Maureen's Travel Blog

All packed up and ready to go! ….but wait, I can’t leave Taupo without a swim in the Lake!

We left Taupo just after mid day for Cambridge where I would be staying with Leigh’s sister, Kay, and Chris.  I stayed with them last time I came to NZ but they have since moved house.

Leigh pulled in at Huka Falls on the way for a quick look again at the white foam cascading down into the deep turquoise waters below.  As ever, there was the speed boat doing a sharp turn in the bubbling currents.

We headed on up the country through roadworks to Tarau, of corrugated sign fame, where we stopped to buy some chips and cakes for lunch.

Finally we arrived at Kay’s mid afternoon.  We said our goodbyes and I suddenly felt a pang of sadness that I wouldn’t see Leigh again, at least not for a long time.  She and Jessie were now going to take the opportunity of visiting her parents, June and Laurie, who were in a care home nearby.  I soon saw this photo posted on FB – they looked well.

Chris showed me to my beautiful ‘5 star’ room and helped carry my large bag, backpack, walking boots, trainers which I meant to throw out, and wet walking sandles which I had kept on for swimming in the lake earlier because of the hard stones…. None of these items somehow seemed fitting for the exquisitely stylish suite of rooms I was shown into!  I hung my wet swimming togs over a glass panel which divided the shower area from the rest of the bathroom items in the wet room!

It wasn’t long before we noticed the sun going down across the river (or yardarm) and out came the G&Ts with nibbles.   We chatted away about holidays and art and stuff and eventually enjoyed a lovely salmon supper together, when we got into politics and flags, etc, then relaxed, while looking through some of my artwork.

But this was not without drama as we seemed to be besieged with unwanted guests this evening.  Kay said it was that time of year and urged the great white Hunter (Chris) to dispatch these critters NOW!  First a Pray Mantis, then a giant spider, then a mouse (it was actually outside, but I was quit proud of my photo taken at a distance in semi darkness), then a New Zealand cockroach – it was quite big!  I found all this very amusing, adding some extra drama to the day.  Kay was NOT amused!

I hardly slept a wink last night, in fact my sleep app confirmed this.  It rained heavily all night long and somehow I developed a sharp pain between the shoulder blades.

After taking some painkillers, I spent the morning packing and sorting out my clothes into various bags, bearing in mind I still had two more venues before the long haul home.

I also planned my return layover in Beijing which was to be a visit to the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and to see pandas.  This all seemed very straightforward and I paid the deposit on line by PayPal.  So let’s hope it all works out at 6am in the morning!

Although just about dry, it remained overcast all day in Taupo and finally during the afternoon I decided to take a walk to try and shake off this pain and to get some exercise.   It felt quite autumnal and drizzly.  Even the palm trees were changing colour!

I called in at the shopping mall, as Jessie says they are called!  Actually it comprised one tiny 4Square supermarket, a liquor store and a betting cafe.

I then continued on down to the Lake which was like glass this afternoon, hardly a ripple.  There were some cormorants on the rocks and a few ducks and gulls pottering about at the water’s edge.

As I wandered along the path round the lake a guy came out of one of the posh waterside residences in his togs.  Obviously about to go in for a swim but I asked him anyway just to strike up a conversation.  This was his holiday cottage (it didn’t look like a cottage to me!)

On the way back I took photos of bright things to cheer up my daily blog on such a dull Autumn day.  It was still quite warm – about 20 deg  – so a few summer flowers blooming and a tree laden with walnuts.

This last one is a mail box.

There was a glimmer off late sunshine as we drove down to the town later that evening.

We all had dinner at The Plateau – my shout!  Thanks for allowing me to share your home Leigh and Dan, Jessie and Hunter.

Hunter was away for the weekend.

Then a little night drive around Taupo for a last look at the lights.

Rainy morning and cold – a mere 14 degrees, yikes, it really is beginning to feel autumnal.

Gill took me to the Interccity Wellington to Auckland bus at Johnsonville and we said our farewells and I hopped on for the six hour journey to Taupo – only £15!  A journey like that would probably cost £50 in the UK, I know it’s £25 for just a two hour ride to Heathrow!

An uneventful journey to Taupo, one or two pickups – first one at Levin. As it was pouring with rain we didn’t have our comfort stop at Foxton, where there was a windmill,

but continued on to Bulls, then through Sanson. The rain has eased off now. Raining again as we pass through Hunterville. Stopped at Flat Hills Cafe where I had a mean lamb burger for lunch (recommended by the driver) – delish, and iPad was topped up with energy too!

