Thursday 31st leaving Sydney

We had a really delightful evening with Geoff, Genevieve and met with their four children before we wert out for dinner. Ray had quite a long conversation with Natalie who is studying Medical Science at Canberra University.

Genevieve arrived after we did having just finished a shift at the hospital and we headed off to a restaurant named The Nielsen, which is situated right on the waterfront at Shark Bay and backs on to Nielsen Park. In spite of its name it is Geoff's favourite swimming spot and favourite beach in the world. This prompted a discussion on the topic and we suggested Parakeet Bay on Rottnest Island as a candidate for the title.

Geoff is a big fan of electric cars; the family have two Teslas and we were driven to the restaurant in his  Model S. It was the first time we had been in a Tesla and its quite an eerie experience, very fast but almost silent.

The food was excellent, Ray went for the oysters and octopus and we spent more time there than planned which is always a good sign. An Uber driver was called by Geoff  and we were quickly back at our hotel the Rydges at Sydney airport. Whilst the room was very well insulated and air conditioned Ray complained that it was no where near as comfortable as the camper van and consequently he did not sleep very well!

The next morning the LLW was planning to visit some of her Stafford clients at their fairly new offices in the CBD at the junction of York Street and Market Street. We walked back to the airport and boarded the train to central Sydney about 09:00. A very smart new double decker train whisked us to Town Hall station and we quickly found the building where Stafford are located on the 18th floor. Ray was left to walk down to circular quay for a while. It was very hot (36C and climbing to 38C) and by the time he had walked the mile or so down to the quay, there was only one option, coffee and something to eat in an air conditioned cafe! It was not a day for too much more walking around but I have to regale you with yet another cruise ship spoiling the view of Sydney Harbour Bridge.

I caught a bus back to St James' station which was a short walk from 31 Market Street, the location of Staffords office, and just before I arrived the LLW called to say she was ready. Back on the train to the hotel to collect our luggage and we are now comfortably sitting in the air conditioned Quantas lounge waiting for our flight to be called. I'll sign off for the present and be back on line tomorrow from Singapore.

I know I said I would sign off but whilst we realised that the broad band here was good, I have just measured it and its running at 150Mbs download and 165Mbps upload. That is the fastest I have ever seen!

Wednesday 30th leaving NZ

What a sad day; we leave NZ and have to return the camper van. Firstly a stop at the Dixon residence to say our farewells and to see Dave after his short stint in A&E at Christchurch (the result of a junior doctors strike - now why does that sound familiar). In typical Dixon fashion Dave stayed overnight (well for about 3 1/2 hours) in a Pod at Christchurch and returned to the airport using a Lime electric scooter.

Oli is still enjoying showing off his workman's safety hat, much preferring the back to front orientation favoured by so many baseball cap wearers.

Isla loves to demonstrate her climbing ability and occasional stops to pose for photos.

She also kept Rosemary and Oli entertained with her theatre show. Also in the audience were various selected cuddly toys.

Just time for a group photo and then we were off to Maui at the airport stopping to fill up the tank with Diesel at the BP station.

 We have a busy time in Sydney and as quick as we can after landing we head off to Geoff and Genevieve Norman's home in Vaucluse (near Watsons Bay) for dinner. Geoff is Chairman of Rosemary's client Stafford Capital Partners.

At the airport, Ray almost fell off his chair when he discovered that Newcastle United had beaten Manchester City 2-1. As they often say about football it's a funny game.

Tuesday 29th leaving Wanaka

Oh dear; time to leave Wanaka and only one more night in New Zealand and our camper van. It was a lovely morning in Wanaka and after a bit of sorting out, cleaning and some packing we departed the camp site and started towards Arrowtown our last stop. Only a few hundred yards from the camp site we encountered a detour and workmen were felling some more trees deemed unsafe after the storm of the 24th which caused significant damage in Queenstown and Wanaka. That night we stayed with Dave, Jess, Isla and Oli in Arrowtown and were oblivious to the chaos around us.

