Friday 27th. Back to Queenstown and our last night in NZ

As always the little blue penguins were charming and we were delighted to hear that the colony is growing Year on Year. After previous experience, we were well prepared for it to be cold but it decided to rain heavily as well so it was extra challenging. 90% of the audience were Chinese but they did not have much stamina as many left after only 40 minutes or so. Your dynamic duo are made of sterner stuff and were amongst the last to leave.

This morning we were off by 09:30 for a longish drive via the Waitaki valley, Lakes Waitaki, Aviemore and Benmore and back to the major junction of Omarama. Those of you who have managed to stay awake whilst reading the blog, may well remember that this was one of many coffee and cake stops and the LLW insisted on it being so again. The Wrinkled Ram is actually a very nice cafe despite the name and ginger slices were on offer.  Now I don't want to appear obsessive about the Chinese visitors and they do seem very charming. However, we were both amazed to find that since our last visit only 2 1/2 weeks ago the loos had acquired Chinese symbols for M and F!

The LLW continued to drive over the Lindis Pass which is becoming her speciality. Clear sunny, weather and very light traffic was the norm right down over the pass, through Tarris and down Lake Dunstan to Cromwell where Ray was instructed to take over and drive through the Kawarau Gorge. We resisted potential stops at Gibbston Valley and the Boat Shed, heading directly to our overnight stay at Turner Heights which, true to its name, was perched high above Queenstown at the top of a very, very steep street.

The views from our window are spectacular and after a short while catching up on emails and other such admin tasks we gingerly walked down the street into Queenstown. As you may have gathered by now Ray is not good going downhill (bad knees) whilst Rosemary is slower climbing uphill (not sure what the excuse is!) so the LLW still has the difficult bit to come.

It was lovely by the lake, very sunny but not exactly hot. We reviewed a few possibilities for dinner and settled upon Finz, a seafood restaurant on the quay right opposite the TSS Earnslaw dock where crowds disembarked and embarked at regular intervals. This proved to be a good choice, we were ahead of the evening rush and the food was very good, accompanied by an excellent Riesling from Otago (the LLW is now well and truly converted to Riesling).

The climb back to the apartment was accomplished with aplomb and we enjoyed the the view across Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu whilst keeping an eye on the tennis.

We are now at Queenstown airport and I have succeeded in uploading some photos! On our way we inevitably stopped at the Boat Shed for our final NZ coffee and cakes, filled the car with petrol and dropped it off at Budget. After a slight drama at having left the camera in the car, this has been retrieved, we have checked in the bags and are waiting for our flight.

The end of our latest NZ adventure is nigh; we have had a wonderful time and would love to return to this beautiful country. We shall see.

Thursday 26th Riverstone & Penguins

First task this morning was to sort out some of our luggage and the various items that had collected in the car. Instead of his and hers cases we determined to use as unisex cases for the next couple of days and just use one. Getting ready for departure back to the UK which is only two days away now.

We then had a look around the old town and visited the area where the yellow eyed penguins have their colony. However, they were all out fishing and the lone wildlife on the beach was a bull seal and some Chinese tourists who were getting too close to the seal in our opinion.

On our way to Riverstone for lunch we stopped to fill up at the local BP station. The lady attendant was bemused by a young Chinese couple who seemed to speak very little english and the attendant was trying to explain to then that they had to pay inside and that it was important to remember the pump number. She then turned to me a told a story about how she had always wanted to visit Paris and her mother had promised to take her there but they were put off by not understanding a word of French. It transpired that her motivation for visiting Paris was that her favourite song was The Ballad of Lucy Jordan (originally Dr Hook but more famously in the UK, Marianne Faithfull) in which the singer laments that she always wanted to "drive through Paris in a sports car with the warm wind in her hair".  There was an attempt to sing as a duo but it didn't last long!

Riverstone is some 15 Km north of Oamaru and we arrived early so that the LLW had plenty of time to wander around the garden and the rather bizarre shops selling a strange selection of goods.

We even encountered a Pea Hen with four chicks.

All very entertaining but it was now time for lunch. The Riverstone Kitchen is a lovely restaurant but is very casual and caters for all types of trade. For example several people came in just for take away coffees and children arrived for ice cream.

