Emily tranquil at 'Chaos'
'Chaos' Air
Chaos Clown
Wednesday, 27 February 2013
OUR FINAL WEEK
It's our final week with Emily and Leon in New Plymouth. We have had the most incredible weather. Not one day of rain and even when it looks a bit ominous, the clouds disappear and it turns hot again, not a cloud in the sky.
One of the fun things to do here at Emily's is to wash all our clothes and then hang them out on her clothesline to dry! It doesn't take long because the wind dries them in a few hours and the clothes smell so nice.
I have walked the secret trail every day, but today, Thursday for the last time.
On Tuesday we went shopping in town, to a beautiful gift gallery called "Kina" which means "Sea Urchin" If you have ever had one on Sushi you will know that the actual urchin tastes like a tide pool, so don't bother, but the shells that they live in are beautiful. The turqoise one below is a ceramic, not real. We saw it at the N.P. airport, but it wasn't in the shop, so I asked if they had one in the store. They didn't, so the girl said she would go to the airport and get it for me and have it by thursday. (today) but when we went to get it at the store here and it wasn't there. They went out and got it for me and brought it to Emily's house. It just arrived. Pretty nice of them. For some reason you cannot buy their stuff at the airport, which is where we will be tomorrow.
Brian went fishing on the ocean with some friends of Emily and Leon's and they caught Albacore Tuna. He got to drive the boat and everything. He had great fun and almost caught one, but it got away. The group did catch 2 but he never brought any home as we had cooked some up a few days before that someone had given Leon. Brian had marinated and then barbequed it and it was absolutely delicious. He wasn't crazy about bringing in a fish of that size from the ocean.
Last night we went to Jason and Monique's for dinner. They live along the ocean road in an area called Oakura, not far from here. We had a beautiful evening with them. They have come to stay with us in Calgary twice and love to ski in Banff and Whistler. Adventurous, and lovely couple from South Africa. Jason had made his own little fireplace out of stainless steel as a project. It had a super long skinny pipe for a chimney, and as it got dark the pipe got so hot it was blazing red and the flames were spewing out the top. The picture shows the little firebox and also Monique with her tongue out after tasting Ouzo.
Emily made a beautiful Pavlova - picture of her in the car. It was fabulous.
Today we went to Pukeiti (Pook-e-yee-tee) a beautiful garden with tons of rhododendron, which weren't in bloom at this time of year, but many other beautiful and rare plants, trees and flowers that grow on this amazing island.
I was thinking about how Dad almost ended up here and how it is very much like Ireland in many ways. I can understand why he wanted to come here.
So right now, Emily is preparing our final meal of Lasagna and Ceasar salad.
Tonite we will have to pack. A shuttle will pick us up and we will spend a night in Auckland area with Leon's parents, then home to the land of ice and snow.
It will be hard to say goodbye, but we have had a magnificent holiday!
One of the fun things to do here at Emily's is to wash all our clothes and then hang them out on her clothesline to dry! It doesn't take long because the wind dries them in a few hours and the clothes smell so nice.
I have walked the secret trail every day, but today, Thursday for the last time.
On Tuesday we went shopping in town, to a beautiful gift gallery called "Kina" which means "Sea Urchin" If you have ever had one on Sushi you will know that the actual urchin tastes like a tide pool, so don't bother, but the shells that they live in are beautiful. The turqoise one below is a ceramic, not real. We saw it at the N.P. airport, but it wasn't in the shop, so I asked if they had one in the store. They didn't, so the girl said she would go to the airport and get it for me and have it by thursday. (today) but when we went to get it at the store here and it wasn't there. They went out and got it for me and brought it to Emily's house. It just arrived. Pretty nice of them. For some reason you cannot buy their stuff at the airport, which is where we will be tomorrow.
Brian went fishing on the ocean with some friends of Emily and Leon's and they caught Albacore Tuna. He got to drive the boat and everything. He had great fun and almost caught one, but it got away. The group did catch 2 but he never brought any home as we had cooked some up a few days before that someone had given Leon. Brian had marinated and then barbequed it and it was absolutely delicious. He wasn't crazy about bringing in a fish of that size from the ocean.
Last night we went to Jason and Monique's for dinner. They live along the ocean road in an area called Oakura, not far from here. We had a beautiful evening with them. They have come to stay with us in Calgary twice and love to ski in Banff and Whistler. Adventurous, and lovely couple from South Africa. Jason had made his own little fireplace out of stainless steel as a project. It had a super long skinny pipe for a chimney, and as it got dark the pipe got so hot it was blazing red and the flames were spewing out the top. The picture shows the little firebox and also Monique with her tongue out after tasting Ouzo.
