And home

Most of the trip from Sydney to Burketown was on Highway 1, variously called the Pacific Highway in NSW, the Bruce Highway along the Queensland coast and Savannah Way inland from the coast to the Gulf. At times an eight lane motorway, it is mostly a two lane highway but becomes a single lane road between Georgetown and Croydon and then just a dirt road from Normanton to Burketown. I cannot quite imagine explaining to visitors that the National Highway No 1 is a dirt road in parts!  Fortunately, when it was dirt it was a good dirt road and we passed very few other vehicles and, luckily, no road trains.

Our trip home of 2,900 km took four days, a lot of kilometres in Goldie in a short period of time we must say.  Firstly 800 kms to Winton and, as we left at 7am, the initial 100 kms were driven with great care as we saw road-kill every kilometre or so on the road. Both driver and navigator were on the look-out for wallabies on the verge.  Almost as big as the wallabies were the eagles enjoying their breakfast.  At times the eagles would simply sit on the carcass unmoving and stare us down! So we had to drive around them!  

Road trains were another potential obstacle to avoid!

Arriving in Winton, and after a swim, John went out for petrol but somehow ended up in the North Gregory Hotel (the biggest in town) nattering to a couple of caravaners who, would you believe it, own an MGB!

As we prepared to leave in the morning a ratatat on the door offered a surprise: a family of brolgas had come for breakfast!  We were tempted, but remembered the rule of the outback – don’t feed the wild life as that makes them dependent on you.

A shorter drive to Tambo the next day but with a sop off at Longreach for a visit to the Stockman’s Hall of Fame.

This is a fascinating place to visit. It provides an insight into the lives of many people who have made, and continue to make, the Outback their home. You learn not just about the stockmen, who pioneered much of the outback as they moved huge herds of cattle to rail heads or the coast for transportation to market, but also about the lives of the Afghan cameleers, the women, the missionaries and of course the Flying Doctor Service which brought medical help right to the station door. As well, the individual stories of the people who served the people of the Outback were fascinating. One such individual was Tom Kruse, the mailman who drove the Birdsville Track from Maree to Birdsville bringing not just mail but essential supplies to isolated homesteads and stations. His story is well worth reading, or watch the movie, The back of Beyond, made of his life in 1954.

Then on to Tambo, a must stop place for a visit to Tambo Teddies.  Tambo Teddies was begun as a local initiative during the downturn in the wool industry. It was set up to help the local wool growers and also to help activate the local economy. Tambo Teddies are completely hand made in Australia from local (and New Zealand) wool. Each bear comes with its own name and number and details of the child owners are kept on file by the store. Each bear name has at the beginning the name of one of the local sheep stations and then a ‘personal’ name which can be chosen by the purchaser.

Ros had wanted to buy our grandchildren a teddy but did not want to buy one made in Ch… She heard about Tambo Teddies from meg, her sister, and realised that our return trip from Burketown would take us straight through Tambo. A stop at the Tambo Teddy shop was a must! (The bears can be bought on line but such a treat to have a cuddle to determine exactly which bear to buy!) As it was late Saturday afternoon when we arrived, Alison came and opened the shop specially for us. Country service!  Two teddies duly joined the family. I was very tempted (Ros) to buy one for myself!

And, by chance, the Tambo Rodeo was on that night which we found fascinating as blokes rode bare back broncos and steers.  To qualify for consideration, the rider needed to stay on for a full eight seconds and then skill determined who won the three top spots.  Actually, if I remember, of the 20 riders only about 3 or 4 made the 8 seconds!  As interesting as watching the riders was watching the team who then steered the beast out of the ring.  The bulls were pretty aggressive – don’t stand too close as a tonne of beast crashes into the fence!

Overnight in Tambo and then on to St George. St George has a beautiful river setting and, of course, a winery. So, first stop the Riversands Winery. An ‘interesting’ ‘sommelier’ as he liked to call himself who took us through a tasting. We did buy a couple of bottles as I was collecting local produce etc as a thank you to our dog sitters.

Overnight in St George and then a long drive back to Sydney – over 800 kms and not nearly as easy as the driving we had done to date.  There were other cars on the road!  [Driving into St George on one long stretch of 140 kms we passed only 7 cars coming towards us and overtook no one.]  Form St George to Moree, no vehicles and then we were in the traffic all the way to Sydney.  It didn’t help that both the road and railway from Moree to Narrabri were being rebuilt and the road then to Gunnedah had numerous flood ways.  

The final comment: we could not believe the amount of water all the way back to Sydney: flood ways over the road, lying beside the road in paddocks, even in Narrabri there were roads closed by water.

It was good to back in Goldie and back on the road again. Where to next?

To the Gulf

Unfortunately, we needed to leave early as we had a 700 km drive across to Karumba.  We stopped at every town on the way – all 3 of them. The road is bitumen all the way, even if in spots it was just one narrow lane.  Fortunately, we only overtook three cars and passed no more than thirty cars on the entire 700 kms.  It really can be lonely out here.  

Goldie preformed to the expected high standard with the temperature never going above 160 deg F on the drive.  Along the way were various road signs indicating the need to tune into channel 40 on the radio as this is the channel the road trains use. They will let you know as they approach one lane bridges or narrow roads, the message being ‘get out of our way as we are not going to stop or pull over for you’. Fortunately, we didn’t meet any!

Arriving in Karumba we quickly slipped into the motel pool – and ‘slipping in’ was all you could do, it was so small that the three children already enjoying the pool had to leave so we could get in!  

Next we headed out. On the way to the Sunset Hotel we passed Ferryman Tours so, as they did not answer their phone and we wanted to take their tour the next day, we dropped in, only to spend the next half hour there as we admired each other’s MGB!  We always find these cars in the most amazing spots and end up having long chats with their owners.

Not ones to sit around doing not very much, we left around we then journeyed to the Sunset Hotel for an afternoon drink.

Goldie looked a little out of place in the parking area!

Then sunset viewing and dinner.  Being in the Gulf we just had to have barramundi!

Next morning John was up in time for a 6:30 am fishing trip out into the gulf.  A great morning catching Blue Nosed Salmon and Silverback.  John was not sure whether to keep the fish or not but realised that he could keep them cold in the car fridge and offer them as part of dinner the next night. There is no cleaning of fish on the river bank (crocodiles, my friend, do not need encouragement!) so he returned to the motel where the very kind owner not only lent him the tools but actually cleaned and filleted the fish!

Four pm came around and we headed off for our sunset cruise on the Albert River, run by Ferryman Tours.  Now here are some very smart folk: it might sound expensive, but the complementary bar is open for most for the trip, cheese and biscuits to start, then a bucket of prawns each, followed by chocolate cake as the sun sets.  Everyone was very happy after three hours!  

Plus, we were shown the native birds. First, the jabiru which wandered down to the river’s edge for their afternoon feed and then the black kites which swept down and took their feed off the back ledge of the boat. We had noticed the huge flock of black kites circling overhead the previous afternoon just after we arrived and now realised that it would have been around 4pm. The birds were waiting for the cruise and their afternoon feed! There was also a white breasted eagle perched high in a tree.

We were treated to a short history of Karumba. The town was a stop-over pre WWII for planes to Europe, a military base during WWII from where the Catalinas took sorties to Japanese occupied New Guinea and Indonesia, a live cattle export base, the site of a zinc mine processing plant, a base for barges which supply nearby Melville Island and a fishing and prawning fleet base. After a trip up the Albert River we entered the mouth of the Gulf to enjoy the sunset and a sunset drink.

It was Sunday night and the AFL final and John thought he had planned it so well. The cruise finished at 7:15 and the final started at 7:30 so we dashed to the pub to watch the game only to discover that it was half time. ‘Damn, I had forgotten that NSW had moved to daylight saving.’  As it was a bit of a one sided match, it didn’t really matter!

An easy day on Monday as we only had 280 km to drive from Karumba to Burketown. There was 70kms of dirt road to travel, far better than many of the dirt roads Goldie has traversed, 80kmh + was no problem. We did stop at Camp 119 – the last camp of Burke and Wills as they dashed to the coast after travelling from Melbourne. There is not much there now as the 6 trees with axed blazes on them have now perished and there are just pictures and drawings to describe the area. However, what a timely reminder of the incredibly intrepid nature of these early explorers.

Now to the reason for this drive, Burketown and the Morning Glory.

On some days in September and October (ah yes, we did this trip in 2022 but it has taken us awhile to upload!) a rare weather event takes place where the Morning Glory cloud, a rare meteorological phenomenon consisting of a low-level atmospheric solitary wave and associated cloud, occurs above, principally, Burketown. The wave often occurs as an amplitude-ordered series of waves forming bands of  clouds that roll in from the sea.  These are a glider pilot’s delight as the front of the cloud provides lift and indeed allows the glider to fly above the cloud – usually gliders fly below the clouds.

Altogether there were 15 people in the group, arriving in 3 cars, 4 planes and a motorised glider!  The main team left Lake Keepit, near Tamworth, towing a glider in its trailer accompanied by one sedan, a RV10 4 seater aircraft, a powered Ximango glider and a RA-AUS Allegro. We arrived in Goldie a bit later and, soon after we arrived, two further people arrived in their owner-built RV4 planes.

I ventured out to the airstrip in the afternoon of Day 1 (it’s only about 1km, but who wants to walk in this heat?) to watch the later arrivals. It is an unmanned strip with self-service fuel and a warning not to be on the airstrip on Tuesdays between 2:30 and 3:30pm when the weekly commercial flight arrives! 

That evening there was a communal dinner for fifteen under the tree canopy with watermelon bruschetta (the watermelon was specially flown in by one of the day’s arrivals), my fish, followed by steak and complemented by red wine.  Good food, good company and a lush, green oasis setting.

