Day 1
17 March
We got away on a beautiful cloudless sky at about 1.45pm – easy run down with very little traffic – never seen Lake Taupo so millpondish and looking so blue. Arrive at Palmerston North about 9.15pm.
Day2
Got away before 10.30am and had another beautiful easy drive through Shannon and Otaki – hardly any traffic on the back road – and arrived in the queue at 12.15pm Made a lovely cuppa on the rocks while waiting in the queue – felt quite adventurous – the little stove cooks up a brew so quickly. Wellington Harbour looking fabulous, another cloudless blue sky, and almost a millpond – only a slight breeze. The hills across gthe harbour were brown and looked so stark. Heading out into Cook Strait was wonderful view of the coast – the South Island was a bit hazy – so bright that photography in to the sun would have been useless. The rugged coast of the south of the North Island – then turned into Tory Channel – lots more houses tucked in to the little bays than I remembered and clearly forestry is the new industry on the steep hills – with musell and fish farming also in many of the bays. The boat going up the channel seemed to whisper along – with hardly any wake – little bit cool in the wind but out of the wind glorious. Picton always looks like a little gem tucked in to the end of the Bay.
The up the hill ( couldn’t see where the quarry was? And on in to Blenheim. Our little cabin is fine – got everything but the places to park a caravan or campervan are just lovely – down by a stream that the brochure says is a “lazy trout stream” – bit weedy but pretty and everyone sitting round in the balmy evening eating and drinking. Saw lots of vineyards on our way in to Blenheim and likely to see more! Didn’t find the old Masonic Hotel – Peter was a bit disappointed I think. But Blenheim looks like a nice little town with everything!
Need an early start so off to bed!
Day 3
Well we got the early start – Peter was awake a couple of times in the night saying – I’m awake – first time was 11.37pm ! He eventually got up at 4.14am so I didn’t fight the inevitable and got up. Very dark – but we were quickly breakfasted and away – lots of truck noise during the night but the Blenheim Holiday park would be a lovely place to put the caravan down by the stream in a lovely flat area. Quite warm during the night.
In the dark could just make out lots of vineyeard fences going past and not much else. We flashed past some probably good stopping places through Murchison – still in the dark! And then found somewhere beside the Buller river to stop and make a cuppa. Couldn’t see much of the river – although some spectacular gorge bits – narrow between rocky sides were evident. Looked very peaceful and clear – obviously not a storm recently. Going through lovely NZ tree fern bush with some beautiful beech trees with their mottled trunks ( Peter says they need thinning). A potentially nice stipping place near Lyell. Foggy and misty around the river. Then through Inangahua – a little country township – I couldnt see evidence of the earthquake although they had a tiny museum building which advertised photos of the earthquake. We were also starting to see the “creek” signs that always made me laugh eg “Big Deep Creek” then “Little Deep Creek” then “Deep Creek”…..
After Inangahua we drove through a valley – flat dairying country to Reefton – flat roads were a bit tempting and Peter must have got a heavy foot as he picked up a speeding ticket 9 123 k.hr! Nice young cop – but he still gave us a ticket.
Misty and low cloud over the hills on our left most of the way down the road. Lots of green grass – but this is the west Coast! From Reefton – City of Light ( firt town in the Southern
Hemisphere to get electricity – water driven) followed the Grey River ( braided and stony ) with lots of little creeks feeding in. Farms but well kept and unkempt – some novel housing but didn’t have time to explore. This was going to be a long day and we needed to keep going, however tempting.
Franz Josef glacier – car park very full – walked to the Sentinel ROCk ( 10 min walk uphill – to a good lookout) Face too far to walk to and it was closed today un less with a guided party. Wow, safety rules havekickedin since the old days. Got a good vewi however- still a magnificent sight. NO helicopters because cloud layer was too low. Que sera!
Fox Glacier – the Access road – got quite close to the face and it looked better than I remember it – safety regulations are really stringent nowadays! The Viewing road was through some beautiful NZ tree fern and trees laden with epiphytes and although a good view I think we got a better view from the other road. Still cloud up high though and no helicopters doing flights.
