Blogs from South Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 11

The cloud that had started to roll over the hills on Banks Peninsula yesterday were forecast to spread over the city overnight and the prediction was correct.However,the cloud is also forecast to clear as the day wears on and afternoon should be sunny with 20C. So we took a dollar each way and dressed our top for summer and bottom for autumn and hoped for the best that we wouldn’t get too warm if the sun came out as predicted or too cool if the cloud cover remained all day. It was another free ride into the city and we alighted the #28 at the modern, clean and well organised bus interchange. Tauranga city could learn a lot from Christchurch as the Tauranga bus interchange is quite frankly a disgrace with undesirable people loitering requiring at ... read more

I was mulling over what to call this blog given that our travels over next 3 weeks are not set up like the usual BBA(Benvie Budget Adventure) and nor are we overseas somewhere exotic to New Zealand, where the earlier BBA blogs have all been set. So as we have just celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary and we are going to be taking in the sights of the top of the South Island, New Zealand, ‘The 50th Anniversary Top of the South Tour ‘was so named. We were very well organised this morning for our departure to Tauranga Airport and our 11am flight to Christchurch. Not at all like 11 months ago when we also travelled to the South Island for a 3 week tour around the south of the South Island. What with having to ... read more

In the Waimakariri Basin there is a scattering of hundreds of weathered limestone rocks. These ancient rocks are smooth, sculpted, spectacular, and sometimes a little bit creepy. Named by Ngai Tahu Kura Tāwhiti, or "treasure from afar", it's also an area of cultural and spiritual significance. The limestone rocks were formed from years of sediment compression and then shaped by erosion following a large uplifting event. As Patrick & Jacinda took to the trail the scenery was spectacular and got even better when they reached the top. There were very few people around but when Jacinda was in the photo either on her hands or her feet you could really appreciate the magnitude of the rocks. The area was also a location for the movie “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”. ... read more

Five months after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake, centred near Darfield, Christchurch, an even more damaging quake struck on 22 February 2011. That shallow, 6.3 magnitude quake, just 10 kilometres from the centre of Christchurch, caused the greatest ground acceleration ever recorded in New Zealand. The earthquake claimed the lives of 185 people of and injured many more. Following the devastating earthquake as part of the city redevelopment a new waterfront has been created along the Ōtākaro/Avon River to make it easier to access river front businesses and green spaces. Whariki Mats welcome you to this walkway and along it’s path. The traditional weaving designs have been adapted using stone pavers.Each whāriki is an arrangement of natural stone pavers of varying shades and colours. The Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial was designed as two distinct areas either side ... read more

Founders Heritage Park was set up largely by community effort via Founders Inc. in 1977 and opened to the public in 1986. The buildings it houses are a mix of donated original buildings and historic replicas constructed with the help of local companies. Most of the historic collections have been donated by Nelson residents. The ownership and management of the park transferred to Nelson City Council in 1995. Founders Heritage Park is a replica historic village containing many of the old historic buildings and artefacts of Nelson. Nelsonians created this historic townscape featuring real and replica buildings, much as they were in colonial days of the 19th century. With Patrick & Ellie we had a glimpse of life as it was in Nelson in the 1880s The collection shows Nelson’s history and development from its earliest ... read more