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Published: April 12th 2010
New Zealand - North Island and South Island Saturday, 20th March We arrived in Auckland airport early afternoon, picked up the hire car and drove to Auckland. After a bit of driving around we found our hotel, checked in and went for a walk around the city. The temperature felt pretty cool after Australia and we were quite tired so we just had a bit of a wander round and then went back to the hotel - nothing very exciting. Later we went down to the habour to find dinner. It was heaving with people as it was the conclusion of the Luis Vuitton Yachting Trophy and so there were lots of yachting type beautiful people around. We walked along a couple of wharfs and saw some beautiful boats. One was absolutely jaw droppingly beautiful, huge, all gleaming wood and dark blue paint with three huge masts. We couldn't find out who owned it but it must have been someone incredibly rich. The crew seemed to be letting a few people on board but they all seemed to fall into the category of scantily clad, young, blonde and female and so we weren't among the lucky few.
Sunday, 21st March This morning we set off northwards to Russell, Bay of Islands. The journey took quite a long time as the last section was incredibly narrow with hairpin bends. Russell itself is a lovely little place, just a scattering of houses, a few shops and cafes, a pub, a small museum and a school. For a short time it was the capital of New Zealand, and there is still a lot of history surrounding it. Now it is mainly well known as being a great place for sailing and accessing the wonderful Bay of Islands. We checked into our accommodation which was one of a collection of pretty wooden houses which had everything we could wish for and more. We had a wander round and checked out a few places where we might eat and where we might book a trip on a boat. There are lots of different kinds of boats and trips you can get and we decided that we would really like the experience of a proper racing yacht so we booked two places on 'Phantom' for Tuesday. We can't wait!! .
Monday, 22nd March Today we took it pretty easy after yesterday's long drive. We
walked over the high ridge to the beach on the other side of the headland and spent some time there. There were only a few people there but people watching is always fun and the view was beautiful. Later in the day we got the ferry from Russell over the bay to Pahia. Now the word 'ferry' to me conjures up a sturdy little boat chugging across the water in a quite pedestrian kind of fashion. Not so the little Red Ferry from Russell to Pahia. It was quite crowded as a group of 20 got on just before us and there were only two seats left at the very back, all the rest being shielded by a kind of transparent shield. No problem, we would be well clear of any spray. Off the boat went and we were spinning along quite nicely when whoosh! the boat got out into open water and almost took off. We jetted through the water at considerable speed with spray absolutely soaking us. By the time we got to Pahia we were wet through but had thoroughly enjoyed our ride. We had a rather soggy mooch around Pahia and then got the same boat
back. This time we were more canny and sat in the front seats shielded from the spray. In the evening we went to the pub to eat and I had a bowl of the most enormous mussels you have seen in your life.
Tuesday, 23rd March Today was 'Phantom' day. Yesterday the weather had been a bit iffy with some rain but today dawned bright and clear and we set off to the quay in good spirits. The boat only took a maximum of 10 people which was one of the things that had appealed to us and also that the owners were experienced sailors and had raced the boat all over the world. We climbed aboard along with about six other people and had a briefing about what to expect. Rick and Robyn, the owners, welcomed us aboard the boat, which was also their home, and explained where we were going and a few basic rules. Everyone on board, except us, had had some sailing experience but that didn't seem to matter too much. We set out in brilliant sunshine with the sails unfurled and a steady wind blowing. We sat on deck along side the rest of
the group and moved around, when told, to put weight in the appropriate places, avoid the boom etc. It was just perfect and the view of all the islands and the coastline absolutely stunning. We whipped across the water, around and about for a couple of hours before dropping anchor by one of the larger islands. The dingy took us ashore to explore the island while lunch was prepared. On the island there was a track up to a lookout point where you could see for miles. We spent some time there and on the beach before returning to the boat for something to eat. Looking out to sea as we chatted and ate we could see large black clouds gathering. 'No problem' said Rick, 'They aren't heading our way yet'. With the sky beginning to darken we set off back around the island to head for home. Well! The wind got up and the rain came down. The waves, which had been nice little curvy things, suddenly had large peaks and troughs and started to lash the deck. We opted to stay on deck rather than go below (which might not have been the most sensible choice) and Robyn
doled out waterproofs. The boat by now was pitching about quite dramatically as the passage between the islands acted a bit like a wind tunnel.. At one point the deck was almost vertical and we were hanging on like grim death as a mixture of spray and pouring rain soaked us. It was rather like one of those sketches where people are supposed to be at sea and off camera someone is throwing buckets of water at them. It was awful and hysterically funny all at the same time and we were helpless with laughter all the way back. Obviously we did survive the adventure as we are still alive to tell the tale but it was quite an experience and I don't think we'll be taking up round the world sailing just yet.
