In the Antarctic (Exhibition)

I was caught out - only wore the shorts that day (just like Scott vs. Amundsen).

Christchurch to the West Coast and Back



Castle Hill - weathered limestone

Arthur's Pass

Arthur's Pass (with lupins)

Greymouth Beach

Lewis Pass

Punakaiki - Pancake rocks

Cape Foulwind (and it was!)

A sobering day in Christchurch

Double delight in the rose garden

Elephants legs?

Closed off section of the city centre

More closed off streets

The 'container' shops

Container coffee shop

After the two recent earthquakes the city centre is still struggling to get back on its feet. Over half the city centre is destroyed, but some places such as the botanic gardens are wonderfuly serene. The 'show must go on' attitude had led to an innovative 'container village' popping up as high rises are pulled down.

Meeting my family in Christchurch

After many months of correspondence by email I finally met up with my second cousin Maxine, her lovely family  and her mother Beryl  (Aunty Beryl) in Christchurch. We found out about each other whilst we were both researching into the Fortin family tree and trying to unpick the mystery of our (possibly french/indian) philandering great grand father, JJ Fortin, who seems to have fathered at least 8 children, had 3 wives and been a tailor, a coffee shop owner and brother of a RC priest who was championing the cause of the striking miners in Durham.  One thing we now know, is that life in Victorian Britain was as complicated as modern life and full of some quite colourful characters. 

We had a lovely day out on The Banks peninsular, coincidentally at Akaroa which is a french settlement in NZ. Even the petrol station sells l'essence! After that a bar-b-q with friends of Maxine and more family tree stuff.

Alice, Maxine and Beryl in Akaroa

JJ Fortin aka JJ Rouse

Father Philp Fortin (JJ's brother)

From Picton to Christchurch

We drove from Picton to Christchurch - mostly along the Pacific coast in the east. After the rain forest in the Marborough Sound area it was surprising to see arid hills as we drove south.

Picton Harbour - beautiful

As we drove south of Kaikura we spotted seals in the water and on the rocks. We found ourselves at the seal colony at Ohau Point. Very interesting but surprisingly smelly.

Queen Charlotte Track - Day 4

The final day of a good hike. 20km to Anakiwa - starting off with a steep ascent, but what the hey! Absolutly great weather - the views were marvellous. Good track and good company - many of the same people we had talked to for the last three days.

Strong views bring happiness

View to the West

Finished the trek at Anakawi. Alice had a ginger beer and I had a ginger beer ice lolly. Waited half an hour for the boat to take us back to Picton where we gain stayed with Glenys and Gary. No bagpipes this time, but good crack and good rooms! Avocado on toast for breakfast was something special too. 

Reward - Picton seafood platter (for two)!

Queen Charlotte Track - Day 3

This was the long day - 24km with climbs up to 500m. The good news is that it didn't rain - in fact the weather was beautiful. Great views, easy walking (although a little slippery at times) and time to talk to other hikers en route - everybody very friendly.

Fibonacci alive and well

31km to go - nice gaiters



Outcrop

Stayed at the Portage Resort Hotel in Portage, so called because of lots of porting of boats rather than rowing them all the way round. Lovely private spa, good food, good company, and early night.

Queen Charlotte Track - Day 2

Day 2: From Furneaux Lodge to Punga Cove. The day started fine but two hours into the 12km walk the heavens opened so the walk was very similar to that on the first day. Great jungle walking but restricted views. 

Started the day by having to wade through a stream because the bridge is being replaced. The water was freezing.

After wading the stream

Near the antimony mine

An outbreak of Foxgloves

At the end of the soggy walk we stayed at the Punga Cove Resort. Lovely A-frame lodges set on a hilly site. Excellent food at the restaurant and a fantastic view. Great drying room for the wet clothes and boots!

Relaxing in the spa at Punga Cove

Queen Charlotte Track - Day 1

Today we started on the 71 km Queen Charlotte Track (www.queencharlottetrack.co.nz) from Ship Cove to Anikawa on the Marlborough Sound. The trip was organised by The Adventure Company (see: http://www.marlborghsounds.co.nz). It was four days, self guided, and we stayed at lodges for the three nights. Good organization and good accomodation and food. Like the Tangaririro, you'd have to be blind or very stupid not to follow the route on this one.