As an aside, the story of the gin.  One of the team had arranged for 6 boxes of wine and a box of gin to be sent from Sydney to arrive some weeks before. All the wine arrived, but the box of gin went on its own adventure: first to Adelaide, then Geelong, Brisbane, Townsville and then back to Brisbane. As a result we received a call while in Atherton with a request to visit a liquor store and stock up on gin. On the second last day of the 2 week visit the gin finally arrived, so the trip home should be interesting!

Each day is an early morning start: depart for the airport at 5:30am to prepare planes and gliders for a sunrise departure (6:19am). Then there is a scramble of planes and gliders lining up on the airstrip to take off. We are not the only people at the airstrip, there must be another twelve or so pilots preparing their aircraft in the predawn half light, including some seemingly very fragile ultralight trikes which are like a hang glider with a lawn mower engine attached.  Once in the air I thought, at first, that one of these trikes was coming towards us until I realised that he was so slow we were overtaking him at about three times his speed.

Day 2 we were very fortunate to be invited to ride in the RV10, a 4 seater plane, and were soon in the sky watching the Morning Glory arrive.  Pictures tell the best story.

Also exciting is seeing the Gulf country from above: winding rivers and creeks, tidal flats, empty spaces of sand and dirt, mangroves and the occasional cattle.  More pictures!

In the afternoon we joined a fishing trip on the Albert River. It’s about 1 hour from Burketown to the mouth of the river (it’s probably 3 or 4 times longer on the river than in a direct line as the river has numerous twists and turns). At the mouth we disembarked and wandered around the sand flats while one of the crew used a throw or casting net to catch bait fish (small mullet).  We then motored back down the river and into a side creek, where the brown waters of the river met the blue sea water, for some serious fishing.  Ros did well, catching the first two fish, a Queen fish and a Jewel fish. Overall, the five of us fishing caught enough fish to feed all fifteen that night.

Day 3 was a slow day – no Morning Glory this morning, so while Ros did a 6:30am walk to the Albert River, John made a date with another lazy guest for breakfast!  Then it was washing (isn’t it always an event on the trip) and shopping for that night’s dinner.  

So what’s in Burketown?  A petrol station with small general store, also a shop (open 9 till noon and 1:30 to 4pm, which is ok if you live here, with once a week deliveries, mainly or hopefully on Tuesdays. Except that as Monday was a public holiday, this week’s delivery had not even arrived by Thursday, so options are getting low. There is a primary school, the local council works depot, a small hospital and … well that’s about it.  A scattering of homes plus (I forgot) the pub with no chef and the café run by a Philippine lady resulting in an interesting mix of food from hamburgers to spicy dishes.  And an airport, at this time of year this is probably the busiest spot in town.

And, fortunately for us, the Savannah Lodge (we are after all on the Savannah Way) an oasis in the town.  While everything else is hot, dry and dirt, Savannah lodge is a cool green temple. This small oasis in the middle of the stark Australian outback is truly a small paradise. Huge trees provide a wonderful shady canopy across the entire resort, beautiful gardens abound and boardwalks link the accommodation cabins. Plus, these is a beautiful bar area, a pool and a delightful outdoor dining area. Birds abound in the trees above you and come to drink and bath at various sized bird baths across the resort. There is even an area od lush green grass. Amanda and Paul have spent 30 years creating this beautiful resort. They started with saplings that are now tall trees, lavishing water on the garden and building up the resort as a destination in itself.

Day 4 we were again lucky to be invited for a flight in the RV10 out to Adeles Grove and the Century Mine.  In 1920 Albert de Lestang took up the property as an experimental Botanical Garden (hence the name “Adele” arose from Albert’s initials). Albert planted many species of trees and shrubs and supplied the Botanical Gardens of the world with the seeds produced by his nursery.  The property extends from Lawn Hill Creek at one end to Louie Creek at the other with river boats and canoes for hire.

The Century Mine has been in operation for many years, owned by many companies and produces zinc with some silver and lead.  The current owner is not mining the open cut mine, but is mining the tailings from prior owners: as time and technology has progressed, the tailings of earlier extractions can now be processed to extract the zinc remaining in the tailings. The actual processing of the tailing is done in Karumba: the tailings are mixed with water and, as slurry, is piped the 304 kms to Karumba in an underground pipeline! We had seen the processing plant on our Ferryman cruise.

To the Gulf of Carpentaria

1. On the road again

At last we have been able to make another trip in Goldie.

After two years of restricted overseas travel, and indeed restricted travel within Australia, we have now undertaken a trip to Burketown, Queensland on the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Planning for this trip started in early 2020 and finally after two years of border closures we are now able to drive into Queensland.  Burketown is renowned for an amazing weather event, the Morning Glory, a rolling cloud that comes in from the Gulf in the early morning and provides amazing uplift for glider pilots.  We have friends who are serious glider fanatics and have been planning to visit Burketown for two years. They invited us to join them. More on the Morning Glory shortly.  

Instead of just driving straight to Burketown, we decided to make a longer trip by driving up the Queensland coast as far as Innisfail, then into the Atherton Tablelands and then west to the gulf.

Day 1 saw us on a long drive to Lennox Head, then the next day a shorter day to Peregrine Beach, just south of Noosa. Lunch with old friends at the Caloundra Power Boat Club at Golden Beach was a great stop off along the way.

A visit to Noosa ensured that we had made the right decision to avoid the wintering place of Melbourne residents – a drive along the 2 kms of Hastings Street took 15 minutes!  No need to drive to Noosa to see the same shops as in any Sydney mall!  

A side trip to Eumundi to visit their amazing markets.  On Friday only the permanent stalls were open, but that took us a couple of hours to browse through.  With two granddaughters the opportunity for shopping has increased exponentially and there were plenty of ‘cottage’ stalls to delight both grandmother and grandfather. 

The main markets are on Saturday so, although we had a longish drive to Agnes Water, we still managed two hours at the markets and visited all the stalls.  Lots of women’s dress stalls, candle makers, dog accessories, garden decorations and, of course, pictures and paintings!  Plus, every type of food and coffee.  I think Ros is planning a return trip with her ‘market visiting girl friends’!

Agnes Water north of Bundaberg is near the fascinating town of 1770, named for the visit by Captain Cook, with a very pretty harbour, sandy beaches and camping areas. Agnes Water is a newly developed town, a sort of up market resort contrasting to the bare feet family camp at 1770.  John had a disappointing afternoon, watching first the Swans loose to Geelong and then the Wallabies to the All Blacks. Even Souths could not win to round the evening off at the Agnes Water Tavern.

Then followed a long 700 km drive to Blacks Beach just north of Mackay, passing by the major regional towns of Gladstone and Rockhampton with a long stretch of ‘not much’ as the highway is inland for most of the trip. Indeed, it was so empty that not even the ubiquitous sugar cane lined the sides of the road. This was probably the hottest day’s drive along the coast as well.

Blacks Beach is a delightful resort town and is one of the ‘northern beaches’ of Mackay. Visitors are mainly inland Queenslanders seeking a coast holiday although, in the past, some overseas visitors passed through mainly to see the kangaroos that inhabit nearby Cape Hillsborough.  We were excited to find the least well known, most run down pub in Australia with the most amazing view just up the road in Eimeo.  Good dinner and a wine list that you could recognise!

A shortish drive the next day to Townville to catch the ferry to Magnetic Island for a two night relax.  Along the way Ros determined that we would stop and have a decent lunch with a view now that the highway was, more or less, following the coast. This we did at the Horseshoe Bay Resort. A relaxing way to break up the trip.

A lay day on magnetic Island saw us take a drive around the island, a swim at, believe it or not, another Horseshoe Bay. We spent the afternoon by one of the resort’s pools followed by dinner overlooking Nelly Bay watching bobbing yachts and arriving ferries. 

Back on the mainland John had planned a short drive to Ingham so we could detour to the Wallaman Falls, apparently the highest permanent single drop waterfalls in Australia!  And it was flowing strongly even this long into the dry season. It was a magnificently long drop of plunging water – 268 metres if the sign can be believed. 

The drive and walk did not take as long as expected so we continued to Innisfail for the night where, after selecting a restaurant from the guide books, we realised that most were closed as the local pub has monopolised food service in the town.  A very large dining room, attracting families, workers and the occasional tourist, with an extensive menu meant that every other restaurant did not stand a chance!

A very touristy next day as we drive into the Atherton Tablelands, following the visitors guide to 

The Manu tropical rainforest skywalk and tower which took us up into the tree tops to see the numerous plants, vines, ferns, tillandsias and orchids that grew on the tall rainforest trees, all reaching for some sun.  The effects of cyclone Yasi (2011) and Larry (2006) could still be seen, where the cyclones had knocked down trees that allowed new growth to rapidly reach for the sky and sun.
Mungalli Falls and more importantly, a milkshake at the Mungalli Dairy.
A drive around the falls loop to Enninjaa, Zillie and Millaa Millaa Falls, the last being described as the ‘perfect waterfall’ often used for shampoo advertainments!
And finally a drive out to volcanic Lake Eacham including a 3 km walk around the lake.
And then a hot tub at our digs for the night – Mt Quincan Crater Retreat Canopy Treehouse, isolated cabins set around the crater each with magnificent views out through the rainforest. 

Mt Quincan Crater Retreat is designed so you have total uninterrupted privacy. On the first night we had delivered to our cabin the cold mixed seafood package and each morning the self-cooked breakfast: two types of sausages, eggs, ham, bacon, mushroom and tomato, plus cereal fruit and yogurt! 