Wednesday, 24th March This morning we left lovely little Russell early as it was going to be a long journey all the way to Rotorua, our next stop. This time we got the car ferry over to Pahia which meant that we didn't have to drive the hairpin bend road again and so was quicker. Rotorua is about five to six hours drive from Russell
and so we didn't get there until mid afternoon. Rotorua is best known as the centre of volcanic activity in New Zealand and as soon as you arrive you can smell the sulphur in the air. We checked into our motel apartment which was on the main road into the town. Everything about the apartment was quite normal and pleasant until we got into the bathroom - there was the most enormous spa bath you have seen in your life. It was big enough for at least four people, maybe more. We went into the town and had a bit of a wander round. There is an enormous lake, Lake Rotorua, which has lots of boats of various kinds on it and several streets of cafes, shops, restaurants etc in a grid pattern. It is a pretty touristy type of town with loads of activities advertised and a strong Maori influence. We found out about a few things we thought we might do in the next few days and then retired to the bath.
Thursday, 25th March Back in 1886 there was a huge a volcanic eruption in the area and you can still see evidence of geothermal activity
all around Rotorua. This morning we drove south of Rotorua to Wai O Tapu (Sacred Waters) which is one of the most famous thermal reserves in the area and a little less touristy than those closer to town. As we drove there we could see clouds of what looks like smoke but is actually steam billowing up from the bushland. The site itself has a very dramatic geyser which blows out a huge plume of steam and ash about 20m into the air. There are lakes of incredible colours, turquoise blue, green and one of the brightest yellow. You can peer down into holes and see pools of bubbling, boiling mud and rocks stained yellow, orange, green and red by mineral deposits. The walk around the site took us about two hours and even though the weather was a bit rainy, we really enjoyed our visit. In the afternoon we visited The Bath House Museum in Rotorua. Rotorua became very famous as a spa in the 1800s and people used to go to 'take the cure' by bathing in the mineral waters. The Bath House was built to accommodate this and, although it is not now used for this purpose,
makes a splendid museum all set out in very English looking gardens. We saw all the strange treatments and instruments they used to use which today would be considered positively lethal. There was an excellent film which showed the volcanic eruption and the floor of the little theatre shook and rumbled in a most realistic and unexpected way to simulate the effect. There were also Maori exhibitions and an area with all kinds of strange mirror puzzles and several other bits and pieces. We had a great time and spent several hours there - good job it was late night opening.
Friday, 26th March We wanted to go to the Waitomo Caves and, although it was quite a long drive from where we were staying, we set off early this morning to visit them. There are over 100 caves in the area around the little village of Waitomo and the reason they are famous is that they are filled with glow worms, tiny little larvae of the fungus gnat that shine brightly in the dark. It took us about two hours to get there but the drive was interesting with lots of beautiful scenery to admire on the way.
