It's raining today so I have finally finished uploading some new photos to this blog!
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Friday, 25 March 2011
Auckland and beyond
Tuesday 29 March
Awoke to sun again. Said goodbye to our excellent hostess, Robyn, and the two poodles King Louis and Cleo (host Peter and the two cats being absent), before setting off down to Auckland. We made 
a detour to the Tutukaka coast - thought Sandy Bay and Matipouri beaches were fabulous. Then stopped off at the Whangarei falls - quite unlike the Hurura falls but equally scenic. Afterwards we drove steadily south watching our petrol gauge and comparing it with the dis
tance still to go as shown on the Navman - we did not want to have to top up the petrol! We managed it - including taking a drive along Tamiki Drive which extends from the city some miles eastwards to St Helier all along the southern shore of the harbour. There are some great beaches along this stretch - lots of people were swimming and enjoying relaxing on the sands or walking/cycling along the waterfront. Nice to be back at the De Brett. Have just luxuriated in another deep bathtub and are off to have our complimentary drink in the guests' lounge before eating in 'Kitchen', the De Brett restaurant which has a very good reputation. ... Later, a really exceptional (nouvelle cuisine - our preference) meal at Kitchen - one of the best we've had in quite some time, and with a great Pinot Noir from Amsfield in Central Otago.
Monday 28 March
A m
uch sunnier morning - and not so humid - but the weather was variable throughout the day and the wind made it seem chilly at times. Went by ferry over to Russell where we took the steep walk up to Flagstaff Hill which provides good views over Russell, to Paihia. and outwards towards the other islands in the Bay. There are 144 islands in the Bay of the Islands - only 4 have homes on them and two of the islands are privately owned. They are all protected but can be visited on a daily basis by those who have their 
own boats/kayaks etc. Unfortunately dogs are prohibited because of the native birds which have been reintroduced to the islands, particularly kiwis which are doing very well in this part of New Zealand.
Sunday 27 March
The weather forecast had warned of an approaching cyclone and the threat of heavy rain again so we were surprised to awake to a benign day. We breakfasted (deliciously) in our hosts' conservatory on the next level up - even more spectacular views than ours! And made friends with their two poodles and two Siamese/Red Tortie cats.
Because of our expectation of the arrival of more rough weather, we went to Kerikeri about 14 miles distant, and enjoyed looking around their farmers' market and buying some produce for our planned 'picnic supper'. I also bought a couple of felted items in their craft market. We then went down to the creek to one of NZ's historical sites and took a guided tour at the oldest stone building and oldest wooden building in New Zealand, created by early members of the Christian Missionary Society, and also looked around an early church which was part of the same settlement. Across the creek a Maori fishing village has been re-created which was equally interesting. On our retur
n journey we stopped to take a walk in a reserve beside the Haruru river - and to take photos of the Haruru horseshoe-shaped falls which were particularly impressive following the heavy rains the previous day. Some rain did fall in the early evening but we had already returned to our comfortable apartment and have remained rooted here. (Very co-incidentally the other apartment has just been occupied by a couple of Swiss women whom we met in the guests' lounge at the De Brett - they are also here for 3 nights. What an amazingly small world we live in!)
Saturday 26 March
A horrible 3.5 hr drive for Richard from Auckland to Paihia since it rained heavily, sometimes torrentially, for almost all the time. It kindly let up for a short time around 1pm when we stopped at Whangarei Town Basin for a walk along the river bank, a look at the boats and a quick sandwich lunch. 
Despite the weather it was a very interesting drive because all the rolling hills are green here (unlike most other parts of NZ we have seen in March which tend to be very parched), and we crossed several very wide and full (brown coloured), fast flowing, rivers. We even saw seriously flooded pastures. We arrived at our apartment Allview Lodge at Paihia at about 3pm - and it was immedi
ately obvious we had arrived into a sub-tropical climate. There are beautiful flowering plants and shrubs here including hibiscus and bird of paradise. The apartment's position is spectacular - we cannot stop ourselves taking photos from the wrap-round balcony to the beach below and across part of the bay! We walked along the beach and round the rocky corner to the town of Paihia on the other side where we reconnoitred restaurants for the evening, picked up leaflets about activities locally, browsed around the shops and had a beer at the bar next to the wharf.
One of the best things about 'our beach' (actually Sullivans beach) is that is it entirely dog-friendly. There is a constant flow of dogs and owners, the latter frequently enjoying chasing sticks thrown into the water. Other parts of the town are also much more dog-friendly than we have become accustomed to in NZ. There appears to be a relaxed attitude generally, probably because it is a holiday location. I finally went swimming. The water was quite warm. In the evening rain threatened again so we drove the short distance into the town and ate at 'Alfresco', and sampled wine from Karikari (where the beach scenes from 'The Piano' were filmed). We went to sleep to the sound of the waves lapping on the shore.
Friday 25 March
Sad farewells to Keith and Wendy and the dogs. Flight to Auckland included very large party of Japanese students - fortunately all well behaved. Took bus into the city. It had started raining by the time we arrived in the centre but we only had a short walk to the De Brett - very impressive accommodation with superb customer service. After being shown around the premises we set off for the harbour. It was wet and grey but we decided to take the harbour cruise as it would be our only opportunity. It proved to be very interesting and was, of course, dry and comfortable with complimentary tea and coffee and muffins. Afterwards we had a look around the inner harbour on foot and then browsed around the shops in Queen Street and the High Street - the latter far more interesting and exclusive.
After luxuriating in the wonderfully deep bath in our en suite, we joined other guests in the guests' sitting room for a complimentary drink and chat with other guests and the owner, who sounds like he originally came from the UK. Our harbour trip tickets had included a return trip to Devonport so we went there afterwards for supper and came back after dark to view the lights of the city from across the bay.
a detour to the Tutukaka coast - thought Sandy Bay and Matipouri beaches were fabulous. Then stopped off at the Whangarei falls - quite unlike the Hurura falls but equally scenic. Afterwards we drove steadily south watching our petrol gauge and comparing it with the dis
tance still to go as shown on the Navman - we did not want to have to top up the petrol! We managed it - including taking a drive along Tamiki Drive which extends from the city some miles eastwards to St Helier all along the southern shore of the harbour. There are some great beaches along this stretch - lots of people were swimming and enjoying relaxing on the sands or walking/cycling along the waterfront. Nice to be back at the De Brett. Have just luxuriated in another deep bathtub and are off to have our complimentary drink in the guests' lounge before eating in 'Kitchen', the De Brett restaurant which has a very good reputation. ... Later, a really exceptional (nouvelle cuisine - our preference) meal at Kitchen - one of the best we've had in quite some time, and with a great Pinot Noir from Amsfield in Central Otago.Monday 28 March
uch sunnier morning - and not so humid - but the weather was variable throughout the day and the wind made it seem chilly at times. Went by ferry over to Russell where we took the steep walk up to Flagstaff Hill which provides good views over Russell, to Paihia. and outwards towards the other islands in the Bay. There are 144 islands in the Bay of the Islands - only 4 have homes on them and two of the islands are privately owned. They are all protected but can be visited on a daily basis by those who have their 
own boats/kayaks etc. Unfortunately dogs are prohibited because of the native birds which have been reintroduced to the islands, particularly kiwis which are doing very well in this part of New Zealand.