Continued on through Mangaweka with those lovely bumpy hills returning to the landscape. Apologies for note form and rather poor photos taken on a rainy day through coach windows as we sped along.  We passed through River Valley where I rode a horse through rivers and herds of deer 5 years ago. Picked up people at Taihape definitely looking brighter now. Toi tois are back! Just passed sign to Ohakune where Leigh used to teach  and now heading up the desert road.

Blue sky appearing at last! ….Oh no, it’s raining again, absolutely no chance of seeing Ruapehu!  Pelting down now!! Looks pretty bleak out there – soggy tussocks.   Just saw the Kiwi Experience Bus ‘Anyone for the Tongariro Crossing?’ I don’t think so! There’s a blue bit up ahead, it must be Taupo. I think I see the lake bathed in sunshine… or is it a mirage I see before me….

No the sun is indeed shining on this side of the mountain. My goodness all that rain and it says high fire risk.   Now stopping at Turangi …or maybe not, no one waiting to hop on. Now it’s a beautiful day and looking really warm outside.  Many Pukeko pecking in the fields. Through Waitetako, and here’s beautiful Taupo Lake at last glistening in the sunshine.

Through Motutere and finally we pull up outside iSite and there is Leigh to meet me – good to be back ‘home’.

Sadly I was unable to visit Laura and Asher – silly me, left my driver’s licence at home but I look forward to meeting them in a couple of months in Charlbury.  Laura has been offered a veterinary job nearby and Asher is an artist.

However I was able to catch up with Linda, Leigh’s cousin.  She picked me up at the end of Gill’s road and took me over to Mount Victoria, a part of Wellington I had not yet visited (how did she know that?!).  It was great to meet up with Linda at last.  Leigh had introduced us on FB and she had even commissioned me to paint her son’s dog Barkley and her cat, Lisa, no longer around.

The views from Mount Victoria were fabulous. Even as threatening clouds hovered overhead, it gave an inspiring (for an artist) moody feel to the panoramic view before me.

Linda pointed out various locations to me including where she lived just below us, and then explained how strong the winds can be in Wellington, especially where we were. Fortunately today it was calm and warm.

Next she took me along the coast, the opposite side from Eastbourne – she pointed it out to me far across the harbour.  Eventually we arrived at what used to be an Airforce Base and the empty buildings were now occupied by artists.  What a wonderful place for artists to run their businesses.  It reminded me very much of my artist friend, Marie Robinson, who’s is now successfully operating in the same way in High Wycombe back in the UK.  You would love this spot Marie!

There was an artists’ cafe here where we stopped for a coffee, tea and cakes before moving on to an area where film Director, Peter Jackson (of Lord of the Rings fame) operates from.  There wasn’t time to go inside, but Linda showed me Weta Caves, various buildings connected with film making and accommodation for actors all in and around the village Miramar, the ‘Hollywood’ of Wellington.

Linda then dropped me off within walking distance of the Quay as she was meeting a friend for lunch.  Thanks Linda, good we were able to meet up after all.  I then spent a leisurely time walking along the quayside, such a lovely atmosphere there.

I stopped in at the Crab Shack again and ordered a scoop of mixed seafood ‘fresh from the sea’ with coconut sauce and, yes, a glass of Sav.  Apparently the shellfish were Moon, Tuara, a huge one called Stone and, of course, green lipped mussels.

I got chatting to an American couple at the same outside table from Colorado.  We chatted about travels and Wellington and then they asked me what I thought about the UK joining the European Union.  Why do people keep asking me that – because I’m British I guess!  Someone from the UK then joined in the conversation but she was just complaining about the fact that her daughter had moved to Australia and that she was helping organise her wedding there.  She had been on a tour of the government buildings in Wellington and recommended it. So as I wanted to see inside the old St Paul’s Cathedral that I missed yesterday, and parliament was nearby, I made that my afternoon excursion.

St Paul’s is a delightful white wooden building completely timbered inside and out.  It has some beautiful stained glass windows and a tiny ring of 5 bells above the main entrance which you can see through a Perspex ceiling above.  I almost missed these and just noticed them on the way out.

I then wandered down to the Parliament buildings where I had booked myself on a tour.n I was still quite early for the tour but enjoyed an hour in the Public Gallery watching a bill being put forward about the natural environment and saving the wildlife in the Pacific Ocean.  Unfortunately I had just missed John Key.  His chair was empty but the experience was very interesting.  Later I joined a tour which took us through various parts of the buildings including the famous beehive.