We stopped at the Lavender Farm just outside Wanaka on the road to Cromwell and saw it at its absolute best. The perfume was amazing and moist of the lavender was in full bloom. I think the LLW has decided to turn our paddock/downs garden into a lavender farm!

The Lavender Farm has a very nice cafe and after walking all around the fields, the LLW had a Flat White on her mind but quelle surprise the cafe only serves tea and only aromatic floral ones. The LLW was not amused!

We sped off in the direction of Cromwell and there we found a very nice cafe which was part of a garden centre. Our eagle eyed reader will have noticed that this is the second cafe attached to a garden centre we have visited; the previous one being in Petone just outside Wellington.

On then through the Kawarau gorge and the vineyards of Gibbston Valley to Arrowtown. First stop was a restaurant/pub called Fork and Tap where we planned to order pizzas for later collection. Arrowtown was buzzing and the car parks were full and we eventually had to park on a road out of town. Luckily this was the same road where Fork and Tap was situated so it was quite close.  Orders sorted we had a wander around the old town of Arrowtown which was a mining town but now all of the old buildings including the Post Office have been reborn as shops or restaurants. It is a popular day out from Queenstown.

We checked in to our camp site and then went for a ride into Arrowtown and along the river

The bikes we purchased in Whangarei have been excellent; suiting us very well and being of high quality.  The bikes we had hired last time in NZ were of very poor quality and with the extra time on this trip would have cost us more that buying new ones! The original plan was to ask Dave to sell them for us in Queenstown, but we liked them so much that we have explored bringing them back to the UK. We could have taken them within our baggage allowance but the logistics of four flights and two different airlines with a stopover just proved to be too difficult. Sending them by freight was simply too expensive. The LLW then had an absolute brainwave - ask Dave and Jess to look after them until we return to NZ next year. This was agreed with the Dixons so sadly this is our last ride on these bikes for a year!

Pizzas were collected and enjoyed by all, Isla and Oli particularly enjoying the ham, cheese and pineapple. We returned to the camp site for a little light packing and an early night.

Monday 28th Lake Hawea

There was some heavy rain overnight and we had to close the roof vents a touch otherwise we would have had an unwelcome shower. By the time the LLW emerged the sun was out and it was already very warm. The sky was clear and virtually no clouds around. It is amazing how a heavy rain shower seems to clear the air and visibility is dramatically improved. Today was to be a momentous day being the first day since landing in NZ that the LLW has not demanded a flat white.

Given that we are only two days away from departing NZ we did some tidying up of the camper van and a little light packing. These vans have so many nooks and crannies that possessions can be temporarily lost very easily. Most have been located but some are proving to be elusive.

After a quiet morning we drove to Lake Hawea which although only a few miles from Wanaka is very quite and undeveloped. It is a stunningly beautiful lake and we stopped at the lookout 2/3 of the way up the lake where we took these photos.

We encountered a lovely Asian family, one of whom lives in NZ and was entertaining his relatives from the UK. He kindly offered to take a photo of the two of us and I reciprocated by taking a photo of the whole family.

We drove up to the top of the lake where there was no-one around and it was lovely.

On our way back, even though it was already mid afternoon, I asked the LLW if she would like a coffee stop but to my amazement the answer was no. The LLW being todays driver, we sped back to Wanaka and soon were back on the lakefront and the temperature being so hot, there was no choice but to have a swim which was delightful. Being able to observe the surroundings from a hundred yard out in the lake is quite something.

Back then to the camp site and we sat outside in the shade commenting upon what a magical place Wanaka is. The sunlight on the mountains makes for continually changing areas which are shaded and those which are in the sun. It makes you appreciate why artists such as Monet spent so much time painting the same scene in different lights.

Dinner was served and tonight we are trying to finish off our food supply since tomorrow night it is pizzas with the Dixons, well three of them because David has been called away to Christchurch hospital for a stint!

