That’s it, we’re off on our travels again thanks, this time, to a half a crown per week endowment policy Graham took out when he was 17!

 

24^th January 2014 – Home to Birmingham Airport for flight to Dubai.

We had arranged for a private hire pick up 15:30 this afternoon and left just a little earlier than expected.  We were doing really well for time until we reached the M6 where an accident caused the traffic to come to a standstill.  Thankfully we had allowed ourselves plenty of time and still made our flight with time to spare.  The flight itself was okay but the in-flight service was pretty poor with no drinks being served for over 2 hours (and we’d heard such good things about Emirates).

 

25^th January 2014 – Dubai

We arrived in Dubai at 07:15 and after waiting a while for our luggage, picked up our “shared transport” which turned out to be a very large 4x4 which we had to ourselves.  We had requested an early check-in at our hotel but we were aware it couldn’t be guaranteed.  As it was, we were in our room by around 10:30 so no complaints there.  We had a short snooze and then went along to meet the rep. from Desert Adventures to check out arrangements for our trip to the Oman and it was as well we did as they didn’t seem to know anything about it!  Once that was sorted we took a trip along to the Emirates Mall, the biggest shopping Mall in the World as I had been advised (by the rep.) that I really shouldn’t wear sandals to some restaurants but shoes with toes in, so it was shoe hunting for us which was something of a nightmare as the Mall was heaving with people as it was Saturday afternoon.  Once my fashion feux pas was sorted we went out again to visit the Old Souk and to have a meal in one of the riverside restaurants before finally retiring for the night.  Our hotel is okay but a bit of a way from most things. It was pleasantly warm and sunny (although hazy) all day.

 

26^th January 2014 – Dubai to Kasabah, Oman.

We were up fairly early this morning and had breakfast with the hordes at our hotel before being picked up for our trip in to the Oman.  Once again we were the only two in a 4x4 (not quite such a posh one this time) for our 3 hour journey through the borders and on to the Mussandam peninsula in Oman.  Much of the journey was on motorways which took us through 4 of the 7 Emirates before we reached the border and the sudden appearance of mountains ahead.  The final part or the journey ran along the coast around some interesting bends.  Our hotel sits out on a promontory and is very much out on its own and our room has a very nice view of both the pool and the sea.  We were also advised when we arrived that dinner was included in our package and we hadn’t expected that.  After a brief stop for lunch we joined our afternoon “4 wheel drive safari” which took us and 2 Swiss travellers out, first to view a very large Fjord and then on across a variety of gravel roads in to the mountains where we saw a number of small villages, some rock carvings and fossils which prove the mountains used to be part of the sea bed.  We had a very pleasant dinner in the hotel restaurant followed by a fairly early night as we still hadn’t caught up on our missed nights sleep.  Today was sunny and very warm.

 

27^th January 2014 – Kasabah to Dubai.

Today we were booked on a Dhow cruise around one of the local Fjords and we were, once again, joined by our two Swiss friends plus 4 Aussies and a French couple with a small child (which was remarkably well behaved).  As we went in to the Fjord we were joined by a pod of dolphins who seemed to thoroughly enjoy chasing the boat and playing in the wake.  We had a very good lunch on board the boat before finishing our site seeing and returning to the hotel for our pick-up and run back to Dubai.  This time we had to slum it and join a number of others aboard a minibus – shame!  We arrived back at our Dubai hotel at around 8pm and decided to have dinner in the hotel’s Indian restaurant.  Had we realised before we’d ordered that they were going to be holding an Indian Karaoke evening we certainly wouldn’t have stayed but by the time we’d realised it was too late and, yes, it was as bad as it sounds !  Today was partly cloudy and warm.

 

28^th January 2014 – Dubai.

We decided to take an organised tour today so that we could see more of Dubai city in the limited time available.  There were just four of us on the trip again (us and two Germans) and we started out by taking a look around the Marina, where there were some very nice hotels, restaurants and boats.  We then took a spin around to see some of the more elaborate hotels the Atlantis hotel on the man-made palm island which is said to be one of the biggest and the Burj Al Arab the only 7* hotel in the world. We also called in at a local handicrafts market where someone tried very, very hard to sell us a rug (very nice silk rugs at good prices but we just didn’t want one!) and from there we went on to the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.  Although you can’t get into the main part of the building our trip did include a ride up to the viewing platform on the 124^th floor – quite a view.  As the remainder of the tour allowed free time for shopping in the Dubai Mall we decided to jump ship early (we did tell our guide before we left) so that we could get back to the hotel and prepare for a treat. It was hot & sunny all day today.

I mentioned earlier that we’d visited the outside of the Burj Al Arab well, that’s because you can’t even get through the gate unless you have a reservation of some sort.  We were aware of this before we left the UK and decided to push the boat out and book to have dinner there.  We arrived by taxi around ½ hour before our table was booked and once we’d shown our credentials (our reservation) we were treated like VIP’s all the way.  We had a look around the first floor (you can’t get beyond that) before checking in for dinner and once we had we were called by name all the time and every time we moved from our table our napkins were re-folded.  Excellent.  Once we’d finished our very good dinner we moved on to our next reservation in the Skyview Bar on the 27^th floor (yes you even have to book to have a drink!) where we were shown to a table with a very nice window view.  It may have been an expensive night but all in all it was worth it for the experience.

 

29^th January 2014 – Dubai to Singapore.

We had a very early start this morning with an 04:45 alarm call as we had to leave for the airport at 06:00.  Once we’d checked in we were provided with a wheelchair and porter for Graham which was fine except it meant we had no opportunity to shop and little chance to get any breakfast as we were deposited in a separate area for those requiring assistance.  From here things got steadily worse as they obviously had more handicapped people than buggies to transport them in so we were very nearly last on the aircraft having taken a very long tour around the airport.  The flight itself was okay and our private car was ready and waiting for us at Changi airport.  A half hour run saw us arrive at the Holiday Inn Atrium which is a very nice hotel thank you!  We also discovered that as Graham is a Rewards Club member we have access to the executive lounge for a complimentary breakfast every day and cocktails in the evening too – very civilised. We are also entitled to 25% off of all bills in the bars and eateries – it was definitely worth joining the rewards scheme!

 

30^th January 2014 – Singapore.

We hadn’t realised when we booked that we would be in Singapore just in time for Chinese New Year which is both a blessing and a curse it seems.  During the day we took a local bus to the Riverfront area which turned out to be mostly very expensive shops, we then took a taxi to Boat Quay a relatively small area on the river which is chock full of restaurants and bars including the Red Dot Brewhouse which we decided to try (and very nice it was too).  We then discovered where the curse part of our timing came in as we tried and tried to get a taxi and only succeeded when a driver saw us, realised we were clueless tourists and took pity on us.  On the way back to the hotel he told us that all of the Chinese taxi drivers were heading home for the celebrations and that we should stay local to the hotel tonight and tomorrow.  Unfortunately this meant we couldn’t make it to Chinatown as it was far too far to walk (as it turns out I wasn’t well anyway so would definitely have struggled).  Once back at the hotel we spoke to the concierge and asked if we stood any chance of getting to and from the zoo tomorrow (we’d decided on a zoo visit as the open top tour buses aren’t working because of the holiday).  He said that providing we had a reserved taxi we should be okay.  Sunny, hot and humid all day.

 

31^st January 2014 – Singapore.

