Pork Crackle

We all have our weaknesses when it comes to food, so when we found Snik's Pork Crackle we instantly became addicted.  Goes really well with wine yummmm!

A little piece of luxury

After 13 days on the road we decided to treat ourselves to a luxury spa at Hanmer Springs before flying home the next day.


Hanmer Springs is basically a mountain resort, which they say is just as busy during the winter months.  This is because of the natural hot springs which attract people to the numerous spas and beauty therapy treatments in the town.


We booked at the Heritage Hotel which had a wonderful old world feel to it and was in walking distance to everything.

We enjoyed our own private spa pool and then a great massage - felt like a million dollars ready for the flight home.

 

Arthur's Pass

Cutting through the centre of the south island, Arthur's Pass is one of the few major arterials linking the East and West coasts.  The scenery in this area is different again to anything we had seen before and looked other worldly, like something out of Lord of the Rings or Narnia.


Arthur's Pass is interesting and must have been a massive undertaking all those years ago when it was constructed.  The hamlet itself is on the Christchurch side of the pass and is a welcome pit stop for lunch and refreshment.  You may have to fight off the Kea's (large parrot like birds), that wont take no for an answer when it comes to food or unattended tables.

Three glass penguins

Hokitika is a small town south of Greymouth which is on the way to the southern glaciers.  We weren't on the way to the glaciers, but rather on the hunt for some Kiwis.  We had read of a Kiwi centre in the town and hoped to catch a glimpse of this emblem of NZ.

Unluckily when we arrived it was too early to see the Kiwis and as we had to go on through Arthur's pass that day, we could not wait.  So we busied ourselves having some breakfast at Eats on Revell, a trendy little cafe that could serve a whole tour bus in 15 minutes.

Looking around town we found the Hokitika Glass Studio and nearby the Jade Factory.  Both places sold quality items including, jewellery, ornaments and figurines.  Watching the glass blowers at work was fascinating as they turned blobs of molten glass into intricate works of art.

Jo-Ann was taken by three glass penguins, some glass beaded earrings and their matching bracelet, all very reasonably priced.

Outback New Zealand style

The trip from Nelson to Greymouth on the West Coast was the longest of our adventure taking us through some very isolated country.  The road conditions were ever changing, the winding turns and rainy weather conditions kept our speed low and our alertness up.  


The reward was some stunning ocean road scenery which went on for many hours and never lost its appeal.  A little over half way along in our "wilderness adventure", we encountered "Pancake Rocks", which as the name suggests was a unique geological outcrop perched on the edge of this rugged coastline.


As it was raining, Jo-Ann immediately made for the information centre and sipped hot tea, while I donned a plastic poncho and headed for the cliffs.


When I got back a bit moist and bothered, we were six tea towels and a pair of socks heavier.

Home on the farm

Jo-Ann in an olive orchard
near our farm stay.

Teaching Year 4 in 2008 Jo-Ann met Taylor and her lovely family who were originally from Nelson in NZ.  At the time Taylor's mum Sarah invited us to come and stay with them if we decided to go to NZ.  We decided to take the family up on there kind offer when we finally got to go on this trip.


To our delight the family lives on a property which they share with Sarah's mum and dad who helped build their house and the adjoining art studio. Sarah produces her unique art of doll making and country craft in the studio and at the rear in a small flat where we stayed.

Got our teapot!

The flat itself was not finished and we had to share the house bathroom, but this just added to the experience making us feel very much at home.  From this base we made day visits to nearby Nelson and to Mapau a little village at the mouth of an estuary.  

Nelson was a wonderful regional town which on the day we visited was holding its market day in the car park behind the shop fronts of the main street.  What a feast of sight and sound this was with all manner of the usual market fair mixed in with some unusual and unique art works and crafts.

Some of Sarah's art.

Mapau is the place to go to get great 
fish and chips or a more exotic seafood dish if you prefer.  But it also has a couple of very nice home wares
shops selling  high end products.  We bought a lovely teapot but could have bought much more.


Thank you to Sarah and her family for welcoming us into her home and making us feel so welcome.

Pretty as a Picton

Picton is a very busy place with lots of people passing through but very few staying.  It is the main port of Queens Charlotte Sound and receives constant ferry traffic from the North Island.  The town has lots of short term accommodation units and a main street full of eateries.  It is neatly kept and the locals have managed to keep the feel and charm of the sleepy fishing port it once was.


The inter-island ferries run all day and are entertaining to watch as these leviathans of the sea cruse up the sound and then dance and jostle their way into the large docking terminals in the wharf complex.


