Martinborough and Home

Tuesday 18 March

Our plane from Auckland to Singapore departed at 0100 and inevitably we had to eat a 'supper' before we were allowed to sleep. Luckily we did both sleep reasonably well after that. We duly arrived to the hullabaloo involved in the launch of a new plane. Firstly we had to have our photographs taken to go with a commemorative stamp which will arrive here on an envelope in a few weeks' time; then we had a (not very good) buffet breakfast to the sound of an accompanying jazz band. The speeches followed - including ones made bythe Vice President of Singapore Airlines and the British High Commissioner. Then we were allowed to board and the flight left 15 minutes behind time. The economy passengers are on the main deck, at the front of which are the much advertised (not economy) 'suites' - little cubicles in which highly paying passengers can be alone with a massive flat screen TV and then shut themselves in and sleep full length when they feel like it. The economy part of the main deck has a feeling of spaciousness that has a lot to do with the fact that the ceiling is a higher than normal and is well lit. The seats themselves - in the usual configuration of three on either side and four in the middle - are marginally wider (you'd hardly notice) and slightly further away from the seats in front (a bit more helpful). The inflight entertainment system has the same programmes as on our other SIA flights but the remote control is more user-friendly, a bit like a TV remote. Service, as on all SIA flights, was excellent and the plane was quiet and smooth, but my overriding memory will be of the cold. Everyone needed to use their blankets - it was freezing! The flight took around 14 hours - giving plenty of time to examine the laptop bag full of goodies that each of us was given (two pens in a leather case; a leather baggage label; a 100ml bottle bag; a padlock; a model of the plane and a book all about the A380). We were also presented with individual certificates. During the flights some passengers were filmed and interviewed (we kept our heads down). On arrival at Heathrow the plane was water cannoned and we were presented with a corsage of fresh orchids each. I was much too tired by this time to enjoy any of this.

Our friend Barbara met us at the airport and sped us home and afterwards she and Graham gave us a lovely welcome-home dinner. Now we just need to get our time-clocks sorted out - it seems to be taking a long time. It was a really terrific holiday; we enjoyed every minute.

Monday 17 March

We returned to Wellington in the late morning after coffee at The Village Cafe in Martinborough. The weather was beautifully sunny and hot again and we idled away the rest of the day sitting in the garden enjoying a late lunch and the inevitable bottle or two of wine. In the late afternoon Keith and Wendy took us to Wellington airport and we departed for Auckland having paid $50NZ excess baggage! This occasioned a re-packing of our bags at Auckland and transfer of lots of heavy material into our hand baggage. On checking in for our next flight (no excess baggage charge now) we were presented with our invitations to the launch in Singapore of the A380 at 0630 - the plane on which we were to travel back to Heathrow

Sunday 16 March

After a refreshing night's sleep we awoke to a warm but overcast day which was just about right for our 10km walk "Round the Vines" - a fund-raising event for the local school. There were lots of people taking part, many in imaginative fancy dress. We never found out whether the man with the splinted leg really had damaged it or not - he was very realistic. Bo-Peep had a significantly-sized flock of sheep and one cow because the hire company ran out of costumes. The Runaway Bride and her bridesmaid often seemed to be apart from the Groom, but perhaps that was how it should have been. This was a very civilised event in that the stops involved tasting the wines at each of the vineyards through which we were walking and helping ourselves to grapes and water melon. Some of us got around quicker than others depending on how many tastings had to be made at each stop. But we did manage to complete the course in time for the sun to come out and to make our way to Alana Vineyard for another excellent lunch accompanied by their superb wine.

Belle had been left at home for the morning so in the afternoon we were duty-bound to take her for quite a ramble around Martinborough and, in particular, around the area near the cottage where other buildings are being built (or are arriving complete either as existing buildings re-sited, or as new buildings - as Keith and Wendy's had been). We also examined all the olive trees in the communal areas to decide whether they would produce sufficient crop to enable Keith to make olive oil this year. We spent some time talking to four Alpacas on one of the 'lifestyle' plots who were happy to accept grass offerings but were mostly keen to 'eye-ball' Belle. The afternoon came to an end with traditional kite-flying and an equally traditional roast chicken and all the trimmings and BBC 2!