A slow start next morning looking at the magnificent view while breakfasting on the deck. The a trip into Atherton (not a great place to visit, but with a bottle shop. We had had a SOS from friends in Burketown as their gin was running low), a trip to Lake Barrine with its magnificent tea house and then a visit to Nerada Tea Plantation.  

At Nerada we selected the ‘tea tasting pack’ of 5 teas which is always a great way to remind oneself that black tea with milk is not the only way to enjoy a ‘cuppa’. Nerada has resident tree kangaroos and we were lucky enough to spot them on our arrival sitting in the trees near the teahouse. Such an amazing animal as, although they have taken to the trees, they still retain the ability to hop quickly over the ground.

Dinner that night at Our Place restaurant in Youngaburra where we sat outside under a heater in a jumper – it was so great to be cool. Next stop Karumba on the Gulf.

Rotorua

Our last tourist stop on our New Zealand drive is Rotorua.  One could almost believe it’s the last stop in any tourist area in NZ as the visitors are disappearing and the country is going into severe lock down mode.

When we arrived it was raining.  Consequently we planned an indoor visit at the Museum of Art and History, but sorry, it was closed.  What to do next? John suggested ‘let’s just do it’ and visit Whakarewarewa Thermal Village! Even if it’s raining.

We arrived in time for a cultural performance followed by a guided walk around the village including the hot pools, geysers and mud baths.

We enjoyed the cultural performance as much for the Maori singing, acting, dancing and poi performance as for the enjoyment shown on the performers’ faces.  All the performers are related to the village. There are currently around 20 families still living in the village and 800 people in the area who have a connection to the village.

While our walk was conducted in rain, it was helpful to have explained to us the purposes of the Meeting House (weddings, funerals, actual meetings), the cooking pools (good for steaming vegetables or making steamed pudding), the baths (for all members of the family and great for catching up on gossip)

and finishing with waiting for Pohutu and two other geysers to perform. They did, but with the rain causing so much water vapour it was a bit hard to see them.

We stopped in a shop in the village for Ros to buy a few presents just as the owner was closing up, closing up she said for probably a couple of months.  An emergency meeting was taking place that afternoon and the next day the whole village was closed.  The shop owner was quite distraught as you can imagine and took great relief in loading Ros up with extra products for no cost. She was very generous even though I guess she was not going to sell them in the near future.

Onwards to our digs for the night, about 15 minutes north and in the countryside (the town has its fair share of less attractive hotels so this was a great find) where we were enthusiastically welcomed by the manager – I think we made her day by turning up as, other than one other couple, we were the entire guest list.  Also as she was from Beijing the map on the side of the car from our Silk Road trip was of interest. One small problem, no dinner provided, so back into Rotorua for dinner, which we might add was excellent.

John was getting anxious about returning to OZ so he called Qantas – a mere 1 hour 40 minute wait to get through, but we were both glad to be told that, ‘yes our flight was definitely going, indeed it is quite a full plane’. I guess the last of the Australians flying home before flights stop altogether.  It is one of the last Qantas planes to fly: feels a bit like getting onto a helicopter in Saigon in the 1970s!

Next day was a bit of a nothing day. Rotorua is shutting down. We headed into Rotorua in case there was something else to see, but too late as every attraction had closed.

We visited a couple of chemists to try to buy face masks for the drive home from the airport, as instructed by the government, but no luck. They are all sold  out. Not sure where they have all gone to as we did not see anyone wearing one. Chemists are open but with lots of cautionary notices and customers kept at a distance. We noticed that had medical clinics the receptionist was in the carpark and patients were told to remain in their car until called one at a time into the surgery.  Unprecedented times.

We did go to one supermarket to buy some toilet paper (just in case!) to find sanity prevails in NZ with people pretty much shopping normally. Plenty of toilet paper to choose from. There have been sensible limits on items to stop panic buying and stockpiling such as has been going on in Oz, but apart from this it was life as per the usual in the supermarket itself.

We did wander around the Government gardens and found an open café for coffee overlooking the lake. Here we had to sign in: name phone and email so, we assume, if there is an outbreak traced to the café we can be contacted.  Mind you, it was quite hard to find a café open.

As well, we drove around the lake shore and the city. Then it was back to our accommodation and with a free afternoon we did lots of blogging and to empty the car and pack the bags.  On these trips we can secret around 2 cases of items in corners of the car, under the seat, across the back so it’s quite a big exercise to empty the car to avoid too much attention by Australian customs and quarantine when it returns.  And we packed the essentials for Australia.

Tongariro – part 2

I knew my current fitness levels were no up to a 7-8 hour walk and I was not prepared to risk a jarring fall on a loose scree slope so I decided the Tongariro Crossing was not for me, unfortunately.

Instead I drove from our accommodation across to Whakapapa Village where you will find Chateau Tongariro, the National Park information centre, much accommodation servicing the ski fields and summer visitors and the beginning of many walks of various lengths.

I spent a really interesting hour in the information centre reading about volcanos in general, the various volcanos in the area, the various eruptions of these over time and of course lots of information about native flora, trees and birds. There was also more information about trapping introduced species to ensure the survival of native flora and birds with the interesting added information that the NZ government has set a target of 2050 to eradicate all stoats, weasels, rats and possums. (Poor possums, protected in Australia but here doing immense damage to native flora.)

Our kayaking guide in Kaiteriteri had recommended the Taranaki Falls walk to me, a two hour loop walk from the village and back, so armed with a bottle of water and chocolate bar (a two hour walk being a good excuse to indulge) off I set.

This was a truly beautiful walk! It starts by heading across a grassy plain with views of Ngaurughoe, Rhuapehu and Tongariro mountains in the distance. Some early cloud was lifting as I walked, affording a better view of the mountains as I walked.

Very abruptly the track disappeared into a stand of trees with lichens and ferns all around. The transition was completely abrupt and quite amazing.

Emerging on the other side of this copse you were back into open ground with bridges over small creeks.

The walk then disappears once again into a forested area with small dense vegetation as well as small waterfalls through rapids.

About half way you come to the Taranaki Falls with a ribbon of water plunging about 100 metres from the top of the cliff to the pool below. A very pretty place to stop and eat said chocolate bar and watch other walkers go by. I was fascinated by the behaviour of all other walkers I saw pass. They arrived at the falls and took a selfie, some scrambled down to the pool for another selfie, then it was off again. No one else simply sat and took time out to enjoy the falls themselves, the sounds of water plunging into the pool and then running off through stones and down the creek, or watching the small birds flit in and out of the bushes and dip down to drink. So peaceful and beautiful, only interrupted by selfies!!

The track back to the village ran  mostly along the stream fed by the waterfall. This track ran through quite dense foliage with, again, lichens growing on tree trunks and forming part of the undergrowth.

At one stage the track plunged down about a hundred stairs before meandering along the stream bank.

It then climbed back out of the river gorge to emerge once again in open grasslands and within sight of the Chateau.

I then visited the Chateau and treated myself to coffee, scone jam and cream for lunch! Absolutely delicious with an awe inspiring view of Ngaurughoe through the window.

I then drove up to the adjacent ski fields. Here the old lava flows are very evident and this is a desolate landscape in summer. It was a must to imagine the whole area covered in pristine, white snow!

A quick drive back to the beginning of a second shorter walk to other falls and then back to our accommodation.

On this second walk I came across a number of hebe plants. I have grown hebes at home but had no idea they are a native plant of NZ! It is always good to learn something new.

 

John’s walk was almost cancelled due to the closing down of NZ.  It has been 10 days since the imposed 14 day self isolation rule came in and, as a result, the tourists are diminishing.  Those that were booked have cancelled and those that were already here are leaving or cutting their holiday short.  On our last night in Tongariro we went to the Snapps Bar for dinner and were greeted at the door by the owner – wait a minute please, we are limited to 100 guests and so we need these two people to leave and then we must sit you at a table distant from any other diners.  Quite creepy actually! I would say that the Crossing will be abandoned shortly.  The guiding group I went with usually has 6 guides and they are now down to one, and he is pessimistic.

Tongariro

Departing Kapiti we headed north to National Park, an actual village on the edge of the Tongariro National Park, the first National Park in NZ and the sixth in the world.  The attraction is the Tongariro Alpine Crossing – more on that.

Firstly, however, we must mention that NZ is the land of the road works.  Every day we were slowed down to 30 to pass some section of road being resurfaced or rerouted or just a few pot holes repaired.  We both commented that to be the supplier of witches hats in NZ would be a fantastic business.

Through contacts of Ros’ we were recommended a side trip, avoiding the highway and driving along the Whanganui River valley.

A sublime road winding along the river with many tight turns, one way stretches and fantastic views over the river and hills.

Along the way we passed towns, often with two name, Matahiwi, Ranana and Pipiriki however sometimes the name post also subtitled these with Athens, Jerusalem and London!  Not to worry, the trip was great as these photos show.

Tongariro Alpine Crossing is one of the great one day walks and on Luke’s recommendation, John was keen.  It was here that we separated for the day with Ros looking for some more leisurely walks.

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There was some concern the night before as to whether or not my walk would go ahead: of the eight people booked, five had cancelled and two did not reconfirm.  However at 6pm it was agreed we would go, even if the others did not turn up. They didn’t, and so the next morning I had my own guide for the day, Hiro, from Japan, who has made the crossing 110 times since he started in August last year!  Hiro was very helpful, it meant that I did not need to think as I was told when to take my jumper off (before the big climb up the hill) when to out it on (when we were on an exposed ridge) and when to have lunch (by the Emerald lakes).  We left town at 8am, with the sun just behind the peaks

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The walk is 19.4 km in length, starts at 1,000 m, goes up to 1,800 and finishes at 700 m: hence everyone walks one way. The first part of the walk goes through low scrub and rises slowly towards the volcanic scree from Mt Ngauruhoe which erupted in 1954 when the lava swept down the side of the mountain. We covered 4km in an hour.