Emily made a beautiful Pavlova - picture of her in the car. It was fabulous.
Today we went to Pukeiti (Pook-e-yee-tee) a beautiful garden with tons of rhododendron, which weren't in bloom at this time of year, but many other beautiful and rare plants, trees and flowers that grow on this amazing island.
I was thinking about how Dad almost ended up here and how it is very much like Ireland in many ways. I can understand why he wanted to come here.
So right now, Emily is preparing our final meal of Lasagna and Ceasar salad.
Tonite we will have to pack. A shuttle will pick us up and we will spend a night in Auckland area with Leon's parents, then home to the land of ice and snow.
It will be hard to say goodbye, but we have had a magnificent holiday!
Kina - "Sea Urchin"
Emily with Pavolva
Jason's famous firebox, Monique says ewww to Ouzo!
Sundown in Oakura, (just couldn't get the pic fast enough!)
Leon with "Nixon"-looks like Chuck's brother
Crocus at Pukeiti
Black Hydrangea
Why is it called "Ireland Walk"?
Because......
...there's shamrock's!
"Weta"s are the famous NZ spider, will there be one when we open the box?
Not a 'Weta', just a BIG spider that thinks he's a Weta
Monday, 25 February 2013
A PICTURE FOR DESI
This is a stick bug, Desi!
He's right there sitting on the book, can you see him?
The long end is the head and the legs are on the other end.
Can you tell which end is front and which is back? I couldnt at first but then I touched it and it lifted one of its legs and moved forward a bit.
It's a real live bug! The birds can't tell it's a bug, so they won't eat it.
Pretty cool huh? Here he is!
He's right there sitting on the book, can you see him?
The long end is the head and the legs are on the other end.
Can you tell which end is front and which is back? I couldnt at first but then I touched it and it lifted one of its legs and moved forward a bit.
It's a real live bug! The birds can't tell it's a bug, so they won't eat it.
Pretty cool huh? Here he is!
A stick bug for Des
NELSON TO PICTON/FERRY BACK TO WELLINGTON/PLANE TO N.P.
I thought I had already posted this information, but I don't see it on the blog archive, so apologies if I am repeating this info.
We decided to head to Picton for one night because that is where we have to catch the ferry to Wellington, then plane home - to New Plymouth. This was Brian's idea and a good one because if we had had to get to the ferry by 10:30 a.m. from Nelson, we would have had to get up before the crack of dawn. So he has booked us another backpackers - the sister to Tasman Bay B/Packers called "Sequoia" (they also serve pudding and ice cream......)
We are able to enjoy the drive to Picton X10 because we have the whole day ahead of us and there is so much to see. Once again, the forests are lush and the vineyards are magnificent. (I need a thesaurus) because I just can't conjure up enough adjectives for this experience. I guess that's where pictures are helpful. We stop every 15 minutes to take pictures, have a pee, have lunch at a little mall type place just off the road, with wool shop, wine tasting, deli, fudge tasting (fudge and wine tasting together?....mmmmmmm) We have lunch from the deli and take it out onto the picnic table - a scenic spot complete with "Canadian" mallards. I decide on the Chowder and baguette slices, however, once again (this will be the third time now) 'people' (that I travel with, the same) are taking my bread and feeding it to the ducks! I believe they are trying to set up another seagull/pigeon experience and then take pictures of it at my expense. The Chowder was ex-large and the bread would have been nice with it........ The winery is "Bouldevines" and some of the nicest I have ever tasted. Doubt if there is any in Canada, can't even find it in NZ anywhere.
We arrive at Backpackers. The weather has turned cool and windy (awwww....) Emily and Leon head for the hot tub and Brian joins them. I am the photographer. Not getting into a bathing suit because I will have to get out of the tub and be cold and the tub is not hot enough for me.
Speaking of hot, we decide on the local curry restaurant for dinner and Brian gets the 'Vindaloo' - not mild or medium - HOT. I get Rogan Josh, Emily and Leon get Vegetarian. They forgot to put in the Naan bread (yay, no bread for the local birds) We do get Samosas though and I burn the inside of my mouth because they're so hot. (it literally flies out of my mouth, and there are no birds to catch it. How embarassing.)
Sequoia B/packers is in a beautiful spot with the actual tree right across the way in the park. None of us are sure if this is an actual Sequoia, or a NZ type, but it's huge.
