Blogs from Blenheim, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 9

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL*** I hope you had a good one and enjoyed yourselves. I thought I had better do an update as we head out of here tommorrow to explore the South Island for the next 5 weeks. We have had a very relaxing time over the last 3 weeks, helped enormously by the vast quantities of Sauvignon Blanc they make in this region and the fact that Gail and Mike have a Spa in their back garden. Kiera has had a fabulous time with her Aunt and Uncle and especially annoying her cousin Natalie who has been a star! We have been out and about lots in the Marlborough Sounds region which is the north of the South Island and it is a beautiful area. Blenheim itself is bordered on 3 sides ... read more

9/24-10/3 The South Island is the more scarcely populated of the two and allows for even more natural beauty to be viewed. Many travelers advised us that the South was where its at, and to budget our time to spend twice as long on the southern island as we did on the northern. We followed this basic plan, and it turned out to be very good advice. Our ferry dropped us and our car off on the northern tip, Picton, a few kms above the most famous wine region in New Zealand, Marlborough. Jaime and I wanted to take a few slow days at a Bed and Breakfast, and enjoy some tastings of the local wines. We found accommodation on a beautiful vineyard, the Tramminer Inn, which leases out its grapes to Huia, an upscale boutique ... read more

Hello All Well yesterday saw the end of another week in the vineyard, woo hoo! As the title may suggest to you, I now have EIGHT DAYS OF WORK left in the vineyard!! Me and Tania will be going to Queenstown a week on Friday and I'm sooo excited!! Finally some decent night life, as the scene here in Blenheim is not really that happening. Actually to be honest, there's not really a lot happening in Blenheim fullstop, apart from the vineyards! Last Monday was Tania's birthday and so I baked a cake and got some balloons! We drank spumante and had a giggle, was all very nice. The rest of the week past by in a boring blur, with the 'low-light' of the week being Tuesday, when I felt really poorly. Took Wednesday off work, ... read more

So here we are just over a week after being in New Zealand, and how am I you may ask! Well all is going ok. I've finally managed to get a job on a vineyard working for a company called Four Vintage Contractors in Blenheim, which is in the north of the south island near Picton, where you get the ferry. I bought some gloves yesterday to keep my pandies warm , so hopefully it will be ok, although I think it is quite hard work. They pick me up at 7am, which meanes that I have to wake up at about 5.45am to get to the bus on time, nice! Sunday, Warren and Tip took me up to Kaikora to see the sights up there, and we stopped at Hamner Sprinkgs along the way for ... read more