Trip to Kaikoura

We decided to spend a few days away from the ranch in Kaikoura before Cath had her baby. I trawled the internet for a B&B where I opted for " A Rest n Kai" which is Maori for sleep and food.

The Journey

After ruling out the much-touted Coastal Pacific rail we booked and travelled via the Inter-City Coach service.

Though the choice was made on price (Train $360 v Coach $80) the coach experience was a real gem!Well-appointed and scrupulously clean modern coaches with drivers who knew the terrain and its history. Both driver commentaries were interesting but the return driver got the prize with his knowledge of how the incredible countryside views had been formed by the agriculture, the boom in wine production and tree-planting by both the early Europeans and latterly the NZ Forestry Commission. About one hour North of Christchurch you pass through the Waipara valley which are stocked with relatively new vineyards. I am sure we have all enjoyed NZ wines from this particular area.The road winds its way up into the foothills of the Kaikoura seaward mountain range before dropping down to the coastal road and onward to Kaikoura, a seaside settlement which represents the most northern district in the Canterbury region on the east coast of the South Island.

We were met at the drop-off by our landlady, Carmel Tindall, who took us on a tour of the area and helped us plan our walks, restaurants etc. - she offered to take us to walk starting points as required. The hospitality and her local knowledge and help made all the difference.

The estate where the B&B was located is known locally as the "Waiting for God" estate as virtually all its inhabitants are 70+ (I think we brought the average age down to 81.5).

The annex to the right was our room.



The view from our window





A pictorial record of the walk from South Bay back to Base (Our longest walk).

200yds into the walk




You can see the path incline ahead




Looking back about 30 minutes in




The first vantage point




Looking into South Bay



About halfway - looking South




Looking inland towards the seaward Kaikoura range




The end of the hills section




A favourite spot for seal watching - the beginning of the long flat coastal walk back to base





Back on the flat we stopped to sample the locally caught Crayfish. You select the one you want and it is bbq'd with butter and served with bread and salad.

Our meal



The Crayfish "Restaurant"



Carole - post Crayfish



Carole wasn't too impressed and I had to help her out! Actually it was tasty but a little tough and I found from a restaurant-er that they were pre-cooked and warmed up which could explain the less than succulent texture.


Our Kaikoura Experience

The place is wonderful with many different and exciting things to do - Whale watching (By boat, Helicopter or fixed-wing)Kayaking, Guided Walks (1/2 Day or 3 Day), swimming with dolphins, boat fishing....... to name most of the expensive options.

Apart from the long walk from South Bay we busied ourselves with basic aimless wandering and window shopping in the consistently sunny and warm conditions. The local museum, run by volunteers, was nevertheless interesting and another reminder of how short NZ history is. Rain did come on two nights but by then it was dark and we were ensconced in a restaurant or bar - we only got one real soaking. We ended up in an Irish bar on two nights where we were the oldest by 20 years. We found out on our last day that the place is renowned for fighting and stuff on the weekend!

We enjoyed local fish first night, spag boll the next, finishing with good old sirloin at an "organic" joint. The latter probably took the honours - the meal was superb and Carole had saved her allowance and we enjoyed the best bottle of wine in ages (A Marlborough sparkling Sauvignon Blanc called "Violet")

Carole managed the whole week without a fall until Thursday morning when she tripped over some fresh air and pulled something in her left leg. Fortunately it does not seem to have done lasting damage.


A selection of photos from the long esplanade;






















When we returned to B&B on Wednesday evening there was a message from Paul that Cath had been admitted but all was well. What good timing!!

Godley Head walk, Staying at Okains Bay & Stuff

Obviously all our thoughts have been with everyone at home since the tragic loss of Celia. Let us hope that matters will soon resolve and her family are then able to celebrate her life and the happy times and memories.

Godley Head Walk

"This headland is a breathtaking coastal location, with sheer 120 metre-high cliffs towering above the Pacific Ocean.Built in 1939, the Godley Head WWII coastal defence battery is ranked in the top ten New Zealand coastal defence heritage sites. Note All buildings and structures are closed due to earthquake damage. Most of the tracks in this area are now open. The Tunnel Track and the Breeze Bay Track are still closed."

Godley Head is located on the Northern aspect of the entrance to Lyttleton Port. As you can tell from the published info above, the 2011 earthquake did a great deal of damage indeed the searchlight bunker that was located at end of the walk about 10m above sea-level is now gone (located about 50m below sea-level).


