Sunday Morning Feb 28

Yesterday Helen left for the airport at 7:30 am. Tom helped with her bags and saw her off at Edgecliff Train Station. Helen is well organized; so time to share breakfast together before she left. It seems strange without her. Best wishes for a great hassle-free flight back to Toronto via the US.
Lewis & Elsa arrived at 10:30 via taxi from Parramatta ($70 AUD); just too darn hot & humid to take the various trains & streets with luggage. They arrived to towels & sheets hung on the rotating clothesline by the pool ... prep for the turnover! This is their 1st OZ experience living without A/C! Lewis sat on the balcony using his wireless laptop; (thanks to Jack down-the-street) and fed our 2 Rainbow Lorikeet! Noticing screen-less doors & windows, he asked the familiar questions “will they fly inside?” and “are there mosquitoes?”
We took them shopping at Bondi Junction and the Nespresso coffee shop. A few free tastes later we had fresh supplies for Bob’s coffee machine! It is great coffee: 70 cents a cup beats $4 at a café. Due to the high heat & humidity; we decided to forego the Gay Mardi Gras parade tonight. It was crowded on the train and with the prediction of 6-7 deep viewers it would be hot & crowded! Watching the Olympics was a better alternative, as was enjoying one of Lewis’s great feeds with local beer / wine!
For their 1st night: good news in that it cooled down overnight enough to sleep a ‘little’; surprising news – Lewis & Elsa heard the ‘Birds’ at sunup this morning! He thought it should be recorded since nobody would believe the screeching! Helen would. Elsa thought she was in a bird sanctuary! Now let’s see how the rest of the day pans out!

Opera House Feb 26

Three days for the admission of one (Feb 24-26)!
Friday was Helen’s last full day down-under. She visited Bondi Beach, the largest most famous public beach in Sydney. Lewis & Elsa took the ferry from Parramatta (1 hour on the River Cat) + 2 trains to reach us here for lunch. They checked out the condo before returning to Parramatta to freshen up. We have tickets tonight for the Sydney Opera House to hear Nigel Kennedy & Friends perform ‘Bach meets the Duke’ in the world famous Concert Hall. We 5 + approx 2700 others were entertained for 3 hours by 27 talented musicians + Nigel Kennedy, a spiky-haired British violinist, composer and arranger. Kennedy rose to fame in 1989 with his Vivaldi’s Four Seasons rendition and upset a lot of symphony purist with his punk look and cockney mannerism. His unconventional stage presence (and colourful language including the 4-letter f--- word) has moved classical music to a new genre. The Concert Hall is huge with great acoustics; no bad seats in the house. Thank goodness for our seats were in angel stairs territory, 4 rows from the back in the “circle”. After the performance we strolled back to the train at Circular Quay, soaking in the ambiance of Sydney Harbour, with the backdrop of the city lights and a near full moon hanging between the Harbour Bridge & the Opera House. A memorable experience.....
Thursday we met Lewis & Elsa at Circular Quay (their first full day here) for a ferry ride to Pyemont Bay & Sydney’s Fish Market. The Fish Market is a strange combination of commercial operations and tourist trap. One can purchase any type of fresh ocean product ........or eat it at a number of restaurants. We opted for fish & chips, splitting a 6-pack of beer at the wharf-side seating area (along with seagulls and obis). We then strolled through Star City (huge casino) and along the promenade in Darling Harbour. Avatar playing at the IMAX 3D, but at $27/seat we took a pass, at least for now. Helen used her day visiting the Chinese Garden (a must see), touring Chinatown and revisiting the downtown shopping area before meeting us back at the condo.... a day enjoyed to its fullest but tiring!
Wednesday we relaxed. Then around 4pm we walked around Paddington in the area bounded by Jersey, Queen and Oxford streets. This inner-city village is home to scores of intriguing boutiques, specialty shops and art galleries; rated as #1 scene to see and be seen in the Sydney art world. Queen St has a high-end quaint grouping of delis, butcheries, cafes, fruit & veggie stores. The pricing is borderline scary, especially the butchery e.g. steak $70/kilo, $20 small roasted chicken. Oxford St is the main shopping area with a mixture of designer stores, bars, groceries & restaurants. Local dress fashions, hand-crafted shoes, etc. are featured in boutiques dotted along leafy residential streets lined with old terrace houses (clad in cast iron railings similar to New Orleans) and reflect the suburb’s heritage as one of the earliest settled areas of Sydney. Thank you Bob for inviting us into your Condo and your neighbourhood...

City Trip – Feb 23

Another hot day in the city but with promises the heat would subside by the end of day we decided on a museum day! Tom’s choice was the Customs House (City’s Library), a heritage building with a salon where you can relax & read a newspaper / magazine (150 local & international). It felt good to read a Globe & Mail even though it was 5 days old! We browsed exhibits; mostly focused on Taiwan or the Year of the Tiger. We checked out the rooftop restaurant – too upscale for a quick lunch without an expense account! From here we took separate paths. Helen went to Hyde Park & the Australian Museum (oldest in Australia). She was captivated by the dinosaur collection, spent time on a floor dedicated to crystals & minerals, but was enthralled by a special exhibition on photos from around the world – absolutely wonderful (her words). Tom & I took the train uptown to Central Station to walk Haymarket, near Darling Harbour and Sydney’s Chinatown. Haymarket is home to the city's Chinese community, settled in large numbers during the second half of the 19th Century and continues to grow, similar to the Asian communities in Toronto and Vancouver. It is filled with food halls, noodle bars & grocers specialising in Asian cuisine. We visited a Buda Temple site, a stop on the formal Chinatown tours and an opportunity to buy any Chinese trinket you can imagine! The area is well adorned with flags, banners & lanterns from the Lunar New Year (mostly red & gold). We slowly strolled through the markets & malls on route to Darling Harbour and the Chinese Garden before walking up Bathurst Street to Town Hall. We’ll tour the Chinese Garden when Lewis & Elsa are with us. Built in 1988 to celebrate Australia’s bicentenary; the garden is comprised of sheltered pavilions, bridges, reflective pools and landscape trees similar to an authentic Chinese garden. By the time we reached our home station the weather had changed significantly. With a drop in temperature to 22 C it felt a little chilly – a nice refreshing change! Tomorrow Lewis & Elsa arrive in Sydney. Helen is in countdown mode to Saturday’s flight home!

