Day 15 - 18: Oamaru to Wellington

You may well ask yourselves where are the silly buggers?

We left Oamaru on the 28th, heading for Christchurch. Our stay in the 1860's Empire Hotel was OK, (photo to right shows Paul parking bike next to Empire Hotel). Unfortunately the forecast was for light drizzle, and that is what we had for most of the morning. We arrived in Christchurch, cold and damp, but my lovely Auntie and Uncle showed us a warm welcome. They took us for a drive around Christchurch to see some of the earthquake damage, I didn't feel a need to photograph it, it was all very sad.

What amazes me is the attitude and the continuity of the people.

We left for Kaikoura the next morning after a warm family evening. The ride was lovely, with lots of sunshine, but a wee bit chilly. We stopped in Kaikoura for lunch and a look at the

Seal colony ( bike parked at Seal Colony), but it did not really appeal so we continued on to Blenheim. We spent Thursday night at a lovely backpackers called the Vines in Blenheim. Then on to Picton on Friday for a stay at the Villa backpackers and a good stomp around Picton and the Waikawa Marina. On our way back

from looking at the boats we bumped into a couple we met about 3 years ago on a yacht called Vitoria, again we realise what a small world it is.

Up at 7 this morning to be at the ferry terminal by 9am, the photo to the right is Picton waterfront at about 8.15am.

We then drove over to the ferry terminal and parked up waiting for the ferry loading.We met with a group of other bikers who had also done a tour of the South Island, but they did it in 7 days. They were a hoot. Also a young American chappy who had just bought his motorbike from Dunedin.

I love the ferry trip, but then we had very good weather both crossings. The Marlborough sounds are beautiful. Anyway the photo to right is Paul and the other bikers ready to off load from the ferry in Wellington.

Tonight we are at the Downtown Backpackers on Waterloo Quay. We have had a look at Te Papa, the Parliament buildings, and walked some of Central Wellington this evening. Tonight there was a Hurricanes rugby game at the "Cake Tin", so town was hiving. Very exciting, but not really our cup of tea. Big trip tomorrow we are hoping to get to Hamilton, will see how our butts hold out.

day14: Dunedin to Oamaru and Paul's B'day.

We both enjoyed our stay in Dunedin, it is a great city with a very vibrant atmosphere. I think that may be due to the large number of young people studying at the Uni. I do not usually like hilly places but Dunedin is OK.

We left this morning under glorious blue skies and a wee nip in the air. The ride to Oamaru only took about 1 1/2 hours, with a stop at the Moeraki Boulders on the way, see photo below.

They were really fascinating, just some round rocks on the beach with nothing else around, they have something to do with a build up of sediment around a core, similar to how a pearl grows. Some of them have split and a coating of lime quartz stuff has got into the cracks. Our country truly amazes me at every turn, with the incredible diversity and sheer beauty of our flora, fauna and landscape. And so on to Oamaru, another little jewel in our landscape. What an amazing town, it is chock full of Victorian architecture and history.

We took a walk through the Victorian Precinct, which is at its best on a Sunday, with markets etc. We checked out the local museum and then on to the Public Park which was lovely. The photo to the right may mean something to some of you. If you can't read it, it is the "Lanes Emulsion" building, apparently Mum used to give us "Lanes Emulsion" when we were kids. I think luckily I can't remember it.

The last photo is of the public park in Oamaru, there is a statue which is a bit hard to see in this photo, with fairies on it, quite lovely if your into that sort of thing.

So tonight we are out to dinner for Paul's Birthday, He is a very well preserved 54 today. And even more handsome than the day I met Him.

day 12: Invercargill to Dunedin Day 13: Dunedin

We left Invercargill under rain laden skies hoping to get to Bluff before the rain actually fell, but our hopes were dashed, we made it to within 10kms of Bluff before it started to spit. We had also thought about doing the Southern Scenic route through the Catlins area, but the rain was going to be persistent in that area, so Dunedin was our destination for the day. The trip was cold and cloudy, with a quick stop at Gore for an apple. We arrived in Dunedin just after lunch and found the Chalet Backpackers on High St, (see Photo right) we just got settled into our room and the rain came down. The Backpackers is situated within 10mins walk of Octagon, but coming back is about 15mins up hill. So we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon wandering around central Dunedin.

