This morning we followed the Alpine Pacific Triangle Touring Route for the 135 k drive to Hanmer Springs. It took us through endlessly diverse landscapes. Beyond each twist and turn a picture-perfect scene emergeing…this morning the towering mountains were shrouded in very low clouds and at one point Andrew commented that he felt he could reach out and touch the clouds.

Hanmer Springs is one of the key destinations on the route and it is where will spend the last night of this holiday, it’s a tranquil alpine village nestled in a high country basin 385m above sea level and flanked by towering mountains.

The highly acclaimed Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa was our first stop. Set in the heart of the village there are 15 open-air thermal pools of varying temperatures, private thermal pools, steam and sauna rooms. There is also a family zone with water slides and a mega ride. 'The Spa 'offers spa, body and beauty treatments. 

This is all set amongst landscaped gardens, picnic areas and a café where we enjoyed a coffee in the sunshine overlooking…

Three sulphur pools that contain unfiltered thermal water. The water in these pools have temperatures ranging from 40°C to 42°C.

Four rock pools inter-connected with thermal streams and the rainbow pools that offer water fountains and temperatures ranging from 33°C to 37°C.

Dad and Andrew then had the job of finding somewhere for us to have lunch while mum and I had a wander through the village shops. I found some beautiful earrings and mum made a few purchases too.

 I guess it was predictable that when we met up again the boys had decided that we should have fish and chips for lunch. The upside was that we dined under some beautiful Redwood trees.

We then checked into our accommodation…a very spacious and well located apartment with a back garden leading on to a pond and the resident ducks.

This will be the last blog entry…we've done some final sorting and packing tonight, tomorrow we head to Christchurch airport and begin our journeys back to Bribie Island and Melbourne…we've had a great time and recommend New Zealand as a wonderful holiday destination. It has been very special to share this experience with mum and dad…exploring new places with them is always lots of fun and we look forward to the next time we get together and have more adventures in a new location.

Seals, surf and snow…all in the one photo!

Our 150 k drive today took us through vineyards in the Awatere Valley and down the coast to Kaikoura. Maori heritage is reflected in the name, Kaikoura that means meal of crayfish.  Maori chief Tama ki Te Rangi arrived in the area many hundreds of years ago and found an abundance of crayfish and named the area.

The first European settlers and whalers arrived in 1842. Thankfully the town’s current tourism boom is based on eco-tourism observing whales and other marine wildlife. The special richness of Kaikoura’s marine life is explained by the presence of very deep water and the mixing of warm and cold ocean currents which forces nutrients to the surface.

Surf in the foreground, a band of cloud & snow on the mountains.

Before looking for our apartment we drove out to the Point Kean lookout and could not believe our eyes when we saw a New Zealand Fur Seal colony basking in the sun, surf rolling in behind them and snow capped Seaward Kaikoura Mountain Range behind that!

If you click on the photo you'll see a fur seal 

in the centre at the bottom 

 and snow on the mountains behind mum and dad!

Once hunted for their skins the seals came within 
a stones’ throw of extinction, 
but now thrive with an estimated population of 30,000 
on the South Island’s East Coast.

We’re very happy with our apartment at ‘The Fairways’. Dad is particularly impressed with the huge gas log fire…however as I write this blog and we’re watching the ever-changing panoramas of Mt Fyffe and the towering Kaikoura Ranges, the sun is slipping below the mountains and we’re still warm & toasty after such a sunny and warm day.

Who's a saint?

On our first day in Blenheim we visited the information centre and picked up lots of information about the wineries in the Wairau Valley. There are a number of different wine trails that you can follow but we have made up our own, we started with some food options because 10.00am really is a bit early to start drinking!

Here’s a rundown…

1. Hedgerow strawberry farm where we bought a very large punnet of strawberries that we’ll have for dessert tonight.

The strawberries are grown hydroponically.

On the farm there are also raspberry canes, 
lemon, lime and cherry trees.

We have seen quite a few orchards in the area and the apples seem to be ready for picking at the moment.

