Well now I’m sitting watching Springwatch (I know!!) whilst finishing typing up the Blog. It’s Thursday night and tomorrow I’ve ordered a hire car to drive to Ipswich to pick up the Mr. We’re watching the match at Nat and Jon’s tomorrow night and I get my hug off my wee man Noah! Yippee!! Can’t wait to catch up, they’ve even been to Disney since we saw them last, so much to catch up on!
Then our friends Ali and Ben are getting married on Saturday ..... whoopee!! So exciting!! Ben’s playing in the band for the evening doo, which he’s been practising for. Then Sunday we fill up the car with stuff and head back here to the North.
We’ve got a busy week next week, taking a couple of days to go flat/house hunting in Newcastle. We’re going to make Newcastle our home, see how it goes. Can’t wait to start getting homely again, missed having our own place and watching DVD’s !! Ha ha, so sad!
Well this is it for now, until our next plans or travels ........ who knows where we’ll be next time??!!
Thanks for listening everyone, hope you’ve enjoyed reading it as much as we’ve enjoyed our travels!! Hope you’ve been with us all the way. Take care xxxxxx
17 June 2010
Goodbyes, manky teeth and models !!
We were delayed for 40 minutes on leaving but had a good tailwind so made it back. We slept most of the way but made sure we were awake for any food going. We were only 10 minutes late when we arrived in. We had to catch a bus from the strip to the Airport and then seemed to have miles to walk until we arrived to collect our baggage. We got through customs with no bother and then walked out into Arrivals to Mum and Dad H!! They’d come to pick up Ben which was lovely of them, so strange to think we’d just saw them in New Zealand and then back in the UK.
That’s it then both home safe and sound, what a way to finish our 10 months travelling ..... a New York Wedding!!
We had a quick check that we’d got everything and then we parted!! I had booked the train to go up North and Ben was staying in Ipswich with Mum and Dad Hines. They walked me to the lift and I jumped in to catch the tube from Gatwick to London Euston.
It took an hour to get from Gatwick to London Euston and I had to change once at Leicester Square. I was hoping I could just jump onto the first train that was heading to Glasgow and did wait in the queue. I bottled out of it though and just decided to hang around at the Train Station and people watch for the 4 hours until my train. I was sitting writing my diary when a girl asked how long I was planning on sitting there and could she leave her bags whilst she had a look in the shop. She was then my train station buddy and sat with me for the 4 hours. I found out she was a model and she was waiting for some friends to meet her at the station. Here I was looking my worst after travelling for nearly 2 days, wearing the same clothes and not even cleaned my teeth that morning and here she was looking really pretty !! Great!! She was lovely though and made the hanging around go really quickly.
At last my train had arrived and was ready for boarding and off I went, saying my goodbyes to the model and wishing her well. Hopefully see her on the front of Vogue one day!
I boarded and sat down and that was it I was on my way home. I slept for a little bit but just took in the scenery whilst listening to the IPod. It was 4 hours to Carlisle and then I had to change to go to Whitehaven. Then 40 minutes and I was pulling into Whitehaven Station.
My brother Scott and Sister-In-Law Tracey had agreed to pick me up and had brought Kia and Tyla (Nieces) , not telling them who they were picking up. What a surprise !! It was so good to see them again, it was Disney where we saw them all last!
That’s it then both home safe and sound, what a way to finish our 10 months travelling ..... a New York Wedding!!
We had a quick check that we’d got everything and then we parted!! I had booked the train to go up North and Ben was staying in Ipswich with Mum and Dad Hines. They walked me to the lift and I jumped in to catch the tube from Gatwick to London Euston.
It took an hour to get from Gatwick to London Euston and I had to change once at Leicester Square. I was hoping I could just jump onto the first train that was heading to Glasgow and did wait in the queue. I bottled out of it though and just decided to hang around at the Train Station and people watch for the 4 hours until my train. I was sitting writing my diary when a girl asked how long I was planning on sitting there and could she leave her bags whilst she had a look in the shop. She was then my train station buddy and sat with me for the 4 hours. I found out she was a model and she was waiting for some friends to meet her at the station. Here I was looking my worst after travelling for nearly 2 days, wearing the same clothes and not even cleaned my teeth that morning and here she was looking really pretty !! Great!! She was lovely though and made the hanging around go really quickly.
At last my train had arrived and was ready for boarding and off I went, saying my goodbyes to the model and wishing her well. Hopefully see her on the front of Vogue one day!
I boarded and sat down and that was it I was on my way home. I slept for a little bit but just took in the scenery whilst listening to the IPod. It was 4 hours to Carlisle and then I had to change to go to Whitehaven. Then 40 minutes and I was pulling into Whitehaven Station.
My brother Scott and Sister-In-Law Tracey had agreed to pick me up and had brought Kia and Tyla (Nieces) , not telling them who they were picking up. What a surprise !! It was so good to see them again, it was Disney where we saw them all last!
King Tut and garn yam !!
We were so tired when the alarm went off the next morning. We made sure we’d all packed and left the bags in the hotel office for the day. We checked out and made it to Blooms in time for breakfast ... just as they were putting the dinner menus out!
We walked to Grand Central Station and ordered our Shuttle bus tickets for that day. We then decided to hail a cab to take us to the NYC Museum. The museum had a King Tut Exhibition which we were all interested to see. It was amazing! We got to see some many items and relics which were found in Tut’s tomb along with many others. The design on the wooden boxes and tombs were awesome and still in great condition. There was so much information on when he was alive and his family connections, to when he died. There was footage of when Howard Carter found his tomb and when they were taking the things out of there.
An interesting fact for you now. A wooden box was found covered in gold and was surrounded by loads of symbols and relics. Inside the box was the first shrine and in that were three more, all decorated gold like the box. Inside the four shrines was the famous stone sarcophagus, which inside that contained three coffins. The last of the three coffins was made of solid gold and inside that was Tut’s mummy and his famous gold mask ..... amazing !!
Really awesome seeing everything just as it would have been in the 1300’s!
When we got out of there it was time for Mam and Dad to hail a cab and make their way to the airport. We literally caught one outside and said our very quick goodbyes, we watched them drive off. Me and Ben weren’t flying until later so we had a few hours left in NYC.
We made our way round to The Olive Garden Restaurant for some lunch. A very nice and cheap meal for it being in Times Square.
After stuffing ourselves we had a little walk around the shops making sure we had everything. Having our last walk around Times Square and seeing the Naked Cowboy, couldn’t believe it. We wanted Mam to see him and where was he when we needed him for Lisa and Stuarts Wedding Photos!!
We quickly called into the Toys R Us Store, its amazing !! It’s the biggest shop in the world (that’s not a fact, it just feels like that!) It even has a fair in it, a transformer and a dinosaur!! We even got to see Spiderman and Iron Man. Iron Man was the best ever but they wouldn’t let us take any photos of him ..... BOOOOO!!
We walked our last walk back to the Hotel and collected our bags. Carrying our heavy bags we struggled round the corner to Grand Centre Station and waited for the shuttle bus. We only had 20 minutes to wait for a bus to turn up.
An hour later and we arrived a JFK Airport. We got through security really quickly but were really disappointed with the number of shops there. It took us about 10 minutes to walk round all of them!! Although we did get to spritz while we were there and then went and chilled in the lounge.
3 Hours later and we were boarding the flight home, the end of our travel !! Our seats were called first and they were alright, although I had to have a weirdo sitting next to me......nowt fresh there, I always get em!
We walked to Grand Central Station and ordered our Shuttle bus tickets for that day. We then decided to hail a cab to take us to the NYC Museum. The museum had a King Tut Exhibition which we were all interested to see. It was amazing! We got to see some many items and relics which were found in Tut’s tomb along with many others. The design on the wooden boxes and tombs were awesome and still in great condition. There was so much information on when he was alive and his family connections, to when he died. There was footage of when Howard Carter found his tomb and when they were taking the things out of there.
An interesting fact for you now. A wooden box was found covered in gold and was surrounded by loads of symbols and relics. Inside the box was the first shrine and in that were three more, all decorated gold like the box. Inside the four shrines was the famous stone sarcophagus, which inside that contained three coffins. The last of the three coffins was made of solid gold and inside that was Tut’s mummy and his famous gold mask ..... amazing !!
Really awesome seeing everything just as it would have been in the 1300’s!
When we got out of there it was time for Mam and Dad to hail a cab and make their way to the airport. We literally caught one outside and said our very quick goodbyes, we watched them drive off. Me and Ben weren’t flying until later so we had a few hours left in NYC.
We made our way round to The Olive Garden Restaurant for some lunch. A very nice and cheap meal for it being in Times Square.
After stuffing ourselves we had a little walk around the shops making sure we had everything. Having our last walk around Times Square and seeing the Naked Cowboy, couldn’t believe it. We wanted Mam to see him and where was he when we needed him for Lisa and Stuarts Wedding Photos!!
We quickly called into the Toys R Us Store, its amazing !! It’s the biggest shop in the world (that’s not a fact, it just feels like that!) It even has a fair in it, a transformer and a dinosaur!! We even got to see Spiderman and Iron Man. Iron Man was the best ever but they wouldn’t let us take any photos of him ..... BOOOOO!!
We walked our last walk back to the Hotel and collected our bags. Carrying our heavy bags we struggled round the corner to Grand Centre Station and waited for the shuttle bus. We only had 20 minutes to wait for a bus to turn up.
An hour later and we arrived a JFK Airport. We got through security really quickly but were really disappointed with the number of shops there. It took us about 10 minutes to walk round all of them!! Although we did get to spritz while we were there and then went and chilled in the lounge.
3 Hours later and we were boarding the flight home, the end of our travel !! Our seats were called first and they were alright, although I had to have a weirdo sitting next to me......nowt fresh there, I always get em!
Last drinky poos at Jacks
We woke with the alarm this morning, so we could get down for an early ferry across to Liberty Island. We had a quick breakfast at Blooms and then walked down to the Empire State Building to catch the Tour Bus.
