Month: January 2019

I’m very fortunate to have family and friends in numerous lovely places in New Zealand. My friend Chris and her husband John live in Picton right at the top of the South Island. This is where the inter island ferry lands, but I decided that I would prefer the adventure of flying in a pretty small plane, just to recall some old memories.

The weather was pretty cloudy at Wellington airport as we set off at 8.05am and bumped our way up through the clouds until the sun broke through. Once we were over Cook Straight it became a lot smoother and the views were lovely as we approached the South Island. I could see the inter island ferry turning into Tory Channel.

We approached Picton from the South and flew in over the plains that lead to Blenheim , the most populous town in Marlborough. The weather had improved enormously by now and turned into the most glorious day.

As we descended, the hills and roads became gradually clearer and then we descended quite rapidly as we made our approach into Picton airport at Koromiko. The landing was pretty smooth and as we pulled up by the tiny house that serves as the loading bay and checking tickets for Sounds Air I started searching for my friends among the small gathering of people there. They were nowhere to be seen.

As it was a glorious day I was quite happy to wait and while away my time watching the plane take off again and try to photograph some tiny birds in a nearby beautiful tree; without success of course, but the tree is still pretty.

After some considerable time I began to wonder if my friends were waiting at the shuttle terminal in Picton so I tried to ring Chris on mer mobile phone, but there was no reply. After three fruitless calls I gave up. Shortly after Chris rang me saying,”Where are you, we’ve been looking everywhere for you?” I’m at Picton Airport” I replied. “Oh” said Chris”We thought you were at Blenheim; everyone goes to Blenheim.” “Well not me, I was always coming to Picton”. It turned out there was an Air New Zealand Flight arriving at Blenheim, exactly they same time as my arrival in Picton. They eventually picked me up and drove me to their home in Waikawa, just a little out of Picton. They have a beautiful view of the Bay at Waikawa from their balcony. Very soon I was enjoying the sunshine, view and a cooked breakfast.

Today has been very quiet after all the activity of the past three weeks. Doug and Merrilyn waved goodbye to me as I sat down on the bus from Hawera. The lady beside me showed no inclination to chat as some previous fellow passengers had, so I sat in silent contemplation looking out the window as I retraced my steps of the last trip from Palmerston North to Hawera.

I knew when we had left Taranaki as the lush countryside there with very large herds of cattle, grazing in one field, gave way to more sparse grass and fewer cows. There is still farming taking place,however, although I suspect more of these are beef cattle. One town, Bulls has enjoyed making the most of its name, with statues of Bulls and other entertaining signs.

It’s not easy to take good photos through a moving coach window, especially when it is very dull. On this trip we went through Fielding, a market town, which has grown considerably, and by the time we reached Palmerston North it was pouring with rain. I made my way to the same coffee bar and had a quick lunch before the bus set off again. I have been amazed at how many racecourses there seem to be, even in relatively small places. Hawera has one; we passed through Waverley and that has one and this one was some distance fromPalmerston North.

This isn’t the most scenic part of the country, being mostly flat until Levin, when the scenery starts to change and become progressively more hilly. Eventually the road hits the coast and there are views of bays.

The railway runs between the coast for much of the way into Wellington so its not the best position to photograph. The sun came out for brief spells and vanished again, not that I mind a cooler day after all the amazing hot days that I’ve experienced.

The bus unloaded the majority of its passengers at Wellington Railway Sation. I was torn between taking the ferry, which I’ve done numerous times, or taking a little twelve seater plane that takes thirty minutes. I chose the later option because I thought it would be a little more adventurous and bring back some memories of flying across Cook Straight in an open cockpit plane. The trip from the station to the airport winds around the coast and there are some nice views of the bay.

The hills rise steeply above the road and there are houses perched high above the road.

We reached the airport and my bus driver talked a taxi driver into queue jumping and taking me to The Airport Motor Lodge where I am staying overnight before an early flight on Sounds Air to Picton in the South Island.

The bus trip from Hastings to Palmerston North, where I was catching the bus to Hawera was quite dramatic as we climbed up over the Saddle Road, now the main route since the Manawatu Gorge was closed due to slips. As well as the Native Bush there is a Wind Farm and you get very close to the turbines on the road.