It is quite strange as you very soon realise that there is actually no flat land and you are always going either up or down. There are no sharp peaks, it is more like loads and loads of bubbles of different sizes covered with grass or trees. It is mainly cows that graze the land in this area and it seemed very peculiar to see them clinging onto such steep hillsides (perhaps they have specially modified legs of different lengths to help them). We had pre-booked our cave visit with a company called Spellbound who promised a small group tour of some privately owned caves rather than the bigger, very crowded caves that the many coach parties go to. We checked into our tour. There were only six of us which was great. We climbed into the 4X4 and Nevil, our leader, drove us through some fairly remote country to the start of our adventure. First we were kitted out with helmets with torches attached and then we walked to the mouth of the cave which was pretty much hidden by vegetation. With torches on we entered the cave and walked along a very narrow passageway which opened out into
a slightly larger cavern and an underground river. Then we had to turn our torches off as Nevil said that it was only when our eyes became properly adjusted to the dark that we would be able to get the full effect of the glow worms. It was pitch dark at first and we felt our way along to an inflatable raft on the river into which we clambered. The raft began to move slowly and silently along the river. All around us we could see tiny little pinpricks of light shining brightly in the blackness. The more you looked, the more you could see. It was quite magical, as if someone had thrown a huge net of millions of tiny stars over us. After about half and hour we arrived back where we had started and walked back out of the cave. Cups of tea and biscuits were produced and refreshed we set off for another cave. This one didn't have many glow worms but did have a huge cathedral type cavern and some interesting formations. We returned to the tiny village of Waitomo and then made the long drive back to Rotorua.
Saturday, 27th March After all
that driving yesterday we decided to have a quiet day today and not travel too far. We drove just a little bit out of Rotorua to a couple of lakes, one bright blue and the other bright green. We had a good long walk through the forest and admired the views. Later in the day we went down to the shore of Lake Rotorua and explored the public park and gardens. It's quite strange as among the ornamental trees and shrubs are pools of boiling mud and hot springs. There is one place where the hot water is channeled into a pool and you can sit and soak your feet in the mineral rich water. Continuing across the park we discovered a game of rugby, Rotorua against another local team, which we stood and watched for a while. They were pretty big lads some of them, quite a few Maori and South Sea Islanders and several who had clearly spent more time eating pies than training. It was proper 'club rugby' and there were lots of tries and shouting from the touchline with players frequently crashing off the pitch and into the supporters. It certainly brought back memories of a
childhood spent watching similar games.
Sunday, 28th March This morning we left Rotorua and drove to Lake Taupo, a huge lake about 50km south. We stopped at the spectacular Huka Falls on the way and had a bit of a walk to get a good view of them. We spent some time in Lake Taupo looking round and having lunch and then continued on our way south west to Napier in the Hawkes Bay winelands where we were staying for three nights. Napier is a smashing little town. Its claim to fame is that it is an absolute Art Deco architectural gem. The original town of Napier was flattened by a catastrophic earthquake in 1931 with almost all buildings and many lives lost. A fevered building programme ensued , constructing one of the world's most uniformly Art-Deco towns. Since then building has been very strictly controlled and the town retains a strong 1930s character. Our apartment was very nice, right on Marine Parade and in easy walking distance of the town. Again we had a huge spa bath. (what is this obsession with spa baths 'down under'?)
Monday, 29th March As we were in Hawkes Bay we decided
we must take another wine tour. We had thought we would do a wine/bike tour which sounded good fun but as the weather was a bit iffy we decided against it and went for 'Vince's World of Wines' instead. Vince picked us up and took us to a number of great vineyards. They were all very different but equally interesting, from 'The Mission Estate', the oldest vinyard in New Zealand, to a recently opened boutique, organic grower and several others in between. Everywhere people were very knowledgeable about their wines and very happy to let us taste a large number of them. We didn't actually buy any as they were all fairly expensive but we had a great time trying them out.