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We then turned towards the giant staircase: not too sure how many stairs but I’d guess 800, and up we climbed. These two kilometres took an hour!

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Then over the ridge and we were in the crater of a volcano, very flat and so enjoyable to walk along at a good pace.

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But there was a steep climb to come: up the ridge line to the highest point on the walk, between Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Tongariro. From here we had a fabulous view of red crater, an old volcano which the iron has weathered red.

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From here is was down a terrible slope of loose rocks, scree and dirt to the shores of the Emerald Lakes (3 in all) which really are emerald/green.

At last lunch, even if it was only 11:45, but I was ready.  At this point we were only 8 km into the walk, but Hiro indicated half way in terms of exertion. Thanks heavens.

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I guess one advantage of being only one person was that we made quite good time.  Hiro said we were about one hour ahead of the usual.  He also told me that they often send people back.  There are lots of signs up to this point reminding walkers that it’s not an easy walk: go back if you are fatigued or cold. On walks with a lot of people they will often have an extra guide in order to accompany less strong walkers back to the start.

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We then walked across a plain for 1 km and up onto the edge of Blue Lake.

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After that is was then the long trip to the end: 10 km slowly descending, at times along rock strewn tracks,

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at other times zigzagging across the slope or just walking along never ending raised tracks across heather with steam venting in places.

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At one point I got a cramp in the hamy, but lots of water and 5 jelly frogs seemed to fix it.  However, I was now on a mission not to stop and get cold for fear of more cramps.

Then into a treed area (I estimate that the trees only grow to around 1,000 m in this part of NZ).

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Finally the end is in sight.

We finished around an hour and a half earlier than Hiro would normally expect – not sure if it’s because I am a great sportsman or if the lack of stragglers helped.

(Lucky John booked for Saturday because bad weather on Sunday resulted in the Parks advising walkers not to go).

And now over to Ros for her day….

Kapiti

After arriving in Wellington on the ferry we headed north to Poirura for dinner with the Wellington MG Car Club. One of the fantastic aspects of travelling in Goldie is that we have met members of the MG family all over the world. We were given a very warm welcome and made to feel right at home amongst talk of all things MG.

The next day we spent in Kapiti prior to heading north for the final leg of our NZ journey.

First stop was the Southward Classic Car museum at Paraparaumu, pronounced Paraparam!

This museum is a result of Sir Ian Southward’s passion for old cars. He began the collection   when he bought a 1915 Model T Ford £40. The car is today displayed in the condition in which it was bought (a bit like an old rust bucket!) and it will always remain like this. Sitting next to it is a similar car which has been completely restored.

There were some fantastically interesting cars in this collection, you could simply write about it forever! However, I will confine myself to a few and then put in lots of pictures of others! As usual in a car museum I took way too many photographs.

I did love this old Maudslay Phaeton from 1913. The huge number of early car manufacturers has always fascinated me. Where did they all go to? The Maudslay was a British Car manufacturer and this model, as were all their cars, was among the most expensive on the British market. Maudslay produced, in 1905, the first double decker bus.

The next car is bizarre. The body work is hand beaten copper! It was created by a Philip Lewis of Auckland in 1921. The body work took 1,000 hours to produce. Was it worth the effort?

I can never pass up a MG or two. This 1936 PA looks very similar o n the outside to my 1937 TA, however the dash and pedals look very different.

Then there was this beautifully restored 1935 R Type, the last of MGs pre war race cars.

And then there was this little coin operated replica for the littlies to enjoy! Nothing like getting them interested in old cars at an early age.

This 1952 Hillman Minx brought back many memories as this was the first car my Dad bought. However, he really did not like this beige colour so hand painted it a beautiful turquoise. Three kids across the back, two adults in the front and our Kelpie cross Fox Terrier in a specially built travelling box, with windows, on the roof!

This little car is interesting. This is a 1985 Sinclair CS. English millionaire home computer inventor, Sir Clive Sinclair had a vision of personal transport in the 80s; the CS was the result. It had a motor adapted from an electrical appliance. Of the 14,000 produced only 5,000 were sold before the company went into receivership. Surprised?

On the other end of the scale is this beautiful 1923 Bentley 3 Litre Tourer. This 3 litre car was the sports car which put Bentley on the automotive map.

Anyway, enough details, here are some more pictures from the museum. A well worthwhile visit if you are interested in old cars and there is very informative signage everywhere. If you visit, look out for the fantastic and fantastical collection of china salt and pepper shakers!!

 

After visiting the car museum we headed off to the Nga Manu nature reserve just up the road at Waikanae. Covering approximately 15 hectares. Established in the 1970s to ensure the preservation and restoration of a precious lowland swamp forest remnant. There is a beautiful forest walk, birds abound and there are a number of aviaries and other exhibits to wander through and around.

One really interesting aspect of the reserve are the resident eels, which are in abundance and they are fed each day. They turn up for feeding on cue and thrash about. They even come partly out of the water in their desire to get at the food. I really know nothing about eels and so the short informative talk which goes with the feeding was most interesting. Although they live in fresh water, they migrate through and breed in salt water. They are generally 90 – 100 years old when they leave their freshwater home and head to Tonga to breed. The shortfin eel will lay 1.5 – 3 million eggs, while the longfin will lay between 1 and 20 million eggs. The male then fertilises the eggs. After spawning the adults die. It is not known whether the eels return to where the parents came from or end up somewhere else entirely. However, young eels do arrive at the reserve on a regular basis to live out their life there. At present it is though that the oldest eel at the reserve is approximately 40 years old.

Another highlight of our visit was the emergence of the kiwi from his nest to wander down the enclosure and feed. Kiwis are nocturnal, so this is a nocturnal exhibit, hence the red colour!

We did see a number of other birds including a beautiful fantail, a tui, kaka and a wood pigeon. Others got away before the shutter could capture them!

All in all, a very enjoyable day with dinner at the Waterman over looking the beach as the sun set.

Marlborough

Reluctantly leaving the views and beach front of Kaiterteri , F&L arranged a delightful drive across the top of the south island with the particular objective of stopping in the mussel capital of NZ, Havelock.  Lindsay had targeted the Mussel Pot for lunch, however no such luck as it was closed. Instead we found a delightful sun filled balcony at the Captains Daughter for our special lunch.  Giant sized mussels made for a big lunch.

After lunch we took the scenic route across to Blenheim for our Marlborough wine experience. Along the way we passed beautiful sandy bays and headlands with fabulous views across Queen Charlotte Sound to mountains in the distance.

It was a bit windy

And then we turned a corner and were in Picton, just like that, a port for exporting logs and the ferry to Wellington

Our digs for the next few days is a cottage on a farm: vines on either side, cows outside the window, sheep bleating in the next paddock, olive trees behind and hazelnut trees on the driveway.  And to top it all off, a cricket pitch outside the back door!  Ideal being isolated and peaceful, although only a mile or two to the shops and wineries.

The first stop the next day was at Hans Herzog where we were impressed with the red wines particularly. Marlborough is noted for its white wines and lighter style pinot noir, Hanz Herzog surprised us with its full bodied reds.

Next stop was Wairu winery for a tasting and then on to Jan Hunter’s winery where we enjoyed a relaxed lunch and tasting served to us by the delightful Helen.

The area is especially known for the sauvignon blanc and pinot noir varieties, however we were surprised to see numerous other wine varieties available throughout the area. Hans Herzog had an impressive collection of varietals including some of Italian origin such as a Barbera and Tempranillo, and Montepulciano and a Sweigelt from Austria. This was a very interesting visit and tasting.

We are getting better at distinguishing regional differences in, particularly, pinot noir, with Central Otago wines being bigger and more flavoursome and the Marlborough more delicate.  Despite having been brought up on Hunter Shiraz, we can now, after our 10 week immersion in NZ wines, appreciate better these delightful NZ wines and their regional differences!

We have noticed how the vines are trimmed, even during the bud burst and bunch ripening season. We are told this is to ensure the maximum sunlight does to the bunches.

Our last dinner together (F&L are returning to Oz early for the birth of their second grandchild) was at Scotch Bar, a restaurant in town with a menu that focused on sharing plates using freshly sourced local ingredients.  We opted for the chef’s selection including walnut and chive dip with multi gain sourdough, super fresh (the carrot and radish snapped crisply in the mouth) lightly pickled vegetables with an avocado dip, sashimi cod with daikon and cucumber jus, slow cooked rib eye with whipped duck fat and the finale was chocolate mousse piped over whipped  buttermilk with pepper on top!

The waiter very helpfully suggested a local pinot that suited the meal especially well and then recommended two further wineries for us to visit the next day!

So, the next day we did visit a couple more wineries as well as enjoying a very delicious lunch at the restaurant at Wairu winery.  We should have rented a bicycle as they come equipped with a very important carry bag!

It now feels a bit like we are moving towards home.  Certainly we will be travelling north (tomorrow on the ferry to Wellington and after that driving up the North Island) to drop off Goldie and catch a plane back to Oz from Auckland.  The Coronavirus is a growing concern, although NZ seems to be relatively free of the anxiety we are reading about in Australia.  Restaurants are full, campers everywhere and supermarkets fully stocked.  We will need to self-isolate when we arrive in Sydney so that will slow us down.  A lunch John was looking forward to has been cancelled, the MG National Meeting over Easter cancelled and a golf weekend John was especially excited about has gone. Looks pretty grim from here. But we do have a very good supply of toilet paper at home! Australia seems to have gone mad with panic buying during our absence! New Zealanders are behaving in a much more sane and restrained fashion.

