Tues 23 Feb - A Trip to the Blue Mountains

Emma had been keen for us to see beyond the western suburbs of Sydney so this morning we set off early to drive to the Blue Mountains. We were surprised at the severity of the congestion on the way out through Sydney but arrived at the edge of the mountains by late morning. After a stop for coffee and to check out the Visitor Centre we drove on to Wentworth Falls for our first view of the Blue Mountain scenery which was quite stunning. The main road had imperceptibly climbed on to a ridge with steep sided cliffs dropping down to a densely forested area below. Take away the vegetation and it could be reminiscent of a mini Grand Canyon. There were several viewing points along the road so we moved from one to another, enjoying a picnic lunch at one of the designated areas. Following a prolonged stop at Echo Point overlooking The Three Sisters rock outcrop we headed back to Sydney to meet up with Charlie for our final night out together. Before leaving for the meal at The Jellyfish restaurant in Manly, Emma and I had a last (for me) swim in Freshwater Bay behind the apartment. As usual the surf was pretty fierce!
Charlie had once again excelled with his choice of car for the evening – a bright red Mini cabriolet –, which though lacking the power of the previous evenings Beemer, was great fun to be driven in. The Jellyfish was a restaurant that Charlie had previously managed, so we were well looked after and enjoyed a really fabulous final meal.

Mon 22 Feb - Sightseeing in Sydney

With Charlie now back at work and leaving the flat at 7.30 am it was Emma who was to be our guide for the next 3 days. Our first stop was the Museum of Australia where we spent a very informative couple of hours learning about the history and beliefs of the indigenous aborigines and the effects of European colonisation. Additionally we viewed an exhibition of wildlife photography that was on display. Next it was off to the QVB, or Queen Victoria Building in downtown Sydney for a planned ‘afternoon tea’ with Shirley, Dave, and his son Jason. The location was set up in a similar manner to the Pump Room at Bath with white tablecloths and waiting staff, dainty teacups and sandwich/cake stands. However the prices were eyewatering – 37 dollars (about 25 pounds sterling) for tea and cakes per person! Needless to say, after some discussion with the management some of us were allowed to share the sandwiches and cakes! For a country that prides itself in its informal and laid back attitude this place came as a bit of a shock.
After bidding farewell to Shirley, Dave and Jason we returned to Manly where Mike had a quick dip in the irresistible sea before we four headed downtown again for our special meal at the Café Sydney. Charlie had acquired a very sporty BMW cabriolet for the evening so we were able to pose in style whilst Charlie demonstrated the searing acceleration of this little hot rod! Our evening at Café Sydney was unforgettable as we sat outside on the terrace overlooking Circular Quay with the Harbour Bridge on our left and Sydney Opera House on our right, eating incredible food and drinking gorgeous wines. What a climax to our stay!

Sun 21 Feb - Back to Sydney

Sadly this was to be our last morning in Manyana. Charlie had left early to return to Sydney for work and taken Shirley and Dave with him, so the rest of us went for a dip in the sea before breakfast and then started packing up. By 1.00 pm we bade a fond farewell to Manyana, Pete, Lynda and the kids having left about an hour previously. Our first stop was at Berry in order to re-visit the quilt shop passed on the way down. By this time the temperature had climbed into the mid 30s and we were relying on the AC in Emma’s car to provide us with some relief. From Berry we drove inland and up into the mountains behind the coastal plain. Our first destination was a small town named Kangaroo Valley where Emma and Charlie had previously spent a weekend horse riding amongst other things. I was slightly disappointed in that the name on the map conjured up pictures of pasture being grazed by an abundance of ‘roos. In fact there wasn’t a ‘roo in sight and the only ones we saw during our entire visit were those at Manyana. Our route back to Sydney took us through the beautiful countryside of the ‘Southern Highlands’, an area favoured by the more well to do early settlers!
We arrived back at Manly at 6.30 and enjoyed the remainder of the Whiting caught at Manyana. It should be mentioned here that Charlie not only knows how to catch fish but also how to prepare and cook them in an unforgettable manner.

Sat 20 Feb - Manyana Day 6

The sea at Manyana had by this stage calmed down so we all had an early morning dip before breakfast. After much deliberation it was decided that we should take the children over to Conjola where they would enjoy the calm shallow water whilst the men – Dave, Charlie and Pete fished around the corner at ‘Shark Hole’. We returned for an early roast meal followed by party games (“Guess who I am” and Charades), led by Emma, needless to say! There was a light interlude when Pete went outside to fetch something from the car and returned to find a snake on the deck near the entrance door. Needless to say Christine disappeared very quickly! This was the first snake that Emma had seen during 6 years in Oz – what a coincidence that she should be in Christine’s presence when it happened!

Fri 19 Feb - Manyana Day 5

It had been planned that Charlie’s mother and partner Dave would come and stay for the weekend so Charlie left early to pick them up from Sydney airport. Emma, Christine and I spent the morning in the sun at Washerwoman’s Beach where Shirley and Dave met us for the first time, on their arrival. After a late lunch we all headed back to the fishing beach where more ‘Yellow Fin Whiting’ were caught. Just as we were leaving the beach our other weekend visitors namely brother Pete and wife Lynda plus children Grace and Kirk, arrived. We were now a complete eleven in the house as the previous night Dave’s son and Charlie’s friend, Dan had made the trek down from Sydney in his van. Christine’s day was complete when dolphins were spotted from the deck outside our bedroom, playing in the bay.

