Hereandthereclaire.com

I got up nice and early to ensure I was ready for the free shuttle bus to the ferry terminal (a nice YHA perk) The ferry journey from Wellington to Picton is supposed to be a fantastic journey. I was hoping not to be disappointed!

I managed to bag myself a great seat at the front of the ship, with big windows. I ended up sitting next to a lovely French lady who was traveling with her family. After getting settled and as the ferry left the dock I headed outside to get a view of the harbour and Wellington. I met up with an English guy and his daughter, he started to complain of feeling sick, I offered them some sea sickness tablets and he was like ‘oh ‘SeaLegs’ these are our favourite’…..well perhaps you should have bought some then, you feeble numpty! Also he was wearing sandals with socks….😳

The journey was nothing short of spectacular, and that was with low cloud and some rain! You travel round through the Wellington bays and then across the Cook Straight. We saw dolphins! and at one point the captain announced that there was a whale 300 meters of the port side, well by the time we had all jumped up and figured out which side was bloody Port the whale had buggered off! After the cook straight you head through a series of channels like fiords and then into the Queen Charlotte Sound, which was beautiful. I took lots of photos but I really don’t think they captured the colours, which were phenomenal, the greens and yellows on the hills and the sea was the most gorgeous blue/green.  It feels so surreal being on such a big ship traveling through such narrow channels, with hills on both sides. We finally arrived into Picton, which also looked amazing. The journey takes 3.5hrs and they are 3.5hrs of pure joy!

Once we arrived I grabbed my luggage and a cheese scone (haha, of course I did!!😂) and waited for the bus which was taking me to Kaikoura. I chatted to a wonderful lady who was 92 and had traveled from Auckland, by train, bus and ferry and was heading to Christchurch another 7hr bus ride to visit family, she was an inspiration, she said she thought this might be her last trip as she did like being reliant on others, she had a walking frame!! Bless her.

The bus trip was another stunning journey, through rolling green hills then past huge black mountains, with snow capped peaks in the background! At one point I had huge snow capped peaks on my right and the ocean and a massive seal colony on my left! Unreal. 😳😍 simply breathtaking.

To get to Kaikoura you travel along highway 1 which hugs the coast just before you come to the town, this is also where the seal colony is. I mention this because on 14th November 2016 at 12.02am the area was hit by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. Ruptures occurred along multiple faults and was a very complex quake. The Earthquake caused a huge amount of damage to structures in the town and also along the coast to road and rail links. Had the quake happened during daylight hours there would have been significant loss of life. The NZ road department has worked exceptionally hard to mend the road and travels links, as their loss had a big economic impact in the town. The work they have done and are still doing is remarkable.

Once I arrived in Kaikoura I needed to find my accommodation, which I knew was not far from the bus stop, I asked in a cafe for directions and was met with some degree of incredulity when I said ‘yes I was walking there, yes, with this huge case’! I was given 2 choices, 1. Walk up a short but very steep zig zag path. 2. Go the long way round, still up hill but not as steep. I opted for 1 😳 actually it was not that bad, I stopped to take photos on the way up, and uphill is much easier on my knees than downhill! Even dragging a 20kilo case, a backpack and a handbag! 😂 But it was so worth it!

The accommodation is fine, a basic, clean backpackers (I have a private room with en-suite! I’m not a student!) but the views….OMG! I am running out of superlatives for this place. There is a beautiful green field/garden by the side of the hostel which I can walk on and it takes you up even higher and then offers you a view of breathtaking quality. A misty sea, green hills, and snow capped mountains and sunset colours. Honestly it made me cry. After spending quite a while just soaking in the views, whilst listening to birds and the rumble of the ocean, i headed back to the hostel and then down to town for some dinner, I was pretty hungry by now, my cheese scone being long gone! I headed back down the zig zag hill..😵 and then had to decide between several pubs or a Thai, I decided to go for a pub, as I fancied a glass of wine and went to ‘The Whalers’ a local pub and hot spot (I was reliably informed) well it was pretty empty,  it it was only 5.30! I ordered a wine and a burger then sat down to try and write this blog, the WiFi had other ideas…very slow and kept dropping out. My wine and burger were fine, what was not great was the music! Seriously to god, what the fuck is wrong with places in NZ and their music! They were playing the Leona Lewis Classic ‘Cut me open’ but in the style of Lonnie Donegan ! I kid you not…how? Why? Who? Torture!  Then we had more classic 1950’s hits. I left and headed up the road to another cafe/diner/pub for another glass of wine, much needed after the assault on my ear drums only to find myself once again back listening to bloody Elvis and other shit bands from the 1950’s What the fuck  is going on? Have I fallen through some musical wormhole….? Is there a huge tax on modern music? Have I entered a parallel universe? Answers on a postcard please!

Anyway, once I left the musically challenged town I headed back up Zig Zag Hill and was rewarded for my efforts by the most fabulous star filled sky. I haven’t seen such a stunning sky since I was in Africa, on lake Kariba with Clint. So little light pollution, so beautiful.

