NZ +11: Packet Stuff

OK.

0/10 for taste and luxury
but...

10/10 for the fact that I was able to drink it on a balcony under the mountains and the stars looking out over the Pacific Ocean.

NZ +11: North to Kaikoura

Today, we had a (not so long as Queenstown) drive north to Kaikoura. This was along State Highway 1 which for the first little bit was the Canterbury plains again, flat countryside with those wide volcanic river beds sweeping down to the sea. Then we went into what looked like the Yorkshire Dales, roads going over the top of hills and hugging their contours. Then we hit the coast and the the mountainside came down right to the beach with the road and the railway sandwiched in between. Occasionally, when there was not enough room, the railway went through a tunnel, while the road clung onto the narrow ledge above (and below) the rocks. And when there wasn't enough room for the road, that went through a tunnel as well.

We stopped on the first beach we got to - it was rough, and misty...

(The Specific Ocean again, in case you were wondering.)

...and then we carried on hugging the coast road to Kaikoura.

Now, Kaikoura is famous for whale watching, and you have to go out on a big boat for three and a half hours to do it. And look at the amazing photos we managed to get...

Well, actually, by the time we got here, the boat had gone for the day, and none of us fancied a three and a half boat trip anyway. So these were the only whales you got...

Don't tell me you were fooled!

We enquired at the first motel we saw about a room for the night, and indeed they had one - it's here at Waves on the Esplanade. We were a bit confused at first as she said $190 per night. And we were thinking per room per person and that it was a bit steep and we would have to find somewhere cheaper.

However, what she actually meant was $190 for the whole apartment for the night. Two bedrooms, one with ensuite. Additional bathroom. Kitchen with all mod cons, living and dining areas and a balcony with a sea and mountain view. Needless to say, we took it. That's about £27 each. For this:

...and this...

...and this...

...and this...

...and this view...

...which would have mountains in it if it weren't for the low cloud.

Anyway, we are...

...two down and three along from the "Waves" sign.

Now, as we didn't have time for whales, we thought we'd do the next best thing and go to the Seal Colony. If you're a regular reader, you might know what's coming...

We drove out to the Point, a headland near to the town. We saw the crashing Pacific Ocean...

We saw mountains in cloud...

We saw, erm, sea birds...

(Anyone with an Observer Books of Birds who would care to identify this for me? Ann Crocker, are you there?)

But the word "Colony" obviously means something different over here. Not one damned seal cared to raise its head and we were left feeling like an old envelope... slightly unsealed. (I promise I will not start littering this blog with jokes like that...)

Anyway, on the way back, there was a shout, a screech of brakes, a hasty u-turn and...

Now I realise I will never be David Attenborough on the wildlife/photography front, but that is a seal.

Obviously some way from its colony...

North to Picton, the ferry, Wellington and the North Island tomorrow...

NZ +10: Christchurch Art Gallery

We spent today pottering around Chchch and I went to the Art Gallery. The others went to the supermarket. It wasn't a difficult choice.

I have no photos of the art gallery (because it was dull and rainy), no photos of the paintings or exhibits ('cos you weren't allowed to do that), so this might be quite a boring post. The two exhibitions I found really interesting were the Children's artwork - about 100 schools from the Canterbury area had submitted their paintings, drawings, collages etc and they were great. Really bright and colourful and all on the theme of My People, My Town, My Country etc, so lots of Christchurch and NZ flag waving evident in the theme.

The other really good one was lots of contemporary political lithographs by an artist called Ralph Hotere. Now, I didn't know quite what a lithograph was, but I do now.



Union Jack, N, Z and I think there might be a swastika in there too...
...and the rest of his work was more of the same, very thought provoking...

And outside the art gallery was this...



Now there's an example of an artist with a dark sense of humour...

Today is Monday, NZ +11, and we are off up to Kaikoura. Possibly to see some whales.

NZ +9: At the Mall

People said before I came here that NZ was just like Britain, but in the 50s. It's actually not. The streets are laid out in a grid pattern in Christchurch, there are long straight avenues with stores, diners, motels on either side, there is a Dairy on every street corner, the road signs are yellow diamonds, and then shopping centre is called a Mall. That all sounds more like somewhere else.

And yesterday, we went to the Mall. Let me introduce you to some of the shops...



Now, don't go in here and expect to buy pick'n'mix, a Sindy Doll and an over priced CD. Woolworths over here is basically ASDA. In the corner, you can make out the $2 Shop, which is the Pound Shop and sells stuff that is identical to the stuff they sell in the pound shops in Shirley.

Now, this is Farmers...



This is Debenhams. You can see from the picture that you have to run the gauntlet of the heavily made-up women at the Revlon counter who have to tip their heads back to get their eyes open before you can get into the shop proper...

Noel Leeming is the kind of local electrical store that Jeremy Spake advertises...



A sort of Rumbelows, if you like.

K-Mart is where you go if you want to buy some jelly babies, some engine oil and some slippers all in one trip.



Very classy. Very upmarket clientel. (Is that how you spell that?)

And Hallensteins is Next. I bought a fleece in the sale. Only $19, which is less than £8. I dread to think what it would be like earning the Kiwi dollar and having to tour round the UK for a month. you would be destitute when you got back...



And of course, wherever you go...

NZ +8: Queenstown to Chchch*

A fairly uneventful day, taken up mainly by the long drive back north to Christchurch.