Thur 18 Feb - Manyana Day 4

With Emma and Charlie off shopping in Nowra Christine and I headed south to Ulladulla, a small town with a harbour about 20 miles south of Manyana. As we stumbled across a Quilt Shop, naturally a visit had to be made; however it did not meet expectations! Nevertheless whilst in the shop Christine was asked if she wanted her blood pressure checking – so what was that all about?! These quilters obviously live high pressure lives. We were enjoying a fish and chip lunch by the harbour when Emma and Charlie arrived and we drove in convoy to Warden Head, a good spot for Whale watching. As the Whales only pass by during the Spring and Autumn migration we did not and had not expected to see any. Back at Manyana preparations were in hand for another session of early evening fishing, this time with Mike taking control of a second rod that Charlie had purchased. Surprise, surprise, fish were caught on both lines, those by Mike being a life first! How much better fish taste when they from your own line!

Wed 17 Feb - Manyana Day 3

The morning was spent again on Bendalong beach where the surf was good, and the sun very hot. Whilst Christine made friends with a ‘blue heeler’ owned by one of the surfers, Emma was busy working away on her laptop. In the late afternoon we drove around to the nearer beach at Lake Conjola and bathed in the fast current whilst Charlie cast his line just around the corner at Green Island in a place worryingly called ‘Shark Hole’. That evening we ate Tailor fish fresh from the ocean!

Tues 16 Feb - Manyana Day 2

With the surf still a little fierce at ‘our’ beach we drove round to nearby Bendalong beach which was more sheltered but had a good surf break off the rocks to one side. The latter provided the necessary conditions for expert Charlie whilst Emma and I, as novices, practised our board kneeling skills!
That evening we decided to have a barbecue down on Washerwoman’s Beach so made use of the free public gas barbecue to cook our kanga bangers and ‘roo steaks!

Mon 15 Feb - Manyana Day 1

The house that Emma had rented was one that she and Charlie had stayed in before with friends. Its location was absolutely stunning, sitting on a low cliff above a sweeping golden beach backed by dunes. The view from our bedroom was of a vast expanse of sea with surf perpetually pounding the shoreline, which provided the soundtrack to our little idyll.
As the sea was really too heavy for swimming, and wishing to explore the locality a little, we drove round to Lake Conjola which is actually the mouth of a river that has silted up with sand. This has left a large saltwater lake behind a sand bar that for the most part was extremely shallow. We were able to wallow in the gentle downstream current keeping ourselves cool in the scorching heat. On the way there was great excitement when a bird with a funny head shape was spotted beside the road and we had to stop for photos – it turned out to be a Kookaburra!
Later in the afternoon we took a look at Green Island, a place that we would return to for the fishing a number of times during the week. The need to investigate the best spots for surfing and fishing was an integral part of our first days in Manyana.

Sun 14 Feb - The Drive to Manyana

Sunday morning on Manly Beach is a hive of activity from an early hour. There were surf club competitions taking place that involved swimming out to a set of markers and back. There were mature (silver) surfers marching up and down practising for their competitions. There were joggers, walkers, supporters and food stalls which all contributed to a carnival atmosphere.
By midday we were packed up and set off for the drive to Manyana where Emma had rented a beachside house for us all to stay in the following week. Manyana was located some 250 kilometres (180 miles) south of Sydney and the drive down the coastal road would have been stunning if it hadn’t started to rain. We stopped for a late lunch at a town called Berry coincidentally opposite a quilt shop – once again the secret society was at work! As closing time was approaching and we had a few miles still to go, a note was made to call in on the way back to Sydney.
We arrived at Manyana to be welcomed by a family of kangaroos grazing by the side of the road – the first we had seen, what excitement!

Sat 13 Feb - The Northern Beaches

After a customary swim and late breakfast and with the weather overcast, we decided to drive up the coast to see the beaches north of Sydney. We started at Freshwater and then visited Curl Curl, Dee Why, Collaroy, Bungan, Newport and Bilgola Beaches, finishing up at Palm Beach, which apparently is the backcloth for the Australian soap ‘Home and Away’. All had fabulous golden sand and looked equally inviting. On the way we stopped in Avalon where Emma and Charlie had previously lived and visited a ‘vintage’ clothing shop (i.e. secondhand) where the girls spent a lot of time looking at stuff but Mike and Charlie were the only ones to make purchases! We also all bought Valentine’s Day cards.
On the return drive we stopped off in Careel Bay for a fish and chip lunch and enjoyed the view of the Pittwater Estuary over a beer at the Newport Tavern.
In the evening we chilled, in preparation for our journey south the following day.

