Adventures with Queen Charlotte

Wellington put on its best for Sophie and Adam’s last day there, and we had to apply the evening suncream as we chugged out of the harbour at 5pm. Watching the sun-hazed city slip into the distance we enjoyed an extensive picnic clearly envied by the other passengers on the rear open deck.

After sliding past wild Red Rocks we gently pitched around across the Cook Straight, during which we logically sat downstairs in the steamy café with cricket on the TV and a quiet view out the front windows. Roger also succumbed to a ferry marketing ploy: that ten to seven is Scone Time! It was delicious though. Back out on the windy, noisier deck the evening light glowed on the green and ochre entrance to the Sounds (captured in a 10-second time lapse below).

Our hostel in Picton was a characterful old rambling wooden weatherboard house called The Villa. We’d splashed out on double rooms, and splashed straight into the spa pool after making ourselves at home. We were joined by a friendly man from Jersey and two girls he was unsuccessfully flirting with, possibly because his “banter” consisted solely of ejecting water from the bottom of a rubber duck at them. We sipped our Poppies late harvest Riesling disdainfully.

Early the next morning saw us boarding Cougar Lines, for a whistle-stop water taxi tour of the Sounds (including Furneaux Lodge where a wedding was rumoured) that deposited us at Punga Cove. We briefly met the (imaginatively named) Camp Bay campsite host, who was doing a two-week stint collecting money and mountain-biking all over the area.

Inspired by her athleticism, we galloped up the first hill. Lots of ups and downs followed. Tea in our new thermos from previous visitor Tom sustained us, as did a conversation with a gloomy German woman carrying a full big pack. Cougar Lines was transferring our packs both days.

 

21km and much chat later, we arrived at the “hostel” which was actually a nice little apartment! Roger, Adam and I went for a swim off the jetty in the choppy, windy water, then we acquired crisps and beers from the hosts, Sophie made full use of the kitchen to cook steak, potatoes and salad, and we caught Back to the Future 2 on TV. Luxury.



A cooler, windier start the next morning cleared to a day of panoramic views as we rounded headlands and bays (more imaginative names such as Bay of Many Coves) and made good time on the level. We stopped for lunch and a jetty jump (Sophie on photography duties) at pretty Mistletoe Bay, which was experiencing a very high tide - the beach had disappeared. Though the shop opening times at Mistletoe eco resort thwarted our ice cream plans, we made it to Anakiwa with exactly 10 minutes to spare – ice block time!

Back at the Villa we legitimately soaked tired limbs in the spa pool. This time we had it to ourselves. A wander into town took us, inevitably, to the Thirsty Pig pub, where the locals eyed us. Beers and a huge burger for Roger later, we said goodbye to him – off on Sounds Air back to Wellington.

Back at the Villa chef Sophie whipped up gnocchi and pasta in a fresh peppers and tomato sauce, with a final signature salad. We ate outside in the evening sunlight, with suncream on.

Early morning goodbyes and I boarded my own tiny Sounds Air flight to Wellington - my most exciting commute yet.

Debrief beer with Rich and Lucy,
at an authentic Wellington-German Beer Hall

We'd hoped to start the dragon boat season on Wednesday, but the Weather Bomb hit! So the team went to the pub instead. On Thursday morning my flight out of Welly for Auckland and on to LHR was the only one to leave - the Jet star pilot landed on his second attempt and we took off without hold baggage for fear the wind would rip off the door.

Dora enjoying a beer the size of her head

Hunting, gathering and hosting

We landed in Wellington late on Tuesday night. Three days of work for Dora followed, during which I did some of my MA, went on some runs, and joined Dora for lunch in the sun (my office was closed until 9 January, since almost everyone in New Zealand is on holiday). 

The road to/from Ngawi

On Friday I picked up Dora from work and we headed over the Rimutakas to the small fishing settlement of Ngawi. This was part-time-home to the Corsers, friends of Dora’s family, who kindly welcomed us with some excellent roast lamb, washed down with a couple-too-many beers.

Me with a 'Spikey Dogfish' that went back in

Saturday morning dawned clear and still(ish), so we jumped on the Corser boat to catch lunch and dinner. It wasn’t the most successful of expeditions, but after checking four cray pots and getting many phantom ‘bites’ on our fishing rods we had enough Crayfish and Blue Cod to make a significant contribution to the meals.