We didn’t have long to wait and we all sat down upstairs ready for the journey. As we sat down we noticed Jill and Anne (Lisa’s Mam and Friend), talking to the Bus Ticket Touts........ such a big place like New York and we see them both !!
We got off the bus and had a little walk through Battery Park. There were loads of little grey squirrels just running around all over the place, so cute ! We eventually found the end of the queue and stood there .... and stood there ....... and stood there for 2 hours!! It wasn’t that boring though, we were entertained by a couple of buskers. One of them a contortionist, who was awesome. He climbed into a tiny perpex box. What a show!!
After ages we arrived at the Security Checkpoint. I got in trouble for keeping my belt on, they even asked me if I had a belt and I said no .... whoops!! Mam even got frisked due to the buttons on her trousers, can’t take us anywhere!
Eventually we boarded the ferry and stood on the top deck at the back. We sat there for another 15 minutes until everyone got on and them we set sail to the Island. Suck a lovely view sailing out of the pier, the skyline is amazing. After 20 minutes sailing we arrived at Liberty Island and headed for the loo. We then had a walk right around the island and right underneath Liberty, she’s HUGE! We opted out of going inside the statue, the view is just as good outside.
We were hungry at this point so called into the Island Food place, we all tried a hotdog and fries .... very nice. Our first NYC Hotdog!!
We didn’t hang around long as there’s not much else to do on the Island, so we headed back to queue to get back over again. We eventually got back on land again at 2.30pm .... a whole day pretty much queuing!!
We stopped to watch some buskers in Battery Park. They were an awesome trio of acrobats, they were really talented. And really funny too. We were walking back to catch the bus again when we bumped into Lisa and Stuart !! Couldn’t believe it, it’s a small world! They had been to collect their marriage certificate and then they were heading over for a hotdog on Liberty Island.
We caught the bus back down to Times Square and then had a walk down to Central Park. It wasn’t that far and there were loads to look at. Our first stop was FAO Schwartz to see the toys and the ‘BIG Piano’. The store is so big, it’s got anything and everything a kid would want. The cuddly teddies are massive, nearly full size elephants and giraffes (well not quite that big but big!). Me and Ben treated ourselves to some chocolate .... expensive and not that impressive for those that were interested! Although Ben did get one with Obama on it !
We called into the Apple Shop next door and came out empty handed. We then just walked across the road to Central Park and had a lovely walk through. We passed the shrine to John Lennon, which was covered with flowers and candles. We even past the Ghostbusters towers again, before finding me and Bens Pavilion. (The place where Ben proposed to me!) It was definitely a bit warmer than the last time we were here. In the background was The Ladies Pavilion, where we’d been for The Bowes Wedding! We had a few photos and then walked back to the street and hailed a cab back to Times Square.
We had some tea in the Hard Rock Cafe. We had to have a drink in the bar until our table was ready but we didn’t mind. It was cool to have a look round cos it was full of rock memorabilia. Even a guitar from The Edge, Dad’s favourite item! We had a lovely tea and some drinks, our last tea in New York!
We did the usual end to the night of Jacks, our last drinks there ..... boooooo!! We got to sit at the bar and talk to our favourite barman. For being regulars we got a round of drinks bought for us by the barman. He even gave us a taste of a new spirit he had in which tasted gingery and gave us a mixed shot each as a thank you ! What a place!! Just a shame we wouldn’t be back there (for a while at least!).We made it back to the hotel and me and Ben managed to get a bit of packing in, no folding necessary now!! Just needed everything to fit in the bags!
We didn’t have long to wait and we all sat down upstairs ready for the journey. As we sat down we noticed Jill and Anne (Lisa’s Mam and Friend), talking to the Bus Ticket Touts........ such a big place like New York and we see them both !!
We got off the bus and had a little walk through Battery Park. There were loads of little grey squirrels just running around all over the place, so cute ! We eventually found the end of the queue and stood there .... and stood there ....... and stood there for 2 hours!! It wasn’t that boring though, we were entertained by a couple of buskers. One of them a contortionist, who was awesome. He climbed into a tiny perpex box. What a show!!
After ages we arrived at the Security Checkpoint. I got in trouble for keeping my belt on, they even asked me if I had a belt and I said no .... whoops!! Mam even got frisked due to the buttons on her trousers, can’t take us anywhere!
Eventually we boarded the ferry and stood on the top deck at the back. We sat there for another 15 minutes until everyone got on and them we set sail to the Island. Suck a lovely view sailing out of the pier, the skyline is amazing. After 20 minutes sailing we arrived at Liberty Island and headed for the loo. We then had a walk right around the island and right underneath Liberty, she’s HUGE! We opted out of going inside the statue, the view is just as good outside.
We were hungry at this point so called into the Island Food place, we all tried a hotdog and fries .... very nice. Our first NYC Hotdog!!
We didn’t hang around long as there’s not much else to do on the Island, so we headed back to queue to get back over again. We eventually got back on land again at 2.30pm .... a whole day pretty much queuing!!
We stopped to watch some buskers in Battery Park. They were an awesome trio of acrobats, they were really talented. And really funny too. We were walking back to catch the bus again when we bumped into Lisa and Stuart !! Couldn’t believe it, it’s a small world! They had been to collect their marriage certificate and then they were heading over for a hotdog on Liberty Island.
We caught the bus back down to Times Square and then had a walk down to Central Park. It wasn’t that far and there were loads to look at. Our first stop was FAO Schwartz to see the toys and the ‘BIG Piano’. The store is so big, it’s got anything and everything a kid would want. The cuddly teddies are massive, nearly full size elephants and giraffes (well not quite that big but big!). Me and Ben treated ourselves to some chocolate .... expensive and not that impressive for those that were interested! Although Ben did get one with Obama on it !
We called into the Apple Shop next door and came out empty handed. We then just walked across the road to Central Park and had a lovely walk through. We passed the shrine to John Lennon, which was covered with flowers and candles. We even past the Ghostbusters towers again, before finding me and Bens Pavilion. (The place where Ben proposed to me!) It was definitely a bit warmer than the last time we were here. In the background was The Ladies Pavilion, where we’d been for The Bowes Wedding! We had a few photos and then walked back to the street and hailed a cab back to Times Square.
We had some tea in the Hard Rock Cafe. We had to have a drink in the bar until our table was ready but we didn’t mind. It was cool to have a look round cos it was full of rock memorabilia. Even a guitar from The Edge, Dad’s favourite item! We had a lovely tea and some drinks, our last tea in New York!
We did the usual end to the night of Jacks, our last drinks there ..... boooooo!! We got to sit at the bar and talk to our favourite barman. For being regulars we got a round of drinks bought for us by the barman. He even gave us a taste of a new spirit he had in which tasted gingery and gave us a mixed shot each as a thank you ! What a place!! Just a shame we wouldn’t be back there (for a while at least!).We made it back to the hotel and me and Ben managed to get a bit of packing in, no folding necessary now!! Just needed everything to fit in the bags!
Dah Dah Da Dahhhh .... Wedding Day !!!
WEDDING DAY!!!! WOO HOOOOOOOO!!
The reason we were all here......Lisa and Stuarts Wedding!! It was a scorcher!! We all met at Blooms for breakfast, making sure we all had a good feed. We then walked back to the hotel to get showered and ready for the wedding. We had to put the air con on, it was that stuffy and hot in the bedrooms.
We were all suited and booted and decided to catch a cab down to Central Park instead of walking as usual, it was just too hot to be out there. Mam ‘hailed’ a cab quite quickly and we were soon heading to the Park. We decided to get dropped off at the Natural History Museum, which ended up being a good move for the air con!! We should have stayed longer in there but we decided to head down to see if we could see where the wedding was.
We had loads of time to kill so took our time in the heat. Central Park is so pretty and such a hive of business. We walked down and found a Pavilion overlooking the lake. It was beautiful !! It was just like the photos Lisa had shown me .... we’d found the place “Ladies Pavilion!”.
We found a little Pavilion and sat down in the shade, watching the terrapins in the water bobbing around. There were loads of them, really big too. Everyone else were in their shorts and t-shirts and here’s us in full wedding outfits .... not funny! Poor Mam had to take her shoes off cos her feet were hurting.
I was getting so nervous because it was past the time they should have been here. I was so scared that we were missing it all or that they were waiting for us. I had a walk down to the Pavilion and saw a minster lady standing waiting. She asked me if I was here for Lisa’s wedding ...... yey, we were in the right place!! Straight away she got on her mobile and at the same time I heard shouting, Lisa was walking down the hill.
Everyone was walking down ...... WOW, she looked beautiful. Her dress was gorgeous, her makeup and hair were stunning, and the flowers were really pretty..... she looked wicked!! She does scrub up well !! Stuart was all smart in his 3 piece suit, he looked a little bit nervous. I won’t tell a lie, I did shed a tear on seeing them both. This was it !! Leah was dressed in her princess dress and carrying a wand. Everyone just looked really lovely and happy, so exciting!! Stuart’s family had come over, his Mam, Aunt and Cousin which was nice and Lisa’s Mam Jill and Anne had come too, looking gorg!
I had started filming everyone walking down the hill towards the pavilion but I had really shaky hands and didn’t get anything. I did try again but the same thing happened, I was so nervous and teary ... couldn’t see a thing!!
Lisa was so emotional as the ceremony started, she set everyone off. The minsters words were so lovely throughout the ceremony. Couldn’t believe we were all standing there for Lisa and Stuarts Wedding, overlooked by the Manhattan Skyline, with everyone there ..... Awesome!!
They managed the vows and before we knew it they were “Husband and Wife!!!!!!!” Yey, there wasn’t a dry eye in the pavilion!!
Poor Mr and Mrs Boyes had to stand out in the sun for the photos, just no break from it. Everyone was just clicking away trying to get as many photo’s as possible for them both. They had them walking off road and dodging trees for photos. It was just the perfect wedding setting and perfect wedding. They even managed a photo in front of the Ghostbusters towers .... ha ha !!