Fri 12 Feb - Sightseeing in Sydney

After another early swim followed by breakfast we walked to the ferry terminal at Manly Wharf and caught the ferry into central Sydney. The ferry trip lasted about half an hour and gave us unrivalled views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. After a quick look around the exterior of the Opera House we went for some relief from the heat in the harbourside café/bar. By now the temperature we reckoned to be in the mid thirties and the humidity was high! We continued our sightseeing expedition by taking another ferry to Darling Quay. Here we split up, Christine and Charlie visiting the Sydney Aquarium whilst Emma and Mike went to the Maritime Museum. The air conditioning in both buildings provided a welcome respite. Another beer later and we were on the ferry back to Circular Quay followed by the ferry to Manly. We had to return in good time as Emma had arranged a barbecue for the evening, having invited a number of friends round to meet step-mum and dad. As always Emma’s schedules are always full to bursting point! Unfortunately it has to be reported that the weather then turned very British-like and we had to have the bbq inside, with the grille set up on the balcony, due to a heavy rainstorm. It absolutely pelted down.

Thur 11 Feb - First Day in OZ

On a headland, sandwiched between Manly Beach and Freshwater Bay. Emma and Charlie have chosen a fantastic location for their apartment. As we sat on the balcony enjoying an early morning cup of tea we witnessed bronzed bodies making off to the beach with surf boards, returning some time later to change into work clothes and head off to the city in their BMWs. Such is life in Manly!
After a pre-breakfast swim (for Mike) we drove over to the other end of Manly Beach and had breakfast in what Emm described as the iconic Aussie beach café, overlooking the aquatic reserve at Shelley Beach. As we sat enjoying our muesli and toast scuba divers and snorkel swimmers passed us on their way to the water. After breakfast we joined them and saw for ourselves the amazing diversity of fish in this bay. By now the temperature had notched up a few more degrees into the high 20’s and the water provided welcome refreshment. Next Emma and Charlie drove us for a view of Sydney Harbour from North Head before returning to their apartment for a late lunch. Our next excursion resulted from one of Emma’s ‘off the wall’ ideas. She had rung up one of the yacht clubs located in one of the many harbour inlets and discovered that on Thursday evenings they had a race in which guests could participate – the idea was to get as many people along to taste the experience of sailing in the hope that they would catch the bug and join the club. As ‘out of towners’ we were not sure how welcome we would be and approached the exercise with some trepidation (another of Emm’s scatty ideas), but in the event it all worked out extremely well. The yachtees were only too pleased to have us as crew and although we were each on different boats we all had a great time. And we got to see Sydney Harbour from a unique viewpoint to boot! Well done Emma!

Wed 10 Feb - From NZ to OZ

With a scheduled early afternoon flight from New Plymouth we left R & J’s at 11.00 am and stopped for our customary flat white at a café en route recommended by resident coffee connoisseur, Rich. We then did a quick tour of the front at New Plymouth before having a picnic in one of the many parks whilst dodging some heavy rain showers. At 2.15 we took off from New Plymouth and flew the short hop to Auckland and then at 5.30 bade a (temporary) farewell to the land of corrugated iron roofs.
We arrived in Sydney at 7.00 pm local time and after a scare with our luggage arriving late we entered a deserted Arrivals Hall. We’d never experienced such a quiet airport - even daughter Emma and partner Charlie, who we were going to be staying with for our two weeks in Sydney, were absent! After a slightly worrying wait Emma arrived and we were given a quick tour of the city, getting our first sight of the Opera House and crossing Sydney Harbour Bridge on our way to their apartment in Queenscliff, just north of Manly.

Tues 9 Feb - Chilling in Opunake

It was nice to be back at Rich and Jackie’s, enjoying the sunshine and the company of R and J plus nephew Tony, wife Andrea and (for the first time) great niece Charlie. She is a little sweetie who never stops talking and asking questions! The afternoon was spent with Charlie on the beach. All in all a quiet day preparing for our imminent departure to Oz!

Mon 8 Feb - Completing the Circle.

This was to be our last day on the road and we had some 250 miles to complete along a fairly twisty route so we packed up and set off in good time. Initially we headed back to Taupo (via a different route) and drove down the east side of Lake Taupo to the Mount Rupareh area. Initially there was some low cloud that obscured the view of the volcanic mountain but as we drove further south and west the weather improved. Our route back to Opunake for another couple of nights with Rich and Jackie followed the ‘Forgotten Highway’ – an old pioneer route linking New Plymouth with the central area of the North Island. This was very scenic, climbing over three major passes and through real ‘wilderness’ territory. There were information boards every few miles, describing some aspect of the journey whether it be the making of the road or a description of local mining operations, or the development of local communities, all of which added to the interest. After a day of driving with many stops – including one at a small town called Whangamomona, which declares itself a republic one day every year, issuing passports to those who wish to enter – we broke through into the sunshine of the west coast and Opunake where our little excursion had started some 20 days and 4,400 kms previously.

Sun 7 Feb - Rotorua the Place with the Bad Smell!

The next morning we packed up and drove the only 50 odd miles from Taupo, north to Rotorua. En route we passed New Zealand’s premier motor racing circuit where Mike could have spent a happy day watching the meeting that was just getting underway, however our schedule and Christine dictated otherwise! Rotorua welcomed us with the smell of bad eggs that wafted across the whole area and made the wearing of any deodorant, perfume or after shave completely superfluous. After depositing belongings in our ‘Top 10’ cabin we went on to explore the hot springs, geysers and mud pools that the area is famous for. At the Te Puia Maori site just outside of town we considered we were ripped off, paying the equivalent of £20 each to go and see a poor replica of the Yellowstone Park offering. What was most annoying was that later that evening we discovered springs by the lakeside equal to those we had paid for available for free!