After our executive breakfast we went along to the concierge desk and asked them to arrange taxis for us to and from the zoo which they did.  However, we delayed our start slightly as the hotel was being visited by some Chinese lion dancers as part of the New Year celebrations and we stayed to watch part of the show.  We made the zoo by around 11:00 and it appears that around ½ of Singapore had had the same idea and we queued for around 25 minutes just to get our tickets.  Once in the zoo it did get a little easier as they have a system of hop-on hop-off trams to get you around and we seemed, most of the time, to be in the right place at the right time to get on and off.  The zoo itself has some really good primate enclosures and is worth a visit overall but if anyone else is going I’d suggest they avoid the holidays if they can.  We were duly picked up by taxi at around 16:00 and made it back by around 16:15 giving me time, at last to catch up with this blog!

 

1^st February 2014 – Singapore.

When visiting other cities around the world we’ve used the sightseeing hop-on hop-off bus tours and been very pleased with them so we decided to give the buses here a try. Unfortunately they aren’t as good with hard plastic seats, less frequent pick-ups and very impatient drivers who don’t seem to like to stop and who certainly don’t like to wait whilst people get seated.  Despite this we took in all three routes available to us (there was quite bit of duplication) and finally decided to stop in “Little India” which is just what it says, an Indian enclave within the city.  There we found a very friendly little café/bar and stopped for a drink before doing battle again with the taxis.  There are definitely more taxis cruising today but if they don’t want to go to where you do they just drive off !!  We’re now back at the hotel cooling off (it was 34C and very humid today) before maybe going up to try the executive lounge cocktails.2nd February 2014 – Singapore.We did go along to the executive lounge last night and not only were there drinks and nibbles but they were free ! We followed that by a visit to the hotels buffet restaurant which was, errr, mediocre at best, I know we have to accept that our tastes are different to those of the locals but a pork skewer with more pork fat than pork really didn’t appeal and it wasn’t cheap either. Today we decided to take a taxi across to the Raffles shopping centre and then walked around the corner to visit the famous Raffles Hotel where we stopped for a Singapore Sling in the original courtyard bar, all very pleasant. We then checked out another entertainments area Chijmes which was largely shut (it’s more of an evening place) and then moved on to Clarkes Quay where we had, of all things, a very nice paella. When we ordered the waitress told us that it was likely to take 30/45 minutes to prepare and we confirmed that we were in no hurry. An hour later when it still hadn’t arrived she came across, apologised and presented us with two free drinks and when the paella did arrive it was worth waiting for. We’re now back at the hotel and about to take advantage of the executive lounge again, well you have to don’t’ you?

 

 

2^nd February 2014 – Singapore.

We did go along to the executive lounge last night and not only were there drinks and nibbles but they were free !  We followed that by a visit to the hotels buffet restaurant which was, errr, mediocre at best, I know we have to accept that our tastes are different to those of the locals but a pork skewer with more pork fat than pork really didn’t appeal and it wasn’t cheap either.

Today we decided to take a taxi across to the Raffles shopping centre and then walked around the corner to visit the famous Raffles Hotel where we stopped for a Singapore Sling in the original courtyard bar, all very pleasant.  We then checked out another entertainments area Chijmes which was largely shut (it’s more of an evening place) and then moved on to Clarkes Quay where we had, of all things, a very nice paella.  When we ordered the waitress told us that it was likely to take 30/45 minutes to prepare and we confirmed that we were in no hurry.  An hour later when it still hadn’t arrived she came across, apologised and presented us with two free drinks and when the paella did arrive it was worth waiting for.  We’re now back at the hotel and about to take advantage of the executive lounge again, well you have to don’t’ you?

 

 

3^rd February 2014 – Singapore to Auckland via Sydney.

Having had a big lunch yesterday we decided we didn’t need another meal so kept ourselves amply fed from the food available in the executive lounge and accompanied that with a few drinks followed by a fairly early night.

We had arranged a late check out with the hotel (another perk of the Rewards programme) so decided that we had plenty of time to take a Bumboat ride along the River before we left.  This meant taking a River Taxi to Clarks Quay and joining the boat there for a 45 minute roundtrip to see the main sights from the water.  A pleasant enough journey in itself but made even better by having a good discussion with a Swedish lady who is currently living in Singapore, and two of her visitors, it was good to get a quite different view of the city.  Once back at the hotel we packed up the last of our bits and took a taxi to Changi airport where, once we were checked in, we were collected by another wheelchair and taken to a very pleasant lounge to await our flight.  We were then taken straight to the front of all of the queues and were first aboard our flight to Sydney.  This flight was operated by Qantas and it was an altogether better experience than we’d had with Emirates.  The flight passed without incident although by the time we were part way through I was feeling decidedly ropey.  I mentioned before that I’d not been feeling too good, well, this was as result of a urinary infection and although it hadn’t been too bad until this point it was starting to take its toll.  We had a very smooth run through Sydney airport and on to our connecting flight to Auckland.

 

 

4^th February 2014 – Sydney to Auckland and Manly.

We picked up our flight to Auckland without much time to recover from the previous flight (only an hour between landing and take-off) and by this time I was starting to feel really rough with severe pains in my sides and lower abdomen.  The crew on board realised I wasn’t well and did a really great job of looking after me even allowing me to stand in their very small serving area until the last possible minute before we landed (I was more comfortable standing than sitting).  One of the cabin crew happened also to be a Registered Nurse, she spent some time talking to me and strongly advised me to see a doctor once we arrived, and she also told me about a walk-in doctors just outside of the airport so our first visit in New Zealand (after we’d collected the car) was to the doctors where I was registered, seen and out with a filled prescription within 30/40 minutes.  From there we drove up through Auckland to our first nights B&B run by a very friendly couple who presented us with a welcome pack including a bottle of wine (damn, I’m on antibiotics!) and a whole camembert !!  As most of the local restaurants were serving spicy food (which didn’t seem like a good idea for me) we bought fish & chips from the local take-out and went back to the B&B with them where Graham opened our bottle of wine (Grrr!).

 

 

5^th February 2014 – Manly to Opononi.

After an enormous breakfast we left fairly late and started to head north intending to take the east coast route.  However, we discovered by talking to last night’s hosts that tomorrow is Waitangi day (a public holiday which celebrates the signing of a major treaty between the Maori & Europeans) and as the route would take us straight through Waitangi, we would be unlikely to find accommodation easily.  As a result we decided to take the route up the west coast instead so that we can complete the loop the other way around.  The road north was very pretty with lots of very green hills, nice roads and forests.  We’ve booked ourselves in to a very pleasant B&B on the coast and have just been to the local ‘boozer’ for a pleasant evening spent with the other two guests who are staying here.   It was pleasantly warm at 24c & partly cloudy today.

 

 

6^th February 2014 – Opononi to Mangonui via Cape Reinga.

