A day in the life

Posting this whilst we are on Stewart Island (found the bit where you can schedule these posts in advance) for 4 days over New Year - don't think there will be time or facilities for much internet.

On the longest day of the year, 21st December, (down here) I thought I would list what we have done. A typical travel day for those attempting to circle NZ in 3 or 4 weeks - fortunately, we have a lot longer this time and this isn't a usual travel day. Normally we would just drive half a day and do something or a walk either before or after travelling. But yesterday ...

• Breakfast at the hostel - juice, cereals, toast, local honey, tea/coffee. We self cater for all breakfasts and take the stuff around with us - perhaps winding down on lunch/dinner items before a travel day. But the coolbox from Ron and Sheila is great for keeping milk etc until the next stop and a new fridge.


• Leave Fran Josef in brilliant sunshine after 2 days mountain weather - saw the snow covered tops and drove 10 mins down to Lake Matheson again to get the view of Mt Cook in the distance. See previous blogs and photo in the mist and rain. No time for walk this time.


• Drove down West Coast with lots of scenic stops and coffee stop at Haast (we stayed a night there last time) then up and over the tops, eastwards, and fantastic scenic drive among mountains and lakes inland.


• Stopped at various recommended little scenic places - NZ does these so well - if you have no time to do bigger walks then these will get you into the bush, waterfalls, lakes and rivers for 10 to 40 minutes - all signposted with the time and easy walking paths. A great way to get a taste of the scenery that is there for the biggger walks.


• Lunch at the top with another great info centre (DOC - Dept of Conservation - great displays of local old photos, walks, geolpgy and everything you need to know about tramping). Decided a trip in plane to the remote valley, walk 3 hrs and jet boat out may be good Xmas present for a few weeks time when we return to the area.


• Down to Lake Havea - fantastic views and a complete change in terrain and climate from the wet West Coast - dry arid and looking a bit like the Lake District only bigger and, dare I say it, better. Deep blue and turquoise lakes.


• On to Wanaka, where we stayed last time and loved it and will stay a few more days here in a few weeks. Superlative lakeside town with massive views and glorious sunshine.


• Then more driving to Arrowtown - just before Queenstown. Recommend anyone stays here rather than brash and noisy Q. Lovely old style town with upmarket restaurants, shops and cafes and bars. Very peaceful.


• Got to hostel - a few yards from the main street and river. Peaceful and a great welcome after a days driving - converted house and owners just left a note for us - we went to our room and will settle up for washer, internet and rooms when we next see him - lovely and trusting.


• Sat in rose garden for half an hour then into town - discovered great little cinema - comfy armchairs, take your wine and chesse in with you. Decided to see film at 6 pm - dash back to room, take out washing load, shower and return for wine on balcony overlooking hills in sun.


• After film went downstairs for pizza (first meal out for 2 weeks) and still light when got back in at 9.30 pm.


• Typical day on the road!! All days will be like this if attempting to see both islands in a short time - on the road all day, every day.

Centre of Attention

Last week we were in glacier country on the West Coast and on going into the information centre we saw this notice, above, on the main noticeboard as you go in - various articles on the foolishness of some tourist a few years ago who were too near the glacier and got hit by falling ice - WE WERE THERE and our guide was the one who rescued the 2 injured people and saved another 6 lives by telling them to keep away just before the accident. The two hurt ignored him and are lucky to be alive. this is a picture of how the entrance (or exit) looks today

- the roof just crashed in. We were delayed several hours at the time whilst our guide attended the injured but then we had an adrenaline filled walk up the glacier - unforgettable. Didn't do it this time as it would never match up.

Can you get sick of views? A Happy New Year to all our Readers

Been on 2 magnificent walks in the last few days around Te anau area

now the weather has cleared - the camera is overheating with views - so just a few for you to ponder over during the new year - there are a few posts to come on scheduled dates but we will be on Stewart Island and out of internet existence for a while.

