Maureen's Travel Blog

Up at 5.30, in fact I was awake at 4, to head off to Auckland to catch flight home. Leigh and Dan very kindly drove me to the airport, some four hours, and we had an extra passenger. Tessa, daughter of Leigh’s friend, Marie, was off to Whangarei to stay with a friend and would be taking a domestic flight from Auckland.

Anyway, I felt more than a touch of sadness as we left the house in Wembley Place. The Lake looked purrrfect this morning in a soft pink morning light and the mountain was clearly reflected in the water.

As I passed through Taupo for the last time, I noticed they were putting up the Christmas decorations in the street.

The drive to Auckland was fairly uneventful with the usual beautiful scenery and good roads, and we arrived in good time.

… and here is New Zealand’s Christmas Tree, the Pohutukawa. The last photo of over two and a half thousand taken in New Zealand over the past two months. Goodbye New Zealand.

After saying our farewells, I went through customs and waited a couple of hours for my flight.

During the first leg of the journey to Melbourne, I read several chapters of the book Leigh recommended at the airport. I watched the movie “Midnight in Paris”, a comedy love story, followed by “The Red Dog”, an Australian film and a bit of a tear-jerker, as most animal movies are. This, together with a beef casserole lunch, pretty well took up the four hours flying time.

We arrived on time in Melbourne where we had to pass through customs again… grrr such a hassle.

Here I boarded the great Airbus A380 which was to take us all the way to Heathrow via Singapore.

I wandered round the duty free to stretch my legs before we boarded the flight. The next leg of the journey was to be seven hours! After a Gin & Tonic and the a good dinner of Chinese style pork, and then a snooze, I settled down to watch the movie “Australia” with Nicole Kidman – brilliant film! I noticed during the flight on the touchscreen in front of me that our flight path took us over south and western Australia (Adelaide and Darwin I think) before heading over the Tasman Sea, and back over Indonesia.

We arrived on time in hot Singapore, although I really haven’t a clue what the time is now as I put my watch back to Singapore time. I’m not sure why because it has really confused me! My watch now says 10.20 and it must be at night because it’s dark.
No doubt I will get the time sorted when I put it back to UK time during the next flight.

I just caught a glimpse of some Malaysian Sampan-style boats with lanterns as we approached the Airport.

The time waiting for refueling in Singapore was brief and we just waited in the departure lounge. I had been to this airport before so didn’t really need to look around much.

We then boarded the great Airbus for the final 14-hour leg to London.
My Malaysian neighbours on the previous leg of the journey had disembarked in Singapore and instead I had a couple of young Englishmen beside me. The one next to me chatted about his holiday in Cairns where he had been deep-sea diving in ship wrecks. That’s one thing I didn’t get around to doing on my adventure and sounds like a lot of fun.

As soon as we were airborne again, the trolly came round with drinks and dinner. This time crumbed fish with potatoes and vegetables. I must say I was quite impressed with the food and service on the Qantas flights. We never went hungry or thirsty. They even supplied us with a little bag of snacks before we settled down to sleep in case we woke during the long night (and it was a long one!) and became hungry. The Airbus was brand new with extensive personal entertainment facilities built into the backs of the seats. However, no matter how hard they tried to make us comfortable, sitting in one place for over 14 hours causes considerable discomfort, particularly to someone like me with long legs. My purchase at the airport of a U-shaped neck rest certainly helped. I dozed for quite a long period but I couldn’t help but feel sorry for a couple with a young baby that cried throughout the whole flight apart from a few hours when the lights were dimmed. Fortunately we could shut most of this out with our audio headsets.

At 4am breakfast was served, either continental or fully cooked. I went for the works as by now I was wide awake and ravenous again. We touched down at Heathrow only a few minutes late and the whole flight, including take-off and landing, was smooth and completely flawless.

Needless to say it was raining at Heathrow. However there was Emily waving at me with a happy smiley face as, with rucksack over shoulder, I wheeled my bag out into arrivals, the intrepid traveler! It was good to be back, well for now anyway! Emily and I grabbed a coffee before braving the airport traffic. Kerrie had stayed in bed worse for wear after her big office Christmas event, and I don’t blame her!!