 

Kaiteriteri

Finally, having been given the green light by the surgeon to resume kayaking, we were all set to do what I have been waiting for all trip, spend the day out kayaking and walking. New Zealand has always seemed to me to be a place where you get out and experience the landscape and enjoy, to coin a phrase, ‘the great outdoors’.

We have certainly seen a great deal of New Zealand on this trip, which was of course its primary purpose, and we have loved every minute of the trip and everything we have seen. The landscape, wherever you go, is magnificent, awe-inspiring, misty and magical or simply stunning. Kaiteriteri, sitting on the edge of Able Tasman National Park with its beautiful waterways, offered us the perfect opportunity to get  out onto the water with a two hour walk thrown in.

When we arrived in Kaiteriteri the previous day, we found the cottage we had booked was high up on the hill behind the beach and overlooking the bay.  This was a great location, inviting us to sit on the veranda with a glass of wine while watching the sun set.  And, as we arrived early in the afternoon, we managed a few hours relaxing on the beach in the warm sunshine – something we had missed for the last 2 weeks!

Kaiteriteri is in the Malborough Sounds and has a tidal range of up to 5 metres.  While we were there John looked up and found that at this time of the year there was over 4.8 metres difference from high to low tide.  As we arrived on the beach just after high tide we could almost see the tide recede: a tractor arrived with a boat trailer and initially dipped its wheels in the water. However, by the time the boat returned to be loaded the wheels were high and dry.

We signed up for a day’s kayaking and walking with a local company, Wilsons, which runs a commuter/tourist boat service up the coast of the national park. We boarded the boat off the beach at Kaiteriteri. The boat has a long gangway projecting from the bow which is lowered onto the sand to allow people to board. The boat travels with this raised but in place, making for a very striking prow arrangement.

Having boarded, we set off up the coast. An excellent on board commentary is provided as well as a detailed map showing the various route highlights with accompanying explanations. The coast consists of a series of beaches, bays and headlands and some interesting rock and land formations just off the coast including Split Apple Rock. The dominant rock of the area is granite which splits along natural fault lines. When the granite breaks up and wears down completely it forms the golden quartz sand beaches of the area.

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The boat dropped us off at Torrent Bay where we joined up with a group for a three and a half hour kayaking expedition. The kayaking was led by a young man from the Coromandel named Braedon, and what a terrific guide he proved to be.  With a very precise and comprehensive safety briefing and some tips for the non-kayakers on technique, we were into the water and on our way.

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The paddle took us past interesting rocky outcrops, some with hardy trees clinging to the tops or slopes, a seal colony, other sandy bays and finally, after a fairly challenging paddle into the wind across a long and open stretch of water, we landed at Frenchman’s Bay for lunch where we were joined by a weka who was looking for a handout. The weka is a very inquisitive ground bird and will quickly get into your lunch or bag if you do not keep a keen eye on it. Also during lunch a large stingray cruised the shallows in front of us.

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After lunch we paddled into the lagoon, only accessible at high tide, at the northern end of the bay. This lagoon was very extensive with two distinct arms which went quite a long way inland. We only had time to explore a short way up both arms but along the way we did see a cormorant fishing in very shallow water. No diving from a height here, rather the bird ducked under the surface and skimmed along the shallow flats at a remarkable speed emerging after some 10 – 20 seconds with a small fish in its beak. The lagoon was very protected, with calm, clear blue water and it was a pleasure to cruise around in here for about twenty minutes.

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It was then back to the beach from where we had set off in the morning to don shoes for the walk from the northern end of Torrent Bay back to Anchorage Beach where we would be picked up by the boat in a couple of hour’s time for the trip back to Kaiteriteri. If we had done this walk at low tide we could have walked across the bed of the large lagoon and it would have taken about 45 minutes. However, as it was high tide we had to go inland right around the back of the bay and then inland around a very extensive lagoon which ran inland again for some considerable distance.

This was an exceptionally pretty walk through dense vegetation but always with the crystal blue lagoon on our left.

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A measure of the success pf the Department of Conservation’s pest trapping program could be seen in the national park. The number of weka strolling along the track and hanging pout on the beaches and at Cleopatra’s pool is testament to this. And they have no fear of people, rather they are. inclined to walk straight up to you and peck at your footwear.

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Half way along there is a side track to Cleopatra’s Pool. Here, a sparklingly clear stream tumbles through huge boulders and forms pools along its path. At one place the rocks have left a ‘raceway’ for the water to stream through and people jump in at the top and are spat out at the bottom, landing in one of the deeper pools. A very beautiful spot and well worth the 20 minute detour to get there and back.

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The last section of the track was a well graded but very long climb to the top of a ridge before a quick descent to the beach below for pick up.

Both of us were pretty tired by the time we got back onto the boat for the trip back to Kaiteriteri. However, back at the house a restorative glass of wine awaited us on the veranda, to be followed by a delicious BBQ dinner cooked by Frances and Lindsay and an early night!

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Heading north

We are leaving behind the snow capped mountains of the south and the magnificent turquoise lakes and heading north once again. Hopefully back into some warmer weather!

We set out from Tekapo on a very misty morning. How very glad we were that the previous day had cleared and allowed for our helicopter flight. No helicopter would be flying in this peasouper – in fact it was even difficult driving as the mist and fog were so thick you could only see about 50 metres in front of you. Everywhere else was a white, misty world.

Finally, the mist lifted and we found ourselves travelling through rolling plains before descending into the Rakaia Gorge with its steep sides and turquoise waters.

Once past the gorge the river valley became broad and the river sluggish, running between rounded river stones. The breadth of the river when in full flow would be impressive.

The road then ran into a more rugged region with twisting roads and some beautiful scenery. Is there anywhere in NZ which is not scenic? Not that we have so far seen.

We broke our journey north at Murchison, a small rural town but one which is the centre of outdoor adventure style activities. Fishing, white water rafting, kayaking, cycling, jet boating, heli tours, comet line rides, gold panning, bush and earthquake fault-line walks: you name it, you can do it!

We went for a short walk through the town, passing a pretty old church and a fabulously creative and eco-friendly letterbox, before wandering along the Murchison River (it had been a long day’s drive and we needed to stretch the legs).

Then it was off to the local pub for a whisky and beer sitting outside and watching the motorhomes go by. Having finished our drinks and thinking about heading back to the accommodation, we discovered that Frances and Lindsay, having had the same idea about having a quick drink before dinner, were, in fact, sitting at a table at the same pub but just around the corner!  So, a quick decision was made: off to the local restaurant for the recommended pizza for dinner. And yes, the pizzas were very good (sorry, the food went too quickly to take a picture of the actual pizzas) and the ambience, dining in the garden surrounded by fruit trees heavily laden with various types of fruit, was terrific. Just a very relaxing and enjoyable end to a beautiful day’s drive.

The next day was a much shorter drive out to the coast to Kaiteriteri. The landscape altered again on this drive but for much of it we were aware of the extent of the forestry industry in New Zealand. It is one of the top three industries here and we travelled through extensive pine forests in various stages of being logged or regrowing.

Then it was onto the coast where we were greeted by the sandy beaches of Kaiteriteri which is a very popular summer beach resort in the Marlborough Sound. We located our accommodation, a rather charming cottage high on the hill overlooking the town, and settled in for the next couple of nights.

 

Mt Cook

The big day has arrived, we are going on a helicopter flight over Mt Cook and the four glaciers: Hooker, Tasman, Fox and Franz Josef.  Looking out the window it was overcast!  Will we fly?  Certainly not at 10am as originally planned, but call later, maybe noon.

So with that we toddled off and looked at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Tekapo, a small stone church looking out over Lake Tekapo with a view from behind the alter to ensure you return each Sunday.  No photos inside please. Nearby was a statue of a Collie dog, credited with ensuring the success of sheep breeding in the Mackenzie district.

We then set off for the hour’s drive to Mt Cook Village near to the heliport where we received an update, maybe 1:30.  A coffee and cake at the Hermitage overlooking the clouds (but they were rising) and then we set off for a walk along the Tasman Glacier Track.  You could imagine being all on one’s own…but not to be with a car park crammed with campers (and the rare car) and numerous people along the track.

We stopped at a memorial to those, particularly climbers, who had lost their lives on the slopes of Mt Cook.

Finally the call came: yes we are flying at 2:30. And what a flight!

Up over the glaciers and along side Mt Cook (3,754 m or over 10,000 ft) plus Mt Tasman and 17 other mountains over 3,000 m.

We flew up the Tasman Glacier valley (the glacier has receded and now there are many miles of moraine and then a large lake before you reach the face of the glacier) on the east side.

We then flew over the saddle and onto the west side of the mountains to the Fox and Franz Joseph Glaciers where we landed for some fun in the snow and ice.

The glaciers were covered with a reddish pink tinge which the locals blamed on the Australian bushfires for sending over smoke and fine ash that then settled on their nice white glaciers.

We then returned over the saddle and flew down the Hooker Glacier with Mt Cook right there outside the window.  Interesting to see Muller Hut down below (1,800m), the starting point for ascents of both Mt Cook and Tasman.

Back over Mt Cook Village and then to the heliport.  Wow, what a trip.  Well worth doing.

 

With all that excitement over we just needed there classic car picture and then returned to Tekapo for a dip in the hot springs and out to dinner overlooking the lake.

Manapouri and a drive

It’s great to have a ‘not much’ day every so often on our trips and Monday proved to be it.

While our travelling companions did car things (nail in tyre, electric window failure) Ros and I went for a couple of hours walk along the edge of Lake Te Arnau to Brod Bay.

