NEW ZEALAND - NORTH AND SOUTH

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FOUR UNCHAINED PENSIONERS
JANET - FRED - CHRIS - ROY

Let me tell you another story. We had already conquered America, last year and this time we were going to attempt New Zealand. The unanimous answer again being, “Yes, before we get too old”.




As New Zealand is not as big as America, we decided we could possibly cover the trip in 4 weeks. We could start off in Auckland and do a “Figure of Eight” covering North and South Island. We usually go to Goa in India, during the winter so this year we would carry on round the world to include Sydney, Australia for a few days; New Zealand and Fiji. Thinking that maybe a “Round the World” ticket would be cheaper than getting a return (who wants to come back anyway), four tickets were purchased and we were on our way.




The planning started back in February 2008. With a rough idea of where to go and what to see, the route was drawn up. A couple of days off our original New Zealand itinerary would accommodate Fiji, for a rest on the way home. The final New Zealand journey was completed in fine style in 26 days, 15 beds and 2622 miles of driving.




8th December 2008 - 10th February 2009
We're off! The experience began at Birmingham Airport when we caught a National Express coach to Heathrow in plenty of time to catch our Qantas flight to Mumbai. On arriving in Mumbai, we transferred to our Kingfisher flight to Dabolim Airport in Goa and spent the next 9 weeks doing nothing in preparation for the New Zealand experience. We were going to need all the energy we could muster. Christmas came and went with New Year and we were still needed more time to relax. We lazed on the beach, ate magnificent food and looked forward to our expedition. It was really hard work, taking 64 days to build up our strength. It takes longer when you are older and everything had to be planned.




11th February 2009
Welcome to OZ! Time to move on. After travelling to Mumbai on a short flight, we then boarded our tiresome overnight 12 hour Qantas flight to Sydney. Two films and 2 curries later, we arrived at Sydney Airport. No one had told Qantas that we had been living on Curry for 9 weeks.




12th February 2009
Sydney! An afternoon arrival in Sydney and we caught our courtesy coach to the Menzies Hotel just off George Street, the main shopping area. After Goa, it was pleasant to walk on proper pavements and not hear horns honking all the time. There were no cows in the streets either. We unpacked and went looking for a restaurant and to see the city by night. Walking down to the Quay, we could view the bridge and Opera House before we ate a hearty supper of Beer battered Fish and Chips in "Jackson’s on George Street". After a very chaotic day, we decided to have an early night to recuperate. (Was it night or day? Who knows?)




13th February 2009
"A Bridge Too Close!" After an early breakfast in Jackson’s, two went to climb the Bridge while two climbed the Pylon Lookout. After numerous steps and a good climb the views over Sydney and the Harbour were awesome, despite the wind and rain. The photos will tell all. Meeting up again later on the quayside we caught the ferry boat to stunning Manley Beach where we went for a walk around the town and down to the beach before catching the ferry back. The ferry boat ride gave some very good views of Sydney Harbour and the Bridge from the sea. A quick shower at the hotel and we were back down to Jacksons for Steak and Ale Pie and Chips. We love this diet. I have already forgotten what a cooker is.




14th February 2009
Sydney Bus Riding! We met Flo (who is another story - at 80 she still works) in the Menzies shop and had a chat to her before heading over the road for breakfast. A brisk walk to the Quay to catch the “Hop on Hop off” City Sightseeing Bus Tour which is a very good way of seeing the city if you have no transport. Our first part of the trip covered the shopping and city side of Sydney, and then we changed buses at Central Station for the Bondi Beach Bus. After more photo shoots at Bondi, mainly the surfers, we arrived back at Central Station for lunch. We ascended the City Bus again for a trip to a very interesting part of Sydney, Darling Harbour, the Aquarium and the Museum. There seemed plenty to do and lots of people and after a good look around these locations we mounted the bus again and went to the stunning Opera House for more photos. From here we could take pictures of the bridge. It had rained on and off all day and when we arrived at the Opera House it rain heavily for a while. Taking photos all the while, we walked the perimeter of the Opera House and back to the bus. During all our bus riding, we had a “character” for a driver. He said he was 68 years old and he looked like Father Christmas. He made the journey so much more fun in the rain. Weary after all our bus travelling; we arrived back at the Quay for a meal at Jacksons, now our favourite restaurant, before returning to the hotel to pack for our adventure in New Zealand. It had been a quick insight to Sydney and well worth the stop over.