As always the LLW conjured up a feast and accompanied by Wooing Tree and looking out over Lake Wanaka it was bliss.

I am very conscious of using perhaps too many superlatives in my descriptions but the fact is that in this country they are appropriate. Looking back on my posts so far, I have realised that I have not made use of the favourite local superlative so I'll put that right. New Zealand is awesome!

Sunday 27th a perfect Wanaka day

We thoroughly enjoyed the movie, Mary Queen of Scots in spite of the blood and gore. The cinema Paradiso is quite unique and we enjoyed coffee and cookies at the interval. It was late for us after 23:00 and obviously it was dark when we arrived back at the camp site which meant it was even more tricky than normal to connect our power supply. The power outlet is behind a large tree and on very uneven ground at the top of a steep slope. The LLW wielded the iPhone torch and Ray clambered round to connect.

 A very good nights sleep but we woke up to bad sports news, Newcastle out of the FA Cup and the England cricket team on the end of an absolute thrashing by the Windies.

However, we were cheered up by one of those brilliant Wanaka mornings when the sun shines, there is now cloud around and it is absolutely heaven. We had a very leisurely breakfast outside looking over to the lake and Rippon Vineyards, just perfect.

Time now for a cycle ride and the LLW decided to cycle to Waterfall Creek first which is westwards return and then cycle along to Beacon Point which is eastwards. With temperatures forecast to reach the high 20s C there were a lot of people on the various beaches and the car parks were fairly full.

It was a beautiful ride but we were both exhausted when we arrived back at the camper van and there was an unanimous vote for a swim in the lake. Lake Wanaka is never hot and today it was decidedly cool but after a couple of minutes acclimatising, the LLW declared it to be perfect!

There was now another unanimous vote which was for a late afternoon of doing very little. Supper is to be venison, sausages and salad washed down with a very good Wooing Tree Pinot Noir. It's a hard life!

Saturday 26th in Wanaka

The weather forecast was for a cloudy and fairly wet day so we started with a leisurely breakfast featuring the now legendary camper van scrambled eggs on toasted cheese and bacon rolls - a gourmet feast prepared by the LLW.

We discussed the cricket and agreed that subject was almost worse that Brexit. Ray is very annoyed, not just at the England batting (totally abysmal) and bowling performance (slightly less abysmal) but also at the numerous journalists that had written off the West Indies before the series had started. Writing comments such as "are the West Indies fit to play England" was bound to stir up fervour amongst the Windies players and rightly so.

Passing on to brighter subjects - the weather! Dark clouds had passed and whilst still a bit grey, it was clearly good cycling weather. The LLW put her foot down over the subject of hills and we took the camper van down to the lakeside and parked about 1 1/2 miles outside of the town.

Wanaka is strangely quiet today which is surprising since it is a Saturday and we are still in the school summer holidays. However, we cam to the conclusion that most schools are back next weeks so families are getting ready for the start of term. Also the Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, ranges from January 21st to February 20th and in 2019 is February 5th.  Being based upon the Lunar calendar when you try to relate the Chines New Year to the western solar (Gregorian) calendar the dates are all over the place.

We have noticed a huge reduction in Chinese visitors to NZ and have now concluded that the Chinese New Year is to blame. Last time when we were in Wanaka and Queenstown (Jan 18) it occurred when we were here and the vast majority of visitors were Chinese. At present hardly any.

A fair few miles were completed before it was coffee time and we managed to find a free table (a rarity in this coffee mad town) and enjoyed watching the world go by along the lakeside. The Chinese may be in short supply but just about every other nationality is represented in central Otago.

After coffee we cycled up to Cinema Paradiso to confirm, and pay for, our booking for tonight screening of Mary Queen of Scots. All sorted and then the next stop was a little wine tasting at Rippon Vineyards.