Brian and I have an actual 'ensuite' room here with bathroom. Luxury.
I have been having the most amazing sleeps here in NZ. I think it's because there is no B.O.B. (Boxer on bed)
Following day is once again warm and sunny. Ferry ride to Wellington is glorious. We have stocked up on snacks at Picton and don't have to pay ferry prices, so the snacking is first rate and cheap(er).
From ferry we shuttle straight to the airport even though we have over 3 hours to kill, because we have all our luggage. The airport is clean and beautiful, so we shop (and eat) Been doing a lot of that, eating. There is NO SECURITY before we board the plane. If I would have only known that........
Flight is 35 minutes complete with a glass of water and a candy. The flights were called 'grab-a-seat' so are fairly reasonable with $10 or $20 extra for our two pieces of luggage.
Ahhhh, it's good to get home, and the kitties (Chuck and Meisha) are happy to see Mum and Dad (Emily and Leon). There is a patch of kitty fur on their bed, where the two of them have kept each other company in their absence. Poor little babies.
We decided to head to Picton for one night because that is where we have to catch the ferry to Wellington, then plane home - to New Plymouth. This was Brian's idea and a good one because if we had had to get to the ferry by 10:30 a.m. from Nelson, we would have had to get up before the crack of dawn. So he has booked us another backpackers - the sister to Tasman Bay B/Packers called "Sequoia" (they also serve pudding and ice cream......)
We are able to enjoy the drive to Picton X10 because we have the whole day ahead of us and there is so much to see. Once again, the forests are lush and the vineyards are magnificent. (I need a thesaurus) because I just can't conjure up enough adjectives for this experience. I guess that's where pictures are helpful. We stop every 15 minutes to take pictures, have a pee, have lunch at a little mall type place just off the road, with wool shop, wine tasting, deli, fudge tasting (fudge and wine tasting together?....mmmmmmm) We have lunch from the deli and take it out onto the picnic table - a scenic spot complete with "Canadian" mallards. I decide on the Chowder and baguette slices, however, once again (this will be the third time now) 'people' (that I travel with, the same) are taking my bread and feeding it to the ducks! I believe they are trying to set up another seagull/pigeon experience and then take pictures of it at my expense. The Chowder was ex-large and the bread would have been nice with it........ The winery is "Bouldevines" and some of the nicest I have ever tasted. Doubt if there is any in Canada, can't even find it in NZ anywhere.
We arrive at Backpackers. The weather has turned cool and windy (awwww....) Emily and Leon head for the hot tub and Brian joins them. I am the photographer. Not getting into a bathing suit because I will have to get out of the tub and be cold and the tub is not hot enough for me.
Speaking of hot, we decide on the local curry restaurant for dinner and Brian gets the 'Vindaloo' - not mild or medium - HOT. I get Rogan Josh, Emily and Leon get Vegetarian. They forgot to put in the Naan bread (yay, no bread for the local birds) We do get Samosas though and I burn the inside of my mouth because they're so hot. (it literally flies out of my mouth, and there are no birds to catch it. How embarassing.)
Sequoia B/packers is in a beautiful spot with the actual tree right across the way in the park. None of us are sure if this is an actual Sequoia, or a NZ type, but it's huge.
Brian and I have an actual 'ensuite' room here with bathroom. Luxury.
I have been having the most amazing sleeps here in NZ. I think it's because there is no B.O.B. (Boxer on bed)
Following day is once again warm and sunny. Ferry ride to Wellington is glorious. We have stocked up on snacks at Picton and don't have to pay ferry prices, so the snacking is first rate and cheap(er).
From ferry we shuttle straight to the airport even though we have over 3 hours to kill, because we have all our luggage. The airport is clean and beautiful, so we shop (and eat) Been doing a lot of that, eating. There is NO SECURITY before we board the plane. If I would have only known that........
Flight is 35 minutes complete with a glass of water and a candy. The flights were called 'grab-a-seat' so are fairly reasonable with $10 or $20 extra for our two pieces of luggage.
Ahhhh, it's good to get home, and the kitties (Chuck and Meisha) are happy to see Mum and Dad (Emily and Leon). There is a patch of kitty fur on their bed, where the two of them have kept each other company in their absence. Poor little babies.
Cloudy Bay
So Innocent
Picnic spot
Cheers!
Sequoia?