Sydney Zoo Feb 22

Although Monday was 34 C, Helen & I went to the Zoo! Taronga Zoo (home to 2660 animals) occupies the north shore point of Sydney Harbour across from the Opera House. When we got to Circular Quay Wharf 2 the ferry was already there. We were the last 2 passengers to board! A cool breeze off the sparkling water & a bus waiting to take us to the main gate – today would be great regardless of the heat! We visited the Aussie animals first: the emu, kangaroos, wallaby and koalas. The koalas were cute as expected as they napped and hung from their tree perch. They were the first & last animal we visited – just to see one with its eyes open! The kangaroos & wallaby were eating lunch on our ‘walk-about’, the Emu was giving us the eye; all were right at home with us nearby snapping a photo or two!
Among the more exotic species were komodo dragons, red pandas, Fennec Fox, snow leopards, wombats, and Meerkat. We searched for the platypus both in their cave and pool but all we saw was their picture! Shucks! We got up close to penguins, seals & sea lions; even sat through & enjoyed a seal show. We met the first elephant calf born in Australia (now 7½ months old) named Luk Chai in honour of his Thai heritage. We watched him play with a tire-wrapped hanging pole. When we got too close, the matriarch of the herd, also pregnant, and another pregnant elephant circled the little guy & hid him. We took in the QBE Free Flight Bird Show highlighting some of the 800 species of birds found in Australia. We sat with Sydney Harbour as a backdrop watching these birds and their unique talents: ‘Slammer’ the Black-Breasted Buzzard, ‘Billy’ the Brolga, ‘Jasper’, a rose-breasted Galahs and a flock of six Red-tailed Black Cockatoos. Absolutely beautiful! However I had the most fun & couldn’t resist holding out a ‘gold-coin’ (AUD $2) for ‘Stellar’, a Black Kite to collect and drop into the donation box! This bird flew inches over our head as he aimed for his intended target! The urge was to duck but the trainer told us not to bother because the Kite would just fly lower! Excited but nervous laughter filled the stands!
Other honourable members were: Kodiak bear, Aldabra Tortoise (a pair - the heat stirring up feelings in the old guy!), Himalayan Tahr, giraffes, Rhinoceros Iguana, lots of lizards and snakes! We had a great day! We lunched at the Zoo’s treetop cafe, sitting on a patio with the Sydney Harbour our landscape & a Kookaburra entertaining us from a branch overhead. We rode the Sky Safari cable car across the zoo grounds & to the pier for the ferry back to Circular Quay (no waiting & last ones to board). Great timing twice today.... our day what can I say!
Tom took the day off and spent it “his” way back at the condo. His first lone day since we left Toronto; needless to say he too enjoyed his day.

Chinese New Year’s Feb 21

Sydney’s week-long celebration of the CNY culminated in a large twilight parade and fireworks display. The parade started at Town Hall around 7:45 pm and wound its way down to Darling Harbour through Chinatown. We grabbed a quick dinner at DIN TAI FUNG (world famous dumplings) before staking out a position on the parade route at 6 PM. Long wait, but well worth it.........weather-wise more comfortable than a similar wait for Toronto’s Santa Claus parade. The parade was a display of lanterns(traditional Orient art), including 12-giant zodiac animal lanterns, small floats, marching bands, acrobatic and martial arts clubs, cultural associations and of course, human dragons (14 athletic young men brought the shortest dragon to life with 50+ men on the grand dragon); all this to hail the arrival of a giant metal tiger. The parade closed with an invitation “to return in 2011 to celebrate the Chinese year of the Rabbit” followed by a brightly lit colourful Rabbit float! It was a treat for the eyes and ears; spectacular costumes and wild drums! It was more than just Chinese performers, the Vietnamese & the Korean communities took part for the first time. The celebration involved 2700 performers, including 300 dancers and acrobats from Chongqing, in central China. The participants truly enjoyed themselves, with tremendous energy expended, especially the dragons. We were standing so close that several times we touched or were touched by the Dragon. The end of the parade (10 PM) and the brief fireworks display at Darling Harbour overlapped so we heard but could not see the display. The parade was well attended; matching last year’s attendance with more than 100,000. This year 50 chartered flights flew in from China just for the parade. Darling Harbour is one of the most popular entertainment areas in Sydney so even after the parade ended the streets were busy with the many clubs/restaurants. As we walked back to the train station for home, the city was already returning to normal..........but we carried with us the excitement of witnessing a fantastic parade!

Sydney Rocks Feb 20

The Rocks (not The ‘Rock’) is a downtown area in historic Sydney; bordered by the Harbour Bridge & the Opera House. The first European setters stepped ashore here so it is home to a number of Australia’s heritage sites, including Nurses’ Walk & Susannah Place which documents 150 years of change to domestic life right down to the original brick privies & open laundries. Other sites include the Observatory – now the museum of astronomy; the Lord Nelson Brewery – the oldest hotel in Sydney est. in 1841; The Hero of Waterloo pub pre 1850; and finally, Sydney’s sole remaining functional pissoir! The Rocks has 16 galleries, 4 museums, 2 theatres, boutique shopping, cafes, pubs, parks & some of the best views of the harbour. Today was also market day at the Rocks; with more than 200 stalls housed under a sail-like canopy and bounded by beer gardens and eateries.
We walked it all even though the temperature climbed to 29 C under sunny blue skies. The ambience of the street, the people, the views and the entertainment collectively made us feel great. Sydney is a wonderful city.

