Keith's Globe Trotting Blog

NZ Blog 2 - 14th Dec 2022

An initial period of local familiarisation, on foot, en velo, road trips and family sortees out.

Continually impressed with the town itself, learning much more by spending some time in the Whitestone City (museum) including an informative short film on the super rise (as big and as important as LA in the 1800s), it’s fall and then rise again…also discovering it had a huge reputation as Sin City, with more brothels than any other city, and alcohol awash. They worked hard, and played even harder clearly. 🍻🧛‍♀️😅

The decline was caused by three main influences: the price of wheat shot up in the UK; the demand for larger ships made the harbour relatively redundant and the final nail! Those God bothering Presbyterian types voted in a period of abolition that lasted from 1906 to 1960 - so who wanted to work and live in Oamaru? 🤷‍♂️

Then ultimately like the Phoenix it eventually arose, to become the diverse attraction it is today…where the legacy of the architecture and culture has unexpectedly contributed directly to that modern day draw.

My plan is to visit a town place of interest intermittently, in this period i visited the Grainstore Gallery - full to the rafters, literally, of modern art, so much so, it's difficult to know where to look to next. Many of the artefacts are the work of it's owner, Donna Demente, who I had a short chat with - heritage from Chorley, Lancs! See the photos below.

Interesting short video here on Oamaru => https://youtu.be/iapyWF0aTyE

Cycling: brought my much maligned cross bike out, with changeable wheels from road to off road (only 30mm though), and a good job too. Two things learnt very early, although a proportion of Oamaru is on a coastal plain, to get out and into the hinterland, there are some really steep climbs, and then in the hinterland it is generally rolling to very challenging, but also a large proportion of the roads are of gravel. So after only two rides, my road wheels were stored away, now for good! 🚵‍♂️

Discovering places such as Enfield, Kia Ora, Windsor and Five Forks….and also exploring the Alps 2 Ocean trail….where on writing this I’ve completed the sections from Oamaru up to Otematata (which is passed the point of the damned River Waitaki and the subsequent Lakes). For the latter, this is broaching the start of the mountain interior, with Mt Cook the highest at 12,218ft…although so far it has been immersed in clouds (yes Summer, is rather delayed in arriving). I have planned doing the full Alps 2 Ocean trail (over 300k from the base of Mt Cook) in mid January. The scenery although fairly good near the coast, certainly does escalate in drama the closer to the Alps one goes. ⛰⛰

Sight seeing: From very local walks starting at the Oamaru viewpoint along to Cape Wanbrow, where I saw baby Blue Penguins and a pup seal resting on the beach, amongst many seabirds…the coastline and views are quite delectable. 🐧🦭🌊

Travelling further south through Kakanui, to Moeraki and the furthest south yet, Shag Point. Although underwhelmed by the Moeraki Boulders attraction, more like pebbles! Photographing a few choice birds on the way, including the rather Cretaceous looking Spoonbills….and in Moeraki sampling the highly recommended Blue Cod, fresh from the local fisherman….it was very tasty! Although unfortunately the Fish Wife eaterie was closed, a must go to apparently.

Northwards, we had a family trip to Waimate, to an eco park (managed nature reserve with walks), viewing some stereotypical NZ birds: the NZ Harrier, the Tui, the Silvereye, the Bellbird and the Fantail.

And of course, last but not least, Sienna's first birthday party and BBQ (one week before the actual birthday, due to the below)....all her "buddies" were around in the morning, and the "grown ups" in the afto for the beers and meat fest! A good time was had by all....including of course the star of the show, especially with a tradition of "cake smashing" (apparently something babies on their first birthday have recorded!).

This towards the end of my third week, we are all visiting Hamish’s family near Invercargill in the “Deep South”, where I’ll be borrowing a car for the duration….so the more distanced explorations can really begin… 🥳

Starting with the Caitlins on the SE tip - unanimously recommended by the locals as a must visit, we will see! 🤷‍♂️😎👍

The Grainstore Gallery

Harbour Street

Local gardens

"Abuelo", given pram responsibility!

Elephant Rocks

Waitaki Valley & Alps2Ocean Trail

Aviemore Lake

Alps 2 Ocean Trail

Tui

Bellbird

Baby Blue Penguin

Kurow

Cake Smashing!

Lake Aviemore

Creek crossing on the Waitaki

Silvereye

Paradise Shelduck

NZ Stilt

Goldfinch

NZ Harrier

NZ Black Swan

Moeraki Boulders (Stones!!)

NZ - Blog 1 - 1st Dec 2022

Barely a week since returning to Sheffield from Andalusia, I set off to South Island New Zealand. A rather predicted protracted flight of nearly 30 hours. I’m greeted at Christchurch airport, kindly, by Hamish, and within just over three hours I’m reunited with Becky, in Oamaru. Hard for it to sink in at first, with each saying, “what you doing here?!”

Feeling surprisingly (relatively) recovered the following morning, I still hadn’t seen the star of the show! Sienna, was just surfacing, “mi nieta graciosa” (my beautiful granddaughter) and what a lovely beautiful baby / young child she is….walking into her room, with Mum cradling her, seeing her in flesh for the first time, I became quite emotional, she really was lovely….well done Hamish and Becky!

Being a Sunday, Hamish and Bex were free, so they took me into Oamaru, for my first viewing of downtown. It annihilated my expectation, mainly I think, created by Becky inadvertently underplaying it…but I was so impressed…it was like an idealistic film set, with heritage limestone (Whitestone) architecture, both small and grandiose; independent shops from days of yore, the coast, headland and harbour…but there was much more.

Cliched, but a “quirkiness” clearly describes the feel…. expressed by the Victorian scape, the bohemian and creative influx, contemporary artist’s exhibitions, whisky and beer brewing….but most of all the “Steampunks”, boldly celebrating the past and the future, with the ethos “tomorrow as it used to be”….and there’s the penguins!

Every night at dusk, several hundred Blue Penguins return from their fishing trip back home…and everyone is so chilled and friendly.

We had brunch, at a cool cafe (one of many to choose from) that reflected the town, The Collective, on the enticing Harbour Street…after which we walked around the harbour to the penguin grandstand, viewing the seals and the local shag colony, walking passed the children’s playground, also designed in a rather quirky Dali like style, they just had to be on acid!

Adjacent the park by the harbour we viewed the finish line, of one of New Zealand’s celebrated cycle trails, the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail, from the slopes of Mount Cook to the coast. In total over 300 kilometres, mainly off road, of course added to the immediate bucket list!

https://www.alps2ocean.com/

[Oamaru was originally a thriving port in the 19thC where refrigerated meat packing had its origins locally….exporting to the “Motherland” , and also was a whaling station …but when larger ships were required, it hit a decline.]

Later in the afternoon, I decided on a 2 hour spin on my bike, just 35 miles, that ended up being more like 2.5 hours….no one told me about the hills! Super steep in Oamaru, in fact Warren Street (the abode)…is on an 18% climb. Planned a loop into the hinterland, which I will explore more later, as it was rather misty and cold (went below 7C)….returned along the stunning coastal road to the south, viewing the South Pacific….more on that to follow…

Let the discovery begin…. 🤷‍♂️