Tom then took us quad biking to see some baby seals practising their swimming (cue “awww”), then on to a lighthouse with over 250 steps, which I tried to run up before dying halfway.

Tom and Roger at the Pinnacles

After some cross-country quad biking we then renewed our hunter-gathering, donning wetsuits and jumping into some shallow sea in search for Paua. Unfortunately this search was even less successful than fishing – poor visibility and lots of seaweed meant we only returned with one of the abalone-like shellfish. It tasted amazing on the BBQ though!

Dora and Adam in the swimming hole

On Sunday morning we headed back to Wellington via ‘The Pinnacles’. These are rocky columns that occur when a vertical section of rock is protected from weathering by a harder rock ‘capstone’. More importantly, they are the focus of the part of Lord of the Rings when Aragon and co head into the mountain to ask the undead army to lend them a hand.

Scene from 'Meridian Gardens Magic', where we took
Sophie and Adam to watch some country music in the
city's botanical gardens.

Although we’d been planning to greet Sophie and Adam on Sunday afternoon, flight issues meant they didn’t arrive until Monday. The delay made them extra-pleased to arrive, and Dora took them over to the Wairarapa to show them some walks, vineyards and discover a swimming hole on Tuesday. 

That evening we went to the Crab Shack, where we reached the conclusion that crab is quite a high-effort, low-reward kind of meal, but yummy all the same. 

Sophie and Adam have been exploring Wellington and nipping North to do the Tongariro crossing for the rest of the week, whilst we’ve been working. 

Latest from the Tongariro Crossing

This weekend we’re off to do the Queen Charlotte track, let the packing commence!

Trans-Tasman festivities: Part 2

Our first port of call on arrival in Sydney was, perhaps surprisingly, Wollongong, a town an hour or so South of Sydney on the coast. Greg's uncle Lee and family live here, and brought us up to speed on the various spiders and snakes resident in the area (their back yard).

South of Sydney on the drive to Wollongong

Though fearing every step might be our last, we went with Greg's cousin to the Wollongong waterfront/beach for ice cream and to swat away flies, then later with both cousins to 7-Mile Beach, a beautiful almost deserted sweep of sand. After a chilly, cautious dip (no flags to be seen), we tucked into a delicious picnic which showed Aussie food to be the rival of NZ. The evening light through the clouds and sea spray looked mystical.

After we'd exited the beach via a short section of bush, the cousins informed us of the resident pythons that sometimes drop out of the trees. We therefore needed the large drink or three we had with Lee and Pauline back at the house. And gingerly skirted a St Andrew's Cross spider hanging out above the route to our barn-conversion accommodation.

A hot night of spider dreams and a delicious fry-up later, we were chugging back to Sydney on the train (which cost a mere $5 and you could use your Opal card on it). We headed straight to Bondi Beach, cunningly dropped our bags in the Westfield shopping centre ("we're here from the UK to do some shopping") and headed for the surf. Bondi and its ocean swimming pool deck were chock full of very tanned people getting browner, so we took some photos and scurried southwards on the Bondi-to-Coogee walk. Lots of others had had the same idea, but we enjoyed the unusually shaped sandstone cliffs,crashing waves and extensive people-watching opportunities. 

At Coogee Beach we met my old uni friend Rob, who'd flown down from Cairns, and we all enjoyed a wave-jumping swim, noting the shark patrol jet ski enthusiastically. The five of us headed back to settle into our accommodation at Sydney University, St Andrew's college. Which was basically an Oxbridge college with a Scottish theme, extending to great insulation, no fans, no air con and no breezy aspects.

Excitement builds on the train

Perspiring, we met for NYE pre-drinks in our room, cracking open Becky and Greg's gift of unusual fizzy red wine (v nice) and the port we'd bought from our Northland tasting. As we chugged over the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the evening light, jumping around the windows like tourists, the excitement began to build - we were ready for LUNA PARK.

Luna Park is a sort of glorified permanent fairground, or old-school mediocre theme park. For NYE it is an inspired choice - affordable tickets, free rides all night, fun music outside and in a huge DJ tent, a boardwalk next to the bridge and affordable unfussy drinks. It even had a little van selling frozen margaritas! (The rest were unfussy).