So my absolutely fantastic start in South Island looks like it may not last! I have booked to go Whale Watching tomorrow, but have been reliably informed by a local that there is some serious weather, snow, storms due to arrive around 3am! Which means my whale watching is very doubtful, it also means I might be snowed in here! As they are predicting heavy snowfall! Bit gutted about the Whale Watching, but I’m here for a few days so I may get another chance, and really, what can you do. I love a bit of bad weather, just got to roll with it. Apparently there is a fabulous Lodge/ ski resort with spectacular views up on the snow fields that run transport from town, so that’s my current back up plan!

I’ll let you know in the morning.

Kia Ora from stunning South Island

💖🐳🐬❄️🏔

 

 

My morning started at 7am in a very New Zealand fashion….A large school group that had been staying at the hostel started their morning by doing a Haka right under my window!! I couldn’t see them unfortunately but I certainly heard them!! Brilliant. 😍 I then spent the next hour or so doing my laundry, which wasn’t a hardship as the laundry room here looks out over the Harbour, so I made a cup of tea and sat by the window while my washing got done!

It was another gorgeous day in Wellington so I headed off out, stopped for my now obligatory Cheese Scone and a flat white! Then walked along the waterfront, stopping to have a look in the City Art Gallery and an exhibition of Modernist art, whilst it was interesting it wasn’t really my thing so I didn’t stay long, unfortunately this was the only open exhibition on at the moment. After this I headed into the city and back to Cuba Street. It was certainly busier and all the shops etc were open. I found the most fabulous book shop ‘Pegasus Books’ it was like a real old fashioned book and curio shop, with floor to ceiling books and funny little bits and pieces. It also had proper book shelf ladders!! The whole place was wonderful. When I left the book shop I walked past a nail shop, which was empty and made a snap decision to have a Spa Pedicure, the reason being, 1. I needed my toe nails cut, and I have no nail clippers 2. My feet were bloody killing me. 3. I get to have a foot massage! It was heavenly ☺️ After my lovely treat I continued to explore Cuba Street, the Second Hand shops are great but quite pricey, more vintage than Oxfam.

Then I walked back down to the waterfront and visited The Wellington Museum, small but interesting. Mainly focused on maritime history.

After a short rest back at the YHA I was off out for dinner with Angela, Brendan and their friends Sal and Sharon. We went to a restaurant on Oriental Bay called Beach Babylon, they do a special 2 for 1 offer on a Monday, which Brendan and Sal made the most off! It was lovely to meet Sharon and Sal they are all very funny and made me feel very welcome. After dinner we visited a yummy gelato place by the YHA and had delicious ice cream. It has been wonderful to meet Angela and Brendan, they are truly lovely people who it has been pleasure to get to know. Thank you guys. 😘

Tomorrow I am catching the ferry across to South Island, everyone tells me it will be spectacular and I don’t doubt that for a second. I have loved my time in North Island I have seen and done some pretty fantastic things.

Here are some random thoughts about North Island and particularly Wellington:

They like old school music 🎵

They sell the most fantastic ranch of ladies ankle boots….I have been sorely tempted!

There are a large number of very tall older men, especially in Wellington! Odd

There are also loads of barber shops 💈 

Cheese Scones are a massive deal. 👍😍

Lots of great Street Art 🖼

The Wine!!

Very Fancy men’s shoes.

Thats it for today.

South Island here I come!! 💕💕

 

I decided not to go to the All Blacks Hotel last night, it felt a little stalkerish!! In the end I popped next door to the small supermarket and had a nice hotel picnic and an early night, I’m so Hard Core..Not 😂

I had a quiet and leisurely morning, wandered down to the waterfront stopped for coffee and yet another Cheese Scone!! (Slightly obsessed 😋) then I met up with the lovely Angela and Brendan, Corys Dad and Step Mum. They very kindly came and picked me up from the city centre then we headed out around the Coast to Island Bay which is where they live. It was amazing, the coast is very beautiful and then as you come round the bend there before you across the sea are the snow capped Mountains of South Island!! It was stunning. I had no idea you could see the South Island from Wellington. We stopped and had a yummy brunch in a fab place by the beach called The Beach House. Then Angela and Brendan showed me their stunning home. Well I thought I had a pretty good view from my apartment, but the view from their house is awesome, between the hills across the sea and South Island!! The whole area of Island Bay is fab, definitely somewhere I could live! 😁

After lunch Brendan had to head out to meet friends to prepare for the match! So Angela took me up to the lookout at the top of Mount Victoria which has gorgeous views across Wellington and out through the mountains. It was a little cloudy, which just made it feel more atmospheric. Such a fabulous Day, thank you Angela and Brendan, you stars!!