The walk started in reasonably dry forest, which then changed to taller trees with many ferns and then still more canopy with mosses at ground level.  There were numerous streams running into the lake and pleasant pebble beaches around the shore line.

All along the walk were traps for non native animals that have devastated the native bird population. Stay with me a moment here: NZ only has 2 land based native mammals, being the short tailed and long tailed bats, each only less than a hand in size. Otherwise the land based population is only birds whose only real predator is larger birds. Over the years many of the birds no longer needed to fly and used as their defence from these predator birds complete stillness:  if you are not moving you cannot be seen because of the camouflaging colours of your feathers.  Moving forward, Europeans introduced rabbits that overran the place so they introduced weasels (called stoats here) to catch the rabbits.  However, why chase a fast moving rabbit when a plump bird is standing still in front of you!

A major eradication program is now in place, with numerous islands having been cleared of rabbits, stoats, mice and rats and the native birds reintroduced.  In the parks there is a trapping program in place: wooden boxes baited with a hen’s egg with a trap to catch the unwanted invader.  And the country is having some success with this as native bird species repopulate.

John then washed the car (unfortunately the next day we drove through rain).

We enjoyed the ambiance of the local pub for dinner where the meals were huge and Ros enjoyed trying numerous wines to select the night’s pinot!

Next day was a reasonably long drive up into the alps for a night at Tekapo on Lake Tekapo.

Not  many pictures of the scenery, except when we arrived at Lake Pukaki where one takes ‘the picture’ of Mt Cook and the very blue waters of the lake.  Unfortunately the mountain was initially shrouded in cloud, but did lift allowing for a reasonable picture.

Here we found a monument to an unusual item, the introduction of tahr into NZ!  In 1904 the Duke of Bedford gifted 6 tahr to the government because he thought they might like the alpine hills.  They did and eventually over 40,000 were eating away the alpine grasses!  It continues to amaze us what animals and plants have been introduced into NZ (and Australia too for that matter) with subsequent significant and devastating effects.

On to Tekapo for the night.

 

 

Fiordland 2 – Doubtful Sound

After spending the night in Manapouri we headed off to the wharf to catch the boat for the cruise up Lake Manapouri. Whereas you can drive into Milford Sound (usually), to get to Doubtful Sound you have to take a boat up Lake Manapouri to where the power station is located and then catch a bus across the Wilmot Pass to then descend to Deep Cove where the boat departs for the cruise up the sound.

It is raining as we leave the wharf to cruise up Lake Manapouri. Everywhere is shrouded in mist. Lake Manapouri has a most interesting story as it was the focus of the beginning of the conservation movement in NZ. The original plans for the power station included raising the level of Lake Manapouri by 30 metres. This would have effectively destroyed the foreshore and much of the unique vegetation and habitat along the foreshore. Public outrage at this possible destruction was nationwide and in the 60s more than two million people from across both islands signed a petition protesting at this possibility. One of New Zealand’s popular singers of the period, John Hanlon, wrote Damn the Dam, a protest song to support the call for the abandonment of the scheme. The power station was eventually built but with no alteration to the water levels in the lake. Beautiful Lake Manapouri was saved.

It is still raining when we reach the wharf near Manapouri power station where we board the coach for the trip across to Doubtful Sound. The road to Doubtful Sound was built in order to bring in materials for building the power station. It took two years to build the road and, at approximately $80 per square metre, is NZ’s most expensive road. It is now primarily used for tourism.

This is a very scenic trip through mostly silver beech forest. Because of the very high rainfall in the area, the trees are hung with lichen and moss. Waterfalls cascade down the sides of the sheer cliffs which line sections of the road. Our coach driver talked non stop for forty minutes giving us an insight into the vegetation and flora, the history of the road, the history of the area, the building of the power station and the sights along the way. Most entertaining, as well as interesting.  Unfortunately impossible to take any photos at all through the steaming windows and rain.

One fascinating explanation was of the scarring on the cliff faces both along the road and all through the sound. The cliffs are steep and the trees have shallow intertwined roots to try to provide stability on these sheer slopes. However, it does not take much for a landslide to occur and when this happens a section of the cliff face is stripped bare as one tree pulls the next and so forth. First to regenerate are the mosses and lichens, particularly sphagnum moss which can hold up to 20 times its weight in water. This then provides the perfect germinating material for the next layer of vegetation and for young saplings. This whole process is particularly evident when cruising the sound as you can see the bare scars, the moss covered scars, the young vegetation adorning the disappearing scars and then the areas which have regenerated almost fully.

Reaching Doubtful Sound (another fjord) we boarded a fabulous boat (built in Tasmania) with huge windows just made for sight seeing. It is still raining slightly, but clearing slowly.

Misty, mystical and magical are the words which spring to mind when trying to describe Doubtful Sound on this particular morning. Luckily the clouds and mist lift sufficiently for us to see the tops of the mountains, but the low lying clouds and mist give the scene an eerie quality, but one still ethereally beautiful.

The rain means there are small waterfalls everywhere you look.

The scene itself, wherever you look or point the camera, is like looking at an exquisite black and white photograph. There may be no sun, however this beautiful Sound is still intensely photogenic.

Along the way we got up close to seals basking on rocks as well as penguins frolicking in the water. These were very difficult to photograph as they kept diving under the water just as you thought you had them in frame!

We were also treated to a display of arial acrobatics by an albatross which was using the currents above us to great effect.

The rain stopped which allowed for time out on the decks to admire the view. It also allowed for a marriage proposal to take place, including the giving of the ring, which was accepted! The crew then produced two glasses of sparkling for the absolutely joyous couple. What an unexpected yet fabulous addition to our trip on Doubtful Sound.

Back to Manapouri for a short drive around the lake edge where we watched a bus load of crazily enthusiastic youths swimming in the freezing water! Dinner in the Church Restaurant, very laid back but friendly service with good food. Definitely to be recommended.

Fiordland – Milford Sound

Before we even start to rave about the beauty of Milford Sound, let’s talk about the journey in.

About a month ago a major ‘rain event’ occurred which washed out numerous points along the (only) road into Milford.  Such was the damage that tourists had to be helicoptered out!

After a few days the road was opened to busses only and then only in 3 convoys per day.  No doubt the tourist industry was on to this very early: Milford only exists because of tourism and if you cannot get tourists in, then there is no activity; no bus or boat trips and no income for the many people involved. Still no private vehicles. Our accommodation hired a bus and offered guests a trip in from Te Anau, one and a half hours from Milford, at 11:45am. As we were driving from Dunedin, four hours away, this was going to be a very early start!

Then about a week ago we received the message that guests with booked accommodation could now drive their private vehicles in on one of the three convoys per day.  We needed to book in advance and, as we arrived at the convoy meeting point, we were checked off by the NZ Transport Agency controlling the access.

We were allocated to the 2:45 convoy with the caution, ‘don’t be late as we don’t wait’.

Now this raised the interesting question of ‘what time should we leave’ Dunedin, some 300 kms away?  Having driven for a few weeks in NZ we realise that what the GPS suggests as timing is not always possible. And then there was the issue of determining exactly where the convoy started – how far along the 120 km road into Milford Sound was the convoy check point?

So, working backwards from the GPS estimate and adding coffee and petrol stop time and also a fudge factor, it became an early start – getting up before sunrise, something we have not had to do for a long time on our trips.

A beautiful run across the south of the South Island, the GPS estimate was pretty good, the coffee at the coffee stop acceptable and the supply stop achieved, we then had over two hours to drive the 80 kms to the convoy check point.

This was fortunate, as along State Highway 94 to Milford there were numerous sight seeing points: Lake Mistletoe with views across the water, Mirror Lakes where the water is a mirror (!), Cascade Creek, the actual crossing of the divide and then the last stop before the check point, Key Summit. Despite doodling along and stopping everywhere we still arrived at the check point 45 minutes early, but that was ok, as we back tracked to Key Summit and enjoyed a picnic lunch with a great view.

We returned to checkin (pronounced chicken in Kiwi language) in time to join the queue.

Now we do need to remember that our car has stuff all over it: a map of the Bangkok to London trip plus the list of countries, a list of all the trips we have made on the front guard, the AUS decal and finally the stickers on the bonnet from various trips.  It does stand out and hence we do attract crowds wherever we stop. Especially waiting at the check in on the way in and on the way out!  Ros, when we stopped, stayed in the car but then jumped out and commented that, ‘I feel like a goldfish in a bowl’. Interestingly, quite often only a few people actually come up and talk to us, many just stand and gap. Many more just take a photograph. So we took photos of the photographers taking a photos!

                                                On the way in……….and on the way out!

Trip in was slow as, in places, the road was down to one very narrow lane or partly washed away.

By the way we are now at 45^o South, well below the bottom on Tassie (South East Cape 43.3^o), so we can expect the weather to be a little chilly.

So much for the travel to Milford, now to Milford Sound.

We stayed in the Milford Sound Lodge, but unfortunately no views from the 2 bedroom suite we had booked. Only the single/double rooms had views and these were over the river. Just a thought if you ever go there! A reasonable dinner (choice: venison, salmon or vegan!) at the Lodge that night after a little explore of the area around the lodge and a short walk along the river.

The next morning it was off to the wharf to board the boat for the cruise up Milford Sound, which is of course actually a fjord as it was carved out of the rocks by a glacier. Milford Sound is actually one of the wettest places on earth, with an average 182 rainy days a year and an average 10+ metres of rain. As the guide said, ‘we don’t bother with millimetres or centimetres over here’! We scored an overcast but not rainy day for our cruise on the fjord.

Setting out we were confronted by the iconic view of Mitre Peak, at a height of 1,692 metres this is one of the highest mountains in the world to rise directly from the ocean floor. It gets its name because it resembles the shape of Bishop’s mitre or headdress.