15th February 2009
Auckland Here We Come! Our taxi arrived to take us to the airport. A three hour flight to Auckland which clings to the southern shores of Waitemata Harbour to pick up our trustee steed for the next 26 days - a Red Toyota Rav4. We then drove to the Copthorne Harbour Side Hotel which overlooked the quayside. It was a pleasant drive, not too much traffic and the hotel was easy to find with a convenient car park. After checking in we went for a walk to the marina and found a welcoming Irish Pub. What else could we ask for? Tomorrow we would paint the city red.




16th February 2009
Around Auckland! The first thing we noticed, in the morning, was the arrival, overnight, of a large cruise ship directly outside our hotel. After breakfast we took a pleasurable trip to Howick and Cockle Bay via Mission Bay which was beautiful. We visited Cockle Bay, the beach by Howick and then went to Howick Historic Village which was full of old wooden buildings dating from the 1840s and 1870s which have been restored and re-sited from former villages that belong to the era of the "Fencibles", some of the first settlers. We then drove onto Mount Eden where we had some extensive views from the summit car park over Auckland City. At 196m it is Auckland city's highest volcano. During the evening we walked into the city and had another great meal. A very full day with plenty of memories.




17th February 2009
Today, Auckland City was on the agenda. We walked to the shops and ascended the 328m high concrete Skytower. It is New Zealand's tallest structure and stands above the City Casino. We had some professional photos taken and strolled around the two observation decks with stupendous views over the city and Hauraki Gulf, before stopping at the top floor café for a latte. If you want to partake in a skyjump, this is the place to go. On exiting the Skytower we could see the Skyjumpers hurtling ground wards from the top of the tower. Our city shopping trip started with a call into the All Blacks shop and buying some rugby T Shirts before going up to the Civic Theatre Area for a sandwich lunch. We did not have time to go into the Art Gallery, the country's foremost showcase for fine art, or Auckland Museum, but reading the guides on Auckland, they are brilliant. Back to food, we had a cake for our foursies (i.e. Tea at 4 p.m.) and returned to the hotel for a change of clothes before attacking a rather large meal in Fox’s Restaurant on the marina. The Waterfront is dominated by the Neoclassical 1912 Ferry Building but there is more activity in the Viaduct Harbour with endless rows of outdoor cafes and this marina was gorgeous for an evening stroll with the occasional pensioner's bench. It has been a very pleasant day.




18th February 2009
Glow-worm Caves! This was the first day of our Grande Tour. We planned a long drive south and then east to "Sulphur City" Rotorua. The south drive was to Waitomo Caves where unusual rock formations surmount an underground world of limestone glow-worm caves. These were opened to the public in 1897. After entering the caves and having a guided tour round, you board an underground boat and see Glow worms suspended from the ceiling. There were plenty of Stalactites and Stalagmites to see during our paved walkways gentle cave experience. After our cave visit we embarked on a splendid cross country drive to Rotorua. We checked in at our motel and spent the evening in the city, visiting Hennessey’s Bar. Well one has to does one not! We walked to the shores of the near circular Lake Rotorua and it was very agreeable evening. We watched a sea plane take off and land on the lake which was full of wild ducks and swans.




19th February 2009
Today we visited Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland. This was superb and well worth a visit. On arrival we encountered a very large geyser named “Lady Knox”. It erupted everyday at 10.15 a.m. after the intervention of a staff member who pours a packed of soap flakes down the vent. The soap reduces the water's surface tension, and superheated, steam and water are released in a jet which plays initially to around 10m and continues at half that height for anything up to an hour. We just managed to see it. The long walk around the Thermal Wonderland took us at least two hours, seeing a series of small lakes which have tints of colour in them from the sulphur, manganese and arsenic in the soils. Again we took plenty of photos of each geyser and steaming pool. The main pool was the gorgeous, effervescent Champagne Pool, a circular green steaming picture. There was only a slight smell of sulphur during our walk round. Back on the main road, we stopped off at a huge and active boiling mud pool which plops away merrily, forming lovely concentric patterns. After lunch we visited Te Puia, a mock up Maori Village, where they explained their traditions and cultures. We drove back to Rotorua for an Ice cream by the lake and decided to have an Indian Curry for our evening meal. (As if we hadn’t had enough.) The meal turned out to be really good and went down well.