Then the Minister asked for the Witnesses ........ ME AND BEN !!!! WOW !!! They had wanted to ask us but never found the right time, such a lovely surprise. My hands were shaking but I managed to sign, as did Ben ..... great stuff!!
After what seemed like ages and just before Lisa and Stuart melted we walked back up the road to where the cars were waiting. Everyone was saying congratulations to them both, so sweet ! A couple more photos and they headed off in the cars. We hailed a cab and made back to the Crowne Plaza Hotel to meet them.
Us four got there before them and eventually all found somewhere where we could all sit round together. Lisa and Stuart went to freshen up but were soon down to catch up with everyone. It was so nice sitting there with everyone around but yet really strange. We had a good laugh, catching up with everything and hearing about their busy morning. Everything went really well and Leah was a star ! Lisa and Stuart had given her a Bridesmaid Pack and it included a disposable camera. Well Leah was taking photos of everything and anything, so cute!
At 6pm we caught the cars down to Pier 81 on the Hudson River. We all met up outside and got our boarding cards from Lisa and Stuart. We walked down the boardwalk to arrive at our boat ‘Princess’. It was a massive boat but eventually we got to the back of the boat and had to walk the plank to get onto it. Poor Lisa in her dress!!
We all made it on board and had to go downstairs to the restaurant. We had great seats and Leah got a seat by the window. We were split onto 2 tables but were sitting behind each other. The staff was so friendly and helpful and we were given the menus. Wow A La’Carte Menu, it was lovely. So much to choose from, hard deciding what we were going to choose!
We all ordered what we wanted and toasted a drink to the Newly Weds!! Lisa tucked into her drink a Cosmopolitan Cocktail ...... ‘When in Rome!’ ......
Before long we got our starter, it just wasn’t big enough ... it was delicious!! Then at 8pm we set sail on our cruise around the Hudson. We set off just at the right time as the sunset was starting and it was just getting dark. The sunset lit the while sky up and it was just reflecting off all the buildings. It’s such a great way to see the city and so nice to be able to see it at night. We passed by and passed under all the 3 bridges ... the Manhattan, Brooklyn and the George Washington Bridge. We even got to sail by The Statue of Liberty, even stopping right by her for 10 minutes for some photos and to take in the awesome views.
Everyone had such a great time, the perfect end to the perfect day!! Lisa and Stuart even got their first dance on the dance floor there, with the DJ reading out that they’d been married. They got meet all the staff even the Chef came to say hello and congratulations!!
We were all docked and at 10pm and caught a cab back to Times Square for some more photos. It was packed as usual and everyone was looking and commenting on how beautiful Lisa was. We walked to the strip and Ben took some photos amongst everyone. With it being Fleet Week we even managed to get a photo from some passing sailors, we didn’t stop there ...... OH NO !! We even got a pic of Lisa with some NYC Cops ...... Awesome !! And again we didn’t stop there, we all walked into the M&M’s shop and Lisa and Stuart got their photos with “Yellow” the yellow M&M!!
After that we said our goodbyes to the Bride and Groom and thanked them for a great day. We called into Jacks for some more celebratory drinks. Calling into the English Pub for a swift pint too.
What a day!!
The reason we were all here......Lisa and Stuarts Wedding!! It was a scorcher!! We all met at Blooms for breakfast, making sure we all had a good feed. We then walked back to the hotel to get showered and ready for the wedding. We had to put the air con on, it was that stuffy and hot in the bedrooms.
We were all suited and booted and decided to catch a cab down to Central Park instead of walking as usual, it was just too hot to be out there. Mam ‘hailed’ a cab quite quickly and we were soon heading to the Park. We decided to get dropped off at the Natural History Museum, which ended up being a good move for the air con!! We should have stayed longer in there but we decided to head down to see if we could see where the wedding was.
We had loads of time to kill so took our time in the heat. Central Park is so pretty and such a hive of business. We walked down and found a Pavilion overlooking the lake. It was beautiful !! It was just like the photos Lisa had shown me .... we’d found the place “Ladies Pavilion!”.
We found a little Pavilion and sat down in the shade, watching the terrapins in the water bobbing around. There were loads of them, really big too. Everyone else were in their shorts and t-shirts and here’s us in full wedding outfits .... not funny! Poor Mam had to take her shoes off cos her feet were hurting.
I was getting so nervous because it was past the time they should have been here. I was so scared that we were missing it all or that they were waiting for us. I had a walk down to the Pavilion and saw a minster lady standing waiting. She asked me if I was here for Lisa’s wedding ...... yey, we were in the right place!! Straight away she got on her mobile and at the same time I heard shouting, Lisa was walking down the hill.
Everyone was walking down ...... WOW, she looked beautiful. Her dress was gorgeous, her makeup and hair were stunning, and the flowers were really pretty..... she looked wicked!! She does scrub up well !! Stuart was all smart in his 3 piece suit, he looked a little bit nervous. I won’t tell a lie, I did shed a tear on seeing them both. This was it !! Leah was dressed in her princess dress and carrying a wand. Everyone just looked really lovely and happy, so exciting!! Stuart’s family had come over, his Mam, Aunt and Cousin which was nice and Lisa’s Mam Jill and Anne had come too, looking gorg!
I had started filming everyone walking down the hill towards the pavilion but I had really shaky hands and didn’t get anything. I did try again but the same thing happened, I was so nervous and teary ... couldn’t see a thing!!
Lisa was so emotional as the ceremony started, she set everyone off. The minsters words were so lovely throughout the ceremony. Couldn’t believe we were all standing there for Lisa and Stuarts Wedding, overlooked by the Manhattan Skyline, with everyone there ..... Awesome!!
They managed the vows and before we knew it they were “Husband and Wife!!!!!!!” Yey, there wasn’t a dry eye in the pavilion!!
Poor Mr and Mrs Boyes had to stand out in the sun for the photos, just no break from it. Everyone was just clicking away trying to get as many photo’s as possible for them both. They had them walking off road and dodging trees for photos. It was just the perfect wedding setting and perfect wedding. They even managed a photo in front of the Ghostbusters towers .... ha ha !!
Then the Minister asked for the Witnesses ........ ME AND BEN !!!! WOW !!! They had wanted to ask us but never found the right time, such a lovely surprise. My hands were shaking but I managed to sign, as did Ben ..... great stuff!!
After what seemed like ages and just before Lisa and Stuart melted we walked back up the road to where the cars were waiting. Everyone was saying congratulations to them both, so sweet ! A couple more photos and they headed off in the cars. We hailed a cab and made back to the Crowne Plaza Hotel to meet them.
Us four got there before them and eventually all found somewhere where we could all sit round together. Lisa and Stuart went to freshen up but were soon down to catch up with everyone. It was so nice sitting there with everyone around but yet really strange. We had a good laugh, catching up with everything and hearing about their busy morning. Everything went really well and Leah was a star ! Lisa and Stuart had given her a Bridesmaid Pack and it included a disposable camera. Well Leah was taking photos of everything and anything, so cute!
At 6pm we caught the cars down to Pier 81 on the Hudson River. We all met up outside and got our boarding cards from Lisa and Stuart. We walked down the boardwalk to arrive at our boat ‘Princess’. It was a massive boat but eventually we got to the back of the boat and had to walk the plank to get onto it. Poor Lisa in her dress!!
We all made it on board and had to go downstairs to the restaurant. We had great seats and Leah got a seat by the window. We were split onto 2 tables but were sitting behind each other. The staff was so friendly and helpful and we were given the menus. Wow A La’Carte Menu, it was lovely. So much to choose from, hard deciding what we were going to choose!
We all ordered what we wanted and toasted a drink to the Newly Weds!! Lisa tucked into her drink a Cosmopolitan Cocktail ...... ‘When in Rome!’ ......
Before long we got our starter, it just wasn’t big enough ... it was delicious!! Then at 8pm we set sail on our cruise around the Hudson. We set off just at the right time as the sunset was starting and it was just getting dark. The sunset lit the while sky up and it was just reflecting off all the buildings. It’s such a great way to see the city and so nice to be able to see it at night. We passed by and passed under all the 3 bridges ... the Manhattan, Brooklyn and the George Washington Bridge. We even got to sail by The Statue of Liberty, even stopping right by her for 10 minutes for some photos and to take in the awesome views.
Everyone had such a great time, the perfect end to the perfect day!! Lisa and Stuart even got their first dance on the dance floor there, with the DJ reading out that they’d been married. They got meet all the staff even the Chef came to say hello and congratulations!!
We were all docked and at 10pm and caught a cab back to Times Square for some more photos. It was packed as usual and everyone was looking and commenting on how beautiful Lisa was. We walked to the strip and Ben took some photos amongst everyone. With it being Fleet Week we even managed to get a photo from some passing sailors, we didn’t stop there ...... OH NO !! We even got a pic of Lisa with some NYC Cops ...... Awesome !! And again we didn’t stop there, we all walked into the M&M’s shop and Lisa and Stuart got their photos with “Yellow” the yellow M&M!!
After that we said our goodbyes to the Bride and Groom and thanked them for a great day. We called into Jacks for some more celebratory drinks. Calling into the English Pub for a swift pint too.
What a day!!
Watchout King King, we're on our way!!
We were up and ready at 9.30am and made our way to Blooms. We had another great and filling breakfast before having a walk to the Empire State Building. It was really hot today, not a good day to be stuck at the top of a building 86 Floors up. We used our Tour Bus tickets cos we got to use the Express Lane .... no queuing !!
We had to get in a lift to the 80th Floor. Its weird being in a lift that goes up that far, it’s quite fast too! We had to get out on the 80th and then either wait for lift for the next 6 floors or just walk up the stairs. The queue was massive for the lift so we took the stairs. It was red hot in there and we all just made it up. It was worth it though, the view is amazing. It was heaving outside and red hot. After a lap round the outside we tried to find the shade and took in the view. You can see for miles, even seeing the Statue of Liberty and the bridges. Mam was fine up there which was good, even getting close to the barrier. We got some good photos looking down over the city.