The bus driver took it pretty steadily and after passing through small towns and over a river we arrived in Palmerston North. It was a beautiful day and I was able to leave my luggage in a locker. I had been chatting to another lady so we headed off to the coffe shop for some lunch.

The bus for New Plymouth eventually arrived and I enjoyed reminiscing on the journey up to Hawera, passing through Wanganui, where I used to sprint in races as a teenager, and Waitotara valley, which I always thought was particularly beautiful.

I knew I was finally in Taranaki when Mt Taranaki, which was totally clear suddenly appeared, I made some fruitless attempts to photograph it through the window so when I arrived in Hawera my cousin Doug, who was there to meet me drove me to an excellent place for a photo.

This morning I did a 5K walk up to King Edward Park and back. On the way I passed my Uncle Harold’s old house where I had stayed a number of times over the years.

In the afternoon Doug drove me and Merrilyn over to his brother -in-law Jimmy. We transferred cars and Jimmy drove us to one of my favourite childhood places, Lake Mangamahoe. The lake was absolutely alive with Canada Geese along with some ducks and Black Swans. I wanted to capture Mt Taranaki above the Lake. It really is a beautiful sight.

From there we drove to New Plymouth where we were having a family catch-up not far from where I lived nearly all my childhood. It looks almost the same; my room was at the front, and the Hibiscus my mother planted was flowering beautifully.

My cousin Paul had invited us to his home in Tukaupa Street and had fetched his elderly Mother, Aunty Stella. It was lovely to see her. It wasn’t a huge gathering, but still a lovely opportunity to catch up.

After a lovely afternoon we headed back for Hawera. On the way, just before Stratford, Merrilyn pointed out that it was possible to see Mt Ruapehu in the distance, because it was such a clear day. To anyone who didn’t know it would appear as a funny cloud, but it is indeed the big mountains by Taupo.

As we passed through Normanby Doug stopped the car so I could photograph my grandparents’ home in Normanby. It’s amazing to think that twelve children were raised there. We had lived there briefly when I was three years old.

In the early evening my cousin Brian, who couldn’t attend the reunion called to see me. Followed by Doug’s daughter-in-law and their five girls. I feel very blessed to have so much family in this beautiful country.

My first impressions of Hastings were that it is very flat and very hot. It was 31C when I arrived on January 2nd and 32C yesterday. I managed an early morning walk to Cornwall Park, which is about 1K from where I’m staying with Christine, an old school and University friend. It is a pretty tree lined park with a Japanese garden at one end and some nice flower beds. There is also a little lake with a fountain and many, many ducks and a few geese.

After a 5K walk I was back at Christine’s. It was already so hot that we decided to conserve our energy for the next day. Consequently we spent most of the day catching up on our lives during the past 30 years since we last met.

The next day I returned to Cornwall Park and increased my walk to 7.5K. I knew I was being taken sightseeing by Colin, a friend of Christines later in the morning so wanted to keep my walking up. On the walk this time I came across a woman carrying a bucket, which was clearly food for the ducks as they were all waddling after her.

Colin arrived late morning and we set off on a drive through Havelock North. This area looks pretty affluent with lots of tree lined streets. The Jacaranda originally from South America, but now popular in many countries, were currently flowering and make a beautiful sight.

Colin drove us to a church, which is now deconsecrated and is used as an art shop and restaurant. The owner is from Zimbabwe and you can see the African designs hanging on the walls.

Next to the restaurant there is an ice cream shop followed by a Lolly Shop. I have never known anywhere else compare with the sweets you can buy in New Zealand. This shop was a child’s paradise and one for a rather “old child”. I bought three old favourites: Chocolate Fish, which have marshmallow inside; Pineapple Chunks, chocolate coated pineapple flavoured sweets; and what were once called “Jaffas”, but now have to be called “Orange Chocolate Balls”.

After this delightful interlude Colin drove us around various Life Style Properties on the outskirts of Havelock North. At one place with a sizeable pond I saw Plovers, Pukekos and a Grey Heron.

The area around Havelock North, in addition to vineyards, grows apples and olives. We passed a number of orchards and olive groves.