The LLW wife had more substantial fare on her mind and quickly gravitated to the Feasting Menu which consists of six courses and has apparently replaced the multi course tasting menu which we have had before. It was superb and we enjoyed it so much that we asked to talk to the chef Bevan Smith (who is quite a celebrity chef in NZ) and who we had seen working feverishly in the kitchen. He was clearly just one of the team and there was no sign of a pecking order in his kitchen. He was charming and clearly delighted that we rated his food so highly. Riverstone cooking is relatively simple but they have a way with fresh ingredients and flavours that just works brilliantly.

Time for a rest back at out motel before going down to the headland to observe the blue penguins returning from their daily fishing trip.

Wednesday 25th From Queenstown to Oamaru

The LLW's early morning conference call happened without too much drama other than one of the participants enquiring about a noise in the background, which was probably Ray snoring. The motel served up a very good breakfast and soon we were on our way past the Gibbston Valley vineyards and through the Kawarau Gorge to Cromwell. After crossing the Clutha River (which at this stage is essentially a leg of Lake Dunstan) we turned right towards Clyde which was our first port of call. Coffee beckoned and as usual this was accompanied by cakes but in the opinion of the management committee these were not the best of the trip by some margin! Clyde is really rather nice - a very small and time warped village which was important in the gold mining era and with a number of very attractive old (in NZ terms) buildings including a quite large Masonic Lodge!!

Next stop was Bike it Now which is the cycle hire shop in Clyde as we intended to cycle a small part of the Central Otago Rail Track. The chap at Bike it Now was very apologetic as all of his rental bikes were booked (I blame the Chinese again!). However he was very helpful in explaining the ride options and even recommended a competitor where we could get some bikes - amazing. The competitor, Trail Journeys was close by and the staff there were equally charming and soon we were on our way with two very good and well maintained bikes. The trail is along a disused railway track and is pretty flat so we raced along to Alexandra (or Alex for those in the know) which is named after Princess Alexandra of Denmark who became queen of the UK as the wife of Edward VII. Having been established as a gold mining town  during the Central Otago Gold Rush in the 1860s. Alex is now a thriving wine town. We cycled down to the town but the LLW pronounced that there was little of real interest there (i.e. no shoe or handbag shops and no obvious coffee shop) so we decided to head straight back. What a difference! The wind was 25mph+ gusting to 35mph and it was a direct headwind. There was much huffing and puffing from the LLW and if you have ever cycled into a 35mph headwind then you will sympathise. However, your athletic heroine completed the trail without too many problems and it was only when Ray announced that he wanted to cycle around Clyde at the end that the LLW put her foot down and said that she was staying put. It was a lovely ride and we both felt quite exhilarated.

The WWN consulted the map and it was decided that we should head south east to Dunedin. As we rose out of Alex the scenery was wonderful with some fascinating geology and a lovely lake.

However, this was not to continue and after about 20 minutes driving we came to a road block and a very polite policeman informed us that there had been an accident and that this would take at least 2 hours to clear. He advised all vehicles to retrace out steps to Alex and take the more northerly route via Ranfurly to Palmerston which is north of Dunedin.

No problem and off we headed on the new route which I have to say was one of the best roads I have every driven on. The scenery was terrific but that seems to be a given in this country, the surface was excellent, the road was wide and the bends were smooth. It was a very fast road and with no real need for navigation as there were few turn offs. This was just as well since the WWN decided to become the snoring navigator and Ray was left to his own devices. We (that is the management committee) have decided to hold a referendum about whether the snoring navigator or the fully awake navigator is the better. It promises to be a very closely run race.

The LLW did wake up by the time we reached Ranfurly and it was decreed that a coffee stop was required. The coffee was fine but cakes had sold out and Ranfurly does not have a great deal to recommend it so we moved on. Palmerston, near the east coast was reached fairly quickly and we quickly came to the decision that this was not the right place to be graced by our presence overnight. A lay by conference ensued and we unanimously agreed to head to Oamaru where we were booked to stay on Thursday night (please do keep up!). The motel said they had a room available for tonight as well so we headed north stopping only for 30 mins or so to view the famous Moeraki Boulders. These are large spherical boulders lying along Koekohe Beach.  They have been exhumed from the mudstone enclosing them and concentrated on the beach by coastal erosion.

The LLW spotted Red Hot Pokers and Dierama lining the access road to the boulders so we needed to stop for a photo call!

Another 20 minutes and we were in Oamaru and quickly found the Oamaru Motor Lodge where the lady at reception was incredibly helpful and we are delighted with our very well appointed room. She also recommended a good pizza restaurant at Scotts Brewery down by the waterfront and in the old town.  This proved excellent and we enjoyed a pizza and some Pinot Gris in the warm evening sunshine.