After this I went back to the hotel to make my own preparations for the Match! My preparations involved putting on a warm jumper, grabbing my new All Black Scarf and flag and heading to the pub for a couple of pre match JD’s! The pub was packed with people having drinks and food before the game, the atmosphere was great, friendly and lively. I did feel a little odd as I was the only person in their own, I was also the only one not wearing black I had on a rather conspicuous Red Jacket! but hey ho! 😁 I headed to the stadium a little early as I’d never been before and wanted to get my bearings. I simply followed the crowds. It was a pretty short walk and a very simple process to get in. I found my seat which was almost as high up as you could get!! But the view!! Wow!! I was so excited to be there. My first ever live rugby match and it’s watching the All Blacks v Springboks in New Zealand, it doesn’t get better than that!! Whilst I was supporting the All Blacks a part of me was secretly  cheering on the Springboks, Clint would have loved this.

The stadium seemed pretty empty for a while and then about 10 mins before kick off it was full! The All Blacks and Rugby is almost like a religion here, they also had a couple of local Wellington lads playing so the crowds where buzzing!

Watching the Haka live was absolutely bloody brilliant!

I ended up sitting next to a very prim and proper young woman who was drinking her Lemon, honey and ginger tea, I was on the bourbon! She was lovely but quite reserved, that is until the loud party group sat on the other side of her offered her a bourbon! Then she was well away!! 😂

The match was great, the Springboks definitely played better in the first half, then in the 2nd half the All Blacks were great and were on for the win until 2 mins before the final whistle when the Springboks scored a Try and converted it!! This meant it was a draw, a fair score in my opinion but I think this opinion was a minority one! 😂 A really amazing experience for me, I bloody loved it.

I headed back to the hotel on a bit of a high, stopped for a quick drink in the hotel bar and then bed. A ripper of a day! 😍🏉😍

Today I have moved out of my hotel and back to the YHA. I had a wander around an area called Cuba Street, which is full of great food places, shops and charity/vintage shops, it was nice but I think it might be better tomorrow when everything is open.  So I headed back to the waterfront and went to the Te Papa Museum. I wasn’t sure what to expect but it was fantastic.

The Museum is very interesting and has lots of exhibitions, ones about the natural world,  volcanoes and earthquakes, lost species. The story of Light and Shadow, the land the people and stories of Rongowhakaata. Art exhibits and photography exhibitions, but the one I found the most powerful was Called ‘Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War’ which has been put on by the museum in conjunction with Weta Workshops, Weta are a special effects company founded by Peter Jackson they did the special effects for Lord of the Rings,  The Hobbit and Avatar among others. The exhibition is unbelievable, it tells the story of Gallipoli through the eyes of 8 ordinary New Zealander’s who found themselves in extraordinary circumstances. The displays and models made by Weta are staggering, they are on a huge scale at least 3 times larger than life but so incredibly detailed they look completely real. I found the exhibition very informative and deeply moving. When I came out a sat with another lady who was also very moved, we sat together in contemplation until we were calm and composed.

Tonight I am staying in, having another Hotel/hostel picnic and getting an early night. I feel a little tired today! Far to much excitement me thinks! 😂

Kia Ora Gorgeous ones. ❤️❤️❤️

 

I had enjoyed my last night in Napier, I spent the evening sitting at the hotel bar chatting to the staff and drinking tea (yes, tea! 😳 I had an early start!!) Then my friend David from Sunday night came in, we had another lovely chat and then he asked me if I was a trained Barista, and did I fancy making him a coffee in my room!! 😁☺️ Well, whilst I was flattered (he clearly hasn’t seen my Latta Art!) I politely declined…although I’m sure the ‘Coffee’ would have been fun!

I managed to wake up at 6am for my bus to Wellington, I headed off to the bus stop on foot much to the surprise of the Receptionist, who had clocked the size of my case and wanted to order me a taxi! The drive to Wellington was really great, the morning started off very misty and atmospheric, especially as we were driving through the mountains, it was also a little scary lots of hairpin bends. Once the mist and cloud lifted it was beautiful, you arrive into Wellington driving along the coast for a while which was great. I grabbed a taxi and went to my accommodation, the YHA. I quickly dropped of my stuff and went out to explore. The YHA is in a great location very close to the waterfront so that’s where I headed. The harbour is big and gorgeous, especially in the sunshine. As I was mooching along I bumped into Claire and Pete the guys from my Napier Wine Tour! (I had also bumped into the previous day in the Napier Museum) we chatted and then arranged to meet for dinner along the waterfront. I continued with my walk and sightseeing. I like Wellington, it’s large but not huge and easy to navigate, having a large waterfront helps.

I met up with Claire and Pete and we had a nice Italian meal and some good NZ wine they are thinking of making some big changes, moving to NZ possibly and ultimately opening a coffee shop!! So we had lots to talk about. Pete very kindly and unexpectedly paid for the meal, bless him. I walked back to the YHA along the waterfront and although it was Latish, 10.30, and dark it didn’t feel threatening, there were a few couples wandering along enjoying their evening. I got home and went to my bed. I’m glad to say that this YHA had anticipated the cold weather and had provided a working heater and a large fleecy blanket!! I slept very snuggly.