View Larger Map

We did this walk on our last visit (Re: Terror Tunnel ) and armed only with the knowledge that it had been radically changed we set off in Cath's car with only each other for company. In my enthusiasm to get out of the house I had forgotten about the road to Godley Head and its sheer drops from an unprotected road edge. My memory soon returned when reaching the top of Evans Pass, there are only two forward choices - Summit Road Left to Godley, Summit Road Right to Christchurch.
As Carole soon found out being sat in the front passenger seat, the road is narrow and affords an excellent unobstructed view of Sumnervale 800 feet below. I must add at this point that since my altercation with the Sacred Heart Church when I unwittingly drove into its front wall, I have been ultra-cautious anyway and would have preferred an obstructed view (Road barriers perhaps). You can imagine me with my hands welded to the steering wheel, Carole saying "I know what you mean about being in this seat" and both of us praying that another vehicle didn't appear travelling the other way as there were very few wide sections for passing.

Arriving at the walk's starting point we parked up and in the knowledge that the drive back would be on the side away from the edge we relaxed a little.

In the event the new walk (route) was less challenging and to some extent less interesting.




A less than interesting picture of me halfway through the walk (the one I took of Carole didn't turn out)

Staying at Okains Bay

The cottage is located in the centre of the valley about 500m from the half-moon shaped beach. Adjacent to the beach is a camp-site with all the basic facilities - unfortunately no clubhouse etc. This may explain why it was quiet with only a handful of camper-vanners enjoying the seclusion. About 500m inland from the cottage there is a shop and the "Colonial & Maori Museum", the latter definitely worth a visit if you happen to be in the area.



The Bay



The Campsite looking inland

The plan was that Carole and I would have the main bedroom with Cath taking the smaller room. Paul & the girls were to camp in the ample grounds in their tent.

Views of the cottage






Putting the tent up................







At last........................




The cottage was great with a well kitted kitchen and a very comfortable lounge area. It also had a great selection of DVDs to keep me and the kids occupied. We all watched the latest Muppets Movie which was especially moving for me as for some reason images of my dear friends sat in the corner of the TC kept flooding back ..............

I did select a movie called "Seven Years in Tibet" starring Brad Pitt which I thought looked good but after about 6 hours I found myself watching it on my own - some people have no stamina nor taste when it comes to epics! Not to be defeated I managed to watch the final 7 hours on my own the following day and I must admit it was a challenge.

While myself, Cath & Paul were mid-epic on the first night, Grandma was playing "Chase the Ace" with the girls. All was relatively quiet when a minor disturbance between the card players caused us movie watchers to look up. At this point, Carole obviously feeling she had to give an explanation, said "You want to try this without a full deck"...................... I rest my case (again).


Snakes & Ladders with Maddie


OK then I'll let you win next time.

Time on the Beach





A Boules lesson from Hannah






Carole and I have said it loads - but Charlotte, Elliott and Jake would have a great time here, mind you I wouldn't dare take the boys on some of the walks!

A Little Walk to Little Okains Bay

Little Okains Bay is "Just twenty minutes walk from the Camping Ground" actually as it is a moderate climb it took Carole and I about double that time. However,it was worth it for the stunning sights as we made our way over, on the downhill section into Little Okains the slope was gentle and much easier on Carole. As access to this bay is exclusively via footpath it is more than likely you will have the beach to yourself.



Carole - halfway to the top



"Why do you keep saying Back a bit?"

When we did finally make it into the bay it was certainly worth it and just as the brochure had said deserted, apart from a couple of lads with their children that is.

Little Okains Bay from the highest part of the walk




Me tramping off to ask the lads if we could get back via the "level" around the headland.



When I did ask the two kiwis about their route and if Carole would be able to manage they pointed to their young charges and said "Yeah Mite they menaged OK". Bouyed by the prospect of not having to walk up that hill, we set off into the rock-scape fully expecting a level, rock-free path to appear at each subsequent turn. What I neglected to factor into their opinion was the fact that kiwis don't see risk and their kids are experienced rock climbers by the age of 3.





It's OK after this bit....



Surely it levels out soon...



Where's the path gone?