The central city is loaded with historic old buildings, so many that I didn't get one photo of them, spoilt for choice. Being a Sunday it was fairly quiet but still bustling with the cafe set. The highlight for me was the Chinese Garden down by the Railway station, it was beautiful and very restful, even though it cost $9 to look at it. But I found it very restful after the constant moving of the last few weeks. I think Paul and I are getting a bit tired. So we decided to spend day 13 in Dunedin again, and have a more restful day....yeah right.

Day 13: We spent the morning relaxing and then at about 10ish we headed off for the Otago Peninsular for a look at the Albatross Centre and Larnach Castle. The scenery was lovely, but the harbour is very shallow in places and looks very much like Whangarei Harbour. We reached the Albatross Centre out at Tairoa Head? it was very informative, but to see an Albatross was going to cost us $100 for a tour. So we looked at the photo's instead. Then on to Larnach Castle, apparently a beautiful building filled with antiques and an award winning garden, but alas that was going to cost $54 just to have a look, so we passed on that.

This probably has become one of my pet peeves during this trip, the amount of money that you have to fork out to see stuff. Yes there are places you can go and things you can do that cost nothing, but the rest costs an arm and a leg and your right ear as well.

Anyway back to Dunedin we came, and walked down from the hostel to the Law Courts Tavern for a lovely roast dinner for $11.50 a head, damn good value. So that brings you up to date with our goings on, tomorrow we are off to Oamaru then we will see after that.

Day 11 Queenstown to Invercargill

Well our plans of going to Te Anau have had to be canned due to the weather, a cold front is coming in from the South West and rain is on the way. So we have decided to head for Invercargill, stopping on the way at Kingston to see the steam train the "Kingston Flyer". Photo's are of Queenstown from the backpackers garden, and Paul having his morning coffee.

We left the hustle and bustle of Queenstown at just after 9am hoping to get to Kingston by 10am, when the flyer left. It was a race against the clock and we made it with 5 mins, we managed to get a video of it huffing and puffing and letting off steam. As Paul said it was like a living thing, taking off down the track.

The rest of the trip to Invercargill was pretty uneventful, apart from watching the approaching rain clouds and hoping we wouldn't get too wet. We passed through Winton, the place where my Great- Grandad was born, and arrived in Invercargill just as it started to spit. Our Backpackers was a lovely old villa, not far from the Invercargill Museum and city centre. So we had lunch and headed off to explore in the rain. We found the museum was really good, with a great movie showing about Burt Munroe "The world's fastest Indian" fame. See below for photo's of his bike.

We then went on a walk around the city centre and had a beer/cider at "Waxy O'Sheas" Irish pub. After tea we went to try and find Paul's old house that he lived in with his parents when he was a wee nipper. We found the street but not the house, was supposed to be 44 Lithgow st, but there was no 44 or 46, very odd.

I really liked Invercargill, it as broad straight streets, and lovely old houses,reminds a bit of old Australian towns.

Day 10: Wanaka to Queenstown

Sunrise over Wanaka was beautiful, our Backpackers over looked the lake from the dining room giving us amazing views at sunset and sunrise. Paul and I both liked Wanaka, it is touristy but laid back enough to be quaint still. Our plan for the day was to head to Cromwell and then to Queenstown.

Cromwell is a lovely town on the banks of Lake Dunstan and the Kawerau river, we explored Old Cromwell town, the old town buildings that were relocated when the Clutha River was dammed.

We continued on the the Goldfields display in the Kawerau Gorge, this was pretty interesting, and really rugged country. The Kawerau Gorge was rocky and dry with growths of wild Thyme and wild roses everywhere. I loved the ruggedness of the place, but it was hot and dry.

So on to Queenstown, the uber tourist spot of the Southern Alps.