This morning I had arranged to go and say hi to a lady called Angela. Angela is the step-mum of the lovely Cory,  In a weird set of circumstances, involving coffee, gifts and pure luck! we had arranged to meet up when I was in Wellington, and as she worked just round the corner from The YHA I said I’d pop in and say hi.  This is I did and Angela is fabulous! We are going out for lunch tomorrow, which I’m sure will be lots of fun! Angela also happened to mention that the All Blacks would be down on the waterfront doing some promo for the match tomorrow. My plans to go up on the cable car were quickly rescheduled, I grabbed a taxi to move to my new accommodation (the YHA is booked for the weekend…rude)  and hot footed it to Queens Quay, and the they were! I managed to get the best ever selfies! Seriously, these guys are bloody gorgeous! Whilst I was in the queue the official photographer asked the family in front of me if one of the kids would like to do a Haka photobomb? I was like “Yes!, Me, please” so I got the chance…hey kids, sorry, not sorry!! The picture is very comical, I look a little demented, perhaps not the look the photographer was going for, but hey ho! It was great fun! I now have a poster signed by 9 of the All Blacks team a flag to wave about at tomorrow’s game and some priceless selfies!! A very good start to my Friday. 😍

I spent the rest of the day walking through the botanical gardens, which you get to on the cable car. The gardens are wonderful, the smells were amazing. I also spotted my first native bird, a parrot of some sort. I asked about the lack of exotic birds and was told that when us British came here the island was full of a huge variety of native birds, but as we liked to do, we wanted our new country to be like England so we bought in sparrows, starlings and other non native species, we also bought in predators such as stoats, which had a damaging effect on the native wildlife….such arrogance and ignorance is so sad.

I am currently sitting in the hotel bar, which is mobbed, lots of people in town for the match. I’m debating whether to head across the road to the Intercontinental Hotel and just chill in their bar, I hear it’s lovely and a certain Rugby Team might just be staying there! 😂

Anyway that’s it for now, quite an exciting few days! Loving life at the moment.

Kia Ora sweeties.

 

I had my evening meal at the Indian recommend to me by the guys on the wine tour. It was amazing, the best thing about it was the Mushroom and truffle infused Naan Bread…OMG! 🤤🤤 so delicious. The entertainment was supplied by the young guy sitting next to me with his girlfriend who managed to knock a whole plate of Tikka Masala on the floor!! I could see it happening and in the panic to either stop it or move out of the way I spilt my glass of water everywhere! 😂 Very comical., albeit very messy!

Today I have spent the day visiting the museum, walking around town admiring the architecture, and looking in the gorgeous shops, I have seen some fab boots, but so far have resisted buying any! Although it is ‘winter’ here the temperature is around 15 – 18 degrees, but people are walking around in big coats, hats, gloves, whilst I am in my short sleeved shirt and a little wrap! Seriously I sometimes wonder if I’m from another planet!!

Had a yummy lunch in a great deli across from the hotel, the portion was huge! They are also the makers of the epic cheese scones!

So some very exciting news for my next destination, Wellington. I have managed to get a ticket to see the All Blacks play the Springboks!! I’m so excited. I was really hoping to be able to see the All Blacks while I was here in New Zealand but to see them against South Africa is fabulous! 😍😍 The game is a lead up to the World Cup later in the year, but I’m sure it will be just as competitive.

I have enjoyed my time here in Napier, and learning more about the devastating earthquake here in 1930 and how the town rebuilt and prospered has been fascinating. Although the Earthquake caused massive structural damage, followed by an equally devastating fire and a large number of deaths. It was also responsible for Napier’s and the Hawke’s Bay regions continuing success. This is because the earthquake raised the land up by over 2.5 meters, this was particularly significant around the harbours which has resulted in a great deal more useable and fertile land.

I am leaving for Wellington tomorrow, bus leaves at 7.15am so an early start. Another long bus ride, but hopefully with clear sky’s and fantastic views!

Kia Ora ❤️❤️

 

 

 

 

 

So after my lovely couple of cocktails and writing my blog I decided to head out for some dinner. They do lovely food in the hotel but it tends to be lots of meat, chips, and large sharing platters…not helpful when you are on your own! So I left and walked along the Marina road where I had seen a couple of Indian and Thai places on my bike ride. I opted for the Thai Hut, a small place which looked cute. I’m not exactly sure what is happening in the NZ music scene, suffice to say that practically every place I have been seems to be stuck in the 1950’s and 60’s Seriously, these are tunes I haven’t heard since I was a child, for example. The ‘Banana Boat Song’ by Harry  Balafonte! Sad to say I knew the words…😳 Anyway, music aside the food was great, I had my usual,  veg spring Rolls and Vegatable fried rice, which wasn’t on the menu but they made especially for me, it was bloody gorgeous!

After this I headed back to the hotel and resisted another drink and went to bed.