We eventually made it to safety but not before a really scary bit where the path had literally gone into the sea leaving just an 18" wide helter-skelter loop track which descended about 15feet down and back up the other side. The other problem was a 2ft gap at the bottom of this loop. The drop on the sea-side was only about 12ft but it was enough....I didn't take a photo as it was too scary for this blog and also I forgot.

The last leg




This sign is located at the start of the access path to the remains of a jetty which used to serve the Okains Bay community and latterly was an alternative access to Little Okains Bay. Since the earthquake a great deal of the path has been lost to the sea and the advised route is the one we took in the first place. Typically, the kiwis still use it anyway - I think they should put a warning sign at the other end.......

One number from a fortune.......

It goes like this....It was Thursday lunchtime and we had just been with Cath to the Hospital where she had her latest scan; everything OK baby 5lb+ and other measurements all fine. On the way back we needed some shopping so she dropped us off at the local supermarket. After the usual wandering about arriving at the till I decided to ask the chap to check our lotto tickets (1 from the previous Saturday and 2 from the Wednesday). He said "I'll show you how to do it yourself" and took us over to one of those Lotto tables where you fill in your slip which is also equipped with a bar-code reader. He flashed the Saturday ticket "Better Luck next time" he said reading a message on a screen above the reader, "A Thousand Dollars" he said flashing the first Wednesday ticket. "You're having us on" said I. "A Thousand Dollars" he said again flashing the second Wednesday ticket!!

It transpired we had won $1007.00 on each ticket and were one number short of the Jackpot on each ticket. There were no winners of the Jackpot but 47 winners of the next highest prize ($1007) and we had 2 of them.

C'est la vie.




The cheque for $2,014

The return of Aimless Wandering and the sixties Hair-Do.

Not much to report over the last 10 days.

My legs refuse to change colour, Carole hasn't fallen over for about two weeks and the girls have been back to school for 8 school days counting today (Monday 11 Feb).

Consequently we have been doing a lot of walking or, in NZ vernacular, tramping. Strictly speaking tramping refers to the pursuit of walking in the countryside, rambling etc. but, in terms of the ability of a word to conjure up an accurate image, tramping says it all.

We have extended our range to Riccarton Shopping Mall - the biggest I've ever wandered into - and Hagley Park which is a giant Stewarts Park with enormous trees. During the shopping experience the level of conversation ascended to "Do you mind if we look at this?" and "We didn't come 13000 miles to look at handbags did we?" eventually bottoming out when Carole needed the loo.

On the day that we tramped these venues I made the mistake of consuming 4 large coffees and spent the first couple of bedtime hours trying to keep my eyeballs in their sockets and disturbing Carole's snoring with regular and twitchy changes of body position. Sleeping beauty did awake during my writhing and in an obvious reference to my predicament suggested my 3 minutes on the tablet (I-Pad type!), pre lights out, had caused this and Yes it was my own fault.

The Power of Hair Colour

At the appointed time Carole's roots all turned grey and a "Colour" was required. Of course this happened during our 2010 visit so hopefully the lady who did such a good job then was still around. Fortunately dear friends she was, but owing to a flattened salon (not a hair-style Bill) caused by the earthquake, she had relocated to Redcliffe nearby. I took no part in the operation as Cath had offered to do the transport and the required "You look absolutely gorgeous, it really suits you" stuff.

The hair colouring was a total success with grey roots gone, but I can only guess that the lady colourist, flushed with this achievement and the NZ never-say-die spirit, persuaded Carole that she could lose the curls (to those who dont know, one of the side-effects of the anti-thingy drugs which Carole takes for her thingyitis has an "effect" on the hair). The transformation from a curly top to a sixties "budgie bob" was startling but needless to say fleeting and within 24 hours Alma Cogan had left the building.

Containers and Container Art

Containers full of ballast are used to protect people, property and roadways from falling rocks destabilised by the earthquake and subsequent thousands of aftershocks.

In the spirit of rebuilding a stronger and more earthquake-resistant Christchurch, many containers have become advertising hoardings and canvasses for art.

Above the road to the West of Sumner. The many properties which are behind this long line of containers which included a Church, Croquet Club,Armed Forces Club and numerous houses have been "Red-Zoned" because of the unstable nature of Richmond Hill cliffs.