We visited Pompallier (RC) Mission house in Russell which was established in 1842, and our tour included a very informative demonstration of the processes of a tannery and also of the printing press which was established in the building by the French to print various religious tracts in Maori. On the whole I was not keen on Russell. There are some nice historical houses and the foreshore must look lovely in the height of summer when all the Pohutakawa trees are in flower, but the development has resulted in a mishmash of different architectural styles. I was also unduly influenced by the nasty public toilets - something you rarely come across in NZ.
In the afternoon we took the four hour boat trip from Russell out amongst the islands of the Bay including the
farthest easterly point - to see the Hole in the Rock. Had the weather been less rough the boat would have gone through this hole. We were glad they didn't try it today. We stayed on the outside decks of the boat for the whole trip but it was pretty blowy at times and several people felt the ill-effects of the swell.
farthest easterly point - to see the Hole in the Rock. Had the weather been less rough the boat would have gone through this hole. We were glad they didn't try it today. We stayed on the outside decks of the boat for the whole trip but it was pretty blowy at times and several people felt the ill-effects of the swell.
On returning to Paihia we had an early evening dinner at 35 Degrees South - a restaurant built out over the water before returning to start our packing for the trip back to Auckland tomorrow. Nearly the end of the holiday!
Sunday 27 March
Because of our expectation of the arrival of more rough weather, we went to Kerikeri about 14 miles distant, and enjoyed looking around their farmers' market and buying some produce for our planned 'picnic supper'. I also bought a couple of felted items in their craft market. We then went down to the creek to one of NZ's historical sites and took a guided tour at the oldest stone building and oldest wooden building in New Zealand, created by early members of the Christian Missionary Society, and also looked around an early church which was part of the same settlement. Across the creek a Maori fishing village has been re-created which was equally interesting. On our retur
n journey we stopped to take a walk in a reserve beside the Haruru river - and to take photos of the Haruru horseshoe-shaped falls which were particularly impressive following the heavy rains the previous day. Some rain did fall in the early evening but we had already returned to our comfortable apartment and have remained rooted here. (Very co-incidentally the other apartment has just been occupied by a couple of Swiss women whom we met in the guests' lounge at the De Brett - they are also here for 3 nights. What an amazingly small world we live in!) Saturday 26 March
Despite the weather it was a very interesting drive because all the rolling hills are green here (unlike most other parts of NZ we have seen in March which tend to be very parched), and we crossed several very wide and full (brown coloured), fast flowing, rivers. We even saw seriously flooded pastures. We arrived at our apartment Allview Lodge at Paihia at about 3pm - and it was immedi
ately obvious we had arrived into a sub-tropical climate. There are beautiful flowering plants and shrubs here including hibiscus and bird of paradise. The apartment's position is spectacular - we cannot stop ourselves taking photos from the wrap-round balcony to the beach below and across part of the bay! We walked along the beach and round the rocky corner to the town of Paihia on the other side where we reconnoitred restaurants for the evening, picked up leaflets about activities locally, browsed around the shops and had a beer at the bar next to the wharf. One of the best things about 'our beach' (actually Sullivans beach) is that is it entirely dog-friendly. There is a constant flow of dogs and owners, the latter frequently enjoying chasing sticks thrown into the water. Other parts of the town are also much more dog-friendly than we have become accustomed to in NZ. There appears to be a relaxed attitude generally, probably because it is a holiday location. I finally went swimming. The water was quite warm. In the evening rain threatened again so we drove the short distance into the town and ate at 'Alfresco', and sampled wine from Karikari (where the beach scenes from 'The Piano' were filmed). We went to sleep to the sound of the waves lapping on the shore.
Friday 25 March
After luxuriating in the wonderfully deep bath in our en suite, we joined other guests in the guests' sitting room for a complimentary drink and chat with other guests and the owner, who sounds like he originally came from the UK. Our harbour trip tickets had included a return trip to Devonport so we went there afterwards for supper and came back after dark to view the lights of the city from across the bay.
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
The Rains came - and went!
24 March
Really hot, sunny, day again today and we went, with the dogs, to the coast beyond the city on the outer western edges of the harbour. Long walk around Worsen Bay and Karaka Bay to Scorching Bay where we had lunch by the sea. After the return walk we drove further south along the coast where the waves were really crashing onto the rocks and the surfers were out in force on the one beach where it was 'safe' to go into the water.
In the evening we had a particularly good meal at Zibibbo, a Spanish/Italian restaurant in the city, followed by another performance at Circa - this time a spoof on 'Our Man in Havana' with just four actors. Very well acted and great fun.
23 March
Awoke to the wind howling around the house - it is very high here - but we managed to take the dogs walking on Mount KauKau in the morning without getting wet. We went into Wellington in the late morning as Keith had work to do and the rest of us wanted to make a return visit to the Museum of Wellington and the Sea. Beforehand we went to Bordeaux - a French cafe - and had suitably French and delicious baguettes and cakes. We spent a good two hours at the museum - one floor seemed to have changed completely since our last visit. In the evening we went to Siem Reap, a Cambodian restaurant in the city, with Mark (eldest Hale son), wife Nicky and 6 year-old Sam, and Nick and Sarah Fox (Hale daughter) and their two boys, Oliver and Jacob. Great food and good company. We even had time for a final game of Skip Bo when we got home.
22 March
We woke to drizzle and it has rained all day long. Tidied up the cottage and had lunch in Martinborough before driving back to Khandallah where we are enveloped by low cloud - and the rain continues. Heating on this evening, including nice welcoming gas fire.
Really hot, sunny, day again today and we went, with the dogs, to the coast beyond the city on the outer western edges of the harbour. Long walk around Worsen Bay and Karaka Bay to Scorching Bay where we had lunch by the sea. After the return walk we drove further south along the coast where the waves were really crashing onto the rocks and the surfers were out in force on the one beach where it was 'safe' to go into the water.
