Day 14 Frans Joseph to Wanaka 1st March 2011

Added new picture of glacier crevasses to yesterdays post.

We woke to the sound of heavy rain beating on the roof of the van, exactly as forecast. Looking out of the window, it looked grey and miserable.  The sort of day when you just want to roll over and go back to sleep – so we did!  After half an hour or so, the call of nature kicked in and then it was decision time.  Do we go out in the rain to the communal block or take the soft option of the en-suite?  We needed showers, so it was out in the rain to the communal block.  When I arrived at the shower block and having completed a number 1, I got stripped off (easy girls) and went into the shower, only to find that I had picked up hair conditioner from the van instead of shower gel.  What use is that to me?  As luck would have it some unfortunate person had left almost a full tube of gel in the shower, so I was able to complete my business.  However, that then created the second big decision of the day and it wasn’t even 08.30 yet!  Do I take the gel or leave it in case he came back?  Easy one – it was a tube of Lynx – leave it where it was for some other unsuspecting person.

If there was any fun associated with campervanning, then it was all taken away this morning, when in the pouring rain we had to disconnect the power lead and roll it up, shut off the gas bottle, drive to the dump station, empty the grey water, empty the toilet water, top up the toilet water and fill up with fresh water.  Having got thoroughly soaked, we could then set off on a 175 mile journey in torrential rain – great!!!

The plan was to stop off at Fox Glacier on the way to Wanaka as it was only about 25Kms and it was on the way.  As we entered Fox Glacier township, there was a sign indicating Glacier view, so we duly followed the sign with little expectation of seeing anything due to the poor weather conditions.  Within half a blink of an eyelid we were out of Fox Glacier town, but not a problem as the sign to the glacier view loomed up as 1Km to go.  When we arrived at the turning our expectations were met, as it declared that the road was unfit for campervans, so we never got to see Fox Glacier, even in the rain.  Anyway yesterday’s helicopter trip more than made up for it.

As the morning went on the rain abated and the sun just started to break through the hazy cloud.  The journey became easier and there were a few more Kodak moments than in the morning.  The scenery was very similar to yesterdays, but this time looked more like the Lake District, but with higher mountains. It would have been spectacular had the sun have shone brighter through the hazy cloud.  Where there had been such a lot of rain overnight, the rivers that we had crossed previously were pretty much dried up and just a bed of stones.  The ones we were crossing today were wild torrents of white water.   Similarly, there were some quite spectacular waterfalls roaring down the mountains and in some cases coming out onto the roads and down the gullies.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t possible to stop and take pictures, so you’ll just have to take our word for it!!

By the time we reached Wanaka at around 4.00pm the sun was pretty much out and the lakes and mountains looked great.  This is a view from our bedroom/lounge/dining room window.

We plan to stay here for a couple of days regardless of the weather and do some short walks and /or just relax after a few days driving and before going to the adrenaline centre of Queenstown later in the week.

A little lie in this morning as we were in no screaming hurry to get on the road.  In fact a special treat for breakfast, boiled egg and toasted soldiers.  It would have been eggs, but the first one was so underdone it was sent straight to the bin.  The second one got an extra couple of minutes and was perfect.  Another dump was necessary this morning as was topping up with fresh water as we had a small accident yesterday when a pot of blackcurrent jam decided to empty itself over the entire contents of the fridge whist we were driving along.  For a while, we could hear something rattling around, but that’s not unusual in the van.  When we stopped it turned out to be the jam jar.  We managed to clear most of the food up, but a few bits had to go.  Blackcurrent coleslaw, just doesn’t taste right.

Weather wise it wasn’t a bad start to the day, hazy sunshine, but a little chilly.  The forecast for the day wasn’t that promising, but in fact turned out to be a reasonable day.  That’s more than can be said for the forecast for the next couple of days at the glaciers.  Rain on Tuesday followed by heavy rain on Wednesday.  Still the forecast could be wrong.

Before leaving Greymouth we visited one of the numerous Jade carving  establishments and had a short walk round the town.  Architecturally, Greaymouth is back in the dark ages and it has to be said they do not appear to be quite as warm and friendly as folks in Christchurch and in the North.

Leaving Greymouth behind us, we headed for Shanty Town, a small settlement that is a relic of the gold mining era.  Shanty Town has been preserved and restored and also contains buildings and antiquities from other parts of the country.  In some ways, slightly tacky, but it does give a feel for what life may have been like for the prospectors in the 1800’s.

From Shanty Town it was a fairly uninteresting drive, apart from  a few quirky little old mining towns and a lunch stop just South of Ross, another historic mining town.  The roads were fairly straight and level until we started to descend the mountains  towards Franz Joseph .  About 25Kms from the glaciers and just after Whataroa we pulled into a picnic area for afternoon tea.  In the picnic area was a cabin from which they were flying helicopters up to the glaciers.  We had intended to take a trip up either Franz Joseph or Fox Glacier and in view of the poor weather for the next few days, we decided to enquire as to what was on offer.  It was about 2.30 pm and it was clear that the weather was already closing in.  We decided to take one of the trips as the probability was that there would be no flights for the next couple of days and we would not see any of the glaciers from the top.  We spent more than we had budgeted for, but the trip was 40 minutes long and included a landing on Franz Joseph Glacier.  Fox Glacier was already shrouded in cloud and a landing there was impossible.  By the time we had put some long trousers on and our fleeces, the chopper was banking through the valley, bringing the previous trippers back.  After a quick briefing, we were strapped in and ready to go.  The helicopter was only a 4 seater and one of them was the pilot.  The fourth person was a single lady from North Island.  She got to ride alongside the pilot for the outbound trip.  Maureen and I sat in the back. 