A National Park walk commences at the marina and follows the cliffs around to a secluded beach in an idillic bay on the sound.  Idillic that is until a ferry passes by, when it is suddenly not so secluded anymore.  


No topless bathing here!

 

The Bubbly Grape

We did very little research for this trip, but Jo-Ann had read about the Bubbly Grape tour on a NZ website and decided this would be good for us.  On the day a mini bus with 10 intrepid tourists started out on what promised to be a wine tasting adventure.


Not being new to drinking wine we both through ourselves at the task of sampling every glass of Sauvignon Blanc we were given.  This wore very thin after the third winery and we found ourselves getting bored.


The highlight of the trip was the Makana Chocolate Factory which we visited near the end of the tour and it proved to be a great distraction.  Loved the Macadamia Butter Toffee Crunch mmmm!


Wine making is this area ranges from little operators to large scale industry. Either way for a relatively new industry for NZ they are doing very well for themselves judging from the nice housing estates in the area.


 

Hotel blues in Blenheim

Blenheim is a town set in the magnificent country of the Marlborough wine growing district.  The scenery around the town is truly breathtaking with the most unusual country side.  


We stayed at the Heartland Hotel and the staff were very friendly and helpful, but this did not make up for the tiredness of the place which was clearly past its prime.


And no air-conditioning!

Jo-Ann and her fury friends

Exploring Kaikoura we came across a rock platform which extended out some 500m from the shore.  The platform had deep rock pools and large trailing tendrils of kelp that was a haven lots of small sea creatures.


Spotting a sign referring to NOT coming close to "the seals", Jo-Ann was immediately out of the car and off to do exactly that.

  

A crayfish feast

While staying at the White Morph Motor Inn in Kaikoura, little did we realise that the Motor Inn's restaurant had won the Hallmark of Excellence Award for the last six years in a row. 


So when we rocked in late in the day to have dinner, we did not expect to be received by silver service and a large panoramic window overlooking the ocean.


Just to top it off they the restaurant has a happy hour deal, with half price crayfish meals for 2 hours only.  Needless to say we had a sumptuous meal in luxurious surroundings for a very reasonable price.


The same could not be said for down town Kaikoura the next day after our whale watching experience.  The main street is full of very trendy looking bistros with prices to match, very ordinary food and poor service.


I fear they have lost the plot!

A whale of a time in Kaikoura

Ok so both of us are whale watching tragics.  The chance of getting up close and personal with the largest animals on earth is a thrill that we can't resist.

Kaikoura is on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island and is the jumping off point for whale watching.  They guarantee that you will see Giant Sperm Whales which is a change from the Humpbacks we normally see in Australia.


We stayed overnight and were up early to catch the catamaran out to the deep ocean trench which is the nursery ground for adolescent Sperm Whales.  We weren't disappointed sighting many whales within an hour of leaving.


The hosts on board the boats were all Maori and did a great job explaining the life cycle of the whales.  The bonus for the day was that on the return we saw pods of Dusky Dolphins and Fur Seals sunning themselves on the rocks.  All in all a great day out and worth the money.

 

A gondola but no Venice

Lyttleton Harbour is the original settlement of the South Island and is overlooked by the port hills surrounding the town.


A very modern gondola ride takes you to the top of the hills from the other side of the mountain just before you enter the tunnel that takes you on Lyttleton itself.  From the top you have panoramic views of both Lyttleton Harbour and Christchurch.  


As a bonus there is a AV presentation on the geological and human history of the area.  An excellent gift shop has a range of Maori traditional artefacts and kitsch paraphernalia, enough to warm the heart of any tourist. 

 

Not off the beaten track

No crossants so had to be content with shopping!

Anything french attracts Jo-Ann like a moth to a flame.  So when the tour guides mentioned Akaroa "a french style fishing village", her mind immediately went to palmiers and croissants.


Well actually the quaint fishing village turned out to be a bit of a tourist hub with nothing much resembling France at all.


Still there were some nice seafood restaurants to sample, but had to fight to get a car park and a table.

Just us and the penguins

The antarctic centre is near the airport in Christchurch and houses a number of very interesting exhibits and interactive displays.


One of these was the South Pole experience which basically involved you dressing up like a huge condom, walking into a freezer and then switching on high speed fans.  We actually paid for this privilege!

  

Boys and their toys

Trams still ply the streets of Christchurch and are a huge tourist attraction.  You can even have dinner on a tram.  But the trams are clearly not a network but rather a single loop that goes round and round all day.  This makes them more like a big train set than a transport hub.  