In the evening we had a particularly good meal at Zibibbo, a Spanish/Italian restaurant in the city, followed by another performance at Circa - this time a spoof on 'Our Man in Havana' with just four actors. Very well acted and great fun.
23 March
Awoke to the wind howling around the house - it is very high here - but we managed to take the dogs walking on Mount KauKau in the morning without getting wet. We went into Wellington in the late morning as Keith had work to do and the rest of us wanted to make a return visit to the Museum of Wellington and the Sea. Beforehand we went to Bordeaux - a French cafe - and had suitably French and delicious baguettes and cakes. We spent a good two hours at the museum - one floor seemed to have changed completely since our last visit. In the evening we went to Siem Reap, a Cambodian restaurant in the city, with Mark (eldest Hale son), wife Nicky and 6 year-old Sam, and Nick and Sarah Fox (Hale daughter) and their two boys, Oliver and Jacob. Great food and good company. We even had time for a final game of Skip Bo when we got home.
22 March
We woke to drizzle and it has rained all day long. Tidied up the cottage and had lunch in Martinborough before driving back to Khandallah where we are enveloped by low cloud - and the rain continues. Heating on this evening, including nice welcoming gas fire.
Saturday, 19 March 2011
Martinborough
21 March
Cloudier today. Wendy, Richard and I walked the dogs to the town/village (Martinborough) and had coffee while Keith mowed the grass. Then we went via the country route to Greytown and had delicious baguettes and coffee eclairs in the French Bakery before looking around the shops. Wendy succumbed to a skirt and matching top in a sale. In the evening we had a BBQ - or rather Keith cooked steak and sausages outside, with Richard supporting him with a glass of red wine in his hand - but we actually ate it indoors with salad and saute potatoes because the wind had got up and it was really a bit chilly.
20 March
Bright and sunny day - in fact, a bit too hot for a 10k walk, but we
did the whole thing - with Keith and Wendy and their friends, Colin and Di, who also come from Khandallah and have a weekend home in Martinborough. The charity "Round The Vines" walk/race raises around $NZ30,000 a year for the local school and is terrifically well supported, with lots of competitors wearing fancy dress. We came in not far short of last but we enjoyed the wine tastings and water melon/grapes en route! Afterwards we all went to Coneys vineyard for lunch, where we sat under an awning to shade us from the strong sun, and had an excellent wine tasting with the owner - great Rieslings - look out for them! We then chose a couple of the wines (of course) to have with a delicious, lengthy, lunch. What a great way to spend an afternoon!
19 March
Took both cars up over the Rimutaka mountain range to Martinborough. Quite a few more homes in Cottage Grove than we remembered: and lots more vegetation in Keith and Wendy's cottage grounds - fruit trees and bushes of all sorts around the house, shrubs, and a very productive raised vegetable bed; plus olive trees in the adjacent section which they bought recently. After a bit of a play with them, we left the dogs at home and went to Vynfields - a vineyard producing only organic wine - for lunch. The owners' beautiful colonial style house was originally in Lyall Bay in Wellington but was transported to this site and re-erected, and they have created a very attractive garden and outdoor eating area around it. Luckily we found a table in the shade - it was very hot - and we had a tasting of six different wines - mostly rose or red - with a light lunch. Later in the afternoon we collected produce from the garden - baby tomatoes, raspberries, grapes, garlic and two types of beans. We played with the dogs and took them for a walk. In the evening we had a good meal in Martinborough at Medici.
Cloudier today. Wendy, Richard and I walked the dogs to the town/village (Martinborough) and had coffee while Keith mowed the grass. Then we went via the country route to Greytown and had delicious baguettes and coffee eclairs in the French Bakery before looking around the shops. Wendy succumbed to a skirt and matching top in a sale. In the evening we had a BBQ - or rather Keith cooked steak and sausages outside, with Richard supporting him with a glass of red wine in his hand - but we actually ate it indoors with salad and saute potatoes because the wind had got up and it was really a bit chilly.
20 March
Bright and sunny day - in fact, a bit too hot for a 10k walk, but we
did the whole thing - with Keith and Wendy and their friends, Colin and Di, who also come from Khandallah and have a weekend home in Martinborough. The charity "Round The Vines" walk/race raises around $NZ30,000 a year for the local school and is terrifically well supported, with lots of competitors wearing fancy dress. We came in not far short of last but we enjoyed the wine tastings and water melon/grapes en route! Afterwards we all went to Coneys vineyard for lunch, where we sat under an awning to shade us from the strong sun, and had an excellent wine tasting with the owner - great Rieslings - look out for them! We then chose a couple of the wines (of course) to have with a delicious, lengthy, lunch. What a great way to spend an afternoon!19 March
Took both cars up over the Rimutaka mountain range to Martinborough. Quite a few more homes in Cottage Grove than we remembered: and lots more vegetation in Keith and Wendy's cottage grounds - fruit trees and bushes of all sorts around the house, shrubs, and a very productive raised vegetable bed; plus olive trees in the adjacent section which they bought recently. After a bit of a play with them, we left the dogs at home and went to Vynfields - a vineyard producing only organic wine - for lunch. The owners' beautiful colonial style house was originally in Lyall Bay in Wellington but was transported to this site and re-erected, and they have created a very attractive garden and outdoor eating area around it. Luckily we found a table in the shade - it was very hot - and we had a tasting of six different wines - mostly rose or red - with a light lunch. Later in the afternoon we collected produce from the garden - baby tomatoes, raspberries, grapes, garlic and two types of beans. We played with the dogs and took them for a walk. In the evening we had a good meal in Martinborough at Medici.
Friday, 18 March 2011
South to North Island
18 March
Another beautiful sunny day. Drove down to Rarangi, which is situated on Cloudy Bay. We took a short track to Monkey Bay with good views back over the vast expanse of Cloudy Bay. Another familiar name to UK drinkers of NZ wine, Oyster Bay, lies slightly to the north. We then took a circular route back via Blenheim and the Rapuara Road (again) through Marlborough wine country before returning to Picton to drop off the hire car and take the ferry back through the Cook Straits to Wellington. This was the third time we had
been on the InterIslander Ferry, Kaitaki, but on the first occasion the visibility was poor and on the second it was dark for part of the journey. Today we had the best possible conditions with bright sunshine and good visibility and the 3+ hour journey turned into 4 hours when one of the port engines played up so we have to take a longer route in the Straits. It was blowy but we spent the greater part of the time on deck. Keith met us and we enjoyed G&Ts with cheese and home-grown Martinborough grapes in the garden before dinner indoors. Lovely to be back in Khandallah with Keith and Wendy and the dogs.