As we lifted off the pilot dipped the nose and we sped off down the valley gaining height up to 2500 feet.  Even though the low cloud was misting things up a bit, we could still see for miles.  On one side was the start of the Southern Alps and on the other, the Tasman Sea.  The pilot was giving a commentary all the way, pointing out geological phenomenon and points of interest.  Within about 5 minutes of flying at 100 knots, we were just arriving over the town of Franz Joseph and he was just lining up to give a view of the glacier ahead of us.  We flew fairly high to start with, then part way up we passed another helicopter coming down and the pilot banked steeply to the right and headed for a waterfall.  We were now skimming the iceflow and heading directly for the waterfall, when he just banked very steeply, missing the waterfall and started to ‘climb’ up one of the glacier walls.  The view in the front seat must have been incredible.  From there we were back skimming over the ice banking from side to side to give everyone a view.  Finally, we arrived almost at the top of the glacier and another steep bank bought us into position to land.  Gently down onto the snow and with the rotors still running the pilot let us out and onto the snow. 

 

 Not straying too far from the chopper, we all snapped away as this was an experience that we were unlikely to repeat.  Also, there are lots of crevasses around and it would be very unhealthy to fall into one!  Back into the helicopter and it was my turn in the front seat.  Definitely not for the feint hearted, we started to descend and headed straight for the opposite side of the glacier towards another smaller one, then banking steeply at what seemed like the last minute, we were back over the icefield.  All the time the running commentary continued.  The weather at Fox Glacier had deteriorated, so we were unable to fly over it, but instead we returned to base over the mountains.  What seemed a bit spooky was when we were just coming up to the ridge of a mountain and the ground was not visible on the other side, it felt as if we should drop down the other side, but of course you just carry on.  Most peculiar feeling, especially as the floor in front of you is glass.

Back to base, a wonderful experience and memories we will have forever.

The onward journey to Franz Joseph in the campervan seemed to take forever and was just not the same as an hour earlier.  Finally arriving at the campsite, we decided to stay just the one night as the weather is forecast to be wet and miserable and we had already done the helicopter trip.  So on to Wanaka tomorrow.

After feasting on lamb this evening, we set too to write today’s blog.  Today definitely ranks up there with seeing the sperm whale diving at Kaikoura.

Day 12 Motueka to Greymouth 27th Feb 2011

The day started with brilliant sunshine as we emptied the tanks, topped up with fresh water and departed the Motueka camp site just after 08.15, heading for Richmond.    From Richmond we headed West towards Murchison, stopping off at various places for Kodak moments and morning tea at Longford. We were following the Buller River pretty much all the way from Kawatiri, just North of Lake Rotoroa.  Throughout the journey we were going up into the mountains, then back down into the valleys, twisting and turning following the meandering river.  The scenery was very reminiscent of the journey through from Loch Lomond to Oban, except for the mountains here are predominantly native bush and lots of ferns as opposed to pine trees.  It would seem that pine trees are relatively new in NZ and many people are planting them for timber as it is highly profitable.  Some younger farmers are planting Pines that will mature in 30 years time and are treating it as their pension fund.

Just as we passed through Murchison, we saw a sign that said New Zealand’s longest swing bridge.  Thinking that it would be a Kodak moment we were surprised to see that a swing bridge is like one of the walkways on the TV “I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here”.  For just $5NZ each we could risk life and limb and walk across the bridge, so we did.  The view was terrific and on the way back, one of the jet boats plying the river shot underneath us, giving a preview of what we are looking to do on the Shotover River later next week. 

Following highway 6 we continued towards the West coast, passing to the South of Westport and then onto the coast road, stopping at Woodpecker Bay for more Kodak moments.  The road sticks to the beach and at Punakaikki, there is the most amazing rock formation called Pancake Rocks.  The limestone rocks have been eroded by the wind and sea to leave, what looks like ‘layers’ of rocks on top of each other.  From here it was a straight run down to Greymouth.

Greymouth apparently does not have a lot to offer other than it is famous for Jade carving and It’s the home of Monteith’s Brewery.  The site here is excellent, offering kitchen, BBQ and  laundry facilities as well as a games room, TV room and wifi access to the internet.  Unfortunately, we’re only here for one night, before moving on to Franz Joseph Glacier in the morning.

Abel Tasman National Park 26th Feb 2011

Today we were booked to take a scenic boat trip up the coast of the Abel Tasman National Park, which is supposed to be one of the highlights of South Island.  We had to be on the beach at Kaiteriteri to catch the boat at 09.15.  It had to be an early start as a dumping session was required and we needed to fill up with fresh water before setting off.  Like most brochures, the pictures of Abel Tasman Park are shot in magnificent sunlight, unfortunately today it was sheeting with rain at 07.00 and continued to do so for the next 2 hours.  By the time we arrived on the beach to catch the boat it was only raining, so the coastline was at least visible.  As we worked our way up the coast, the rain eased off, but our photographs will not reflect the true beauty of the area. 

The first stop was to view, what is allegedly the most photographed rock in South Island, called split apple rock.  It is a sizeable granite rock, which, due to a freak of nature, or aliens from outer space, whichever you want to believe, has split straight through the middle.  See below.

 Next stop was Marahau, except for we didn’t, as nobody wanted to get on or off.  Slipping through the Astrolabe Roadstead, which is a complete misnomer as it’s a stretch of water between the mainland and Adele Island and not a road, we turned into Torrent bay, where again nobody wanted to get on or off, but the captain issued a clear warning, that those boarding the boat at this beach had better be there on time, later in the day.  He was meaning the poor souls who were getting off further up the coast and walking back to this beach to be picked up later. (Hopefully).   Sweeping up past North Head and onto Bark Bay, with the weather improving all the time, we arrive to drop off the unfortunate souls who had been sentenced to walking back to Torrent bay.  Casting them ashore with a smile and a wave, we will never know if they made it back in time.

