MARCH 13,  2003

We woke up in Otaki. We had paid a little more to get into the cottage because it had a phone jack.  I wanted to download some more information to the web site.  I left the cable plugged into the wall and disconnected the connection at the computer ... just like I do at home.  At 8:30 in the morning an upset hostess was knocking at the door wondering what I had done to disconnect her home phone line.  When I unplugged the inactive cable from the wall plug she got her phone service back and we both learned a lesson in getting lap tops connected in New Zealand!
Our first stop of the day was at a tourist center which included a farm walk.  We were able to take a few pictures of Ted that may become part of a story and were soon on our way down the road toward Wellington.  We found a motel in Porirua flying a Canadian flag.  We didn't want to go to a B&B because we were having to leave so early in the morning to return the car and catch the ferry.   The motel was near the rail line which made it convenient for us go into Wellington without the car.
Wellington is the capital of New Zealand.  It wasn't always so. Auckland had been the capital until the citizens recognized the value of having their capital more centrally located and made the change in 1865. 

The city is built around a horseshoe shaped harbour that funnels air in from the Cook Strait.  Once the air is drawn into the harbour it is trapped there by tall hills that surround the downtown area on a rather small stretch of flat land and further by tall high rises ... the result is why it's known as "Windy Wellington". 

We caught a bus that circled the downtown area so we could get a feel of the city.  Then to get a better view we took the cable car.

In 1898 the Upland Estate Co. wanted to create a suburb on the hills overlooking Wellington.  To make it successful they had to devise an easy and comfortable way to move commuters to and from the city below in a time when most people either walked or used horse drawn trams.

The tramway was  opened in 1902 to great acclaim. Over 4,000 people took a ride on this engineering feat on the opening weekend and by 1912 there were a million-plus rides taken each year.  In 1933 electricity replaced steam for power.  In 1978 the system was closed and replaced by a new Swiss system that is still running today.

The fare is NZ$1.80 per person each way.  We went up by cable and walked down.  On top there is a commanding view of Wellington's harbour, a cafe, a cable car museum, planetarium and Wellington's Botanic Gardens.
Gardens hug the hillside and the forty minute walk down took us past beautiful flower beds, sections of succulents, native plantings, specimen trees gathered world wide and some rare plantings.  The pathway took us further down through an old graveyard that had been divided by the building of a freeway (a foot bridge took us over) and ended off in a rose garden where children were playing in the center fountain.  In the park next to the rose garden, we stopped and watched a coach show seven and eight year olds some of the finer points of playing cricket.
We continued walking through the downtown area to Queens Wharf where we had a drink on the deck of a waterside restaurant before going to the train station.  The train ride from Wellington back to Porirua took about 25 minutes.  After tiding up, we walked over to a nearby restaurant and enjoyed a seafood dinner. 

Tomorrow we would be giving back the car and going from the North Island to the South Island on the Interislander ferry as foot passengers so before heading to bed, we repacked our suitcases and "chilly-bin" and took Ted from his car seat (an opened ashtray). [Note time picture was taken. Amazing!]
MARCH 14, 2003

Up early and joined Wellington commuters in their rush hour.  Returning the car turned out to a simple affair and the Ezi-Car fellow drove us down to the ferry terminal.  We checked three of our five small bags just as they do at the airports.  The crossing takes three hours.  During the trip the Interislander Lynx, a catamaran service between the islands, passed us.
Using the Lynx is a faster way to do the trip, but hey, we're retired and can enjoy the pleasures of taking the slow boat ... we now have the time!  The ferry worked its way through a maze of islands much like crossing from the mainland through the gulf islands to Vancouver Island  .... except the crossing in BC costs foot passengers CN$10 whereas this New Zealand crossing was NZ$52.50 each.    
On the other side a lady from the car rental place was holding up a sign with our names on it.  Once we had identified ourselves, a gentleman whisked Terry away to pick up the car while I waited for our luggage to make its appearance on the carousel.  Just as I spotted the last piece Terry came through the door and snatched it up.   

Luggage in the trunk, Ted in his new seat ... this time a window seat (cousin Laurie will be pleased!) we took off to Nelson.  Well, that was our intent.  Somewhere shortly after leaving the ferry terminal we made a wrong turn and ended up near the east coast in Blenheim.
Realizing our error we turned inland to Renwick and then north to again make our way over to Nelson.  By the time we got to the Information Center they told us that most accommodations in Nelson were full.  They found a motel that would have to do for the night.  

We found the place (not worthy of picture) and went out shopping to fill the chilly-bin again.  We bought cucumber, tomatoes, yellow peppers, red onion, oregano, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, feta cheese along with other groceries and headed to a beach where we cut and tossed the ingredients to make one of Stephen's super Greek salads.  

After cleaning up from the picnic, we walked in the water of the incoming tide and watched the sun set. 

Back at the motel we found a rally of antique Porsche 911s.   We have seen a great many antique cars in New Zealand.  Many seem to be used simply for the joy of touring.