20th February 2009
Coastal Ride to Gisborne via an impressive Gorge. Leaving Rotorua, we made out way to Gisborne on the east coast. Travelling along the coast stopping at beautiful Whakatane, (pronounced facca-tarnee and means "to act as a man") before passing through Waioeka Gorge. The road becomes increasingly narrow before emerging onto pastureland on the Gisborne side and dropping to plains. It is what we call a valley road and was very picturesque. We reached our Bella Vista Motel in good time for an evening walk. Gisborne is the first City in the world to see light of day and holds fame to the shortest river in New Zealand, the Turanganui, which is 1200 metres long. It is also where three rivers meet, the Taruheru, Turanganui and Waimata. Our evening meal location was in a Working Mans Club with some entertainment. Very interesting!




21st February 2009
Lake Waikamoana and Huka Falls! Today we completed a very long drive from Gisborne to National Park via Te Urewera National Park, Turangi and Taupo. This road went through Te Urewera National Park, a large expanse of native bush and skirted a stunning lake called Waikamoana. About 20 miles of the road was gravel only and made for a rough ride. Although the ride was rough, the whole experience was eye-catching and dramatic. The scenery was well worth our efforts with many water falls en route. Just before Taupo we came across Huka Falls on the Waikato River. This is a must see place. The sheer power of the falls makes it very noisy and awesome. Taupo was brilliant, what a lovely place to live. It is a great place for exploring the natural wonders of the surrounding area. We got there to find ourselves in the middle of a road race with competitors on the road, stopping for drinks and rests. National Park Lodge, near Tongariro National Park, was our destination for today, where we found a café for more Fish and Chips. We might start growing fins. It had been a long drive and a full day but overall very enjoyable.




22nd February 2009
Tongariro National Park! The itinerary was to see the top of the three volcanoes today but the weather stopped that. We drove into Tongariro National Park, passed the Grand Chateau hotel, and up to the Whakapapa ski area, where you can go on a "Lord of the Rings" walk. It was very misty and after a warming coffee in the café by the ski lift at Iwikau Village at the top, we drove down again and had a walk in the forest to Tawhai Water fall. This was impressive and warmer. As it was early in the day, we drove around the north part of the Park, near to Taupo for a scenic drive down to the lake. Although we had not seen the tops of the mountains we had encountered some very interesting sites. Schnapps Restaurant in National Park produced a very fine evening meal after a very delightful day.




23rd February 2009
Have you heard of the "Whanganui River Road"? From our accommodation in National Park we drove south and off the main road onto the 78 km “Whanganui River Road”. It is a rough, twisting and only partially sealed road which is prone to floods and land slips, and even in the best conditions will take you a minimum of 2 hours to complete. After breakfast in Raetihi at a Farriery’s cafe, we followed the river all the way down to Wanganui on the coast. The river was very muddy and swollen with the previous day’s rain but nevertheless it was impressive. The road was another matter. It was a really rough ride. Following a walk and an espresso coffee in the beautiful floral city of Wanganui, where you can ride on an elderly paddle steamer, we drove south to the capital, Wellington for our night’s accommodation overlooking the City. The views from our bedroom window over the city and harbour were very impressive. We ventured on a city sightseeing walk down to the harbour and a late meal on Cuba Street was enjoyable before retiring.




24th February 2009
Wellington City Exploration! After organising our breakfast in the room, to save time, we walked down town to the Cable car Station and purchased a return ticket up the hillside to the Cable car Museum and Botanical Gardens. A lovely morning was enjoyed exploring the museum and gardens with a long hilly and winding walk. We did get lost at one stage but emerged from the jungle unscathed. The Begonia House was beautiful and the 300 varieties of roses in the ornamental circular beds were spectacular. We also found an Herb Garden with a lot of information on different types of herbs and their uses. In the afternoon we went to Wellington's Te Papa Museum on the waterfront. It is very modern, a five storey building and brilliant, covering all aspects of the New Zealand history to date with information on Maori traditions. We embarked on a slow walk back up vibrant Cuba Street for some food and an early night. We were leaving early in the morning to catch the Interisland Ferry to south island.




