Sunday 24 February 2013

New Zealand – Where did we go?


We are now back in Christchurch, at the end of our trip to New Zealand. We fly back to London tomorrow.

We did 5,009 kms / 3,112 miles, on two clockwise loops on both islands, starting and finishing in Christchurch. This is where we went....



The South Island....
Very few people
Beautiful
Mountains and glaciers
Rugged
Twisty roads
Remote
Lots of sheep and cows

The North Island....
More people
Bigger cities
Flatter
Better beaches
More to see and do
Straighter roads

Recommended? Definitely, it is a great country, with great people!

Wednesday 20 February 2013

The Coromandel Peninsula


Are these abseilers, or are they window cleaners?....



Rogey will recognise this place. Driving out of Auckland, we happened to go back to one of the places Rogey and I had been to just the day before. Jackie is of course sporting her newly obtained and stylish footwear....



The beach near Maraeati....



To the east of Auckland is The Firth of Thames and along its edge is the East Coast Road. Beautiful to look at, this wouldn’t be the most comfortable of beaches to sunbath on....



I believe these may be wild turkeys, but I am not sure....



Seen in the town of Thames....



Our main target for the day was to drive around the Coromandel Peninsula. I had heard it was spectacular and was a terrific road to drive / ride. That certainly wasn’t wrong. Here are some of the pictures....











Fellow blogger, Geoff James, lives near Coromandel. Sadly, we were not able to meet as Geoff and his wife Jennie were away on their own holiday, so we took this picture for them....



I liked the look of the town, which seemed to have most things needed for those living nearby. I especially liked the look of the local hotel....



We didn’t however stay at the hotel and drive further to Tairua, where we stayed in a small cabin....

14

Tuesday 19 February 2013

Don’t Go Near His Pool....


If you read someone’s blog for long enough, you get a sense of what a person is like. Over time, you begin to understand the way they write, what they like to do, who they hang around with and what they like to do.

Very occasionally, you get to meet someone whose blog you read and you immediately feel comfortable with them, because it feels like you have known them for a considerable time. You haven’t of course, but you FEEL as if you have.

On Sunday, I met fellow blogger, Rogey, who lives in Auckland. A broad, grinning face beamed out at me as we met and it was as if we had been friends for a long time. Roger had collected me from the centre of the city and with Taylor, his very cheerful and pleasant daughter in the back of the car, we made our way out to his house.

After meeting his partner, Fay, an exchange of gifts from two different sides of our planet, Roger did what just what I hoped he would, when he said “Wanna go for a ride, mate?” You bet I did!

Luckily, a helmet fitted and very soon the two of us were riding through Auckland suburbs with me on Roger’s BMW G650GS that he once described as “a bloody hoot.” He was right – it was easy to ride and great fun.

Roger lead the way on his Triumph Sprint and it was easy to tell that he was a terrific and confident rider. His IAM training and road-craft were good to witness from behind, as he always seemed to have lots of time, was always in the right position on the road and took great care when approaching potential hazards.

On the other hand, I was trying to get used to riding a new bike and kept forgetting to cancel the turn signals (why can’t all bikes have self-cancelling indicators like my Harleys?)

We swapped bikes and I took my chance to ride the Triumph. I wasn’t used to the forward-leaning position and found it unusual and slightly awkward at first. I am used to big foot controls and wide mirrors and the Sprint has neither, so my feet seemed to struggle to find the tiny gear change lever and I kept having to bring my elbows in to see anything behind.

The power and the brakes were (much) better than my Harley, but after a few minutes of riding I began to get used to the bike.

Roger led us to a beach on what I took to be a large lake, but was in fact the sea, surrounded on most sides by land.



Lunch and the continued ride followed before we returned to Rogers house. I became much more use to riding the Triumph and was able to relax more and enjoy the ride. The further I rode it, the easier it got, but I just couldn’t get used to having to remember to cancel those darn turn signals! It’s not my kind of motorcycle, but I enjoyed riding it.

Roger putting the bikes away....



Having left her behind at the hotel still nursing a very sore foot, we checked up on Jackie, whose was sad she couldn’t join us. Her foot was giving her considerable grief and we agreed a visit to a hospital the next day would be needed. Roger had planned a relaxed Sunday afternoon /early evening BBQ (although, I think it is obligatory to say “barby” at this point) and soon some of his friends came to join us. Two huge legs of lamb were soon prepared and left to cook on the Weber....



Two more of Rogers friends, Bruce and Lucy arrived with their children and while standing at the edge of the pool, mischievous Roger gave them a push and all three ended up in the water....



They must be REALLY good friends as the three of them just stood there laughing! They took it well, particularly Lucy who unlike a lot of women would, thought this very funny. Good sports, Bruce and Lucy were soon found some dry clothes!

Roger was a remarkably good host and a great cook, and I had a terrific meal in great company.