Sat 6 Feb - Lake Taupo

We awoke once more to clear blue skies and temperatures climbing into the low 20’s so set about some local sightseeing. Our first port of call was the Hukka Falls, which is not so much a high waterfall, but a narrow channel filled with a storming torrent of water. It is quite a sight to behold and can be viewed from a footbridge above or from several viewing points along the chasm. Further downstream we watched another flood of water as the gates were opened on a hydroelectric plant. An empty river course became another raging torrent within a matter of minutes. After watching all this water and with temperatures climbing into the mid 20s we decided it was time for a bit of immersion so spent the afternoon swimming in Lake Taupo. We completed our day of ‘chilling out’ by returning to our ‘holiday resort’ and poaching ourselves lightly in the hot pool.

Fri 5 Feb - From Art Deco to Lakeside Resort

We found Napier to be a very charming and interesting town. Apart from the art deco buildings in the centre, the style had rubbed off on many of the shops and houses in the suburbs. The shopping centre was a buzz of activity and as in all NZ towns the coffee bar culture rampant. We spent a couple of hours having a good look round visiting the cathedral that had been devastated by the earthquake in 1931. They celebrated the anniversary of the ‘quake two days before our arrival – fortunately Christine’s presence so close to this historic date did not lead to a re-occurrence.
After a drive to the oldest vineyard in the area just outside of town we decided that we were just not dressed for lunch and continued on our way towards Lake Taupo stopping at a roadside café instead. The road to the lake wound upward through a tree covered landscape and out onto a fairly barren plateau. The roads, after the twisting upward climb became long and straight to the horizon.
Our ‘Top 10’ site at Taupo was one of the best, the cherry on the cake being an outdoor pool that catered for Christine’s love of warm water. It was geothermally heated to a temperature of 38 degrees C!

Thur 4 Feb - Wellington to Napier

We left Wellington reluctantly as we had so liked the city but needed to push on up the eastern side of the North Island to Napier. En route we stopped off at Martinhouse, a small town famous for its boutique vineyards but which did not particularly impress us, although in retrospect we were perhaps expecting too much. Then we drove on through Masterton, Dannevirke and Waipukurau to Hastings and Napier. Of these, Masterton was much larger than expected, Dannevirke made much of its Viking origins (Danes were encouraged to settle here), and at Waipukurau friendly and helpful mechanics at a garage came to our rescue when the battery on our MPV died. We reached Napier late afternoon and after an abortive attempt to find a cabin in a holiday park, settled for a very nice motel on the seafront. This proved to be excellent value for money, not only having the usual en-suite facilities, but a fully equipped kitchen, flat screen tv, DVD player, music system, extra king size double bed and a Jacuzzi! It was like having a small swimming pool in your bedroom, and all this for just £70 a night! We slept well that night.

Wed 3 Feb - Return to the North Island

After a fitful sleep – broken regularly by the noise of passing HGVs on their way into the dockyard – we got up to check-in for the ferry at 5.30 am. The ferry crossing, which started in the dark, was smooth but with overcast skies until we entered Wellington harbour when the sun came out to welcome us. We really are impressed with Wellington! We had decided on a day of sightseeing in, so after sorting a hotel headed for the Te Papa museum which is housed in a fantastic modern building on the waterfront next to trendy new restaurants and bars in converted warehouses. A couple of hours was spent absorbing Maori culture, the history of New Zealand and its peoples and the mechanics of earthquakes and volcanoes. Much more time was needed to do it full justice but eventually we got to the stage of being ‘museumed out’ so went back outside into the sunshine. Now to complete Lou’s second recommendation - to ascend the hill behind the city in the cable car. This we dutifully did and were rewarded with stunning views. The walk back down through the botanical gardens was equally inspiring to the one who likes this sort of thing whilst a nod of appreciation at the appropriate time from the other seemed to work well.
Before our evening meal we drove out for a tour around the lakeshore that had been visible from the Interislander ferry and found some picturesque bays, then drove up to the lookout at Mount Victoria for another view of the city. Finally the (very long) day was rounded off with a curry in a downtown restaurant serenaded by a band of South American buskers in the street outside. Needless to say, Christine had to go and thank them individually.

Tues 2 Feb - Back to Picton

After reluctantly leaving Akarua we drove over the peninsular and down to Lyttleton, a prettily located port, but quite industrial. It was then through a tunnel and on to Christchurch where we had a quick drive around the central area and through Hagley Park. We were not terribly impressed, just a large American-like chequer board downtown area with a pleasant central square and large park, but very flat – quite different to Wellington.
As we left the suburbs we drove through gently undulating and softly scenic countryside including the Waipara Valley, famous for its vineyards and eventually re-joined the coast but the day had started, and remained, overcast, so the sea looked less appealing. The only major town we passed through was Kaikoura where we should have stopped in order to do some whale watching but still had a few miles to go so pressed on to Blenheim, arriving late afternoon.
This little town which is the centre of the largest wine growing area in New Zealand (home to Montana, amongst others) looked promising, and we would have stayed the night here but as we could only get a booking on a very early morning ferry we continued on to Picton. Here we found a cabin in a small holiday park about 200 yards from the entrance to the ferry terminal and after a meal in the town settled down for our 5.00 am start the next morning.
It is worthy of note that today we actually passed a quilt shop and did not stop! No, Christine was not asleep.