We were up early this morning as we’d planned to go up to Cape Reinga (the most northerly tip of New Zealand) and had learned that, because of a ceremonial land exchange, the tip of the cape was due to be closed to private traffic from around 2pm.  We left our B&B just before 8am and drove to the local car ferry for a short river crossing before starting north towards the Cape.  We travelled some very pretty, winding roads in heavy cloud and gusty winds which was a shame as, although the views were good, I imagine they would have been even better in decent weather.  We made the Cape in good time having only one brief stop for fuel on the way and arrived in light rain and strong winds, lovely !  I left Graham at the car and made my way down the path to the lighthouse and returned looking like something from the wreck of the Hesperus and very damp too.  We then left fairly sharpish before there was any sign of road closures (although we did come across some Maori people protesting about mining en-route).  The run back was a little more leisurely and we stopped at the Kauri Gum digger park, a site where workers collected underground gum deposited when Kauri tree forests were destroyed millions of years ago.  Very interesting it was too.  We also made a short stop to see 90 mile beach but we didn’t venture too far as, not only aren’t we allowed to take the rental car on to the beach, the wind was causing some big waves to come quite close to the entry point.  We made another short stop for lunch and a few more for photos before pitching up at our pre-booked studio where I’m in the process of doing some laundry (although I think I may wish I hadn’t started as I don’t think the drier is going to be too efficient!). Our plan for tomorrow had been to drive down through the Bay of Islands stopping off for a boat tour of some sort.  Unfortunately the weather forecast is for more rain and heavy winds and they’re saying small boats should stay put so it looks as though we’ll just be driving through the area as we really don’t have time to hang around to wait for better weather !

 

 

7^th February 2014 – Mangonoui to Henderson.

Sadly, today’s weather forecast was pretty accurate.  We woke to pouring rain and it continued for the vast majority of the day although it wasn’t as windy as they’d predicted.  We decided to continue with our plan to drive down through the Bay of Islands area but, as we’d guessed, there was little point in trying to get a boat trip (most didn’t seem to be running anyway) as we could barely see 40 metres out to sea.  We made a stop in the tourist town of Paihia and found a Laundromat where we were able to dry our still damp clothing.  We then continued on down the coast road and by lunchtime we’d passed four separate road traffic accidents, two fender benders and two very nasty ones (one of which involved two vehicles ending up in a deep roadside ditch and one which had obviously only just happened where two cars were definitely write-offs). We had seen plenty of signs warning of slippery roads “when wet” and whether that was the cause I don’t know but it was a bit worrying to see four accidents in such a short space of time.   We had no real plan on where we would stop and, as the weather was putting the mockers on seeing very much, we decided to just keep going until we felt ready to stop.  As a result we’ve made it as far as Henderson, very close to Auckland.  The motel is okay if a bit rough around the edges and there are plenty of restaurants nearby so we should be able to find something other than Fish & Chips which (along with pies for lunch) seems to be the staple diet in this area.

 

 

8th February 2014 – Henderson to Rotorua.

We successfully found something other than Fish & Chips last night, and very good it was too, we even had real vegetables !We left this morning with partly cloudy skies overhead and as the day progressed so did the showers but, at least they we showers rather than belting rain. The first part of our drive involved motorway and main roads as there was little option to be had. Later the roads became smaller and more enjoyable. We had originally intended stopping off at Rotorua for a few hours to take in some Moari culture and some sulphur air (Phew, rotten eggs!) and then move on to the lakeside town of Taupo but when we visited the i-site (tourist office) we were told that there was a big concert in Taupo this evening and the accommodation was all booked out. As a result we decided to stay over (at a very nice historic hotel which gave us a free upgrade to a mini-suite thank you very much) and change our route to take in one of the “less well travelled” parts of North Island tomorrow and, consequently, we’ve booked ahead to make sure we have somewhere to stay.This afternoon/evening we went along to one of the many Maori cultural shows which is based at a geothermal site so killed two birds with one stone (three in fact as it included dinner). This turned out to be a very informative visit if a little twee at times. The only dampener (literally) was the very heavy showers that ensued whilst we were there. Still the forecast is supposed to be better for tomorrow.

 

 

9th February 2014 – Rotorua to Gisborne.

This morning dawned bright, sunny and breezy and we had a quick trip around the town before leaving and making for the Pacific Coast Highway. This is a fairly long route around a peninsula which is not generally on the tourist trail and which we’d heard mixed reports about (some saying it was overrated and others that it was very pretty and worth the trip). There were some great coastal views to be had en-route and we were glad we’d made the effort although I can see why some wouldn’t rate it as there are limited facilities along the way and certainly nothing for those who expect to find something to entertain them on every corner. The weather stayed with us for most of the day with temperatures reaching 28c but by the time 5pm came it had started to rain again. As we were slightly away from the coast by then it didn’t matter too much. We arrived in Gisborne early evening and having checked-in to our motel made our way out again to do some grocery shopping (most of the motels have kitchenettes so we can at least save some costs by making breakfast for ourselves) and then on to a very nice restaurant for dinner. We’re still deciding exactly where we’re going to head for tomorrow as the weather forecast is a little iffy again (hurrumph!).

 

 

10th February 2014 – Gisborne to Palmerston North.

The weather really hasn’t been on our side again today; it started out okay but within ½ hour of leaving it was raining again and this time it was really raining, you could see it coming in waves across the sky from the coast – lovely ! The temperature also settled at around 14c, a full 14c less than yesterday’s high! As a result there aren’t many pictures from today as there weren’t many views we could actually see which is a real shame as it looks like a really nice area. We made a stop in Napier which is famed for its Art Deco buildings (it was rebuilt after a massive earthquake) which was very nice. We also stopped even more briefly in a small town called Dannevirke which was settled by Danish ‘Vikings’ (hence the name). We were originally looking to stay there the night as it looked like a nice little town but the very helpful lady in the Information Centre told us that, being a Monday, the only real option for dinner would be takeout fish & chips (no, not again!) so we moved on to Palmerston North a much bigger town with lots of motels and restaurants (most of which are open) so we’ll be going to explore a little later.

 

 

11^th February 2014 – Palmerston North to Lower Hutt (Near Wellington).

We went into town last night and found that there were plenty of restaurants to choose from and decided on a visit to a Lone Star steakhouse which was pretty good and, although not cheap, was around the same price as most of the other eateries.

This morning we decided to do a little shopping in town before we left as we didn’t have too far to travel today and it’s the first sizeable shopping area we’ve seen for a while.  With that done we started to make our way south towards the Wellington area where we had arranged to stay with Wendy, an ex-colleague and friend of Graham’s, and her husband Brendon.  We arrived at around 3pm and spent a very pleasant afternoon/evening with Wendy, Brendon and Wendy’s daughter Sophie (thanks guys) and we’ve now been invited to stay again on the way back as we will be docking back in town just in time for Sophie’s 21^st birthday celebrations and we’ve been invited to the party (thanks Sophie) and, assuming our plans come together, we’ll be there!

We left this morning under a veil of cloud but arrived at Wendy’s in sunshine and, after yesterday, that was oh so welcome.

 

 

12^th February 2014 – Lower Hutt to Kaikoura (South Island).

We were up early this morning as we were booked on the 9am ferry from Wellington to Picton and had to be checked-in by 8am.  It was only a 15/20 minute journey by car and we arrived with plenty of time to spare only to discover that some wazzock had joined the queue for the wrong ferry and, because of the limited space available, we all had to play silly devils parking up in all sorts of places to let him out (oh well there’s always one!) we were then further delayed by a ship that was blocking our exit so we finally left at 9:45.  It was a sizeable ferry with lots of cars & trucks and hoards for foot passengers so there wasn’t a great deal of spare space anywhere but we did managed to find a comfy seat.  The journey was uneventful and very pretty once we reached the Queen Charlotte Sound.  As we’d been a little delayed we decided to make use of the on-board i-site and booked ahead for accommodation that way we could let the majority of the traffic from the boat disperse before we followed.  We made a short stop in Picton, where the boat docks, and it seems like a nice little town, we then stopped again for lunch along the way which gave us plenty of almost empty road for our journey down.  A few more stops for pictures (including of the fur seal colony) and we arrived in time to have a look around the town before getting cleaned up for dinner.  There were a lot of restaurants in a fairly small town so prices were competitive and we had a really good steak accompanied by a glass of the local wine.  Very nice.