The daughter of one of Roger’s other friends, Jackie, had made a delicious pavlova which was soon disappeared....



Overall, I had a great day meeting Roger, his family and friends and was made to feel very welcome indeed. I can only say Roger, if you are ever in London.... or with a bunch of friends in Spain(!) I can only hope to make you feel as welcome as you do to me. Nice one, mate!

Monday 18 February 2013

Harley-Davidson 110th Celebrations in Auckland, New Zealand


We arrived in Auckland, New Zealand in time to join the Harley-Davidson celebrations for the 110th anniversary. One of the first sights we saw was the 328 metres / 1,076 ft) tall Sky Tower....



Walking in the city, we heard a rather loud drum band playing, so led by our ears, we went and found them They were very loud....



The apartment building we stayed in was in central Auckland, near the waterfront....



Later that night, the view from the apartment was spectacular....



We went to the HOG Rally on the Saturday....



A HOG patch I had never seen before....



Jackie meeting one of the locals. Actually, he was from New York, but had moved to New Zealand....



Just seconds after this picture was taken, Jackie tripped over a kerb and hurt her foot. Being the trooper she is, she continued to walk around. It wasn’t until sometime later we discovered she had broken a bone in her foot.

The Rally had the usual stalls, motorcycle displays, chapter games.....







All good fun!

Saturday 16 February 2013

A Dog, a Sheep and Lots of Fish


We hit New Zealand’s North Island after travelling three hours on the Interislander ferry. The ferry weaves its way between the islands in nothing approaching a straight line....



Travelling north, we went to see the National Army Museum at Waiouru. Tanks, guns and other exhibits show New Zealand’s military exhibits....





Roughly in the centre of the North Island is Tongariro National Park, with a few spectacular peaks. Mount Ngauruhoe is an active volcano that last erupted in 1977....



The Tongariro National Trout Centre is well worth a visit.. Jackie feeding the fish in the river....





It is even possible to take some underwater shots of the trout. I have never been able to do that before....





Lake Taupo, the largest lake in New Zealand was like a sea on the windy day we were there....





We stayed in the Motor Inn in Tirau which has one of the cheapest and best internet service in New Zealand! Opposite the motel were two splendid buildings, once plain Nissen huts, that had been added to at some point to create the shape of a huge dog and a sheep....





Next, Auckland, at the top of the North Island.

Friday 15 February 2013

New Zealand’s Glorious West Coast, or is it?


Before we left New Zealand’s South Island, Jackie and I drove long it’s west coast. We had heard from a friend who had been here recently (thanks Paul) that the west coast of the South Island is pretty special, so we were eager to see it for ourselves.

We didn’t quite see what we had expected.

Driving north along Highway 6, the first glimpse of the sea is just beyond Mount Aspiring National Park, but make the most of it. For a large proportion of the road, it is actually inland and only rarely can you see the water of the Tasman Sea. When you do, it is generally a dramatic landscape....



Many bridges on New Zealand’s South Island are one way, with traffic needing to give way one direction or another. There are so few cars, this is not a problem, but on the larger rivers, these can be similar to small viaducts, with many foundations, or in a few cases, there are suspension bridges....



A long section of Highway 6 is dominated by Westland National Park, featuring Mount Tasman and Mount Cook. Even in mid summer, the peaks in the area are covered in what looks like snow, but are actually glaciers, ranging from large to small. The combination of rivers, forests and high peaks is very appealing....





We stayed overnight at the small town of Fox Glacier, which takes its name from the permanent ice glacier on Mount Tasman. We set our alarms early, ready for a helicopter flight to see the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers. Sadly, morning was accompanied with low cloud and the flights were suspended.

The view of Fox Glacier is not good from ground level without a considerable walk and so we made our way to Franz Josef and glimpsed the glacier from a distance....



It was a shame not to be able to see them from closer, but we had been spoilt with terrific weather, so we had no complaints.

Some of the other occasional views of the sea....





This is not a sign you see every day. We didn’t see any penguins though....



Intrigued by the so-called Pancake Rocks, we stopped and took a look at Punakaiki Park. The Pancake Rocks are limestone formations that began forming 30 million years ago, when lime-rich fragments of dead marine creatures were deposited on the seabed in layers, then later uplifted by earthquakes. Partly worn away by erosion from the sea, the layers are said to look like stacks of pancakes. My imagination didn’t stretch that far, but the small park is a wonderful place, with many photo opportunities....











A final view of the sea, with spray coming off the waves....



We stayed in Westport for the night and reflected on our drive along the coast. Yes, it is glorious, but we wished we had been able to see more of it. It is only in a few places that the road goes close enough to actually see what is a marvellous coastline. Probably.

The next day, we drove to Picton to catch the ferry to the North Island. Before we did, the last stretch of road we drove was probably the best I have ever seen anywhere. I didn’t take any pictures but will do a post just about this fantastic road soon .....