This shows the West (Seaside) End of Richmond Hill Cliffs. The Marine Club to the left foreground is red-zoned as are the once expensive homes on the cliff-top. The containers are there to prevent falling rocks rolling onto the roadway which is bang in the centre of Sumner's shopping area.

Peacock's Gallop

The following 5 photos show an area known as "Peacocks Gallop" West/Sea facing cliffs overlooking a picnic area (now an ex-picnic area) and the coast road from Sumner to ChCh. In the second photo you can see how much has fallen away and what is left of the properties on top. I still find it unbelievable that planning consent is apparently so easy to get in an earthquake zone (and I remember saying it repeatedly to Carole on our first trip in 2010)

Redcliffe (Coast road North of Sumner)

The final picture is taken from the beach at Peacock's Gallop looking North towards Redcliffe. Though slightly overexposed, framed by Shag Rock (now Shagged Rock) in the right foreground, the massive rockfall at Redcliffe can be seen in the distance. Redcliffe School sits at the foot of this cliff and is now cordoned-off and no longer in use. Many properties on this cliff are red-zoned.

Christchurch + 3 Weeks

Appearance is everything

The hot, dry conditions have persisted and the daily requirement of slapping on sun protection has become routine. My lower legs however refuse to change colour. Even the brave decision of going from the Nivea Factor 50 (Dulux Brilliant White masonary paint) to Factor 20 ( B&Q White emulsion) has made little difference. I don't suppose having "bronzed" lower legs and arms would go with Ribeeny-red neck and face, topped with a white baldy head. Actually I should know better as when I lived and worked in Saudi Arabia, I soon discovered when mixing with other expats at barbies and the occasional party I always stood out as though I'd just arrived from Sweden in need of a blood transfusion - though at least I still had my hair.

Actually my low self-esteem has taken a battering anyway when I made the mistake of letting Katie take some photographs in Lyttleton a few weeks ago. As you can see from the photo below its a "shot from the rear" and I happened to be next to a gentleman with rather large calfs. When I downloaded that batch I couldn't believe it was me - I blamed the hat hiding my neck (I do have a neck) but Carole (ever positive about my appearance) said I did tend to stoop these days. Katie called me her favourite hunchback - that's a hunchback-handed compliment (Ha Ha).

Anyway I now know I look worse from the back than I do from the front and not many people I know can say that about themselves! In fact for all of my drinking friends it's definitely the other way round.

Carole has turned a lovely brown apart from her legs but if Saudi is anything to go by it is just a matter of time. Her biggest problem has been staying on her feet. Though her mobility has started to improve she has taken a couple of falls with resulting accentuated bruising caused by her array of medicaments.

NZ - A Theme Park waiting to happen?

I am not sure this heading is really fair but I do get the feeling (mainly in the wallet) that NZ is heading towards a situation where the air-fares, high as they are, will not be the determining factor in deciding whether a holiday is affordable.

Prices are crazy and the currency for some reason is as strong as that of an oil-rich state. I won't bore you with price comparisons but they would certainly put most people off. Unfortunately, the Hotel/B&B situation here in Christchurch is totally skewed by the number of quake victims (whose homes are still in insurance limbo)taking up all/most spare capacity and profiteering in this sector apparently thrives (Yes it happens here as well!). On a personal level we could not stay for anything like the intended duration if it were not for Cath & Pauls' hospitality.

According to the lady who runs the Art Gallery shop (Art Gallery closed for another couple of years because the foundations under the centre of the complex have gone)the economy is booming because of an extremely strong Dairy and Meat export market, well lets hope and pray it remains intact and free of all the diseases that beset Europe time and again.

In spite of strong currency, seemingly swarms of visitors (from cruise ships anyway), accelerated rebuild programme, incredible "can do" attitude in city's retail sector (Container Mall), both Carole & I were extremely disappointed when visiting the re-opened Museum recently. When you enter, there is a clear-plastic drop-in box and a polite sign suggesting a donation of $5 (Adult) $2 (Child), we put $5 between us and gave the grandkids a dollar each. Just a short distance into the displays you are then confronted by the entrance to the Scott exhibition (the only new feature) which costs $15 and $8 respectively to get in. A bit of a cheek!

Theme Park equals the NZ experience high-jacked by the package tour industry - god forbid.

End of whinge. Now some photos:-

Kite-Flying in New Brighton Sunday 27 Jan

Visit to Botanic Gardens ChCh city centre Monday 28 Jan