Ferris wheel view

 We enjoyed the atmosphere for a while, then aimed for the big ferris wheel. As planned, we hopped on just before 9pm and therefore had the best view in town (arguably) of the early fireworks on the bridge and barges. The wheel even stopped at the peak of the fireworks with us in perfect line with the bridge. 

Rog, Dora and Rob on the ferris wheel

Dizzy with glee and fumes, we had a frozen margarita and went on the dodgems, then picked up some drinks and food to head out and claim our spot on the boardwalk. A few surges forward as the early birds stood up gave us (in our opinion) another best view in town (in Luna Park). The fireworks were excellent, if deconstructed because we weren't in front of the bridge ($500 a ticket) but I think the excitement of being able to see three separate barges and the proximity of our next fairground ride made up for that. And we saw the golden waterfall thingy off the bridge, so.

After the fireworks we went on a ride called Wild Mouse which was built in 1963 and hadn't aged a day. It consisted of a little two-person cart on rails, which careered round an elevated route with brilliant views over the harbour which we entirely missed on account of being terrified of falling off on the corners. Somewhat hysterical, we meandered to the DJ 'Big Top' for a final hour of excellent dancing.

Ready for Wild Mouse. Or so we thought.

Rob sensibly departed the hottest room in Sydney for Cairns early the next morning. We aimed for brunch in popular yuppie area Surrey Hills, where in fact only one place was open. Many mushrooms, eggs and halloumi later, we jumped on the train north to central coast, where Becky's uni friends Arisa and Rob now live. We banished our collective hangover with a swim in the sea, a champagne BBQ, frozen yoghurt and crab-watching on the rocks. Becky also completed a life-long goal of throwing a shrimp on a barbie in Australia.

Back in the hottest rooms in Australia, we kept at the chocolate and port, whilst finishing What We Do in the Shadows and murdering a host of mosquitoes.

Harbour Bridge from the Opera House

Opera House from the Harbour Bridge

The next day we were true tourists: we went on the Sydney Opera House tour (did you know the white/off-white tiles are Swedish and self-cleaning?), wandered round the "old town" The Rocks, studied the construction of the Bridge inside one of its pylons and walked round to Mrs Macquarie's point. We played where-would-we-have-sat-if-we-watched-NYE-from-here.

Mrs Macquarie's Seat - Opera House and Bridge together!

Then to the Gallery of NSW for the Aboriginal art gallery and lunch with sugar-addicted parrots, to Wooloomooloo finger wharf to marvel at its architectural and interior cool-ness, and to the ANZAC Memorial for a moment of reflection. 

We went to bed later, exhausted, but not from the above. It was a long, tough, physical and abstract escape room that took it out of us, involving a big back story down a mine and a twist at the end where Roger saved all of us and sacrificed himself, which meant we won! And also we finished the puzzles in time.

Our final day merited a final, big brunch followed by a cocktail up the Sydney Tower at its 360 revolving bar. We also saw the most beautiful family in the world, which was disconcerting and mesmerising for us all. We said goodbye at Darling Harbour, then Roger and I came full circle on our trip by visiting the Spiders exhibition at the Australian Museum. 

We said goodbye again to Grecky in the airport, after their flight was delayed, and they super-generously gave us their compensation food tickets. True friend-love.

Back to Welly, back to work...

Trans-Tasman festivities: Part 1

It’s the 23^rd December and Dora, Roger, Becky and Greg leave Wellington on an only slightly delayed evening Jetstar flight to Auckland, where they pick up a suspiciously nice car suspiciously smoothly and stock up for CHRISTMAS in PIHA!

[Roger] We arrived at our ‘eco retreat’ Christmas accommodation in the dark, spooked by some drying washing next to a motorhome in a grassy car park. After the approaching shadowy figure who flung open the car door turned out to be our host, we calmed down. A boardwalk led us to a sweet-smelling compost loo, outdoor shower and kitchen, and some (indoor) comfy beds that left us well-rested for the following days’ festivities.

On Christmas Eve I am used to the compulsory ‘family walk’ and some carols in an arctic church. This year, however, we woke up to shorts-appropriate weather, showered outside and wandered over to the ‘Bach’ (holiday home), where Dora’s extended family was stationed. After a delicious whitebait fritter lunch (expertly prepared gluten-free by Andrew), we spend the day knocking over pieces of wood in ‘Viking Chess’ (Kubb), climbing ‘Lion Rock’ to enjoy views over Piha, and taking a chilly dip in a hidden pool halfway up the Kite Kite Waterfall. Dinner was prawns, venison sausages and BBQ lamb, followed by an apple and plum crumble (the pudding a joint effort from the four of us). Had the food peaked too soon?!

