Blogs from New Zealand, Oceania - page 15

Mountains, lakes, waterfalls, sun, heavy rain, beaches, the sea and suicidal giant bumble bee’s – today had it all! We had an early start today, setting off from Queenstown just after 8am with a quick pit stop at the local McDonalds for a sausage and bacon muffin which was much cheaper (and probably nicer) than the hotel breakfast option! Other than the very nice bellboy/car fetcher who delivered our cases to the room and parked and retrieved our car, we were quite disappointed with the Crowne Plaza hotel overall, it cost an absolute fortune and was very dated, we also had an interconnecting room with a family with a small (very loud) child, so we didn’t get a great nights sleep either! Our travel plans today meant we had a very long drive ahead of us, ... read more

Bonjour à tous, J'ai une nouvelle compagne, la pluie, et je crains de l'avoir jusqu'à la fin de mon périple. Hier vers 18H30 je suis retourné aux baraques à langoustes, mais bien évidemment avec la pluie il n'y avait plus personne. Peut être même sans la pluie!. Un peu avant en passant j'avais vu un restaurant, une grosse bâtisse en pierre, avec pas mal de voitures devant. Je m'y suis arrêté, déjà pour voir le menu, qui me convenait, et la clientèle à l'intérieur totalement locale. Le genre d'établissement bistro - restaurant de nos campagnes. (il y quelques années). La grande blonde qui m'accueille, 20 ans, gracieuse comme une porte de prison, me trouve une table malgré que se soit pratiquement plein. (70-80 couverts), ayant compris, que je n'étais pas du coin c'est le patron qui ... read more

All the plans we had for today didn’t come to fruition because of the rain. Wouldn’t you know it? The day we had outdoor activities planned it was raining heavily. There has been so much rain that the Avon River has overflowed its banks and it running furiously downstream. Much too fast for flat bottom punts to cruise leisurely along. The bus dropped us at The Tannery which is an old previously used factory for tanning hides but closed in 1959. It was sold and converted to boutique stores with a magnificent atrium running down the middle with arched coloured glass and beautiful decor. Then it was time to get back on the coach. So moving on to the Gondolas. Normally the station at the top of Mount Cavendish hoffers stunning views of the city and ... read more

Another grey, miserable and fairly cold day – around 14 degree’s so a bit like being back in the UK really! Our plan today was to get from Te Anau round to Queenstown, with a stop off at Arrowtown on the way. We didn’t rush to get out this morning as the marathon we’d found out about the day before was due to take place in the morning and as a result there were road closures in both the places we wanted to go to today. The drive itself was lovely, as are most drives over here as they always involve views of lakes, mountains, rivers and creeks. We had a pit stop at Garston, which has the title of the most inland settlement in New Zealand. Such a pretty place and really nicely kept – ... read more

After a short flight, we are now in Christchurch. Leaving Rotorua by air I could see the large white patches where steam is shooting out of the land in the geothermal sites. Christchurch is on the South Island of NZ. It is the largest city in the South Island and is heavily influenced by its British heritage. Flat bottom punts glide on the Avon River which meanders through the city centre. Christchurch is the newest city in the world From Sept 2010 to Jan 2012 a number of earthquakes shook the city. Feb 2011 was the worst killing 185 people. 1500 buildings either collapsed or had to be demolished. There are now parks on many of the sites that used to have buildings as it cost too much or there wasn’t enough insurance on the building ... read more