After a good night I woke up ready for the day, albeit with a slightly sore arse! (thanks to the cycling) I spent a thrilling morning doing laundry. The hotel have a handy little laundry area for guests! I stuck some washing on a went out for a bite to eat. I am very happy to report that New Zealand seem to have an affinity with Cheese Scones!!! Praise the Lord! 👐👐👐 I bloody love a Cheese Scone! And today’s was superb! In my excitement I forgot to Photograph it! But trust me it was epic! After this I had a quick walk around looking at the magnificent Art Deco Buildings then back to the hotel to wait for my Wine Tour.

The lovely Peter arrived to collect me, and I met Marty, a local who was checking out the tour in order to sell and promote it in the summer. We drove to a large and very beautiful winery called Mission Estates which is owned by the Catholic Church 😳 and leased to another company, it used to be a winery and Seminary but now is just about the wine. The building was gorgeous and had been moved bit by bit back in 1909 due to flooding on its original position, a remarkable feat considering the tools they had at their disposal back then. The move only took 12months, impressive! We picked up 2 more people; Peter & Claire (easy to remember!) they were both from the UK, although Claire is currently teaching in Bangkok. We visited 3 Wineries, Moana Park, Vidal (part of Villa Maria) and Ashridge. They were all very different but the wines were great! My Favourites of the day were a Pinot Gris from Moana, and a Viognier also from Moana! I also quite liked a couple of the Chardonnays. We tried a few reds, they were pleasant but they just don’t do it for me. By the end of the tour you are feeling a little tipsy and chilled! I have to say it’s a rather fabulous way to spend a cloudy Tuesday afternoon, beautiful scenery, fabulous wine and good company!

I’m now back in the Hotel bar, in my usual spot drinking water….yes, water! Before venturing out to have an Indian at a restaurant recommend by my fellow wine tour buddies! I think a glass of wine before I leave might be in order!

Kia Ora my lovelies. 😍😍

 

 

 

 

After a rather disturbed nights sleep, I was warm enough thanks to the extra blanket and the socks! However there was a huge party going on in Rotorua this was due to The Maori All Blacks winning their match against Fiji, in Rotorua! I didn’t mind the partying, I love a party 😍  What I did mind was having to listen to some complete knob standing beneath my window at 2.30am having a cigarette and trying to impress the 2 young girls with him, I have never had to listen to such a pile of self centred drivel in my life!

Today I am heading to Napier, the bus takes approx 5hrs and is going to be packed, with this in mind I arrived early and managed to get a pretty good seat. The bus is full of school kids heading back home or to their Boarding schools after the holidays, all of them traveling alone, which is unusual. The lad behind me was only 11, to be fair he did look about 17! In fact a lot of the boys looked quite old and some had full sleeve Maori tattoos. They were all dressed smartly in their uniforms and were very well behaved on the bus. I ended up with an older lady called Noleen sitting next to me, she was heading home to Palmerston North, she seemed pleasant enough, however, after nearly 5 hrs I wanted to slap her! She had a really whispery quiet voice and would start talking to me while turned away, the bus is pretty noisy, so after I’d said “pardon” for the 200087th time I thought she might get the hint and raise her voice, but no, she just kept whispering random bits of information at me, I missed the first sentence of everything she said and just had to try and figure out what she was going in about……🤯

Anyway the drive was fantastic, the bus travels to Lake Taupo then up through a huge mountain range, the views were stunning. There are lots of pine forests, pine is a huge export for NZ. There were also lots of sheep and cows, also huge exports.

I arrived in Napier in the afternoon. Napier is a beautiful town. It was rebuilt in the 1930’s after a devastating earthquake demolished most of the buildings. It was subsequently rebuilt in the Art Deco Style. My Hotel is in a gorgeous Art Deco building  and is decorated accordingly, it’s fabulous. The town had held their Winter Art Deco Festival on the weekend I arrived and in the hotel that evening they had a final gathering and everyone was in costume! It was brilliant to see the clothes and the cars and the overall effort people had made.

I spent a lovely few hours people watching at the gorgeous bar whilst enjoying a cocktail or 2! The first was called ‘Art Deco’ and it was amazing, the whole drink is served within a round ice shell!! I then spent another view hours chatting to a lovely guy called David, he is from Brisbane but is working here in Napier at the port (something to do with fuel and logistics) So all in all a good start to my stay here. 😍

Today (Monday) I was due to be going on a Hawke’s Bay wine tour but sadly I received an email cancelling as I was the only customer!! Luckily they have booked me on a tour for tomorrow, when I won’t be a Billy No Mates! As the weather was great, warm and sunny I decided to go on a bike ride. There are lots of designated cycle ways around Napier which follow the coast, they are also pretty flat, which is a huge bonus!! I hired my bike for 4hrs and off I went! It was great fun cycling along with lots to see, the views are pretty nice! I also cycled past the port where I could see the pine waiting to be loaded on to container ships for export. All the wood made the area around the port smell lovely!