 

 

13^th February 2014 – Kaikoura to Greymouth.

It was warm & mostly sunny when we left this morning so we decided to stick with plan A and head across the Lewis Pass to Greymouth on the West coast.  We had also decided that we would visit the i-site first thing this morning and book ahead so that we could take our time and it’s a good job we did as our visit conicides with the ‘Coast to Coast’, a race across the island by bicycle, canoe and on foot and, as a result, most of the rooms are already booked out.  We did get a room though, courtesy of a cancellation, so that was fine.  The drive across was very pretty and we made a few stops along the way before hitting the rain again about half way across, it was mostly fairly light rain but with one or two heavy bursts thrown in for good measure.  Unfortunately this meant that the latter part of the trip was less scenic but still pleasant enough.  We’re now ensconced in a nice motel close to town where I’m currently making use of their laundry facilities before we go in to town to try to replace Graham’s sandals which have decided to fall apart!!

 

 

14th February 2014 – Greymouth to Ashburton.Last night we did as we usually do and asked for a recommendation for somewhere to eat and as a result we had a really mediocre meal in a cafe style restaurant in a town that was a dead as a doornail. There are at least two backpacker hostels in town and we didn’t even see any youngsters about – very odd ! It was decidedly damp and grey when we left this morning as we headed for a return across to the east coast via Arthurs’s pass but the weather did improve dramatically as we went across with temperatures ending up at around 22c. We had been told that the road across would be closed for the cycle part of the ‘Coast to Coast’ from 6am to 9am but that from then on it would be clear. Well, they were half right. The road was indeed opened at 9am but we then became entangled with a mass of support vehicles causing a huge queue of traffic, not what we wanted on a scenic drive so we pulled over and waited for half-an-hour which got rid of most of them (they were mostly camping overnight just beyond Arthur’s pass). The remainder of the journey was very pretty and much less busy so much more pleasant overall. Once through the pass we made for Christchurch to see for ourselves the long term effects of the recent earthquakes and it seems that they’ve done a remarkable job of repairing the place although there are still road closures and lots of building works going on. Following that we made our way south to our overnight stop in Ashburton and after a drive to a nearby beach went for dinner at a nice restaurant where we got the last table for the Valentines dinner which was great except that we had to wait around 40 minutes between our starters and main courses which was not so good. As a result we were given our drinks for free and were given two vouchers to use on free drinks for another evening. As we wouldn’t be able to use the drink vouchers I accosted an older couple in the street nearby and they will hopefully be using them in the near future.

 

 

15th February 2014 – Ashburton to Oamaru via Mount Cook.

It was slightly damp when we left this morning but we decided to continue with our plan to head for the mountains and, as it was, the weather was on our side for a change. In all we’ve covered over 500km today taking in a variety of scenic routes including the one-way road to Mount Cook which meant doubling back on ourselves (about an hour each way) but it was worth it as we had some pretty good views of the Mountain with just the tip in the clouds. There were also a number of very pretty lakes to be seen along the way. We’re now in the seaside town of Omarau (not that you’d know it from where our Motel is!) in probably the worst motel we’ve stayed in on this trip; it’s old, worn and not cheap and the ‘kitchenette’ doesn’t even have a sink in it so we simply won’t be washing up, they can worry about that themselves after we’ve left !! (That is, of course, the problem you sometimes get with booking ahead). There is also a restaurant right next to this Motel but when we asked the young lady in the i-site what it was like she very much turned her nose up and said that she wouldn’t eat there so it looks like we’re going to be driving out to eat. The one saving grace here is that we should be in time to go and see the penguins returning to their roosts before we go and eat.

 

16th February 2014 – Oamaru to Balclutha via the scenic route.

We went along to see the penguins last night and we stood alongside quite a few others on a rocky outcrop in a howling gale and we waited, and we waited and we saw ………. None ! Not a one !!! By the time we’d been there for the best part of an hour we decided we’d had enough and we were in need of a warm so we headed for ‘Fat Sally’s’ a restaurant that had been recommended to us and we had a very nice warming bowl of pasta at a reasonable price so all was not lost. (This morning we spoke to some other people who’d also been along and they didn’t see any either).We started off the day driving along the coast and stopping off to see the Moeraki boulders, a number of large almost completely round boulders created by nature. From there we turned inland on another loop from the coast, inland around the Otago region and back to the coast through lots of wide open farming areas and large fruit orchards too, all very pretty and helped by the sunshine which reached us by late morning.We’ve now been in touch with our friends Stuart & Ann-Marie who live in Invercagill and we’ve arranged to go and see them tomorrow taking in the Catlins coastal route on the way.

 

 

17th February 2014 – Balclutha to Invercargill.

Our run through the Catlins was well worth the effort, we saw some really nice scenery especially some of the coastal bays which are huge and completely empty. Our first stop was close to a lighthouse in an area frequented by Yellow Eyed penguins and Fur seals. Having made my way down to the hide that’s provided, I saw nothing other than a few gulls which wasn’t really a surprise as it was late morning by then. We also stopped close to Slope point, the most southerly point on South Island but I chose not to take the 40 minute round trip walk to the point as it was, by this time, belting with rain (again!). We made a number of further stops to take in the views which were well worth a look despite the weather. Once we reached Invercargill we called in at the i-site to see Ann-Marie (who works there) and she provided us with directions to the house. We arrived safely at around 3pm and following our guided tour of the house (and you need a guide!) we settled in for a very pleasant evening of home-cooked food and local wine whilst we caught up with Stuart, Ann-Marie and her mother Ruth. All very pleasant – Thank you guys.

 

 

18th February 2014 – Invercargill.

Stuart very kindly offered to act as our tour guide today and he certainly packed in the sights. We started off by paying a visit to Ann-Marie at work as she had kindly offered to source some accommodation and trips for us to both Milford and Doubtful Sounds. We also took a look at parts of the town Museum which is in the same building and contains two major things of interest to us i.e. the Tuatara (a very rare reptile species which they are breeding for re-introduction) and a small exhibition relating to Burt Munro (of ‘World’s Fastest Indian’ fame). Next stop was at E Hayes, a humongous hardware store which seems to supply almost anything you could want from single nuts/bolts and zip straps right up to full sized milling machines and that is also part museum. Dotted around the store are various motorcycles and cars (including most of the original Burt Munro machine). From there we moved on again to visit a racing car workshop run by the curator of our next stop a private truck museum where there were hoards of trucks of varying shapes and sizes alongside a good number of restored cars. After a brief return home for lunch we were on the move again (this time accompanied by Ruth) and we took a very scenic drive around the local area, including another really huge empty beach just up the road from the house. We also drove up to a high point above Riverton where there was a great view of the surrounding area. We made one final stop for ice-cream before heading home and a short rest before going to a very nice local restaurant for dinner.

 

 

19th February 2014 – Invercargill to Te Anau.