We had to wait for the lift for the 6 floors as they’d closed the stairs due to the heat. We didn’t wait long though. We had a little walk through the gift shop before taking the lift down to the ground floor.
We walked out to the street and waited for the bus outside. We weren’t on it for long though cos we got off at Little Italy. We decided we wanted to taste the lovely food that we’d heard so much about. We ended up at a pizza place and had a really nice and very cheap lunch. Leaving there stuffed we decided to catch the bus back to Battery Park to see if we could see the Statue of Liberty.
We got off at Wall Street, passing by the famous Wall street Bull. With our bus tickets we got a free ferry ride to Liberty Island but we’d just missed the last one for the day. Didn’t matter cos we just caught the FREE Statten Island Ferry across the Hudson. It goes quite close to Liberty, luckily we’d got on the right side for the crossing and got some great photos of her and the New York Skyline. It really was a hot day. Once the ferry got to Statten Island we all had to get off and reboard to get back on. Again we got the right side and got to see Liberty again. Such a good view for free too.
We had to wait ages for another bus but got on eventually and headed back to Times Square. We popped into Walgreens for some bits and bumped into Louise, Simon and Leah (Lisa’s Sister, Brother-In-Law and Niece). They had just landed after a long flight and were so tired. Ben had spotted Louise first saying that he’d just seen a girl that looked like Lisa ....... yeah she should it’s her Sister!!) So bizarre just bumping into them all like that.
We had a little walk around Times Square before calling into Jacks. We were proper regulars in there now and the staff really looked after you (if you tipped them!). We even got to meet the boss man tonight who proved well ....... we left our camera behind and came after us to tell us ..... whoops indeed!!
We even called off into the English Pub on the way .... well it was only 3 doors down from the hotel. Ben and Dad even got to enjoy a Fosters !!!
Another awesome day !!!
We had to get in a lift to the 80th Floor. Its weird being in a lift that goes up that far, it’s quite fast too! We had to get out on the 80th and then either wait for lift for the next 6 floors or just walk up the stairs. The queue was massive for the lift so we took the stairs. It was red hot in there and we all just made it up. It was worth it though, the view is amazing. It was heaving outside and red hot. After a lap round the outside we tried to find the shade and took in the view. You can see for miles, even seeing the Statue of Liberty and the bridges. Mam was fine up there which was good, even getting close to the barrier. We got some good photos looking down over the city.
We had to wait for the lift for the 6 floors as they’d closed the stairs due to the heat. We didn’t wait long though. We had a little walk through the gift shop before taking the lift down to the ground floor.
We walked out to the street and waited for the bus outside. We weren’t on it for long though cos we got off at Little Italy. We decided we wanted to taste the lovely food that we’d heard so much about. We ended up at a pizza place and had a really nice and very cheap lunch. Leaving there stuffed we decided to catch the bus back to Battery Park to see if we could see the Statue of Liberty.
We got off at Wall Street, passing by the famous Wall street Bull. With our bus tickets we got a free ferry ride to Liberty Island but we’d just missed the last one for the day. Didn’t matter cos we just caught the FREE Statten Island Ferry across the Hudson. It goes quite close to Liberty, luckily we’d got on the right side for the crossing and got some great photos of her and the New York Skyline. It really was a hot day. Once the ferry got to Statten Island we all had to get off and reboard to get back on. Again we got the right side and got to see Liberty again. Such a good view for free too.
We had to wait ages for another bus but got on eventually and headed back to Times Square. We popped into Walgreens for some bits and bumped into Louise, Simon and Leah (Lisa’s Sister, Brother-In-Law and Niece). They had just landed after a long flight and were so tired. Ben had spotted Louise first saying that he’d just seen a girl that looked like Lisa ....... yeah she should it’s her Sister!!) So bizarre just bumping into them all like that.
We had a little walk around Times Square before calling into Jacks. We were proper regulars in there now and the staff really looked after you (if you tipped them!). We even got to meet the boss man tonight who proved well ....... we left our camera behind and came after us to tell us ..... whoops indeed!!
We even called off into the English Pub on the way .... well it was only 3 doors down from the hotel. Ben and Dad even got to enjoy a Fosters !!!
Another awesome day !!!
Showering and watching telly at the same time ?????
We were so tired the next morning, we were still on New Zealand time and we didn’t get to sleep until early morning. We had to hand in our room keys cos we were moving room. The staff said they would move our bags and we’d get new keys on our arrival.
We walked up to the corner of Lex and East 40th and stopped off at Blooms Cafe for some breakfast (this becoming our local too!). We all had awesome breakfasts with Ben having his first NY Bagel with Cream Cheese.
We then walked down some blocks to the Empire State Building ..... it’s massive! We eventually got into the lobby after dodging all the bus ticket touts trying their hardest to get us to buy tickets!! We walked up to the ticket office for the building and were luckily told by a woman the visibility was very poor today and to come back later in the week. Saved us a few dollars there!!
We walked back out onto the street and were just deciding what to do next when we were jumped on by Kojo ...... a City Sights NY Bus Ticket Tout. He was lovely and sold us some good tickets, we got a bargain cos he agreed to give us the 3 day tickets for 5 days. He even got us on the next tour bus that turned up, there was even room on the top. Great views!!
We drove down through the New York streets, its so hustle and bustle. We passed the Flat Iron Building and the memorial fence for the Twin Towers with all the tiles on it. There was an arts festival on and there were statues of people everywhere on the tops of the buildings. Even one on the Flat Iron Building. We carried on and all decided to get off the tour bus at Soho. It’s the place to go for shopping in New York apparently. We called into Macy’s and Bloomingdales before walking round the corner to The World Trade Centre.
There was so much work going on behind big wooden boards. They had pictures up on what they were building there. Two massive towers (not as big as the others) with a memorial park in the middle. A big water feature for people to go and visit. We had a walk right round the outside where the two towers stood and stopped off at a WTC Memorial. We paid our $10 to go in, unfortunately we had just missed out on an audio guided tour but there were still loads to do once inside. It was full of information about September 11th, from the relatives to people who had never been found, to the emergency services that attended that day. It was really emotional but very interesting. They had a wall of faces and missing people posters, so sad. They had video footage about the buildings themselves and how it was like a city inside a city just being in the towers. They had letters and charms from around the world, it really was emotional.
After we had a good look around we continued to walk around the outside of the Trade Centre. There wasn’t much more to be seen so we headed back. Stopping off at Trinity Church for a picture.
We decided to head back down to Times Square for some tea so hopped back on the bus. We drove down by the Hudson River and under the Manhattan Bridge and passing the Brooklyn Bridge. We carried on up through China town and passed the Rockefeller Centre. We eventually arrived at Planet Hollywood.
There was memorabilia all over the place from the different films. They had Slimer from Ghostbusters and had all the outfits from the Die Hard films too..... awesome!!
After tea we called into Jacks for some swift pints before walking back to the hotel. On our way back we had to pass Grand Centre Station, so decided to drop in to have a look around. It’s such a beautiful building outside and inside. We walked in through the big doors and walked to the centre. Ben and Dad went to get some photos of the station whilst me and Mam stood and appeared in all of them ..... not deliberately !! After some great shots we walked back to the motel for a freshen up and to see what new rooms we would get.
Ermmmmmmmm, well the rooms were clean. Even oldier worldier than the last and we had showers in the bedroom .... very strange!! Mam and Dad were lucky cos they had a toilet and sink room, where as mine and Ben’s toilet was on it’s own on one side of the room. Our sink was just in the bedroom next to the shower. You could actually have a shower and watch telly at the same time!
Lisa texted us to say her and Stuart had arrived in NYC, so we arranged to walk to their hotel to see them. They didn’t know Mam and Dad were here for the wedding, we’d kept it as a surprise!! We all walked back down to Times Square to The Crowne Plaza Hotel. We waited in the hotel bar, me and Ben sitting one side of the room and Mam and Dad on the other. Poor Lisa and Stuart were so tired but they managed to come down. We said our hellos and got a drink before going to look for tables, but walking towards Mam and Dad. Ben suggested a table right beside Mam and Dad, and Lisa sat down first. Mam piped up “What is our table not good enough for you’s??!!”, Lisa’s face was a picture .... ha ha so funny. She couldn’t believe that they were both here. Cool !! After the shock we all sat down and caught up on some of the gossip about the wedding, can’t believe we were all just sitting there chatting away like it’s the norm, with Times Square flashing away behind us.
We left them after an hour and arranged to meet them at Central Park at the wedding ..... woo hoo !!We had to walk past Jack’s on the way home, so called in for some pints. You just lose all sense of time in New York, you could stay up all night because nothing closes.
We walked up to the corner of Lex and East 40th and stopped off at Blooms Cafe for some breakfast (this becoming our local too!). We all had awesome breakfasts with Ben having his first NY Bagel with Cream Cheese.
We then walked down some blocks to the Empire State Building ..... it’s massive! We eventually got into the lobby after dodging all the bus ticket touts trying their hardest to get us to buy tickets!! We walked up to the ticket office for the building and were luckily told by a woman the visibility was very poor today and to come back later in the week. Saved us a few dollars there!!
We walked back out onto the street and were just deciding what to do next when we were jumped on by Kojo ...... a City Sights NY Bus Ticket Tout. He was lovely and sold us some good tickets, we got a bargain cos he agreed to give us the 3 day tickets for 5 days. He even got us on the next tour bus that turned up, there was even room on the top. Great views!!
We drove down through the New York streets, its so hustle and bustle. We passed the Flat Iron Building and the memorial fence for the Twin Towers with all the tiles on it. There was an arts festival on and there were statues of people everywhere on the tops of the buildings. Even one on the Flat Iron Building. We carried on and all decided to get off the tour bus at Soho. It’s the place to go for shopping in New York apparently. We called into Macy’s and Bloomingdales before walking round the corner to The World Trade Centre.
