New Zealand 2018 - Part 8

October 12, 2018 – Friday

Up early today as we fly from Wellington to Christchurch. What a surprise! There are No security checks except asking to see your passport to get your boarding pass. Anyone can come back to the gate waiting area, just not on the jetways.  They are not really jetways as we need to go out in the cold rain and wind and walk on the tarmac and up steps to get on the commuter plane. The airport has Weta Studios www.wetaworkshop.com creature sculptures hanging from ceilings and a display of wearable art from a recent contest as you enter the waiting area.

 It was cold, windy and rainy all day as we drove to the KaikouraValley. We went over the mountain pass damaged by earthquakes and saw where the train tracks had been twisted. On the ride, we passed several tiny villages that are now just hanging on and are home to several artists. The high point of the day was our stop for wine tasting and lunch at Waipara Hills www.waiparahills.co.nz  winery and café. Everyone said the wine was delicious (I don’t drink). The gift shop had some unique gifts and of course wine. The café was elegant and had a selection of gourmet main courses. But, the desserts were “to die for”, beautiful as well as delicious.

We finally arrived at our lodging for the night, the White Morph Motel www.whitemorph.co.nz  in Kaikoura. It was clean and nicely appointed with a kitchenette so the group decided to go to the grocery store to buy dinner to eat in our rooms. Weather permitting tomorrow is a big water activity day.

 October 13, 2018 –Saturday

We are up very early only to find out that whale watching and swimming with dolphins were canceled, not for rain but cold and wind. We had breakfast in our room from groceries purchased yesterday. Before we got on the road for the day we toured the FyffeHouseMuseum, a house made of whale bones in the 1850s that was near our motel. The weather warmed up and the wind died down to give us a beautiful day to drive to Hanmer Springs. We stopped for lunch at the Waiau Tavern https://www.facebook.com/waiaulodgehotel/ . The tavern was housed in temporary quarters as the main structure was damaged in an earthquake. Much of the seating was outside and a group of Bikers had also stopped for lunch. They looked a little rough but turned out they were just tourists using a different mode of transportation.

As we traveled on toward Hanmer Springs we stopped at Waiau River Estate www.waiauirverestate.co.nz  for another wine tasting. This winery is a lot more casual than the one yesterday. They are beekeepers and raise bees that pollinate through Manuka trees and they sell the Manuka Honey which is said to have antibacterial properties. They also sold locally made ice cream. On the property, they had a goat and some sheep and ponies. We finished the drive to Hanmer Springs and we had a few hours before dinner. Some in the group went to the famous Thermal pools www.hanmersprings.co.nz while others went to play miniature golf. It was decided that we should order “Take With” dinner and eat in the hotel www.driftersinn.co.nz  gathering room in front of a huge fireplace.

 October 14, 2018 - Sunday

Today was a driving day but certainly not dull. We stopped several times to take photos before we stopped for lunch at the Authur’s Pass Café where we saw a Kea Bird (small species of parrot). Then we continued on through the AuthurPass over the Southern Alps heading toward Franz Joseph. Di had it all arranged for us to stop at Hokitika www.coollittletown.com , “a cool little town” as their web name says. The town is noted for Jade carving jewelry. We went on a tour of the Westland Greenstone, Ltd jade workshop westlandgreenstone@xtra.co.nz  https://www.westcoast.co.nz/plan-your-trip/westland-greenstone Wow, what skill and patience are needed to produce this beautiful jewelry? The smaller the piece the more difficult it is to craft. We bought our granddaughters jade earrings. We then had time to explore the town where we found the Hokitika Glass Studio www.hokitikaglass.co.nz  and bought several small blown glass spoons for gifts. A snack of gourmet ice cream made the remainder of the drive to Franz Joseph easy. We are staying at the Rainforest Retreat www.rainforest.nz  an easy walk to the center of town.

 October 15, 2018 – Monday

Sixteen years ago, as part of our whirlwind time of 3 days in New Zealand the Franz Joseph Glacier www.glaciercountry.co.nz was one of our stops. Thus, we decided this would be a good day to chill and do laundry. We did take a walk around the town and found that the town has grown and the glacier has receded at a frightening pace in 16 years. In fact, it is the fastest receding glacier in the world. Our tour mates did activities like a scenic helicopter flight with a landing and short walk on the glacier to a full heli-hike which included crawling through a crevice and spaces where 2 of the men had to face side-ways to get through. There are also DIY and guided walks around the Glacier Valley as well as kayaking in Lake Mapourika

 

***Michael and I joined Goldrush Getaways Travel Agency, as independent travel consultants, in May of 2017. We have been low key until now (January 2019), testing the waters with domestic travel and taking many classes. This is the third big trip for us and each has been a total success!!! We are now ready to actively help others with their travel needs. Contact us at 410-929-1732 or mytravelinglady@gmail.com