Another beautiful sunny day. Drove down to Rarangi, which is situated on Cloudy Bay. We took a short track to Monkey Bay with good views back over the vast expanse of Cloudy Bay. Another familiar name to UK drinkers of NZ wine, Oyster Bay, lies slightly to the north. We then took a circular route back via Blenheim and the Rapuara Road (again) through Marlborough wine country before returning to Picton to drop off the hire car and take the ferry back through the Cook Straits to Wellington. This was the third time we had
been on the InterIslander Ferry, Kaitaki, but on the first occasion the visibility was poor and on the second it was dark for part of the journey. Today we had the best possible conditions with bright sunshine and good visibility and the 3+ hour journey turned into 4 hours when one of the port engines played up so we have to take a longer route in the Straits. It was blowy but we spent the greater part of the time on deck. Keith met us and we enjoyed G&Ts with cheese and home-grown Martinborough grapes in the garden before dinner indoors. Lovely to be back in Khandallah with Keith and Wendy and the dogs.
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
In Queen Charlotte Sound and environs
17 March
The day starts a bit dull so we drove south for half an hour to the vineyards around Blenheim. Since we seem to drink a fair amount of their wine when in the UK, we chose to go to Wither Hills for a tasting. We both tried about 5 wines (of a possible 10), and then bought 2 bottles - one of which (a Pinot Gris) I am supping now! We also had a good look around the vineyard's beautiful premises and, naturally, photographed the Wither Hills. 
We chose a different vineyard for lunch, having overheard it being recommended to someone else. We went to Wairau River's restaurant. We sat outside in hot sun and enjoyed a good meal accompanied by a glass of their wine and lots of water, plus coffee. I took over the driving then to complete a circular route back to Picton. We drove north to Havelock on
a road we had not travelled before and then, as we had plenty of time, we drove west for a while to Pelorus Bridge where we took a short walk in the reserve. For the return journey we drove along Queen Charlotte Drive - a tortuously twisty road with incredible glimpses down into the Sounds. We had done this in 2008 but then Richard drove and we travelled east to west in rather overcast conditions. Today I drove west to east in lovely sun, though visibility was still not brilliant. We turned off and went to Anakiwa which is a beautiful bay at the head of one of the inlets to the Queen Charlotte Sound. The New Zealand Outward Bound School is located there and it is the start point for the Queen Charlotte Trail.
We chose a different vineyard for lunch, having overheard it being recommended to someone else. We went to Wairau River's restaurant. We sat outside in hot sun and enjoyed a good meal accompanied by a glass of their wine and lots of water, plus coffee. I took over the driving then to complete a circular route back to Picton. We drove north to Havelock on
a road we had not travelled before and then, as we had plenty of time, we drove west for a while to Pelorus Bridge where we took a short walk in the reserve. For the return journey we drove along Queen Charlotte Drive - a tortuously twisty road with incredible glimpses down into the Sounds. We had done this in 2008 but then Richard drove and we travelled east to west in rather overcast conditions. Today I drove west to east in lovely sun, though visibility was still not brilliant. We turned off and went to Anakiwa which is a beautiful bay at the head of one of the inlets to the Queen Charlotte Sound. The New Zealand Outward Bound School is located there and it is the start point for the Queen Charlotte Trail.
16 March
After a lazy start to the day - it was drizzling - we walked in bright sunshine via Picton marina onto the Victoria Domain and walked on the headland and then on the lower track above the shore for about 1.5 hours.
I
n the afternoon we joined the mail boat on its journey around Queen Charlotte Sound delivering and collecting post/parcels from the households and settlements on the Sound, most of which have no access other than by boat. Naturally most are used as holiday homes but we were very amused to find that the boat was met on almost all occasions by a person/persons accompanied by a dog/dogs! 
n the afternoon we joined the mail boat on its journey around Queen Charlotte Sound delivering and collecting post/parcels from the households and settlements on the Sound, most of which have no access other than by boat. Naturally most are used as holiday homes but we were very amused to find that the boat was met on almost all occasions by a person/persons accompanied by a dog/dogs! 
We were very lucky on the r
eturn leg to come upon killer whales (Orcas, which are actually large dolphins) which have come into the Sound to eat Sting Ray. There was a very large male and about 5 others (females or adolescents). We also saw a King Shag during this trip - it is an endangered species; there are thought to be only about 600 of them.
eturn leg to come upon killer whales (Orcas, which are actually large dolphins) which have come into the Sound to eat Sting Ray. There was a very large male and about 5 others (females or adolescents). We also saw a King Shag during this trip - it is an endangered species; there are thought to be only about 600 of them.
Looking much redder/browner in our faces from the sea breezes, we had an good early evening meal overlooking the harbour and retired to our comfortable room to enjoy a bottle of wine and a DVD.
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
A driving day
15 March
Left Akaroa at about 10.10 am in mist/rain and a much lower temperature. Not a problem for us as we were due to drive to the north of the South Island. We shared the driving; detoured to Gore Bay (see photo) on the way; and lunched at Kaikoura. Eventually arrived at Picton at around 5 pm and booked into Jasmine Court. This is really a very upmarket motel!
We have a luxury room which includes a massive bathroom with spa bath, and washing machine and dryer - there is underfloor heating, air conditioning, a dishwasher and all the other usual things you would expect of a motel! It is very comfortable and, although it stopped raining soon after we left Akaroa, it started again when we arrived here, so after a quick trip to the supermarket opposite, we are enjoying an evening in with a pasta supper, a bottle of wine and a couple of free-to-borrow DVDs. I am about to dry a load of washing and will luxuriate in the spa bath later. What slobs! We decided to come here instead of our planned stay in Nelson because the weather forecast appears to be better for this side of the island. We hope to take a boat trip around the Marlborough Sounds tomorrow but if the weather is against us we could always go south and visit wineries near Blenheim.
Left Akaroa at about 10.10 am in mist/rain and a much lower temperature. Not a problem for us as we were due to drive to the north of the South Island. We shared the driving; detoured to Gore Bay (see photo) on the way; and lunched at Kaikoura. Eventually arrived at Picton at around 5 pm and booked into Jasmine Court. This is really a very upmarket motel!
