If Only....

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I hear so many people use this phrase as an excuse.... If only I could afford it.... If only it was available.... If only they hadn't.... If only it wasn't cold, wet, and miserable outside. One of my biggest things is to always push the boundaries of the if only's.

I woke at the DOC campsite in the clouds.... literally. Alone, with only the sound of the river below for company, there was a stillness to the air.... a heaviness that was part serenity, part beauty, and all water vapour. It was accompanied by the calmness that is only present when you haven't seen another human being for more than 12 hours.

But as much as that was brilliant..... I had wineries to visit!!!

Climbing back down out of the mountains, the clouds continued to follow me... sometimes lurking just out or reach and other times surrounding me as they accumulated in the gullies and crevices before being whisked away by the wind. Through this I managed to dodge potholes, school buses, and even 4 cows that decided the grass actually was greener.

Arriving in Martinborough, I was early... not just for the wineries but the information site wasn't even open.... far to eager obviously. The area is located in a river basin where over the years the river had changed course and left the deposited soils in a vast flat plain. It is the newest of the wine regions in New Zealand with many of the vines being under 15 years old. The town itself is a quaint little settlement with a couple of cafes, a couple of boutique outlets and a array of places to sample local produce (the area also has very good olive oil).

Being so early, I headed to the coast and the southern most tip of the North Island, Cape Palliser. The cape itself is very dramatic with jagged mountains reaching to the surging waves that roll in from the Pacific Ocean, a single road in and out that sometimes clings to the landscape and other times seems to disappear over the edge into the ocean. Just around the cape is a seal colony with many lazing on the green vegetation or flat rocks along the shoreline. The area is amazingly primal.... if only it wasn't blowing a gale and covered in clouds (not that it stopped me).

Back into Martinborough and I stop by a couple of the wineries that drew me in this direction. Alana Vineyards and Martinborough Vineyards both offered exemplary products with the Pinot Noir from the later being voted best Pinot Noir in the world for the 2011 vintage. Every winery in this country has a main focus on only the 2 varietals... Pinot and Sauvignon Blanc. A lot do do some Chardonnay and a little Riesling (and Martinborough Vineyards even did a bit of Pinot Gris), but as a whole they stick to what they're famous for. In saying that, unlike a lot of Australian wineries, they keep the varietals pure... what I mean is that if it says its a Pinot Noir then it's 100%!P(MISSING)inot Noir. In Australia we tend to blend our varietals and in a lot of cases it won't even mention it on the label because by law they only need to if it has more than 15%!o(MISSING)f another grape in there.
Another thing I was not used to was the fact that all the vineyards in the area are crammed into such a small space... so much so that you can walk from the first to the last in 25 minutes. Very much different to the vast fields of vines that I've experienced both back home and in France. I guess this means that they can focus on quality instead of quantity, but sadly it also means that you will rarely see a bottle from Martinborough in any other country.

The last leg to Wellington on SH2 takes you through the mountains again (and through the clouds again) down to the bay that defines the city. As the capital of New Zealand, it is very unpretentious and a lot more pleasant than Auckland. With it's housing flowing up the sides of the hills surrounding the bay, the city centre looks enclosed and protected. I was surprised to hear that the population of the city is only 200 thousand and the entire district only 470 thousand. For a capital, that's tiny.... but it does lend to it's charm.

The next day was still nil visibility as it looks as though the constant drizzle has settled in. Trying to accomplish a couple of things before my ferry to the South Island, I headed up to the top of Mt Cook with the intention of getting some photos. Well, actually, I did get some photos... mainly white/grey ones.... of clouds. Giving up I headed for a coffee on the shore of Oriental Bay before lining up to load the camper van onto the Interislander. Having to be there 90 minutes before departure and then being told that the ferry is running 90 minutes late (once the camper van is already blocked in the queue) was not my ideal way to spend the afternoon... but at least I had a good book.

Now if only the seas weren't so rough....

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