Mon 1 Feb - The Banks Peninsular, what a little Gem

Our route from Twizel took us north-east to Lake Tekapo – a very pleasant looking holiday resort – and on through Fairlie and Geraldine to the Highway 1 in the direction of Christchurch. At Ashburton we had a short stop as the quilting fraternity exchanged secret packages and passwords again. We were glad to leave the main highway that was busy with trucks and ran across nondescript countryside – a far cry from anything we had so far experienced. What we had not expected was the sheer beauty of the Banks peninsular as we drove on to Akarua. This is a small town on a magnificent inlet founded by the French, which would have been the location for French colonisation if the brits had not signed a deal with the Maori first! All the streets have French names and little Bilbo Baggins is recommending it in her good food guide!

Sun 31 Jan - From Queenstown to Twizel

Said goodbye to Queenstown having decided we would have to do Milford Sound on our next visit to NZ. First stop was at the original A J Hackett bungy jumping site at Kawarau where we watched a few reluctant heroes make the drop! They included a father and son who we got to know via Christine talking to the wife/mother. It turned out that he (Scott Laycock) was a professional golfer over from Australia playing in the NZ Open that was being held nearby. His son, Joel at 10 was one of the youngest to go.The conditions were ideal so there was a temptation but I decided to do it the next time we are over. I’ve got plenty of time as the oldest jumper so far was 94!
From here we headed to Cromwell and on up over the high central plains to Omarama (famous for gliding apparently) and Twizel. Here we had a glimpse of Mount Cook in the far distance which persuaded us to stop in Twizel for the night and visit the base of the mountain in the late afternoon. This was a 70 mile round trip but well worth the detour with fantastic views of the mountain and two glaciers.

Sat 30 Jan - Queenstown, Actionville NZ

Now what was Mike going to do? On offer was kayaking, jet boating, white water rafting, river surfing, paragliding, ballooning, hang gliding, skydiving, bungy jumping, mountain biking, off road quadbiking and motor biking and you could even hire a Segway to make yourself look a complete twit as you ‘rode’ around town! In the end it was a toss up between doing a bungy jump in the Karawau river gorge (the site where bungy jumping originated) or sailing an America’s Cup contender boat on Lake Wakatipu. Well Christine was never keen on me doing the former and having a chance to crew on a racing boat appealed (and would last longer than the couple of seconds of sheer terror) so I opted for the latter. It was great fun and taught me how the ‘grinders’ work on this type of boat. Due to the size of mainsail in use it took eight of us working the winch system flat out to raise the sail at which point is was determined there was too much wind so it was promptly lowered and we sailed back and forth across the lake at 9 plus knots on the foresail. (Don’t worry, this will only make sense to the sailors amongst you)!
Prior to this we ascended to Bob’s Lookout – a viewing platform/restaurant/ shop complex 400 metres above Queenstown - in the Skyline Gondola. This is a small 4 person cable car from which superb views of Queenstown and the surrounding mountain ranges were gained. Needless to say this amounted to the most daredevil activity that Christine would participate in! There was a small ski type lift that took you up a further 100 or so metres but this was a step too far for our intrepid quilter!

Fri 29 Jan - On to Queenstown

This quilting business is like a secret society, you go to one shop and they tell you about another, and they put you on to yet another and so on – they obviously work in cells so that no-one has the overall picture! Anyway, needless to say en route to Queenstown we managed to find another Quilt Shop way in the outback up a dirt and road. After much admiring of quilts and materials and discussion about things that mere men have no knowledge we exited with the customary brown bag and password for the next shop!
When we arrived in Queenstown via the steep and twisting Cardrona Pass we were immediately impressed with its location. It is at the head of Lake Wakatipu, nestled below and climbing up the sides of a two hills and with views across to the range of mountains known as ‘The Remarkables’ – idyllic. The town itself is very lively, full of young people and with much going on at all times. The waterfront has a promenade made for people watching and is backed by restaurants, bars and coffee shops with buskers adding atmosphere. Half of the ‘shops’ in town appeared to be booking offices for one adventure experience or another and the others were either souvenir shops, camping/trekking/watersports clothing outlets or purveyors of art and craft galleries/shops. We ended up staying in Queenstown rather than the slightly more upmarket Arrowtown nearby because with the New Zealand Open golf tournament in full ‘swing’ close by, accommodation was scarce.