We arrived in Queenstown at about 2pm on a Friday, and it was abuzz with tourists , tourists and more tourists. We both were amazed at how congested, over blown, tacky it all was. The backpackers we had booked for the night was a bit tacky, but it had a great view from the little deck, down in the garden. Paul and I had planned on 2 nights in Queenstown, but after arriving we decided to get out of town the next day. So we did our Earnslaw cruise at 6pm, it was great. we both fell in love with the old steam ship. On the way back from Walter Peak Station (where the ship goes) we were sitting on the Promenade deck when some young ladies from Asia started playing the piano, they were pretty good, one started playing "Moon River", so we had a bit of a sing-a-long. What a memory to keep, but perhaps we could forget Queenstown.

Day 9: Haast to Wanaka

Well our spell of golden weather came to an end just as we left the West coast. We woke up early to get away before the rain set in, but we didn't get up early enough. The drizzle had started by 7am the sun didn't get up till 7.45am. But we put our wet weathers on and braved the Haast Pass. The drizzle didn't come to much and we managed to escape the dreaded West Coast wet. The ride through the Haast Pass was amazing, the mountain ranges and river valleys make you feel so insignificant and yet so blessed at the same time. The first photo is the confluence of the Haast and Landsborough rivers.

The number of tourists down this way from all over the world, they come here to see our country, and all we want to do is get out to see the rest of the world, go figure.

Photo 2 is the Upper reaches of Lake Wanaka near Makaroa.

We arrived in Wanaka by about 10.30am and checked into the backpackers over looking Lake Wanaka. We spent the afternoon walking around the lake and checking out Wanaka, a beautiful place but very touristy. Photo 3 is Paul standing on a jetty overlooking Lake Wanaka, the snowy peak in the background is Mt Aspiring (I think).

Day 8: Hokitika to Haast

After a very nice stay at the Jade Backpackers in Hokitika, we decided to head off early for the big trip to Haast. Both Paul and I loved Hokitika, it had a very laid back atmosphere, not overly touristy, and the constant sound of the surf on the beach was great.

After much deliberation we decided to only go and visit one glacier (there is two on the West Coast Franz Josef and Fox Glacier). We chose Fox Glacier on the recommendation of the Backpacker manager at Hokitika. You can get within 200mtres of the face of the glacier. This may not sound that close, but they are dangerous, and the Department of Conservation is covering its ass. I was awe inspired, astounded, stupified, amazed..... at the whole glacier valley and the grandeur of the area. The titanic forces involved in moving the rock and

debris, awesome. Amazingly the morning had been quite cold on the bike, but a half hour walk up to the glacier face and it was pretty damn warm. As you can see by our silly grins it was great. The rest of the day we wound our way south to Haast, the West Coast scenery is beautiful, and the bush is lush. We arrived at Haast at about 4ish, crossing the mighty Haast river. Our Backpackers accommodation was quite nice. But today will be the last of the golden weather, as a rain system is due in the morning, and then again on Saturday. Oh well, we have had 3 days of fine weather on the WestCoast, I think that is pretty good.

day 7: Westport to Hokitika

We left Westport at about 9ish and headed off to Punakaiki, it was a bit fresh but a beautiful clear day. The ride was a bit windy and windy (sort that out), but it was a lovely ride past some amazing coastal scenery. Punakaiki rocks are spectacular, with amazing blowholes and fabulous coastal views. Today was actually a reasonably calm day so the action was not as spectacular as could be observed.

We stopped for lunch in Greymouth at the Railway Hotel, with a beer/cider and chippies. We both did not think a great deal of Greymouth, it was windy and a bit blah.

So onward to Hokitika, the mountains came into view with their snow capped peaks. Not to long and we will be in the thick of it.

Hokitika is a lovely town, with its history and its old buildings. The people are pretty nice as well. We did part of the heritage walk this afternoon, but gave up as it got too hot. For those of you in Northland coping with a weather bomb.....eat your heart out.