Paddington Feb 19

Today Helen ventured downtown to the museum. We shopped at Bondi Junction for a buggy strong enough to hold 6 bottles of wine! Success – time to shop at BWS (Beer Wine Spirits). Sale on wines, 25% means we purchased 6 bottles of quite drinkable local hooch; 4 white & 2 red! This afternoon we tried Bob’s favourite watering hole; the Lord Dudley old English-style pub. We were more than ready for a pint after walking 30 minutes uphill to the pub. Like always, the first time you visit a place you follow a map – which in this case provided neither the shortest nor easiest route. We will know better next time! The Guinness was cold & went down well in this very typical corner pub. Tonight, we had just finished dinner when Helen noticed about a dozen Grey-headed Flying-fox Bats circling like mad just off our balcony. First for us seeing so many Bats this close; it was rather scary and exciting at the same time. While the Bats were swooping and circling our small valley there were no other birds around. I tried capturing the Bat’s size in a photo but they were moving too quickly (you have us instead). One landed in a tree near the building; it was like watching a black umbrella closing then hanging upside down on the branch. Our excitement for the day!

Sydney Bridge Feb 18

Another great day to walk around Sydney; first the train to Circular Quay to begin our 1.5K walk across Harbour Bridge and then around to Lavender Bay for a 4K total walk (rated # 4 in Sydney’s best harbour & coastal walks guide). We stopped at the Sydney I-Site for maps & an Opera House performance schedule; gazed at the docked cruise ships; soaked in the views from the Harbour Bridge - took a ‘few’ photos. We did not climb the 200 steps to the top of the bridge structure but saw people who did, waving their arms from the highest point like a flag in the wind! No thanks; breeze was strong enough at street level with the updraft off the water several hundred feet below us. We couldn’t imagine climbing 200 steps to the top!
At North Sydney we walked pass the cafes of Kirribilli, then back down to the harbour front for a few “pauses” to check out the views from whence we came! We followed the water’s edge to the Olympic Pool and the Luna Park. The original Luna Park opened on Coney Island, New York in 1903 & by 1935 this Park had opened with a multi-story sized smiling face looking out over Sydney Harbour; entry is free but the rides are definitely not! Thank goodness the park was closed, so no temptation to see the view from the top of the Ferris wheel! Yes, we walked the entire 4K to McMahons Point Wharf at the opposite side of Lavender Bay. During our walk we spotted small figurines glued to stakes promoting Luna amusement park as well as the ribs of an old pier where the convict ships moored. Now look at the view!
The ferry from Lavender Bay took us into Darling Harbour and the King Street wharf; we decided to hop off there and walk some more! Across the harbour a Navy destroyer and submarine were moored, then on our side 2 large cruise ships + several paddle-wheel show boats. We strolled while the people around us virtually ran up King St, the business district. We commented on how much we don’t miss the hustle of grabbing a bite to eat in the middle of a working day! We lunched at MLC; a large complex where the first couple of floors cater to high-end retails and food courts. The food was good and the price was fair. From there we headed to Martin Place for the train home. Another full day; a good day!

Sydney Feb 17

Today we explored Sydney Harbour and the lower north shore; partly because of accessibility by train then ferry (included with our weekly pass), close to cafes, and offered outstanding harbour views. The weather was perfect, sunny enough for sunscreen and hats, but with a light ocean breeze. We caught the train shortly after 10 to City Hall, transferred to a 2nd train to Circular Quay and wharf 4 where we caught the ferry to Cremorne Point. Waiting for the ferry our landscape: Opera house to our right; Harbour Bridge on our left; downtown skyline behind us & ocean in front - wow!
We selected Cremorne Point as our first walk for its 3K easy circuit and were told it is crammed every New Year’s Eve thanks to its perfect Opera House and bridge view for the fireworks display. For years I’ve heard about Sydney Harbour and today we discovered why! Cremorne Point was the ferry’s 1st stop but we stayed on to tour the 4 other stops on the loop before disembarking (Harbour tour for the price of admission). Once off the boat we walked along the shoreline stopping numerous times to just look at Sydney Harbour. We stopped at McCallum pool noting again the protective barrier keeping swimmers from the open sea. We followed the shaded path of exotic plants and fragrant flowering plants / trees. There was one “poor” slob slaving away at his wireless laptop sitting on his balcony oblivious to our presence with the view of Sydney Harbour, the Opera House, and Bridge his landscape. Please!
Returning to Wharf 4, we walked 20 minutes to Bennelong Point the Sydney Opera House; we were surprised the roof was more ecru than white with each roof tile clearly defined. We had lunch at a nearby cafe before strolling through the Royal Botanical Gardens back to the train for home. The garden was established in 1816 on the colony’s first farm; lush parkland with over 17,000 plant species. We walked among the Moreton Bay Fig trees marvelling at their buttress roots as we watched overhead for sleeping Grey-headed Flying-fox Bats, which are among the largest bats in the world. The only one we saw was dead, under an M-B-Fig tree outside the condo. However we did see Ibis birds with their long down-curved bills! Not bad for our first real outing In Sydney ... easy to get around providing you take public transit! Now all we are missing is a grocery bundle buggy to tote our wine home; you pay NZ$6 per bottle when you buy 6!