2. Makana Confections…the visit here is an experience not to be missed. We watched the making of tantalizing confections and tasted a few samples of the hand made chocolates and other temptations.

On our travels in the UK & particularly in Scotland we’ve seen many churches and souvenir items featuring Saint Andrew…today it was my turn…

The chocolate here is delicious and because it is hand made using very high quality ingredients it is quite expensive…after much deliberation we decided to buy a box of the ‘Very Berry Toffee Crunch’ and we’ll enjoy having it with coffee for the next few days.

3. The Vines Village made up of 7 artisan stores nestled amongst expansive tranquil lakeside grounds nestled in the heart of the Marlborough wine country.

The shops include;

The Quilters Barn, with over 3,000 bolts of fabric lining the walls and a large range of quilting, knitting and crafting needs on offer.

Mihi Merino, with lovely clothes for men, women and children from a family owned fine merino producer based in the Awatere Valley.

I fell in love with a merino wrap with Paua shell buttons. It can also be worn as a cardigan, scarf and shrug…very versatile! I just had to buy it.

Lilac Wine – Art & Gifts featuring Kiwi artists and designers…we were all tempted and made purchases.

4. Our first wine tasting was at Giesen where visitors can taste their way through Giesen’s range – all of which come from their 700 established vineyards in the region. We enjoyed sampling a few and then bought a bottle of our old favourite Sav Blanc.

5. Rock Ferry Wines was our next stop, our host in Blenheim recommended it as a great spot for lunch and so even though we’ve never heard of this vineyard we decided to give it a go. We are now great fans of Rock Ferry…they asked if we’d like to have a tasting in the cellar door area or at our table while we were waiting for our food to be prepared. We opted for the latter and after selecting our meals a fellow with a waxed moustache who reminded us all of Rene from the very funny TV series ‘Allo, Allo’ (you might remember the show set in France during WW2) took us through a most enjoyable tasting at our table!

My favourite wine was the Marlborough Pinot Blanc…the wine notes describe it as having a musky note with hints of orange blossom on the nose, the palate is richly textured and weighty with good focus and length. With age the wine will develop a toasted almond, rich baked caramel apple tart character.

After telling Rene that I had decided to have a glass of it with my lunch even though my tastes are not sophisticated enough to follow and find the described notes and nose described, he replied that it’s all marketing hype anyway…

We rated our lunch as our best meal so far…we started off with a selection of warm artisan breads with flavoured butter…one of them included a mixture of white pinto beans, taihini, harissa, herbs and garlic.

Mum, dad and I had Teraki, a white fleshed fish, on coconut and kaffir lime risotto with coriander and spring onion relish. Andrew chose the dukkah crusted Aoraki salmon served on organic durum wheat salad topped with chipotle ailoli.

The food was an absolute taste sensation, the service impeccable and the setting idyllic. Andrew got a bit carried away and ordered dessert…upside down plum cake with rosewater syrup, poached plums and ice cream – with 4 spoons & we all did have a taste, just to help him out.

We then had to make a decision about either heading back to the villa or visiting another winery. We’d heard that the view overlooking vineyard from the Brancott Estate Heritage Centre is pretty stunning and this is what we found…we weren’t all that fussed about the wine but the view is hard to beat.

You probably won’t be surprised to hear that we all had a little nap when we arrived back at the villa this afternoon and enjoyed a late dinner, another platter affair with Manuka smoked New Zealand King Salmon and Manuka smoked chicken, ciabatta bread, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and chutney collected on our journey.

Tonight I’ll leave you with one of Andrew's artistic shots today…

…and a photo of the 19 year old self taught, resident artist at Brancott Estate…you might like to check out her website at www.rebekacodlinart.co.nz

The Mussel Pot

This morning the boys made bacon and eggs and we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. We then set off for picturesque Picton, nestled between the sea and the hills, a short half hour drive from Blenheim. Set in the upper reaches of Queen Charlotte Sound, Picton is the south island terminus for the ferries that cross Cook Strait.

Mum and I wandered around a craft market while dad and Andrew

 watched a ferry load and leave, then walked out along the marina.