Thur 28 Jan - The Rob Roy Glacier

Today was the day for some strenuous exercise we decided, so after moving our belongings to a cabin at a different motor camp, we headed up the dirt track road to Mount Aspiring. Again it was a gorgeous day, sunny and hot with temps in the mid 20s. The views on the way were inspiring (quite appropriate, really) and as we parked at the start of the scenic footpaths we felt very positive about the walk ahead. Initially we had a gentle walk by the side of a river before crossing a ‘swing bridge’ as the Kiwis call them. Actually it was one of those narrow cable bridges suspended from either end and the word ‘swing’ describes the motion of the bridge as you walk across. Needless to say Christine was not a happy bunny! However this was only the start, the hike (or tramp as they call in these here parts) which was rated as easy/moderate in the guide books turned out to be strenuous/diabolical in the Carr grading system so we didn’t actually make it to the top but took some great pictures of the glacier on the way up nonetheless. We were put off making the final push when we came across a sign saying it was only another 30 mins and we had by then been climbing for nearly two hours. Once we got back to Wanaka it was a quick cooling dip in the lake for Mike whilst Christine bought supplies for a barbecue. Whilst cooking and eating the meal at the site we met up with two sets of people from the USA and one from France – such is the mix of visitors to NZ!

Wed 27 Jan - The Haast Pass to Wanuka

We continued our journey down the west coast of the South Island accompanied by the mountains of the Southern Alps on our left and the coast at irregular intervals on our right. One such meeting with the coast occurred at Bruce Bay where we stopped to take photos of beach sculpture that people had left at the top of the beach. The sculpture was made from stones and wood piled up to make interesting shapes and covered the length of what must have been nearly a mile. Quite incredible! At Haast Junction – two houses, a café/bar and a DOC Visitor Centre – we turned inland and up over the Haas Pass, the road through which had only been completed in the ‘60s. The views up the pass and out on to Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea were truly astounding and again there were many stops for photo ops.
We stayed the night at the town of Wanaka, on the edge of the lake and surrounded by snow-capped peaks. If it hadn’t have been for the rather grotty accommodation here it would have been ideal!

Tues 26 Jan - The Glaciers

For some unknown reason we had thought that the only way to the glaciers was by official vehicle, so the previous afternoon had booked a tour to the Franz Josef Glacier. When we got on the minibus, which was full of backpackers, we found it drove us up to the car park that we could just as easily driven to in our MPV and deposited us to walk the remaining couple of miles to the glacier terminus! Nevermind, you live and learn! So we walked up to the base of the glacier that was a fantastic experience and needless to say took many pictures.
After lunch back in the village and a long session in the Department of Conservation visitor centre we headed over to the other glacier in the area, the Fox Glacier. This was on a much smaller scale, both in terms of the village and viewpoints for the glacier, so having become all glaciered out we headed for Lake Matheson which was alleged to have some great viewing points of the glacier from a distance. After some more walking we got the required pics and returned to a very impressive new café/restaurant and craft shop at the car park. It should be mentioned here that paying for parking is a very unusual event in New Zealand. Apart from on–street parking in Wellington we have never had to pay for parking anywhere and there haven’t been any of those pesky cameras around!
Christine asks me to include a piece of culinary detail for those of you into this sort of thing: her Caesar Salad at a restaurant/bar in Franz Josef that evening included two poached eggs sitting on top. Needless to say the restaurant management was made aware of this peculiarity!

Mon 25 Jan - The West Coast

After another early morning swim, this time in the raging surf of the west coast rather than the millpond of Golden Bay, we headed south for our drive down to Franz Josef Glacier. What a drive this turned out to be with the road alongside the beach for mile after mile. It reminded us very much of the drive alongside the Pacific on Route 1 from San Francisco to LA and was every much as picturesque. We were in danger of disrupting our schedule as we kept stopping for photos! Of the towns on the west coast Greymouth and Hotitika were the only ones worth a mention, all the others were much smaller than the map appeared to indicate and in England would have hardly registered as villages! Greymouth is the regional centre and was reasonably interesting whilst Hotitika was a charming little town famous for the Greenstone, or Jade, found in the surrounding area. We stopped here for a late lunch and to buy a Greenstone pendant for a fellow bellringer in Colerne who had specifically requested such a purchase.
Here it should be noted that the lunch was late due to our stopping off at a Quilt shop en route. Christine had been dozing and awoke to see a sign for a quilt shop flash by which I had completely missed. Needless to say we turned around and spent the next 45 minutes talking quilts and retrievers (yes, she had one of those too) whilst the non-quilter’s stomach was rumbling! However she did point us in the direction of a good place for lunch in Hotitika so the visit wasn’t totally without its plus points. Another plus for Hotitika was the existence of a wonderful old picture house which was featuring “ Morris, my life with Bells On”, a film which Christine has raved about to everyone but no cinema in the UK seemed to be showing it!
From Hotitika we pushed on to Franz Josef Glacier where we stayed in a cabin in another excellent ‘Top Ten’ holiday park.