25th February 2009
Interisland Ferry Crossing. Following an early breakfast, we packed the car and headed off down to the ferry terminal, dropping the car off at the rental location and proceeding into the terminal to book ourselves on to the boat. The Ferry Crossing was a three hour awesome fiord experience, passing many small islands. We arrived in Picton, surrounded by the rugged Marlborough Sounds, on time and proceeded to pick up our trusty steed for the second part of our journey, a Silver Toyota Rav4. In a southerly direction, we drove through Marlborough, a famous wine making region and beautiful countryside, out to the Pacific coast. Following the Tranz Scenic rail tracks south along the coast, with the Kaikoura Range on one side and Pacific on the other, we drove to Kaikoura where we enjoyed an evening meal on the Esplanade at the Adelphi Hotel. It had been another long eventful day.




26th February 2009
Whales today! We were booked on the early Whale watching expedition and briskly walked down to the train station to board the coach which took us to the marina. The train station had lovely views over the bay and whilst there, the Tranz Scenic Train arrived. On this rail journey we would have liked to have participated but did not have the time. The train travels from Picton Ferry down the coast to Dunedin covering all types of scenery. After boarding the Aoraki Jet boat we sat down and raced out to sea. The captains of all the boats were in close contact with each other and if one sighted a whale the others could follow. We saw two Humped Backed Whales, one being named Tiaki; Albatrosses, Dusky Dolphins and fur seals. What a one off experience!! On our return to the marina, we strolled around the bay and back up to the hotel for our usual 4 o’clock cup of tea and to write up the diary. We later went down town for our evening meal and postcard shopping trip. Kaikoura was a small but interesting place.




27th February 2009
Civilisation and Christchurch, New Zealand's third City! Still heading south we journeyed to Christchurch, mainly across agricultural countryside and wine growing areas. We arrived in Christchurch in time to take an excellent walk down Colombo Street and into the city centre. The Cathedral and Cathedral Square were impressive. The City has an air of Anglicanism about it with some of the feel of an English University town. After inspecting the 1905 lovingly restored trams, we purchased a weekly ticket and went round the circuit twice, visiting the university and Art Centre on our way. On our second trip round, we alighted in the Spanish Mission style, New Regent Street shopping area and had an Indian meal. A long walk back up Colombo Street to the Bella Vista Motel and we were shattered. It was a "Good night" from her and a "Good night" from him.




28th February 2009
The itinerary for today included a trip out and about around Christchurch. We rode the Port Hills Summit Road to Lyttleton, an international cargo port and into later to Sumner, a beach resort. The summit road was unbelievable. It was so precipitous, narrow with no road safety barriers. There were plenty of runners and cyclist who seem to be on an endurance test. It was misty at the top but we still had enough light for some photos. There were brilliant views over Christchurch and Lyttleton Harbour. Sumner is a seaside town but it was cold and damp when we arrived. We decided to return to Christchurch for the afternoon and visit the Museum again. We had not had much time the day before to see all the museum and we still had our Tram tickets to get about.




1st March 2009
East to West! Today we are crossing the country. From Christchurch to the western seaboard town of Greymouth via Arthur's Pass National Park. Some people prefer to do the journey by TranzAlpine Express train and it is said to be wonderful, giving one of the worlds most spectacular rail journeys. We had to drive because we needed the car on the other side. It was always going to be difficult to decide which way we were going to travel. Arthur's Pass National Park has some of the most incredible scenery in New Zealand. Following the Waimakariri River, we stopped in Arthur's Pass Village, which nestles in a forest covered U shaped valley, for coffee before stopping at Kumara for lunch and completing the journey to the other side. On our way north up to Greymouth we stopped at Shantytown. This mock up 1880s gold-mining settlement was very interesting and displayed the way the people lived years ago. The steam train "Kaitangata" was just leaving the township for a ride into the woods so we hurried aboard. There is a Sawmill set up in the woods so we could see how they did the logging. Gold Mining and Chinese immigrant areas are included in the town plan. Most of the buildings were made of wood which was plentiful in those days. A definite tourist trap but we enjoyed our afternoon visit. We were spending the night in Greymouth before heading south again. Greymouth has a large train station and a lot of Jade outlets. It appeared to be an industrial dock area.