Onwards to Tonga Island which is home to more New Zealand seals basking on the rocks.  Yet more seal pictures.  A few minutes later we arrive at Tonga Bay, only to find that there is not enough depth of water to land at the beach.  That didn’t stop Captain Cook, so the gang plank is lowered from the bow and dropped into the water, as opposed to onto terra firma.  Nobody is getting on or off here either.  However, there is a carrier bag of shopping to go ashore for one of the locals.  Down the gang plank goes one of the crew and wading up from the shore come the grateful recipient of the bag of groceries.  With just sufficient water under the keels (another catamaran), we reverse out from the beach and almost decapitate a gentleman swimming in the sea.

 Missing Awaroa, as we only visit that on the way back, we head for Totaranui, the end of the outbound cruise and start of the return journey.  We were pretty much on the beach and certainly only a few feet from the water’s edge, when right alongside us swims a sting ray in just a few inches of water.  The camera was just handy and I snapped it as it swam past. A couple of minutes later it returned for the benefit of those who did not have their cameras ready the first time.  As we pushed back from the beach, two more rays did a swim past, but slightly deeper in the water making photos impossible.

Apart from stopping at Awaroa and another seal photo opportunity, the return journey was the same as going, getting us back into Kaiteriteri at mid day.

From Kaiteriteri we followed the main road (corkscrew) to Hawkes Bay Lookout Point which offers stunning views down the valley of the Riwaka River and out into Tasman Bay.  Below are the orchards and other fruit fields, many of then covered in coloured nets to prevent the birds and insects from devouring the crops.  They look like huge lakes of coloured water in a sea of green fields.  Turning round at Ngarua caves we headed back to Motueka and strolled down the main street to take in the local colour on a Saturday afternoon.  We popped into the supermarket for a bottle of red to go with this evenings dinner, then headed back to the site for a pre dinner powernap, followed by a swift half of Speights Distinction bitter for me and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc for Maureen.  Speights Distinction is about as close to Speckled Hen as I’m likely to get for a couple of months.

This site is particularly well equipped in that it has a number of kitchen areas, which are spotless, as well as a number of big gas BBQ’s, also spotless, where you can cook your dinner instead of using your van facilities.  Tonight we barbequed big, thick cut, porterhouse steaks, which were absolutely delicious.  As we are in the fruit growing area, we picked up some fresh fruit at a roadside vendor and had very fresh fruit salad for dessert.  All washed down with a bottle of Australian red. 

Next task was to plan tomorrows journey, which will be a full days driving to Greymouth.  It is apparently three and a half hours solid driving, so that means at least 8 hours, by the time we have a number of Kodak moments and a few brew ups.   What’s not apparent from the map, is just how twisty the roads are between here an Greymouth.  It makes a huge difference to both average speed as well as tiredness.  We hope to be away by around 08.00 and the forecast for tomorrow is pretty good. 

Our Christmas presents are in good use tonight, as we are playing music from the ipod whilst typing this blog and Maureen is on the DSi playing cards.  Thanks girls.

Day 11 Picton to Motueka Fri 25th Feb 2011

Friday of week 2 already; how the time is flying.  It seems that we have got into a routine of waking around 7-7.30.  First one to go and shower puts the kettle on, whilst the other clears the bed away and makes the table up ready for breakfast.  As soon as one is back from the shower, the other can go.  Immediately after breakfast we were all stowed away and ready to head off in the direction of Motueka.  We decided to follow the Queen Charlotte Drive, which hugs the coast for a way and is a very pretty journey.  However, the price you pay for prettiness here is that you drive along roads that have more twists than an Agatha Christie novel. 

As you would expect, the scenery along the route is quite stunning, but having said that, so is the scenery in Scotland’s Lochs and glens area.  We were heading for the town of Nelson on Highway 6 and decided to stop off for morning tea at Pelorus Bridge.  Out comes the chairs and on goes the kettle.  One of the distinct advantages of touring in a campervan.  A quick cupper, pack up the chairs and on we go, still heading for Nelson.  There was one stretch of highway that seemed to have so many twists and turns in it that we were wondering if we would make our destination of Motueka before it got dark! 

It was now lunch time, so we left the main road and took a 10Km detour to a place called Cable Bay, a quiet little spot, with a long curving shingle beach.  Out with the table and chairs, whilst Maureen prepared the rolls and we sat down to lunch watching the sea lap over the pebbles on the beach.  All quite civilised really.  Time to pack up and get moving again, onwards we went, eventually passing through Nelson, which seemed like a thriving container port with fairly spread out suburbs.  We decided not to stop and we know that when we return home someone will say did you do xyz in Nelson and we will then realise what we missed. 

By now the roads were straightening out and we were making much better time.  So much so that we took another little detour to a place called Ruby Bay.  Here was a small Dept of Conservation (DoC ) picnic area and campsite, but right on the waterfont.  We pulled up, wound the windows down, took in the view and promptly dozed off for better part of an hour!  Some might call it powernapping.  Whatever you wish to call it, the tough driving of the morning was more tiring than we thought.  The final part of the journey to Motueka is through the fruit growing region and into another major wine producing region.  As the tipplers amongst you may know, New Zealand is now famous for the production of Sauvignon Blanc wine and it accounts for something like 90% of production.  The next nearest grape varieties are Pinot Noir at just over 3% and Chardonnay closely following at just under 3%.  As you can see, Sauvignon Blanc is far and away the big earner for New Zealand.

Finally, we arrived at the site and got settled in.  Whilst I went for essential supplies into town on foot, Maureen set too and did the washing in the camp laundry.  This site is particularly well equipped in that it has three toilet/shower blocks, two laundries, a kitchen and separate BBQ,  family rooms, a TV room and internet room.  It also has wifi throughout the whole site at almost reasonable access rates and of course the dump station.  Which reminds me, we had a very nice curry for dinner this evening, courtesy of Mr Patak

As news is a bit thin today, we thought we’d show you a picture of our new home.  Tomorrow should be better as we’re off to the Abel Tasman National park, for a scenic boat cruise along the coast of the park.  Let’s hope for good weather.

Day 10 Picton - Thursday 24th February 2011

Started to loose all sense of time, so thought we'd better add the date to the titles.

