New Zealand Revisited (9)

 

With 1257 images now in a properly indexed and labelled state sufficient for Sue to compose a Photobook, here are images from our last five days in New Zealand.

 

Hasn't it gone quickly!

 

On 8 March 2008, some forest paths with occasional views kept us entertained. The tree pictured above was somewhat of a curiosity.

 

Globetrekkers Lodge in Omapere proved an excellent spot from where to view the sunset on 9 March.

 

 

We saw some massive Kauri trees on 10 March. Some exceed 50 metres in height, with a girth of over 13 metres, They are over 1200 years old.

 

 

We made our way to stay with Sue's mother's cousin Barbara in Auckland, and on our last day in New Zealand, 11 March, we enjoyed a walk on nearby Piha Beach.

 

 

On 12 March we dumped the Silver Bullet and flew home via a five hour break in Singapore.

 

 

I hope readers enjoyed that little NZ interlude. I did, anyway. Back to 1986 next...

New Zealand Revisited (8)

 

I've taken a break from NZ today, with only five days being 'processed'. I'll finish the job tomorrow.

 

From Rotorua we travelled to the Coromandel Peninsula on 3 March, stopping for a long break at Karangahake Gorge, where we explored paths and tunnels associated with gold mining between 1875 and 1920.

 

4 March was a wet day. We found some shelter in Cathedral Cove.

 

 

Blue skies greeted us on 5 March, when we headed to Black Jack Lodge near Knoatunu, which had been recommended by folk at Moana Lodge in Wellington. Here, Carl and Carol offer 'sit-on' kayaks on which you can paddle from their lawn up a river or into the sea. We did both; most enjoyable.

 

 

A 438 km drive on 6 March took us to the Bay of Islands. We stopped en route for a comfort break at some quirky toilets built by Frederick Hundertwasser.

 

 

We stayed at Mayfair Lodge in Paihia for three nights. On 7 March Sue went scuba diving and I enjoyed a bike ride that passed Haruru Falls.

 

New Zealand Revisited (7)

 

The Waitomo Caves, visited on 25 February 2008, proved to be quite an adventure, with some flooded passages and some tight squeezes. The wetsuits proved invaluable.

 

On 26 February, we embarked on the Tongariro Northern Circuit, hiking in to the Mangatepopo Hut, from where we enjoyed a glorious sunset.

 

 

27 February - after an early start to climb Mount Ngauruhoe, we moved on to Mount Tongariro, from where this picture back to Mount Ngauruhoe (of Lord of the Rings fame) was taken.

 

 

Our third day on the circuit, 28 February, started from Waihohonu Hut.

 

 

Sky diving in Taupo gave Sue a thrill on 29 February.

 

 

A rainy day on 1 March saw us cheering on the participants of an Ironman Triathlon.

 

 

We moved on to Rotorua, where on 2 March we admired the Devil's Bath from a safe distance.

 

More progress across the North Island will be made tomorrow...

New Zealand Revisited (6)

 

It has been another productive day for photo processing, and I'm enjoying selecting one picture from each day for these rather rushed postings.

 

On 16 February 2008 we found ourselves in Renwick, wine producing country, so we lunched - with copious amounts of wine - at Framingham, a Marlborough winery (above).

 

By 17 February we were in Nelson, admiring the stained glass windows from within the rather odd looking cathedral.

 

 

Our next adventure, starting on 18 February, was a three day kayaking trip on the Abel Tasman coast.

 

 

It was an organised trip, with good guidance and good food. Here we are on 19 February, awaiting our evening meal.

 

The trip continued into 20 February, when we took a short break on the beach at Pitt Head.
 

 

Kayaking over, we moved on to Picton, from where on 21 February we walked a short but scenic section of the Queen Charlotte Track, which yielded some fine views.

 

 

22 February marked our crossing to the North Island, with this 'sun dog' impressing us at one point.

 

 

The botanic garden in Wellington kept us occupied for a few hours on 23 February - the flower below is an 'August Koch' water lily.

 

 

On 24 February we left our Wellington base - Plimmerton - pictured below at the start of a rainy day, and headed to Rap, Raft 'n' Rock bunkhouse, near Waitomo Caves

 

New Zealand Revisited (5)

 

It has been another productive day of 'processing' images from New Zealand.

 

Starting above, on 7 February 2008 Sue and I enjoyed a kayaking trip in Doubtful Sound, curtailed by poor weather, but I'm not sure how well we'd have fared with the sandflies had we gone ahead with the planned camp!

 

On 8 February we moved on from Te Anau to Wanaka, via Kingston, where this picture of the Silver Bullet Grey Slug, our hire car with 134,000 km on the clock, was taken.

 

 

On 9 February we were to be found in the Matukitubi Valley, where we were befriended by this Kea bird.

 

 

The next day, 10 February, was spent on several excursions from Wanaka, including one to a toy and motor museum. The toys included a Lego village from the 1980s identical to one that resides in our loft, and the cars included what I think is an Austin A40 Devon Estate car.