Well that is about all as far as my 3-month trip of a lifetime down under goes folks. I have many people to thank for making it so special but tops are Melinda & Dennis, Kylie, and Leigh & Dan. (Incidentally, these names are placed in the order I visited them. I am forever reminded of the birthday cake faux pas!) …. and yes, Leigh, I do believe New Zealand and Australia are on top of the world!

I am now staying with the girls for a few days. This afternoon we put up the Christmas Tree and Emily cooked a good English roast beef dinner.

This is Mia, an overnight lodger …take note Sally 🙂

My last morning in Ohakune was rather cloudy. We left around midday for the drive back to Taupo. We decided to drive round the right-hand side of the mountain as that was the brighter side. Leigh said it would be clear and sunny in Taupo which was often the case if it was overcast or wet in Ohakune, and vice versa.

We collected Tessa, Leigh’s friend’s daughter, who was coming with us to Auckland for a holiday.

Fortunately, I got some clear final views of the mountains, especially Mount Doom famed for its appearance in Lord of the Rings.

Taupo Lake was cool to the feet as we stopped for a paddle in the clear waters…. very calm today!

That black swan is back again…. he has it in for me!

We searched for Bully Point on the way back round the lake… one of the highest places for jumping into the Lake… or for abseiling did you say Leigh? It might have been here…

….. or here….. ?

After finalising my packing, and Dan’s delicious dinner (including Pumpkin Pie) we had an early night ready for our 5.30am start.

Another lovely sunny morning. However I woke to find I had a bed companion, or at least he was on the wall above me. I pointed him out to Leigh and she confirmed that it was indeed an Australian biting creature, the white-tailed spider! I was not too concerned about this as it was less than 3cms in size and not moving. However Leigh assured me that they can “attack” if you move and give you a nasty bite. Leigh sprayed it but it was in no hurry to die and skuttled (love that word) along the curtain rail. It was obviously time to get up!

Today I thought I would check out the short cut through to the College at the back of Leigh’s apartment. Not much to it really over a stile, through an area of animals, including sheep and lamb, chickens Muscovy Ducks and I think there was a goat or two.; then over a trickle of a stream and up over another stile which took me into the grounds of the college. I walked across to the college buildings which, from this angle I realised were quite extensive. There were still 13 and 14 year-olds attending while the older students had just completed their exams and had now left for the holidays.

The morning’s chores finished, Leigh took me out on a drive through some beautiful hilly countryside in the Parapara towards Whanganui. This was her extended lunch hour.

These poplars planted in rows are quite structural and iconic, particularly in this area, and are used as windbreaks.

We saw some serious sheep mustering and stopped to see what they was going on… shearing was the reply. I so wanted to ask if I could have a go but there wasn’t time today….. one day maybe!

Just love these daft birds…

Leigh was concerned how little water there was here….

We stopped for a spot of lunch at a little cafe. It actually turned out to be a huge omelet with EVERYTHING in it!

While we were eating Leigh was having a bad time on her mobile over the computer repair issue and, to cut a very long story short, she was dumb-struck as it came to her knowledge that her beloved touch-screen computer had befallen a fate worse than death in the hands of the courier… and was now an EX computer!

She did learn later that it was to be replaced, however.

We returned to school to watch some of the activities taking place as part of the end of term Tabloid Fun Day.

The kids were working in teams at various activities involving hoops, balls buckets of water, tight ropes and stilts. Each activity was given a certain period of time when a loud horn was blown and the team would move on to the next activity.

In the evening, Leigh and I were invited over to Adele’s house which was in the middle of nowhere in the hills… a beautiful spot.

They first took us on a walk in their bush which led up to a delightful little wooden hut on a hill where Adele comes to mediate… it had views as far as the eye could see.

Michael’s vegetable plot…. he demonstrated the various stages of his composting.

This was not the main house, which had been recently built, but Adele’s previous house before she met Michael, which she had built herself from mud blocks…. quite amazing!

They have solar heating and although most of their food was produced themselves, they don’t claim to be self-sufficient. Wheat for bread is a problem!