There are two permanent waterfalls in Milford Sound, Stirling and Bowen falls, but also a number of ones which only run during rain. As it had been raining overnight we did see some of the non-permanent falls. The leisurely cruise up the fjord was spectacular for the scenery which simply unfolds in front of you, in particular the sheer cliffs that drop 100s of feet vertically into the fiord.

At the head of the sound is Seal Rock, one of the few areas in the fjord where the Southern fur seal is able to climb out of the water and onto the rocks. These seals inhabit the fiord all year round. We were luck enough, as we sat watching the seals, to see an albatross cresting the air waves around the boat.

On the way back to the jetty the captain nosed the boat right up under the Bowen Falls. We were given ample warning that we might get wet, we were encouraged to don wet weather gear, which we did. What we were not expecting, thought the crew obviously were, was that the falls often give a great spurt and drench the prow of the ship and all who are standing there taking photographs!

The crew must get a laugh out of this every trip, as just about everyone on board is out on the prow! Top half of body protected by wet weather gear, legs and shoes drenched!

                                            Before………….during……………..and after

It was then back to the lodge for lunch before driving to Manapouri, again joining a convoy, this time of 7 cars and over 20 busses, it being the last convoy out and hence all the day trippers need to leave.

We noted that one effect of the partial road closure was that private vehicles cannot enter for the day.  Hence in Milford the numerous car parks were empty, the camp grounds abandoned and it felt like a ghost town for most of the time we were there.  Very much like a ski resort out of season, yet this is the high season.

Dunedin – Day 2

Our second day in Dunedin saw us venture out onto the Otago peninsular. We took the scenic route along the harbour foreshore, stopping at Portobello for lunch overlooking one of the harbour’s many bays.

Prior to lunch we visited Larnach Castle, New Zealand’s only Castle, built 1871 by William Larnach, merchant baron and politician, for his beloved first wife Eliza. It took more than 200 workmen three years to build the Castle shell and master European craftsmen spent a further 12 years embellishing the interior. Larnach spared no expense on his dream home, which features the finest materials from around the world.

Unfortunately she died, as did his next two wives and finally he committed suicide in the NZ parliament!

The castle went onto decline until the Barker family purchased it, in a very run down state, as their home in 1967. Decades have been spent on the Castle’s restoration, with the family having restored empty buildings from ruin and assembled a large collection of original New Zealand period furniture and antiques. This living collection showcases the craftsmanship and spirt of New Zealand.

The grounds and gardens of the castle are beautiful, with views over the harbour from many vantage points, including the turret.

The restoration of this building is testament to the dedication of the barker’s who were extremely young when they first embarked on this historic restoration project.

The gardens are extensive, with views back towards Dunedin and out to sea.

Then it was off to visit The Royal Albatross Centre, at Pukekura nestled at the foot of Taiaroa Head. This was a fascinating visit as we learnt a great deal about these magnificent birds and were able to view parents and their chicks in nests on the headland.

Albatross are the world’s largest seabirds. They normally breed on remote islands and spend at least 85 percent of their lives at sea, well away from land and human view. Dunedin’s Taiaroa Head is the only mainland Royal Albatross breeding colony in the world. This site was selected by a bird in 1920 and one man (Richdale) guarded the egg from animals and people to see the chick grow.  Consequently further birds have landed on the site and today it can have up to 50 nesting pairs in residence.

Renowned ocean wanderers, they travel vast distances from their breeding grounds to feed. The royal albatross, with its massive three metre wingspan, flies an estimated 190,000 kilometres a year.

The breeding birds arrive at Taiaroa Head in September. They nest during early November and within the following three weeks an egg is laid – one only per pair, each two years.

The parents share incubation duty as it lasts for a period of 80 days! The chicks hatch from late January to early February. The parents then take turns at guarding the chick for the first 35 days to protect it from predators while the other goes to sea in search of food to regurgitate to the chick. After that the chick is by itself, with parents only returning with food every few days. It takes eight months for the little balls of fluff to become not so little juveniles, and they will finally take their first ever flight in September! Extraordinarily, there are no ‘training’ flights. Once these young birds take to the air they are airborne or resting on water for most of the rest of their lives. Only when searching for a mate, and they mate for life, or breeding do they return to land. Twelve months after their arrival at Taiaroa Head, the chicks’ parents finally leave the colony to spend a year at sea before returning to breed again.

The young Royal Albatross will spend the next three to five years at sea, never touching land during that time. Many then return to this unique headland to find a mate and start another generation of Royals of Dunedin’s Taiaroa Head.

Following the visit to the albatross colony we visited the old wartime gun emplacements and facilities of Fort Taiaroa. These were first erected in the 1880s when Britain abandoned protection of the colonies and the Russian threat arose. Subsequently for WW1 and WW11 there have been further gun emplacements erected to protect NZ from the sea.

Sited atop Taiaroa Head in an underground circular gun pit, the ‘disappearing gun’ was aimed while below ground, then raised, fired and returned back into the pit by the recoil for reloading. The gun was manufactured by W G Armstrong & Co at Elswick, near Newcastle on Tyne, England, and was tested in its present gun site in June 1889. The gun has fired over 200 times, but never in anger. We also visited the observation post here as well as the small but interesting underground museum, housed in the original wartime tunnels.

On our way back to Dunedin we dropped in at the Glenfallon Gardens and had a twenty minute explore of what are rather wild gardens wandering up a hillside. Definitely did not compare with the gardens at Larnach Castle but were nevertheless an enjoyable break in the middle of the return drive to the city.

 

Dunedin – Day 1

Arriving in Dunedin and finding our accommodation, a pleasant house in the suburbs with a great outlook, we decided to eat in. Provisions had been bought en route and so a leisurely meal was had looking out over the valley below the house.

The next day saw us head into the city centre and the famous Octagon, an eight sided ‘square’, the central location of the city. At the moment the city is trialling making the Octagon a pedestrian precinct and there is a variety of interesting seating also being trailed in the area. The more comfortable options (poofs, lounge chairs, bean bags) were being put to good use! It seemed to us that turning this area into a pedestrian precinct was a win, win idea.

However, one of the retailers we spoke to said it had cut their business by 50% as the tourists in buses were now being dropped in four different locations around the city, when they used to be dropped in the Octagon itself, and many tourists were no longer making it to the stores in this area.

We did get a bit carried away with the shopping here as one of the merino shops had a good sale going! The sweaters, cardigans, ponchos etc were a bit hard to resist, especially as it was on 13°C in Dunedin this day! And this is summer!

The Octagon is overlooked by both the Anglian Cathedral and Robert Burns.

The Cathedral was not finished until about 20 years ago when a new Apse was added, using the same local stone, but in a completely modern design.  Robert Burns is part of the Scottish heritage of Dunedin, being settled by Scots who named the city after the old name for Edinburgh.

Down from the Octagon is the railway station, built in 1903-6 with blue stone and mosaic floors and stained glass windows.

Very photogenic. Once an important transport location, the station is now the starting point for two tourist scenic train trips: Taieri gorge and the Seasider.

Next door is the Toitu´ Otago Settlers Museum, taking us on a journey through the development of Dunedin from Maori times, through the gold rush era as New Zealand’s biggest city and on to the 1950s and 1960s (with too much on display that we could recognise!).

We were not finished yet, two more highlights to go: Baldwin Street and Olveston House.  Baldwin Street’s claim to fame is as ‘the world’s steepest residential street’ with a gradient of 19^o .

The photos flattens the picture out – it was quite steep, even going a little way up made the clutch smell!

Olveston is a house built in 1913 and lived in by one family until gifted to the city by the last descendent in 1966. The house was built by a wealthy businessman, David Theomin, who took advantage of many modern concepts when building the house: central heating, flushing toilets, overhead showers and motor vehicles.  He also travelled extensively so there are many paintings and decorative items from around the world and from that period on display. After the father and mother died (1923 and 1930s) the unmarried daughter continued to live in the house.  The house was originally run with nine staff but eventually Dorothy lived there with only day help. Little or no changes were made to the house in the 40 years of her solo occupancy. The original refrigerator is still there along the fuel stove and a working butlers call system.  When left to the city (along with a good trust fund) she requested that the house be kept ‘as is’ and the city has honoured this wish with the result that the house is a time capsule and provides an outstanding example of houses of that period unsullied by modern additions and ‘improvements’.

Sorry no photos inside so a few off the internet!

Outside in the (glassed in and heated) carport is the owners original 1921 Fiat 510 tourer, now restored after been found in a barn!

Dinner that night was in a suburban restaurant recommended on Culture Trip. We decided, rather than pick somewhere in town, to try a restaurant were the locals eat.  It was great with an interesting and  innovative menu and delicious food.

Cromwell

Continuing our New Zealand travels we returned to Queenstown and collected the cars, plus visited our friends and enjoyed some glasses of NZ wine.  How delightful.

After picking up Goldie we headed off to Cromwell, an old gold mining town but now the centre of the fruit growing industry in Central Otago. And, of course, the vineyards and wineries now abound in this area and have gained an enviable international reputation in a very short space of time. The vineyards in this area were only planted in the 1980s, so we are looking at an industry only forty years old.

We drove the short route of about an hour to Cromwell and went looking for our BnB in daylight – we certainly would not have found it at night as it was on the main road with no street number sight at all.  A quick call when near-by helped us secure two great rooms over looking over Lake Dunstan.

Back into town for dinner at the Stoaker restaurant, part of Wild Earth Winery, where we all selected the 5 courses with 5 matching wines.  First up lamb with a young pinot noir, then duck with an old pinot, pork with a pinot gris, hare with an old Riesling and finishing with salmon with a rose´.  Yummy and filling!!