 

 

My first trip to Scotland, in September 1968, was in one of these. We managed about 40 miles a day, picking up spares and carrying out repairs from time to time. NAM 648 is pictured below outside our rented two-up/two-down house in Levenshulme (where the only taps were in the kitchen sink and the lavatory was at the end of the back yard) on the day that Howard (RIP) decided he could no longer afford to keep it and so - minutes after this photo was taken - took it to our local scrapyard.

 

 

On 11 February we moved from Wanaka to Franz Joseph, going via a walk to Monro Beach on an over-sanitised path through rain forest.

 

 

Franz Joseph Glacier, which since 1970 had been advancing, proved elusive, but the mist on 12 February did clear briefly, late in the day.

 

 

The road from Franz Joseph to St Arnaud, a 500 km journey in the Silver Bullet (now with a chipped windscreen) took us past the Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki on 13 February.

 

 

The next two days were taken up with the Angelus Hut Loop, where we saw some interesting flowers, this one on 14 February.

 

 

It rained, and on 15 February we had a few torrents to cross before making our way slowly back to the Travers-Sabine Lodge in St Arnaud.

 

 

That's it for today, when in other news, and thanks to a slight relaxing of lockdown rules, we enjoyed an unexpected encounter with JJ, who kindly donated two boxes of tomato plants in return for some tea and cake. Thanks JJ.

New Zealand Revisited (4)

 

New Zealand photo 'processing' is proceeding apace.

 

On 29 January 2008 we took several outings from Whitehorse Campground, including one up to Tasman Glacier View - above.

 

30 January saw us heading off to Queenstown, where we enjoyed this evening view across the lake.

 

 

31 January was spent in Queenstown, with a walk up Queenstown Hill, past this 'Basket of Dreams' sculpture.

 

 

After a night at Kinloch Lodge, we set off on 1 February along the Routeburn Track hiking route, stopping for the night at the Routeburn Flats Hut, where this Bush Robin was in residence.

 

 

On 2 February we continued to Lake Mackenzie Hut, via a cloud inversion on Conical Hill (1515 metres).

 

 

3 February saw us continuing along the Routeburn Track to join the Caples Track and finish up at the Upper Caples Hut. En route, there were some rather narrow sections of 'path'.

 

 

On 4 February we left the Upper Caples Hut (below) and got a lift from the road head back to the luxury of Kinloch Lodge.

 

 

5 February found us kayaking on Milford Sound.

 

 

An overnight cruise saw us at anchor in Harrison Cove, with the early morning view on 6 February shown below.

 

 

Meanwhile, I'm missing the TGO Challenge backpack across Scotland - I should have been in the Loch Ness area by now, bathing in an Arctic breeze, if it hadn't been cancelled. But my booking for next year in Torridon Youth Hostel was confirmed today...

 

And in Timperley the swifts arrived on time on 7 May, but sadly without the contingent that up to 2018 nested in our house. We miss them.

New Zealand Revisited (3)

 

Today has been spent proof reading Volume 2 of my Pyrenees HRP book, so there has been very little time for 'processing' the New Zealand pictures. Just a couple of days done.

 

After arriving in Christchurch, we spent a couple of days with a former work colleague of Sue's, Pam, and her partner Rob. Rob is a keen surfer, and not far from their home in Sumner is a fine surfing beach called Taylor's Mistake, pictured above on 27 January. According to local folklore, it's named after a captain who ran aground here after mistaking the bay for the entrance to nearby Lyttelton Harbour.

 

On 28 January we said goodbye to Pam and Rob and headed off to the Mount Cook area, stopping en route at the Church of the Good Shepherd, where there's a stunning view of Lake Tekapo from its window above the altar. The church also provided a tranquil place to shelter from the strong wind.

 

New Zealand Revisited (2)

 

I've spent a bit of time on our New Zealand pictures today, and have sorted and re-named the first four days' images. Here are one from each day.

 

Above - on 23 January 2008, an orchid in the wonderful botanic gardens in Singapore.

 

Next, on 24 January, a picture of the impressive Sri Mariamman Temple - a Hindu temple in the heart of the Chinese quarter in Singapore.

 

 

On 25 January, we flew to Christchurch, where our first port of call was some more botanic gardens!

 

 

The next day, 26 January, we visited Akaroa and the Banks Peninsula, where we found lots of sea shells.

 

 

That's it for now - there are links, where I give the date in bold text, to our contemporaneous blog postings, should anyone be interested. Note the second link (posting) covers several days.

 

Meanwhile, here in Timperley there have been VE Day celebrations - rather 'socially distanced' for want of a better description. A 'phone call with one of this blog's most avid readers revealed, in answer to the question - "What did you do on VE Day in 1945?" the following: "I was aged 20 then, and cycled from Rugeley to Milford Common with Margaret (younger sister), where there was a big party and we danced with the soldiers. I remember it vividly."

 

Well remembered, Dot.