Also added another picture to yesterdays post

We woke this morning to clear blue skies and warm sunshine, which was pretty good for 07.30 and again, a complete contrast to the day before.  Just like being in Torquay in August – no two days are the same.  No Jonny Foreigners in the showers today, I was on my own with complete freedom of choice.  Having both showered, done the necessaries and devoured breakfast, it was time to decamp and pack everything away.  Again, not being experienced in this matter, but having a bit of common sense, we realised that everything had to be made secure or we were going to endure hours of rattling crocs and things sliding off shelves every time we cornered.  As it happened, we made  a pretty good job of stowing everything away.

The next task was also uncharted territory as it involved going to the ‘Dumping Station’ to dispose of the ‘Grey waste’ (washing up water etc) and toilet waste.  Emptying the grey waste was straight forward as it simply involves attaching one end of a flexible hose to the outlet in the van and the other down the Dumping Station.  Opening the valve empties the tank.  Once empty, it’s just a matter of shutting the valve (failure to do so could flood your neighbour at the next site), disconnecting the hose and rolling it up.  The toilet waste is slightly more complex in that you have to make sure the ‘non return lever’ is set in the toilet, then go outside and remove the dirty waste tank, which is like a giant cassette.  At this point, you really don’t need your partner popping in for a sly pee, opening the valve and having a quick flush.  The consequences could lead to divorce – at the very least.  Once out, the tank is carried to the dumping station and emptied.  Before returning to the van, it requires a shot of chemicals to help ‘digest’ the waste.  A quick scrub of the hands and we were on our way to Picton.

Driving up highway 1, we passed through Ohau Point, which is where hundreds of seals are just lying around on the rocks, basking in the sunshine, very close to the road.  After e few Kodak moments, we moved on towards Picton, stopping for morning coffee at Kekerengu.  Next stop was the salt works at Lake Grassmere before arriving at Blenheim.  This was a pit stop for food and fuel.  Some of the consequences of the earthquake in Christchurch are that some garages are rationing fuel in order to ensure plentiful supplies in the Christchurch area for the emergency services.  Also, things like bread is rationed in the supermarket.  We’re not sure if this is because they need the loaves in Christchurch or the fact that they bake them there.  Either way, the earthquake is having an impact right across the country.  Much of the internet infrastructure is based in Christchurch, so access is at best flaky and usually pretty slow.

We topped up with diesel at a cost of $2.00 per litre (£1.00).  People here are complaining bitterly about diesel at this price.  It’s also interesting that diesel here is cheaper than unleaded.  Makes you wonder why it’s the other way round at home.

We also learnt a new word in New Zealandese today – Trundler – That’s a supermarket trolley to you and I.

Having arrived at the new campsite, we were soon connected up and lunch was served.  We then set out to explore Picton, which is a pretty little seaport, where the ferry departs and returns to and from Wellington.  The main harbour is now a huge marina, housing some very expensive powerboats and yachts.  It’s located at the end of Queen Charlotte Sound, which leads out to Cook Straight and over to North Island.

Having toured the Marina, we spent the rest of the afternoon walking along Queen Charlotte Sound to Bob’s Bay and back to the campsite.  An interesting walk that was scheduled to take about an hour.  Two hours later, we arrived back at the campsite absolutely cream crackered. 

We’re only here for one night, so it’ll be an early start in order to complete our tour of the sound and then on to Motueka for two days exploring the Abel Tasman National Park.

Up early again today and off to the communal ablutions for a shower & shave, then it was Maureen’s turn, not for a shave, that is.  Not being caravaners or campers, we’re unsure of the etiquette of communal ablutions.  There must have been a German in the block this morning as when I opened the shower there was a towel hanging up and a wet bag on the seat.  Not being aware if someone had had a senior moment and left their kit in the shower or whether you were allowed to reserve showers like sun beds, I was left pondering whether to chuck his kit out or what to do.  As there was a spare one next door I opted for leaving the towel in place and letting someone else have the decision whether to chuck it out or not.  Just as I was entering the empty shower out pops a chap from trap 2 and goes straight into the waiting shower.  Not really sure what would have happened if I had taken his shower and he was left banging on the door wanting his rubber duck back.  Oh the joys of camper vans!

The weather today has not improved since last night, still heavy drizzle and generally quite miserable.  However, since when did we Brits let a drop of rain spoil our enjoyment on our holidays?  We had booked to go whale watching at 3.30 this afternoon but as the weather was somewhat inclement, we decided to walk to the whale watching centre and check if they were still operating.  By the time we got there, the rain had stopped, but it was still grey and miserable.  Good news, they were still operating, but the sea conditions were such that they had issued a severe sea sickness warning.  We were offered the chance of going on the 10.30 sailing, but as the weather was due to improve in the afternoon we refused the offer and stuck to our original booking.

We took a walk along the esplanade at Kaikoura and returned to the campervan for lunch, by which time it had warmed up a little, stopped raining and you could actually see the horizon now.  By the time we had lunch and walked back to the whale watching centre, the sea conditions had also improved to just a  straight sea sickness warning.  During the time it took to check in, watch the safety briefing – what to do if swallowed by a whale – and general hanging around, the weather had closed in and it had started to rain again.  When we reached the boat, there was further quizzing about sea sickness.  By this stage we knew we were in for a rough ride.  The boat was a high speed catamaran which held about 30 people and the lady captain warned us that we may ‘fly’ from one wave to another as we would be travelling at high speed.  The young lady making the safety announcement gave various hints and tips, as well as a number of old wives tales, on how to cure the feeling of sea sickness.  At the end of the day it’s just mind over matter.  They don’t mind and we don’t matter!!  Off we went, ploughing into the waves, flying from peak to peak, slamming into the next wave, rolling from side to side.  It was just like hitting turbulence in a plane.  After the initial sharp intake of breath, there is always an eerie silence.  After about 20 mins, we started to slow down and right on cue, a dolphin leapt out of the water and passed right outside our window.  Then it was like a firework display – all ooo’s and arrr’s.  Once the captain had slowed to a respectable pace, we were allowed on the decks to search for the elusive sperm whale that was allegedly loitering around waiting for the tourists.