Saturday 15 March

After a walk on Mount Kaukau, we set off, mid-morning, for Martinborough using both Keith and Wendy's cars - lots of baggage and Belle to transport. Richard was driving Wendy's automatic, and after the traffic-free roads of the South Island, Wellington's suburbs seemed pretty busy - and we kept coming to traffic lights! The road to the Wairarapa involves a very long, windy, road up the Rimutaka range and then down the other side. Once on the other side the country seems strangely flat compared with Wellington and the South Island. It was a hot, sunny, day and once we had unloaded the cars at the 'cottage' at Martinborough, we went on to Greytown. We had an excellent long lunch sitting out on the terrace of 'Saluti' and then enjoyed having a look around the town's antique and interior design/gift shops. When we got back to Martinborough we visited two of the many local vineyards; sampled some of their offerings and bought some chardonnay and pinot gris. In the evening we had dinner at The French Bistro.

Akaroa, Christchurch, Kaikoura and back to Wellington

Friday 14 March
After a massive cooked breakfast (the B&B had hosted the Welsh Rugby Team and clearly thought everyone ate their sort of quantities), we drove north, in sunshine, arriving at Kaikoura two hours later. This is the Whale-watching capital of NZ; also a centre for viewing Dolphins, Albatross, Fur Seals etc etc. We knew we did not have time to go on a boat trip which is the traditional way to watch all of these - usually on different trips as the mammals/birds are in different places around the peninsula - and did not really expect to see anything in the time available, but managed to get a flight to see the Whales. We were up in the air for 30 minutes - in an 8 seater plane (Richard in co-pilot position) - and saw 5 sperm whales which was a very good sighting. We even saw some Dolphins as the pilot had a bit of time to spare which enabled him to include their area too. Obviously not as good as getting close up at sea but still very exciting - and some exciting aerobatics too by the pilot to get us as close as possible. We also went by car to the Seal Colony on the edge of the cliffs and saw lots of seals very close up, including one who thought I was too close and chased me!

Then we travelled on up to Picton to catch the ferry. We had not expected the East Coast to be particularly scenic as everyone raves about the West Coast but it was just as good as the most exciting coastal scenery in Devon or Cornwall, with lots of rollers and spray crashing onto the beaches and rocks.

We handed back our hire car feeling very happy at the good service it had done us - no problems at all throughout the 11 days - and had time for a bit of a walk around Picton Harbour before boarding the ferry. This time we saw the Sounds on the way out as it was still clear and sunny. However, it was windy so we had to sit inside and I actually read some of my book - at last. It was lovely to be met by Wendy and Keith again and to see Belle. We enjoyed being back at their house in Wellington for the night before the next part of our journey.

Thursday 13 March
It would have been good to stay longer in Akaroa but we travelled on the next day, via Governors Bay (surely Christchurch's nobs hill) and Lyttleton Harbour (interesting but rather down at heel), to Christchurch, which is an amazingly compact city built on an easy to follow grid pattern.

We quickly found our B&B, Pomeroy, which was attached to a former brewery of the same name. The yard behind where we parked the car was a bit off putting but the inside was one of the best, including a beautiful bed made of Rimu. We made a quick turn around and walked into Christchurch, which was only about 15 minutes walk away. As we only had the afternoon we packed in a lot, but not much culture! It had started to drizzle a bit but that's not really a problem when you are sightseeing in a city. We saw the Avon river complete with punts and boater-hatted punters (the tourists pay to be punted); fantastic fountains in front of the beautiful modern Town Hall, and surrounding Victoria Square; the former Provincial Council Building; the Cathedral (and had some lunch in their cafe); the main Department Store - Ballantyne's - definitely a Harrods; and the Botanic Gardens. Between them all we travelled around on the tram. We would have liked to go to the Art Gallery, which is in a wonderful modern building which looked as if it is entirely made of glass; and to the Museum, and Arts and Crafts building - but they will have to wait for another visit. We decided on an early night after all that effort and went to the Pomeroy pub in the former brewery for our meal. We had not expected much of it but found a great pub atmosphere with a strong local community and even its own newspaper. Again we had some good quality food.