Ferry
Ferry through 'Marlborough Sound'
Marlborough Sounds
Saturday, 23 February 2013
MORE NELSON ADVENTURES AND MISC. PICS
Our last day in Nelson was spent just hanging out, going for walks, enjoying the scenery and actually touring the McCashin's brewery. Our tour guide at McCashin's was very interesting. He was kind of a 'stand in' - his name was Dan - he's the artist there and does all kinds of wall art around the place, and likely the art for bottles, t-shirts and the like. A rather dishevelled fellow, but very personable. The regular tour guide must be on holidays, because every time we ask Dan a question, he says 'you know, that's a good question, I'm not quite sure'.......He seems anxious to get the tour over with and on to the tasting part and he pours us samples of everything before we are even finished what we have. We get feeling kind of woozy after all the quick tastes and then Dan says goodbye and we see him sitting at the bar reading the paper - must have been close to his coffee break. The place also has a nice coffee bar and pizza ovens outside and a lot of people seem to be just lazing about, drinking beer or coffee and there are games and puzzles to do if you happen to get bored. Pretty laid back place. The tour itself is quite short but we go way up into the old part of the building where there are sacks and sacks of imported barley malts and the floorboards are well-worn. It's hot up there but then we go into the cooler and it's freezing. Dan whisks us through the whole thing and then we see the product coming through the machines, bottles being poured, capped and guys checking them to be sure they are fit for export and stuffing them into boxes. Very cool. I told Dan that my grandfather worked for Guinness in Ireland and we wonder whether they always had 'cans' with that little widget inside of them. I say I will ask my dad. I'm sure that Dan is waiting with bated breath to know. Brian buys a t-shirt with rainbow beer stokes on it and then the next day wonders if people think he is 'gay'. I didn't know that about rainbows.
Emily and I go shopping for an hour and she finds a cool pair of red shoes and I find a great pair of hang out pants at 'Mariposa' - a nicer store we did not find in Wellington - the capital of shopping.
The guys go shopping and buy 3 large pizzas. We get to backpackers and everyone is boiling things on the stove in 80 degree weather. So we add to the heat by turning the ovens on to 400 and cook our pizzas, then sit out on the deck and eat them. Leon has bought a 'seconds' pack of cider from McCashins for half price so we enjoy that along with our food and then torture ourselves with another few games of card monopoly.
We have decided to go back to Picton tomorrow where we catch the ferry back to Wellington because the drive is over an hour and the ferry leaves at 10:30. We will have to catch our plane back to New Plymouth once the ferry arrives, and being near the dock will give us a good nights rest instead of getting up at the crack of dawn and driving like the wind to catch the ferry. Our last night in beautiful Nelson. We could spend another week here. It's glorious.
Here are some misc. pics that correspond to some of the other posts.
Emily and I go shopping for an hour and she finds a cool pair of red shoes and I find a great pair of hang out pants at 'Mariposa' - a nicer store we did not find in Wellington - the capital of shopping.
The guys go shopping and buy 3 large pizzas. We get to backpackers and everyone is boiling things on the stove in 80 degree weather. So we add to the heat by turning the ovens on to 400 and cook our pizzas, then sit out on the deck and eat them. Leon has bought a 'seconds' pack of cider from McCashins for half price so we enjoy that along with our food and then torture ourselves with another few games of card monopoly.
We have decided to go back to Picton tomorrow where we catch the ferry back to Wellington because the drive is over an hour and the ferry leaves at 10:30. We will have to catch our plane back to New Plymouth once the ferry arrives, and being near the dock will give us a good nights rest instead of getting up at the crack of dawn and driving like the wind to catch the ferry. Our last night in beautiful Nelson. We could spend another week here. It's glorious.
Here are some misc. pics that correspond to some of the other posts.
Kayak adventure
Resting place somewhere
Tasman Bay Backpackers Lodge (they serve free pudding and ice cream every night at 8PM)
Tasman Bay Backpackers Lodge
Leon in 'a happy place' at Tasman Bay Backpackers
Abel Tasman, Dutch Explorer and Navigator (with friend)
Hoglund Art Glass Center
Lamp, Hoglund Art Glass Center
Split Apple Rock, Tasman Bay
KAYAKING ADVENTURE/TASMAN BAY
Remember when I said 'I think I want to go Kayaking'???? I can now say that I don't ever need to do this again. First of all, I don't swim. I can't swim. I don't even like being in water all that much. There was a picture in my Eyewitness travel book of New Zealand that showed some people kayaking on Tasman Bay and it looked glorious. Sometimes I get a picture in my mind of what I think will be a wonderful experience, but the reality is totally different. This was one of those. I shouldn't say it was all bad or anything but it had it's moments.