There was so much work going on behind big wooden boards. They had pictures up on what they were building there. Two massive towers (not as big as the others) with a memorial park in the middle. A big water feature for people to go and visit. We had a walk right round the outside where the two towers stood and stopped off at a WTC Memorial. We paid our $10 to go in, unfortunately we had just missed out on an audio guided tour but there were still loads to do once inside. It was full of information about September 11th, from the relatives to people who had never been found, to the emergency services that attended that day. It was really emotional but very interesting. They had a wall of faces and missing people posters, so sad. They had video footage about the buildings themselves and how it was like a city inside a city just being in the towers. They had letters and charms from around the world, it really was emotional.
After we had a good look around we continued to walk around the outside of the Trade Centre. There wasn’t much more to be seen so we headed back. Stopping off at Trinity Church for a picture.
We decided to head back down to Times Square for some tea so hopped back on the bus. We drove down by the Hudson River and under the Manhattan Bridge and passing the Brooklyn Bridge. We carried on up through China town and passed the Rockefeller Centre. We eventually arrived at Planet Hollywood.
There was memorabilia all over the place from the different films. They had Slimer from Ghostbusters and had all the outfits from the Die Hard films too..... awesome!!
After tea we called into Jacks for some swift pints before walking back to the hotel. On our way back we had to pass Grand Centre Station, so decided to drop in to have a look around. It’s such a beautiful building outside and inside. We walked in through the big doors and walked to the centre. Ben and Dad went to get some photos of the station whilst me and Mam stood and appeared in all of them ..... not deliberately !! After some great shots we walked back to the motel for a freshen up and to see what new rooms we would get.
Ermmmmmmmm, well the rooms were clean. Even oldier worldier than the last and we had showers in the bedroom .... very strange!! Mam and Dad were lucky cos they had a toilet and sink room, where as mine and Ben’s toilet was on it’s own on one side of the room. Our sink was just in the bedroom next to the shower. You could actually have a shower and watch telly at the same time!
Lisa texted us to say her and Stuart had arrived in NYC, so we arranged to walk to their hotel to see them. They didn’t know Mam and Dad were here for the wedding, we’d kept it as a surprise!! We all walked back down to Times Square to The Crowne Plaza Hotel. We waited in the hotel bar, me and Ben sitting one side of the room and Mam and Dad on the other. Poor Lisa and Stuart were so tired but they managed to come down. We said our hellos and got a drink before going to look for tables, but walking towards Mam and Dad. Ben suggested a table right beside Mam and Dad, and Lisa sat down first. Mam piped up “What is our table not good enough for you’s??!!”, Lisa’s face was a picture .... ha ha so funny. She couldn’t believe that they were both here. Cool !! After the shock we all sat down and caught up on some of the gossip about the wedding, can’t believe we were all just sitting there chatting away like it’s the norm, with Times Square flashing away behind us.
We left them after an hour and arranged to meet them at Central Park at the wedding ..... woo hoo !!We had to walk past Jack’s on the way home, so called in for some pints. You just lose all sense of time in New York, you could stay up all night because nothing closes.
New York, New York!!!!
Yeah har ...... we arrived in New York after 5 hours. We all got our baggage.... eventually!! We were all waiting by the baggage area waiting and Mam’s bag didn’t turn up. We had to go to Baggage Claim, where luckily it was there waiting for them!!
We checked with the Transport Information Desk what would be the cheapest way to get to the Hotel and they said a yellow cab cos there were 4 of us. We only had to go across the street outside and got into one sitting there.
It was about 40 minutes of Hell in that yellow cab. The driver was a nutter, he was so fast and nipping everywhere in and out of traffic. It was so much faster than the shuttle bus but we did think we were going to die. We made it to the hotel, The Seton Hotel on East 40th and Lexington (or Lex as the New Yorkers call it!).
We were a bit apprehensive when the guy behind the counter said we could only book for one night due to them having construction work upstairs. They would move us away from the noise for the rest of the stay. We got our keys and squeezed into the life to the 5th floor. Our rooms were a bit oldie worldy but it was clean.
After an hour of freshening up and getting our wedding clothes hung up, we were out and walking into the city. We saw the sights of the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building as we were walking in.
It took us about 20 minutes to walk the blocks to arrive at Times Square. It was dark at this point and it was all lit up a treat ! It was seriously busy, people everywhere. Don’t think it helped that we were a bit jetlagged and in a daze. It all seemed a bit surreal walking round with tired eyes. There were loads of people sitting round watching the big screens cos they were showing the Season Finale of Lost.
The weather was lovely, really warm still even though it was late. After a little walk around we decided to just chill and rest our feet. We found a pub called Jacks just off Times Square. This place turned out to be our local!! It was such a lovely atmosphere, the staff were amazingly friendly and the beer wasn’t too bad either. Buds all round!!
After a few pints we decided to walk back to the hotel and chill for the evening. We were all wide awake, watching telly at 3am in the morning ..... bloody jetlag!!
We checked with the Transport Information Desk what would be the cheapest way to get to the Hotel and they said a yellow cab cos there were 4 of us. We only had to go across the street outside and got into one sitting there.
It was about 40 minutes of Hell in that yellow cab. The driver was a nutter, he was so fast and nipping everywhere in and out of traffic. It was so much faster than the shuttle bus but we did think we were going to die. We made it to the hotel, The Seton Hotel on East 40th and Lexington (or Lex as the New Yorkers call it!).
We were a bit apprehensive when the guy behind the counter said we could only book for one night due to them having construction work upstairs. They would move us away from the noise for the rest of the stay. We got our keys and squeezed into the life to the 5th floor. Our rooms were a bit oldie worldy but it was clean.
After an hour of freshening up and getting our wedding clothes hung up, we were out and walking into the city. We saw the sights of the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building as we were walking in.
It took us about 20 minutes to walk the blocks to arrive at Times Square. It was dark at this point and it was all lit up a treat ! It was seriously busy, people everywhere. Don’t think it helped that we were a bit jetlagged and in a daze. It all seemed a bit surreal walking round with tired eyes. There were loads of people sitting round watching the big screens cos they were showing the Season Finale of Lost.
The weather was lovely, really warm still even though it was late. After a little walk around we decided to just chill and rest our feet. We found a pub called Jacks just off Times Square. This place turned out to be our local!! It was such a lovely atmosphere, the staff were amazingly friendly and the beer wasn’t too bad either. Buds all round!!
After a few pints we decided to walk back to the hotel and chill for the evening. We were all wide awake, watching telly at 3am in the morning ..... bloody jetlag!!
14 June 2010
Flying, sleeping, eating, sleeping and eating some more
We had our flight at 6.10am in the morning and had booked our shuttlebus for 3.00am!! We tried to sleep back at the hotel for the few hours we had but it was so noisy. It was just impossible and were a bit grumpy sitting waiting for the shuttlebus. It didn’t help that the bus didn’t turn up and when we rang to see where it was, they said it had been ordered for 3pm that day ....... we had to wait another 15 minutes for it .... nightmare!!
Mam and Dad’s flight was 12ish so they didn’t have an early start. The shuttlebus was booked for 10ish and turned up on time luckily.
The flight from Auckland to Los Angeles was ok, we were so tired. We slept as much as we could and ate everything that was going and before long arrived at LA. We survived some awesome turbulence too ..... everything flew everywhere brilliant!! After a 12 hour flight we landed in LA. We got through Immigration with no bother and collected and re-checked in our bags on time. Stupid that we had to get off the plane and collect our bags, to then have to check our bags back in and board exactly the same plane we’d just got off !!! Even had the same seats !!
We were waiting to board the last of the flights to New York when we met up with Mam and Dad. Their flight was Auckland to LA, where as ours was Auckland to Sydney, then Sydney to LA. They said their flight was ok, managed to sleep some and watch some films.
We weren’t sitting near each other so managed to sleep for the whole 5 hours. Ben had to wake me up for dinner and we slept through the take off. Before we knew it we were descending to New York !!
Mam and Dad’s flight was 12ish so they didn’t have an early start. The shuttlebus was booked for 10ish and turned up on time luckily.
The flight from Auckland to Los Angeles was ok, we were so tired. We slept as much as we could and ate everything that was going and before long arrived at LA. We survived some awesome turbulence too ..... everything flew everywhere brilliant!! After a 12 hour flight we landed in LA. We got through Immigration with no bother and collected and re-checked in our bags on time. Stupid that we had to get off the plane and collect our bags, to then have to check our bags back in and board exactly the same plane we’d just got off !!! Even had the same seats !!
We were waiting to board the last of the flights to New York when we met up with Mam and Dad. Their flight was Auckland to LA, where as ours was Auckland to Sydney, then Sydney to LA. They said their flight was ok, managed to sleep some and watch some films.
We weren’t sitting near each other so managed to sleep for the whole 5 hours. Ben had to wake me up for dinner and we slept through the take off. Before we knew it we were descending to New York !!
Saying goodbye to 'Eddie the Campervan'
We were awoken by the Sugarbabes bleating out at 5.30am. Kia had decided to ring her grandma! Bless!! ... needless to say we all went back to sleep until 7.15am.
We had our last breakfast in the camper and walked the very short distance to the city centre.
We first had a wander around Cathedral Square and a little look around the Market on there before calling in at the I-Site and booking the shuttle bus to take us all to the airport.
We then had a walk up to the Arts Market, crossing over the Avon River on route. Mam and Dad got to see the punts on the way.
We had a walk around the stalls and then walked down to the Botanic Gardens. The weather was sunny but just a bit chilly. We walked right round the outside of the gardens and back up with the river beside us. Very pretty gardens with gorg flowers and trees.
We decided on a pub lunch for dinner, just cos we were flying late tonight and arriving late at Auckland. We headed straight to ‘The Bard’ for a traditional pub lunch. We all enjoyed a pint each and I had lasagne with the other 3 having the Roast Beef dinner ! We all cleaned our plates, it was delicious!!