Singin' in the Rain

A Weka - they will steal anything

Day One we got a water taxi to Ship Cove. So called because Captain Cook kept going back there to supply his vessels with water and food, though he could have called it Water Cove, or Tree Bay, or anything! Very pretty spot, I expect, but the rain was coming down in sheets and it continued to come down in sheets for the next five hours while we walked the 15km to the first stop at Furneaux Lodge. Saw, or perhaps saw, Resolution Bay and Endeavour Inlet named after the aforesaid Cook's boats.  Lot's of fern jungle and noises of birds - didn't see them though!

Across the Cook Strait

Today we took the ferry from Wellington to Picton on South Island. A three and a half hour crossing - it was very calm because there is no wind due to the drizzly weather. As we left North Island on a Danish ferry (a bit lost!), Wellington was swallowed in the mist. There was excitement, however, when several killler whales swam around and under the vessel.

Killer Whales

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Came here from Denmark

Wellington in the Mist

Arrived in Picton and met by B&B owner Glenys who is a huge fan of Edinburgh and whose husband, Gary,  plays the bagpipes. We were piped in for breakfast - I think it was Scotland the brave!

Of course we had to test out the local brew (Sauvignon Blanc) aptly named 'First Landing' as this is near where Cook Landed.

View fron Le Cafe across the harbour

The Giant Squid

Wonderful morning at the Te Pepe museum in Wellington. Five floors of interactive exhibits showing all aspects of devlopment of New Zealand. Highlight of the show is the pickled giant squid. Originally four and half metres long it is now a little shrunken but you do get the idea of how frightening it would be. Luckily it lives in the very deep ocean near Antarctica.

The Earthquake!

Just sitting on the bed in the hotel in Wellington and the bed starts to move and then the whole building starts shaking! People came out on the street. It was the largest one here for some time: 5.7, epicentre 30km east of Picton, between North and South Island. Turns out Wellington sits right on the main fault line between the Pacific and Australian plates and everyone here thought that it would be Wellington not Christchurch that would have a big quake. 

More info at http://www.geonet.org.nz/earthquake/quakes/recent_quakes.html 

Reference Number: 3620927.

Wellington

Arrived in Wellington and staying at a boutique hotel in the centre. Leon has left his jackets in North Haverlock but that's because Alice didn't check the cupboards! Fortunately  the motel proprieter has promised to post them to our cousins in Christchurch. What pleasant people we are meeting in NZ.

View of Wellington from top of Cable Car

Walk Through the Botanical Gardens

Lady Norwood Rose Garden

Took the cable car to the top of the city and strolled back down through the Botanical Gardens to the seafront. What a great resource for this capital city.

Havelock North and Hawkes Bay Wines

Havelock North is just South of Napier and Hastings, and said to be the Wine Centre of Hawkes Bay. Of course we knew little of  NZ wines before we arrived, but at this rate we we will be experts by the time we go (or at least we will have drunk as much as an expert). Napier was destroyed by an earthquake in the 1930's and rebuilt in an art deco style. Havelock North is a trendy holiday destination with a wonderful coastline, dramatic limestone cliffs, fossils and long deserted beaches. The water is only suitable for surfers in full body suits!

Art Deco building in Napier

Need I say more?

View of wineries from Mount Ta Mata

Ocean Beach (Hawkes Bay)

Tongariro Alpine Crossing

On the recommendations of all the local people and our relatives, we took on the challenge of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, which is said to be the best day walk in New Zealand and in the top ten world-wide. It is a 20km one way walk, so we had to arrange to get our car to the finish and be dropped off at the start.

It is a trek across an active volcano and the earth is quite hot in places. In fact there was a cold wind at some points but we were kept warm by the heat radiating from the ground!

Ngauruhoe Summit

The Red Crater

The Blue Lake

The Emerald Lakes

We had been warned that the trek would take between seven and nine hours, so when we completed it in six and a half hours we were quite chuffed (and a little sore the next day!). The track is extremely well signposted and constructed and there were literllay hundreds of people on it - so no chance of getting lost. After the start, which resembled sales day in Oxford Street, teh crowds did thin a lot and we were able to concentrate on the dramatic scenery.