We have a luxury room which includes a massive bathroom with spa bath, and washing machine and dryer - there is underfloor heating, air conditioning, a dishwasher and all the other usual things you would expect of a motel! It is very comfortable and, although it stopped raining soon after we left Akaroa, it started again when we arrived here, so after a quick trip to the supermarket opposite, we are enjoying an evening in with a pasta supper, a bottle of wine and a couple of free-to-borrow DVDs. I am about to dry a load of washing and will luxuriate in the spa bath later. What slobs! We decided to come here instead of our planned stay in Nelson because the weather forecast appears to be better for this side of the island. We hope to take a boat trip around the Marlborough Sounds tomorrow but if the weather is against us we could always go south and visit wineries near Blenheim.
Sunday, 13 March 2011
Akaroa
14 March
Another beautiful - and hot - day. After a delicious breakfast with a couple from Melborne and another couple from Perth (formerly Birmingham), exchanging stories of our travels, we boarded the Sailing Yacht 'Manutara' with Ray, the skipper, and a very pleasant Finnish couple with unpronouncable names. There wasn't enough wind to sail initially, but we had some great encounters with Hector Dolphins, swimming along with the boat, and with White Flipper Blue Penguins, a species only found in the Banks Peninsula. We also saw shags and cormorants and took a look at a mussel 'farm' and a salmon 'farm'. On our return the wind piped up and we had an excellent sail. I even took the helm during a quieter period. A thoroughly enjoyable morning with a most knowledgeable and entertaining raconteur for skipper.
After lunch at "The Pepper Pot" we did a bit of shopping and dropped in to say 'hello' to Beryl and Chris Applin who live in a historic property in Akaroa. Beryl's sister, Margaret, lives in Winfrith Newburgh and they will be doing a 'house swap' with a couple in the village later this year so we will see them again then. They were very hospitable - we enjoyed tea and scones and jam. Afterwards Richard drove up onto the Summit Road on the edge of the crater. We had intended to go to Okains Bay but the road was very windy and steep with precipitous edges, and progress was necessarily slow. We eventually gave up our original idea, but the route had provided some excellent views down to the harbour and out to the Pacific so had not been in vain. I attempted to swim when we got back - off the beach opposite our B&B. Plenty of children were in the water but they are obviously a lot hardier than me. Two words came to mind - bloody and cold.
Later we drove to Okunu, which is a tiny Maori settlement just outside Akaroa. It is where the Maori of the Southern Island signed the Treaty of Waitangi giving the British title to their lands (the original treaty having been signed in the North Island near the Bay of Islands which we are visiting later in our trip). We had seen Okunu from the boat in the morning. The tiny church was originally Anglican but the frontage now reflects Maori culture. In the evening we enjoyed a glass of white wine on our terrace before eating at The Trading Rooms. The chef is a Kiwi, originally from Kaikora, and the front of house is managed by his young girlfriend who comes from near Crediton. We had a very good meal there - R had fillet steak and I had lamb - the most sweet and flavoursome I had ever tasted. Good desserts followed. But we thought the wine was over-priced. Definitely a place we would recommend though. Still warm when we walked back to the B&B.
13 March
An early start from Wellington with our flight 
supposedly departing at 0940, but, in fact, not leaving until after 1000. Good views of the Wairapa and of the coast further south en route - and no turbulence. Picked up our hire car from Apex and navigated fairly easily around the edge of Christchurch, starting to recognise the terrain once we had passed the turning for Lincoln where we had approached the Banks Peninsula from the south on our previous visit. Stopped at the Hilltop viewpoint to take photos of the harbour and then at Duvauchelle to have lunch on a terrace lookin
g out over the water. It was very hot and bright by this time and Akaroa was looking at its very best when we arrived at Garthowen. Have a look at the website - it is everything it is cracked up to be and its waterfront position is just stunning, as are the roses in the front garden. We took a walk eastwards along the waterfront to the wharf, boatshed, lighthouse and then up to Green Park where there is a memorial marking the British pipping the French to the post in establishing a foothold in New Zealand! The Union Flag was flying there. On the way back I dipped my toes in the water on the beach opposite Garthowen but it looked a bit brown (caused by the recent southerlies) so I have not swum today. We have had a very relaxing early evening sitting about reading information, catching up with e-mails and marvelling at the wonderful shower - there is also a deep claw foot bath which I will dissol
ve into at some point. We hope that our stay will not include the excitement of after-shocks since these are still being experienced here. Several buildings have white tape around them to warn you to avoid going too near since they are unstable. We are told that Wilderness House, where we stayed in 2008, has been damaged. This house (Garthowen) is a new build - made to look like a typical Akaroan house. As we are staying on the ground floor it seems we are less likely to feel the quakes than on the lst floor where the guest lounge and dining room, plus veranda, are situated. Met a couple with a golden retriever today. When I fussed the dog I found he's a guide dog to his mistress who is blind. They come from Christchurch and he has been very traumatised by the after-shocks. All three have come to Akaroa for the weekend for a bit of 'de-stressing'. We enjoyed a couple of glasses of NZ white on our verandah, before going to 'Ma Maison', a restaurant overlooking the bay which we had visited on our previous trip. There are far fewer people around this time and we had a table in the window, enjoying blue cod (Richard) and Akaroa salmon (me). This was our first warm evening to date.
13 March
supposedly departing at 0940, but, in fact, not leaving until after 1000. Good views of the Wairapa and of the coast further south en route - and no turbulence. Picked up our hire car from Apex and navigated fairly easily around the edge of Christchurch, starting to recognise the terrain once we had passed the turning for Lincoln where we had approached the Banks Peninsula from the south on our previous visit. Stopped at the Hilltop viewpoint to take photos of the harbour and then at Duvauchelle to have lunch on a terrace lookin
g out over the water. It was very hot and bright by this time and Akaroa was looking at its very best when we arrived at Garthowen. Have a look at the website - it is everything it is cracked up to be and its waterfront position is just stunning, as are the roses in the front garden. We took a walk eastwards along the waterfront to the wharf, boatshed, lighthouse and then up to Green Park where there is a memorial marking the British pipping the French to the post in establishing a foothold in New Zealand! The Union Flag was flying there. On the way back I dipped my toes in the water on the beach opposite Garthowen but it looked a bit brown (caused by the recent southerlies) so I have not swum today. We have had a very relaxing early evening sitting about reading information, catching up with e-mails and marvelling at the wonderful shower - there is also a deep claw foot bath which I will dissol
ve into at some point. We hope that our stay will not include the excitement of after-shocks since these are still being experienced here. Several buildings have white tape around them to warn you to avoid going too near since they are unstable. We are told that Wilderness House, where we stayed in 2008, has been damaged. This house (Garthowen) is a new build - made to look like a typical Akaroan house. As we are staying on the ground floor it seems we are less likely to feel the quakes than on the lst floor where the guest lounge and dining room, plus veranda, are situated. Met a couple with a golden retriever today. When I fussed the dog I found he's a guide dog to his mistress who is blind. They come from Christchurch and he has been very traumatised by the after-shocks. All three have come to Akaroa for the weekend for a bit of 'de-stressing'. We enjoyed a couple of glasses of NZ white on our verandah, before going to 'Ma Maison', a restaurant overlooking the bay which we had visited on our previous trip. There are far fewer people around this time and we had a table in the window, enjoying blue cod (Richard) and Akaroa salmon (me). This was our first warm evening to date.
