NZ BLOG 5 - CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR 2022

 Quality family time over the festive period from 23rd December 2022

After returning from the Catlins and Dunedin, we ran into Christmas and New Year….so although I now have wheels, my exploits consisted of day trips away in the car or with the bike, and to spend time with the family. ❣️

WAITAKI VALLEY AND WAIMATE

This included one rather lengthy road trip, including the huge limestone morphs parochially named the “Elephant Rocks”, quite impressive, then just down the road in Duntroon (in the Waitaki Valley) I popped into the rather grandiose named “Vanished World Centre”, affectively a geology exhibition. I made the mistake of informing the chap that I had a geology background, but some 40 (aaagh!) years ago, and that I'd forgotten most detail. As it was quiet, he offered to walk me around, in order to explain the geological detail, kind of him, but I didn’t really have two hours to spare. Fortunately I was rescued by the arrival of a family that needed his attention. 🙌

Pushing cynicism aside, it was interesting to understand why NZ is so seismically active with the Pacific and Australasian plates pushing against each other….also that many think NZ is simply an island in the Pacific, it is actually a continent (Zealandia), but with large parts submerged. The rise and fall of the sea levels were well illustrated through geological time….including the inception plate known as Gondwana Land. 🌋

Moving on down the valley I popped by the pre European Māori paintings, but I wasn’t impressed. Not sure if my expectations were a little high: a Van Gogh or Picasso perhaps? 🎨

Crossing the Waitaki river at Kurow I then headed over to a small town called Waimate, parking up at an eco reserve (fences to keep predators out, and traps galore - mainly for rats, stoats and possums (although they call hedgehogs “Pests”)). A nice walk initially through the “bush” (trees, trees and more trees….see later day out!) but thank goodness eventually opening up into some relatively lofty views out to the coast.

In fact it reminded me very much of the scarps on the South Downs in England. So, nice views at the top over the coastal plain and Waimate…and also joined by a fairly rare NZ Falcon. 😍

PALMERSTON BIKE RIDE

Hamish, being a local for one but also a tour guide for a number of years, has been great for recommending places to visit…and this was another one.

Halfway to Dunedin, about an hours drive, I plotted (with Hamish) a 60 plus k bike ride, mainly on gravel…but a cracking ride, just unfortunate it was quite overcast, until of course I finished the ride! So, I must return…., interesting morphology there, and I’ve tried to research this, the area seemed to have a series of extinct volcanoes, certainly typically conical in shape….but the 535 page geology thesis 😳 I found was just a little too much for me to thoroughly investigate! Great ride all the same though….👍

BUSH, BUSH AND MORE BLOODY BUSH

The Kiwis seem to love their bush walks! Affectively immersed pretty much permanently in trees. Maybe it’s the escape from the Summer heat, what else, I'm not sure, I don’t understand it! 

So off I went to Herbert Forest, about 30 mins south of Oamaru, and chose a near four hour walk. “Superb walk” I was told….90 mins later I’m still in trees, nothing but trees….no views, one semi decent waterfall, at times quite difficult under foot, and had to cross a stream 13 times (exact cos it was stated in the flyers, I didn’t count!). 🤪

Just as I was getting cabin fever, I crossed a forest road…thank goodness for Google Maps…I took it, knowing it was heading sort of in my car direction, and within 30 mins I’d escaped!😅

So when I see, “bush walks” now, I’m wary.😊

The irony being, unlike the UK, lots of quality looking walking areas are on private land, so access is denied. Quite frustrating riding and driving around seeing some lovely looking challenges, but there is no access. 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

PENGUIN NIGHT

Oamaru is quite well known for its Blue Penguins, some 200 plus each night after sunset, make their way out of the ocean to their burrows and nests. However, also nearby, and at approx two hours before sunset, the very rare, and much more shy Yellow Eyed Penguins also return from a days fishing to nearby Bushy Beach. 🐧

I arrived at Bushy, just after seven, and joined the enthusiasts scanning closely the sea ebb - I left just after nine, and saw a grand total of three! Which apparently is quite good, because often none are seen. Giving a German mother and daughter a lift back into town, they shared a not uncommon view that the $36 fee to watch the Blue Penguins (with differing prices for priority seating!) was an unattractive proposition, nature should be free!