We had another walk up the high street, getting the rest of our sovenier shopping. Meeting a woman in a shop who was related to Ged Stokes the Whitehaven RL Coach ... it’s a small world!!
After a final walk around the city we walked back to the camper for our final packing and sorting.
We set off, calling in at the Petrol Station to fill up for the last time and drove to the Affordable Motorhomes Depot. We arrived there at 4pm, we were early so even got to fit in a game of Dominos whilst waiting.
Linda (my contact at Affordable Motorhomes) was lovely, it was the first time I had met her after speaking to her so many times over the internet. She even gave us a lift to the Airport.
4063km’s we had driven in total in the Camper , not bad in 3 weeks!!
So we’re all just sitting here after checking in our bags. We’re waiting to board the JQ256 flight from Christchurch to Auckland. Our flights at 6.10pm so there’s an hour to go. We’re just working our way through the leftovers from the van.
We boarded the flight and sat and chilled whilst taking off. It was just a short flight and it wasn’t long before we were descending again. We arrived in Auckland and caught a shuttle bus to the hotel. We were staying at the All Seasons Hotel that we’d stopped at previously.
It was late by the time we got there and decided to have a quick change and then head out to see the sights.
We took the short walk to the Sky Tower, unfortunately it was too late to see anyone jumping from it but it was all lit up nicely. We all wanted to go in so paid our money and took the lift to the Observation Deck. Mam was a bit wary so stayed behind the barrier. Dad got brave and stepped out onto the glass floor for a really quick photo. We had a walk around the tower taking in the city view before going for a beer in the cafe below the observation deck.
After that we decided to have a walk down to the harbour side. We got a bit lost but think we ended up in the rich part of the marina. The boats were huge, they looked rather expensive.
We walked round the corner and found our bearings. We walked back towards the hotel but stopped off for a pint in the pub. We then said our goodbyes .... for the moment!!
We had our last breakfast in the camper and walked the very short distance to the city centre.
We first had a wander around Cathedral Square and a little look around the Market on there before calling in at the I-Site and booking the shuttle bus to take us all to the airport.
We then had a walk up to the Arts Market, crossing over the Avon River on route. Mam and Dad got to see the punts on the way.
We had a walk around the stalls and then walked down to the Botanic Gardens. The weather was sunny but just a bit chilly. We walked right round the outside of the gardens and back up with the river beside us. Very pretty gardens with gorg flowers and trees.
We decided on a pub lunch for dinner, just cos we were flying late tonight and arriving late at Auckland. We headed straight to ‘The Bard’ for a traditional pub lunch. We all enjoyed a pint each and I had lasagne with the other 3 having the Roast Beef dinner ! We all cleaned our plates, it was delicious!!
We had another walk up the high street, getting the rest of our sovenier shopping. Meeting a woman in a shop who was related to Ged Stokes the Whitehaven RL Coach ... it’s a small world!!
After a final walk around the city we walked back to the camper for our final packing and sorting.
We set off, calling in at the Petrol Station to fill up for the last time and drove to the Affordable Motorhomes Depot. We arrived there at 4pm, we were early so even got to fit in a game of Dominos whilst waiting.
Linda (my contact at Affordable Motorhomes) was lovely, it was the first time I had met her after speaking to her so many times over the internet. She even gave us a lift to the Airport.
4063km’s we had driven in total in the Camper , not bad in 3 weeks!!
So we’re all just sitting here after checking in our bags. We’re waiting to board the JQ256 flight from Christchurch to Auckland. Our flights at 6.10pm so there’s an hour to go. We’re just working our way through the leftovers from the van.
We boarded the flight and sat and chilled whilst taking off. It was just a short flight and it wasn’t long before we were descending again. We arrived in Auckland and caught a shuttle bus to the hotel. We were staying at the All Seasons Hotel that we’d stopped at previously.
It was late by the time we got there and decided to have a quick change and then head out to see the sights.
We took the short walk to the Sky Tower, unfortunately it was too late to see anyone jumping from it but it was all lit up nicely. We all wanted to go in so paid our money and took the lift to the Observation Deck. Mam was a bit wary so stayed behind the barrier. Dad got brave and stepped out onto the glass floor for a really quick photo. We had a walk around the tower taking in the city view before going for a beer in the cafe below the observation deck.
After that we decided to have a walk down to the harbour side. We got a bit lost but think we ended up in the rich part of the marina. The boats were huge, they looked rather expensive.
We walked round the corner and found our bearings. We walked back towards the hotel but stopped off for a pint in the pub. We then said our goodbyes .... for the moment!!
Whales and sea sickness ..... ha ha
We were all washed, showered, breakfasted and leaving the campsite at 9am. We just had to go round the corner to the Whaleway Station (yes it is actually a railway station and where you go to book to watch the whales!! Funny eh?!). We had a cuppa and then checked in ready for our trip out to sea. It was raining and there was a sea-sickness warning flashed on the screen. That didn’t stop us though !!
At 10am we walked back to the camper and dressed for the Artic. We didn’t want to be as cold as we were on the Milford Cruise so piled all our clothes on !!
At 10.30am we were all briefed and shown an emergency DVD. We were then lead onto a bus and driven down to the South Beach Marina where we boarded our vessel, "The Paikea". A huge boat, really modern and very comfortable. We sat back and were given a talk by the guide on board. Before we knew it we were heading out, flying along into the water. It was so fast!! We were just bouncing off the waves.
Before long we stopped and the captain used a hydrophone for listening for the whales under the water. We could all go outside, so we had a walk on deck. The Captain was there and after using a compass was back in the boat to set off with the coordinates. We were asked to get back inside and to take our seats again.
We were off after a whale. On the way we saw some albatross’s just cruising across the top of the water. Soaring around with their massive wings. We were heading a mile away to see if we could spot the whale he was hearing. All of a sudden we swung around to the right and headed about 100 mtrs in front.
We stopped and these beside us was a huge Sperm Whale. We all legged it outside, up onto the top deck. It was just catching it’s breath before taking a long dive again. He just cruised along beside us. He was there for a few minutes and then he dived into the depths. Just a flash of the huge tail and he was gone again! Wow !!
We waited a while, everyone looking to see if they could spot any others. Even though they’re so huge they are quite difficult to spot when they just cruise along the water.
The skipper called us back in to the boat and we were off again looking for the whale that we’d heard earlier. We got there in no time and headed back out onto the boat. We all had our eyes peeled for him or any other wildlife. We were surrounded by the sea albatross, it was just crusing along the thermals. Apparently there wingspan is over 4 metres ....... wow !!
We sat there a while but nothing appeared. They set down the Hydrophone again and listened. Again taking down the coordinates and giving them to the Skipper. Back in the boat and speeding to the next place.
We got there and back out on deck again, this time another boat turned up and we were both waiting. After a while and seeing nothing, the skipper decided to go back to the one we’d saw earlier. He was thinking it might be on it’s way back up for another breath.
We were back there in no time at all and as we all ventured out he was there to greet us. Just crusing along side the boat. We watched from the bottom deck this time, it’s so big! After a few breaths, off he dived. A big splash of the tail and down into the deep........WOW 2 Whales!!
We sat there in the hope we’d see more but nothing appeared. We were back in the boat and the Skipper took us for a close up of the Seal Colony. There’s was hundreds of them, little baby ones too. A seal actually swam under the water as we pulled up, couldn’t believe it, it was so close!!
We were soon on our way back to the Marina, time went so quickly! So 2 Whales, 2 Sea-sickies Mam and Ben ... ha ha!!, some seals, some birds ..... awesome!! The weather had cleared up, we’d just put too many layers on really!! Just another perfect day.
To finish the morning we had some ‘fush n chups’ from Hine’s Chip Shop ..... we just had to! We didn’t try for any discount though. We sat in the camper eating our chups overlooking the sea.
We’re now in the camper, listening to the Ipod and heading for Christchurch. Our last night in the Camper tonight before we hand it back tomorrow. We’re staying City Centre so we can have a walk around the city tomorrow ....... we have to pack tonight ..... ARGH!!
We got checked into our campsite/car park and all got down to packing and sorting out the cupboards. Mam and Dad sorted their bags first and Me and Ben started taking stuff over to the Camp Kitchen for freebies.
We all got sorted quicker than expected and sat and enjoyed leftovers from the Barbie. We even had some beers left over to enjoy which was a nice surprise.
We all watched telly and were in bed by 10pm ...... our last night in the camper!!
At 10am we walked back to the camper and dressed for the Artic. We didn’t want to be as cold as we were on the Milford Cruise so piled all our clothes on !!
At 10.30am we were all briefed and shown an emergency DVD. We were then lead onto a bus and driven down to the South Beach Marina where we boarded our vessel, "The Paikea". A huge boat, really modern and very comfortable. We sat back and were given a talk by the guide on board. Before we knew it we were heading out, flying along into the water. It was so fast!! We were just bouncing off the waves.
Before long we stopped and the captain used a hydrophone for listening for the whales under the water. We could all go outside, so we had a walk on deck. The Captain was there and after using a compass was back in the boat to set off with the coordinates. We were asked to get back inside and to take our seats again.
We were off after a whale. On the way we saw some albatross’s just cruising across the top of the water. Soaring around with their massive wings. We were heading a mile away to see if we could spot the whale he was hearing. All of a sudden we swung around to the right and headed about 100 mtrs in front.
We stopped and these beside us was a huge Sperm Whale. We all legged it outside, up onto the top deck. It was just catching it’s breath before taking a long dive again. He just cruised along beside us. He was there for a few minutes and then he dived into the depths. Just a flash of the huge tail and he was gone again! Wow !!
We waited a while, everyone looking to see if they could spot any others. Even though they’re so huge they are quite difficult to spot when they just cruise along the water.