Hello Sydney

Welcome to Sydney with us into our 2nd home exchange; another winner! We arrived Saturday to a wet humid city but luckily missed the torrential rainfall the previous night. We taxied to Bob’s place; recognizing him as we approached his building (he was getting his post). Immediately, he made us feel at home; well organized for our arrival; his bags packed ready to stay at his daughter’s, with time to help us get settled. Helen is with us, Liz returned to Toronto from Auckland on Saturday. Bob has wonderful wall art that either he or a friend painted; amazing ceramic pieces he’s made; Sky HD TV, internet, plus a great coffee maker; all the comforts of home and more! Before leaving, Bob walked us to local shopping to pick up a few groceries and introduce us to his neighbourhood: his pub, transit and wine store. Going there we walked up a treed hill path behind the condo and used the streets on the return. Bob was surprised at the path’s erosion caused by the night’s rain as we sidestepped over a muddy broken path.
In Hamilton we had Sassy the cat. Here we are a bit more exotic with 2 Rainbow Lorikeet that arrive daily to be fed on the balcony. Shhh, this is not allowed by the Condo Association but they are too pretty to ignore! They are not shy about squawking to get your attention. It’s like living in an aviary; noisy bird neighbours, especially at sunrise! It’s just a case of getting used to it....right?
Sunday morning, Valentine’s Day, Bob took us on a tour of the city and local beaches using his car. We planned on using public transit for the city except it rained frequently. We will repay this debt of kindness when Bob visits us in May. Truly his tour helped orientate us to the possibilities right outside our door; from a bus ride to some awesome beaches (most having protective barriers so you can swim in the ocean without fear of sharks, but metres away others surfed the waves) to a 2-stop train ride to the heart of the City. We have adapted already! Monday Tom & Helen bought transit passes ($41/wk) for their first look at the City and the local Mall(2 stops direction city & 1 stop the other) – comfort zone established! Today we shopped for sales (even better with the stronger CAD$). Gosh it was great to come home knowing we did not need to pack and move! By the way the weather is great and so is the local wine!

Auckland Feb 12

The Coromandel peninsula has over 400K of coastline, beautiful beaches & rugged volcanic hills cloaked in native rainforest. The temptation to see more than just Whangamata when we were only 2 hrs drive from Auckland was uncontrollable! On route to hwy 25A to cross the peninsula; there was a road to a lookout over Whangamata beach & Onemana. Onemana is a natural amphitheatre bounded on 3 sides by Norfolk & white pine forest and Pacific Ocean. The pictures of both places gave us reason to check it out & we had the time! Well we drove 4K on the peninsula road before turning around; it was like a scene from a deliverance movie! Onemana was peaceful with an unspoiled beach; signs posted of the undertow dangers & only swim with lifeguard supervision. Easter was the next scheduled duty!
The drive along hwy 25A was mostly through reforestation initiatives; hills ranged from raggedy bare, yearlings to full grown trees. You know “you often have to tear down to go forward”! The roads were better than driving up the coastal road and by 11 am we were within 90K of Auckland so we took the scenic Seabird Coast versus the direct route. The Seabird Coast - classed as a bird watchers dream, was our last chance to drive along the ocean; we took the bait! We saw dozens of Black Swans with bright red beaks, sea gulls and boring lowlands. This is one section of NZ you can take a pass on or perhaps we are just spoiled! We stopped for lunch at the end of the drive at a roadside Chinese Veggie stand, later to discover we were only a KM away from all kinds of cafes & bistros! Go Figure!!
We drove through Auckland, called the City of Sails. Why? Auckland is a city of marinas and high buildings! However we weren’t in the mood to tackle another city; all we wanted was the Jet Park airport hotel & its pool. We ate dinner at their award winning restaurant, not a disappointment nor was the local wine! Then early to bed for our 6 am rise and flight to Australia! New Zealand was everything and more than we had hoped! Would we come again? Who knows but if you’ve never been – well this is nature’s paradise!

Whangamata Feb 11

We were up early this morning to take advantage of the free internet. Our host, Sheryll booked us into another Host Accommodation Motel at Auckland Airport for tomorrow night; the free airport shuttle meant Liz could spend time at the pool versus the airport. Today we visited the Coromandel peninsula. Instead of counting sheep as we drove away from Rotorua we counted hotspots where steam & vapour escaped from the ground. There was also the cooling tower of Ohaaki geothermal power station; first a panic when we thought it was a nuclear power plant on these very unsettled grounds! What can I say it was early & usually a cooling tower means nuclear to us – how hot is hot!
Remember the 100K climb to Taupo yesterday, well today we drove down the other side! We drove Pyes Pass, an absolute engineering feat & lots of money! The road’s been upgraded; cliffs reinforced with steel mesh & bolted into the rock face. It is still a roller-coaster decent to the Bay of Plenty & the South Pacific Ocean. We were surrounded by very tall trees, higher than most hydro poles. The practice seen on the South Island to use trees as windbreakers continues here, protecting orchards. Avocado, apples, oranges and soft flesh fruit orchards tempt us with their fresh fruit & vegetable stands; but the familiar phrase comes to mind “you can’t take it with you” on an airplane this time!
The road to Whangamata (‘wh’ is an ‘f’ sound) was 29K but over an hour’s drive; signs posted warned of winding roads for the next 3 or 4 KM. What should be posted is when to expect straight roads so you can take a breath! We were thankful we would not return this route and hoped the road across the peninsula to Thames was less stressful. Whangamata is a seaside holiday resort with a 4K ocean beach of white powdery sand, sparkling ocean, waves and rock formation views. It was irresistible! We checked into the Blake Court Motel (found in our accommodation books); changed into beach clothes, layered on sun screen then hit the beach! We sent the afternoon on one of the best beaches we’ve found in NZ. We played in the surf, walked the beach (end-to-end) & searched for the best seashell! What a glorious way to spend our last ‘real’ day in NZ, on a jewel of a beach on the Pacific Coast.