2nd March 2009
Heading South and the Mountains! We left Greymouth early in order to reach Franz Josef Glacier with enough time to walk to the base. It was magnificent. From the car park we walked to a place called Peters Pool before reaching the Glacier and it gave us incredible photos of the Glacier from a different angle. If you carry on walking past Peters Pool you come to the Douglas Suspension bridge. It moved with every step you made and only five people at a time were allowed on it. It was very enjoyable and well worth the time and effort. From the car park we then started to walk to the base of the Glacier. The views were out of this world. We crossed the glacial river bed and headed up to the base traversing some stones that were huge and made it hard tramping. After an exhilarating day we drove to the township of Fox Glacier to book into our Motel. A hearty evening meal at the Plateau hotel was in order and then home for a relax and a glass or two of wine on the terrace.




3rd March 2009
Glaciers - What a Day! We made our way to Fox Glacier for a ramble from the south car park up to the glacier base. We had some good views of the Glacier from the car park but could not go to the base because the south road was closed by a rock fall. We went up the north road via a walking suspension bridge to see if we could get any closer to the Glacier. It was an extremely good walk up the mountain side, crossing many streams by way of wooden bridges, till we reached a stream that we could not navigate. We could have crossed the rocky stream in bare feet but it would have been cold and slippery. We decided to make out way down back to the car and head for Lake Matheson. What a good decision! There is a walk around the lake that is exceptional, showing reflections in the lake of Mount Cook and Mount Tasman. We were really pleased we had gone. The experience was awesome and brilliant! After our walk we had tea and ice creams outside the Lake Matheson Café, looking up at Mount Cook and Mount Tasman. We thought we had died and gone to heaven. We then drove back to the motel for more wine on the terrace. Hic! Hic! What an unforgettable day!




4th March 2009
Lakes and Big Kids! Driving south along the west coast, we stopped at a few viewing points along the coastline one being Knights point. This was stunning, showing rocks projecting from the sea. Following the Haast Pass, we stopped at Maruka Wilderness café for our usual latte break and then onto Thunder Creek falls and Fantail falls where previous visitors had stacked piles of stones as a memento of their visit. We stacked our own, of course. These two falls were beautiful natural features that were well worth stopping for. After traversing Cameron Flats we approached two very large lakes the first one being Lake Hawea. The water was a striking blue colour. Then onto Lake Wanaka and the peaceful resort town of Wanaka. Just before reaching Wanaka we stopped at Puzzling World, a big kid’s paradise. Us being big kids, we entered the maze and had to admit defeat by exiting through a side door. There is also Hologram Hall and Tilted House, both worth investigating while at Puzzling World. We finally went down into Wanaka by the lake and booked into our Motel. The views again, were fantastic with jagged summits of the Southern Alps mirrored in its waters. We walked down into town and along the placid lakeside with mountains towering around us and entered a restaurant. We had the biggest sausages you have every seen. (I mean BIG). Back to the motel for wine on the terrace and as you can gather the weather was on our side. Hic! Hic!




5th March 2009
South and eventually Queenstown! After filling the Rav4 with petrol, we headed south again through stunning countryside, following the Kawarau River and stopping at the Kawarau Bridge to watch some bungee jumping. Then we drove onto Arrowtown, reputedly the prettiest old gold mining town in New Zealand. A very pleasant historic town full of wooden shops and buildings. It also has a very good museum which we did not have time to see. Onto the adventure capital of, Queenstown to book into our motel for two nights. We unpacked what we needed and went up the Skyline Gondola ride to the top of Bob’s Peak which rises up immediately behind the town. The views at the top, from the Skyline Cafe were fantastic. There is a Luge if you fancy a ride. It did not look too dangerous. We spent a long time up the mountain enjoying a latte with views over Queenstown. The evening was spent downtown on the Pier overlooking Lake Wakatipu. The last of the lake steamers, a coal-fired twin-screw steamship TSS Earnslaw, docked while we sat drinking on the pier. We later went into a local beefeater for a rather large meal. It was then that we realised, how good the food was in New Zealand. We had eaten plenty and not had one awful meal. Life is Good!