Wednesday 12 March

We left Twizel in beautiful sunshine and stopped at the most southerly point of Lake Pukaki to take photos of Mount Cook! Then we travelled on to Lake Tekapo to admire the little church by the lake and the statue of a sheepdog. The drive onward was through Mackenzie County, farming country. We stopped in Geraldine to admire some of the historic buildings and had a light lunch in the garden of Cafe Verde, a cafe/deli with a beautiful English garden full of roses. We should have taken the scenic route from there but wanted to make tracks so I drove along the only boring road we had come across to date - State Highway 1 - a completely straight road with conifers on both sides. Richard took over at Lincoln, south of Christchurch, and we eventually arrived at Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula. Akaroa is not far from Christchurch geographically but about an hour and a half's drive away taking account of the fact that it is situated on the far side of a former volcanic crater. It would have been good to stay longer and see some of the other bays on the peninsula but we had to cram a lot in in a short time. Akaroa is an ex-French settlement - France's attempt to colonise NZ which did not get anywhere because the English signed a treaty with the Maori very shortly after the French arrived. However the French community stayed and the 'town' is full of historic buildings, a large number of which I photographed! It also has some very nice restaurants and shops and good walks through and around it. Also boats of course - and boat trips, eg to see Dolphins.

After exploring the town, we went back to our B&B - Wilderness House, set in beautiful gardens and with a vineyard behind it - and got ready to go out for the evening, but before doing so joined our hosts and the other three couples staying for wine (the white made with grapes from their own vines) and canapes - very civilised - and interesting to find out what everyone else had been doing on their travels. We also had the company of George, the family's tabby cat, who unlike ours knows that fires are intended to be sat in front of! (Yes, it is quite chilly in the mornings and evenings though can be quite hot during the day in early Autumn in NZ).

We dined at a modern restaurant, Ma Maison, overlooking the sea and had one of the best meals we had had up to then (and we'd already had some pretty terrific food).

The Fiords-Mount Cook

Tuesday 11 March
The rain which had been holding off for the last two days started during the night. It rained heavily and steadily for most of our four and a half hour journey to Twizel where we decided to book into a motel for the night before embarking on a further 2 hour round trip to Mount Cook. In Twizel, a cute little town, the sun was shining again and it was hot. But unfortunately by the time we arrived at Mount Cook it was completely shrouded in cloud and we could not see it at all although we were just at the foot of it (and with three glaciers around it which should also have been in view). It was very disappointing but it decided us to go into the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre which only opened in December last year. We saw the most fantastic 3D show about mountaineering, skiing and flying in the mountains - quite an incredible piece of work. Then we spent quite a while looking around the museum. We would have liked to wait for the planetarium show but we were tired after the journeying so went back to Twizel then. We were even sorrier when, on one of our only really clear nights, we saw the splendour of the stars in that part. (There is an observatory complex near Lake Tepako because of the purity of the atmosphere there which makes the night sky so incredible.)

Monday 10 March
We had booked to go to Doubtful Sound today and, again, we expected to be going in torrential rain as that is more the norm for Fiordland, but we had a beautiful sunny day, though it was cold (there was frost in the morning!). It was a very long day - a coach trip to Manapouri; boat to Wilmot Pass; coach journey across the Pass to the Fiord. Then we had a three hour trip on the water and enjoyed the company of a couple from Wyoming!

The Fiord is much longer than Milford Sound and with branches off it but did not have the same grandeur. However, we saw bottlenose dolphins and (briefly) blue penguins. On the return journey we visited the turbine hall of the hydro-electric power station at Manapouri. In the evening we enjoyed pasta supper in Te Anau.

Sunday 9 March

After another excellent breakfast we departed The Stable for Te Anau and the Fiords. We enjoyed another scenic drive (particularly the red tussock area) to our luxury B&B, Whitestones, on a deer farm hidden away up a gravelled road in the middle of nowhere - real boutique-type accommodation. Then we drove up to Milford Sound; the journey there is full of little side 'trips' including mirror lakes with fantastic reflections of the mountains and The Chasm where the water roars through and has created wonderful shapes in the rocks. We had brilliant sunshine - and it was hot. It must be quite frightening when there has been the usual torrential rain and it is forcing its way through the Chasm. We arrived in Milford Sound at around 3 pm and were lucky enough to get straight onto a boat which only had a few other passengers.