As we went on deck the dolphins were leaping all around us, such as we have never seen before, there were lots of them in almost every direction.  Apparently they were Dusky Dolphins.  Then, just a few minutes later the sperm whale was spotted, just lazing on the surface.  It had been around for quite a while and earlier sailings had reported its position.  It would appear that they dive very deep to feed, then surface to re-oxygenate their body, before diving again.  We were no more than about 50 metres from this huge mammal.  The crew reckoned it was a male about 17metres long.  It was surrounded by dolphins and again the crew said that it did not like the high pitch sonar noises of the dolphins, so it would probably dive again quite soon.  With that, this enormous creature seemed to take a last deep breath and it arched its back and dived into the seas, raising its tail out of the water in one of those classic wildlife film moments.  It was truly awesome to see that incredible site as it just slipped into the sea.

Whilst there were no more whales to see, the dolphins continued to frolic in the water and display their acrobatic activities.  To match the dolphin’s aerobatics, were the mighty albatrosses.  There were several different types including the mighty Royal Albatross.  This bird has an almighty wingspan and just swoops across the waves, then soars into the sky without so much as a flap of its massive wings.  Then it was off to some rocky outcrops just off the coast to see New Zealand Fur seals wallowing in the rain, which was in stark contrast to the ones basking in the sunshine earlier in the week.  As we headed back to port, this was without doubt, one of the most fantastic experiences of our lives.  Normally, what we saw is reserved for David Attenborough, wild life films on the tv.  A truly unforgettable experience and worth the boat ride.  In case you’re wondering – No - neither of us felt the slightest bit sea sick – unlike some poor lady at the front – 2 bag fulls!!

Day 7 Kaikoura

We awoke early again this morning so we got showered and packed up ready to get going straight after breakfast.  We called the campervan company just after they opened at 08.00 to see if it was possible to collect the van before our scheduled pick-up time of 11.00.  Our van was ready for collection, so we checked out of the motel and called a taxi.  Early morning rush hour traffic was heavy due to the morning rain, so it took us a good while to reach the campervan centre.

Once there, it was smooth running, quick efficient check in and best of all, a van that is almost brand new!  It has only done 12,000Km, so everything is clean and tidy. 

First stop - a supermarket to stock up with essentials, then onto Hanmer Springs about 80Kms NW of Christchurch.  We cleared the Christchurch suburbs about 11.00 and headed out on highway 1 arriving at Hanmer Springs around 1pm.  A quick sandwich and we were on our way sightseeing.  Hanmer is famous for it’s natural hot water baths and in recent years has been turned into an adrenalin centre.  The net result is that the baths are now fully enclosed and hidden from the public, (unless you pay) and the town is a typical tourist destination full of cafes bars and hire centres for quad bikes, mountain bikes and the like.  Had it not been raining, the scenery would have been similar to that of the Lake District, but as it was, there was little to see through the drizzle.

On we went, heading for Kaikora through the heavy drizzle.  Again, the scenery would have been worth a few Kodak moments, but as it was the rain was winning.  Even the weather is like the Lake District.  Yesterday was blazing sunshine and 29 degrees, today is 10 degrees cooler and miserable drizzle!

We stopped at the visitor centre to get directions to the campsite and as I entered the building I saw a notice advising people not to go to Christchurch due to the massive earthquake that had devastated the city.  I asked the guy on reception if the notice was an old one and he said that a quake had hit Christchurch at lunchtime and caused devastation in the city centre.  It was unbelievable to think that we were there only a few hours before.  We made our way to the campsite, which was just down the road and got checked in for the next two days.  The first task was to find a home for all the clothes and supplies that we collected in Christchurch.  Trust us, that was no easy task in a two berth campervan.  We probably wont know how well it’s all stowed until we start moving again.

We managed to get the TV working in the van and tuned into a local station which had cancelled all its programmes to give coverage of the earthquake.  It was only at this stage that we realised just how devastating it was.  We had taken photographs on Sunday of buildings that no longer exist or have been partially demolished.  Only a few hours earlier, we were stuck in traffic going across Hagley Park, which was now housing 2000 refugees and the building that we had dinner in on Sunday evening was destroyed!

Maureen managed to prepare our first dinner in the van, whilst we carried on watching the TV.  Roast  (microwaved) Chicken with 3 veg.  Pretty good for a first attempt.  We are now just about to make up the bed.  As it’s still raining, the big decision is, do we head for the toilet block or test the en-suite facilities??

We're OK

We were fortunate to have collected the campervan and cleared Christchurch by around 11.00 this morning.  By all accounts the earthquake struck around 1.00pm.  By that time we were on the way to Hanmer Springs about 50Km from Christchurch.  Lucky or what?   Off to buy a couple of lottery tickets.  More blog later today.

Day 6 Akaroa

We surfaced around 7.30 and wandered down the road to the Bealey Hotel for an early full English, just to set us up for the day.  As we pick up the campervan tomorrow, it may be the last chance for an FE for a while.  It’s not the same when you have to cook it yourself, especially on a mini cooker.  Having polished off breakfast, we returned to the motel in order to leave the keys with management as he was going to move us up the road, whilst we disappeared off sightseeing.

We decided that we would take the shuttle to Akoroa, which is on the Banks Peninsular, about an hour and a quarter SE of Christchurch.  The route took us through Addington, which was a little strange, as for those who know my history, it was where I was born.  Addington in Surrey, that is.