Tuesday, 30th March Today we explored Napier on foot. We visited the Napier Museum which, although quite small, was very interesting. The largest part of it was devoted to the earthquake with lots of photographs and recordings of people's memories of what it was like. We walked a long way along the seafront to the harbour area and had a very good lunch beside the sea. There was a large group of school children exploring the beach
with several frazzled teachers and, as we sat and sipped a beer and tucked into a plate of delicious scallops, we congratulated ourselves that they weren't anything to do with us. Returning to the town we had a browse around the shops before retiring to the spa bath.
Wednesday, 31st March We left Napier this morning to drive to Wellington, about four hours driving with stops to admire the countryside on the way. We were really looking forward to staying with Ruth and John for a few days, friends who emigrated to New Zealand about 22 years ago. (Ruth and I go way back to the first year of senior school and although we have seen her every time she has come to England, this was the first time we would be able to visit her.) We had to return the hire car to the ferry terminal in the centre of Wellington and finding it was a bit fraught but we managed it in the end. Ruth and John came and collected us and took us home to their house in Eastbourne which is across the harbour from Wellington. Their house is lovely with fantastic views across the water
to Wellington and the distant mountains. It was great to be with them, catch up on news and be in a proper house again.
Thursday, 1st April Today was a bit of a chilling out day. John went off to play golf and we did things like walking the dog, sorting out washing etc. I was desperate to get my hair cut again and Ruth very nobly gave up a hair appointment she had booked for today so that I could have it. Eastbourne is a delightful little community on the waterside with many houses clinging to the steep hillside behind. The hairdressing salon, which was one of these, must have the most stunning view of any hairdressers in the world. The drive up was very steep and then you had to climb a staircase which was more like a long loft ladder to get to the door. Out of the window was the whole of Wellington, Wellington Harbour and the mountains. It was worth it just for the view but the hair cut was pretty good too.
Friday, 2nd April Good Friday. This morning we all went for a walk in the very beautiful Kaitoke Regional Park
which is about 16km north of Wellington up the Hutt valley. There are some wonderful trees, huge and majestic, walking tracks, rivers for swimming in and great views to be had. It is also the location of Rivendell in the Lord of the Rings and lots of scenes were shot here. We returned home via an excellent pie shop (Kiwis are really into their pies) and each chose a pie to take back for lunch. They were absolutely delicious. Ruth had invited some friends to dinner this evening so after lunch she stopped at home to do a bit of cooking while John took us out on a guided tour of the Wellington area. We went to all sorts of places, up Mount Victoria with spectacular views of the harbour and the area surrounding Wellington, to the wind turbine at Brooklyn with equally spectacular but windier views and a short tour of the city. We took a long and winding drive along the bays and beaches of the Miramar peninsular where there are some attractive and very expensive houses before returning to Eastbourne where Ruth had been busy cooking up a delicious meal for their friends Sue and Derick and
Leo and Raewyn who joined us for dinner. A very enjoyable evening.
Saturday, 3rd April This morning we all went into Wellington to the Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand. Te Papa dominates the Wellington waterfront and is something of a national icon. We saw a huge collection of Maori artefacts including a traditional marae (Maori meeting house). It also has a modern marae which is of a very interesting (and at the time of building, controversial) design with lots of colour and unusual carving. It is usual for all kind of important local events. There were lots of 'hands on' type displays, wild life, the history of recent settlement, geological information and even a house that shakes so you can experience an earthquake. We also spent quite a lot of time on the art gallery floor looking at paintings and sculpture. We spent several hours there but there was still lots to see that we didn't manage. An excellent museum. This evening we went out for a meal at an Indian restaurant called Tulsi and then on to a brilliant little, privately owned Cinema called 'The Lighthouse' to see a New Zealand made film called 'Boy'. The
cinema was great with big plush settees to sit on and drinks available throughout and the film was excellent.