Our reader may recall that this was the venue for Dave & Jess's wedding in 2012 and must have the best view of any vineyard in the world! We bought a couple of bottles and spent some time enjoying the view and the intense perfume of Lavender which is planted right outside the cellar door.

Back to the camp site to finish off some admin and for the LLW to fend off her men for a while before we have supper and head off to the cinema.

It may not be the sunniest day but the view from our camper van is stunning. The second photo below should the building at Rippon Vineyards which houses the cellar door and function rooms

Friday 25th Wanaka

As you, dear reader, will know Wanaka is one of our very favourite places and we are delighted to be driving the short distance along Lake Dunstan to the lakeside town. It is a bit of a mixed day with some early sun but fading fairly quickly and cloud cover took over.

As the day progressed the sun came back for longer periods and the temperature rose significantly. We stopped in Wanaka town for three reasons, replenish supplies at New World (in our opinion one of the very best in NZ), check out the movies currently showing at the lovely but very quirky Paradiso cinema and yes you have guessed it coffee and cakes. Wanaka is full of coffee shops and they are all constantly full. Everywhere the coffee is excellent and we have voted Wanaka the coffee capital of NZ.

Now, as you may have noticed, the LLW has been neglecting her men of late so today was the day for a bit of catch up. Ray was sent off for one of his favourite bikes rides along the lakefront , past Wanaka town, on to Eeley Point and Beacon Point. The sun was fully out by now and it was lovely with lots of view points along the way.

The only problem was a very still climb on the way back from the lakefront to the camp site. With not an inconsiderable effort it as achieved except for the final very, very steep section inside the camp site grounds and up to our pitch. With impeccable timing the LLW called me just as I finished the climb and was slightly alarmed at the huffing and puffing.

A short sit down outside the camper van and I was back to normal, a quick shower and then time for the BBQ. Chicken with very good potatoes and a wonderful salad was partaken outside the van in a lovely evening light with brilliant views across Lake Wanaka.

Thursday 24th January - Queenstown

After a leisurely awakening for all but Dave and Oli, we gathered together to drink tea and re-engage. Oli was very lively and apparently had been so for an hour and a half before we emerged. Isla less so and clearly she is more of a night owl.

Since we were in Arrowtown we decided to spend most of the day in Queenstown just 15 minutes away. First stop was the Boat Shed about 3 miles from Queenstown and which is the LLW's favourite coffee stop. The views are simply stunning and since poached eggs, bacon and toast were on offer, Ray was certainly not about to argue. It was excellent and once again they proved beyond doubt that NZ coffee is the best in the world.

On then to Queenstown and our reader will be aware that Queenstown is a busy, no very busy place and the top priority was to find a parking stop and then we planned to cycle to the rest of the way. An ideal spot was found just to the south east of the Botanic Gardens and off we went. Initially we cycled through Queenstown town centre and along Lake Wakatipu in the direction of Glenorchy. It was incredibly busy and we soon tired of dodging tourists so a unanimous decision was taken to cycle the track towards Frankton and the airport which runs along the eastern leg of the lake. We cycled almost to the Boat Shed and then back and it was fabulous. The view across the lake to the snow tipped, Remarkables mountains and the colours of the water were brilliant.

After refuelling the camper van it was back to Cromwell for the LLW to catch up with her men and Ray to catch up with some admin.

After a couple of hours the LLW decided it was time for another cycle ride and we had a very pleasant ride around Cromwell. As we approached the camp site the wind ominously increased and it was clear that another weather front was coming through. Plan A had been to have a BBQ and sit outside. However, the wind was strong, a vote was taken and by a majority of just one, Plan B was adopted and it was decided to eat inside tonight. Sweetcorn, salmon and an excellent salad was just right.