Banks peninsular is essentially a place where a number of volcanoes erupted forming a huge crater, which in turn burst open into the sea forming a beautiful, natural harbour.  Some thousands or even millions of years later, a French sea captain came to Akaroa, but did not actually land ashore.  Instead he returned to France, loaded up with a shipload of immigrants and set sail again for New Zealand with the intention of colonising the area for France.  When he returned, he apparently stopped in Russell on the \north Island first.  This had already been claimed by the British, so he decided to sail onto Akaroa.  Unfortunately, someone let on to the Brits as to what his intention was, so they dispatched a warship at full speed to get to Akaroa first.  When the French ship arrived, they were greeted by the Union Flag flying and he couldn’t claim the S Island for the French.  Instead, they just settled in Akaroa, which has given the place its very French appearance and most of the street names are in French.

We decided to take the harbour cruise as it was such a stunning day.  As we cruised along, we were joined by dolphins which came right alongside the ship.  Just a little further and we saw the rare, white winged, little blue penguin, just flapping around in the water, then diving down for food.  As we left the shelter of the harbour and entered the Pacific Ocean, the sea had somewhat more of a swell running and we were sailing into it.  Most of us were at the front of the catamaran and every now and then we would hit a wave and it sprayed over the bows.  Those who were right at the front got very wet i.e. Maureen.

 

As we pulled into a small cove, the sea abated and we were rewarded with the view of seals basking on the rocks.  As the catamaran was fairly small, we were able to get up close to the rocks and see them swimming in the rock pools and the kelp along the edge of the rocks.  We also saw more little penguins swimming in the sea.  We then headed back to the shelter of the harbour.  Truly fantastic sights and the surrounding scenery was equally impressive as we were effectively sailing inside the crater of a huge volcano.

The sun continued to shine as we enjoyed an ice cream whilst waiting for the shuttle back to Christchurch.  The journey back was equally as interesting as the journey out, since the driver imparted a wealth of local knowledge in both directions.  We returned through the suburbs of Christchurch back into the city centre. 

From our walkabout yesterday and driving through the city today, it is quite apparent that this place is more like Oxford than Oxford is.  Apart from the fact that the river here is the Avon and the Avon doesn’t run through Oxford, you could quite easily believe that you were wandering through the spires of the Cotswold city.  The road names are English, the architecture is English, they drive on the left and the old University building is a dead ringer for any Oxford or Cambridge college.  It’s a fantastic, friendly city that is spookily like home.

Day 5 Christchurch NZ

We both woke up a number of times in the night due to the torrential rain beating down on the ground and plants around the hotel.  If we were in any doubt as to whether we had made the right decision in transferring early, then the amount of rain that had fallen overnight led us to believe we were right to move.  Anyone who didn’t take the agents advice almost certainly did not make any flights this morning.

The alarm call came through at 05.00, but we were already awake, so up, showered, packed and in reception for 05.45 was not a problem.  The hotel couldn’t have been closer to the airport; it took all of 2 minutes to be delivered to the departure terminal.  Nadi airport is a modern well laid out airport terminal, which in my opinion is more than can be said for the new Terminal 5 at Heathrow.  It may have won awards for the design of the architecture,( beauty is in the eye of the beholder) but for ease of use it’s the pits!  It has to be one of the most disjointed airports in the world.  After checking in, we had to go downstairs to departures, then across to another building on a shuttle train, then back upstairs to the departure gates.  Crazy – it’s supposed to be progress.

Anyway, after a fast check in, with no queuing at Nadi, we settled down with the knowledge that the flight was on schedule to depart at 08.00.  First mistake of the day!  We were just about to board when the announcement came that there was a technical fault on the plane and there would be a one hour delay.  One and a half hours later, we boarded the plane only to find that it was barely one third full.  Lots of spare seats, so room to spread out.  Whilst this was a relatively quick hop of just 4 hours, it was nice to have the extra space.  This turned out to be an additional bonus as the views over New Zealand were a fantastic taster for what is to come and we were able to swap from one side of the aircraft to the other to get the best possible views.

Once on the ground in Christchurch we were fairly quick through the Customs and immigration formalities and straight into a taxi heading for the motel.  Next problem – they only had us down for one night and not two.  Net result – we are one night in this motel and then we have to move about 100 yards up the road to another.  The manager here has been very helpful in trying to overcome the problem, but we could have done without the hassle.

We spent what was left of the afternoon walking into the city centre and taking the tram ride.  We also went into the new art gallery and studied a real mixture of modern art and some terrific oil landscapes.  We struggled with the 7 old window frames set into a wall of plywood and the huge packing case that was about a 15ft cube.  Not to mention the pile of old paint tins stuck on top of each other. 

After the gallery, it was off to the Botanical Gardens, in all their splendour, then back to the city centre for some dinner.  The weather has been great today, warm sunshine with a cooling breeze almost perfect sightseeing weather.  Now back to the motel to plan tomorrows excursions, then on Tuesday it’s pick up campervan day!

Day 4 Fiji

Today started out as a normal day except that it was still raining from the night before.  As it is Saturday, we opted for a short lie in and decided to forfeit the stroll along the beach even though the rain was warm rain.  A leisurely stroll down to the dining area was rewarded by another buffet breakfast.  Obviously no birthdays or anniversaries today, as there were no choristers.

Having accumulated some dirty washing, we decided to visit the laundry armed with our newly acquired cold water washing powder.  Just as we were going through the door, the phone rang and changed the day.  It was a call from the local agent Rosie to say that the road between the hotel and Nadi, where the airport is, may be flooded later in the day and as we were scheduled to be collected at 04.00 on Sunday morning, they could not guarantee that we would make the airport.  

The choice was to either sit it out and hope that the road doesn’t flood or transfer to Nadi at lunch time and check into a hotel at our own expense and claim it back from our travel insurance.  I guess at times like this you have to bow to local knowledge and trust that this is not a clever ploy to extract some of your hard earned again.  It was far too much of a risk not to catch the flight to Christchurch, so we opted for an early transfer.