We regrouped and explored the wide streets and historic buildings along the waterfront including a couple of jewellery stores that have NZ blue pearls…there were some lovely pieces but none of us were tempted to make a purchase. We did however buy some small items in other shops along the street!

We then drove along Queen Charlotte Drive toward Havelock, it’s one of Marlborough’s most scenic roads and has countless breathtaking views of the surrounding Marlborough Sounds…a labyrinth of sheltered bays dwarfed by unspoilt native forest…the turquoise water secluded bays and twists and turns of the stunning coastlines are amazing.

There are plenty of places to pull over and check out the views…

We arrived in Havelock, know as the Greenlip Mussel capital of the world and because Dad had seen an article about a restaurant called ‘The Mussel Pot’, we decided we should give it a go…it lived up to the hype…the food was sensational and the weather so balmy that we took the ‘Al Fresco’ dining option…

 Don't you love the mussel pot on the roof!

We decided to share the platter on offer that included smoked, marinated, steamed, grilled, battered mussels and a small serve of mussel chowder with delicious home baked bread…YUM!

From there we drove down to the road which overlooks the beautiful Havelock Marina before heading back to Blenheim where mum and I hit the shops again, we both made purchases. Mum a lovely velvet top and I bought two merino jumpers…I couldn’t decide between two of the colours on offer so I thought I should have both of them!

We dropped mum and dad back at the Villa and then Andrew and I went off to buy some tasty morsels to have for dinner tonight. When we returned it was lovely to find mum asleep on one of the recliners in the lounge room and dad outside in our courtyard enjoying a beer and reading the paper…

It’s been another wonderful day and we’re all a bit sad that we only have a few days left before we return home…

I'll leave you with a photo of Andrew…can you tell he was disappointed that the Creme Brûlée Magnum ice cream was only a mini size! I don't think we will ever buy mini ice creams again! When he took it out of the packet he declared in a somewhat plaintive voice "what happened to the rest of it!"

A leisurely day.

We’ve had a very leisurely day driving about 150 k’s from Murchison to Blenheim. It was 8 degrees when we set off and we could see snow on the mountain tops as we travelled through the pass between the Richmond Range and Nelson Lakes National Park. The journey took about 1½ hours and when we arrived in Blenheim our first stop was the information centre where we picked up brochures about art, food & wine trails. Next …a hairdresser , where mum had a wash and blow wave at a very lovely spa and wellbeing centre recommended by the hairdresser she went to in Queenstown…her friend looked after mum very well indeed!

While mum was having her hair done we did a supermarket shop. The boys bought a new batch of bacon and eggs, we also bought some chicken and corn chowder soup that we warmed up and enjoyed with some toast for lunch at the villa...we’re very happy with our villa! Dad reckons he could move in tomorrow!

It's little touches like the fresh flowers that make all the difference.

We’ll be fully self-contained for our 3-night stay here and this afternoon we’ve done a few loads of washing and after Happy Hour set off for dinner…

We ate at ‘Rocco’s’ an Italian restaurant recommended
 by the owners of the villa…it was wonderful. 

Dad had the Marlborough Fishermans' basket. 
mum had scallops mornay and Andrew & I both had spaghetti marinara
…mine entree size and AJ's main/man size!

Here we are having coffee‘at Home’ …there are 4 of these chairs in the lounge area…very comfy…no wonder dad doesn't want to leave!

Pancakes…but not the edible variety!

The 160 k drive to Murchison, our next stopover took us along the coast north of Greymouth.

We stopped along the way to visit the Punakaiki coastal rocks, they are remarkable pieces of natural sculpture. Looking like enormous stacks of pancakes (hence their name) the Pancake Rocks and blowholes are a unique natural attraction.

There are cafes, an information centre and a craft gallery located across the road from the Pancake Rocks…mum and dad decided to have a look around the gallery while Andrew and I explored the walking track.

The coastal promontory of the Pancake Rocks is looped by an easy walking track – 15 minutes, or as long as you want to take to stare into the surge pool at the point (known as the Devils Cauldron), catch the blowholes in action, or enjoy the views down the Paparoa National Park coastline.