I managed to find a wonderful old Art Deco building near the water which is now an Urban Winery, which happened to have a Cellar Door Tasting! Result. The Winery specialises in Chardonnay, and some of them are aged in Cement Eggs…all new and very clever! My favourite was a wine called ‘Fat & Sassy’ 😍 I had a lovely chilled tasting all by myself then cycled a little further before stopping for a light lunch, chips and wine!! 😂 before heading back to town. All together I cycled around 18km.

Since arriving in Napier I have changed my plans a little. I was due to go back to Lake Taupo for 2 nights then onto Wellington, but having stopped in Lake Taupo on the way here and read up on it, I decided that without a car and not wanting to do any extreme sports etc it might not be the place for me. It would also make the bus journey to Wellington near on 7.5hrs, which is a bit long. So after much deliberation I changed everything, I managed to cancel my hotel booking without incurring a fee thanks to a begging email! And change my bus journeys on my App! Go me. I am now staying in Napier for an extra night and added a night in Wellington. I feel much happier with my new plan.

I am currently sitting in the hotel bar having another cocktail (no surprises there!) whilst writing this. Not a bad way to spend a Monday evening!

Have a great day guys. Kia Ora. X

The Internet is playing up! So I will publish photos later. X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I left Auckland on a cold, grey, rainy morning! No surprise to know that I opted for a taxi to the bus station! The walk was definitely to far in the rain, the hotel next door agreed with me and were  happy to order a taxi for me!

My bus to Rotorua was great, more crowded than I expected  but apparently it’s the last few days of the NZ school hols, so lots of people heading home etc.

I had a rather interesting guy sitting behind me, a little tipsy, and very vocal on his mobile, I hope his Nan gives him the $10,000 and he enjoyed the pie his sister was making for him and I really hope him and his brother make things up!! 😍

I was looking forward to the scenery on my bus journey, but sadly due to the rubbish weather it was like traveling through twilight the whole way, not helped by the rain! We did go through and past  some interesting places, Huntley, with its massive Thermal Power station, the largest in NZ (Sorry no pics) Huntly is on the banks of the Waikato River the longest River in NZ. We also passed through lots of farm land, cattle and sheep mostly. This is all surrounded by mountains, although these were shrouded in cloud and mist!

After nearly 5hrs we arrived in Rotorua, it was dark, and only a light drizzle, It was a short 10min walk to my accommodation, my first experience of NZ’s YHA! Well, it all started brilliantly, an upgrade to a double en-suite, from my booked single! The room is small, but had everything you would need, towels, even some small (very small) toiletries. I dropped off my stuff and headed out for some much needed food. Handily the clever people of Rotorua have a street called ‘Eat Street’ which means I don’t have to wander all over the place looking for sustenance! The only trouble is when you’re really hungry lots of choice is too much! I finally opted for  simple burger and chips, which were yummy! Then headed back to the YHA to bed! For some reason I am still really tired, delayed jet lag??

After a cold night! Yes, Cryogenic Claire got cold!! Very thin covers on the bed and an outside temp of 3degrees! I was awake around 7am I got in the shower, which was wonderful and hot!! Stayed there till my feet warmed up! Then got dressed and headed out. Thank god the weather had improved, blue skies and some sunshine! I walked down to the lake front. The lake is very large and forms part of the valley/crater created some 2000 yrs ago when there was a huge explosion, I think a possible Caldera eruption, this would also explain why there is so much Geothermal activity in and around Rotorua.  After the lake front I had to go shopping, not my favourite thing, especially as it was for boring stuff, not a beautiful Green Stone/jade necklace! instead it was for  pair of socks that will stay up!! Having found said socks, and paid £10, seriously! They best not fall down, ever! I headed over towards the park, and some geothermal pools. When I got there there was a local food market going on which was great. The local people here certainly like their meat with a side of meat and possibly some fried things! The smells were great, and there were also lots of vegetables, which you can buy to cook to go with your meat! 😂

after a mooch around here it was time for my tour. I was going off to visit the movie set of Hobbiton! A few facts first. The original set, built for Lord of the Rings in 1999,  was a temporary site, built on land owned by a local farming family, the Alexander’s. Then in 2009 the whole thing was rebuilt for the Hobbit Films. It was decided then to build everything as permanent structures. It took 2 years to build and filming there was done in 12 days!! Peter Jackson’s attention to detail is phenomenal! The bus for the tour left Rotorua with only 4 people! Which was fab as it was like having a private tour. The ride there was so good as I got to see the scenery I had missed the day before, stunning!

The Movie set is really fabulous, and it was especially fun as one of the girls on our bus was a huge fan and she was super excited! She also happened to be tiny and very hobbit like, in the best way!