6th March 2009
Jet Boat Ride on Dart River! After a walk downtown in the local lakeside park and to the church we entered the Information Centre to register for our transit bus to Glenorchy where we had booked a Jet Boat ride on the River Dart. The ride to Glenorchy along the lakeside was gorgeous with views over Lake Wakatipu and the surrounding countryside. On reaching the Jet Boat Centre we were put onto another Tour bus for a ride to the river head through “Lord of the Rings” countryside. If you have seen the films, you will understand what we mean by awesome. We took a walk through “Paradise” and then boarded the Jet Boat at the head of the river being overlooked by Mount Aspiring National Park. We then embarked on a “gentle” ride down the glacial river back to Glenorchy. During our "ride" we stopped at Rockburn Chasm where a tributary of the River Dart has carved out a narrow, twisting canyon filled with calm clear water. Sensational! We had a much needed coffee to help the adrenalin rush and then back on the bus to Queenstown. We changed and went for an evening meal in Pog Mahoney’s, a local Irish bar overlooking the Pier. What a brilliant day? Queenstown was out of this world with so much to do and see. If you plan a visit, save some energy.




7th March 2009
Kingston Flyer! Te Anau was our destination for today. En route we stopped at Kingston to see the “Kingston Flyer”, a very old steam train and well worth the effort we made of catching it up before it reached the nowhere town of Fairlight. Fairlight Station and the train were very photogenic and we obtained some good photos of it coming into the station and while it was there. We then went on our way to Te Anau via a dull southland farming route and arrived in time for lunch. We embarked on a walk around town and down to the Lake before having a meal. It rained and was misty so we could not appreciate the much documented scenery.




8th March 2009
The Big One, Milford Sound! This was the day for our 70 mile drive up to Milford Sound. It was raining and the views were not so good but what views we did have. Milford Sound has up to seven metres of rainfall a year - the second-highest in the world (after the mountains of Tahiti). We stopped en route at “The Chasm” and Lake Gunn. The Chasm being a thunderous waterfall and Lake Gunn was so peaceful in the mist. Two extremes in one journey, not bad. We passed what seemed like a hundred mountainous waterfalls while travelling to Milford Sound. The scenery was awesome and most memorable, the best vista being when we emerged from the Homer Tunnel at the head of the steep Cleddau Valley. It was something that everyone should see. One cannot put it into words even in the rain and mist, it was breath-taking. On arriving at Milford Sound, we did a two hour sensational boat trip on the Sound and enjoyed every minute of it. Even the ride back in the car was out of this world. Had it been a good day for weather, we would not have seen the waterfalls we saw. The weather goes with the terrain. Tremendous!




9th March 2009
The now Famous Bluff. Today we thought we were leaving the mountains and heading as far south as we could go but as we left the motel we found that the weather had turned and it was a bright clear day. We drove out of the Te Anau motel car park to see a skyline of magnificent snow-capped mountains. They could not be seen the day before because of all the mist and rain. We followed the mountains south on the Southern Scenic Route and as we drove around every corner there was a different vista. This journey was a farmland drive with many sheep and shearing huts to be seen. We even stopped for lunch at a shearing café. The lady owner was very pleasant and gave us free carrot cake whilst telling us about the shearing season and how it was coming to a close. There were many artefacts of a shearing nature in the cafe and we spent some time looking at them. We did not see any traffic whilst on this part of our journey. In fact, one driver who was travelling in the opposite direction, waved to us. I think he had not seen any form of life for days, except the sheep. We made a short stop at Clifden Suspension Bridge, built over the Waiau River in 1899 before carrying on south. We arrived at Invercargill, our destination, but carried onto the small run-down fishing town of Bluff. The farthest south we could go, except for Stewart Island and Antarctica. Having had some photos taken and taken a few ourselves, we sat down in the restaurant overlooking the “end of the world” and had some lunch. Us being the "Bluff Appreciation Society", we were all wearing our Bluff, Utah Tee Shirts. We then drove back to Invercargill and our motel. Later that evening and after a wash and brush up we went down into the city to look at the sites and visit the Southland Museum and Art gallery in Queens Park. It is said that the rather large Queens Park, Invercargill is comparable with Central Park in New York. After this hectic day we deserved a drink and we headed into the Kiln, another Irish pub. A beautiful Cheese board and free pint later, we headed home for the night. We must add at this point that there was an Antarctic wind blowing and it was very sensible of us to wear our mountaineering clothes for the evening.