I finally returned to Newlands on the bus and Gill and I enjoyed a tasty meal of homemade quiche, mixed salad and new minted potatoes from her garden.  Thank you so much for having me Gill, I’ve had a great time here with you.

I overslept this morning which was great as I didn’t have to be anywhere and Gill had gone to work early.  So after updating my blog, I took a leisurely shower and breakfast by which time it was nearly mid day,

I caught the number 54 green bus in Newlands Road, just a short walk away, and got off in the city centre near an iSite so that I could book the next leg of my journey.  They also gave me a map and indicated a neat circuitous route I could take on foot for the afternoon.

I have discovered on this trip that my navigational skills have deteriorated.  I used to have an excellent antennae and sense of direction.  No worries, just gives me more excercise retracing my steps a few times.  Eventually I found the Cablecar hidden among the buildings in Lampton Quay.  Once elevated to the top of the hill, I stepped out of the Cablecar to a fabulous view of the city and beyond.

The Botanical Gardens were beautifully laid out as I made my way down the path through various themed areas: a rockery garden, a rose garden, a fern garden, etc., even an area of trees viewed and named from a treehouse.  In the photo below you can see the amazing phyllotactic pattern made by this succulent.

When I reached the bottom of the hill and exit, I headed on, as instructed by iSite, to Tinakori Village which is the oldest part of Wellington.  There is some very attractive architecture here built up the hillside and all the way down to the street.

Further down towards the city I came upon the Cathedral of St Paul’s, an impressive new building.  Here I found inside an area ‘The Tower’ totally dedicated to the 14 bells which had been brought over from a demolished church in Northampton, England, complete with peal board.  I sat a while in the Cathedral as a practice flag-bearing ceremony was about to take place by a number of young people for the Commonwealth countries.  On the way out I noticed to one side of the entrance was  a mini ring of bells hung on a frame for ringing.

Next I visited the ‘old’ St Paul’s Cathedral not far away. Unfortunately it was closed when I got there.

By this time I was feeling pretty tired and made my way back to Lampton Quay to get the bus back up to Newlands, passing the Parliament buildings on the way.

All in all, a very full afternoon.

My room at Paradiso Backpacker’s might have been expensive (as the last one available) but it is very comfortable and quiet.  It is actually a small apartment with a double bed, kitchenette and little private garden area with table and chairs.  Also plenty of power sockets for each device, no sharing between 6 – never had such luxury in a hostel!  Breakfast was included, as was a pack of noodles and soup for dinner if I so desired.

After having my breakfast of cereals, toast and marmalade and coffee by the pool, I set off for the information centre – iSight they are called over here.  I’ve come to rely on them because they are so informative, helpful and friendly and will book up everything for you and hand it over in a neat little package.  Not that I ever need the package, because my name is on a list to be ticked off when I arrive everywhere I have booked.

It was a beautiful morning, promising to be quite hot, so I was glad to get back into cut-offs and tee shirt – even sun hat and shades!  I booked accommodation at the Fat Cod in Picton and the Interislander… just the Naked Bus to Picton which I would have to book on line.  Then off to explore armed with a walking tour of the city.

First I headed straight up the main artery, Trafalgar Street, to the cathedral which stood tall on a hill at the end.  It appeared to have 6 bells in an open concrete tower, a reconstructed tower after a wooden one had been destroyed in a fire.  The gardens around the cathedral were laid out beautifully and the inside of the building was light and welcoming.  A feature was a rosary stained glass window in a modern design.

My map then led me to South Street, a quaint little street of pretty little old cottages with roofed verandas and troughs of flowers.  One of them was named Peppercorn Cottage.

There was a vast variety of pottery for sale in one, and some old China in another, some I recognised as a Royal Albert tea set priced tagged at $650.  I’m sure we couldn’t get anything like that amount if we tried to sell it in the UK!  Marie would love this little treasure trove for her painting.

Quite a pull up a hill to the next one on the map, Fairfield House Gardens.  I walked through to the next place, admiring the flowers on the way.  Melrose House had a cafe and I was ready for a glass of ginger beer.  I sat on the wooden verandah of an old and rather beautiful white painted house, surrounded by yellow roses.  In fact my ginger beer arrived with a yellow rose in it and a straw!