Thank you Adele and Michael for sharing your home with us and for a delicious meal.

A nice pic to complete my stay in New Zealand…..

I hope this posting will reward you for lack of pics yesterday!

I am still at Leigh’s apartment in Ohakune. I woke to the cockerel crowing just outside my window and it was wet first thing but dried up a bit later. Leigh went off to work at the college at 7am after bringing me a nice mug of tea… she is so good!

I lay in for a bit then later called into College to get printout of flight confirmation and door key. Leigh was very busy with meetings so I left to amuse myself for the day.

This is not the cockerel but a song thrush singing away as I passed by.

First off to town, to the Tourist Information Centre where I got a map of the area. I asked about circular walks and was pointed towards the Mangawhero River path which led to the edge of the Tongariro National Park. But first I had to take quite a long road through town and out towards the river.

The May trees looked fantastic…. strange, shouldn’they be November Trees??

I passed by the restaurant where we had had dinner the evening before with Sue….

This is the cafe where Leigh took me on my first day in Ohakune….

Here is the Mangawhero River…..

Wild flowers abound as I followed the path along the river up towards the National Park.

As I had come with neither water nor phone, I did question to myself whether I should turn back here and return more equipped for the walk. However there was a cafe/bar by the Railway Junction. I tried the door but it was closed. However someone appeared from round the back and said they didn’t open til 4. I asked if he knew where i could get some water and he very kindly opened up for me and gave me a large paper cup of water. So I decided to proceed, after all the forest circular was only about an hour.

At last I arrived at the entrance to the National Park and a sign which indicated that the Forest Walk was circular and lasted an hour. Great this would be just right as the day was now brightening.

It felt a little spooky as I entered the forest as there wasn’t a sound, not an animal or bird, or even a human….

…..but as I proceeded along the peaty winding path through the tree ferns, my mind was drawn as ever to the wonders of nature, the curling fronds of the spring ferns, dappled light across the pathway and the trickle of water through little cracks in the rocks….

I noticed the path getting steeper and steeper then it curved around to the right so I thought I must be nearing halfway. The path eventually took me across a road as it began to descend again.

Eventually the path opened out into the area where I had first joined it and I made my way along Railway Row to join Ruapehu Road on the other side of Ohakune from the way I’d come. Here there were some little houses typical of NZ style which I imagined were empty but used during the ski season…. everywhere was so quiet, no cars or people on the road.

I thought I should photograph the railway track as I passed over the bridge. The train only goes one way in NZ it would seem… the single track demonstrates how few trains there are. Most transport is by road athough you wouldn’t think it. The roads are very quiet too outside of cities in NZ. You don’t see many aeroplanes about either!

….more flowers…..

This looked very much like bramble blossom, but slightly different from that in the UK…

As I turned into Ruapehu Road, I caught sight of the familiar grey horse quite near to Leigh’s house and wandered over to give him a pat as he called to me.

It was good to get back and, very hungry and thirsty after my trek, I found one of Dan’s Bundaberg Ginger Beers in the fridge and made some peanut butter on toast.

In the evening I took Leigh and Dan out for dinner to Sassi’s. I can’t thank you enough for everything you have done for me during my stay in New Zealand! And of course you know you are always welcome back in the UK!

The restaurant was run by a couple from Newcastle and they were about to close for Christmas as the season here is quiet.

As we left the restaurant, Leigh noticed the pink sunset glow over the mountain… how beautiful it was!

A fairly uneventful day today. The day was beset with problems arising from Leigh’s computer which had been back and forth to Noel Leemings for repair.

Sorry no photographs today – camera is having a rest and battery is on charge!

I did some preliminary packing and found I really had too much stuff and would have to chuck some clothes out so left it til I returned from Ohakune.

We returned to Ohakune for Leigh’s work at Ruapehu College. Quick
sardines on toast for lunch as I was deposited at the apartment where I spent some time catching up on emails, etc. before going out for a walk around the town.

Leigh took Sue out for a meal in the evening to welcome her to her new job at the college and Dan and I joined them. It was a very enjoyable meal at the Alpine Restaurant and I think it was a good way of introducing Sue to the area.