17 March
We got away on a beautiful cloudless sky at about 1.45pm – easy run down with very little traffic – never seen Lake Taupo so millpondish and looking so blue. Arrive at Palmerston North about 9.15pm.
Day2
Got away before 10.30am and had another beautiful easy drive through Shannon and Otaki – hardly any traffic on the back road – and arrived in the queue at 12.15pm Made a lovely cuppa on the rocks while waiting in the queue – felt quite adventurous – the little stove cooks up a brew so quickly. Wellington Harbour looking fabulous, another cloudless blue sky, and almost a millpond – only a slight breeze. The hills across gthe harbour were brown and looked so stark. Heading out into Cook Strait was wonderful view of the coast – the South Island was a bit hazy – so bright that photography in to the sun would have been useless. The rugged coast of the south of the North Island – then turned into Tory Channel – lots more houses tucked in to the little bays than I remembered and clearly forestry is the new industry on the steep hills – with musell and fish farming also in many of the bays. The boat going up the channel seemed to whisper along – with hardly any wake – little bit cool in the wind but out of the wind glorious. Picton always looks like a little gem tucked in to the end of the Bay.
The up the hill ( couldn’t see where the quarry was? And on in to Blenheim. Our little cabin is fine – got everything but the places to park a caravan or campervan are just lovely – down by a stream that the brochure says is a “lazy trout stream” – bit weedy but pretty and everyone sitting round in the balmy evening eating and drinking. Saw lots of vineyards on our way in to Blenheim and likely to see more! Didn’t find the old Masonic Hotel – Peter was a bit disappointed I think. But Blenheim looks like a nice little town with everything!
Need an early start so off to bed!
Day 3
Well we got the early start – Peter was awake a couple of times in the night saying – I’m awake – first time was 11.37pm ! He eventually got up at 4.14am so I didn’t fight the inevitable and got up. Very dark – but we were quickly breakfasted and away – lots of truck noise during the night but the Blenheim Holiday park would be a lovely place to put the caravan down by the stream in a lovely flat area. Quite warm during the night.
In the dark could just make out lots of vineyeard fences going past and not much else. We flashed past some probably good stopping places through Murchison – still in the dark! And then found somewhere beside the Buller river to stop and make a cuppa. Couldn’t see much of the river – although some spectacular gorge bits – narrow between rocky sides were evident. Looked very peaceful and clear – obviously not a storm recently. Going through lovely NZ tree fern bush with some beautiful beech trees with their mottled trunks ( Peter says they need thinning). A potentially nice stipping place near Lyell. Foggy and misty around the river. Then through Inangahua – a little country township – I couldnt see evidence of the earthquake although they had a tiny museum building which advertised photos of the earthquake. We were also starting to see the “creek” signs that always made me laugh eg “Big Deep Creek” then “Little Deep Creek” then “Deep Creek”…..
After Inangahua we drove through a valley – flat dairying country to Reefton – flat roads were a bit tempting and Peter must have got a heavy foot as he picked up a speeding ticket 9 123 k.hr! Nice young cop – but he still gave us a ticket.
Misty and low cloud over the hills on our left most of the way down the road. Lots of green grass – but this is the west Coast! From Reefton – City of Light ( firt town in the Southern
Hemisphere to get electricity – water driven) followed the Grey River ( braided and stony ) with lots of little creeks feeding in. Farms but well kept and unkempt – some novel housing but didn’t have time to explore. This was going to be a long day and we needed to keep going, however tempting.Franz Josef glacier – car park very full – walked to the Sentinel ROCk ( 10 min walk uphill – to a good lookout) Face too far to walk to and it was closed today un less with a guided party. Wow, safety rules havekickedin since the old days. Got a good vewi however- still a magnificent sight. NO helicopters because cloud layer was too low. Que sera!
Fox Glacier – the Access road – got quite close to the face and it looked better than I remember it – safety regulations are really stringent nowadays! The Viewing road was through some beautiful NZ tree fern and trees laden with epiphytes and although a good view I think we got a better view from the other road. Still cloud up high though and no helicopters doing flights.
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