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
Days in Wellington
12 March 2011
Afterwards we went to Te Papa to see the Brian Brake photographic exhibition - great stuff. (Couple of photos of the city scene below.)
In the evening we had dinner at St John's in the city and then went to The Circa Theatre (see photo above) where we saw "Fairy Stories" - an unusual, risque, but entertaining event of dance and music with only 5 players, one being Sir Jon Trimmer, formerly of the Royal New Zealand Ballet.
11 March 2011
Not surprisingly we all slept very well! We took the dogs to Tinakori Heights for a scenic walk, with great views of the harbour and down onto the city.
Then we went to the Botanical Gardens cafe again, where we had lunch before visiting Old St Paul's, the original wooden cathedral, and then picking up some shopping at New World - the main NZ supermarket chain.
In the evening we went to Taste in Khandallah - "the Suburban DiningRoom" - which we had visited in 2008. Although it is only a short walk away in the village, we drove as neither Wendy or I fancied walking back later, when it could have felt quite cold. The restaurant very busy and the meal was excellent. We had a long, tactical, game of Skip Bo before going to bed. As usual, Wendy won.
10 March 2011
Spied our first parrots of the season in one of the apple trees in the garden (see photo). Walked the dogs around to the 'village'- not very exciting for them, but Wendy wanted to do a bit of shopping and I needed to buy flowers for Emerson as a thank you for 'rescuing' my passport. I got a beautiful
bouquet of white flowers including Lilies, with two large, bright red, Gerberas, for about half what it would cost in the UK. Keith had a meeting in Wellington so the three of us went to the City separately and apart from doing exchange of flowers and passport - whew! - I managed to organise a complete refund on the TranzAlpine train trip we had booked from Christchurch to Greymouth and back, since our hotel booking in Christchurch had been cancelled, by the hotel, just before our departure from the UK. We then spent some time in 'Kirk's', the main department store in the city, where Wendy bought some Crabtree and Evelyn bath gel for about the same price as in the UK and I refrained from buying some make-up about a third as expensive as in the UK! We also had a look around Borders (yes, Borders - still in NZ and Singapore but probably only for a bit longer), but books are considerably more expensive in NZ than in the UK so no purchase there either. We met Keith for lunch in the cafe in Kirk's. Then we went to Katherine Mansfield's birthplace in Thorndon, another part of the city, and spent a couple of hours there. The old photos of Wellington were of particular interest to Keith and Wendy. In the evening we had an olive oil tasting - two from Keith and Wendy's own olives and one from a friend's who has a commercial oil production business in Martinborough. All were delicious but the friend's - infused with lime - was particularly good. Apart from G&T's we also had some great NZ wine with our tasty lamb dinner and some great dessert wine.
9 March 2011
Hot and sunny - hurrah! Walked the dogs in the Otari-Wilton bush, before coffee - made using the new equipment - in the garden at Clark Street, and tasty, crunchy, apples picked straight from the tree. Then, as in 2008, we visited Karori Sanctuary, now renamed Zealandia, and with a new building cont
aining the inevitable shop and cafe/restaurant, where we had lunch on the outside terrace. We enjoyed our walk around t
he Sanctuary, which aims to provide a habitat just for native species, predominantly birds. (see view back to the town and of a Kaka at a feeding station). We saw quite a few birds but opinions differed as to whether we saw more or fewer different ones than last time. We didn't see a Tuatara - something that looks like a large lizard, but isn't one - but we had seen one on the previous occasion. Nor, of course, did we see any Kiwis as they are nocturnal. In the evening we had a good meal in a very popular seafood restaurant in the city called the Ortega Fish Shack.
8 March 2011
Went to Eastbourne
today. It's on the eastern side of Wellington Harbour. Walked the dogs along the beach in bracing wind but bright sunshine. Ate lunch outside at Chocolate Dayz on Days Bay (see photos). Then returned to Wellington and walked along the waterfront to see new buildings which had 'arrived' since our last visit and to watch life going on, including schools' teams practising for a dragon boat
competition in a couple of weeks' time. All except Keith resisted having an ice cream. Fortunately it was not until we got home that I realised I had lost my passport and simultaneously we picked up a voice mail to say that someone had picked it up on the pavement in Eastbourne. That was very lucky for me - not so good for my family who got a call in the middle of the cold dark night in England as my brother was shown in the passport as one of my
contacts, plus phone number. Emerson, who found the passport - a girl from Lower Hutt, which is between Eastbourne and Wellington - will rendezvous with me on Thursday when she is due to come to Wellington to lunch with a friend. Still trying to decide what I can give her by way of a big thank you.
7 March 2011
Our first full day in New Zealand. Had a bit of a lie-in after a wonderful night's sleep in Keith and Wendy's bedroom which we had said they must not give up for us this time around. Some people won't be told! Then we all went out in the two cars with Richard remembering his automatic driving skills reasonably well. We had coffee in the Rose Garden at the Botanical Gardens (see photo) before walking the dogs, followed
by lunch in the city at L'Affare and some retail therapy in Moore & Wilson - mouthwatering food stuffs and stunning flowers on the ground floor and almost everything else upstairs. Purchases included a cone coffee grinder (everything associated with the specialist art of coffee-making was a mystery to us) and an olive stoner for the cottage in Martinborough where Keith and Wendy grow olives, grapes and other produce. It was mid-afternoon by then so the dogs had another walk at Trelissick Park on our route back to Khandallah. The weather wasn't warm enough to sit outside for our G&Ts or dinner. Keith and Wendy initiated us into the card game of Skip Bo afterwards.
Oh dear, slept in again. The day started cloudy and grey but turned into bright sunlight by the time we took the dogs to Khandallah Park and then up Mount Kau Kau - the first time we had been up there this visit.