10th March 2009
Cold and Wet! Drive from Invercargill to Dunedin, the itinerary for the day. Did it rain, or did it rain???? Was it cold, or was it cold???? We stopped to view Purakaunui falls and passed Cathedral cove with its beach caves. When we arrived at Dunedin the weather forecast was for winds from the Antarctic and rain. (We already knew this information.) We do not remember ever being so cold. Invercargill had been cold but this was freezing. During the evening and after we had booked into our guest house, we went into town to look around the Octagon area, with its gothic-revival buildings and Robbie Burns statue, where we found the information centre. We then walked back to The Bog, a public house with a rather large, very inviting, log fire.




11th March 2009
Taieri Gorge Railway Trip! We made an early rise from our cold bed and breakfast Guest House and headed down to Dunedin Railway Station. The station, which opened in 1906, is faced with pale Oamaru stone. It is a very imposing building and very ornate. The foyer is preserved in its original state and has majolica wall tiles specially made by Royal Doulton. We embarked on our train ride for the day, the 58km Taieri Gorge Railway trip to Pukarangi. A very large diesel train took us up the mountains, penetrating rugged mountain scenery and back again on a picturesque trip crossing a few viaducts en route. Again, many photos and movie clips. We were back by lunch time so after a bite to eat and a quick look around Dunedin City Centre, we went into Cadbury World where we managed to obtain a few small chocolate bars to warm us up. This was our alternative itinerary to travelling 70 miles to see yellow eyed penguins, off the Otago Peninsula, in the freezing cold weather. We also missed out on Larnach Castle which we all wanted to see. Freezing, we went back to our guest house and changed ready to go back down town for the evening. The log fire, The Bog, won again. The fare was also very good.




12th March 2009
Christchurch Again! Our final full day in New Zealand and a 234 mile drive to Christchurch. Before Leaving Dunedin we visited the steepest residential street in the world, Baldwin Street and obtained a certificate to say we had walked it. After a pleasant green coastal ride through wine country and a coffee break at the strangely compelling Moeraki boulders, large, grey and almost perfectly spherical, we arrived at Christchurch. The temperature also seemed to warm up a little after we left Dunedin. Our accommodation for the night was by the airport, at the Airport Gateway Motel. It was lovely and just what we needed. We drove to Monteiths Restaurant for our last evening meal and thoroughly enjoyed it. Back home early to pack.




13th March 2009
Fly to Fiji! We ordered breakfast at the motel and then drove to the airport for our flight to Auckland, after handing the car back and noting the mileage for our records. From Christchurch we flew to Auckland and after a quick plane change, we flew into Nadi Airport in Fiji. We caught our courtesy coach for a tiring hour and a half ride to Tambua Sands Resort where we were staying for the next three nights. We arrived at the resort at 7.00 p.m. just in time for an evening meal and an unwinding night. Our accommodation comprised of a wooden one bedroom beach bungalow, which was very very nice. One could hear the rolling sea breaking on the coral reef. It was paradise.




14th March 2009
Paradise! We awoke to the sound of the surf on the Coral Reef. I defy anyone to put that in words. After a large continental breakfast, we swam in the pool, rested on the sun beds and ate lunch in the restaurant. After lunch we walked the beach and investigated all the rock pools. We found multicoloured fish and star fishes. In the evening, after another swim in the pool, we had our evening meal in the open air restaurant. We were the only people in the resort and had our own entertainment, a man playing an organ and singing. Following a few dances, and a few drinks we took a quite walk through the gardens back to our bungalow. This is paradise. The lull of the surf soon sent us to sleep.