The first was when I actually realized I was heading into the water in the kayak and I got this sudden panic that I really didn't think I wanted to do it. But that would have left Brian without a partner and I just had to buck up. So I did.
Our guide gave us brief instructions and some of the things that were mentioned were 'if you capsize', and other words like 'jellyfish', and 'how to get back in the boat'. How to get back into the boat was a bit tricky because you have to wear this skirt over your whole body which attaches to where you are sitting and keeps the water off you, but they sort of glue you to the boat as well. I just couldn't see how I could get OUT of the boat if it went over. I would be doing some kind of crazy roll around thing. However, once we got going it wasn't too bad and I started to feel somewhat relaxed in between the sessions of panic. We rowed for about an hour and a half (seemed like longer) and then pulled up on a beach and had lunch with the 'bees'. I didn't know how I was going to make it back because I could hardly walk and my back felt like someone punched me in the kidneys. You also have to put your feet in these stirrup things and your thighs are gripping the sides of the boat, so it gets a bit uncomfortable after awhile. (JUST A BIT) The pictures are pretty good so you can see I look like I am having a fairly good time. I have to admit there were exhilarating moments.
Just to catch up, we had to drive to Tasman Bay for this adventure which took about an hour from where we were staying at Backpackers in Nelson. We then boarded a jet boat and went about an hour up the coast where everyone split into groups for whatever it was they were doing. We had a lovely guide by the name of 'Sophie' - a tiny but all muscle little girl who managed to keep (us) all calm and give great guidance. On our way back, she pulled all of our kayaks together and we used a tent tarp tied to the boats in front and pulled over the oars on each boat on the ends at the back and we 'sailed' home. I really liked that part. It was very comforting to all be together as a group and gave us all a rest from rowing, because the winds were fairly strong. So now you know what you can do if you have a tent tarp and a kayak. There was talk of 'baby seals' on one of the little islands in the water but I think that was a ploy to get us out there. I never saw any baby seals, that apparently come right up to your boat and are really cute.
Some of the group went on an hour walk after this adventure, but I decided to take the early boat back to the park and have a beer at the pizza place. It was super hot and sunny and windy. The beer helped my pain tremendously.
Please view this never to be repeated adventure.
The first was when I actually realized I was heading into the water in the kayak and I got this sudden panic that I really didn't think I wanted to do it. But that would have left Brian without a partner and I just had to buck up. So I did.
Our guide gave us brief instructions and some of the things that were mentioned were 'if you capsize', and other words like 'jellyfish', and 'how to get back in the boat'. How to get back into the boat was a bit tricky because you have to wear this skirt over your whole body which attaches to where you are sitting and keeps the water off you, but they sort of glue you to the boat as well. I just couldn't see how I could get OUT of the boat if it went over. I would be doing some kind of crazy roll around thing. However, once we got going it wasn't too bad and I started to feel somewhat relaxed in between the sessions of panic. We rowed for about an hour and a half (seemed like longer) and then pulled up on a beach and had lunch with the 'bees'. I didn't know how I was going to make it back because I could hardly walk and my back felt like someone punched me in the kidneys. You also have to put your feet in these stirrup things and your thighs are gripping the sides of the boat, so it gets a bit uncomfortable after awhile. (JUST A BIT) The pictures are pretty good so you can see I look like I am having a fairly good time. I have to admit there were exhilarating moments.
Just to catch up, we had to drive to Tasman Bay for this adventure which took about an hour from where we were staying at Backpackers in Nelson. We then boarded a jet boat and went about an hour up the coast where everyone split into groups for whatever it was they were doing. We had a lovely guide by the name of 'Sophie' - a tiny but all muscle little girl who managed to keep (us) all calm and give great guidance. On our way back, she pulled all of our kayaks together and we used a tent tarp tied to the boats in front and pulled over the oars on each boat on the ends at the back and we 'sailed' home. I really liked that part. It was very comforting to all be together as a group and gave us all a rest from rowing, because the winds were fairly strong. So now you know what you can do if you have a tent tarp and a kayak. There was talk of 'baby seals' on one of the little islands in the water but I think that was a ploy to get us out there. I never saw any baby seals, that apparently come right up to your boat and are really cute.
Some of the group went on an hour walk after this adventure, but I decided to take the early boat back to the park and have a beer at the pizza place. It was super hot and sunny and windy. The beer helped my pain tremendously.