As tourists we did our duty, but could not fail to notice the lads running the trams where a unique breed.  They clearly loved their job which they did it with good cheer and much importance.  


All this took me back to my boyhood days - loved it!

 

A Cosy Nook

In the old University quarter of Christchurch there are a number of eating places dotted amongst the art galleries which now occupy the old classrooms.


We discovered one called Rutherfords Den, which was something a little out of Harry Potter's world.  Large arrays of outdoor tables melt away as you walk through the doors into what very much reminds you of Hagrid's cottage.  


Small tables huddle together on the lower floor and peep out from behind wooden poles.  These poles support the mezzanine floor that looks down over the tables below and at the same time out through the stain glass windows.  The room is about 10 steps wide but opens out onto a huge courtyard which was the old University quad which is surrounded by arched porticos in black stone.   


The food was ok (nice breakfasts) but the atmosphere was magic.

Porticos around quad

Old University

Breakfast at Rutherfords

Granola anyone?

Christchurch Charms

We spent four days in Christchurch and from the first it was love at first sight.  I wouldn't say it is a raging city but that suited us.  


Staying at Rydges so close to the City Centre, we able to wake in the morning and forage for breakfast in the many restaurants on Oxford Street.  Actually we found if you walked a little further over the bridge to the old University, you could get a great breakfast, enjoy an open market, see some art and afterwards walk by the river.


The Avon river flows through the City and although very small it adds charm to the urban landscape.  It is a good excuse to have Hagley Park a large expanse of parkland hemmed in by the river.  The adjoining botanical gardens gives this whole part of the city an old English feel.


Driving out into the suburbs, the city opens up with quaint houses where everyone seems to be very house proud.  Riccarton is the home of a very large and modern shopping mall which kept Jo-Ann busy for 2 days (must have been good).


All in all we found that Christchurch had much to offer, shopping, good food, lots of attractions, a little touristy like Cairns but not in a tropical climate.  Both Jo-Ann and I believe it would be nice to come and live here for a time just to enjoy New Zealand and the lifestyle Christchurch offers.


Love you Christchurch!

They grow them big at the
Botanical Gardens

Looking towards Cathedral Square

Oxford street Restaurants

Flying to NZ

This was our first adventure to New Zealand and to be honest we never really had any inclination to go in the past.  However after our older son went to Queenstown for a skiing holiday, he came back full of praise and enthusiasm for New Zealand which of course was infectious.  After a very difficult year healthwise we decided at the last minute to treat ourselves and get away.


So we booked our fare quite late, deciding to leave on New Years day.  This proved to be a good idea as few people travel on the 1st of January (I suppose there are a few sore heads to nurse).  That being said, the trip was very long, not only do we lose time due to the time zone difference, but the connecting flights from Cairns are not very good and so we had to kill 4 hours in Sydney airport.


Thank God for the Qantas Club!!

 

NZ Trip 2010

Itinerary

• CAIRNS 1 Jan, - Tropical North Queensland
• CHRISTCHURCH 1-4 Jan - Beautiful City on the South Island old world but very liveable. Accommodation: Rydges - not bad 4 1/2 star, clean close to City Centre and restaurants - Noisy at night on lower floors stay away from the lift.
• AKAROA - Day visit to small fishing town, now overrun with day trippers.
• KAIKOURA 5 Jan - A fishing village that has been taken over by whale tourism. Accommodation: White Morph Motor Inn - Clean, convenient, quiet, great seafood restaurant with Crayfish special.
• BLENHEIM 6-7 Jan - Small town in the middle of wine country, not much their but scenery is unusual with surrounding rolling hills.  Accommodation: Heartland Hotel Marlborough - very old smelly, no aircon would not stay again.
• PICTON - Day visit to this port town where ferries come in from the North Island.
• NELSON 8-10 Jan - Lovely region town of average size, great main street and weekend markets, well worth the visit.  Stayed with friends North of the town on a farm very enjoyable time.
• GREYMOUTH 11 Jan - Long drive to reach Greymouth after passing by Pancake rocks.  Sleepy town on Railway line.  Accommodation: The Ashley Hotel - clean, bit old and out of town on main road.
• HOKITIKA - Day visit to this little town south of Greymouth, nice glass blowing factory in the main street and jade store as well.
• ARTHUR'S PASS - Connects West to East, and is a pretty stop over for lunch, has awesome scenery.
• HANMER SPRINGS 12 Jan- North East of Christchurch, this little hamlet is in the mountains and is renowned for its hot springs and day spas.  Accommodation: The Heritage Hanmer Springs - lovely old world building beautifully kept preserving its original elegance.