Rotorua Feb-10

Today we visited Taupo, situated on the shores of Australasia’s largest fresh water lake and elevated in the central plateau of the North Island. Plus Rotorua, known for its distinct smell of sulphur coming from the geothermal hotspots found in the area. We were checked out by 9: a brief stop at Bay View, just N of Napier for a look at the Pacific Ocean. The coastline is flat, small round stones and broken conch shells. The ocean is a sparkling array like diamonds in the early morning sunshine; but no time to sit & enjoy with miles to go & lots to see! We toured inland over roads that were closed a week ago due to mudslides (slips). We climbed for 100K to the central plateau of the North Island; traversed twisting roads, uphill & down vale, evaded mud slide residue and work crews, drove around curves with recommended speeds ranging from 25 -> 55 -> 65 KPH. We twisted & turn with a constant climb – who knew! At the top of the plateau we were surrounded by farms and rolling hills on the horizons. We didn’t know the altitude, only that we were up there with less than 40K for Taupo.
We were impressed by Lake Taupo, the site of the world’s largest eruption in the last 5,000 years. The result of which can be seen everywhere with active volcanoes, steaming cliffs, geysers, boiling lakes, bubbling mud pools & floating rocks called pumice.
First lunch; a quiet sidewalk bistro on the sunny side of the street was the ideal place. Then we visited Huka Falls; a churning channel of Waikato River forced from 100 metres wide x 4 metres deep into a 5M wide x 10M deep gorge of sheer rock cut. Liz guessed a level 4 in white water rafting terms. Impressive & worth a photo or two! Next we stopped at Aratiatia Rapids – a waste of time!
Wai-O-Tapu – the thermal wonderland was our next stop! It was $30 per person & after Aratiatia Rapids we wondered if this place was all hype. An older British couple were returning to their car as we parked; interview time! They gave the volcanic area full marks. They had visited yesterday but were too late to see the Lady Knox Geyser erupt (10:15 am daily reaching heights of up to 20 metres) so had returned today for another 2-3 hours. They smelled like they had - the man laughingly said we would as well!
Covering 18 sq K, the area is covered with collapsed craters, cold and boiling pools of mud, water and steaming fumaroles. We saw it all! Needless to say there are no fish in the waters & smoking is not permitted; beneath the ground is a system of streams which are heated by magna with temperatures recorded up to 300 C. The “rotten egg smell” is associated with hydrogen sulphide; 25 designated stops with an estimated 75 minutes (in the heat) to complete the 3K walk. We did it! ( www.waiotapu.co.nz to see some of the natural wonders). Our favourites were: Champagne Pool – bubbling, hissing water with an ochre-coloured edge pink in the centre and the lime green Devil’s Bath. I hope my pictures will capture a fraction of what we saw! Yes, after completing the walk, we couldn’t wait to reach Rotorua for a shower. It took till Friday before the sulphur smell left the vehicle!
We arrived near 5Pm at our motel in Rotorua when we had told them noon. Whoops! Now we had to take the last available 2-bedroom unit, situated next to the busy main road. We were not happy campers but at least had free internet & a private patio Jacuzzi for Liz & Helen to enjoy. Sheryll, our host was very friendly and appeared disappointed we were unable to take advantage of the free spas and heated pools in Rotorua (closed at 5:30). Oh well we did not regret stopping at Wai-O-Tapu. Later, our laundry hung on an outside clothesline to dry, we realized the smell wasn’t only coming from us; it was in the air all around us! Tomorrow we will move along!

Hastings Feb 09

The drive north of Wellington was on the best roads we’ve seen; even the tunnel was 3 lanes & well lit. The commuter traffic was driving in the opposite direction; sun was shining, a beautiful day. We were instructed to ‘Merge like a Zip’ a zipper that is, as the lanes reduced in numbers – colourful and direct! We drove north through wine country with only one area of challenging roads! Shortly after leaving the city, we climbed steadily to Pakuratahi in the Kaitoke National Park. We had 13K of mountain road driving before reaching Featherston and good roads; 40 minutes of sharp bends, steep drop-offs & construction traffic. Even so the roads were better than on the South Island; guardrails on most sharp bends. Granted, most were just for visual aide, made from wood, but they gave the illusion of help! At Featherston, while still early in our today’s journey, a break from driving was needed!
We stopped at Dannevirke for lunch. It was 12:30 and we were 103K from Hastings. Surrounded by wine fields it was a pleasure to drive the region. We passed Waipukurau 40 degrees south; driving through river valleys, terraces & hillside vineyards. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc & Malbec are Hawke’s Bay central red wine varieties; Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc the key whites. We stopped in Hastings for the evening, home to over 65 wineries! Visions of wine tasting danced in our heads! We arrived at 2 pm, great timing to an inviting city – lush flower hanging baskets line the streets and a cooling spray from water fountains! First a place to stay! For the 2nd time we fell prey to I-Site staff. Lots of vacancies but we were misled & sent to a remote place out of town. By the time we returned, challenged her on the location; refused other places; the afternoon was spent. We were hot, tired and relieved to check-in at the Valdez. We purchased salmon for a BBQ and a nice bottle of local white wine! The closest we got to our dream of a Hawke’s Bay wine tour.
For perspective – it was a sunny 24 C. Liz and Helen had a pool to splash & cool off; Tom had NZ salmon on the grill with new potatoes & fresh local corn. Fresh local fruit for our dessert: plums, apricots, nectarines, oranges, Kiwi and red gala apples. Yes & a glass of chilled Chardonnay in my hand! Not the day we had planned; but a worthy day nonetheless!

Wellington Feb-08

The ferry ride lasted 3½ hours from Picton to Wellington – we anticipated magnificent views of Queen Charlotte Sound & areas from the Lord of the Rings movie. It wasn’t to be; we awoke to rain and strong winds! Fellow passengers at the terminal were eager to relate stories of bad crossings including a trip about 20 years ago when a ferry sank in stormy weather! Undaunted, we had no real choice, we boarded the Aratere Ferry. Helen & Liz found seats in the forward lounge with full ocean view; Tom found a comfortable theatre seat to relax & read the paper. I donned my coat, took my camera & went outside! A true Newfie enjoys the ocean wind & spray on her face; not to mention I most likely would have been sick had I stayed inside!
It was too bad the weather had not cooperated for the cruise out of Picton harbour. However by the time we reached open sea, the sun broke through and even with small rolling sea swells it was still a most pleasant cruise. We docked on schedule. Our luggage was waiting by the time we walked to the terminal. Tom picked up our new AVIS rental, this time a new Toyota Highlander SUV a better riding and driving vehicle, and we drove to our hotel downtown, a short driving distance from the pier. Convenient but a major step down after the Yacht Club; we survived it for one night. It was clean and we could walk to downtown! Helen & Liz walked to the Te Papa, NZ’s national museum on the waterfront, an easy walk from our hotel. The best part - free admission & open until 6 pm. The museum is dedicated to the native culture of NZ. Body tattoos are an important part of that culture, with certain symbols applied to various parts of the body, depending upon your gender and tribal ancestry. Tom and I walked downtown to ride the cable car; $5 for a return ticket to Victoria Lookout for a panoramic view of the city and a visit to the botanic gardens.
Wellington is more “European” than other cities we’ve visited in NZ. It is modern, a business centre with many pedestrian-only areas, and of course, the capital of NZ. The streets are narrow but bright. Buildings have refined architecture; many fashion boutiques, trendy local fashion & design stores, and locally roasted coffee found on every street corner in a little bistro or cafe. We met an American lady on the cable car on her way home from work. We asked for a recommendation for dinner. She suggested “Leuven”, then phoned her husband to get the address, most helpful! The place was called Belgium Beer Cafe Leuven; the perfect setting for the end of our day in Wellington.
It was like stepping back into Luxembourg; a restaurant, open to the street, serving lighter fare with a Danish twist and premium Belgium beer. Our waitress, Jackie, had married a Dane, whose race according to her, had raped and pillaged NZ several centuries ago. I commented that at least she had a good lover. Her response .........” he used to be but I’ve a good memory”.
On the walk back to the hotel, we walked through Civic Square, with an interesting concept for a bridge linking the city to the sea. We stopped to enjoy the sunset and a race of dragon boats before continuing our walk. We decided to shop at New World Supermarket for a few breakfast items; only to meet up with Helen & Liz who had the same idea. We walked back to the hotel filling each other in on the joys of our afternoon in Wellington. Good night to day 1 North Island on our journey back to Auckland and our countdown to Saturday February 13th.