Please view this never to be repeated adventure.
Granny and Grandpa go Kayaking in Tasman Bay
Some of us were having fun...
I'd rather be sailing.......
We made it!
Where all the cute baby seals were supposed to be
Coast line Tasman Bay
Friday, 22 February 2013
FERRY TO NELSON/TASMAN BAY
We leave Wellington by Ferry on Monday morning. A 3 hour ferry ride which turns into a 4 hour ferry ride because of complications at the dock in Picton. The weather is phenomenal and we are all enjoying lots of sunshine. Pick up rental car at Picton terminal and then a long drive to Nelson, our destination for the next five days. Scenery - vineyards everywhere, and beautiful forests. We are all travel weary and ready for a rest when we arrive at Tasman Bay Backpackers. Really busy here - the place is FULL. We each have double rooms, nice and clean and comfortable. Although Wellington weather was great, Nelson weather is HOT. (complain complain....not)
Tuesday we explore Nelson - huge day - lots of sightseeing - the waterfront is calm and we walk along the beach. The sand here is white and the water is warm. Emily and Leon take a long walk early morning and get some fabulous pictures of early morning. (hopefully attached) The picture of Leon on the square is 'the center of New Zealand', so we are in the smack dab middle of the country here.
We head to the 'must see' McCashin's brewery (stoke beer) but we are too late for the tour and therefore forced to sit in the back beer garden and sample the beer! Very acceptable. All in 'a happy place' once again.
Oh, before the brewery, Brian wants to see the Classic Car Museum, called WOW because it includes the "World of Wearable Art" - amazing art clothing by designers in NZ and UK. He and Emily head in, Leon decides to go for a walk and I decide to check out the Mitre Ten Warehouse instead - kind of like a Home Depot only bigger and full of beautiful plants and flowers and everything imaginable for the home and garden, plus a great little restaurant. I don't need WOW, I need a kiwi green facecloth, because there are none at the *****star hostel. The prices here are much higher than the last time we visited. There is some kind of boom going on in this country. They are taking all our money constantly.(for e.g. $16.50 for a decent breakfast of bacon and eggs, but not including coffee which is about $4.50 but the best coffee anywhere. They only use espresso machines and they use them everywhere - it's just a kiwi thing, so you always get great coffee) I keep having to go to the Bank of Brian for more cash. So far the bank is friendly and generous. May that keep up!
Emily wants to see a glass blowing place, so we head out to Hogland Art Glass Centre and see some beautiful stuff. Nothing we can afford, but very educational. I'm sure these people have some of the nicest pieces anywhere in the world. The art of glass blowing is something that Emily has always been interested in. Hot work though!
Next we visit Seifreid winery (the oldest one in the Nelson area) and taste the offerings there and find something acceptable for our evening dinner. Then off we head to Countdown for some food and preparations for lunches for our day tomorrow. We plan to head to Tasman Bay National Park for Kayaking and hiking. I think I want to Kayak......but how will I row with a sore arm? A one-sided rower maybe? Plus the fact that I can't swim....all of these thoughts are going through my mind like little barbs, but I push them all away thinking that I will deal with it tomorrow.
We barbeque steaks at Backpackers as early as possible because the kitchen here becomes a ZOO with everyone trying to make dinner at once. (many national dishes being prepared and some of them include a lot of onion - phew) then enjoy another game of card monopoly, and head for bed. We have to wait until the 'girl who laughs and laughs' and drives you crazy before sleep comes. I don't know what is so funny, but I think she is a bit weird. Okay enough of all of this, let's get some decent pictures on this blog.
See You tomorrow - sorry this is kind of mixed! Hope it all gets on here anyways! Bye for now.
Tuesday we explore Nelson - huge day - lots of sightseeing - the waterfront is calm and we walk along the beach. The sand here is white and the water is warm. Emily and Leon take a long walk early morning and get some fabulous pictures of early morning. (hopefully attached) The picture of Leon on the square is 'the center of New Zealand', so we are in the smack dab middle of the country here.
We head to the 'must see' McCashin's brewery (stoke beer) but we are too late for the tour and therefore forced to sit in the back beer garden and sample the beer! Very acceptable. All in 'a happy place' once again.