Colin then drove us up a steep hill, Te Mata Peak, which narrows as you reach the summit. From the top you have spectacular views around Hawke’s Bay, looking down on the Heretunga Plain. There is also a trig point with a map pointing out various features such as the mountain ranges of which there are a number.

As we were returning to our car, I spotted a little bird that looked a bit unusual. I now know it is the New Zealand Pipit, which is endemic to New Zealand. (thank you Barry Christiansen)

Colin was quite keen to see a ship he had sailed on last year leave the Port of Napier so we set off for there. On the way Colin asked if I’d like a cup of coffee. As my answer was the affirmative we pulled into a rather unusual coffee bar. It is basically a shack by a river on the Red Bridge Winery with a Portaloo at the back. It does, however, make the most beautiful coffee.

From there Colin drove us up Bluff Hill from where we had an excellent view of the Port of Napier. We watched as the pilot boat went out and the tugs manoeuvred themselves into position ready for the departure of the Regal Princess  

It was a very varied and informative day about an area of New Zealand, which I have never visited before.

On the morning I was leaving Waihi, January 2, we all arose pretty early in the morning and Kelvyn drove us through to Tauranga hoping to beat the traffic. He was successful in this and Mary and I had time for a little walk along Tauranga Harbour. This was very useful as my bus trip, following the grey route was over 6 hours long.

The tide was in the harbour and the area deserted so it was very peaceful.

The bus was only a few minutes late and we set off for Mt Manganui, out on the coast from Tauranga, where we picked up a load more passengers. A very chatty young girl, aged 17 (so she told me), sat next to me. Apparently Mt Manganui is the place to party on New Year’s Eve; she and nine friends had come up from Wellington for it. This year the police banned any consumption of alcohol on the beach and in many beaches in New Zealand. She said “we just tanked up beforehand”. She made some entertaining company between Mt Manganui and Taupo.

The next stop was Rotorua. On the way in we passed the airport, which was one of the first places I learned to fly a plane many years ago.

After a brief stop in Rotorua we set off for Taupo. There were some interesting buildings in Rotorua and it looks a thriving place.

As you approach Taupo you cross over the Waikato River, which arises from the slopes of Mt Ruapehu and flows into Taupo and drains out at the Huka Falls. We passed these and the geothermal activity at Wairakei on our way into Taupo.

Taupo is a very beautiful Lake, but the town is very busy these days. The bus stopped here for thirty minutes. The driver, who was a bit of a joker warned the young girls that they had only ten minutes before the Wellington bus left and not to to try to buy any food. I saw them a little later; they had all missed the bus. Anxious not to miss mine I dashed down to the Lakeside. I could see that Mt Ruapehu, Mt Ngarahoe and Mt Tongariro were in and out of cloud and looked beautiful as a back drop to the Lake. Unfortunately it was on the behind cloud phase when I took my photo.

For the next hour the drive from Taupo was not so interesting until it suddenly changed as we approached the series of Mountain Ranges that divide the East Coast from the centre of the North Island. While New Zealand roads are windy at the best of times this was something else; the hills on the sides of the road rose steeply and were covered in Native Bush. The Titokura Saddle at about 2,200ft is the high point and then the road descends, with some minor ups and downs to the Esk Valley. It is extremely scenic, but very difficult to capture from the window of a moving bus.

The road gradually descends and opens out and it is possibly to see beautiful vistas stretching into the distance.

Hawke’s Bay is famous for its wine growing and as the road became flatter I started to see vineyards.

The bus arrived in Napier about 20 minutes late and I was delighted to be met by my children’s Aunty, Judy. On the way to her place she took me to a mission house, run by Marist Brothers, which is now a winery and offers a nice panorama.

From there we went to her flat, which is on the side of her daughter’s house. Very soon I was sitting down to a nice cool glass of water and of course a glass of wine.

After a good catch up sitting in the shade; Napier was around 30C and I was told Hastings was even hotter; Janet drove me to my friend Christine’s house in Hastings. With these temperatures its easy to see why it is such a good region for Wine.

I’ve spent seven days in Waihi interspersed with two nights in Whangamata. It has been a wonderful time enjoying both family and the scenery. Today for my last day Mary was keen that I should do some walks in the Karangahake Gorge. There are a number of walks through the old mine tunnels and railway tracks.