The skipper called us back in to the boat and we were off again looking for the whale that we’d heard earlier. We got there in no time and headed back out onto the boat. We all had our eyes peeled for him or any other wildlife. We were surrounded by the sea albatross, it was just crusing along the thermals. Apparently there wingspan is over 4 metres ....... wow !!
We sat there a while but nothing appeared. They set down the Hydrophone again and listened. Again taking down the coordinates and giving them to the Skipper. Back in the boat and speeding to the next place.
We got there and back out on deck again, this time another boat turned up and we were both waiting. After a while and seeing nothing, the skipper decided to go back to the one we’d saw earlier. He was thinking it might be on it’s way back up for another breath.
We were back there in no time at all and as we all ventured out he was there to greet us. Just crusing along side the boat. We watched from the bottom deck this time, it’s so big! After a few breaths, off he dived. A big splash of the tail and down into the deep........WOW 2 Whales!!
We sat there in the hope we’d see more but nothing appeared. We were back in the boat and the Skipper took us for a close up of the Seal Colony. There’s was hundreds of them, little baby ones too. A seal actually swam under the water as we pulled up, couldn’t believe it, it was so close!!
We were soon on our way back to the Marina, time went so quickly! So 2 Whales, 2 Sea-sickies Mam and Ben ... ha ha!!, some seals, some birds ..... awesome!! The weather had cleared up, we’d just put too many layers on really!! Just another perfect day.
To finish the morning we had some ‘fush n chups’ from Hine’s Chip Shop ..... we just had to! We didn’t try for any discount though. We sat in the camper eating our chups overlooking the sea.
We’re now in the camper, listening to the Ipod and heading for Christchurch. Our last night in the Camper tonight before we hand it back tomorrow. We’re staying City Centre so we can have a walk around the city tomorrow ....... we have to pack tonight ..... ARGH!!
We got checked into our campsite/car park and all got down to packing and sorting out the cupboards. Mam and Dad sorted their bags first and Me and Ben started taking stuff over to the Camp Kitchen for freebies.
We all got sorted quicker than expected and sat and enjoyed leftovers from the Barbie. We even had some beers left over to enjoy which was a nice surprise.
We all watched telly and were in bed by 10pm ...... our last night in the camper!!
Seals, Seals and more Seals.
We again did the morning ritual and were again on the road (after a quick diesel stop and a Dick Smith stop) by 9.20am. The drive was again perfect, no traffic and after an hour we arrived at Christchurch. Alas we weren’t stopping here and carried on towards Kaikoura.
We had a quick wee stop and a change of drivers. After another hour we arrived at the coast.
The view was amazing over the turquoise water. Before no time we were spotting the NZ fur seals at the waters edge. Just sitting and basking in the sun. We didn’t stop though and just kept on for our first stop the bakery! We all got our pies and drove down to the Kaikoura lookout point.
We drove up passed the Seal Colony that inhabit the lookout and parked in the Car Park. We reversed in so we could watch the seals whilst having lunch. There was a couple of seals right by the back of the van. Dad and Ben got out to get to photos of the grumpy seals. They were quite aggressive as they took the photos so they took them and got back in the van.
After a brew we had a walk along the boardwalk looking at the seals on the way. They just didn’t mind us being there which was cool. We even got to see a baby seal just sitting under a tree, it just sat and watched us with it’s big eyes. We got some good close ups before getting back in the van and driving down to the beach for a walk.
When we got to the beach we managed to find the stone we’d left as a surprise for Mam and Dad. We’d spent the afternoon writing on stones and leaving them and then left one for Mam and Dad a month earlier ..... so weird seeing them again. We had a walk up the beach before deciding it was a nice day for a BBQ!!
Me and Ben drove to the Ohau Stream Walk as a surprise for Mam and Dad. It was further than we thought but we eventually found it and we’re so glad we did. We donned our macs as it was a bit drizzly and headed into the trees. We hadn’t told Mam and Dad anything about it so they couldn’t believe it when we crossed a bridge and saw 2 little seal pups playing in the water underneath us. So cool! Then we were seeing more and more of them as we headed upstream. Groups of 5 of them just playing and coming up to us to have a look. Then we got to the Waterfall and there was the pool full of them, Mam and Dad couldn’t believe it. It’s such a lovely place, we’re so glad we got to see and to be able to show Mam and Dad too. We stayed there for ages just watching them rolling and playing under the waterfall. Then we walked back down towards the car park, seeing more and more in the stream ... it’s such a magical place ! Even though me and Ben had seen it before it was still like we were seeing it for the first time.
We had a look at the Seal Colony across on the rocks, there was loads of them. We eventually tore ourselves away from them to get back in the van.
We called into the supermarket for some meat and beers, even though it was now raining it was still ok for a BBQ!! We parked in town and had a little look around the shops before ending our day with a pint of Monteiths !!
I’m now sitting writing this whilst Mam is manning the stirfry. Ben and Dad are over using the BBQ.
Well the Barbie was a success as per usual, we had to eat it in the camper cos it was too cold outside. We managed to get a channel tuned in on the telly so watched some programmes before calling it a night ....... wow 10pm .. our latest night yet we reckon!!
We had a quick wee stop and a change of drivers. After another hour we arrived at the coast.
The view was amazing over the turquoise water. Before no time we were spotting the NZ fur seals at the waters edge. Just sitting and basking in the sun. We didn’t stop though and just kept on for our first stop the bakery! We all got our pies and drove down to the Kaikoura lookout point.
We drove up passed the Seal Colony that inhabit the lookout and parked in the Car Park. We reversed in so we could watch the seals whilst having lunch. There was a couple of seals right by the back of the van. Dad and Ben got out to get to photos of the grumpy seals. They were quite aggressive as they took the photos so they took them and got back in the van.
After a brew we had a walk along the boardwalk looking at the seals on the way. They just didn’t mind us being there which was cool. We even got to see a baby seal just sitting under a tree, it just sat and watched us with it’s big eyes. We got some good close ups before getting back in the van and driving down to the beach for a walk.
When we got to the beach we managed to find the stone we’d left as a surprise for Mam and Dad. We’d spent the afternoon writing on stones and leaving them and then left one for Mam and Dad a month earlier ..... so weird seeing them again. We had a walk up the beach before deciding it was a nice day for a BBQ!!
Me and Ben drove to the Ohau Stream Walk as a surprise for Mam and Dad. It was further than we thought but we eventually found it and we’re so glad we did. We donned our macs as it was a bit drizzly and headed into the trees. We hadn’t told Mam and Dad anything about it so they couldn’t believe it when we crossed a bridge and saw 2 little seal pups playing in the water underneath us. So cool! Then we were seeing more and more of them as we headed upstream. Groups of 5 of them just playing and coming up to us to have a look. Then we got to the Waterfall and there was the pool full of them, Mam and Dad couldn’t believe it. It’s such a lovely place, we’re so glad we got to see and to be able to show Mam and Dad too. We stayed there for ages just watching them rolling and playing under the waterfall. Then we walked back down towards the car park, seeing more and more in the stream ... it’s such a magical place ! Even though me and Ben had seen it before it was still like we were seeing it for the first time.
We had a look at the Seal Colony across on the rocks, there was loads of them. We eventually tore ourselves away from them to get back in the van.
We called into the supermarket for some meat and beers, even though it was now raining it was still ok for a BBQ!! We parked in town and had a little look around the shops before ending our day with a pint of Monteiths !!
I’m now sitting writing this whilst Mam is manning the stirfry. Ben and Dad are over using the BBQ.
Well the Barbie was a success as per usual, we had to eat it in the camper cos it was too cold outside. We managed to get a channel tuned in on the telly so watched some programmes before calling it a night ....... wow 10pm .. our latest night yet we reckon!!
Lake Tekapo and the sunshine .......
We had yet another lie in, getting breakfast at 8am. We were all ready to leave at 9am, we called in for some petrol and some rolls for dinner. We’re now in the van listening to Reservoir Dogs Soundtrack and heading for Lake Tekapo for some lunch before arriving at Ashburton for 1 night. Just a driving day today to get across to the East Coast, hopefully get to see some sun !
Ben killed a sparrow ........ 2 v 1 to me though!!
Lake Tekapo looked just as magnificent as it had last time! We had some lunch in the camp chairs sitting out back of the camper. The sun was shining and the lake looked so blue. We stayed for a fair while, got some nice photos, skimmed some stones before having a look around the tiny church, it really is tiny.
We actually got to go into the Church of The Good Shepherd and have a look around. They had a window which looked out onto the Lake, it was really beautiful. What a setting for a wedding.
We left Lake Tekapo and the sunshine .... reluctantly and headed to Ashburton. No more roadkill to report.
We arrived at Ashburton, Mam and Dad started on Dinner (sorry tea!) ..... fajita’s mmmm mmmm!!
Ben killed a sparrow ........ 2 v 1 to me though!!
Lake Tekapo looked just as magnificent as it had last time! We had some lunch in the camp chairs sitting out back of the camper. The sun was shining and the lake looked so blue. We stayed for a fair while, got some nice photos, skimmed some stones before having a look around the tiny church, it really is tiny.
We actually got to go into the Church of The Good Shepherd and have a look around. They had a window which looked out onto the Lake, it was really beautiful. What a setting for a wedding.
We left Lake Tekapo and the sunshine .... reluctantly and headed to Ashburton. No more roadkill to report.
We arrived at Ashburton, Mam and Dad started on Dinner (sorry tea!) ..... fajita’s mmmm mmmm!!
Boys in Blue ........
Our cruise around the Sound was booked for 9.55am, so we didn’t need to get up early (for a change!). We were out and about just after 9am, the sun was shining and the sky was blue ...... perfect for a 2 hour cruise around Milford!!
We got a few photos of Milford and it’s brilliant reflections before walking up to the cruise depot. We checked in and boarded the “Mitre Peak”. Once onboard me (Ben), Mam and Dad made our way up to the top and Claire went for the FREE cuppa’s. We’d just finished our brews and we were off heading into the Sound.