Now exhausted so thats my lot for today.

Tuesday 24th leaving Wanaka

We reluctantly packed our bags and prepared to leave Wanaka and to make matters worse it was a beautiful sunny morning. However, definitely time to go and after much discussion we decided to head back over the Crown Range to Queenstown and on to Glenorchy. As we climbed over the pass the weather worsened and it was low grey cloud in Queenstown. We drove on up the lake to Glenorchy and in spite of the cloud it was as spectacular as ever and very windy as you can see in the photographs. There is a small jetty which is usually deserted but today there was quite a crowd and yes you have guessed it - the Chinese have found Glenorchy.

As we drove back down the lake we decided to stay overnight in Queenstown so stopped at the iSite to enquire about accommodation. The iSite lady quickly sorted us out with a motel on the outskirts of the town - iSites provide an excellent service. Very nice accommodation but the LLW was very concerned about the very steep slope which would have to be negotiated later on foot.

After a short rest we walked down into the town and yes the road down is very steep! It was chilly by the lake and with very strong winds the weather on the lake was interesting with dark clouds and several waterspouts.

After much debate about where to eat we agreed on a curry and enjoyed a good meal at the Spice Room (we had an interesting conversation about cricket with the Indian waiter who was a huge fan). We walked back up the steep hill to our hotel and whilst there was a little huffing and puffing, we were soon back in our room. The LLW is intent on a very early night as she has contrived to organise a conference call at 05:30!

Monday 23rd - a perfect day in Wanaka

After a couple of dreary days we awake to the most brilliant sunshine and the management committee immediately decided upon a cycle ride (our last in Wanaka) to view the best of Wanaka from a number of angles. We did not rush off as the temperature was very low ~ 5C at 08:00 but warming up quickly. Your dynamic duo set off about 10:30 and as you can see Lake Wanaka and surroundings were looking at their best.

The temperature rose quickly and by noon it was 19C and shortly afterwards reached 23C. As always in NZ,  it feels hotter than this because the sun is so intense.

We cycled for about 23 Km and the LLW had an inspired suggestion - we should take the 14:00 boat trip around the lake. This meant that we had to cycle back to Edgewater at the rate of knots, have a quick shower, change and fit in a flat white and cake before boarding the boat. We managed this with aplomb and sat on the lakeside at the appointed hour of 13:45 only to find that the crew were very reluctant to deploy the gangplank. However, eventually we boarded and to our amazement discovered that we were two of only three customers (a lady from Zurich was our only companion). We can only assume that the weather over the past couple of days had made people reluctant. Those who did not book will never know what they missed - we had probably the best boat trip ever. The captain and crew were fantastic and we will never forget the views of snow covered mountains in a clear blue sky.

The photograph below is of Mount Gold which in the evenings is wonderful to watch as the shadows change by the minute. It gets its name from the fact that at certain times the mountain glows gold in the sunshine.

The boat stopped for about 40 minutes at Stevensons Island and we walked uphill for about 15 minutes to the high point of the island and enjoyed the most incredible views. The island is a sanctuary for the Weka which is a flightless bird indigenous to NZ. Being flightless, the Weka is an easy target for predators such as possums, rats and stoats which have been introduced to NZ, either accidentally or by choice by European settlers (and by Kiwis themselves in the case of the Australian Possum). Now there is an extensive conservation project to trap and eradicate these predators 

Once back on land the LLW reminded the photographer in chief that he had omitted to photograph the wonderful lavender bushes at Bistro Gentil when we visited on Saturday evening.  A brief detour and this was accomplished - these bushes were perfect and about 2 metres in diameter. Watch out for replicas at Skinners Cottage.

Back now to Edgewater and Ray decided that a swim in the lake was required (the LLW being a southern softie declined to participate). Getting in and out of the lake was a trial as a result of the very hard and uneven stones and the relatively long wade needed to reach swimming depth. However, your Geordie hero is made of stern stuff and no fuss (or relatively little) was made of this.  It was not warm but very exhilarating and the views from the water were never to be forgotten.

After her extensive efforts in supporting this swim, the LLW decided that a glass or two of Pinot Gris, in the sunshine at the Edgewater bar was a necessity and it was a perfect evening to partake of this, as you can see.

Afterwards the LLW conjoined up another of her culinary masterpieces (apart from setting off the smoke alarm) and we are now ready to collapse after a wonderful but exhausting day. There can be very few places on earth as beautiful as Wanaka on a day such as this.