Picton Feb-05 to 08

Yes, we spent 3 nights & 2 full days at the Penthouse Yacht Club. Saturday was a vacation from the hustle of travelling. Liz & Helen took to the pool; then Liz braved the ocean; achieving recognition as the only person to swim the waters surrounding the South Island! Tom & I found the perfect spot for a cappuccino & a long black coffee. It was a beautiful day; blue skies, warm sun, coastal mountains and a harbour of boats. It was suggested we tour Queen Charlotte Sound to Shakespeare Bay; silly we did it! It was a 22K drive along the coast over the mountains. An hour after we began we still had 14K to go! It was the worst road we had driven on since arriving in NZ. The scenery reminded us of beautiful British Columbia; except for the road conditions!
At the first ‘safe’ opportunity, Tom turned around and we headed back to Picton to park the car! We did stop at a few ‘scenic’ lookouts so I could take a few pictures but that was it. Monday morning we dropped the red Holden Commodore Sports wagon back to AVIS at the Ferry Terminal. Tom was happy to drop the keys off for that car having clocked nearly 3,000K of memorable South Island driving! We saw a lot since January 24th when we flew into Queenstown but there was so much more we didn’t have time to see. I compare it to a Chinese Dim Sum whereby you try a few tasty dishes and the flavours are so good you wish you had time to enjoy the Chinese Buffet!

Greymouth to Picton Feb-05

Last night we enjoyed a steak BBQ with a nice bottle of local wine; ate at the patio set just outside our unit cooked on the provided grill. It was still light when the bugs drove us indoors – otherwise it was a beautiful evening; just like at the cottage! We were up early this morning for our drive up the Coast to Westport. This 100k section was voted one of the top 10 scenic drives in the world and we were told to allow 2 hours for the drive even though there are no traffic lights to slow you down. Considering the amazing views seen since arriving on the South Island, we were a bit blasé about that comment. Well, we had just cleared the town boundary when we asked Tom to stop for a photo. The drive has breath-taking scenery, wild coastlines, and unique rock formations just off the shoreline, blowholes & pancake rocks! Check out www.west-coast.co.nz . We had an ideal day to see the fantastic formations formed by the pounding of the Tasman Sea. At Punakaiki we walked the 20 minute loop track to Dolomite Point for the best views of the pancake-like formations where limestone rocks are eroded to form huge stacks. The tide was out so the sprays in the blowholes were not at the level depicted in the brochures. The picture attached is one taken during our loop walk trying to capture the imagines carved in the rock.
Even though we left Greymouth around 9 am it was noon before we reached Westport. Before visiting I-site to get a place to stay on the East Coast, we picnicked at Cape Foulwind. Despite the name given by Captain Cook when he experienced particularly bad winds in March 1770, it is a ruggedly beautiful sea coast & home to a breeding colony of fur seals. An informal camper park provided an area for our picnic and our last look at the Tasman Sea before heading inland. Time was critical with a 3½ hr drive through the mountains via Lewis Pass to Blenheim on the East Coast before the end of our day; no option but to continue to the East Coast once you leave Westport.
Ninety minutes later we left the I-site. We had hoped to stay in Blenheim for 3 nights leaving only a 20 minute drive to Picton Monday morning to catch the ferry to Wellington. Blenheim was hosting a tennis tournament for the weekend and all accommodation was taken. This was only the 2nd time we had an issue with booking a motel. Dunedin was 1st when we arrived during the Golf Masters tournament. Carl, a student employee at I-Site struggled to find us a place. Nearing exhaustion, we asked about the Yacht Club in Picton a place recommended by two couples from Melbourne we had met in Greymouth. Yacht Club had the Penthouse suite a two-story 3-bedroom luxury apartment available with a view of Queen Charlotte Sound for only $325 per night. Desperate – we booked it!
Leaving Westport our first objective was Murchison, 97K away. We checked off the mile markers: earthquake slip from 1968, Longest Swing Bridge over the Buller Gorge, Iron Bridge built in 1890, 50 metres of tar-seal one-lane road with an overhanging rock about 20 feet above your head on a recommended 25 KPH bend, Wekas (birds), then finally Lewis Pass. We finally arrived in Murchison at 4:10 pm, then onwards for the 190K drive to Picton. Leaving Murchison we passed a few snow ski sites, then 100K of relatively easy driving through alpine meadows with herds of deer; Rams & females kept apart by fenced fields. By 6 pm we were in Renwick with only 10K to Blenheim & 28 to Picton; almost there and driving through wine country! Our spirits lifted reading the vineyard names & seeing the miles & miles of grapevines! 7pm we pulled into the Yacht Club at Picton giving us our first views of harbour & boats. The same view from the modern kitchen, dining & living room, not to mention 2 balconies – our reward for the drive across the island. This was the first floor; the receptionist took us upstairs to see the rest! The upstairs was beyond our expectations: 3 bedrooms 3 bathrooms & 3 balconies; the master suite with its own kitchen & sitting room with HD TV surround sound – we claimed for the driver – who was already dreaming about sleeping late tomorrow! We couldn’t wait to settle in. Dinner was beer & pizza at the pub across the road; a great way to end a VERY long day!