15th March 2009
Paradise Again! We awoke to find ourselves still in paradise and repeated the previous day’s actions, only slower and with a good book. We certainly needed the rest after New Zealand.




16th March 2009
Going Home! We packed our suitcases and vacated our bungalows but were not due to leave the resort until 6.00 p.m. in the evening. Staying around the pool and using the facilities, we enjoyed ourselves until our coach arrived to take us to the airport. The long journey to the airport did not set us up very well for the rest of our journey. At the airport we went to check in and realised that we had not received our ESTA numbers for entry into the USA. We had to go online and book ourselves into the country. The airport staff could not let us on the plane without our individual numbers. After all this commotion and panic we did not have much time before we were boarding the plane and on our 10 hour flight to Los Angeles. Because we were crossing the Date Line, we arrived in Los Angeles before we had taken off from Fiji. Very interesting?? At Los Angeles we booked onto our Flight for the rest of our journey and went to seek refreshments. After a cup of coffee and muffin we were on our next 10 hour flight to Heathrow. We cannot say if we had a good or bad day because we did not know if it was day or night.




17th March 2009
We landed at 10.00 a.m. in Heathrow and had to wait for the 11.35 a.m. coach to Birmingham. We were exhausted.




It took 32 hours in total to get home from the Fiji resort.


The final figures for our whole trip were 100 nights, 2622 miles driving and 18 beds.

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Photos

Chapora Fort - Goa
This fort is a good climb and well worth the walk.

Candolim - Goa
Saying Goodbye at our Guest House

The Bridge
It rained as we walked around the Opera House and viewed the Bridge

The Opera House
The Opera House from the Manley Ferry

Auckland - Airport
This is where we picked up our red Toyota Rav4.

Howick Historical Village
A beautiful mock up village setting from years ago using old buildings. Brilliant

Auckland - Mount Eden
A view from Mount Eden overlooking Auckland

Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland
A map of the Wonderland and length of walks. Brilliant

Thermal Wonderland - steam
Standing in front of the steam pool

Huka Falls
Well worth the diversion

Tongariro National Park
A view from the top of the mountains

Tongariro National Park
Tawhai Falls. One of the many water falls in the park

Whanganui River Road
A view of the river from the gravel road.

Wellington Cable Car
We had a ride to the Cable Car Museum and Botanical Gardens

Wellington Museum
Te Papa is the name of the Museum and it was brilliant. One could spend a day in there.

Ferry Boat
View from the back of the Ferry boat heading to Picton.

Kaikoura - train
The Tranz Scenic railway train. A brilliant ride from Picton to Christchurch via the coast.

Kaikoura Whale Watching
One of the whales diving

Christchurch tram
Our transport for the day in Christchurch. A good way to see the city.

Christchurch - Lyttleton
A view from Summit Road overlooking Lyttleton

Arthur's Pass National Park
A view of a section of the pass which was steep in places

Shantytown view
The street scene

Franz Josef - Peters Pool
A short walk off the main track and stunning views

Franz Josef - Douglas Bridge
A marvellous suspension bridge

Franz Josef Glacier
Wow! A good walk to the base of Glacier on stoney ground over a river.

Fox Glacier
Brilliant and beautiful

Fox Glacier
Well worth the walk

Lake Matheson
Must be seen

Mount Cook and Tasman
Must be seen and snapped

Lake Hawea
Look at the colour.

Wanaka
A walk down town to the lake with mountains in the background

Lake Wakatipu
View from Skyline Cafe at the top of Bob's Peak, Queenstown

Bob's Peak
By the Luge at Queenstown. Top of Bob's Peak

Dart River Boat trip
Glenorchy River Boat Trip

Kingston Flyer Train
We caught the train up at Fairlight after missing its departure from Kingston.

The Chasm
On the bridge at the top of the Chasm

Milford Sound
Very picturesque

Milford Sound
Lady Bower Falls - One of the many water falls on Milford Sound

Road to Invercargill
Loads of mountains

Invercargill - bluff sign
We passed through Invercargill to go to Bluff. As far south as we could go.

Purakaunui falls
On our way to Dunedin

Dunedin - Burns Statue
A very scottish town. Plenty of Tartan