Later we went to Oriental Bay (part of Wellington) and had lunch on an old barge on the bay. It was gloriously hot and sunny - a real holiday mood as we walked along the bay
Later we went to Oriental Bay (part of Wellington) and had lunch on an old barge on the bay. It was gloriously hot and sunny - a real holiday mood as we walked along the bay
Afterwards we went to Te Papa to see the Brian Brake photographic exhibition - great stuff. (Couple of photos of the city scene below.)
In the evening we had dinner at St John's in the city and then went to The Circa Theatre (see photo above) where we saw "Fairy Stories" - an unusual, risque, but entertaining event of dance and music with only 5 players, one being Sir Jon Trimmer, formerly of the Royal New Zealand Ballet.
11 March 2011
Not surprisingly we all slept very well! We took the dogs to Tinakori Heights for a scenic walk, with great views of the harbour and down onto the city.
Then we went to the Botanical Gardens cafe again, where we had lunch before visiting Old St Paul's, the original wooden cathedral, and then picking up some shopping at New World - the main NZ supermarket chain.
In the evening we went to Taste in Khandallah - "the Suburban DiningRoom" - which we had visited in 2008. Although it is only a short walk away in the village, we drove as neither Wendy or I fancied walking back later, when it could have felt quite cold. The restaurant very busy and the meal was excellent. We had a long, tactical, game of Skip Bo before going to bed. As usual, Wendy won.
10 March 2011
Spied our first parrots of the season in one of the apple trees in the garden (see photo). Walked the dogs around to the 'village'- not very exciting for them, but Wendy wanted to do a bit of shopping and I needed to buy flowers for Emerson as a thank you for 'rescuing' my passport. I got a beautiful
bouquet of white flowers including Lilies, with two large, bright red, Gerberas, for about half what it would cost in the UK. Keith had a meeting in Wellington so the three of us went to the City separately and apart from doing exchange of flowers and passport - whew! - I managed to organise a complete refund on the TranzAlpine train trip we had booked from Christchurch to Greymouth and back, since our hotel booking in Christchurch had been cancelled, by the hotel, just before our departure from the UK. We then spent some time in 'Kirk's', the main department store in the city, where Wendy bought some Crabtree and Evelyn bath gel for about the same price as in the UK and I refrained from buying some make-up about a third as expensive as in the UK! We also had a look around Borders (yes, Borders - still in NZ and Singapore but probably only for a bit longer), but books are considerably more expensive in NZ than in the UK so no purchase there either. We met Keith for lunch in the cafe in Kirk's. Then we went to Katherine Mansfield's birthplace in Thorndon, another part of the city, and spent a couple of hours there. The old photos of Wellington were of particular interest to Keith and Wendy. In the evening we had an olive oil tasting - two from Keith and Wendy's own olives and one from a friend's who has a commercial oil production business in Martinborough. All were delicious but the friend's - infused with lime - was particularly good. Apart from G&T's we also had some great NZ wine with our tasty lamb dinner and some great dessert wine. 9 March 2011
Hot and sunny - hurrah! Walked the dogs in the Otari-Wilton bush, before coffee - made using the new equipment - in the garden at Clark Street, and tasty, crunchy, apples picked straight from the tree. Then, as in 2008, we visited Karori Sanctuary, now renamed Zealandia, and with a new building cont
aining the inevitable shop and cafe/restaurant, where we had lunch on the outside terrace. We enjoyed our walk around t
he Sanctuary, which aims to provide a habitat just for native species, predominantly birds. (see view back to the town and of a Kaka at a feeding station). We saw quite a few birds but opinions differed as to whether we saw more or fewer different ones than last time. We didn't see a Tuatara - something that looks like a large lizard, but isn't one - but we had seen one on the previous occasion. Nor, of course, did we see any Kiwis as they are nocturnal. In the evening we had a good meal in a very popular seafood restaurant in the city called the Ortega Fish Shack. 8 March 2011
Went to Eastbourne
today. It's on the eastern side of Wellington Harbour. Walked the dogs along the beach in bracing wind but bright sunshine. Ate lunch outside at Chocolate Dayz on Days Bay (see photos). Then returned to Wellington and walked along the waterfront to see new buildings which had 'arrived' since our last visit and to watch life going on, including schools' teams practising for a dragon boat
competition in a couple of weeks' time. All except Keith resisted having an ice cream. Fortunately it was not until we got home that I realised I had lost my passport and simultaneously we picked up a voice mail to say that someone had picked it up on the pavement in Eastbourne. That was very lucky for me - not so good for my family who got a call in the middle of the cold dark night in England as my brother was shown in the passport as one of my
contacts, plus phone number. Emerson, who found the passport - a girl from Lower Hutt, which is between Eastbourne and Wellington - will rendezvous with me on Thursday when she is due to come to Wellington to lunch with a friend. Still trying to decide what I can give her by way of a big thank you. 7 March 2011
Our first full day in New Zealand. Had a bit of a lie-in after a wonderful night's sleep in Keith and Wendy's bedroom which we had said they must not give up for us this time around. Some people won't be told! Then we all went out in the two cars with Richard remembering his automatic driving skills reasonably well. We had coffee in the Rose Garden at the Botanical Gardens (see photo) before walking the dogs, followed
by lunch in the city at L'Affare and some retail therapy in Moore & Wilson - mouthwatering food stuffs and stunning flowers on the ground floor and almost everything else upstairs. Purchases included a cone coffee grinder (everything associated with the specialist art of coffee-making was a mystery to us) and an olive stoner for the cottage in Martinborough where Keith and Wendy grow olives, grapes and other produce. It was mid-afternoon by then so the dogs had another walk at Trelissick Park on our route back to Khandallah. The weather wasn't warm enough to sit outside for our G&Ts or dinner. Keith and Wendy initiated us into the card game of Skip Bo afterwards.
Monday, 7 March 2011
London-Singapore-Wellington
6 March 2011
Surprisingly, it was another overnight flight during which we hardly slept. But we each managed to watch two films and were pleased that one of them was The King's Speech which we had not seen in the UK - two of the very few it had seemed. On picking up our luggage in the International Airport at Auckland we enjoyed watching the beagle sniffer dog looking for incoming passengers carrying drugs, but, more likely, foodstuffs which you are not allowed to bring into NZ and about which you are warned on the plane. There is always someone who fails to remove an apple or similar from their hand baggage. The fine is NZ$400. After checking in our baggage again for Air New Zealand, we walked to the Domestic Terminal - about 10 minutes (though there is a bus if you prefer). It was busy there. There are flights to even the most remote and small place in NZ because it takes so long to travel between places by road. And it was busier than usual because of the teams of support workers receiving families who have left Christchurch. Most of those we saw were mothers with young familes. We arrived into Wellington after our 40 minute (bumpy and ear-popping) flight at around 5.30 pm. We were surprised again this time
to be met by Keith and Wendy before baggage reclaim. It felt like we had never been away when we came into the house - everything comfortingly the same and very "English" (see photo of house from back garden). The only new addition was Lily, the black flatcoat retriever, who is now 3 years old. 