When I was planning my trip to NZ, Dave one of my friends and a great CotC customer had challenged me to do a Haka at Hobbiton! If I did he promised to put £20 of suspended coffee on our list, well, never one to shirk a challenge I aimed to give it a go! There were a few issues! First I don’t know how to do a Haka. Second, neither did our driver, guide or any of my fellow passengers! (One lovely German guy didn’t even know what a Haka was!) Third, you cant just pretend to do a Haka as this would be culturally inappropriate and disrespectful. So it was looking like the challenge would be lost. Then we arrived at Hobbitons best drinking establishment: The Green Dragon! I asked a couple of the staff, explaining what and why I wanted to do it and behold the lovely Jackie came forward, a beautiful young Maori girl who does Hakas at competitions!! She was happy to show me, so off we went outside, 1 minute of practice and a Haka was performed! Short but sweet! 😂😂 The staff thought it was brilliant, and the video may well appear on their FB page! (God forbid!) so, Dave Maulin, that’s £20 you now owe CotC, challenge completed!!

After this fabulous day I headed back to Rotorua. I had a glass of wine in a nice bar in Eat Street, then opted for some Thai Rice for dinner. I stopped at another nice pub on the way back To the YHA, chatted to a nice Maori guy called Tommy who answered lots of my random questions, bless him. Apparently Rotorua has the largest number of Maori people in the world, so it is a cultural centre.

Tomorrow I am heading to Napier, but for now its bedtime for me, Glad to say I have a spare blanket and my new fancy socks to keep me warm!

Oh, just to say we are 6/6 on the rainbow front!! 🌈🌈

I Can’t upload the Haka video, so I’ll pop it in my FB page. X

Good night/Good Morning. 😘😘

 

 

 

 

 

 

God! It’s so hard keeping track of the days! When you don’t have a routine and you are living in the future it can get very confusing! (Added to which I am easily confused!)

Anyway I think this is Day 6 & 7!

Having been to the top of the Sky Tower,  but not being allowed to have a drink in the revolving restaurant, I decided to book lunc for today.  There is a minimum spend of $30, which is approx £15 I felt I could realistically spend this (on wine alone!) it meant that I could relax and enjoy the view without demented children trying to freak me out! It also meant that I could have a lie in and not rush about first thing.

I got up at a respectable 8.30ish and headed out to continue with my hop on hop off bus tour. This time the bus went to the east of the city, it was great, there is lots to see, and some interesting historical information regarding Land reclamation, land grabs and the fights that the Maori people have had to go through to protect their lands.

After the bus tour finished I headed up to ‘Orbit 360’ to enjoy my lunch with a view!

The restaurant is lovely, the views spectacular and the food was delicious! The restaurant revolves round although it does it very slowly (thank god!) I’m sure in the summer when there is no clouds or rain the views must be awesome, they are pretty good with cloud and rain, the added bonus being we get rainbows (I’ve now seen a rainbow everyday I’ve been here! ) after my luscious lunch I had a wander down to the Marina again, the sky’s were dark and it looked like a storm was heading in. I then walked back up through the city, had a look in some shops, decided not to queue up for Gucci, how very common darling!! I Found a fabulous independent book shop called ‘Unity’ Grantley would love it!

eventually I came back to the apartment, around 6pm, tired and still a little jet lagged, I think this must have been the reason I ended up watching an episode of ‘Love Island’!! OMG! I’m not even sure it’s this years, it could be any year! I followed up this cultural eye opener with Hawaii 5 O! Sadly not the original (Book ‘em Danno!) 😂😂

After this I made my way to bed! I managed to get another reasonable nights sleep, although I was woken up by some bizarre amplified singing type thing around 1pm!  Odd.

This morning I was up early, showered and out of the apartment by 9am. I was hoping to spend the day visiting Waiheke Island. I had a brochure, detailing my options. There are lots of Wineries on the island and I could have done a wine tour. In the end I opted to just do the Hop on Hop off bus with the ferry included, this then gives me the option to stop at several wineries as well as other points of interest.

The ferry arrived promptly, and I jump aboard, I found a great seat with good views outside, which was fab until the ferry started to move at which point the cold air and wind was a little too much! The ferry takes 40 mins to get to Waiheke from Auckland.

I must admit it was nice to get out of the city. We pass the volcanic island of Rangitoto, which is still active and last erupted 600 years ago (which is not really that long ago in volcanic terms!) Auckland is built on several volcanoes, Maungawhau, (Mount Eden) Maungakieke (one tree hill) Pukekawa (Auckland Domain) to name a few. (Jenna you really need to visit!!)

The island of Waiheke is absolutely beautiful, it felt totally different to Auckland, Green, hilly, with gorgeous beaches! I definitely felt like I was in another country here. Auckland City is fab, but it is like many other cities.

I jumped onto the bus and headed to the main little town/village called Oneroa, which was so lovely, the beach was fab and it had lots of amazing little independent shops and cafes. The guide on the bus informs us that house prices in Waiheke are really high, a house just sold for $21 million NZ dollars! The average price is around $300 NZ! I can understand why! It is a stunning island. I had some brunch in Oneroa, with a lovely view over the beach, joined by some very bold sparrows!! Then I jumped back on the bus to explore a bit more. The island isn’t that big so once I got to the other side, Onetangi, I jumped off again and had a walk along the beautiful sandy beach and dipped my toes into the Pacific Ocean! 😍

back on the bus again this time time in search of a good winery! I decided to stop at Mudbricks Vineyard, it has a good reputation and the grounds looked fabulous.