Wednesday 23rd Arrowtown and the Dixon’s

We had arranged to arrive in Arrowtown at 12:00 to meet the Dixon family and to see their new home. We were delayed a little by lots of roadworks on the Gibbston Valley road and the weather was mixed but we still arrived only 15 mins late. Dave, Jess, Isla and Oli have a lovely new house on the outskirts of Arrowtown which is very convenient for both Dave and Jess at their respective work places. There was a snap decision for 4 of us, Dave, Isla and R&R to cycle into town to give Oli some rest and to allow Jess some time off. Isla lead the way and she was hurtling along the track, her little legs absolutely whirring. We dodged any rain but as soon as we arrived at the restaurant, it threw it down but luckily we were at an outside but under cover table so perfectly dry.

Isla wanted the fish and chips for three reasons, she likes fish and chips, there is a free ice lolly for all children finishing their lunch, and she knows that if she can’t finish them there will be others to help her clear the plate.

We had a lovely lunch and Isla successfully won her ice lolly prize. We peered at the clouds and since the rain had stopped decided to make a dash back to the house. This was timed to perfection as the rain held off until about 10 minutes after we arrived. The new Dixon abode is incredibly well insulated and we were oblivious to the gale force wind and torrential rain that followed in the next couple of hours. Oli was well and truly awake when we returned and toy after toy was uncovered for our pleasure. He was particularly taken with a new toy tool set and loved wearing the safety helmet, although in the vogue with baseball caps, preferred it back to front.

Isla occupied Rosemary for a good two hours playing doctors and patients and the two of them were inseparable.

Supper time for the children went well and adults were allowed a glass of Rose whilst keeping up with the kids. However, once bedtime was mentioned Oli had a bit of a tantrum; OK a lot of a tantrum. Eventually, the earth stopped shaking and he did go off to bed. Isla's turn next and this involved innumerable stories being read and all of the adults were required to take their turns. Eventually enough was enough and Isla reluctantly agreed to go to bed but did appear at the door for a few more times before going to sleep.

We had a lovely dinner with Dave & Jess, enjoyed excellent food, solved most of the worlds problems and drank rather too much Pinot Noir. Driving back to Cromwell was out of the question so the Jackson's slept in the camper van parked on the Dixon's drive. It was a really cold night, dropping to 4C, but we were very warm and snug in our cosy bed.

Tuesday 22nd on to Cromwell

With lots to do between now and handing back the camper van we decided to miss out the trip to the east coast and Oamaru. Unfortunately this means missing out of our favourite restaurant Riverstone, but another 200+ miles was going to be too much.

A short drive then to Cromwell and the LLW having been deprived of her meal at Riverstone, insisted on lunch at Mount Difficulty which we enjoyed along with the beautiful views over the vineyards. Our only gripe is that they are clearly too successful now and value for money is not what it used to be.

We checked in at our camp site in Cromwell and it was time for a bike ride down through the historic old town of Cromwell, around the golf course, up to the shopping mall and across the SH88 to Lake Dunstan and then around the shore for a few miles. Lovely and in spite of relatively high winds we were not bothered by the wind on our ride.

Tomorrow we drive to Arrowtown to meet with Dave Dixon, Jess, Isla and Oli.

Monday 21st on to Otago

It was quite a long drive so we departed Akaroa by 08:30. The first part of the journey was retracing our steps towards Christchurch and after an hour or so picking up a road to the west, via a town called Lincoln which whilst small,  hosted a fairly large university. Soon we joined the SH1 and were heading south again. First port of call was Ashburton for coffee and cakes, stocking up at Countdown, buying 2 more gas cylinders from Mitre 10 and refuelling the van with Diesel. All accomplished quickly but not without hitting the wallet hard.

On through Geraldine and Fairlie, after which we stopped at a scenic lookout that we had missed previously and it was glorious.

We began climbing up towards Lake Tekapo where sadly the lupins are over for this year. The LLW decided that there must have been a good spring so they had flowered early. Not sure what to say about Tekapo and Pukaki that has not been said before but whenever we see them again we are stunned by the colour of these two glacial lakes.

It had not been a difficult drive but at times the wind was very strong and the van moved! This made total concentration necessary and by the time we arrived at Twizel we were ready for an overnight stop.