We left Invercargill at around 10:30 this morning and, for the first hour or so it was cool and cloudy but as we drove further along the ‘Southern Scenic Route’ the weather once again improved (27c and mostly sunny) and we saw yet more great views along the way. As we didn’t have too far to travel today we made a number of side trips out to beaches and other vantage points which was great. I even had a paddle in Lake Manapouri (I knew it couldn’t be too cold as there were a few hardy people swimming). We’ve had a good look around Te Anau and we’re now ensconced in a very nice motel close to the town centre and lake where we’re staying for the next three nights so that we can take in visits to both Milford and Doubtful Sounds.

 

 

20th February 2014 – Milford Sound.

We were up early this morning as we were being picked up at 07:30 for our trip up the Milford Road by coach and then on to a wildlife boat trip into Milford Sound (which isn’t really a ‘sound’ but a fjord). We were really lucky with the weather today too, it was bright and sunny for the vast majority of the day which meant we had some superb views along the journey and were able to stay outside for the entire cruise. We had been advised to take the earliest trip available (Thank you Ann-Marie) and were glad that we had as the road was quite quiet on the way up and much less so on the return. There were some lovely views to be had both from the coach, which made a number of photo stops, and from the boat (including two apparently rare Fiordland crested penguins) with some really quite big waterfalls which we were able to get surprisingly close to. All in all, it’s been a very scenic, leisurely and enjoyable day.

 

 

21st February 2014 – Doubtful Sound.

We were up even earlier this morning as we were being picked up at 07:00 to be driven the 20km to Manapouri where we boarded a catamaran to the top end of the lake. From there we transferred to a bus which drove us over the Wilson Pass and to the edge of Doubtful Sound where joined another boat for our ‘cruise’. The first boat journey lasted around 40 minutes and we found ourselves a seat on deck so that we could watch the scenery go by. The bus then took another 45 minutes or so to travel up and over the pass to Doubtful Sound and our next boat. This time we decided to sit inside as, being a faster vessel than yesterdays, we were being blown to shreds on deck, they had also forecast heavy rain for this afternoon (not unexpected for this area as they have around 200 days with rain each year) and the forecast was right except that the rain reached us, or we reached it, by mid-morning and it was, at times, extremely wet. The views were still good and we enjoyed the day seeing another pair of crested penguins and some fur seals en-route. Our last port of call before returning back to base was at a very large underground hydro-electric power station which has been built under the mountains and which provides huge amounts of power for a smelting plant over in Bluff as well as some for the National Grid. We were back in town by 16:00 and after a brief expedition to the supermarket for supplies we’re now taking a brief rest before heading out in to the metropolis that is Te Anau this evening.

 

 

22nd February 2014 – Ta Anau to Arrowtown.

We were really surprised how quite the town was last night being a Friday, granted it was positively throwing it down with rain but the town was almost empty of people and most of the motels had ‘vacancy’ signs showing. We returned to a particularly good restaurant we’d tried on our first night in town and had a really nice meal of venison and a glass of local wine each. We finished off with a cheese board between us and we were still back in our room by 08:45 – The night life here is really wild !!

 

After conversations with a variety of people we had decided that we were probably best not staying in Queenstown as the nightlife there really could be beyond us (it’s where all the adrenaline junkies go to throw themselves off of bits of the landscape) so plumped for what had been described as a really nice little town called Arrowtown. The route to get here was really nice taking in lots of rolling countryside for the first part of the day and then a very pretty run up the side of lake Wakatipu which runs all the way from Kingston to Queenstown and beyond. Once we’d reached Queenstown we continued going along a side road up to a small town called Glenorchy as we had been told (by more than one person) that it was a really pretty road and that’s exactly what it turned out to be. The sun was shining (although it was rather windy in places) and the lake shone a really stunning blue against the surrounding mountains and we’re both agreed that this road afforded us some of the best views we’ve seen so far this trip. We had intended stopping for a while once we returned to Queenstown but, although it looked like a nice place, the town was heaving and we failed to find anywhere to park so, instead, just kept going until we reached Arrowtown. It’s an old gold mining town which has been left in its original style which was rather nice despite the numbers of people meandering about (we’re hoping it will be quieter later).

 

 

23rd February 2014 Arrowtown to Franz Joseph Glacier.

We went in to the town last night and, thankfully, things had quietened down a lot. We were able to park easily and found our way to a very good Indian restaurant where we had far too much to eat.Yesterday afternoon we had been sitting outside in the warm sunshine eating ice creams and this morning we woke to find a dusting of snow on the mountains behind the motel, what next ?!

 

Our original plan had been to take a leisurely drive across the Haast Pass and to stay in the town of Haast for the night but when we checked out this morning we mentioned our plans to the young lady on the desk and she expressed some surprise and told us that there was little to be found there and suggested we drove on further to either Fox or Franz Joseph Glaciers. We made our first stop of the day in Wanaka a really nice lakeside town where we called in at the i-site and asked there for some advice. The young lady there confirmed that the glaciers would be a better bet so we asked her to find us some accommodation which she did (she’s also booked another two night ahead for us). From Wanaka there were two options of route and we took the Alpine route which proved to be a really good decision, there were some fabulous views and the road itself was interesting too. Once we’d re-joined the main road the route took us past a number of really lovely lakes and through more mountains. We stopped at Haast for coffee and discovered that the information we’d been given was absolutely true, apart from a few motels there is nothing at all at Haast, not even a shop. We continued on to Fox Glacier where we made an attempt to see the glacier itself but as the notice boards said there would be a minimum of 1 hours walk to reach the viewing point we decided it wasn’t sensible for us to attempt it. We arrived in the town of Franz Joseph Glacier at around 16:00 and checked in to our motel (okay but ‘cosy’) which is very close to town. We walked in to town buy some provisions just as it started to rain so, once we’d shopped, we did what the store keeper suggested and took refuge in the bar next door (well, we didn’t want to get wet!). It turns out that this is also a very small town with lots of motels and a smattering of restaurants but not much else so after an early dinner we’ve returned to the motel try to catch up with this blog and the photos etc. (it was a good idea but it’s not working too well as the internet connection is err, slow).

 

 

24th February 2014 – Franz Joseph Glacier to Hokitika.

It was bright and sunny when we woke this morning (cool though) so we decided to try to take a look at the glacier which gives the town its name. It was just a short drive to the start of the trail leading to the glacier and the information board at the trail head said the full walk was approx. 1hr 30mins but that there was a view available from a shorter walk of approx. 30 minutes so Graham decided to try for that. The walkway through the forest was pretty good although still not easy for Graham, he made it to the viewing area though and then waited for me there whilst I carried on for the rest of the walk there and back. It was an enjoyable walk but I have to say, there isn’t that much to see when you get to the end as the glacier is, it seems, receding very quickly (the current viewing area is where the glacier finished just 4 years ago). We knew we didn’t have far to go today so took a leisurely drive up the coast, through the mountains and we were glad we’d taken it easy as we saw two police cars on the lookout for speeders (one who’d caught his prey) and one car that looked like it might be an unmarked police car. We reached Hokitika fairly early and checked in to our motel (very nice) before heading in to town to the local Laundromat (exciting eh!). We also had a walk around the town which isn’t big by any standards but is very pleasant. We’re off to ‘Stumpers’ tonight, this is apparently the place to be in town and we’ve even had to book!!

 

 

25th February 2014 – Hokitika to Westport.