Back down the hill but over to the right I found myself at Queen’s Gardens.  Formal gardens arranged around a fountain feature but with the river running by with little ornate bridges and a summer house. Plenty of ducks.

On now to the botanical reserve.  This included Sir Stanley Whitehead Walkway – for the fit and agile, my listing said.  I decided I’d done enough for one day and texted Alannah as we had planned to meet up for lunch.  She said this was good timing and was pleased to get away from the computer.

Alannah picked me up in her car and took me on a little tiki tour, first to a favourite spot of hers where a stream flowed gently over some rocks.   Then up high where we got a stunning view over Tasman Bay and she pointed out various landmarks.  It was hot up there and the sea was that wonderful turquoise behind the flax and toitois.  She then found us a nice little restaurant by the harbour where we sat outside enjoying the best seafood chowder ever.

She then dropped me off back in town as she had some shopping to do and I wandered slowly back to the hostel to get sorted for the next part of my adventure.

Noodles and a fresh beetroot salad from the organic green grocers around the corner was enough for supper while preparing for the next leg of my trip.

….will add more pics later…. Internet slow at Fat Cod!  Off for a swim…

Up at 6 this morning! Judith had coffee and toast ready for me, as well as a small packed lunch! We said our goodbyes and Ross drove me to the station in his BMW.

Red sky in the morning….

The ticket man has my name and doesn’t need any of the printout info I’m carrying around with me. He can’t give me a window seat despite me arriving an hour and a half early for the train but says a group will be getting off at Arthur’s Pass and I can move to one then.

The train is long with plenty of big scenic windows and the weather is looking reasonable if a little overcast as we wait to pull out of the station.
A young New Yorker has taken the window seat beside me and we have an interesting conversation about travels. It seems everywhere is booked up in NZ at the moment, so I may have problems when I get to Nelson this evening.

Notes again as I’m taking masses of photos from the observation carriage….

I was blown to bits in the observation car!

The commentary on the train was excellent.  Through Canterbury Plains…. Wheat, hay making etc. Kirwee named after person who introduced irrigation to the area. Castle Hill Peak, highest peak in range in Springfield.  Climbing all the time.  The views from the train are absolutely stunning… can’t really do it justice here.

Line from Sheffield to Oxford, named after English cities
CASS red hut inspired artist to paint famous New Zealand painting… must look it up.
Sugar loaf mountain…sprinkled with snow – America?
Went past Mount Horrible and Mount Worry
Arthur’s Pass – a little rain but then the sun came out again
Many people got off at Arthur’s pass

We now pass through a very long tunnel.
Moana station by largest alpine lake. More pungas this side of the range and warmer.
Train running 45 minutes late because of rail works but told Nelson bus will wait.
Stillwater mining area, many killed in tragedies caused by mining gases in this area
It’s raining now…. Grey River to Greymouth on a grey day…but I have my Brancott Sav.

Finally pulled into Greymouth station and sure enough, the Nelson bus was waiting for us – so late leaving. Not the Kiwi bus, the InterCity.

I can’t believe we have to stop at Pancake Rocks in the pouring rain! Yuk, have been here before in beautiful spring sunshine. I do need the exercise however. A quick zip round and back in the bus. It is now absolutely chucking it down as we head off on our final leg to Nelson. I have at least managed to book into a hostel there – last room and twice the usual price! Ah well I’ve been extremely well looked after so far.

Got chatting to a guy on the bus who’d been fishing down in Stewart Island. He travels around cutting down pines…. says he’s a bit of a whizz with a chain saw – yikes! Nice interesting guy though… likes the simple life and hitched a ride with the intercity bus. Driver saw him standing in the rain in Franz Josef and took pity… now he’s staying on the bus all the way to Abel Tasman… the Kiwis are like that!
Stopped briefly for pickup at Westport.
Lower Buller Gorge over bridge to Upper Buller Gorge – best wild river in New Zealand – pity we can’t see anything!
Uranium Point. Considered using nuclear power, then discovered natural gas. Hawkes Crag can flood across the road. Inangahua River
Stopped to pick up then some hairy bends with deep ravines.

Stop at Murchison food and toilet
So good to see the sunshine again…. it has coloured up the countryside after an afternoon of monochrome
Welcome to Tasman and it’s looking just a little brighter. The cloud is creeping low around the hills almost like steam. The water in the rivers is that gorgeous turquoise again.

Red sky at night…..

Alannah met me from the bus and we had dinner together.