The journey to the Tasman Sea was just wonderful in the sparkling sunlight. To make the most of our great accommodation we took home a picnic supper and just managed to get back in time to have a glass of wine on the deck before the sun went down.

Fox Glacier to Queenstown

Saturday 8 March

We enjoyed one of our best breakfasts at The Stable - Gordon sure knows how to make and present perfect poached eggs. It was fantastically hot and sunny today - but windy. Probably just as well because Richard went out on the Americas Cup yacht here and had a great sail while I enjoyed a walk along the foreshore and some time in the gardens. Earlier we had been to the Kiwi Park and saw two of the shy little things and various other birds we hadn't yet seen. We also went out on the TSS Earnslaw - an old steamship. We 'indulged' again at The 19th and had as good a meal as the night before. This was probably our most 'crowded' and touristy day of the holiday.

Friday 7 March

After a delicious breakfast at the Lake Matheson Cafe, we had another action-packed day despite over 5 hours spent driving - it sounds a lot but the roads are relatively empty. We drove the remainder of the West Coast, stopping at Haast for coffee, and then following a dramatic road bordered by rainforest before a run along the shores of beautiful Lakes Wanaka and Hawea. We stopped at "Puzzling World" outside the town of Wanaka where we failed to solve the maze but greatly enjoyed the illusions room. We lunched overlooking Lake Wanaka and then drove the incredibly scenic route via Cardrona to Queenstown. The Crown Terrace is quite out of this world - you feel as if you are on top of it (ie the world) when you look out towards valleys and lakes surrounded by the mountain ridges. We stopped off in picturesque Arrowtown for an hour or so and then arrived in Queenstown which is set on the shores of Lake Wakatipu and nestles under various ranges of mountains including one called The Remarkables - they certainly are. We went on the Gondola to the top of one of the mountains - a very high one! And there saw the bungy jumpers!!!!!!! Had a great quality (and great value) meal at a restaurant called The 19th on the Boardwalk. We are staying a couple of nights at The Stable - living room/kitchen, shower room and loft bedroom - just 5 minutes walk from the town; a fantastic situation.

Thursday 6 March

Not much driving today but lots of changeable weather and interest. In the morning we made the relatively short journey to Whataroa from whence we went to the White Heron Sanctuary on the Okarito Lagoon. This involved driving our hire car down a long unmade-up road (strictly outside the terms of our hire agreement); an exciting trip on a jet boat along the Whataroa river (strictly outside the terms of our travel insurance); a walk through the rain forest and, finally, time spent at a hide, with binoculars provided, watching, what turned out to be, the last White Heron that had not yet migrated from the breeding ground to other parts of NZ and further afield and a large number of Royal Spoonbills who look remarkably like White Herons except for their beaks! This venue is very special as it has been the breeding ground for the White Heron for many years and there are only about 140 birds in NZ, the birds return there to breed every year and the number go up and down a bit but don't vary greatly from the 140. This was one of the highlights of our visit.

Afterwards we drove the short distance to Franz Josef Glacier, which we caught a glimpse of from a distance but by the time we got to the village it had started to rain - seriously. We decided to go on further to Fox Glacier in the hopes that the weather might have improved by the time we got there. It hadn't. We donned all our wet weather gear, including over-trousers, and set off for the foot of the glacier but never made it that far because the rain was so torrential that rivulets had formed making it almost impossible for us to get across one part of the rocky area leading up to the glacier. Richard was soaked (inadequate clothing, despite having suitable at home!) so we checked into a motel for the night and I used the opportunity to do a load of washing and drying. We did not venture far for supper just walking to the Fox Glacier Hotel for their carvery supper.

Picton-Hokitika, South Island

Wednesday 5 March

We awoke to a wonderful, hot, sunny, day; the beach and coastline were looking quite different from the day before. We spent some time in Nelson, an attractive city, where I bought an NZ pay-as-you-go mobile phone which proved invaluable during the remainder of our time in the South Island. We then set out on our long drive from Nelson to the West Coast. We shared the driving and enjoyed the scenic Buller river and gorge before stopping at Murchison for a snack lunch (we had to sit in the shade to eat it). I took over driving and before long we reached the beautiful west coast. We stopped, of course, at Punakaiki, to see the famous Pancake rocks. These really were marvellous, as also were the endless empty beaches with only the occasional person walking on them. All quite magnificent and beyond the imagination of the average Brit like us.

