Blogs from West Coast, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 3

The sensation of a bath getting hotter by the second rather than cooler is psychologically invigorating. The scolding water trickles from a board under my bum and up the sides of the tub. Like a frog slowly coming to a boil, I acclimate to the increasing of temperature. How much more can I stand it? I think to myself. I smile at the challenge, but I know I am not capable of boiling alive. Just in case, the cool tap water waits in the hose fixed above the bath. I close my eyes and feel a few more bubbles of heat swim across my sides as they rise. Thanks to a massive cyclone that came through the area a year ago, I can see the stars rise through the brush. Three huge Nikau palm trees tower ... read more

Na een gezellige babbel met de campinguitbater, vertrokken we richting Westport om onze tour van de westkust te beginnen. Helaas was de directe baan ernaartoe afgesloten door een dodelijk accident. Aangezien het aantal banen in Zuid Nieuw Zeeland nogal beperkt is, betekende dit voor ons een ommetour van 150 km. (met alle bochten = 2-3u rijden). Eens we op bestemming waren, hebben we eerst een zeehondencolonie bezocht. Enorm de moeite. Eigenlijk slapen ze vooral, maar omdat het seizoen voor paren eraan komt (november), zijn de mannetjes nu al hun terrein aan het afbakenen. (de vroege vogel wint de prijs....). We hebben dus wel het mannelijke testoron in de zeehonden aan het werk gezien. Voor 200kg zware mannen te zijn, bewegen ze verrassend snel als er een indringer is. Daarna bezochten we een authentieke Goldmine. Of dat ... read more

The smoke alarm in our unit at Beach View Motel, Rapahoe was not connected to the local fire station. How do I know this? Well I burnt the toast again and fired up the smoke alarm......again! I have thought about why I do this so often and it has always been my third piece of toast that sets the alarm off as Gretchen only has two pieces leaving my third in the toaster alone getting much more toasted than if there was another piece alongside. Gretchen apologised profusely to the owner when we checked out but she shrugged it off saying that her husband is always setting their smoke alarm off too for the same reason. The day has dawned overcast and the forecast is for drizzle which is quite a contrast from yesterday. We sat ... read more

One of the more pleasurable experiences while one is on holiday is to wake in the morning to a view that is new to you and the sun shining.And so it was this morning in our cosy holiday home in Waimangaroa. We are a short distance back from the beach so the view of the sea is in the distance but the native NZ pigeon or Kereru was sitting in the tree right outside the lounge breakfasting on berries was a delight to see. We very occasionally see them far away in tree tops at home but not as close as here. With no weekend housework to do we lay in listening to the radio interviews of the victorious and vanquished from the National Election yesterday. The status quo will prevail for another 3 years. Breakfast ... read more

Geo: -42.4576, 171.206 The intercity bus picked me up from Yha to go to Greymouth for the Transalphine train to Christchurch and on the way we stopped at Harihari, Hokitika and Kumara junction. We arrived at the Greymouth station just when the train arrived and all the passengers were coming out. The train was delayed for 40 mins so we had to wait outside till the train was ready and finally the train took off. TranzAlpine train. The TranzAlpine is run by New Zealand train operator Kiwi Rail which runs once daily between Christchurch, Arthurs Pass, Greymouth and back passing the mountain scenery of the Southern Alps, the journey takes 4½ hours.The Seats in the train were very comfortable with clean glass windows for viewing the scenery, there were open viewing platforms to look at the ... read more