Sun 24 Jan - Across the Great Divide to the West Coast

After an early morning swim we packed up and were on the road by 9.30 am! It was clear and sunny so the drive up and over Takaka Hill was stunning. What a Sunday morning drive this would have been in the Porsche! New Zealand must have some of the best driving roads in the world. Despite being single carriageway the roads are generally straight with flowing bends. What appear to be towns marked on the map are no more than one or two houses so progress is good so one is able to maintain an average speed close to the legal limit of 60 mph. The distinct lack of traffic, even in the height of the holiday season also helps! From Motueka we took a back road across to Murchison and then on down through the Buller Gorge to Westport. Again, there was fantastic scenery most of the way. It has to be said that Westport was a disappointment, an old coal mining town, it was still heavily industrialised and on a Sunday afternoon the Main Street was like a ghost town! We stayed in a cabin at the ‘Top Ten’ holiday park at nearby Carter’s Beach which was marginally better. This time our evening excursion was to visit a Seal colony a little way down the coast which kept the naturalists amongst us happy. Why is it you can always smell a seal colony long before you see it?

Sat 23 Jan - Sun and Sand on Golden Bay

We bade farewell to Collingwood and drove back south to Takaka, a place that had intrigued us on our drive up two days previously. Indeed there appeared to be a significant number of people (old and young) sporting dreadlocks and ponytails and dressed, shall we say, unconventionally. After coffee at the Wholemeal Café and a stroll through the Saturday market – another similarity to Totnes being the ‘White Elephant’ stalls – we headed to Pohara Beach and checked in at the ‘Top Ten’ Holiday Park. This was located right behind the beach so we were able to walk from our cabin about 40 metres to reach the beach where we spent the afternoon. Despite lacking the excuse of having no swimming costume Christine was still unable to summon the courage for a dip! After enough hours in the sun we decided to explore the road into the Abel Tasman National Park and discovered some truly astounding golden sand beaches. As a lot of New Zealand is formed from volcanic rock many of the beaches have dark sand – particularly on the North Island – so the colour of the Abel Tasman beaches was particularly conspicuous. After our 15 mile drive on dirt tracks we were ready for our first home cooked meal followed by a planned coffee at one of the café/restaurants nearby. To our surprise we discovered that Kiwis retire to bed early, not one of the places was open at 10.00 pm. Another similarity with the USA!

Fri 22 Jan - Farewell Spit

After the obligatory ‘flat white’ (coffee) we headed out to do some exploring in the area. First it was to the Aurore gold fields which had brought Collingwood its shortlived fame in the first place. Then on up the coast to Port Puponga (originally famous for coal mining) and over to the west coast and Wharaiki Beach. This is a truly magical place, sand dunes and cliffs, with rolling surf, lashed by a strong onshore breeze. It is easy to understand why the guide books describe it as one of the most beautiful beaches in New Zealand. Then back to Port Puponga and out onto Farwell Spit which is the thin hook like spit of sand which reaches out 15 miles from the northern tip of the South Island. Most of the Spit is a nature reserve so you are only allowed to venture onto the first mile or so. After a day of glorious weather it started to rain on our way back to Collingwood however our spirits were not dampened as it was on this run that we got a call from Air New Zealand to say that they had found Christine’s bag and would deliver it to us at our motel that evening. In celebration we went for a meal at the local ‘tavern’ where we met two German backpackers. Christine was able to give some motherly advice to one of them who thought that the best way to cure a bout of gippy tummy was to have a large portion of chips!
At 10.00 pm Christine’s bag was duly delivered and there was exceeding rejoicing!

Thur 21 Jan - First Encounter of the South Island

Up early – 6.00 am to catch the Interislander ferry for Picton. The crossing was smooth but it was overcast and there were intermittent spots of rain. As we sailed down the Queen Charlotte Sound and into Picton the heavens opened, but it didn’t stop us appreciating the beautiful scenery as the boat wound it way down inlets that almost seemed too narrow! From the boat we immediately turned onto Queen Charlotte Drive, a narrow winding road that gave us some fabulous sights as we left Picton and headed for Nelson. The scenery on route was just staggering and needless to say there were many stops for photo ops! Unfortunately this part of the trip for was blighted for Christine by the news that Air New Zealand had still not located her luggage.
As a result we spent some time in Nelson shopping for essentials, Christine coming away with just a pair of sandals - she is a hopeless shopper, if only it had been my bag that had gone missing!
We headed on further north and up over the ‘Marble Mountain’ and down into the township of Takaka, which lived up to its reputation as the home of the alternative lifestyle judging by the art and craft shops and advertisements for herbal remedies lining the road. This must be New Zealand’s answer to Totnes! Another half hours drive and we reached our destination of Collingwood on the Golden Bay. It was exactly as Google’s ‘Street View’ had shown and we found our accommodation in the old Police House without problem.

Wed 20 Jan - The Road to Wellington

On the road by 10.30, having confirmed that Christine’s bag was still lost in the airline baggage system somewhere. The road south was initially fairly flat and uninteresting but eventually we became aware of some mountains to the south and west of us – was this the South Island we could see? As we approached closer it was obvious that these highlands were a ridge running north to south on the North Island that would skirt. As we drove further south the road was squeezed between the mountains and the sea until we headed up over the hills and down into Wellington. What an approach! We were immediately stunned by the gorgeous setting of this city with the water and surrounding scenery of the Bay on one side and the houses spreading away up the sides of the hill above and around the city. What a fabulous sight!
After sorting our accommodation we strolled out onto the downtown waterfront and enjoyed a good fish meal in a restaurant overlooking the bay and city waterfront. We decided we must spend more time in the city on our return from the South Island!