On Christmas Day we had a mini-Christmas in our eco retreat, since our inner-child couldn’t possibly wait until later in the day before opening some presents and consuming too much chocolate. We then headed over to the family bach for a champagne and a pancake-laden breakfast (expertly cooked by Dora and Becky). Christmas day passed by swimmingly, with a swim in the sea between two very close-together flags, games of Kubb, secret and selfish Santa presents, enjoying Sylvie’s bevy of presents, and another trip up Lion Rock. Becky and Dora made an excellent Kiwi-British fusion pavlova, which together with some excellent South Island port finished off a belly-breaking dinner of baked salmon, Craigend slow-barbequed lamb, Craigend new potatoes and two incredible salads involving peas, mint, fresh broad beans, cauliflower, pomegranate seeds and goats cheese. As the evening drew to a close we Skyped UK families, who were only just waking up for the start of their day.

Boxing Day dawned later than usual, possibly because of the port. We bid goodbye to Dora’s relatives and helped clean up the leftovers before hitting the road north to Paihia in the Bay of Islands.  On the way we ventured into the depths of the Waipu caves to see huge ceilings of glow worms, which is a surprisingly large tick off Greg’s bucket list. We arrived at Paihia around dusk, to be greeted by our friendly AirBnB hosts and their friendly, if slightly blind, dog ‘Jack’, and an indoor toilet and shower.

The next morning we were up early to board the Opua to Russell car ferry, driving on to meet a water taxi in Oke Bay. Out we zoomed to the north end of Cape Brett. The water-taxi driver [once Roger had had a chat to her] kindly took us via the cavernous ‘cathedral’ cave and the famous ‘hole in the rock’, through which pretty large boats – including ours – could pass. We were then deposited at the bottom of a rather large hill, which set the scene for the day.

Called ‘undulating’ by the information boards, the Cape Bret track is better described as ‘bloody hilly’. Hot weather made it particularly hard work. We’d therefore built up quite an appetite and a sweat by the time we reached Deep Water Cove, which was unfortunately infested with jelly fish and divers. Undeterred, we ate our Christmas-ham-and-avocado sandwiches and marched onwards to a more secluded beach (reccied in March with James and Faye) for a cooling sea swim before the final leg back to the car. A(nother) BBQ refuelled us after what had been a gruelling, but fun, day.

Loo with a view

December 28 saw Greg and I dive the Rainbow Warrier, which the French blew up a while back to stop Greenpeace protesting against their nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific.  It’s now an excellent habitat for sea creatures and at least one 70 year-old diver! Meanwhile, [Dora taking over here] Becky and I visited the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where in 1840 Maori and British representatives came to an agreement of sorts over land governing rights. It was an informative, passionate and moving tour from a Ngapuhi guide, from the story of Elizabeth II making the huge Kauri waka an HMS vessel, to her speech that New Zealand is “not one without the other” of her two founding peoples. After a marae-style ceremony, we were entertained inside the meeting house by a brilliant performance group.

In the evening, the divers and history-seekers re-joined for a drink on the verandah at the Swordfish Club in Russell, looking out through the Pohutukawa over the bay, and a pizza at Hone’s place.

View from the Swordfish Club verandah

On our last morning in Paihia we had brunch on the ferry pier before driving south. We weren’t overly eager to get to our Auckland Airport Ibis Budget Hotel, so we detoured to the Kawakawa Hundertwasser toilets , Matapouri Beach and its busy mermaid pools where the GoPro got some action, a picnic spot with a view for the last of the Christmas leftovers, and Longview Winery for an interesting tasting including a now-$270 bottle of wine thanks to a Chinese takeover of the vineyard. We tried to stop at Sheep World too, but were sadly too late for a sheep show, emu feeding or eel feeding.

After dinner at old favourite The-Restaurant-Under-the-Ibis-that-does-suprisingly-good-food, we finished the last of the Torlesse Port, kept making inroads into the chocolate, and watched half of kiwi classic What We Do in the Shadows.

In the next post we'll take a kangaroo hop over to Australia for New Year's Eve!