So with them, I joined about 30 others on the north beach by the harbour, as some of the Blue’s were unaware of a contract to exit only at the paid area, although the vast majority were at the “zoo”….suffice to say, particularly as Bex could get me a ticket for half price, next time I may succumb, because by 1030, and getting very cold now, we saw a grand total of ONE! 🐧

I may return….to both sites!

THE FISH WIFE

Over New Year, we had a family day out, down to Moeraki Lighthouse, to view the birds and seals, but then popped into the fishing village itself after…the third time I had visited, and on each of the previous two, the highly recommended takeaway, The Fish Wife, was closed. But not today…so, quickly checking the online reviews, the recommendation was fresh (from the sea that morning) Blue Codfish and Crayfish. The codfish was really exquisite, and the crayfish was nice, if a little rubbery, but not sure I’m comfortable eating crayfish (plus crabs, octopus, lobster et al), from my scuba days, seeing them living and breathing under water….and what natures delight they are! 🐟🍤

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR

Christmas and New Year were very pleasant with the family, next year when Sienna is another year older and more understanding will be more interesting though! Typically Kiwis have ham for Christmas Day, but Becky managed to source a turkey from somewhere, and a lovely meal it was too….although the highlight of the day was the Sticky Toffee Pudding made by master chef Abuelo LOL por supuesto! 🥧🤷‍♂️

A family road trip ensued too, with a first stop in Timaru, an hour north, firstly to order a pearl wedding bracelet for Becky, then visit the local rides fair. Abuelo volunteered to be the cameraman rather than partake in the tea cups ride, see photo!

Hamish thinks nothing of super long drives, so I guess, not so surprisingly, decided to take me for a first visit towards the Alps, arriving at Lake Tekapo some two hours later, to the most stunning views, with an azure blue lake with the backdrop of Mt Cook...really spectacular, see next post for my personal visit.

In total we drove for 7 hours!! 😳

Becky and Hamish went out early on NYE with Abuelo solo baby sitting for the first time! Then Bex swapped with me, and with our bikes, Hamish and I went to Scott’s first where there was a live band playing covers, and also a full pipe band. They do love their Scottish heritage. 🍻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Chatting to a guy at the bar, dressed in Victorian gear, he turned out to be the World Penny Farthing Hill Climb Champion (self appointed after a local race 😂)….as only a multiple national champion, he had trumped me - we laughed and had our photo taken. He did try to persuade me to join his local cycling club, with a membership of………….two! A Penny farthing club of course! 😊

With 20 mins to go we decided to go to the local gardens where there was more entertainment on….again a band, a piper at midnight….then everyone immediately went home! 😳 Getting “double header” pints in was a mistake, as we slowly finished them off, bewildered that the night ended minutes after midnight…..think we should have stayed at Scotts!

Holiday season over, time now to do some solo exploration!

NZ BLOG 4 - THE CATLINS & DUNEDIN

 The Catlins and Dunedin - from 19th December 2022

THE CATLINS

So with a blue sky, the solo road trip commenced, and on Sienna’s first birthday, leaving with very fond farewells from the new family, I headed east…with a list of must visit locations collated from some of the previous days conversations.

Not quite in the Catlins, I first stopped at Fortrose, looking out over the estuary of the Mataura river…nearby were a couple taking in the sunshine outside a ubiquitous campervan. I wandered over, had an extended chat….and immediately recognised, OH NO!! A Yorkshireman 😂 and the first person I talk to!!  We had quite a conversation, they also had a wedding and were visiting their son…decent guy until he described me as an honorary Yorkie, when he learnt I’d been based in Sheffield for 30 years….🤬😂

I continued until the Waipapa Lighthouse, erected after the sinking of SS Tararua in 1881 with the loss of 331 lives on reefs just offshore. A stunning coastline with my first glimpse of a sea lion across the bay in the distance. 