Sunday, 4th April Easter Sunday. We called in on Nathan, Ruth and John's eldest son, to drop off Easter eggs for the family before continuing to Rimutaka Forest Park, for a walk. We had a very good walk in the forest with lots of different trees and ferns to see. Like the place where we walked on Saturday there were lots of places to camp away from it all and lots of families out together walking and enjoying the countryside. More dog walking and bits and pieces in the afternoon before friends Val and Kevin came to share a meal in the evening.
Monday, 5th April Today Ruth, Terry and I got the ferry from Days Bay over to Wellington. From Lambton Quay we caught the little red Cable Car up the steep slope all the way to Kelburn where the Wellington Botanical gardens are. Although it is called a cable car it is actually more like a funicular railway and only takes a few minutes to reach the top. At the top is a small museum about the
cable car, an observatory and a cafe and the beginning of the gardens that cover the hillside almost all the way down to the city. We had a lovely time taking the winding route down, looking at the plants and taking in a great view as we went. We had a little wander round a few shops before returning to the waterfront to chose a place to have lunch. We settled on a place that served us very good pizza and red wine and whiled away a very pleasant early afternoon before catching the ferry back home. We've had a really great time staying here. It has been so lovely to spend some time with friends in a proper home after all our travelling and Ruth and John have been absolutely great taking us around everywhere and showing us the sights.
Tuesday, 6th April It was sad to say goodbye this morning but we had a plane to catch to Queenstown. We decided that South Island was too vast for us to drive all around properly in the ten days we have left in New Zealand so we have opted to concentrate on part of it and fly down
to Queenstown and then make our way back to Christchurch. Ruth and John took us to the airport and all went smoothly. Automatic check in was a dream and in only a couple of hours we found ourselves landing in Queenstown. We weren't hiring a car for a few days so we got a shuttle bus into the town and our accommodation, a motel near the centre of town. The weather was absolutely glorious, clear blue skies and sunshine and just the drive into town was stunning. We knew that there were heaps of things we wanted to do here so we were staying four nights. We headed for the information centre and booked a couple of things were really wanted to do - a flight to Milford Sound, a cruise and fly back and a jet boating adventure on the Shotover River. We were all set for a fantastic few days.
Wednesday, 7th April Today we had the most amazing day. We had a fairly lazy start to the day in preparation for our big adventure to Milford Sound. We were picked up by minibus and taken to the airport for our flight. The weather was perfect, a
bright blue sky without any sign of a cloud. Glen, our pilot, told us that we had a perfect day to go to Milford Sound and how unusual it is as the Sound has 7 metres of rainfall a year. None forecast for today. Hurray! We climbed into his very small plane (a 10 seater Islander made in the I.O.W.) and took off. We flew across the most spectacular scenery ever, soaring mountains topped with ice flows, crystal clear lakes, deep valleys, meandering rivers - it was like being inside a geography book {hanging valleys, truncated spurs,, corrie lakes, oxbows, cut offs etc for the Geographers among you) . We were also right inside 'Lord of the Rings' country and actually flew over the 'Misty Mountains' - how cool was that. We landed at Milford Sound and went to catch our boat to view the Sound. There are quite a few boats that tour the Sound and we were pleased that ours was a small one that could reach places that the bigger boats couldn't. Milford Sound is actually a fiord about 15km long and a long way from the nearest town. The sides are incredibly steep,almost sheer in many
places and the water very clear which gives brilliant reflections of the surrounding mountains. Because the sun was so bright you could see every detail in the surrounding scenery. We cruised down the Sound mid cascading waterfalls - it was incredible. We drew up beside some rocks to watch a family of seals sunbathing. Eventually we reached the Tasman Sea and looked back at the Sound. Because of the shape of the coastline the entrance to the Sound is almost completely concealed and you could see why it was 75 years after Captain Cook first sailed past that it was discovered. When we sailed back the boat sailed right into one of the waterfalls and the water cascaded all over us. After a couple of hours of the most breathtaking scenery we returned to shore and went back to the airport for our return journey. Another amazing flight took us back to Queenstown. What a stunning day we had. Although I hate the expression 'awesome' because most people here seem to apply it to a cup of coffee, the whole experience truly was 'awesome'.