The wind prevented a BBQ but the LLW rustled up a wonderful prawn and salad dish

Sunday 20th around the Banks Peninsula

It has been a very windy night with some rain; at some stages the wind was so strong that the camper van shook. Needless to say, this did not disturb the LLW who could sleep through a hurricane.

When the sun rose all was calm, sunny and quite beautiful. A different cruise ship had entered into our panorama but we will forgive them on this occasion. It is interesting because, you dear reader, may recall that until the earthquake of 2011 cruise ships anchored at Lyttleton which is a small town and harbour only 15 minutes from Christchurch. We had lunch at Lyttleton in and a few weeks after we left the town was totally destroyed and the port along with it. Since then the cruise ships have anchored at Akaroa which is a 1 1/2 hours drive from Christchurch. Its interesting because whilst the passengers clog up the town and dominate the various tours etc, they have brought a huge amount of business to Akaroa. The town will miss this business hugely if the cruise ships go back to Lyttleton, but there is no sign of this at present.

A few chores this morning including a load of washing and tumble drying which is very easy at the Top 10 camp sites as the facilities are excellent. Less than excellent has been the internet access here at Akaroa. For some strange reason it is delivering around 5 Mps download (which is acceptable) but a miserly 0.2Mbps upload (which is simply unworkable).  Asynchronous communications normally delivers better download than upload but this is an extraordinary differential. This is primarily the reason for lack of photos recently since they need to be uploaded to add to the blog. Also and much more seriously, it has affected the LLW's work since whilst she can download documents OK, once they have been edited they need to be uploaded again to the DocMan at Wedlake Bell and synchronised with the document on the system. This simply does not work at 0.2 Mps!

The LLW threw a few things and then we decided to drive across the peninsula to Little Akaloa and Ovains Bay via the scenic, tourist route. This proved to be very slow and definitely arduous but the views were to die for.

It's very difficult to describe this drive but whilst difficult we were treated to some of the best views ever. I have just managed to upload 1 but you will get the gist. I will try to add some more over the next couple of days if the internet allows me.

Back at Akaroa we did some shopping at Four Square and managed to dodge most of the cruise ship passengers who were raiding every shop in sight.

Back at the camp site we enjoyed a BBQ overlooking the harbour, but even in the evening having to keep out of the sun a fair amount.

Tomorrow we leave Akaroa and head to the lake district and Otago which is the last part of our visit to NZ. The end of our adventure is looming and we are not too happy about that but we are very privileged to be able to do this fairly regularly and will soon be yearning to come back.

Saturday 19th sailing in Akaroa Harbour

Very hot and sunny this morning with virtually no wind. After breakfast outside in the sunshine, we had a leisurely morning before driving down to Akaroa for the mandatory flat white and cakes before walking down to Daly's Wharf where we are to meet Fox II for our sail in the harbour and out to the Pacific ocean. The cruise ship passengers had booked him up for the morning so his only sail today for normal people was to be the 13:30 which we were booked on.

It was stifling as we approached the wharf and as there was no sign of Fox II we sat on a bench in the shade where there was a murmur of a breeze. We knew that once we were on the water it would be much cooler and there would definitely be some wind.

The elderly but lovely ketch soon arrived with the same New Yorker captain as last time. we were joined on board by 3 lovely Korean ladies who insisted we had photos taken with them.

As soon as we got going, the temperature was perfect and a cooling breeze made all of the difference. It was a lovely sail with the sails up for quite a lot of the time and we saw more Hectors dolphins that ever before. The captain believes that dolphins are attracted by music and apparent are now very partial to some classical pieces that he plays. Sure enough as soon as we saw dolphins he played the music and quickly they were swimming alongside the boat. Dolphins are known to be particularly susceptible to sound so maybe our New Yorker is right.

