’t leave things
out) and climb into jeans and jackets. Less than an hour later, bright sunshine and hardly a cloud. The one thing that is consistent is that, when there is no sun, it is immediately cold. Not after 15 minutes but immediately! A lady told me today that their weather is just like Melbourne only it changes more often.
But the best comment of all came from the caravan park proprietor in Greymouth. We had just travelled up the coast highway. Drizzling rain that cut out after a while and left heavy overcast. No sun at all. “Been a nice day eh. No rain to speak of.”
Which very neatly brings me back to the chronological order that I should be following in this post. Before moving on though I should say that we are loving the place and the weather most of all. It is, after all, completely different to what we are used to.
An old bloke at the camping are at Greymouth told us there wasn’t much to see at Westport - a little over 100 kms up the coast - and that really we would be better off spending more time around Greymouth. We
More Pancake Rocks
These were under the sea relatively recently. So was more of NZ than I realised had a look around Greymouth and decided to go anyway. Greymouth is a largish town - and, for us, that is about it. Good for some but maybe not for us.
On the road to Westport we came upon the unexpected pleasure of the Punaikiki Rocks and Blow Hole. It wasn’t completely unexpected. It was in all of the guide books and on the map. It is more accurate, possibly, to say that we were not really expecting much. There were a lot of tour buses and many, many cars. I guess that the reason these things are tourist icons is that they are often something to marvel at, and the rocks prove the point. Some of the photos are here. There are many more. Each time you moved around there was another sight that needed recording. Apparently, these formations are the result of normal limestone sedimentation - or small sea creatures that die and are sandwiched between the rocks or other matter that settles on top them. To get to the Punakaiki effect you then need to have them lifted from the ocean floor and parked on a beach as part of the NZ Southern Alps.
The
A local
This is a weka. Though it was a kiwi at first. Not though. Lot of them about. They steal things but not as bad as magpies or kookaburras rocks set the mood of the day and we then stopped at every possible opportunity and walked to whatever was about. Nothing matched the rocks but we had a nice time and some reasonable exercise.
The thing about Westport is that is about as far up the west coast of the South Island that we intend to go and there is a seal colony about. We eventually made it to Westport - after too many diversions - latish in the day and decided to get to the seals the next day. Checked in at a van park - with power and hot showers - and set off to find some whitebait to eat. The best local advice was to go one particular place. After walking the length of the main street - much window shopping done by some, but just one street thankfully - we found the recommended place but it was just a little flash for us. We sought somewhere with a more relaxed atmosphere.
Found it at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. We can recommend this place. Football on one TV, a lifestyle/house type program on another. You could see either from any seat in the place. More
Not a Local
On the walk to the seal colony at Cape Foulwind importantly they had whitebait. This is baby smelt netted by very enthusiastic fishers - so enthusiastic in fact that some were still netting, the day after the season had finished. They are mixed in a very light batter normally into fritters and fried up. We had them as an entrée and they were excellent. I followed up with one of the best rump steaks I have had and we consumed a couple of pints and a couple of half pints of dark ale between the two of us. All of this for the princely sum of $42.00. A twofold success - whitebait consumed and something at a good price.
Had to break there. The sun disappeared, wind came up and had to scuttle. Now sitting in the lounge of the ‘InterIslander’ - a ferry operating between the South and North Islands. Cricket is on the TV and Australia has just taken a couple of wickets, much to the consternation of the Kiwis about. I am able to have a chortle - but so far I am reasonably quiet.
Back at Westport. Woke to rain - nice gentle, soaking rain. Decided that we would not be put off and
that we would do the walk to the seal colony taking the long way - rather than the wimps way involving driving to within a few hundred metres. The walk was along the cliff tops past a lighthouse and the site of an old quarry, distance about 3kms. Easy enough walking but it was chilly and wet early and it did go up and down a lot. The seal colony at Cape Foulwind - named apparently by James Cook after the Maoris called it something to do with safe haven and Abel Tasman had agreed. On the basis of our day, Cookie was closer to the mark. Lots of seals doing what they do. Seal populations are apparently increasing after the depredations caused by seal hunting early last century. The Maoris apparently started it wiping out the seals on the North Island but the Europeans really made a dent in the populations on the South Island. They do look like they would have a good feed or two on them.
From Westport over the Lewis Pass to the other side, or at least into the mountains on the other side. A good mountain drive. I am getting used to
Cape Foulwind
The track along the cliffs these winding mountain roads with long drops off the side. The little camper is starting to feel a bit like my little brother’s Cooper S and I am enjoying flipping it around the corners. Pat is not enjoying it so much. She is now trying to get our little Navman (hired it with the vehicle - and it is great fun) to find flat, straight roads.
