Blogs from New Zealand, Oceania - page 7

Netflix managed to convince me that trying glass-blowing would be something worth putting on my bucket list. That would be the long list where things don't get crossed off very often. However, my landlady heard me mention this and sent me to New Zealand Glassworks in Wanganui to make a glass paperweight. I arrived early and was able to watch the gentleman ahead of me making his paperweight. Being able to view this from the gallery was great for all the customers but quickly convinced me it was going to be far too hot for me and way beyond my capabilities due to having Sjogren's and Lupus etc. I explained my fears to the lovely staff who assured me it would be fine. They would do whatever I needed them to do. So, with great trepidation, ... read more

For photographers, Patea offers plenty of photo ops. One of the best is the historic Hunter Shaw Building. It was built in 1930 thanks to a bequest from Mr Shaw's estate. It used to house the library. My favourite memories of the building involve the clock. The mechanism for it is on the wall and didn't always work correctly. All four faces were more than capable of telling different times. It isn't open very often. I had to sneak in during Paepae in the Park.... read more

Once we had calmed down after our arrival with the police, we unpacked, delirious to be staying in one place for four nights. The hostel was great...a bit of a shlep from the town centre but with a private shower and loo and a really great kitchen and dining room. And a launderette next door..... heaven! We spent our first day exploring in the rain and walked out to the Pier resturant for supper. Idyllic situation and fab seafood chowder for supper. Miles to walk home though! The weather wasn't brilliant on that first day (very windy with poor visibility) and all swimming with dolphins trips cancelled. Eek we were booked the next morning. Website showed weather being better the following day but advised that sea would be choppy. Sealegs pills advised and purchased…. We reported ... read more

Nose Basher, Jawbreaker, Boulder dash and Rat Rock ....these might sound like Father Christmas's reindeer but they are actually rapids on the Clarence River that were marked in BOLD on our map. We thought that packing the boat for the second day would have been easier than Day 1. All the bags and barrels had to be secured to loading rings on the raft so they wouldn't disappear downstream if we capsized. I (Pete) started at one side of the raft, Jamie on the other. Gradually it emerged that we were each employing a different logic (no surprises there then). Irritatingly Jamie had a much sounder approach which Ellie spotted long before I did. It's only natural I suppose...... I undid most of my efforts and followed Jamie's guidance, trying hard to be humble and appreciative. ... read more

So just to recap the 9 days since our arrival on the South Island and our emotional reunion with Jamie and Ellie....We have completed a 3 day tramp to Angelus hut, a 4 day tramp of the Queen Charlotte track and a 2 day seakayak camping expedition in the Marborough sound. We have had our first 3 nights in a tramping hut, camped in 3 campsites and had our first wilderness camping experience on the shores of Marborough sound. We had forgotten how exhausting it is to be with Jamie! And then it was straight on to the Big One …rafting down the Clarence River with Jamie and Ellie. Apparently the Clarence river is the least explored of all NZ rivers and it just sounded rather exciting to explore it! We set off in Ellie and ... read more