Lots of NZ fur seals, seabirds galore and a solitary little blue penguin who seemed bemused by our interest. We did sail out of the harbour into the Pacific ocean but did not stay too long as there the wind was too strong.

Overall and excellent experience and we would thoroughly recommend. After we docked, we walked back to the camper van and unloaded the bikes. we were not sure where we wanted to eat so the bikes gave us options to go from one end to the other of the Akaroa seafront. The LLW even decided that we cycle a bit further and voluntarily tackled a couple of hills.

We decided upon a restaurant on the seafront and had an excellent meal. The internet here is playing up for both of us so have been unable to upload any photos. Will try again tomorrow

Friday 18th on to Akaroa

This morning it was cloudy and there were even a few spots of rain as we left Hanmer Springs and drove through the mountains.  We passed Thrillseekers Canyon and I had to restrain the LLW who, out of character, seemed very keen to investigate the thrills promised.

Once we had crossed the Amuri range of mountains and dropped down to the Canterbury Plain, the weather cleared and there was intermittent sunshine. There were a number of roadworks which slowed us down but we joined the main east coast road the SH1 after and hour or so. You may recall that this part of the SH1 was closed for a few years after the last serious earthquake which cut off Kaikora, a tourist resort on the east coast.

Shortly after joining the SH1 there was a long queue ahead of us and a police cars travelling on the opposite side of the road stopped at each vehicle and told the travellers that there had been a serious accident and a large lorry had overturned, thankfully the driver was OK and the road would be opened again very shortly. Sure enough we were on our way in about 15 mins and having seen the state of the lorry, the driver was very lucky indeed.

Next stop was for coffee at Amberley, NZ. After the coffees and inevitable cake, I could not resist having a quick look at Amberley school and I chatted to a lady associated with the school, who was originally from the UK and knew Amberley, West Sussex very well.

On then via the outskirts of Christchurch and a couple of mountain passes to the Banks Peninsula. If you look at the Banks Peninsula on a map it seems to be very close to Christchurch, whereas it is a 1 1/2 hour drive. The road to Little River on Lake Forsyth is quite straight and fairly fast but thereafter it is the exact opposite. The peninsula is a remarkable piece of geography and geology and is the crater of an extinct volcano. It's worth having a look at it on a map to see how amazing it is. Before we reached Akaroa, we stopped at Barry Bay cheese shop where they make and sell a variety of cheeses and of course we purchased some. The first time we came to NZ, Barry Bay cheeses were rare but now we have seen them in virtually every supermarket we have visited.

Upon arrival in Akaroa we headed for Four Square to purchase some necessities, had a wander around the beautiful town and bay and then drove up the steep hill to our camp site where we have a lovely pitch overlooking Akaroa Harbour.

After settling down to dinner we decided to book Fox II again because we enjoyed it so much on our last visit here.  It's a lovely historical ketch and they do a 1/2 day trip along the harbour and out into the Pacific

Thursday 17th mountain biking in Hanmer Springs

After we pondered the latest Brexit politics for a while we decided we may as well forget about it for a while and head for the hills! Well perhaps not the hills but Hanmer Forest where there are lots of cycling tracks. We were quite early and the LLW was soon complaining that it was cool in the shade of the trees, which it was, but we soon warmed up as it was a fairly strenuous ride with lots of ups and downs and rocks and tree roots to avoid. As we emerged from the forest the sun was in full flow and it felt extremely hot. The forecaster were saying 20/21C but all around were complaining about the heat and we both felt it to be 28/29C

We then had a fairly quiet day before heading off for another, shorter ride and stopping at Four Square on the way back to replenish our larder.

Hanmer Springs is a lovely resort and manages to feel quiet and very laid back even when virtually all accommodation is fully booked.  They advertise it as an Alpine resort and it certainly has some of that feel about it but of course the buildings are quite different to the Alpine resorts we are familiar with.

Sweet corn and Lamb kebabs on the BBQ for dinner this evening, accompanied by one of the LLW’s now legendary salads with avo.