Tues 19 Jan - Opunake

Still no news on the missing luggage front – KLM has gone way down on Christine’s list of favourite airlines, even below Delta!
Sampled the delights of a ‘flat white’ (coffee that is) at the Juicy Lucy café in town and drove out to the lighthouse at Cape Egmont – New Zealand’s most westerly point, and then back to Opunake for a swim and ice cream. Weather still hot and sunny.

Mon 18 Jan - Opunake and New Plymouth

Christine is still existing in the clothes she arrived in and the volcano hasn't erupted yet!
Today started with an early morning walk as we had not slept well. The cliff top is only a 10 minute stroll from R & J’s place so we completed part of the coast path walk from ‘Lion’s Lookout’ back to Opunake beach. It was somewhat disappointing to discover that the ‘Lion’ refers to the group who erected the wooden lookout rather than to any animal or geographical association. After breakfast we had a walk down to the town library where there is free wifi access and the ability to download my blog! After lunch on the deck at R & J's – the weather was fine and sunny with temps in the low 20’s (centigrade) – we headed off to a local beach for some fun with the surf boards. It was then on to New Plymouth to do some clothes shopping for Christine – not very successfully – and on for an early evening meal in a downtown pub. The day was rounded off with a visit to the famous Pukekura park for an outdoor Country and Western concert followed by a viewing of the ‘Festival of Lights’ also in the park. The concert was somewhat disappointing, comprising 3 solo artists taking it in turns to sing Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson numbers to a Karaoke backing system! Still we had a good laugh, particularly at the German who tried hard to stir the audience out of its rigor mortis with some poorly received jokes!

Sunday 17 Jan - Mount Taranaki

Well the luggage has still not turned up and Christine is having to dress herself in re-washed underwear and borrowed T-shirts!
The remainder of our journey to Jackie and Richard’s was event free although the landing at New Plymouth in a small 50 seat turbo-prop and strong cross winds was exciting to say the least! Needless to say, Christine was less than impressed.
Today started cloudy with the promise of the weather improving, so we decided to do a circuit of Mount Taranaki – a sleeping volcano – which forms the unique backdrop to the pretty coastal town of Opunake where Richard and Jackie live. We saw waterfalls and fantastic views from the lower reaches accessible by car. At one Visitor Centre there was a sign pointing the direction of various walks which ranged from a walk to the summit (8 to 10 hrs) to a walk to the viewing platform (4 mins). Needless to say we opted for the latter!
So, our first full day in NZ and no further catastrophies, even the volcano has remained sleeping! But we note worryingly that it is due an eruption at any time!

Sat 16th Jan - Auckland Airport

Just a quick note to let you know that we arrived okay in New Zealand. Okay that is, if you discount the flight cancellations and lost baggage! Just waiting in terminal for final flight on down to New Plymouth where brother Rich and sister-in-law Jackie will be waiting for us (we hope). More later.
PS the bag that went misssing had to be Christine's didn't it?!

Thursday, 14th Jan - Bristol Airport

Well it had to happen, all was going too well! We managed to get out of the village okay despite there being six inches of lying snow deposited the previous day, but on arrival at Bristol airport we were advised that our first flight to Amsterdam had been cancelled and as a result all our flights had been re-scheduled! So here we are, its 10.00 am and our new flight is not due to leave until 15.45 - something tells me we shall get to know Bristol airport better than we ever wanted to. In retrospect its a good job that decided to pass on the meeting with next door neighbour Marion's daughter in Tokyo, since we are now going via Hong Kong! The only other problem (apart from how do we stop ourselves dying of boredom at Bristol) is that the re-scheduled flights leave very little time for us to make our connection in Auckland for the onward flight to New Plymouth. Will we be in any fit state to sprint for this flight after 23 hours plus in the air? Watch this space!

Introduction

Christine and I had promised ourselves a holiday in Australia and New Zealand since I retired six years ago. The plan had been to visit daughters Louise and Emma in Wellington and Sydney respectively before their return to the UK. We partly missed this objective as Lou (and Dan) returned to the UK in April 2009, so all the more reason to make the trip now before Emma also decided that blighty held some attraction!

We decided that six weeks was a reasonable time to spend away from home and our dog Chester and travelling during Jan and Feb gave us the benefit of missing part of our winter and exploring these countries during their summer, so tickets were booked for our big adventure arriving in New Zealand on 16th Jan and leaving Australia on 26th Feb. We had always realised that six weeks was insufficient for anything like a full tour of both countries so we decided to concentrate on New Zealand with a quickish stop (two weeks) on the way back to stay with Emma (and her partner Charlie).

A general plan was hatched to fly to Auckland and then on to New Plymouth for the first few days to be spent staying with my brother Richard and sister-in-law Jackie at their house in Opunake. We would then head south to Wellington with an overnight stop in the city before catching the ferry to the South Island. After an anticlockwise tour of the island, going as far as Milford Sound if possible, we will return to the North Island and head up through the east/central area to Auckland before returning to New Plymouth and our flight to Sydney via Auckland.