Thursday, 8th April This morning we went Jet Boating on the Shotover River. You can
find jet boats all over New Zealand and they are specially designed to work in as little as 10cm depth of water - just right for the stoney river beds of Oz. We chose to do it here because this particular jet boat company operates in the narrow Shotover River canyons and promises 360 degree spins so lots of thrills to be had. A small coach took us to the location of the ride. It was about 15 minutes out of town. When we got there we were fitted out with long black spray coats and life jackets and we climbed aboard. The boat held 12 people plus driver and was shaped a bit like a wedge of cheese. Off we went weaving and spinning up the canyon at a tremendous pace, spray everywhere. In places the canyon was so narrow and the driver so determined to throw the boat from one sheer rock face to the other that it felt as if we would surely be smashed to pieces. We hung on for dear life as we hurtled along, our faces frozen by the wind as it whipped passed us. The ride lasted about half and hour which, although
not a long time, was plenty long enough with all the whirling and twirling . Great fun and and experience not to be missed. We were taken back to town and settled for a nice quiet lunch after all the excitement. In the afternoon we went for a long walk along by the lake. It was absolutely beautiful with the mountains reflected in the water and the sun shining through the trees. After walking for a couple of hours we reached a little village and caught the bus back into Queenstown. Another brilliant day.
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Friday, 9th April Today was our last in Queenstown so we had to pack a lot in. First we walked to the Gondola and rode up to the top of the mountain. The view from the top was absolutely stunning especially as today was another beautiful sunny day. There is a very attractive centre at the top as there are lots of activities that take place there; walking trails, bungy jumping, absailing and two luge tracks. We had bought tickets for the luge so found the start of the track, put on helmets and prepared to ride. There are two tracks, a scenic track which
you must do first and then a more advanced track if you want. We did both and enjoyed whizzing down the track before jumping on the chair lift to get back to the start. We would have loved to stay up there for longer but unfortunately we didn't have the time. We rode the gondola back down to the the town and went to collect the hire car that we had booked for the next few days. We had arranged horse riding for the afternoon at a place just beyond Glenorchy, right at the other end of Lake Wakatipu. We drove the 44km long the lake side through some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. The mountains were a perfect mirror image in the sparkling water, trees were beginning to change from green to gold, the sky was bright blue, each bend in the road produced another staggeringly beautiful view - it just doesn't get any better than this. We had a quick lunch in Glenorchy and then continued on to the stables which was on the road to Paradise. (Yes, there is a place called Paradise and we've been there.) We were a bit nervous because we
aren't exactly experienced riders but we felt that now we had managed donkeys, camels and elephants, horse riding must surely be within our capabilities. One of the reasons that we wanted to ride was that we would be going through some of the country where Lord of the Rings was filmed. However, we had signed up for a three hour ride which might have been a tad ambitious. The setting for the stables was beautiful, a peaceful valley by a river. If I was a horse I would definitely want to live here. We met our horses, Almo for Terry and Enos for me and clambered on (I would like to say 'leapt' but I'm afraid it wasn't quite as graceful as that). Off we set. After the other things we'd ridden in the last few months it didn't feel too bad. We set off along tracks, through rivers with water that looked as cold and clear as glass, through forests and fields of lupins, surrounded by towering mountains all bathed in bright sunshine. I'm not quite sure if we rode the horses or they went exactly where they wanted at the pace they chose and we just sat on
their backs but either way it was great. There were only four of us with our leader, Lisa. The other two were experienced riders (although only children which was a bit humiliating) so they went galloping off from time to time while we went at a more stately pace and Lisa pointed out some film locations to us. We had a few trots but didn't really manage to co-ordinate our ups and downs so just hung on for grim death. All in all it was a magnificent ride in some stunning scenery. When we returned to the stables we dismounted ,our legs like jelly, and hobbled back to the car. What a fantastic day!