Greymouth Feb-04

We are snug as a bug here in Greymouth after a great day’s tour through Arthur’s Pass. The road east of Arthur’s Pass was flatlands with alpaca, llama, vineyards and sheep! Plenty of road work; one person working while the rest enjoyed coffee! One-lane bridges still the preferred with a new twist; vehicles & trains shared the same bridge! A warning sign advised the train had right of way; however no mention of what you should do if you met a train coming towards you while you were on the bridge!
The journey through Arthur’s Pass was not as scary as anticipated. When we met a double-trailer truck filled with bales of hay on the turns ahead of us; we took it as an indication the switch-backs would not be so severe! NZ has made the effort to help make the journey from east-to-west a safer drive. Scenery was fantastic &the alpine vistas were worth the effort. Glacier blue water in the creeks; trees adorned in a red mantle; the sky a vivid blue and the moon visible over the rugged edge of the mountains. Picture postcard wherever we looked. We saw our first Kea; an alpine parrot native to South NZ. Signs posted warned against feeding or leaving anything that their beaks & claws could pull apart. They sat in trees above our heads while we ate our picnic with loud cries of “keeeaa” giving away their presence. Dull green-grey colour about 3x size of a Dove, plumb looking and rather insignificant until they spread their winds; then the vibrant colours of red, blue and rose of their wing feathers wanted you to feed them so they would fly closer for a better look! But we didn’t for our and their sake!
We made it to Greymouth by 2 and it was 29 C. After a wee rest, Helen & Liz went swimming. Tom and I drove a ½ hour to Hokitika, the only place in NZ where greenstone and Goodletite (which contains ruby, sapphire & tourmaline crystals) are found. Tom gifted me a greenstone (Jade) for my birthday, souvenir of our trip. Success found a unique piece with different shades of stone & carved in Maori tradition. The triple twist – crossover, which represents a bonding of friendship, two lives becoming one for eternity! AHHHHHHHHHHH Shopping done we drove to Sunset Point with a great view of the Tasman Sea, Aoraki /Cook Mountains, Tambo’s shipwreck and to walk on the beach. A wonderful wild beach at high tide with rolling breakers, black sand & pebbles (yes I looked for fossilized pebbles and pounamu-jade). Tom can’t believe my fascination with beach stones! Beach-combing comes naturally; what can I say!
Tomorrow we’ll head north along hwy 6 to Westport; reportedly the best ocean views in NZ. At this point not sure if we will continue to Picton for the weekend or stop in Nelson or Blenheim. We’ll visit I-site in the morning & go from there. Pictures will have to wait until we have a better internet package. We are doing well. Tom is doing an amazing job; staying cool while travelling with 3 women and getting us to our designations safely!

Christchurch Feb-3-2010

We spent today downtown Christchurch. We bought an all-day pass for the tram which circuits the inner city and stops at all the main attractions. The $15 NZ ticket is good for 2-days and you may get on/off any of the trams on the circuit as you please. There was also a 2-for-1 ticket special on the Caterpillar electric shuttle Botanic Garden tour. Again you could stay on board for the full hour tour or hop off/on the different shuttles at any of the 10 designated stops. Both were the way to go to visit the city. It was 22 degrees and sunny; interesting in that 22 C is the normal for summer and 2 C is the normal for winter. I would need Helen or Liz to help me write this blog to describe all the flowers, trees and hot house orchids we saw (79 acres of garden). The garden theme was Begonias; I never knew begonias could grow the size of a dinner plate and the colour variety was indescribable. Pictures will not do it justice!
We were very impressed with CC. There is something here for every type of tourist without it being built for tourist: architecture, culture, floral and adventure! Food and coffee isn’t so bad either! It’s been a wonderful visit. Tomorrow we hit the road again for the west coast to Greymouth via Arthur’s Pass. It should be another exciting ride through the mountains and the weather promises to be good! Helen has our picnic prepared; they have already gone to bed in anticipation of travelling tomorrow. We’ve booked www.gablesmotorlodge.com for the night; should have free internet to get back in touch. Good night from Down-Under

Akaroa Peninsula, Feb-2-10

Our first day in the Christchurch area was overcast with strong winds off the ocean. James, motel owner, suggested we travel to the old whaling town of Akaroa, Banks Peninsula, SE of Christchurch. We didn’t know it was a 75k drive through lowlands and mountains suffering an immense erosion problem. But the real surprise came during the last 30K; a sharp climb of 815 metres to Hill Top, with the usual sharp turns, switch-backs & long drop off the roadside (yes, we were on the outside lane) before a downward race on similar roads. Perfectly working brakes are an absolute! During our climb we saw a car on a bend high above us; then we noticed a private plane flying over the mountain. It appeared as if the car and plane were travelling at the same altitude! Amazing scenery when you could take your eyes off of the road. However, I now know why my neck is sore ... it’s from stretching to see around the curves in those mountains...
Akaroa village was originally settled by the French....and a strong French presence remains in the style of buildings, street names and some of the inhabitants. It’s a pretty town situated on a small harbour with up-scale tourist shops, museums, restaurants and of course, real estate offices. My sense is that this town is also popular as a “cottage” destination for the wealthier residents of Christchurch; those that fly to Akaroa. Around 4pm, after lunch by the sea and a couple of hours touring the village we began the climb over the mountain to CC. We detoured to an olive oil tasting store (closed/sold-out) and eventually stopped in Cooptown (yes) at an orchard for peaches and sweet cherries. Yummy!
We were told that stopping at Birdlings Flat, a coastal beach on our route was a must. A pebbled beach with rocks constantly rolling with the strong wave action, the roar of the sea surrounds you. Birdlings Flat is in theory rich with over 20 types of semi-precious stones, particularly agates. We found some nice coloured stones however nothing too precious. Riverton on the extreme south coast was better for beachcombing. Perhaps we were expecting too much!
PS – on route to CC we passed a farm with the name “Tree Hugger Organic Farm”!