Day 6

Paul and I survived the Palace Hostel in Nelson, in fact it turned out to be a very pleasant stay. The young people were not too scary (ha ha), the worst part was the Noodle Canteen that we had for dinner. We left Nelson at about 9ish and headed to Westport, traversing the Buller Gorge (photo) on the way. All I can say is it was absolutely brilliant. A great ride, with a bit of rain, and morning tea at Murchison. We arrived in Westport at about lunchtime and booked into the Tripinn hostel, a beautiful historic building. After lunch we rode over to the Cape Foulwind Seal colony and

lighthouse, we saw the seals but they were quite away from

the viewing platform so I will not bore you with my skody photos. After that we went up to the Denniston Plateau, the old coal mining area above Westport. They have done a great job of erecting information boards around the area, with explanations and stories of what was there and how people lived and worked.

As you can see from the photo Paul wanted a hands on experience. We were both amazed at how those people lived in such a harsh environment, with so few facilities and thrived.

Our stay at the backpackers was very nice and quiet and comfortable (I should be an advert for them).

day 4 and 5: Waikanae to Nelson

We left Jaz's place at about 10.30 am after a good nights sleep and and good old chin wag. We navigated our way to the Bluebridge ferry terminal on the waterfront in Wellington. We were one of three bikes waiting at the terminal. Paul took the bike onto the ferry and I went on as a passenger. He scored us some seats right at the front with panoramic views of the crossing. We were at a table with an elderly couple from Dargaville who had come on in a campervan. The crossing was a bit breezy, but reasonably smooth and very picturesque. Going through the Tory Channel was really cool, as I had read a book recently by Heather Heberley, who lives on Arapawa Island in the Tory Channel. It was great to see what she had written about. The ferry arrived in Picton at 5pm and we all saddled up and headed off to our respective destination. We headed to Blenheim to catch up with my Nephews and their partners. We booked into the Koanui Backpackers which was a wee bit noisy, due to revellers coming home at all hours (St Patricks day). But it was reasonable accommodation.

Day 5 found us up early for a coffee in the lounge, showers etc and then over to Adams place for another coffee before we left. We left Blenheim at about 10am and headed to Nelson, we had planned on doing the scenic route through Picton and on around the sounds coast, but the weather looked pretty threatening in that direction. Our ride to Nelson was lovely, with a nice windy road that puts the Para Para road to shame. We arrive in Nelson around lunchtime and started looking for a Backpackers. We have ended up at the Palace Backpackers, which is a lovely old house with beautiful gardens, and right in the middle of town. The downside is, it is filled with "Young People" AHHHHHHHH. You may ask, "what the hell did you expect in a backpackers?" Yeah we know, we are mad, but then it isn't so bad.............yet.

day 3: Wanganui to Waikanae

Today was not a big riding day, as it is only 130ish Kms from Wanganui to Waikanae. We stayed in Wanganui until after lunch, going into town again and checking out the waterfront. The ride down was lovely with a nice sunny day and light winds, we stopped at an Antique shop on the road between Wanganui and Bulls, there was a Scottish shop there as well, which was really interesting to look at. We showed up at Jaz's (Paul's mate from years ago) place at about 4ish and He and Paul have been doing 35 years of catching up.

Day Two: Taupo to Wanganui

After spending a very pleasant time with Carleen and Steve in Taupo we packed up and headed off at about 8.30am. The clouds were hanging very low over the lake and over the Mountains, we did hesitate about waiting till it cleared, but being the intrepid adventurers that we are, we carried on. We got drizzled on between Taupo and Turangi, but after that the clouds cleared and it turned into a beautiful day. By the time we got to the Desert Road it was sunny, but still a bit crisp. We had to have a photo of the bike and the mountain. The scenery on the Desert Road is beautiful, I love that windswept harsh environment, there seemed to be a purple haze of heather everywhere (well we think it was Heather).
We stopped at Waiouru for a coffee and a warm up, then we continued on to Bulls, with the odd stop for photo's etc. Bulls was a delight of antique shop and Army Surplus store, but it was windy. It then continued windy to Wanganui, making for an entertaining ride. We arrived in Wanganui at about 3ish, walked down from Jason and Tash's place to town then back up the Durie Hill staircase (next time we take the elevator). Spent a lovely night with Jason and Tash. Sleep.