Layers of water sculpted limestone, resembling stacks of pancakes, make up the fantastic rock formations– made even more dramatic by the sea spray. Quite awesome displays of rushing spray can be seen because of the powerful wave action of the Tasman Sea.

When we returned from our walk dad was keen to show 

Andrew the bird he’d been watching…

It’s a Weka, the species is related to the very timid ‘Rail’

 that mum and dad have living in their garden at Bribie Island.

We arrived in Murchison at about 2pm, originally a gold rush town, Murchison was almost completely destroyed by a huge earthquake in 1929!

Murchison now calls itself the ‘whitewater capital’ of the country, because there are rivers everywhere. For anybody into canoeing or kayaking, it’s a dream come true. The rivers vary from Class 2 to 4 whitewater, so they’re not for the faint hearted…I don’t think you’ll be surprise to hear that we’re not going to give it a go this time!

We'd read all about a wonderful restaurant in Murchison called ‘The Cow Shed’ and all four of us were really looking forward to our meal there. We were awfully disappointed to find that it isn’t open tonight and so we dined at another restaurant that was OK but not at all special. The saving grace was that we decided to take away an Afghan & an ANZAC biscuit to have with a coffee back at our motel…mum used to make Afghan biscuits with chocolate icing and a walnut on top…I’ll be looking up the recipe when we get back home…I’d forgotten how delicious they are :-)

Whitebait & a wild goose chase!

When I pulled back the curtains this morning the view was awesome, a double rainbow, one deeply coloured and the second much paler. It was so HUGE that I couldn’t take get it all in one photo!

After a leisurely start to the day, we left grey and dismal 
Greymouth and set off to explore Hokitiki, 

about a half hour drive south.

Yesterday we couldn’t quite believe this bridge and mum was not at all happy that we needed to drive over it again today…twice! It’s a one-way bridge shared with oncoming traffic and to add further excitement it is also shared with trains!

Hokitika is an attractive town with wide streets, historic buildings and excellent local craft studios. In the 1860’s it was a thriving commercial centre thanks to the discovery of gold. Its river port bustled with ships bearing miners flocking from the goldfields of Australia, but it was a very treacherous harbour where a ship went down every 10 weeks in the years 1865 and 1866!

Our first stop was Sunset point where we visited 
this shipwreck memorial & we had our first glimpse
 of the wild and driftwood-strewn Hokitika Beach.

Next…the Hokitika Glass Studio….we watched a glassblower at work and browsed the gorgeous selection of glass art pieces. Our wallets were considerably lighter when we left because each of us fell in love with and purchased a piece of the beautiful glass.

We wandered in and out of delightful galleries up and down the main street before deciding on a lovely little café for lunch. I had a whitebait patty, dad had whitebait with the lot which of course came with chips. Andrew had another venison pie and mum had her favourite; a Devonshire Tea…everyone was happy. We have also been very pleasantly surprised with the coffee here. The Hummingbird Coffee we first tried and enjoyed at a café in Christchurch happily seems to be the coffee of choice in most places.

By now the sun was shining and as suggested by a lady in one of the galleries we decided to visit Horitika Gorge and this is where the wild goose chase began…somehow we ended up at Lake Kaniere instead of the gorge…everyone blamed me! 

This is where we ended up.

Andrew was tempted to have a go at skipping some stones 
(aka chucking yonnies) and I tried too.

  

 We decided to give the gorge a miss 
and headed back to Greymouth.

The Grey River mouth, which has served the town as a port, has also delivered misfortune. Repeatedly throughout its history Greymouth has been submerged by floodwaters, including twice in 1988. Since then a floodwall has been erected, popularly called “the great wall of Greymouth”.

We walked along the wall to have a look at a memorial to those lost in coal mining accidents within the west coast inspection district. There is a very long list of names including the 29 men killed in an explosion at the Pike River Mine near Greymouth in 2010.

I’ll leave you with some of the picture postcard photographs 
that Andrew took today…

& the final photo…sunset from our bedroom balcony.