Today was one of those perfect mornings when the sun rises in a cloudless sky. The forecast was for 23C and as we were largely in tunnels and bush it seemed like the ideal day for the gorge. Mary drove me to a carpark after breakfast and we set off at first on the “Windows” circuit.

We were combining two walks; “Windows”, which was where gaps were cut into the tunnels of the mines to allow air and light in and Tunnel or Tramway, which had once been a train route. Some of the views of the Gorge were spectacular and there was an amount of up and down steps.

We returned to our starting point and set off on the “Tunnels Walk”. At one point we were right down by the river and the path was quite wet and slippery, and not ideal for passing walkers coming from the other way. After a climb up we came to the tunnel entrance; the tunnel itself is a kilometre long.

On completing this walk, which took us back to the bridge we had crossed at the start of the first walk we returned to the car and Mary drove us up to the Waikino Railway Station, where we were fortunate enough to see the train full of walkers and cyclists who had come from Waihi Station, because they hadn’t wanted to cycle the extra distance. The station itself reminded me of the one in Delamere Forest, Cheshire, with its lovely cafes and dining room.

After a cup of coffee we set off to look at the old pump house and Kilns. There had been houses in Waikino until relatively recently when they were washed away in a flood. We climbed up to the old kilns, which had been left derelict until recently when conservationists set about preserving what was left. `I could only be horrified by what the workers had been expected to do, the dangerous materials they were working with and the depth of the kilns.

we retraced our steps and after a walk through some beautiful native bush we came to the waterfall, which was cascading beautifully in the sunshine.

We retuned to Mary’s for some lunch then when it was a bit cooler set off on our third walk. Mary lives on Reservoir Road and the road does indeed lead up to a reservoir. The walk through the bush was beautiful particularly as the light was so good. I became very distracted trying to photograph a Tui without success, We followed a lovely stream for most of the way and had to cross it at one point.

We ran out of time to go any further and had to quickly return to Mary’s to change for an evening meal at a restaurant to celebrate our last night together. This was rather Spanish in style with a German man and a Turkish lady providing the menu. Some of the food was quite unusual but very tasty. It was all a fabulous way to spend my last day and evening here.

On New Year’s Eve day my cousin Mary and husband Kelvyn decided to take me through to Omahu where my mother, Ruth and her father, Fred, lived as children. Mary thinks our Grandfather had worked at a saw mill, possibly in Tairua and possibly later in farming. We had to turn off to the right from the Paeroa to Thames road and head up a narrow road towards the Coramandel Range. The original house at Omahu has been replaced with another, but the one there now is still a pretty old house.

I have a photo of myself as a very young child paddling in the creek and I was very keen to try to locate the place in the photo. The property doesn’t belong to our family any more so I had to content myself with taking what photos I could. The creek apparently opens out into a pool below the house.

Kelvyn drove us a bit deeper into the Coromandel Range and it was easy to picture how dense the bush must have been there once. The original house had been leased to our ancestors because at some point in time, possibly my Great Grandfather had worked in the mines, so it had been a miner’s cottage.

My mother often used to describe how she and Fred would ride to school at Puriri on horse back, so our next point for exploration was the Puriri School.

Mary and I wandered around the grounds and spoke to some young men who were letting their children ride a go kart around the school playing field. They had both attended the school and were fascinated to hear about our parents going there. The school buildings have been modernised, but the young men were telling us that the school role had dropped from 100 pupils in their day to 14 children currently. Like a number of country schools it might be a struggle to keep it going, which would be a shame for a school, which is 150 years old and built to accommodate the children of Gold Miners, Saw Millers and Farmers.

Behind the school is a magnificent old Puriri Tree and I couldn’t help wondering if this was how the name for the school and the small hamlet had been created.

After this quite emotional trip we returned to Waihi to get ready for a little New Year’s Eve party at the house of some friends of Mary and Kelvyn. The wife, Frouwke, is from The Netherlands and had prepared a Dutch treat, Oliebollen, which is a type of Doughnut they only prepare on New Year’s Eve. It was a nice lead up to the New Year.