We spent a very pleasant evening at Stumpers, the only drawback being that we could have fed a family of four on my meal alone. They do seem to serve big portions in this neck of the woods.Whilst in town we’d seen a number of very impressive pictures of the Hokitika Gorge so we decided to take look before leaving this morning. The road to the gorge was interesting with some really nice views including one of a herd of cows heading straight towards us. We stopped to wait for them to pass and while waiting had a very interesting conversation with the farmer who told us they were being gathered so that the vet could pregnancy test them. Once we reached the gorge the notice boards confirmed that the viewing point was only a 5 minute walk away so we both headed off through the forest and were really impressed by the sight that met us. The river below was a really creamy blue (glacial water) and flowing quite fast, there was also a suspension bridge a short way further on so I left Graham at the view point and made my way down and across the wobbly bridge which made for a nice relatively short walk. We re-traced our steps back to Hokitika and then turned north towards Westport making a stop at Punakaki to see the ‘pancake rocks’ so called because the layers of rock look like stacked pancakes. This proved to be a fairly challenging walk for Graham as there were a number of slopes and uneven steps to be tackled but he made it safe & sound. The café just across from the rocks had a ‘special’ on the menu, a stack of pancakes so, as a reward for the walk, we shared a stack – some things you just have to do! We arrived in Westport quite early, checked-in to our motel and then went for a look further up the coast to Kumeara a 97km journey on sometimes bumpy and twisty roads and we ended up at another enormous empty beach where I had a very brief paddle. The water was quite cold but more importantly I could feel the undertow even with water just up to my ankles so I made my way out of there rather speedily. We then had to make the same 97km journey back to town before going out to eat at a restaurant recommended by some young ladies in the town supermarket. The food was very good and, this time, we shared a meal and still couldn’t finish it. As I said they serve big portions around here.

 

 

26th February 2014 – Westport to Motueka.

As we’d not had time yesterday we took a short drive out to see the seal colony at Cape Foulwind this morning. It was only a short walk from the parking area to view the colony but as it was steep and gravelly Graham opted to wait at the car whilst I walked up. There weren’t too many seals to be seen but it was worth the walk not only to see those that were there but also to watch the very rough waters breaking on the rocks and to see a couple of fairly large flightless (I think) birds which weren’t in the slightest bit bothered by my being there. We then started our drive towards the Golden Bay area arriving in Motueka by 14:00 so, once we’d checked-in to our motel, we went along to the i-site and booked a wine tour from Blenheim on Friday. Once that was done we drove further north into Golden Bay along some interesting roads, through hop fields and fruit orchards and with a few very good views. We made a stop in a small town called Takaka and visited a Malt whiskey/Schnapps distillery, a very pleasant short interlude. From there we continued north finishing our run in the even smaller town of Collingwood (very pleasant) where we took a peek out towards Farewell Spit, a sand bar which can be visited on a trip in large off-road vehicle. Unfortunately we didn’t have time for that so headed back to our motel (an older style property with a dodgy stainless steel floor in the shower) where they have upgraded us to a very large two bedroomed unit. We didn’t have much of a chance to look around the town today so, as we don’t have far to go tomorrow we’ll probably do that first thing before making our way across to Blenheim.

 

 

27th February 2014 – Motueka to Blenheim.

We changed our minds about seeing the town this morning so headed out towards Blenheim straight away. Our first port of call was at the WOW museum in Nelson (as recommended by Stuart) which is a slightly odd mix of a car museum and a museum of ‘wearable art’. There were quite a few cars of interest and we spent an hour or so looking around those before, briefly, visiting the other side of the museum which was rather like going behind the scenes of a Cirque du Soleil performance with some really, really weird outfits on display (sorry, no photos as photography is banned). From there we continued on the main road for a while before taking a side trip out on to the Queen Charlotte Sound road which, as it suggests, runs up along the edge of part of the Sound. The road is very twisty, often bumpy and slow and, although there were some views to be had most of them were obscured by tall foliage along the roadsides. We arrived in Blenheim late afternoon and following a trip around town are about to go and investigate the recommended restaurants.

 

 

28th February 2014 – Blenheim.

We were picked up at 10:00 this morning for our full day wine tour and over the day visited 6 local wineries, stopping at one long enough to have lunch, and we also visited a small boutique chocolate factory. For the first part of the day there were just four of us on the tour (two other Brits from Bury St Edmunds) and we were joined later by two Canadians, two Swedes and two Americans (who are on a break from working in Antarctica). We tried a wide variety of both red and white wines but resisted buying any as we would have had to drink them over the next few days.

 

 

1st March 2014 – Blenheim to Lower Hutt.

We had a really heavy rainstorm last night which was loud enough to wake us both but by this morning the skies were clear blue, it was really quite chilly but a lovely sunny, still morning. We made the short journey to the ferry terminal at Picton to be told we were too early and should come back at 10:00 (which is slightly odd as the ticket says LAST check-in is 10:00) so we drove down to the waterfront and sat watching the boats until it was time to go. Once on board the boat we settled in for a very pleasant trip through the Queen Charlotte Sound where we saw a large pod of dolphins heading in the opposite direction. Once we were almost through the Sound the ship’s crew made an announcement advising that the sea conditions in the Cook Straight were “far from ideal”, that passengers should remain seated where possible and that the crew would be coming through offering sick bags and cups of ice !!!

 

Once we reached the open water it did get a bit rough and there was a heavy swell visible in the water but it really wasn’t that bad, certainly not as bad as they’d made it sound (thankfully). Once we’d disembarked we made a brief visit in to the city of Wellington which appeared to be a very nice, lively city. From there we re-traced our steps back to Wendy & Brendon’s house where we met Wendy’s mum Barb and her son Harry and we spent a very comfortable hour or so relaxing with them before getting ready for Sophie’s 21st birthday party. The party went well and I think Sophie enjoyed her evening, we certainly did.

 

 

2nd March 2014 – Lower Hutt to New Plymouth.

Having had a late night last night we made a slightly later than normal start this morning leaving Wendy & Brendon’s at around 10:30 and we slowly made our way north and west towards New Plymouth making lots of coffee/ice cream stops along the way. It was an uneventful journey passing through lots of agricultural areas and, during one stop we visited an i-site where we pre-booked some accommodation so that we could take our time and arrive at whatever time suited us. We finally arrived at our motel at around 18:30 and, as we checked in, we asked the owner if there was a Laundromat in town as we needed to get some washing done. She said there was but that, rather than us sitting watching our washing go around, she would put it through her commercial sized machines and deliver the clean clothing back later in the evening which is exactly what she did. All clean, all dry and all folded; excellent. She also recommended a restaurant for us and we’ve just returned from one of the nicest meals we’ve had this trip. No complaints there!which isn’t the best idea as we’ve a good few kilometres to cover before we fly out to the Cook Islands on Tuesday.

 

3rd March 2014 – New Plymouth to Taupo.

It was raining heavily first thing this morning but has slowly improved throughout the day (although it’s still pretty windy). We left reasonably early and drove towards Hamilton before branching off to Lake Taupo. The roads were still quite wet in places and we’d been caught behind a double trailer truck for some time and were getting fed up with trying to see through his spray so, when he saw a suitable space, Graham put his foot down slightly to get past it which was fine until we got two-thirds of the way past and saw the Police camera van sitting on the side of the road – bugger!! We were probably doing around 110 in a 100 limit so we’re fully expecting to receive call from the rental company about a fine at some point in the near future. Other than that the trip was uneventful, we made a few stops including one to book some accommodation for tonight and arrived mid-afternoon. Once we’d checked-in we made a trip in to town to take a look around (nice town by the way) and also paid a visit to the Huka Falls which, although not tall, are well worth a visit as they have thousands of gallons of water rushing through a very narrow gap in the rocks. I’ve also spent some time this afternoon re-packing as we’re off to the Cooks Islands tomorrow evening which means that we may not be able to provide any updates for the next 6/7 days as we’re told not to expect much in the way of an internet connection.