Purposefully then visiting Curio Bay, to view and known for its petrified (fossilised) forest by silica, and there was no disappointment with the coastal cliff exposing the clearest detail of the Jurassic forest from 170 million years ago, when NZ was part of Gondwanaland. 🦕

As I drove further into the Catlins, the weather unfortunately closed in, so I terminated the planned other visits for today, but instead went straight to my digs in Papatowai - being “greeted” by a less than welcoming host, something with Airbnb I’ve never experienced. The weather improved in the evening, so I went for a walk along the estuary of the Tahakopa, and back through the thick temperate rain forest, through the village which had very little to offer and only 40 permanent residents,although the Lost Gypsy Gallery was interesting, and that word again, quirky!

The following day firstly I visited the impressive McLean Falls, but then the less than impressive Tautuku estuary walkway and a short walk to Lake Wilkie.

In the afternoon I started off visiting known Sea Lion beaches, firstly Cannibal Beach, however no beasts present albeit a lovely location with the roaring ocean. From there I realised on gravel roads I could head to Nugget and Kaka Points….the most northerly on my hitlist and what became the highlight of the region. The coastline itself was very impressive, but the highlight was the jaw dropping precipitous headland with lighthouse (at 900m) of Nugget Point - together with wave thrashed cliffs and sapphire waters, and also plenty of wildlife with a colony of spoonbills, shags and two sets of Sea Lions including a mighty male. The view from the lighthouse was spectacular with a series of rock “nuggets” stretching out into the ocean, hence the name Nugget Point! 🌊🐦

On returning via Owaka I decided to visit Surat Bay Beach, and almost literally, as I passed onto the beach from the bush, stepped on some young sea lions, six in total, all sleeping including big daddy.

I awoke early the following day and this time hopped onto my bike, traversing a great circuit on mainly gravel roads that I had previously plotted. Although rather overcast, it was an excellent finale to the Catlins….saw more sea lions, a deer and a possum en route! 🚴‍♂️💨

Leaving my digs a day early, in agreement with my host, as I’d seen all I wanted, and I really wanted to get away from the guy himself…a first for me with Airbnb in years of using them, he clearly had some very recent issues, as contradicting his rather good reviews on his profile! 🤬🤬

DUNEDIN

I headed to a smart suburb of Dunedin, called Waverley, high on a hill, on the start of the Otago Peninsula- in readiness for my pre booked tour at the Royal Albatross Centre the following morning. Greeted by a lovely welcoming lady, a complete contrast to my previous host. I visited the town centre in the early evening, which was quite nice, with a very strong Scottish influence, in fact the first European settlers included a relative of Robbie Burns and Dunedin itself is Gaelic for Edinburgh.

Walking around the Octagon and along such streets as St Andrew, Stuart, Moray and Princes Streets I eventually found Vogel Street the start of the arty trail, Dunedin is really on the international street art map….It was rather a flying visit, so hopefully I can revisit with more time one day. I finished off with a pint of English ale in the Duke of Wellington! 🍺

By 1015 the following morning, and after a catch up with Donna and George in Mallorca, I’d driven the beautiful coast hugging road along the peninsula to the Albatross centre.  There were about six pairs of Albatrosses- incubating for nearly three months, and the only known mainland breeding sites of these birds….their main concentration are on the Chatham Islands, a few thousand kilometres to the east in the Pacific Ocean. 