Stuart - you get the award for the saddest person reading this blog - you claim to have looked over the 400+ photos on my Picasa Web Album! There are yet more views for all of you in the Album - so check out the sun and mountains whilst you are freezing away in the UK.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL

Christmas cake and pud

Staying in luxury, for us, in a self catering unit with own bathroom, own kitchen and lounge, TV and bedroom. Here for 6 days in Te Anau - a wonderful little town right by the lake with mountains all around. The West Coast is just over the Divide and is one of the wettest places on earth - so naturally we had rain on our Milford Sound cruise on Christmas Eve. but it was very atmospheric and the waterfalls were in full flow.

Sheila had made a wonderful Christmas cake and posted it to our lodgings (thanks again) - so a lovely surprise on Christmas day - we had a slice for lunch with bubbly

sat by the lake then after various walks we had lunch of BBQ lamb + just a couple of veg and then another walk and Xmas pud and custard later on. A lovely relaxing day. We later rang Jen as she was in bed opening a few presents - it was great to hear a familiar voice - and good to know at least a couple of people are reading this! Hi, to all the Moodys and Christine!!

Today - Boxing Day is wet, wet again, so spending time catching up on internet things with the promise of sun on Monday and we will try again for a walking part of the Routeburn major trek to Key summit.

PHOTOS
Having dificulty getting pictures on the the blog today - but have at last managed to find a relatively fast internet cafe computer and so all our photos are now on my Picasa album - see the link on the photo bit on the right hand side of this blog. Clicking on that should take you to the photos that should be in date order so you can see some of the recent ones at the end. There are a few duplicates at the beginning - will have to sort out later! Just ignore.

Birds, animals, more Kendalians and Milnthorpe

Have been doing a lot of bird watching, even though there are not nearly enough of them due to the introduced possums and stoats - all this bush and forest and not much birdsong.  The Tui above is NZ's talisman bird along with the lovely bell bird - that surprisingly enough, sounds like a bell!  Probably clocked most of the common species but hope to see a few more unusual ones in Stewart Island at New Year.

Would you believe, out of the very few Brits we have encountered (loads of other Europeans - mainly German) we met yet another couple from Kendal - Tina and Richard.  She works at Banardos near Brockhole.  They stayed a few days with us at Motueka YHA just near Abel Tasman NP last week.

And couldn't resist stopping off here - a lovely beach area in the north in Golden Bay area - there was even a Kendal Road there (only about 10 houses in Milnthorpe) so obviously an immigrant from around our parts:

HOW TO VISIT NEW ZEALAND

A few tips for those following in our footsteps - do it your own way, of course, but here are some bits of info that might be useful:

• Get hold of the Rough Guide to NZ - the first few sections gives you all you need to know about where to go, what to see, how to travel, what price accommodation, what price car/campervan hire, trains, buses etc etc.  It is invaluable and not just for backpackers on the cheap - it includes boutique B&B's, upmarket motels and cheap options with everything in between.
• Other travellers we have met are doing it by car, campervan, train, buses and mixtures of all.  
• Will say it again, but first timers won't listen - you can't do it all in 3 weeks - choose your highlights from Rough Guide or other guides or us or other visitors depending on what your interests are.  To do both islands in 4 or less weeks means you will be on the road constantly.
• A popular option is to go from Christchurch to Greymouth (West Coast) by scenic train (brilliant route) and pick up a car there and go around south of South Island and drop off at Christchurch
• Loads of bus companies - many drop you off at door of hotel/hostel and you can stay as long as you want at each place
• Stop at the I-Centre in each town - they tell you all the info you will ever need to know about the area - + details on the wall and in folders and in leaflets of all walks from 10 minutes to 10 days - and then organise the bus, water taxi, extra hiking gear and accommodation - whatever you want.   And for the next town ahead.  Cumbria councillors should come here to see what a tourist office should be like - and they are closing ours down - incredible!
• You will pay about twice as much to come with a organised tour - and it is so easy to do it yourself you can stay twice as long for the same price!!
• Relocation deals - everyone comes into Auckland and takes car or camper Down via both islands to Christchurch in South Island - big problem for car hire companies in getting them back - so you can pick up great deals and take them back for free over several days - apparently there is a website that they all use (worldwide) - worth checking out - a couple we met was taking a campervan to Auckland free, free ferry etc for 4 days and paying for 2 to add a bit more time.
• Accommodation - anything you want.  It is all so customer orientated - Holidat parks with units with bedroom, kitchen, en-suite - units with room & kitchen share bathrooms, units with room and bathroom share kitchens, boutique B&Bs, hotels, motels, hostels (the smaller the better we are finding) - prices range from $65 a room in hostel to $130 for motel room to $200 posh B&B - or more.  
• Suggest if trying to do NZ in less than 3-4 weeks it is pointless paying the extra for anywhere with a nice view - you won't have time to see it as you will be on the road all the time.  Plenty of views as you drive around but distances take much longer than UK - see the Rough Guide and websites for time to travel anywhere.
• We are finding a lot of hostels are not full (although school holidays means then may fill up - but interestingly New Zealanders camp and don't hostel) - Japanese are terrified of germs anywhere else in the world at the moment, English are stuffed by the exchange rate (we reckon it is 20% more than when we were here 3 years ago) and Americans also thin on the ground.
• Immigration - they will take away your hiking or walking boots/shoes and clean them (Graham spent an hour cleaning ours and they still didn't like them) - so pack them on top of your cases.  Also - no food, spices at all - Kendal mintcake and shortbread were OK!
• Get a YHA card for car and other discounts - our car is $32 per day and a brilliant deal.
• If hiring a car - get an annual Excess policy before you come - it cost us 50 pounds and we have saved $10 a day ie $520 + our week in France and any other travels we do next year.
• Get a credit card and debit card that have minimal charges (see Moneysavingexpert.com) - Santander zero credit card is saving a fortune in charges.

The Wild West - and Japanese driving

This was taken in Abel Tasman NP on the East coast - golden sands and calm waters 

Then crossed over to West Coast to these windswept beaches and lots of rain - 265 days a year - we were so lucky last time to have unbroken sunshine.

But we get out for walks and nosing around old coal and gold mining sites in between time and make use of the wet gear at other times - but you will see from this photo that the views as per the main photo at the start of this blog of Lake Mathieson, are slightly different.  But a must do walk - the Tarn Hows of the West Coast.  It was well worth it even in the rain today - thats what rain forests do!

The car below drove into the viewpoint behind us and he pressed the accelerator instead of the brake - oh dear!  Just as well the bushes were there - a 300 ft drop to the ocean on the other side.  We were just about to take them to the nearest town when a saviour drew up with boat trailer and ropes to pull them out.  There is obviously a problem with all these people driving on the wrong side of the roads - there are arrows down the direction to go after all scenic pull outs and turnings!

Beaches and bush

After 6 days in the very north of South Island and then 3 days at Motueka near the wonderful Abel Tasman NP, we are leaving for the West Coast and mountains and more fantastic coastal walking.  It's just endless perfect days for us.

Have done some great walks from 10 minutes to 8 hours in the 2 areas (Golden Bay and Tasman), along windswept empty beaches and endless bush -  and taken a step back in time to the 1970's.  

If there is an art form or healing or type of massage that's not here, then it doesn't exist!  But then you see the scenery and the peace and isolation and it all makes sense.

But with such beautiful spots they are gradually getting pushed to the outer limits to retain the seclusion - unless you spot yet another way to make money out of tourists - but how many of us really want to go on a course "Feltmaking for the feet"?

Westport is our next stop - also reputed to be full of artists, potters and woodcarvers - and probably rain, so there may be more time to do a bit more blogging.