Oh, before the brewery, Brian wants to see the Classic Car Museum, called WOW because it includes the "World of Wearable Art" - amazing art clothing by designers in NZ and UK. He and Emily head in, Leon decides to go for a walk and I decide to check out the Mitre Ten Warehouse instead - kind of like a Home Depot only bigger and full of beautiful plants and flowers and everything imaginable for the home and garden, plus a great little restaurant. I don't need WOW, I need a kiwi green facecloth, because there are none at the *****star hostel. The prices here are much higher than the last time we visited. There is some kind of boom going on in this country. They are taking all our money constantly.(for e.g. $16.50 for a decent breakfast of bacon and eggs, but not including coffee which is about $4.50 but the best coffee anywhere. They only use espresso machines and they use them everywhere - it's just a kiwi thing, so you always get great coffee) I keep having to go to the Bank of Brian for more cash. So far the bank is friendly and generous. May that keep up!
Emily wants to see a glass blowing place, so we head out to Hogland Art Glass Centre and see some beautiful stuff. Nothing we can afford, but very educational. I'm sure these people have some of the nicest pieces anywhere in the world. The art of glass blowing is something that Emily has always been interested in. Hot work though!
Next we visit Seifreid winery (the oldest one in the Nelson area) and taste the offerings there and find something acceptable for our evening dinner. Then off we head to Countdown for some food and preparations for lunches for our day tomorrow. We plan to head to Tasman Bay National Park for Kayaking and hiking. I think I want to Kayak......but how will I row with a sore arm? A one-sided rower maybe? Plus the fact that I can't swim....all of these thoughts are going through my mind like little barbs, but I push them all away thinking that I will deal with it tomorrow.
We barbeque steaks at Backpackers as early as possible because the kitchen here becomes a ZOO with everyone trying to make dinner at once. (many national dishes being prepared and some of them include a lot of onion - phew) then enjoy another game of card monopoly, and head for bed. We have to wait until the 'girl who laughs and laughs' and drives you crazy before sleep comes. I don't know what is so funny, but I think she is a bit weird. Okay enough of all of this, let's get some decent pictures on this blog.
The corner store is still alive in NZ -and invincible! (Wellington)
Beach at Nelson (Leon iphone photo)
For Desi - this is what the heart of a whale looks like -this one is for kids to play in! (Te Papa Museum Wellington)
Early Morning Nelson (Leon iphone)
Brian Wellington Harbor (Emily-creative)
Hi everyone!
See You tomorrow - sorry this is kind of mixed! Hope it all gets on here anyways! Bye for now.
Sunday, 17 February 2013
TO WELLINGTON/EMILY AND LEON HAVE A HOLIDAY!!
Today we are off to Wellington/Nelson for our group holiday. We are at the airport by 9AM. The flight is only 3/4 hr, once again over the ocean in a small turbo prop. While we are waiting for our flight, we sit in the airspresso cafeteria and play "monopoly" (the card game) - wonderful fun - if you have never played it, pick up a pack - it's easy and fun.
The weather is glorious, barely a cloud in the sky. Once we land, we get into a taxi shuttle and head to town, happy as clams. Our room is not ready yet, at the "Astelia" apartment hotel and won't be ready til 2 PM, so we leave our luggage and head to the waterfront which is really close to where we are staying. The shopping here is one of the main attractions! (Emily and I make a pact to spend time on some serious retail therapy tomorrow).
We pop into a deli as we have spied some 'proper pies' and sit outside to eat them - unfortunately we do not have a video of what happens next.
Brian is sitting across from me with his camera - there are seagulls and pigeons hovering around making a huge racket, hoping for some morsels. Leon and Emily throw them a few chips and next thing you know there are 3 times as many of them all making a racket. I do not take part in sharing food with these birds! They spy my pie and one of them flies into my face just as I am taking a bite and my meat pie goes flying into the air and lands on the ground. The birds have a meat pie frenzy and I am left sitting with an empty meat pie bag. Everyone finds this extremely funny. The picture you will see of the gulls shows no meat pie, and that is because it got eaten in 3 seconds.
The harbour here is a glorious sight! The water shimmers with boats of every description. I am including a picture of 2 boats for Dad, one is a very old (1926) (?) not sure what it is called - some type of jack system for loading and unloading. Monstrous. Behind it is the famous Greenpeace "Rainbow Warrior". Not only are there gazillions of boats in every shape and size, but there are people everywhere having a "whale of a time". Greenpeace was doing a demonstration on how to take care of a beached whale - people dressed up as whales in wet suits were pretending to be whales and children were helping to keep them wet with spray bottles and buckets of water - I tried to download the videos I took, but no go. It was interesting to watch all the children spraying the pretend whale and throwing buckets of water on it. Very cute....