Saturday, 10th April Today we left Queenstown to drive north along the west coast. We were sorry to leave as we had had a fantastic time and would happily have stayed longer. If we had, I'd have been very tempted to abseil off the mountain. We had watched the parachutes swirling down and it looked fantastic, I would have loved to give it a go. Just as well we were leaving! We drove to Wanaka, our stop for the night, via Arrowtown which is an
old goldmining town. We stopped to have a bit of a look round. It was a bit like a cowboy town without cowboys. Wanaka is smaller than Queenstown but offers some of the same thrills and spills, bungy jumping, jet boating etc. We were just staying one night and had opted for a B and B rather than a motel for a change. We had a wander round the little town, had a good Thai meal and had a pleasant night's stay.
Sunday, 11th April After an excellent breakfast which set us up for the day we set off. Our destination was Franz Joseph further up the coast. This stretch of coast is quite wild and deserted. There are only a few small settlements and the odd, isolated farmstead. Breathtaking scenery as usual but harsher than further south and the sun had disappeared. We drove through rainforest, past lakes, over mountains with the road almost to ourselves. We stopped at Fox Glacier and walked to the face of the glacier. You really do get a feeling of the power of the ice but it is difficult to imagine how it has shaped the landscape in such a dramatic way.
At one point the road runs right alongside the beach and we stopped there to look at the sea. It was grey and wild. The beach was strewn with mountains of driftwood and was made up of the most beautiful pebbles and boulders, grey veined with white, pure white and pale greeny grey. Everywhere along the beach people had collected driftwood and built it into some amazing sculptures decorated with pebbles and other found objects. Further up the beach were heaps of flat white and grey stones that people had gathered and recorded their names on. It all quite strange and beautiful in an eerie kind of way. We scratched our names as best we could with a biro and added our stone to one of the piles. On to Franz Joseph, a slightly bigger village than Fox and home to the second of the glaciers on this stretch of coast where we stayed for the night.
Monday, 12th April We had thought that we might take a guided walk on the Franz Joseph glacier today (the only way it is safe to actually get on the ice) but the weather was pretty bad so we decided against it.
We drove out the glacier car park and walked to the glacier face dodging the rain as best we could. It is amazing to see the amount of rock and debris a glacier deposits and how fast it is retreating. Another classic geography book experience1 (terminal moraines, crevasses, kettle lakes, glacial flour - we've seen it all). Franz Joseph village itself doesn't have a tremendous amount to offer by way of excitement, especially in pouring rain, so we spent the rest of the day catching up on this blog, reading etc. Good visit in the evening to a nice warm pub with venison stew cooked in ale on the menu.
Tuesday, 13th April Off again today in pouring rain to Greymouth, our last stop on the coast. It was just a long wet drive really with nothing special to report. The drive would have been better if we could have seen the countryside but low cloud, rain and spray made this difficult. Greymouth is the largest town on this coast and , yes, built at the mouth of the Grey River. We are dropping the car off tomorrow and catching the TranzAlpine train to Christchurch. We were booked in
to a B and B again as it was just for the one night. We weren't too sure about it when we arrived as it was all covered in scaffolding and although we knocked and knocked we couldn't raise anyone. Just as we had decided to run away and were backing down the drive a lady appeared in a car so we were trapped. In fact it all turned out fine, the accommodation was good as was the breakfast. A nice chatty couple who had lived in Greymouth for years told us about life on the west coast and what we don't know now about whitebait fishing isn't worth knowing! It continued to rain most of the day although we did manage a quick scuttle down to the local beach between downpours.