Eat your heart out

At least this is what this Harrier is doing! - A nice bit of roadkill - yum, yum

Or you could eat your heart out at this brilliant cafe (yet another one - Paddlecrab cafe) at the very northernmost tip of South Island - amazing views of the sand spit and some great walks nearby with more gorgeous beaches and an endless variety of walks

The piccie below is the garden at our YHA at Takaka - great for relaxing and eating our evening meals

71 km - 4 days - 5* walk

Just completed the Queen Charlotte Track hike over 4 days (can be done in less or parts of it in one day hikes.  Fantasic views every turn of the track and some wonderful places to stay along the way - + the water taxi takes you main bags from place to place for you - very civilised.

We did get to test out the rain gear on the first 2 days - (trousers and boots fine - jackets a bit damp by the end of the day).  Now spending today washing muddy trousers and boots in the very north of the South Island (Takaka) in between 2 National Parks.  The picture below is typical of the bush we walked through for 4 days but with open views of all the bays every turn and viewpoint.  A must see for all NZ visitors - if only for a day cruise and short walk along the shores.

Met up with two lovely couples from Perth along the way - good company and a final Indian meal together to celebrate in Picton.

Great cafe - On the way to Picton we stopped at probably the best ever cafe (and we have checked out a few in our time!) - The Store at Kekerengu - great food, coffee, log fires, overlooking outstanding coastline, decking, great music, lovely garden - perfect place.

Whales, wildlife and Kendalians!

Cruise out to see whales - saw sperm whale, dusky dolphins, seals, royal albatross + lots of other local seabirds.

Dusky dophhins

Then did great coastal walk for 3-4 hrs with a crayfish (Kaikora means crayfish) Sunday lunch on the wayat this great little shack by the sea.

Amazing meet up with a couple from Kendal, Martin and Gwen Tordoff, who overheard me saying "Ham not as good as Higginsons!".  they are travelling by bus and put us to shame with single rucksacks v. our 3 bags and 2 rucksacks and car!  They are doing several 3-34 day hikes and hiring gear at each place to carry themeselves.  We start Queen charlotte Ttrack tomorrow and have water taxis to transfer luggage - such wimps!

  YHA - our room was middle one - dining room and lounge left and right overlooking sea

Kaikoura - South Island - North East coast - Whales

Looking for whales - too wet today for cruise, but promised better tomorrow - so internet and book and diary catch up time - and a rest for a couple of hours - jet lag is just about gone and sleeping past 4.30 am now!

Drove up to here from Christchurch via another great cafe at Cheviot (Two Rivers cafe and gallery for those folloing in our footsteps) and now at a brilliant YHA right on the beach overlooking mountains and sea.

View from our room:

Did our first supermarket shop and loaded borrowed coolbox and basket (thanks Sheila) - YHA usual efficient place - great kitchen with plenty of room for food with all utensils and cooking areas.  Dining room and lounge overlooking sea and seats outside for pre meal drinks and nibbles.  Who needs to go out ot expensive restaurants?

This photo shows part of the kitchen - there are green labels for all your bags/food to put the date of leaving on - there is also an area with free food that peoople have left and for you to leave when you no longer want stuff.  The kitchen is kept spotless and everyone cleans up after themselves - unlike some backpacker hostels we used last time.  A much more respectable class of people in YHAs!

Hectors Dolphins

Mother and baby - Hectors Dolphins

Great cruise around Lyttleton Harbour, Christchurch and saw lots of Hectors Dolphins - even a mother and baby came right up to the boat. When even the naturalist on board gets excited, you know you have seen something special - a great trip.

Staying at cousin Ron and Sheila

Flood updates from home say all is now well and waters receded - have put a few more photos on my Picasa albums - accessed via photo links on the right hand side. Will be adding travel photos as we go along.

Now in Christchurch and staying with Graham's cousin Ron. They share the same great, great grandfather, George Honeybone, who made the clock at our house - see piccie below of Graham and Ron. Ron & Sheila stayed with us at Beck Head earlier this year.