At 1.00pm a Rosie bus appeared at the front of the hotel and with it was the driver who bought us from Nadi two days earlier!!  However, we must have been in an unconverted vehicle (see earlier posting) as the ride back was, by his standard, quite sedate.  Some of the rivers were high, but still way below the level of the roads, until we got to the outskirts of Nadi.  In one place the river was just spilling out onto the road, but the rain had pretty much stopped.  Did we make the right decision? We’ll never know!  We were heading for the Raffles Hotel at Nadi airport, which conjures up a vision of that wonderful hotel in Singapore.  However, having both been to Raffles in Singapore, the name is where the similarity ends.  OK it’s a clean, and tidy hotel and it’s bang opposite the entrance to Nadi airport, literally 20 yards away.  The plus side is that we get a lie in until 05.00, the downside is that in the room is a jumbo size aerosol of cockroach killer!!!  No sign of any yet, but then again the lights are still on.

We have just had a very passable curry for dinner and intend to retire early, ready for the 08.00 to Christchurch.  There has been a tropical storm around for the last few days and it’s just been confirmed as turning into a Cyclone, which should pass to the SW of Fiji during Sat evening and Sunday.  Hopefully, the flight will not be affected by it.

One of the great things about Fiji, is that almost everyone walks around with a smile on their face and even strangers in the street will offer their traditional Bula (Hello) as they walk past.  Everyone is polite and courteous and they just seem to be permanently happy.  That’s really quite strange as it’s a very poor country and a number of people in Sigatoka were walking around with no shoes on their feet.  They seem very professional at smiling in the face of adversity – perhaps there are lessons to be learned.

Day 3 Fiji

The day started early as we were both awake around 4.00am, but fortunately with little effort we managed to doze for another three hours before Maureen got up and made the tea.  The sun was already blazing down, so we thought about taking a walk along the beach, but common sense prevailed and we went for a full buffet breakfast instead.  Must have been a different chef today, as it was even better than yesterday.  Also, it was an English couples 40^th Wedding Anniversary and almost the entire waiting staff formed a gospel like choir around their table and sung a local happy anniversary song.  It continued for about 5 minutes, sounded fantastic and was quite touching.  Apparently they came to their room last night and serenaded them, but they wanted to record the singing, so they did it again for them at breakfast.

With breakfast over, we decided to walk it off and stroll along the beach.  The sun was burning down and it was only 09.00.  It was going to be a hot one today.  A couple of hundred yards off the beach is a reef which forms a lagoon and when the tide goes out, it leaves just a foot or two of water.  This means that as you walk along the beach, some of the sealife is clearly visible.  When we walked along the beach yesterday, an Australian chap pointed out some crechers that looked like sea snakes just a couple of feet from the water’s edge.  They were there again this morning,  but it turns out that they are a form of sea slug.  They move very slowly and suck up food from the sea bed.  I certainly would not want to tread on one, so there will be no paddling on this beach.  A little further along the water’s edge, we saw a bright blue star fish.  Apparently there are hundreds of them out on the reef

We managed an hour or so worshiping the sun, but was extremely hot and even I had to retire to the shade.  Our saviour was found in the form of the rain, as it threw it down just after one o’clock.  It certainly knows how to rain out here.  As the showers don’t last that long, we decided to take a coach ride into the local town of Sigatoka and by the time we got there it had left off raining. 

Sigatoka isn’t exactly a commercial metropolis, but as tourism is the number one industry, there were a number of the obligatory souvenir shops.  The Asian traders here have all been through the Arkwrights School of Selling and you’re lucky to leave their premises with a shirt on your back.

A couple of hours was more than sufficient to see around town and top up with essential supplies, such as bottled water, at a fraction of the hotel price and pre dinner nibbles.  We were back at the hotel by 5pm and ready for a cup of tea.  It’s also time when we put this blog together, so it’s ready for you to look at over breakfast, instead of reading the morning papers.

Bula everyone (that is hello in Fiji) thought that I would say a few words as last time the family thought that I had not gone on the cruise as I did not write anything, anyway  it is lovely here so green with beautiful flowers and the people are so happy, a great place to unwind. A little note to anyone that I said I would text unfortunately I lost my mobile phone at Heathrow Airport, must have put it down somewhere (senior moment) just hope that nobody gets any strange calls as it had loads of numbers in it.

Day Two Fiji

On the ground in Fiji pretty much on time at 05.15 and thankfully, so was our luggage.  Checked in with Rosie Tours (no relation to Fifi Le Snapper from the cruise blog) for our transfer to the Outrigger on the Lagoon Hotel.  Once the other passengers were on board we were off to the hotel.  Journey time was scheduled for about 1hour 15 mins.  What we hadn’t bargained for was that the driver had been to the same driving school as my old Italian boss at Olivetti.  Not only that, but he’d had the same conversion to his vehicle.  i.e. The accelerator pedal had been removed and an ON/OFF switch installed in it’s place.  So it was flat out or stationary with nothing in between.  At least Michele Barrata’s car was a Jag, this was a 20 seater coach with a trailer!!  Anyway we arrived at the hotel in one piece, but not before stopping off at a corner shop, which his brother or some distant relation owned to stock up with bottled water – cheaper than the hotel he reckoned.

Checked in and showered, it was time for the buffet breakfast, followed by a few hours round the pool.  Rain has stopped play as it’s now chucking it down.  Par for the course at this time of the year, so we’re told.  From what we’ve seen of it the hotel looks very acceptable and I think we’ll probably be able to recover from the 21 hours flying quite nicely.

Managed to stay awake all day and into the evening, so we decided to eat in the Baravi Restaurant, which serves Asian food in the evenings.  We dined on Thai crab cakes, made from local crabs that only a few hours earlier were wandering around the local mangrove swamp.  If this was the UK, they’d probably be done under the trades description act as they were not Thai at all.  Maureen had a mixture of Chinese starters followed by Sizzling King Prawns and I finished with Beef in Black Bean sauce.  All very nice and lots of it.  Won’t be washing diner down with a bottle of red at any time, as wine is unbelievably expensive here.  In the hotel, a cheap Australian red is around 20 UK pounds and even in a liquor store in town it’s around 10 -12 pounds for something we would pay 4-5 pounds for at home.