Wednesday, 14th April The train didn't leave until early afternoon so after breakfast we loaded up the car and drove to Shanty Town, a recreation of a mining and logging community, just a few miles away. The rain had just about stopped and there was some watery sunshine. Shanty Town is an open air museum of many buildings from around the district brought together to show what
it was like for the early settlers in this part of New Zealand. First of all we climbed aboard a steam train which took us through the rainforest to a saw mill. We looked at all the machinery and, although it wasn't operating, there were the sounds it would make and lots of photos and information about people who had worked there 100 years ago. Next we walked down a track to a gold claim where we saw a demonstration of how a huge , steam powered water hose was used to loosen the rock, gravel and , hopefully, gold bearing material down to the panning area. Next was the panning area where we had a go at panning for gold. It is very slow, laborious work but we did manage to find just a few grains of gold to take away. Just by the gold claim was 'Rosie's House of Ill Repute' (yes! Rosie O'Hara we know your guilty secret now) and other little shacks of tumbled down buildings. Later we walked back to the little town and visited the church, school, newspaper office, hospital, firestation, saloon and shops. An interesting morning. After this we drove back into Greymouth
to the little station, dropped of the car and boarded the train for Christchurch. We had particularly wanted to do this train journey as it is very scenic and considered to be one of the world's top ten. The train only runs once a day, leaving Christchurch at 8am for Greymouth and returning at 1:45pm to arrive back in Christchurch at 6pm. Journey is very scenic, travelling over the Southern Alps by way of Arthur's Pass and over the Canterbury Plains from coast to coast. The carriages have huge windows so you can see the whole panorama unfold before you. It was a great journey, rugged mountains, lakes, rivers, across high viaducts, through tunnels, over grassy plains until we arrived in Christchurch four and a quarter hours later and bang on time. The only complaint would be the dreadful food, well lack of any food really as we had been looking forward to a nice late lunch on board. I'll never complain about British Rail catering again. We picked up a shuttle bus to our hotel and feasted on takeaway pizza.
Thursday, 15th April What a difference a mountain range makes. The weather today was sunny and warm and
people were wandering about in shorts and t shirts again rather than the woolies and waterproofs of the west coast. We went out to explore Christchurch on foot. It is a very nice little city with wide streets, low rise and some interesting old buildings (well old for NZ) built of granite and looking slightly Scottish. It is an arty kind of place and we spent quite a long time in the Christchurch Art Gallery which shows mainly modern art from NZ artists. We also explored the Arts Centre which looks very much like an Oxford College with gothic buildings and grassy quadrangles but houses arts and craftsmen selling their work as well as a couple of small theatres. We also has a pleasant walk in the botanical gardens which has a river running through complete with punts operated by oarsmen dressing in Edwardian clothing.
Friday, 16th April After a night of heavy rain it was sunny and bright again today. We spent the morning, washing, blogging etc and didn't get out until nearly lunchtime. We had a ride on the free bus around the city and then stopped for a very nice lunch in the centre of town.
We spent the afternoon in the museum. It was very interesting and very well set out. There was an excellent display on expeditions to the Antarctic. When you look at the clothes Scott and his team had to protect them from the extreme cold it's a miracle they got as far as they did. There were all kinds of other sections, perhaps a bit disconnected but all worth looking at. Our last day in New Zealand as we are off to America tomorrow. We've had a great time and some memorable experiences along the way. The scenery, especially in the South Island, has been amazing, the most beautiful I have ever seen. The people have been great and it was super to spend some time with Ruth and John. There is still lots we didn't manage to fit in so hopefully we'll be back some day to fill in the gaps. However, on we go - look out America, Hollywood here we come!
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Sue Cock
non-member comment
Reply to Terry and Frances in NZ
Hi to you both, Your blog on NZ brought back many memories of my time living there. We sailed all around the Bay of Islands and spent many happy times in Russell. I loved that part of NZ and do sometimes still miss the sailing. You sound as if you are having such a fantastic time. I will look forward to seeing you and catching up when you return. I am now looking at planning my trip back to Oz and also to South Island NZ later this year and hope to go for a few months. Enjoy the rest of your trip. Keep in touch. Love Sue xxx