 

 

4th March 2014 - Taupo to NOWHERE !!

Today has turned out to be a complete pain in the butt !! It started out okay with sunny skies and a pleasant enough run up to Auckland but then it went decidedly downhill. We returned our rental car, no problem. We checked-in for our flight, limited problems (they still don’t understand the needs of disabled passengers). We passed through security, no problem other than the usual setting off of the alarms etc. After some considerable time our gate number was shown and we toddled off to our gate and waited, and waited, and waited some more. Eventually we were told that because of a technical issue our 7pm flight was delayed until 8pm and that we had to change gates. We arranged for a wheelchair for Graham as the gate we were moved to was at the opposite end of the airport. Once there we sat and waited, and waited again until we were finally told that the flight was delayed until 11:15 tomorrow and we were being put up in a hotel overnight. We were all standing/sitting around waiting for hotel vouchers etc. when suddenly the lights all went out; apparently they’re on a timer and we weren’t supposed to be there by then so we had to wait for the lights to be switched back on before we could leave, pick up our bags and go back through customs & immigration (yes, we had to go through the whole process as if we’d just arrived) and finally on to what turned out to be a very nice hotel (where they had arranged a handicapped persons room for us) where we were provided with some food before calling it a night (albeit a short one as it was by now 12:30).

 

 

5th March 20114 Auckland to ?????

We were picked up by shuttle bus at 08:15 this morning and transported to the airport where we checked-in (again) before being told that there had been a chemical spill which had affected some staff (carpet cleaner apparently) and that the departures area was currently closed -AARRGGG !

 

We were seen by customs staff in the main check-in area and then directed through a number of back corridors through the international transfers lounge and finally to departures where we’re currently waiting for our aircraft to put in an appearance – we’ll see!!!

 

10:30 - We’re now sitting here with the exit doors closed and an automated announcement telling us we may have to evacuate – great.

 

11:50 - We’re still here – no evacuation but we still have no serviceable aircraft to take us out. They’re threatening to board us at 12:30 for a 1pm departure – yeah right, they brought us back here this morning knowing full well they didn’t have an aircraft to put us on, there are, not unsurprisingly, a lot of very unhappy people about.

 

We finally boarded the aircraft at around 1:30pm and left at 2pm, 19 hours late and there was a round of applause on the aircraft when it finally left.

 

 

4th March 2014 – Raratonga, Cook Islands.

Yes, I do know I’ve sent us back in time, that’s a consequence of us having crossed the International Date Line for the first time, all very confusing.

 

We finally arrived at our accommodation at around 7pm and were pleasantly surprised by what we found (we’d expected it to be a bit more basic than it is) and once we were settled we went down and had dinner on the beach which was very nice even when all the lights went out (apparently the whole island was affected). Sitting here on the beach in complete darkness was really quite something as the stars seemed so bright and so close, really great. We went back to our room before the lights came on (with a torch loaned to us by the staff) and were fumbling about trying to put Graham’s travel crutches together when to power came back on.

 

The only real drawback we’ve found here so far is that it’s incredibly hot and humid and we were both melting in no time at all.

 

 

5th March 2014 – Raratonga.

After a fairly early night decided to take the bus around the island to get a feel for the place and to see where we might like to visit. There is only one main road around the island and the buses run both clockwise and anti-clockwise on almost a shuttle system. We sat on the rather old, hot, bumpy bus and did the full circuit which took about an hour (there’s a 50kph limit on the island) and then decided to stay on and go back in to the main town but when I tried to pay the driver the extra fare he wouldn’t take it, they do seem like a nice bunch of people here.

 

Once in town we had some lunch and did a bit of sightseeing, tourist shopping and had a drink before heading back to base on the same bus route so we’ve done two full circuits today.

 

The Island itself is beautiful, proper white sandy beaches and a reef not far off shore which creates a relatively safe swimming area in some parts and in the Lagoon at Muri beach a stunning, safe shallow swimming area. The main town was quite small but very pleasant and, once again, we found the people to be very friendly and interested in having a chat which has been great. Whilst in town we visited the small tourist office to ask some questions about a lagoon cruise that was on offer and we decided to book it for tomorrow despite some lingering concerns that it would be very touristy.

 

We had dinner on the beach again this evening and despite the owner, Paul, telling us that power cuts were rare, the power went out again but this time only in this village. It was soon back again though and it certainly didn’t spoil the evening.

 

 

6th March 2014 – Raratonga.

We were picked up at 9:30 this morning and driven to the Muri beach area where we tried to pay for our tickets (having booked over the ‘phone from the tourist office) only to find out that the banking system was down. In typical Cook Islands fashion they said not to worry and we could pay when we got back. As the boat we were travelling on was quite small and had a ramp to get on and off by we did ask if we would have to wade through water to get off later as, obviously, Graham can’t do that. They told us it might be necessary but that they would make sure somehow that Graham didn’t get the mechanics of his foot wet. The trip started with a cruise across the lagoon on a glass bottomed boat with crew pointing out fish as we went whilst they also sang and played ukuleles’ and drums. We then had the opportunity to swim with the fish before getting back on board and making for a small island where they are set up to provide what turned out to be a very good lunch for everyone. Now, I mentioned that there might be some paddling involved and it turned out that they couldn’t get the boat near enough to the shore for us to keep our feet dry so one of the crew gave Graham a piggy back off (see photos), luckily he was a strong lad.

 

After time for a swim, and a lesson in climbing coconut trees (which included a very informative talk on the stages of growth and different uses for coconuts at those stages) we were each handed a hermit crab to enter into a race to win a coconut!

 

From there it was another cruise across the lagoon before arriving back on dry land and our second attempt to pay the bill. As the banking system still wasn’t co-operating they said we shouldn’t worry they would charge us later and if they had a problem would let us pay our resort and sort it out with them later – I couldn’t see that happening in many places! After spending the afternoon around the pool/beach it was time for dinner on the beach again. It’s a hard life!

 

 

7th March 2014 – Raratonga.

Today has been a bit of a different day. Unfortunately, I was as sick as a dog overnight (just the heat I think) and was fit for very little today so Graham sat reading for much of the day while I slept most of it away which was a shame but I really wasn’t fit for anything. I did manage to get down to the beach dinner time but couldn’t face much in the way of food so just munched on a few fries, not very good for me but better than nothing I guess. Once again we were back in the room quite early and I decided to make a cup of tea noticing as I did that there wasn’t much water pressure. It wasn’t until the next morning we found out that they had run out of water completely and had been provided with some emergency supplies by the airport fire crews!

 

Apparently many of the homes on the island are currently without water as they rely solely on rainwater and they haven’t had rain for 2 months now. This was news to us as we haven’t seen a single notice anywhere asking people to conserve water which is a shame as most people are willing to help if asked.

 

 

8th March 2014 – Raratonga.

Saturday on the island is market day so as I was feeling much better we, along with heaps of others, boarded the bus in to town to check it out. There was a lot of tourist ‘stuff’ available, which isn’t surprising when you realise that 75% of their income comes from tourism, but quite a bit of local produce too. They also provide entertainment each week with local singers, drums and dancers, very nice. The afternoon was spent around the pool chatting with the other guests before what we though was our final dinner on the beach.