All the restaurants are open on all four sides and  as we were eating dinner we could look out and see the most enormous bats flying around.  They must have had a wingspan of about 2 Feet or more and looked quite spooky as they flew around the tree tops.

It had been a tiring 48 hours so we finally we succumbed to the call of our bed and retired around 10pm.

Day One

Day one started well, with the now customary full English.  Excellent breakfast, but not in the same league as the P&O cruise ship Ventura or indeed a Menzies Hotel.  Yet again very smart and obliging staff, although it has to be said, they must have all been trained by Arkwright from the TV programme Open All Hours, as they seem to be hell bent on relieving you of as much of your hard earned as they possibly can before you leave their sight.

On to the hopper bus and before you know it we were back at T5.  Having checked in on line we just had to check our bags and get our boarding passes.  Almost that simple – we were just a bit too early to check the bags – another 20 mins to go.  However, by comparison to the miserable b***h that checked us in at Gatwick for the flight to Barbados, this BA staff member was an angel in uniform.  Helpful, caring, showed an interest in our ongoing flights, produced our boarding passes and told us to come back to the front of the queue at 12.15.  I think that this person was a spy for Virgin and she had infiltrated the BA check in staff!!!

Back at 12.15, but did not have the b***s to go to the front of the queue.  People get easily upset at airports – I know!!  All checked in with weight to spare.  We’re all set to go to LA...........

Boarded on time, but departed about 30 mins late.  Not too bad, but we only had 3hrs in LA to change flights.  As flights go in cattle class, this was tedious and long (10HRS 50mins), but otherwise uneventful and smooth as silk, just how we like it.  The large G&T’s and bottle of red with dinner probably helped!

We arrived in LA about 30 mins late, then had to clear immigration and collect our bags before checking in for the next hop to Fiji.  For those seasoned travellers amongst you, cast your minds back 20 years and remember the massive queues to clear US immigration, often taking an hour or more to get through.  Then things got better – pretty quick and much less hassle.  Well now it’s back to the dark ages, except technology has been introduced.  After initial interrogation it’s fingerprint scanning of the left hand, then the right hand, then it’s glasses off and look into the camera for the holiday snap to go with the fingerprints.  Providing all the paperwork is completed properly, you’re free to go, otherwise it’s back to the end of the queue and fill in a new form.  Luckily, we went up the ladder to baggage claim and not down the snake to the end of the queue.

Joy of Joys – the bags were there – no lost luggage.   The only advantage of taking a long time to clear immigration is that the bags have been going dizzy on the carousel.  Time was ticking by for checking in to the next flight, but we thought, just a quick trip upstairs to departure.  But we thought wrong – back into another queue to clear customs, even though we were in transit!  Another 20 mins gets eaten up and eventually we get upstairs to drop our bags onto a conveyor belt and say a prayer that we see them again in Fiji, then over to the check in desk to check in?   Wrong – stand in another queue and wait whilst people check in bags, boxes, and god knows what else.  If this plane gets off the ground it’ll be a miracle.  Eventually we get checked in, nice friendly staff again.  We got to the departure gate and 5 mins later we were boarding.  It’s been the shortest wait all day.

Again we were a little late getting away, but we did manage to get off the runway.  However, I reckon Captain Singh had a few beads of sweat forming and there was a definite sewer smell drifting towards the rear of the plane immediately after we lifted off.  We were force fed dinner and a glass of wine, then it was lights out for another 10hrs 50mins to Fiji.  Time for some sleep Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

 Exciting trip really, as we not only crossed the equator, but also the International Date Line and promptly lost a day of our lives.  Couldn’t see either of them as there was thick cloud below us!!!!!

Fiji was the first landfall after leaving LA some 10500 miles earlier, so we were quite relieved to see some lights below us as we came into land – hopefully it was where we wanted to be.  Bet Singh was almost as relieved as we were.

Day Minus One Heathrow

Not sure if we count this as day one or minus day one?  However, we’re off!

First stage of our epic journey was getting to Derby station – thanks Clare.   Then horror of horrors – the first class lounge was closed at the station!!!!  Only open from 06.30 until 12.00 and we were there at 12.30.  I can see a letter going to the chairman of British Rail or whoever runs it these days. 

13.01 and we pulled out of Derby station bang on time.   13.03 and the tea trolley appeared for the first of many passes through the compartment.  Biscuits galore and courteous service, whatever happened?  This service has gone completely uphill.

No sign of grumpy check in staff so far.  (reference previous blog)

Fast, smooth, efficient journey to London – hard to believe in this day and age isn’t it?  It’s been years since we’ve been to London and have never been to the new St Pancras station.  Very swish – not like the stations when I was commuting into London.  You could almost be proud of it.

The underground doesn’t seem to have changed much – OK in central London, then the further out you get, the more tatty they get.  Thankfully, it wasn’t the rush hour, so it was reasonably comfortable – i.e. a seat all the way.

As the tube went to terminal 5 we called in to see if we could book in, seeing as how you can do it on line, up to 24 hours in advance – but no.  The terminals in T5 are only active from the day of your flight!  The helpful BA ground staff suggested that we check in on line at the adjacent Cafe Nero!!  Bizarre or what?

We caught the shuttle bus to the Holiday Inn, came to our room, reserved our seats on the flight and checked in.  Just got to drop the bags off at lunchtime tomorrow and we’ll be off on the first flight to LA.  The Holiday Inn is a pleasant, comfortable hotel with friendly obliging staff.   For the benefit of our friends, Bill, Debs, Steve and Lucy, regrettably there was no Goblin Teasmaid facility, but the receptionist did have a big smile for us. 

Down to dinner, then off to bed to end the first day minus one.