We stopped overnight in Hokitika where we treated ourselves to a stay in Teichelmanns, a great quality B & B where we stayed in the cottage. We walked on the beach - rather windswept and overcast by the evening - and had over-large quantities of supper in 'Stompers' (the whitebait were locally caught but I prefer the way they are served in the UK).

Tuesday 4 March

We had had such a great time in Wellington we were sad to be leaving, but we made an early start for our tour of the South Island. Unfortunately the ferry journey across the Cook Strait and through Queen Charlotte Sound to Picton was marred by very foggy weather so we did not see the stunning scenery for which this journey is famous. We picked up our Ford Focus at Picton and took the scenic route along Queen Charlotte Drive: even in reduced visibility it was superb, with lots of far-reaching views into other parts of the Sounds. At Havelock we stopped to stretch our legs with a walk around the town and marina and we lunched overlooking the water. I had chowder prepared with the Havelock famed green lipped mussels. When we arrived at Nelson, we decided to find accommodation near Tahunanui Beach despite the still cloudy weather. We found a B&B and then took a walk along Tahuna beach followed by a dinner of wine and tapas at 'Havana' before a welcome night's sleep after our (well, Richard's) first spell of driving on steep windy roads.

Wellington

Monday 3 March

It was overcast and colder today (how variable it is here!) After our usual dog walk we went to the City and spent quite a while in the Museum of Wellington, City and Sea which is a great museum - a second visit will be needed another time to see all we wanted to. From there we went to the Civic Square and into the Town Hall and Michael Fowler Centre, which, among other things, are venues for musical entertainments. We had lunch in the cafe in the library (yes, a cafe in a library!) and at last managed to get inside the Cathedral Church of St Paul's (old St Paul's) - our previous three attempts having been foxed by a wedding, another wedding and a funeral. We also visited the NZ equivalent of a cash and carry and bought a Timberland soft bag to use for our trip to the South Island (for which we have since discovered we paid around £35 less than if we had purchased it in the UK). In the evening we had a great dinner at Shed 5 on Lambton Quay - one of my many NZ meals including scallops and prawns.

Sunday 2 March
Today the weather has been lovely again and we walked the dogs in the Botanic Gardens. Three of Keith and Wendy's children (Mark, Jonathan and Sarah) and their families (all of whom live locally) came to lunch - a barbecued salmon - a great success with lots of time spent in the garden. The four dogs - Belle, Rosie, Bilbo and Ruby - also enjoyed themselves. The list of delicious NZ wines we have drunk gets ever longer.

Saturday 1 March
We all enthusiastically walked half way up Mount Kaukau this morning - it was a steep climb - not at all like the Vale of the White Horse. Afterwards we had lunch in the Astoria in the City and visited various places of note including the Cathedral, where there was an art exhibition taking place) and Te Papa, the national museum. A trip to the New World supermarket was no less interesting. We also called in to see Mark (Wendy and Keith's eldest son), Nikki and Sam who live in a vast old colonial house, also in Khandallah. The weather had been very pleasant up to then but the heavens opening and the late afternoon and evening brought heavy rain which was badly needed as it has been very dry here this summer. However, it meant we had to drive to Taste, a nearby restaurant, which would otherwise have been just a short walk.

Friday 29 February
We joined Wendy walking the dogs in the bush on Mount Kaukau immediately behind the house before all going to the Karori wildlife sanctuary where we saw a tuatara and several native birds and insects. We lunched afterwards in the Rose Garden at the Botanic Gardens and went to the cable car museum before taking a stroll along the waterfront to Oriental Bay. The dogs disgraced themselves by consuming 14 chicken legs during our absence!

Thursday 28 February
Not such a good flight as our first because a baby decided to scream for most of the journey! The flight from Auckland to Wellington wasn't a lot better - same baby sitting immediately in front of us this time. However, Keith and Wendy met us at Wellington airport and took us along the scenic route around the harbour to their beautiful home in Khandallah on the outskirts of the city. The house is white brick and wood in the arts and crafts style with interior to match and a delightful English garden all around. We were warmly greeted by their dog Belle, a Labradoodle, and their son's spaniel, Rosie. We enjoyed excellent NZ wine on their patio and ate our dinner (NZ lamb shank!) out there.