Pacific Ocean Drive Feb-01-2010

Today we left Dunedin to drive north along the South Pacific Coast to Christchurch. Once the car was packed, we walked around the corner of our hotel to Speight’s Brewery – the Pride of the South – no, not for a morning beer but to fill our water bottles! Speight’s Brewery water source is a natural spring. When permission was given to tap the spring in 1876, the agreement was to make the water available to the town. That agreement is still honoured. Daily people refill containers at the sidewalk spigot. During our stay we developed the habit of filling our travelling containers, to get non-chlorinated water. Boy, did that water taste fresh and cool!
The drive to Christchurch is a 4-5 hour drive without stops. We agreed we would stop at least 3 times & our lodging place in CC was expecting us around 6pm. The 3 stops were Shag Point to look for sea life; Moeraki to see the beach ‘Boulders’ and Oamaru for cheese factory & lunch! From there it would take 2.5 hrs to CC. Tom spotted a road sign for a cheese factory & spur of the moment we thought we had arrived at Oamaru! The shop was closed but before we had time to leave; this man was opening the door to greet us! Hence we met Colin! Low & behold Liz & Helen had bought cheese from Colin at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday in Dunedin. Over the course of the next few minutes of conversation, Colin mentioned today was his birthday as well as his son Paul. What a surprise – spontaneous hugs when I told him it was my birthday as well! What a hoot! These are the first individuals I’ve met born on Feb 1. It turned out we were in Waikouaiti and not Oamaru; coincidence – I think not! It truly started my day off right; check out Colin & his sons’ cheese factory at www.evansdalecheese.co.nz. The picture attached is the 3 Feb-1 birthday babies!
As it happens, Colin had a Canadian connection, having almost purchased a cheese factory in Gatineau. We had a few good laughs, a few great stories & a lot of exceptionally good-tasting samples. Apparently Colin named his cheeses after the women in his life; Ruby Red was named after his mom, he didn’t say who Marilyn Blue was but did say he has now uses dog names! A story there for sure! Thanks for the birthday gift of cheeses Colin, very pleased to have met you and Paul and looking forward to when our paths cross again. Paul took the time to confirm we should stop at the 2 nature sites but the drive through the mountains from Geraldine was more scenic than sticking to HWY 1.
We drove away waving until we were out of sight – a bright step to our walk & a smile on our faces. Further north on Hwy 1, we stopped at Shag Point to view the seals, sea lions and perhaps, but not sure, a rare yellow-eyed penguin. This reminds me of NL and/or PEI; wind-swept, high, rugged terrain over-looking the ocean. We did manage to see a few seals and lions but not sure if the spec we saw was a yellow-eyed penguin or not! We chatted to a few folks snorkelling and they pointed out a few more large sea lions and 2 penguins. Was it windy! Do you know the line ... ‘have you been to sea when the sea is blue and the sky is too ...blah .. blah.. foam sweeping the deck’ ... well it was that type of day!
Next stop Moeraki Boulders! This little fishing village has become famous for this geological wonder on its windswept sands. The Moeraki Boulders are large egg-shaped, patterned rocks scattered over a small area & positioned in a line heading out to sea. These are no ordinary round rocks; ‘septarian’ creations formed from ancient sea floor sediments; and created similar to formation of oyster pearls. (Pamphlet) For the boulders, it was a fossil shell, bone fragment, or piece of wood. Lime minerals in the sea accumulated on the core over time, and the concretion grew into perfectly spherical shapes up to 3M in diameter. It was about a 10 minute walk to reach the boulders on the beach, well worth it! Some of the boulders have now split into pieces, displaying the jewellery quality stones and colours inside. One was cracked like an egg; a man stood inside to have his picture taken & gave a reference to the size. I have some interesting pictures to share later. I couldn’t resist pocketing a few small pieces of shell & pebbles before I left the beach on my return to the car. (No, I didn’t take a piece of the Boulders – too large!)
Too windy to eat our picnic here; we drove to Oamaru and picnicked at the public gardens. An hour’s break to appreciate the flowers; bright, big and beautiful flowers are everywhere; attended with care and lots of it to keep it looking like it is! Impressive! Our drive passed fields and fields of lavender; bright purple fields among the strawberry blond barley fields – combined with herds of Holsteins, Angus & sheep! As far as the eye could see were prosperous looking farms with all manner of irrigation systems in operation! We are now 250K from Christchurch and driving under a rainbow of colour from the spray.
Another unique thing they do here is the use of hedges for windbreakers! Hedges are 20 feet high 2 metres wide; rows several hundred metres long, angled to optimize benefit. These hedges are used all over this area of the South Island. The windy conditions we’ve experienced and this is summer – we can only imagine how desperately they need these windbreakers. White caps on the ocean & grand scale farms ... otherwise you could class this section of the road as boring! Late afternoon and a desired to reach CC changed our minds about taking the scenic route via Geraldine.
Our motel in the Brighton Beach area of Christchurch is an ocean-side motel, near the pier and surfer school. The strong, cool wind doesn’t seem to deter the many fishermen and the occasional surfer. Looking out from our balcony we could be absolutely anywhere in the world where you have a view of rolling white capped waves and miles of grey fine sandy beach! From the road you climb over a wooden stair to get over the sand dunes to reach the beach. Marvellous – what a way to bring in the next decade of my life surrounded with love and new experiences. Thank you family & friends for all your birthday wishes – while we are hemispheres apart you are only a heartbeat away (isn’t that how the song goes!)