Our hairstylist and friend, Christine (who posted my first blog comment - thank you!!), in Cheshire will remember Sheila - she is probably the 10th or so member of our family to get their hair done by Christine - and certainly the furthest away.

See map of where we are at Rons House. or street view

This is a picture of their house from when we stayed with them a few years ago

Thanks to friends and neighbours

Arrived at Christchurch after 12 hr stop at Singapore Airport and enjoyed sun and a short walk before crashing out after Sheila's welcome meal.

A few public thanks now to all those who have helped us in the past few days - we really appreciate what you did for us in the hectic times before leaving:

• Nigel for sand, support and a lift to the station


• Peter for sandbags, sand and support


• Carole for taking on the task of plant watching and visitor tracking at the house whilst we are away


• Lin and Rob for giving us B&B and lifts from station and to airport


• Ron and Sheila for meeting us in Christchurch and making us so welcome again.


• and lots of you for emailing your concerns about the floods

It is great to know that friends and neighbours rally round in times of need - thanks to all

Singapore Airport

Makes Manchester Airport look like a second rate bargain bazaar!

Whole place is really restful - cathedral like - great sculptures, orchids and space space and more space

Tips for SA - Terminal 3

• Had a great room in the Transit hotel - 9 hours shower, sleep and wake up call.
• Terminal 3 - lovely butterfly garden
• Found free loungers in quiet area for on the way back - near hard Rock cafe
• Loads of free internet sites - quietest ones round back near quiet areas
• Best places to eat upstairs
• Convenience store upstairs for snacks etc
• Left luggage if needed - trolleys if not for hand luggage

How to set up a blog

Some of you have expressed bewilderment, interest or indifference to this blog.

But for those who are interested in trying it out yourself - it took me all of 3 minutes to set this up. And then a bit of playing to get the photos, text and bits at the side.

If you have Google then follow this (if you have Yahoo, MSN or other system - just find the Blogging item when you are in your Account- it will be similar):

1. Set up a Google account - you may already have one or click here to set one up
   
2. Once in your Account, find the list of Google products and add Blogger to your products.
3. Then just follow the instructions - 4 easy steps:-

• Create a Blog
• Give it a name (eg Graham and Cathy in New Zealand) you can edit anything you put here or elsewhere at any time by clicking on "Edit". You will get a URL (the thing that says www.?????) with your personal details - this is what you give out to people
  
• Choose a template - this is why some of you think it took me ages to set up - but you just choose a layout that you like and cheat.
• Create your first Post - type in a Title and some text and you can either "Publish" (which everyone can see) or "Save" and it creates a draft Post. You can publish this whenever you want. You can see a list of all your posts at any time when you go to Edit Posts - and surprise, surprise, you can edit any of them.
  

As you type up the new Post you will see a list of things at the top that you can do - eg Bold, Italics, colours, Add an image (click that and you can choose a photo to insert), Create a link etc

And there you have a blog.

I then just played around with the layout tab at the top of the page until I got what I wanted down the side panel.

Floods at Beck Head

In case you wonder why we want to leave Beck Head in the winter:-

Floods last night - nearly up to the back doors when we got up this morning -

most of it came through the gate in the back field -
lawn mower and strimmer could be a Spring casualty - no time to check before we go!

Standing on the bridge collecting papers and milk

The "spout" only appears after a lot of rain - and there has been for the last 48 hrs.

Starting the trip

Having never done a blog before and several people have asked to keep track of our travels, here is the first Honeybone blog about our New Zealand trip.

For those interested I will add photos and update the diary as we go along.

Dates - As a brief overview we fly out 22nd Nov and return 17th February. We will be picking up emails as we go along and will be on South Island until 20th Jan - then 2 weeks in North Island and on to Perth 3rd February, leaving on 16th Feb.