Leaving Dunedin via  “the steepest road in the World”, Baldwin Street…19% average with a peak of 35% - my bike stayed in the car! 🤪🚴‍♂️😳

Ninety minutes later and I’m back in Oamaru, and by six, with Becky and Sienna we walked around the Christmas market, where they left me to join Hamish and his friends for a Christmas beer in Scott’s Brewing House. 🎅🍻

                                                 Baldwin Street - Steepest Residential Road in the World

Waipapa Point

Kaka Point to Nugget Point

McLean Falls

Nugget Point

Curio Bay

Black Oystercatcher

Swamp Harrier

Kereru (NZ Wood Pigeon)

Royal Spoonbill

White Fronted Tern

NZ Yellowhammer

NZ BLOG 3 - THE FIRM ON THE FARM - Invercargill

 The FARM Thursday 15th December 2022

So on Thursday 15th December the Charabanc was loaded with our family trip to meet the new in laws in Invercargill. 3 adults, Sienna and the associated important items for a smooth journey….

Namely my bike and kit! 😘 Joking of course, well semi….I meant all the gear for Sienna. With a couple of feeding stops, for all of us…we finally arrived at Invercargill some five hours later down State Highway One (pretty much a single carriageway all the way).

Not quite Invercargill but some 20km east at Mokotua on their sheep farm! Meeting firstly Hamish’s parents Gay and Ronny, then sister Sally with husband Grant, and Sienna’s cousins, Ben (the little character), Isla and Alex…..and what a lovely family they all are! 

Ronny and Gay have been working the farm since 1978, with some 750 acres and currently having 1700 sheep, targeting approximately 2500 lambs per year for market.

Also they farm using “Regenerative” methods (no chemicals, and daily rotation of the sheep "mobs" to fresh pastures) in fact they had an assessment over the weekend we were there, including soil tests….also on the farm were some inherited wetlands, which again had been managed by Ron and Gay, with an official "covenance" to protect the area., where no development or mods are permitted 👏

Ron took us out for a full exploration of the farm, with some very edifying commentary fed by a series of questions from yours truly.

While we were there for the four nights, Gay organised a birthday party for Sienna and also an early Christmas dinner (ham based as is the NZ tradition), but what a whirlwind, Gay proved to be….one minute prepping the dinners, then the next she catches your eye flying across the farm on a quad bike, to rotate the sheep paddocks….and before you know it, she’s back prepping the dinner. I’m sure there was only one Gay!, I never saw the two together anyway! 🤷‍♂️ And Ron wasn’t that far behind! 💨💨💨

The only downside was the weather, which was generally overcast with very heavy rain one day (when Bex and I went shopping into Invercargill)….there were a couple more visits to Invercargill….one included walking the lagoons just south of the city, with some gratuitous twitching….then an afternoon out with Bex, Hamish and Sienna - checking the local beach out and a stroll around Queens Park….which was very nice.  I can’t say the centre was memorable in any way - apparently two of the main attractions it’s gallery and museum being closed due to failing the relatively recent Earthquake building compliance…after the Christchurch earthquakes….and the new shopping centre development was still in progress…. 

Current main attractions are a trio of motoring related exhibitions, linked to the legacy of the late legend Burt Munro (yes, a distant relation), a local resident, who still holds the motorcycle land speed record for a bike under 1000cc, on a 47 year old bike at the grand age of 67…in 1967 at Bonneville, Utah. Burt’s journey was revisted on celluloid, in the film “The World’s Fastest Indian” - Indian being the manufacturer of the motorcycle. 🏍💨

Sienna loved being with her cousins, who of course fussed around her….with especially Isla  proving naturally to be very caring, playful and attentive. 💕

On the bike I did a couple of 60k spins around the mainly gravel roads and farms, mainly flat, except towards the furthest east on my first ride where it got a little rolling, I guess the start of the Catlins.

Sod’s law of course, on our last morning there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Sally and Grant kindly lending me their spare car for the duration, so independently, I headed east on the Southern Scenic Coast Road up into the Catlins, for three nights planned to explore a region that had been on everyone’s recommended list for that part of NZ…..we will see……

So it was final farewells and hugs to the lovely Munro’s (and to be part of the extended family) - probably next meeting up at the wedding of the year in February…. Ron with his typical dry rumour, shook my hand, and acclaimed that I had affectively passed the test, and would be welcome into the family - well, I think he was joking! 🤷‍♂️😂