Day 1 Whangarei to Taupo

After a bit of rushing around like chickens with our heads cut off, we have left for our cruisin' trip around the South Island. On waking yesterday we did have a few doubts, as per usual

it was raining in Whangarei. But we bit the bullet, packed the bike and took off. We got rained on just before Wellsford and then it cleared up to a beautiful fine day. Orewa for morning tea and a top-up with gas, then straight through Auckland.

We stopped for lunch in Gordonton, a little country town in the Waikato. Lunch was had under

a beautiful big Oak tree, with a handy fruit and vege vendor parked there, so Black boy peaches for lunch (yum). The toilet was the highlight for me, a 90ish year old gentleman puts flowers in the ladies toilet every week, it was neat to see the notes of appreciation on the wall .

Onward to Taupo, with a quick stop in Cambridge to admire some antique shops, and a roadside stop for blackberries. We reached Taupo at about 4 and went down to the lakeside to chill out and admire the view. We found my niece Carleens place, Then we all went downtown for a drinks and Indian takeaway for tea (yum again). What a great day for our first leg.

Cruising to Cruisin'

Well since Paul and I have been back in Whangarei getting our gear box fixed things have gone into a bit of a spin. When we got back we dusted off the Honda Shadow and went for a spin (as you do) it got us thinking that perhaps we should do a tour of the South Island during Autumn on the bike. We planned to go off for another month and a half cruising in Kabuki, and then come back for Xavier's 20th birthday and go off in May. But after mulling this over and talking to Pauls Dad (who has done the trip twice) we have decided to shoot off in a few days, before it gets too cold.

So as you can imagine we are hooting with excitement (well as much as Paul and I hoot). What, you may ask, are they doing, this is a sailing/cruising page, not a biking/cruisin page?

We are minor adventurers, wanting the wind in our hair ( which we would have on the boat if we didn't wear hats for the sun, and ditto on the bike if no helmets) taking risks, relying on each other, seeing this great country of ours whether by sea or land. Really we are just irresponsible empty-nesters, who are living life to the full, while we have the energy and ability to do it. Too many times you hear about people our age getting ill, incapacitated and having to give up their dreams, or unfortunately dying before they have realised their dreams. We have decided to get in while we can, enjoy the benefits of having worked all those years.

So I will keep you informed of our adventure, and hopefully be able to upload some beautiful photo's of the South Island etc.

Back In Whanga's!

Paul and I sailed back to Whangarei from Great Barrier Island on Sunday 4th, we had a great sail with wind on the beam, we were averaging 7knots a one point. Leaving Great Barrier was a bit of a relief, as usual we had very windy weather out there, with a storm blowing through on Friday and Saturday 2/3rd of March with winds up to 60 knots. We had found ourselves a snug anchorage on Thursday ready for the blow, but on Friday some Auckland wankers (can you guess I might have been a weee bit peeved) came and anchored too close to us, we had 120ft of chain out ready for the blow, long story short, when we started to swing to our chain there boats were in the way, but did they move......no they watched us getting closer and closer. In the end at 10.30 at night with the wind picking up to 30-40 knots we moved to a more exposed spot. We both felt safer being away from wankers like that. We had heard them comment earlier in the day that they had never had to anchor with all chain before, perhaps we should have taken the hint from that. Anyhow enough of my rant.

The sail back to Whangarei started with a bit of chop in the Colville channel after the blow the night before, but it smoothed out and the sail was lovely. We had a visit from a pod of dolphins as we sailed past the Hen and Chicken Islands. Then the wind died completely when we got into the Whangarei Harbour. We have since taken out and had new seals put in the gearbox thingy(Paul knows what it is) and today we replaced it on the motor. We have taken the bike for a wee blat, and we have caught up with a bit of shopping. We plan to hang here until monday then we hope to head north up to Houhora Harbour perhaps. We will see which way the wind blows????