She arrived with Keith and Wendy the day after we left in March 2008. We had been worried that Belle might have felt her nose had been put out of joint but they get on like a house on fire - and Belle even seemed to remember us (photo shows Belle on the left and Lily on the right on 'their' sofa). After Bombay Sapphire with tonic and lime, we had a delicious cassoulet and veg followed by an extravagant chocolate and orange 'cake' - and accompanied by the inevitably excellent NZ wine - from Hawke's Bay this time, which Keith says is the area which produces the best quality NZ wines. Today was the first time I have ever nodded off sitting bolt upright at a dining table. We went to bed early.
to be met by Keith and Wendy before baggage reclaim. It felt like we had never been away when we came into the house - everything comfortingly the same and very "English" (see photo of house from back garden). The only new addition was Lily, the black flatcoat retriever, who is now 3 years old. 
She arrived with Keith and Wendy the day after we left in March 2008. We had been worried that Belle might have felt her nose had been put out of joint but they get on like a house on fire - and Belle even seemed to remember us (photo shows Belle on the left and Lily on the right on 'their' sofa). After Bombay Sapphire with tonic and lime, we had a delicious cassoulet and veg followed by an extravagant chocolate and orange 'cake' - and accompanied by the inevitably excellent NZ wine - from Hawke's Bay this time, which Keith says is the area which produces the best quality NZ wines. Today was the first time I have ever nodded off sitting bolt upright at a dining table. We went to bed early.5 March 2011
After more than 8 hours' luxurious sleep we were ready to face the sticky heat of Singapore - though I didn't think it was as 'trying' as on our previous visit. We had limited time so after a buffet breakfast of immense choice and temptation we opted for the air-conditioned SIA Hopper circular bus journey which took us all the around the places we reme
mbered. If we had had more time we would have gone to the National Orchid Collection in the Botanical Garden which I had last seen in 1986; and it would have been good to visit a museum. Instead we stayed in the centre and were amazed by the fantastic buildings we had seen lit up last night (see photos of concert halls/theatres and the Marina Bay Sands complex.) We also took a walk by the river to see the now truncated Merlion in a new position - looking inward to the city. We were relieved to find that the Padang is still there. It was very much in use by teams pla
ying various sports, but we guess that there is still a cricket pitch there somewhere. We had a swim in the outdoor pool before checking out of our room at 3 pm and then after lunch/tea in the hotel we took a taxi - by then in torrential rain - to the airport. Even though we had about 4-5 hours before the departure of our flight, Singapore Airlines efficiently took our hold luggage immediately and we had a relaxed time in this fantastic state-of-the-art airport, with Richard using the free wi-fi and me browsing through the masses of shops and visiting the Butterfly Ga
rden. Others were sleeping/lying on ergonomically designed seating or having reflexology either from a person or from machines dotted about the place. There were also plenty of computer screens with internet access throughout the airport available for free use by any traveller. It was with relief that we saw the large group of Japanese children all wearing face masks go through the gate for a flight to Sydney. We also had a group of children on our flight, but not nearly so noisy. In fact we were not aware of them at all on the flight.
mbered. If we had had more time we would have gone to the National Orchid Collection in the Botanical Garden which I had last seen in 1986; and it would have been good to visit a museum. Instead we stayed in the centre and were amazed by the fantastic buildings we had seen lit up last night (see photos of concert halls/theatres and the Marina Bay Sands complex.) We also took a walk by the river to see the now truncated Merlion in a new position - looking inward to the city. We were relieved to find that the Padang is still there. It was very much in use by teams pla
ying various sports, but we guess that there is still a cricket pitch there somewhere. We had a swim in the outdoor pool before checking out of our room at 3 pm and then after lunch/tea in the hotel we took a taxi - by then in torrential rain - to the airport. Even though we had about 4-5 hours before the departure of our flight, Singapore Airlines efficiently took our hold luggage immediately and we had a relaxed time in this fantastic state-of-the-art airport, with Richard using the free wi-fi and me browsing through the masses of shops and visiting the Butterfly Ga
rden. Others were sleeping/lying on ergonomically designed seating or having reflexology either from a person or from machines dotted about the place. There were also plenty of computer screens with internet access throughout the airport available for free use by any traveller. It was with relief that we saw the large group of Japanese children all wearing face masks go through the gate for a flight to Sydney. We also had a group of children on our flight, but not nearly so noisy. In fact we were not aware of them at all on the flight. 4 March 2011 (or 3 March in the UK)
We had a straightforward drive up to Woking after leaving Charlie at the local cattery - luckily she can have no appreciation of how long she's going to be there. Don and Jean provided a delicious light lunch to set the scene for lots of nice meals to come, and we had a relaxed afternoon chatting before Don drove us to the airport at around 6 pm. We were able to 'lose' our suitcases straight away so then just had to while away the time before boarding the flight. We had two seats together on the upper deck (A380) which struck us as unusual for economy. It gave me a useful locker alongside my seat and some extra room that side for fidgeting into when I failed to sleep much during
the flight. But we did have a reasonable choice of films and both managed to watch two before arriving in Singapore in the early evening of 4 March - having left England in the middle evening of 3 March. Though we were tired we went out into the pleasant night-time heat to get a look at some of the fantastic new buildings which were not there three years ago - construction never stops in Singapore. The city was buzzing with people - mainly youthful - but all were peaceful and law-abiding of course! We stopped off for a beer at a terrace bar/restaurant beside the river and listened to some good live music before turning in for the night.
the flight. But we did have a reasonable choice of films and both managed to watch two before arriving in Singapore in the early evening of 4 March - having left England in the middle evening of 3 March. Though we were tired we went out into the pleasant night-time heat to get a look at some of the fantastic new buildings which were not there three years ago - construction never stops in Singapore. The city was buzzing with people - mainly youthful - but all were peaceful and law-abiding of course! We stopped off for a beer at a terrace bar/restaurant beside the river and listened to some good live music before turning in for the night.