 

MARCH 15, 2003

Leaving Nelson, we drove east to Motueka, dropped into the Information Center and made some tour arrangements and booked our accommodations.  We drove to a little chalet on a farm that we would call "home" for the next two nights. 

We only had time to meet our host (he picked five grapefruit off a tree for us), drop off our bags and get changed before we headed out for another adventure.
Today we did part of the Abel Tasman Walk.

Abel Tasman sailed into these waters in 1642 and began charting the coast and islands.  While in the area four of Tasman's crew were killed by the local Maori residents. The story changes with the telling or writing but ranges from hostile murdering natives to punishment dealt out after crew members made free with the local maidens.   Either way Tasman took to sea.  The next ship to drop anchor to chart was that of the Frenchman D'Urville.  He named Adele Island in honour of his wife.  After that it was the famous Captain Cook.

We caught the water taxi in town ... literally.  They were just about to leave, but held up departure until we climbed aboard the boat, which was still on a boat trailer, and donned lifejackets.  A tractor pulled us through town and out onto the beach then backed us in where the outgoing tide met the sand.  (See on map bottom left side where a boat is pictured.  

The first part of the trip took us south around the point to Split Apple Rock (picture below ... note size of people although they are a bit farther back on beach).  Pictures of Split Apple Rock are sometimes used to advertise Abel Tasman National Park but in reality it is not in the park.  

From there the water taxi traveled north past Fisherman Island and Adele Island up around the next point and into Anchorage Bay (top right hand side of map where another boat is pictured) where they let us off in knee deep water.  

It was from there that we began the four hour trek back down along the coast line.  

 

 

 
The first part was the hardest ... a steep climb in the heat of the day without shade.  After Sherrie huffed and puffed her way to the top the rest of the trek was comfortable and filled with oohhh and aahhh sights.  Part way through we stopped for a drink and snack using a flat rock in a creek as our picnic table.  

It was a wonderful experience.
Back at the chalet we did a washing and hung it out on the line to dry.  It wouldn't dry overnight but we had an early start and it would dry during the day while we were gone.  It seems that doing the washing by machine and hanging clothes out to dry on the line is the standard for most homes in New Zealand.  A cold supper with candle light (lit using Bryan and Tammie's wedding matches that we carry with us) and it was off to bed.
MARCH 16, 2003

Beginning the day by watching the sunrise is always wonderful.  A calming and yet exhilarating experience.  So it was this morning from the porch of our little cabin.  Once the sun had cast its beams across the valley of fruit trees, the sheep came over the hill and in single file went through a gate just below where I stood to see what green morsels they could find in the grapefruit orchard.

This morning wasn't for lingering.  We had about an hour and a half drive to Collingwood.  A few of the valleys on the way needed to be photographed.  We got to Collingwood in plenty of time to be the first ones aboard an Unimog (an articulated air-conditioned Mercedes Benz 4WD monster sand dune buggy) and therefore got the best of front seats to Cape Farewell and down the Farewell Spit. 

Cape Farewell is the most northern tip of the South Island named by Captain James Cook as he departed from New Zealand at the end of his first visit in 1770. 

Jock, our guide and owner of the Farewell Spit Nature Tours, first took us to a high lookout point so that we could have a bird's eye view of Farewell Spit that we would be traveling on later in the day.
Next stop ... Cape Farewell with its impressive view.  The cliffs of the Cape are punctuated with an arch of stone. 

Back down to sea level we started our journey on Farewell Spit.  The slender spit is 35 kilometres and curves gently eastward to partially enclose the waters of Golden Bay and create shelter from the wild Tasman Sea.  The spit is home to tall sand dunes, sea grasses and near the end treed acres around a light house. 

The need for a lighthouse arose because of the frequent wrecks on the spit in early European days.  Between 1840 and 1887 ten ships were wrecked and numerous others stranded on the beach.

As we drove out to the lighthouse Jock pointed out different species of birds and we came across numerous seals taking snoozes in the warmth of the sun. 

At the lighthouse, we were given a light lunch and a chance to look around.  Jock told us how the lighthouse keeper carried dirt out to the end of the spit to grow trees and pasture eventually allowing them to raise beef and sheep.  As I wandered around the isolated location, I tried to imagine being his wife and raising a family in such conditions .... and appreciating the easy life I have been blessed to live.

On the way back,  Jock pulled his large touring bus up beside a dune and most of us piled out to a new experience. 

(yes ... photo by Sherrie)
Before Jock finished the tour, he took us for one last stop ... a lovely strip of beach at the other end of Farewell Spit  below towering cliffs.

We finished off our day by stopping at the Mussel House and having .... mussels and mussel stew.  The place recommended by the lady at the information center.  Terry found the cliental just as facinating as the menu with its on-site made beers.  When we told our host back at the chalet where we had eaten he said, "Oh .. the hippie house." 

 

continue to March 17~20

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