 

Now, I forgot to mention that when we arrived there had been some confusion over the dates of our stay and we were given a slip to confirm our return airport transfer for March 8th at 10:40 pm. Having already been thrown by the 19 hour delay and the date change we stupidly didn’t check properly so were all prepared to leave this evening and Michelle, the other owner duly checked us out this morning. It wasn’t until the bus arrived to collect us at 9:30 pm that questions started to be asked and it turns out that we shouldn’t be leaving until tomorrow evening, it was the booking agent for the transfers who had got it wrong for us and another couple (although unlike us trusting idiots they hadn’t packed all their belongings ready to leave) so were here for another night in paradise – oh blast !!!

 

 

9th March 2014 – Raratonga.

After breakfast this morning (and having told the story of the departure debacle to fellow guests who we’d said goodbye to yesterday) we went along to the office to see Michelle and we are DEFINITLY due to leave this evening with a pick up at 10:40pm and there are others due to leave at the same time so with a bit of luck we’ll get it right this time !! In the meantime the pool looks inviting so I’ll sign off now for a while.

 

NOTE: One of the reasons we chose this ‘resort ’Castaway Resort which incorporates Wilson’s bar (for those of you who’ve seen the Tom Hanks film) was because of its size, as it has only around 14 rooms and it has proved to be a really good choice. The owners and staff are all extremely friendly and couldn’t have been more helpful despite all the issues they’ve had during our stay (not all our fault honestly) and, providing they can cope with the heat and the lack of safe sea swimming at rough water times, we would definitely recommend this to anyone who’s coming over this way.

 

On the other hand we also strongly recommend that, where possible, people avoid Virgin Australia like the plague, not only have we had problems but others have too apparently. We have spoken to a number of locals and every single one of them has said they wouldn’t fly virgin as it has a reputation for being unreliable and leaving people stranded. We even learned from a member of Virgin staff in Auckland that this type of problem happens “once or twice a month” which really isn’t good enough by anyone’s standards.

 

 

10th/11th March 2014 – Raratonga to Auckland.

I’ve added these two dates together as we only got to see a few hours of the 10th having crossed the International dateline again now that we’d finally got our flight date & time right!

 

After a lazy day spent in the resort, complete with a beach barbeque, we were collected from our accommodation at 10:30pm and delivered safely to the airport where the staff seemed to have a bit of a sense of self-importance being somewhat pedantic about bag sizes & weights and even suggesting that Graham’s crutches, which are collapsed and packed in hand baggage, might be seen as a weapon and therefore banned from hand baggage, thankfully they agreed to let them on board. Virgin Australia also redeemed themselves (a bit) by leaving early and getting us in to Auckland 45 minutes earlier than expected and we were landed, through customs/immigration and checking in to our (fairly dodgy) hotel by 04:45 this morning.

 

After a few hours sleep we walked out to a local café and had brunch before visiting the i-site at the Skytower where we booked a tour of the city and a visit to the Skytower viewing galleries. We went to the viewing galleries first and there were some great views to be had including those of some very strange people throwing themselves off of the building on a controlled bungee jump (there’s a countdown letting you know when to expect to see them come past the window!). We’re going back again this evening as we paid an extra $2 each to see the views again after dark.

 

The tour we took this afternoon was recommended to us by the young lady at the i-site because, she said, it was a bit different to the usual tours in part because the operator knows the Maori guides who manage part of the Mount Eden view point and it is the only bus tour which is allowed to drive right to the top. The views were superb with a full 360 degree panorama and there were many other great sights taken in on the tour before we returned to the hotel to do some laundry before going out to dinner.

 

 

12th March 2014 (The second one) – Kailua, Hawaii.

Both of the above mentioned flights passed without incident and we arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii (Our last and final visited state of the USA!) at around 08:30 this morning having crossed the International dateline for the third time (I still can’t quite get my head around it). We collected our rental car and headed out of Honolulu having arranged with the owner of the studio we’d booked to drop our bags off early. Once we’d dropped the bags and had a brief look at the studio (very nice) we made our way in to the town to visit Macy’s department store as they have a one day sale on and one of our suitcases, which was damaged on the first flight to Dubai, was starting to show signs of disintegrating altogether and we’d decided we needed to replace it. We didn’t buy a suitcase there and then as we realised we needed to check the size we needed and also to give us time to decide whether or not to replace one of our carry-on bags as well. After some window shopping and a very nice ice-cream we returned to the studio to collect the keys etc. before having a much needed shower. We’ve now just returned from town with a new suitcase and carry-on and having eaten at a very nice Italian(ish) restaurant for a much needed early night.

 

 

13th March 2014 – O’Ahu, Hawai’i.

As we’d had such a long day (or was it two) yesterday we were a bit later than usual getting ourselves in to gear this morning. Even before we came here we both knew we wanted to visit Pearl Harbour and the USS Arizona Memorial, we also knew that getting tickets could be a bit of a challenge so we went on-line last night to try to pre-book. We discovered then that there were only so many pre-sales tickets issued each day and that the remainder were issued on a first come first served basis and that tickets sell out very quickly with people often buy tickets in the morning and return later in the day for their visit. Unfortunately for us all of the pre-book tickets for the days we’re here were already sold out and with our late start we’d resigned ourselves to the fact that we would be visiting just the memorial gardens and not taking the trip to the Arizona. It was around 10:00am by the time we arrived at the site and (finally) found somewhere to park and having meandered down to the water we decided to try our luck and just ask if there were any tickets left. Before I reached the sales counter I was approached by a lady wearing some form of tour guide uniform who asked if we already had tickets. I said that we didn’t and expected her to say we were out of luck but instead she handed me two ticket, without charge, for the tour which was to start at 10:45. I don’t know who she was but we were really grateful. The tour started with a visit to the on-site cinema which shows a film that tries to explain why the attack happened, what took place before and after and gave some insight into the memorial itself. We were then taken by boat (by two very smartly dressed Navy personnel) to the memorial itself which is a platform built out over the wreck of the vessel which incorporates a memorial wall to those who died aboard the ship. Because of the numbers wanting to visit the tours are by necessity fairly short but it was a very moving experience and one we would recommend to anyone who’s coming this way (but I would recommend anyone else to book rather than rely on the goodwill of a passing tour guide!). Once back on dry land we took a look around at the memorial gardens before making our way back to the car.

 

As we were down in that general area we decided to make our next stop Waikiki beach. The drive along the coast was very pleasant and not as busy as we’d expected and we made a number of short photo stops along the way. As we’d expected, Waikiki itself was full of high rise buildings, many incorporating high-end shops and hotels so we decided not to stop but continue along the coast to find somewhere to stop for lunch. This part of the coast is really quite dramatic and we made quite a few more stops at lookouts including at the famous Diamond Head crater, we even saw a turtle swimming just off shore. By this time we were getting really hungry and pulled in to the next area which seemed to have shops & eateries and, by chance (honestly), we came across the Kona Brew pub at Koko harbour so, guess where we went for lunch? We shared a very nice pizza and a small sampler ‘flight’ of their beers and then returned to our studio via more pretty roads and scenic lookouts. All in all a very pleasant day, especially as it’s been hot (85F or so) and there’s been a breeze to take the edge of the temperature.