Departure from UK - and Singapore

Wednesday 27 February

I awoke very early again. We went on a 2.5 hour cruise on a replica Chinese Junk called the Imperial Cheng Ho. It was scorching hot on deck but pleasant in the air conditioned area below. We sailing around the harbour and Sentosa island and then to some of the outlying islands including Kusu where we stopped for half an hour to dip our toes in the water and admire the turtles and the Buddhist Shrine. On our return to the hotel (we had the room until the early evening) we were feeling shattered so we spent the afternoon by and in the pool, departing for the airport (by taxi this time) around 6pm. Changi's new terminal 3 is very comfortable and we had no trouble relaxing before boarding the plane at 8.30 pm for our 9pm flight to Auckland.

Tuesday 26 February

We breakfasted in the executive breakfast room with businessmen of all nationalities. The view of the city and harbour was terrific, as was the range of foods available for breakfast, though we couldn't get used to the ever present waiting staff eg pouring tea before it had had a chance to develop to a reasonable colour. We started the day by walking a couple of blocks and getting on the SIA Hoppa Bus (which is incredibly cheap for Singapore Airline passengers). We did one complete circuit of all the stops to begin with to give us an idea of the layout of the city. I remembered bits from my previous visit 22 years ago but quite a lot had changed. In particular the Padang (green and cricket pitch with pavilions both ends) and Raffles are both now surrounded by high rise buildings. See adjacent photo with the Padang on the left hand side with St Andrew's Cathedral and Raffles - the redeveloped version - on the right hand side. We alighted at Raffles and had the obligatory Singapore Sling - at vast expense. Then we walked around for a while visiting St Andrew's, the Boat Quay, business area and back to the hotel for a reviving swim in the pool. Afterwards we went (by metro) to the Chinese Heritage Centre which was well worth the visit - a fascinating insight into the life of the chinese in this part of Singapore from their arrival until the 1950s or so. We used the Hoppa Bus again to get us back to the hotel and although we had intended to go to a Hawker's Market to eat we were both feeling tired so had a somewhat overpriced, but tasty, supper in the open air bar/restaurant by the hotel pool (and another couple of cocktails!)

Monday 25 February

We arrived into Changi airport, Singapore, in the early evening and seemed to spend a very long time changing money and buying metro tickets. The journey into the city was quite slow and the walk from the metro station to the hotel with our cases, in the sticky heat, was more than challenging (you need to know how to get into the hotels via malls etc as it is impossible to cross roads in the Marine Drive area - a part of Singapore built on land reclaimed from the sea. Other visitors are well advised to take a taxi.) We were staying at the Pan Pacific and were upgraded to an executive room on the 26th floor with ceiling to floor windows and a fantastic view. We had salads and tiger beers in a cheap and cheerful venue in the adjacent mall, followed by cocktails in the bar at the hotel next to the fantastic swimming pool. The late evening heat was, of course, lovely, as was my blue-coloured cocktail.

Sunday 24 February

Graham and Barbara drove us up to Heathrow. Good trip until we got to the edge of the airport and then a nail-biting nose to bumper grind for the last couple of miles. Arrived just in time to honour the 2.5 hour check-in, but everything ran very smoothly thereafter, with a rapid check-in; no excess baggage fees, and a nice cuppa before going through security. The plane departed half an hour late for no explicable reason. We sat behind a babe in arms but he was an angel and slept throughout the flight. I watched "Michael Clayton"; Richard watched so many films on the four flights during the holiday that he can't remember. Anyway, we both managed to sleep for part of the flight, though the air-conditioning lead to constant nose-running!

Last couple of days

Still wanting to do more research but time is running out! We have at least got a good idea of what we are going to pack. How will I stop Richard buying yet another pair of Chinos tomorrow?

Getting Nervous Now!

Enjoying a G&T in the garden - just a week to go

Last weekend before we go, we could have spent the time doing last minute things but instead had a lovely walk by the Thames and delicious lunch with friends in Wokingham - see picture!