There was a very different sort of project going on that encouraged people to take part. Shipping containers (like the one John has) were set up side by side and in each one of them you could enter and take part in whatever was going on. Two of the pics will show the 'airplane' one. I didn't want to smash mine, so I was told to keep it and take good care of it. Each shipping container had a Project that worked on 'the mind'. I will bring my plaster of paris airplane home and Desi can paint it!
The famous Te Papa museum is here and we plan to go and see it tomorrow. (You know I really don't like museums, however I will do this because everyone wants me to go and I can't say no to this one.) There is some reason why I don't like museums and I don't exactly know why. Things that are stuffed and in cases make me feel claustrophobic. I like exhibits and I like history. I'll just focus on the parts I like. (There are 6 floors- gasp!) I will let you know how it goes.
We get to our rooms at about 2 PM, ready for a rest, but unfortunately Leon and Emily (although given a key to their room) find it in a mess! The room is quickly made up and we are given a free wi-fi card for compensation.
I kind of thought wi-fi was part of the deal anyways, but apparently not.
So here again are my (very amateur) pictures. A few come from Emily's camera and are a little more, let us say - creative!
By the way, Wellington is the capital of New Zealand.
The weather is glorious, barely a cloud in the sky. Once we land, we get into a taxi shuttle and head to town, happy as clams. Our room is not ready yet, at the "Astelia" apartment hotel and won't be ready til 2 PM, so we leave our luggage and head to the waterfront which is really close to where we are staying. The shopping here is one of the main attractions! (Emily and I make a pact to spend time on some serious retail therapy tomorrow).
We pop into a deli as we have spied some 'proper pies' and sit outside to eat them - unfortunately we do not have a video of what happens next.
Brian is sitting across from me with his camera - there are seagulls and pigeons hovering around making a huge racket, hoping for some morsels. Leon and Emily throw them a few chips and next thing you know there are 3 times as many of them all making a racket. I do not take part in sharing food with these birds! They spy my pie and one of them flies into my face just as I am taking a bite and my meat pie goes flying into the air and lands on the ground. The birds have a meat pie frenzy and I am left sitting with an empty meat pie bag. Everyone finds this extremely funny. The picture you will see of the gulls shows no meat pie, and that is because it got eaten in 3 seconds.
The harbour here is a glorious sight! The water shimmers with boats of every description. I am including a picture of 2 boats for Dad, one is a very old (1926) (?) not sure what it is called - some type of jack system for loading and unloading. Monstrous. Behind it is the famous Greenpeace "Rainbow Warrior". Not only are there gazillions of boats in every shape and size, but there are people everywhere having a "whale of a time". Greenpeace was doing a demonstration on how to take care of a beached whale - people dressed up as whales in wet suits were pretending to be whales and children were helping to keep them wet with spray bottles and buckets of water - I tried to download the videos I took, but no go. It was interesting to watch all the children spraying the pretend whale and throwing buckets of water on it. Very cute....
There was a very different sort of project going on that encouraged people to take part. Shipping containers (like the one John has) were set up side by side and in each one of them you could enter and take part in whatever was going on. Two of the pics will show the 'airplane' one. I didn't want to smash mine, so I was told to keep it and take good care of it. Each shipping container had a Project that worked on 'the mind'. I will bring my plaster of paris airplane home and Desi can paint it!
The famous Te Papa museum is here and we plan to go and see it tomorrow. (You know I really don't like museums, however I will do this because everyone wants me to go and I can't say no to this one.) There is some reason why I don't like museums and I don't exactly know why. Things that are stuffed and in cases make me feel claustrophobic. I like exhibits and I like history. I'll just focus on the parts I like. (There are 6 floors- gasp!) I will let you know how it goes.
We get to our rooms at about 2 PM, ready for a rest, but unfortunately Leon and Emily (although given a key to their room) find it in a mess! The room is quickly made up and we are given a free wi-fi card for compensation.
I kind of thought wi-fi was part of the deal anyways, but apparently not.
So here again are my (very amateur) pictures. A few come from Emily's camera and are a little more, let us say - creative!
By the way, Wellington is the capital of New Zealand.
At the airport in New Plymouth
Boarding the Turbo Prop N.P.
Mt. Taranaki from the air
Monstrous boat built 1926
Greenpeace "Rainbow Warrior" Wellington Harbour
Keeping the "beached whale" alive
Leon in a "Happy Place"
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