We went back up to Omaramamama, (who I hear have a new single out, but without Siobhan), and then cut across to the coast and State Highway 1 from there.

This first part of this road passed long sweeping lakes, very reminiscent of the Lake District at home. Or perhaps Scotland, as they are called Lake Benmore and Lake Aviemore. The Lakes are dammed for hydro-electric purposes, which adds to the dramatic landscape.

Then is was through Waitaki or "Wallaby Country" as advertised on its welcome signs. This is a bit like Hampshire advertising itself as "Jane Austen Country", in that you are not likely to see Jane Austen as you drive through. Quite frankly, if I were promoting somewhere as Wallaby Country, I would invest in a few bloody wallabies. In the immortal words of Susie Blake... "And wallaby seems to be asleep, Claire..."

Anyway, we arrived at Waimate for lunch. Of sorts. Do cheese and chicken really go together in a sandwich? I did get a photo here, but it's nothing to write home about...



so I won't.


(*Chchch is my new Christchurch abbreviation, as seen on phone numbers and advertising hoardings here when people can't be arsed to write the whole word...)

NZ +7: Arrowtown

Right, well, it's actually Saturday now, so officially NZ +9, but this is the first chance I've had to be on a computer since Thursday and you will all know that's cold turkey for me. So, let's get Arrowtown out of the way first, which was Thursday afternoon.

Before I came away, I spoke to my sister and asked her to email me with anything in particular she thought we might miss and shouldn't, and conversely, anything she thought we might go and see but that really wasn't worth the effort. (She lived in NZ for a while when she worked for KPMG). I can't remember the exact contents of her email back to me (in fact, I have difficulty remembering the email at all... hmmm), but Arrowtown should have been on her second list...



It's an old gold mining town, as are so many around Queenstown. The problem is, it's trying to set itself up as a genuine historic village where things haven't changed much since "them there olden times" and it fails completely. Despite the one of two well-preserved buildings...



..and the nods to colonialism...



...it doesn't really cut it.

There are supposed to be very strict planning regulations here that stops anyone building anything that might be out of character, but Queenstown District Council apparently doesn't have the money to fight the planning abuse that's going on actually in the town, never mind in some of its outlying villages.

So the retail centre and office space that they are currently building just to the right of the post box (you can see scaffolding if you look carefully) will no doubt add to the charm of the place...

Anyway, of some interest was the old mining trail. Chinese miners came here and basically stole the gold. They set up little settlements of their own and built huts and stores which remain to this day...



...there is a whole series of them extending up the valley...



...complemented by a range of information boards which give a detailed account of mining in the area, and show that the New Zealanders welcomed the Chinese immigrants with open arms...
(you'll have to click on it to read it properly...)

And that's Arrowtown.

NZ +7: McChocolate

Not Hot.
Not Chocolately.
1/10, for the marshmallow.

NZ +7: The Mirror Project

My photo was accepted!

NZ +7: Where's the clue?? Where's the clue??

I know that only a limited number of people will actually get the title of this post, but for those that do, the woman who drove us up to the helicopter actually looked liked Wincey...

I don't have a photo of her, but here's the chopper...



We were in the safe hands of Bob, who didn't make jokes about only being a pilot for 20 minutes or anything. He was reassuringly about 50 and looked liked he was trained by the Royal Navy. This made me feel a lot safer as we did this...



We flew over Queenstown...



And landed on the top of the Remarkables, the range of mountains you can see from our hotel room, and where there was snow!



There was also an excellent view of the Southern Alps, in fact several excellent views of them, again, not done justice by the photos...



But we landed safely and we are off to Arrowtown this afternoon.

NZ +7 (already): Keep AWAY from the big rocks, please!

Well, warmed up by the 4x4 yesterday, and having already decided against the bungee jumping, it was time for a thrill seeking day...

This morning we went on the Shotover Jet Boat. Nathan, our driver, graduate of the Del School of Black Humour, let us know that he had been driving the jet boats for at least a couple of days. Although coupled with the long screed you have to read about you or your next of kin not being able to sue them if anything went wrong, his comments perhaps weren't well judged.

Anyway, here are a few photos, which you are very lucky to get because there is also some warning about dropping your camera over the side and them not going back to get it.



Right, that one is a bit of a cheat, because it's not us. It's the people who went after us and it was then I realised that I hadn't actually got a photo of the boat. It's blurred, but that's not because I am a crap photographer; it is because they are going fast.

Right, this is us...



We got closer to the rocks than that. Again, small photo not really doing the thrill factor justice. That's Edith Cavell Bridge up ahead. As with Scott, I feel that I ought to know more about her... What was she famous for? Someone enlighten me...

I do have a short bit of video of the trip, including their infamous 360 degree turn, which he started off giving us warning that he was going to do, and then kind of didn't. I'm trying to find some webspace to upload it so you can see, but no such luck so far.

Anyway, here's a bit more speed...



It was very cold and the heated handrails that you have to hold onto weren't working yet, as we were the first trip of the day.

Here's one more. I know they're not very good, but you have to appreciate that my fingers weren't really working properly...



We can apparently access the Alton-Towers-esque souvenir photos they take of you on the web. If I can find it, I'll share it with you at a later date. They fleeced us for $39 for the photo pack anyway, so you can always see it when I get back...