Driving from Cheviot to Blenheim is a three hour journey for those in a hurry. But we were keen to see any lasting impact from the earthquake so we took our time. We paused in Kaikoura and supported the local economy in a small way. On the road again, unfortunately we were on the wrong side for easy stopping. The traffic was such I only made one attempt to pull into a rest area so I missed the opportunity to … Continue reading
I suggested in an earlier post that little had changed around my hometown and its neighbours. But I soon discovered that is not true. A quick drive through Riverton showed a huge difference to my last visit. Soon after our arrival in Southland and before I went to Riverton, I noticed an article in one of the free local newspapers. A lot of effort had gone into the preparing and painting of murals around the town. Reading the article and … Continue reading
Southland’s summer has turned out to be fantastic. Of course I wouldn’t have expected anything less than beautiful blue skies. I had to laugh at the comment made by one of my young relatives when I mentioned my satisfaction at sharing Southland’s glorious summer with the world. In all seriousness she told me, “Don’t say too much, we don’t need too many more people shifting down here.” What an intuitive young lady she is. We have been so very fortunate … Continue reading
Focus on Southland As we waited for Christmas celebrations I wanted to focus on Southland while we hung out in my home province. The glorious weather made us so pleased to be spending at least part of the holiday period here. Other parts of New Zealand were much less fortunate, with many areas experiencing huge rainfalls and floods. Not only did we enjoy the company of family and friends, we also revisited many favourite places of mine. I think I’ll … Continue reading
I wonder how many people have ever heard of Orepuki? Even for those from Southland, there is a possibility you might not be able to place this wee town on the southern coast. Orepuki is an example of a “blink and you’ll likely miss it” town. Along the Southern Scenic Route, it’s small, with few permanent residents. So close to the often wild and rough southern seas, it’s winds can rip right through a person. Around Orepuki it is possible … Continue reading
Today heralds our last day on Stewart Island and its up for grabs what we might do with our last hours in this paradise. With our bags already packed our choices will be limited. The Museum has been checked out. The Bunkhouse Theatre doesn’t open until the end of December. Will we head to the Rakiura National Park Visitor Centre and check out the multitude of videos they have available to watch? The problem I see there is how we’d … Continue reading
Hokitika To Haast On the drive from Hokitika to Haast I was struck by the number of lakes one can visit. We stopped at some but missed a few out. Being city folk nowadays we feel the need to keep the car pretty much topped up with petrol. You can never be sure where the next petrol station might be. So while the car was getting a drink, I slipped across the road at Whataroa to take a picture of … Continue reading
Last Day in Westport We wondered what we might do during our last day in Westport, but the day disappeared very satisfactorily. Our visit to the museum – aptly called the Coaltown Museum – helped many of Jet’s stories fall into place. Watching the videos and seeing the exhibited paraphernalia made sense of much he had shared with us yesterday. As its name suggests, the museum is purely focused on the history of coal mining in the area and is … Continue reading
Seeing Westport Through The Eyes Of A Local What better way to see any area than through the eyes of a local. While in Westport, we are visiting with the Best man from our wedding. With John (or Jet as he was christened in the Navy) as our chauffeur and guide, we’ve already seen a side of Westport not normally visible to tourists. First a drive around Westport township before heading north through all the little villages up Highway 67. … Continue reading
Ngarua Caves On Takaka Hill On their advertising leaflet the Ngarua Caves are touted as “a middle earth experience” on Marble Mountain. Who would I be to wonder if this is stretching the truth a little without going to find out. Getting to these caves was not as simple as the route on a map suggested. We headed out of Motueka toward Takaka Hill, acknowledging our hostess’ comment heavy rain a few weeks ago had had an impact. We soon … Continue reading