The Cellar door was $10 NZ for 4 wines, a bargain I felt, I ended up chatting to the lovely lady doing the tasting ( she was originally from Surrey!)  and tried 6 including a sparkling wine for the same price!! They were really very good, I surprised myself by liking the Chardonnay! Although my fav was the Sauvignon Blanc. The grounds and the views were breathtaking. After Mudbricks I went to Cable Bay Vineyard, which is just down the road. It has a great reputation and their wines are supposed to be good, but the whole experience was lacking for me, no personal touch, not great views. I much preferred Mudbricks!!

After my tastings and a bowl of chips and another glass of wine I headed down to catch the ferry back to Auckaland. Once on board the ferry I spotted another stunning rainbow! I am now 6/6 a rainbow everyday I’ve been here!! 😍🌈

I am now back in the apartment, sipping some wine (surprise, surprise!) having stopped on the way home for some Vegetable fried rice in the little local place across the road! I did have some trouble ordering, I had wanted chicken fried rice with vegetables, but apparently this is not an option, it’s either chicken or vegetable god forbid the 2 shall meet!! 😳😳 but hey ho I was happy to forgo the meat (as I’m sure you are Nikki and Georgia’s!)

Tomorrow I am leaving Auckland and heading south to Rotorua! It’s a 4.5hr bus drive through the middle of the island, which I think will be fab! I’ve  Just got to work out the logistics of getting me, my case and backpack up 3 short but very steep hills to the bus station! ( drag it? Push it, or pop  next door to the hotel and ask them to phone a taxi for me!!?) decisions, decisions!!! 😂😂

night all! Or actually I think  it’s Morning all! 😍😘😘

 

 

 

My time in Singapore, living the dream has sadly come to an end and it’s now time for me to head to the other side of the world!

Having tried unsuccessfully to check in using my newly acquired Singapore Airlines App, (bloody Apps! I knew this was a bad idea Tracey!) I arrived a little early at the airport to find out that the flight had been delayed by an hour…and that the reason I couldn’t use said “Bloody App” is that the Flight is with Air New Zealand, not Singapore Airlines, Sorry Tracey! Note to self always read your paperwork in full! 🤦‍♀️

I was the first person to check in but was told that I had a centre seat, my worst nightmare on a long flight! I begged the guy to find me an aisle seat, but as the flight was pretty much full he said it was unlikely, gutted! I mooched around the airport, trying not to buy stuff or miss my boarding time (memories from Singapore airport last year!) when I arrived at check in I was told that they had found me an aisle seat Hallelujah!!!!! Happy days, not only was it an aisle seat the seat in the middle was empty, and it had a fab foot rest! Ok, it was surrounded on all side my small, tired, toddlers….but it was in the aisle! Noise cancelling headphones: godsend! A pretty enjoyable 9.5hr flight later I arrived in Auckland, Happy  but sleep deprived. As we came in to land there was a wonderful rainbow across the sky!! 🌈💕 ( I thought of you Hayley!)  what a marvellous welcome.

I decided to get the bus to the city, this was simple, fast and cheap, it also dropped me very close to my Airbnb. I picked up the keys and followed the very detailed instructions (having made sure I read ALL of them!) and arrived in my apartment. The apartment is lovely, small but tidy, clean and well stocked with a comfy bed and fantastic views! It is also very central.

I decided to head straight out to explore and to try and stay awake for as long as possible. I walked down through the town to the Marina, there seems to be lots of building work going on around the Marina, but it lovely, pretty quiet, but it is Monday and winter. Although it’s a winter it feels more like a spring or autumn day in the UK, the sun is shining which is a bonus.

I managed to stay awake until 7.15pm then had to go to bed!

I slept pretty well, the City isn’t that noisy, no car horns or shouting. I woke at 9ish and dozed for another hour.

I have decided to try and take it easy for the next couple of days as I try and get over the jet lag and sleep deprivation. I wandered up to the bus station and booked my bus tickets for the next 2 weeks, then took a ride to the top of Aucklands Sky Tower, which is 328 meters tall and reassuringly will stay standing in the event of a magnitude 8 earthquake!! The views are amazing a 360 panorama.

You can do a bungy jump from the tower and also a Sky Walk around the edge, I did consider doing the sky walk, until I nearly had a panic attack simply standing on the glass floor panels!! I had to endure the humiliation of some 10 year old child telling me it’s safe, whilst jumping up and down on it like a nutter! Well, they said the Titanic was safe pal, and that didn’t end so well!! After a sit down and some deep breathing!  I took a bus tour round the western part of the city, past an area called Ponsonby, which looks great, older and quirky! If I have time I will head back there to explore some more. I also saw another couple of stunning rainbows! 🌈 😍

My first impressions of Auckland are great, the people seem friendly and helpful, there are lots of places to eat and visit, it reminds me of cities in Australia. I think the real New Zealand will present itself when I leave here and travel further through the North Island.

Thats all for now guys.