Came down into Hanmer, a place that claims the only hot springs on the South Island. Hanmer is basically a resort town but one which seems to be gaining favour as a retirement place. Very prosperous look about it and the prices in the store we found matched. We weren’t terribly keen on getting into the hot springs thing so sought out a camp at the Alpine Adventure Tourist Park. Nice place, plenty of grass and well set up.
Noted that NZ must not be in the grip of liability issues that are a plague in Australia. The kids playground had some innovative swings and climbing gear constructed out of old tractor and car tires, wood and chain - the type that used to be common all over the place but are
A Frog?
That is what the photographer insists now being replaced by the plastic moulded things.
Raining seriously in the morning so we decided to move on to the coast to Kaikoura. This place is another tourist town based on whales, seals and penguins. Another good walk around the cliffs along the peninsula. Not difficult but very enjoyable and we were able to get a reasonablyl close look at the seals and most of the birds in some substantial breeding colonies. Didn’t spot a penguin but then we had seen them before. Turned into a pretty good day. Bloke at the van park told us that they had had a heat wave during the day when it had got up to 30 degrees.
They do these walks well here and there are plenty of them. Apart from the Great Tracks - take a few days to finish and require serious gear - there are smaller walks everywhere with some in towns taking you around. Most have pretty good interpretative signage giving good information about the natural, historical and cultural heritage of the place. We are now able to recognise a ‘pa’ - a Maori fortification and can discuss the various defensive constructions with at least a
Mountains
In the vicinity of the Pass that we drove through. Can't see the road? little knowledge. Makes for a better discussion than wondering why the hills have these strange little lines around them and the occasional trench.
We were considering staying a couple of days here but again the rain. Headed up to Blenheim - pronounced Blenh’m, rather than in the original Germanic manner - to the consternation of our resident pedant with a knowledge of German. This is on the Marlborough Coast. Another very pretty area. A bit drier here. Less irrigation and a less livestock. Plenty of grape vines. We had an intention of tracking around to a number and tasting some wines. There were a lot of wine tours and plenty of ads for cellar door sales and the little boutique restaurants that many seemed to have. The practicalities of the situation started to overwhelm the vague intention of wandering around tasting wine. We were not going to be able to use our own car. We couldn’t take any wine back. We have not been consuming much on this trip. We didn’t really have much interest in eating in expensive little boutique restaurants. So, after having a good look around we headed back to the bush.
Ended up at
Kaikoura
Looking down on to the rock formations that double as a beach. the Pelorus Bridge on the Pelorus River in one of the better Conservation camp sites. Hot showers no less. Lovely grassy spot that was well sheltered from the wind. Very good bush camp. There were some good looking day walks heading out of here but we decided next day to forgo them and head up to Nelson. We had a need to get on to the net and send some emails. Found the opportunity to do so in the Maccas at Nelson. First time we have been in a McCafe but we had a good cup of coffee and cheap internet.
Decided that we would spend some money and take the mail boat run up Peloraus Sound. My ignorance of New Zealand has been such that I had never really appreciated that the Marlborough Sounds area deserves greater attention. The mail boat is a normal mail run up the Sound and, obviously, back again delivering the mail to a variety of people that live in houses clinging to the sides of the Sound. These people seem to be primarily employed farming the green shell mussels - hadn’t heard of them either but it is a $200m per year industry.
Turtle
Now this is not a real turtle but can you see the rock one coming in? Beautiful country and we had a lovely day poking into the various bays and beaches and occasionally chatting to the people picking up their mail. It is not a cheap trip but it was worth the price.
From Havelock, the port for the mail boat, we came around the mountain along Queen Charlotte Sound and into Picton. Now off to Wellington across the Cook Strait. We have just come out of the remaining bit of the Queen Charlotte Sound and the cricket is about to come back on. We will try to upload this and the photos I will now pick out in Wellington.
And now we are sitting in a nice warm bar in Wellington. Lovely place with wireless connection, food has been ordered, nice fire going and they have the cricket on the TV. Australians in a good position. Could you ask for more?
We decided to give Wellington the respect it deserves as the capital city. Did a guided walk with a lovely lady around the city area this morning. A mine of information about the establishment of the city, the buildings and the early inhabitants. She was passionate about her subject. I was
Kaikoura
Looking across to the mountains intrigued about how she would deal with the Beehive. Came to at the almost the end of the walk. Stood in front of the Parliament building. Didn’t mention it for ages and then let us know that the best story about its design - and possibly the accurate one - is that it was designed by the architect on a beer mat after a long, hard night. On its own in the middle of a paddock it might look ok. In its context I would have to agree.
Headed off to Te Papa - the national museum this afternoon. Excellent museum and art gallery. That is it for our day of culture and such, it is back to the bush tomorrow
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sarah
non-member comment
Great post!
I really, really enjoyed that post. Particularly the bit about Blenheim. Sounds like you are having a great time, Hippie Camper and all.