Cromwell is an interesting town as much of the old section of the town has been moved when the river was dammed, creating Lake Dunstan (in the 1990s), for the production of hydroelectricity. Some parts of the town were flooded and many of the old buildings were raised, moved to higher ground and restored. This section of the town is now an Historic precinct reflecting life as it was during the gold rush era. This area has also become home to artisans, galleries and, of course, cafes and restaurants catering to the tourists. The town does not attract bus loads of tourists, however, much to the delight of one local gallery owner who lives here for the ‘peace and tranquillity’.

We spent some time wandering the old section and it was very difficult not to indulge in buying some interesting artworks. I found these sea urchin sculptures particularly fascinating. They are made completely from painted and dyed cable ties!

A visit then to Highlands Motorsport Park where you can be driven in a Porsche around the track, drive a mustang or even drive your own car.  Our only activity was John going around the go-cart track egged on by one of the young employees so that he was not just racing against himself.

We visited a couple of wineries in the area, including Black Ridge. We had ordered and gladly drunk one of their old Pinot Noirs in a restaurant in Queenstown and were eager to buy some more. Unfortunately, having found the winery and spent an enjoyable half hour here chatting, tasting and learning about the winery and wine growing in the area we had to forgo buying any Pinot. No old ones to buy and the latest release demanded cellaring. We did buy a couple of bottles of a very enjoyable Riesling to ‘drink now’!

Then it was off to  Clyde, an old gold mining town and then to Dunedin where we will spend three days.

We’re Back

Just in case in case you missed it, here are some more pictures of the great dive:

And what followed:

Yes I was a little nervous to begin with at the top:

But once underway it was 3 seconds of excitement!

And then I just hung around for a while bouncing up and down!

There has been a brief lull in our posts as we had to return to Sydney for a week to help with and attend our beautiful daughter’s wedding. We are now back in New Zealand, having spent a wonderful time on Saturday at a very special wedding.

 

Queenstown: Do Stuff

Out of the rain and into Queenstown, the excitement town in the excitement country.  Why is it that New Zealanders have felt the need to discover multiple ways to scare you even more than just driving on their roads: jumping off bridges, roaring up narrow gorges, flying down a mountain side.

But there is also the quiet side of Queenstown as well: sitting on the deck admiring the world’s best view, catching a coal burning steamer to a lunch in the sunshine or watching (more) rugby.

We are very fortunate that a golfing buddy has let us stay in his penthouse on the hill in Fernhill, looking east out over Lake Wakatipu to the Remarkables. Every hour the view is different, from cloudy in the morning with snow on the mountain tops one day, to high profile as the sun shines directly onto their high peaks and then dark and coloured as the sun sets. The lake changes colour from bright blue to turquoise and, also, green at times. We had three days here and got out and about each day and spent time on goofing off.

Day one began with a jet boat ride on the Shotover River.  Ros and I remember taking this ride in 1974 while over here skiing so it has been going for a long time.  Aquaplaning boats, driven by 2 Mercruiser V8s, in water as shallow as 10cm at 90 kph between cliffs so close you can reach out and touch them if you are mad enough. A great ride and scary and invigorating and all else.

When we returned to Goldie we found a note on the windscreen: the mechanics had seen our car and were wondering if we would mind them taking a photo of the car alongside a jet boat.  Well yes, we readily agreed.  We now have the quintessential NZ picture (along with the African photo: in front of the pyramids; the UK photo: in front of Buckingham place; the Central Asia photo in from of a Madras; the South American at 5,000 metres with a lama and so on).

We must have spent an hour with these guys as they arranged for the boats on the water to spin at the right spot as well as towing one boat over next to the car for a static shot.

Back into Queenstown for a ride up the gondola, coffee with a great view and a couple of runs down the luge at the top of the mountain.

 

With a view like we had from the apartment we opted for a BBQ on the deck and dinner outside watching the lake and mountains change colour as the sun set.

Day two and off to Arrowtown for a wander through the ‘old town’.  Originally a gold mining town (1860s) and then deserted, which resulting in many of the building decaying, but now restored and today it is a classic tourist town.

Then on to A J Hackett Bungy Jump off the Kawarau Bridge. Only one taker, and John just thought it was fantastic.  Ros thought he was an idiot and mad.

He was a little concerned standing 43 metres above the river on a small platform but finally followed instructions and on the count of 5, dived into the wide open yonder!

Bouncing up and down 5 or 6 times was less exciting and then being collected by a raft on the river below was a relief.

 

With the adrenalin still pumping through his system, Lindsay was concerned enough to buy him a Jägermeister to help the calming process!

I enjoyed myself!

[I have just downloaded the photos and managed to delete the rest of today – so just the occasional I-phone photo from here on].

On then to two wineries recommended to us: Chard Farm and Gibbston Valley Wineries.  Getting to Chard Farm was half the fun, 2 kilometres along a narrow cliff side dirt road with no side barriers and cars in both directions.  It was even worse on the way back as we were now on the outside of the road and the passenger could see right down the cliff face.

Good Pinot Gris and Riesling at Chard, however we found the combined tasting and lunch platter at Gibbston meant the wines were a little lost against pickled onion and salami!

Another dinner at the digs (sounds like we are a bit stay at home, but why leave such a view and anyway we have eaten out a fair bit over the last few weeks). This time salmon: NZ makes good salmon!

Day three was the lake cruise on the TSS Earnslaw, a 51 metre coal powered steam boat across to Walter Peak Farm.

Earnslaw was built, in Otago, in 1912 for use by NZ Railways, but then dismantled and railed up to Lake Wakatipu to be rebuilt and used as a transport vessel. She carried everything  everything from sheep and cattle to trucks and wool, plus building material to the outlying farms around the lake edge. In the 1970s it was very nearly scrapped, but survived and in 1983 was upgraded with an enclosed upper deck for cruising and continues in that role to this day.

The Earnslaw makes 6 trips a day across to the farm and consequently it operates for around 14 hours a day, using a tonne of coal each hour while moving. As well as captain, deckhand and engineer, there a two stokers who keep coal up to the two boilers in the bilge of the ship.

Our ticket included a stop at Walter Peak Farm for a sheep shearing and sheep dog presentation.  Yes, it might sound a little passé, but we found both to be interesting. The laconic young lad (and his dog) explained a few things about shearing sheep that were new to me, eg that sheep adapt to being sheared by thickening their skin and adding more lanolin to their coats within two days of being sheared.

The sheep dog demonstration reminded us of the sheep dog trials we saw in Scotland a few years ago, both using collies and demonstrating great skill by the handler, with the dog collecting sheep from the far corners of the paddock and bringing them down to the handler for penning.  The dog clearly felt that he could do the job much more quickly than the handler asked, as the handler demonstrated how he instructs the dog to move the sheep from one side to the other: the dog would have had them in the pen in half the time!

Lunch was on the sun soaked deck overlooking (yes again) the beautiful lake!

This must be a great business: there are two lunch sittings and two dinner sittings and, when full, the Earnslaw can carry 400 people to each of these sittings!

So farewell to the excitement town in the excitement country as Ros and I have a short break for the next week.

 

Wanaka

The next day saw us leave the We(s)t Coast and head off to Wanaka. It was a great relief that, as soon as we left the coast and approached the mountains the sky started to clear.  We even had a picnic lunch overlooking the Haast and Landsborough Rivers.

Again some stops along the way including a walk out to the Blue Pools, so named because of the colour of the water. This afternoon, however, the water was distinctly green but many people were still enjoying the crystal clear water.

It was noticeable as we crossed the mountains via Haast Pass that the rain disappeared and the sun reappeared.

Arriving in Wanaka and with an apartment overlooking the lake we decided to ‘dine in’ sitting on the deck with a beautiful view spread out before us.

A slow start the next day saw John hiring a bike to ride around the lake shore while Ros walked, though not so far! One interesting aspect of NZ which is very apparent in areas such as this is the profusion of ‘free campers’. Many areas of NZ allow campers to just pull up anywhere and camp for the night. Many people take advantage of this including large motor homes, smaller vans and tent campers. The lake edge in Wanaka, particularly close to the town centre is a ‘free camper’ haven. I forgot to count, but at a guess there would have been around 50 vehicles in the space of a couple of kilometres.

A coffee and then we were on the way again.

Three stops along the way saw us visit the Cardrona Distillery to sample their single malt whisky, gin, vodka and two flavoured spirits, orange and elderberry. Kenny, who welcomed us and took us through a tasting, was highly entertaining and a very good salesman. The visit was interesting not only for the tasting but also because we were taken into the private cask barrel room where Lindsay’s sister and brother-in-law have a whisky cask stored. Storage time is 10 years, so they need to be patient! Ros, of course, bought some whisky!

At the entrance to the distillery is Bradona, a fence lined with bras. You are invited to add one to the display when you visit. There is definitely one of every colour shape and size! John was a hugely amazed by the variety and could not quite believe the variety. I suggested he probably had not visited DJs bra section recently or he would no longer be so stupefied! The site is there to help raise money for breast cancer research and provides details of how you can donate.

Then we stopped for lunch at the Cardrona pub, a very old building left over from the gold mining days where the speciality is frickles, deep fried pickles!  A must have. Once. There is a lovely garden behind the pub where you can sit in the sun and enjoy the surrounds as you have your lunch.

Our final stop was at the Wet Jacket winery where we tasted and bought some local cheese as well as tasted and bought their Pinot Noir. This again was a very attractive old building with a lovely outdoor seating area for dining. We could have, had we wished to, lunched all over again!

Then on to Queenstown for our final stop and a stay of four nights.