Within 5 minutes we were seeing our first piece of wildlife.......a seal splashing about in the water! The scenery was completely different than the last time me and Claire were here. Last time there had been so much rain, there was hundreds of waterfalls coming from the tops of the peaks. This time we had blue skies and sunshine.
We continued towards the Tasman Sea. The skipped spotted a couple of cheeky seals sitting on the edge of a rock, we stopped and watched for a while. We saw quite a lot of fur seals splashing about in the water, up against the waters edge.
An hour into the cruise and we hit the Tasman Sea. The huge mountains disappeared from beside us and the water just got choppier. We got to see our next piece of wildlife, an albatross just soaring above the water. It’s wings were huge. We turned around and headed back in towards the bay, this time on the other side of the channel, in the shade!! It was freezing!!! We stood strong though and stayed on the top deck outside. We were all wrapped up with layers, hats, scarfs, hoods, Mam looked like she was ready to tackle the South Pole!! It was freezing though.
The views were just as amazing on the way back in. We were approaching the Stirling Falls, which we remembered from last time gets you wet! This time however we didn’t get as close this was cos our path was blocked by a pod of 6 dolphins !! WOW!! They were swimming under the front of the boat. The skipper had to cut the engines and wait until they had gone. 4 of them swam off out towards the sea but 2 stayed with the boat. A mum and her calf, they were just swimming the length of our boat. Right up close to the edge and with the water so clear you could see them really well. Me, Mam and Dad stayed on top but Ben went down to the bottom. He got right close to them down there. They were just swimming around the boat checking everyone out before deciding to leave. It was amazing, can’t believe they stayed for so long. With the falls as a backdrop it just doesn’t get any better than that!! We’d forgotten how cold we were which was good.
We were back setting sail again and once again passed by the Bowen Falls and docked up at the ferry port. Aweomse!! The perfect trip!
We walked down to the Blue Duck Cafe and had some soup to warm and a brew to warm us up. Ben managed to get the Milford photos he’s been after.
We got back in the van and headed out along the Milford Road, winding our way out, along the cliff roads. Seemed like we were the only ones heading out of the Sound so we had a good run.
We stopped off at Te Anau for just a fill up of diesel and swapped drivers before driving onwards.
Me (Claire) added to my roadkill total, killing 2 sparrows who decided to throw themselves at the van!!
We were driving up hill and then coming back down the hill and noticed a Police Car at the bottom. Cue Ben getting pulled over ..... whoops!! 103 km!! The copper said we were only supposed to be doing 90km !! WHAT?!! The man in blue took Ben’s licence and got in his police car. We were busy trying to find anything that said the speed limits. Not long after the copper came back apologising. The van was under the weight category needed for the speed limit to change, our speed limit was 100 as we thought ..... phew!! He just drew a line through the fine sheet and continued to make small talk with us for the next 10 minutes. After a hard time trying to end the conversation we eventually got back on the road again.
We stopped for a brew at Lake Wakatipu and then drove onto Cromwell. We eventually found it and pulled up at 6pm. It was a long day in the van and we were glad to get to the campsite. What an eventful day today though.
After catching up on the washing, a few games of cards and our tea it was time for bed.
We got a few photos of Milford and it’s brilliant reflections before walking up to the cruise depot. We checked in and boarded the “Mitre Peak”. Once onboard me (Ben), Mam and Dad made our way up to the top and Claire went for the FREE cuppa’s. We’d just finished our brews and we were off heading into the Sound.
Within 5 minutes we were seeing our first piece of wildlife.......a seal splashing about in the water! The scenery was completely different than the last time me and Claire were here. Last time there had been so much rain, there was hundreds of waterfalls coming from the tops of the peaks. This time we had blue skies and sunshine.
We continued towards the Tasman Sea. The skipped spotted a couple of cheeky seals sitting on the edge of a rock, we stopped and watched for a while. We saw quite a lot of fur seals splashing about in the water, up against the waters edge.
An hour into the cruise and we hit the Tasman Sea. The huge mountains disappeared from beside us and the water just got choppier. We got to see our next piece of wildlife, an albatross just soaring above the water. It’s wings were huge. We turned around and headed back in towards the bay, this time on the other side of the channel, in the shade!! It was freezing!!! We stood strong though and stayed on the top deck outside. We were all wrapped up with layers, hats, scarfs, hoods, Mam looked like she was ready to tackle the South Pole!! It was freezing though.
The views were just as amazing on the way back in. We were approaching the Stirling Falls, which we remembered from last time gets you wet! This time however we didn’t get as close this was cos our path was blocked by a pod of 6 dolphins !! WOW!! They were swimming under the front of the boat. The skipper had to cut the engines and wait until they had gone. 4 of them swam off out towards the sea but 2 stayed with the boat. A mum and her calf, they were just swimming the length of our boat. Right up close to the edge and with the water so clear you could see them really well. Me, Mam and Dad stayed on top but Ben went down to the bottom. He got right close to them down there. They were just swimming around the boat checking everyone out before deciding to leave. It was amazing, can’t believe they stayed for so long. With the falls as a backdrop it just doesn’t get any better than that!! We’d forgotten how cold we were which was good.
We were back setting sail again and once again passed by the Bowen Falls and docked up at the ferry port. Aweomse!! The perfect trip!
We walked down to the Blue Duck Cafe and had some soup to warm and a brew to warm us up. Ben managed to get the Milford photos he’s been after.
We got back in the van and headed out along the Milford Road, winding our way out, along the cliff roads. Seemed like we were the only ones heading out of the Sound so we had a good run.
We stopped off at Te Anau for just a fill up of diesel and swapped drivers before driving onwards.
Me (Claire) added to my roadkill total, killing 2 sparrows who decided to throw themselves at the van!!
We were driving up hill and then coming back down the hill and noticed a Police Car at the bottom. Cue Ben getting pulled over ..... whoops!! 103 km!! The copper said we were only supposed to be doing 90km !! WHAT?!! The man in blue took Ben’s licence and got in his police car. We were busy trying to find anything that said the speed limits. Not long after the copper came back apologising. The van was under the weight category needed for the speed limit to change, our speed limit was 100 as we thought ..... phew!! He just drew a line through the fine sheet and continued to make small talk with us for the next 10 minutes. After a hard time trying to end the conversation we eventually got back on the road again.
We stopped for a brew at Lake Wakatipu and then drove onto Cromwell. We eventually found it and pulled up at 6pm. It was a long day in the van and we were glad to get to the campsite. What an eventful day today though.
After catching up on the washing, a few games of cards and our tea it was time for bed.
Milford Sound ....... Awesome !!
We set our alarm for 6am and all got up to get sorted. It was pitch black, we wanted to make good ground before else. Ben drove first and we left Queenstown to Milford Sounds.
The road was so quiet so we made really good time. We drove to Te Anau where we stopped for a wee and a walk around the town. We got there the same time as some tour buses but we managed to park away from them and enjoy a brew by the marina. After a walk around the shops and filling up with diesel we were setting off again.
The views were changing, starting off all flat then building up. We stopped off by the end of Lake Te Anau and had something to eat. Next stop was Mackay Creek where we decided to spray with Aeroguard and venture out by the roaring river.
We were then all back in the van and heading to our next stop Mirror Lake. The sun was out and it was lovely but it didn’t quite reflect the mountains as a mirror unfortunately. We watched the little ducks on the water and then had a walk along the boardwalk. Then back to the van and heading onwards again.
Back on the awesome road winding along, the van managed the roads great. We were soon driving uphill and we made a stop at the Hollyford Lookout. We even bumped into a Kea (parrot) much to Mam and Dad’s delight. We got some great photos and then back in the van.
We arrived at the Homer Tunnel and got out to be greeted by yet another Kea. The views are amazing in this part of Milford. It’s just huge, surrounded by massive mountains with snow on the top. The avalanche of snow was still there but not as big as last time. There was a sign this time telling you not to go near it so we couldn’t get any close up photos. The sun made the mountains look totally different than the last time we were here.
We waited our 15 minutes for the lights to change before driving into the tunnel. Seemed like ages before we were driving out again and the view is awesome. You can’t put into words the views in Milford, just spectacular. We drove down the very winding road before managing to pull over for some photos. Snow was covering the tops of the mountains, so beautiful!
We had one more stop at the Chasm. It was gushing with water, so powerful. Ben managed to get some more photos of it, some rain had gotten on his lens the last time we were there so it was good to get some more photos.
Our last stop was the mighty Milford Sound. Awesome view! Driving in with the sun beaming through the range, so awesome. Everything is HUGE!
We parked up the van and then had a walk along the boardwalk. We watched the cruises sailing back in and going out into the Sound. We were going to have a pint in the pub but it was closed.
We then decided to go to the campsite, just a 10 minutes walk from the Sound itself.
We enjoyed some home cooked corned beef hash followed by the daily dominos and Uno championships.
It gets so dark in the Sound at night with all the mountains around. Makes it feel really eerie.
The road was so quiet so we made really good time. We drove to Te Anau where we stopped for a wee and a walk around the town. We got there the same time as some tour buses but we managed to park away from them and enjoy a brew by the marina. After a walk around the shops and filling up with diesel we were setting off again.
The views were changing, starting off all flat then building up. We stopped off by the end of Lake Te Anau and had something to eat. Next stop was Mackay Creek where we decided to spray with Aeroguard and venture out by the roaring river.
We were then all back in the van and heading to our next stop Mirror Lake. The sun was out and it was lovely but it didn’t quite reflect the mountains as a mirror unfortunately. We watched the little ducks on the water and then had a walk along the boardwalk. Then back to the van and heading onwards again.
Back on the awesome road winding along, the van managed the roads great. We were soon driving uphill and we made a stop at the Hollyford Lookout. We even bumped into a Kea (parrot) much to Mam and Dad’s delight. We got some great photos and then back in the van.
We arrived at the Homer Tunnel and got out to be greeted by yet another Kea. The views are amazing in this part of Milford. It’s just huge, surrounded by massive mountains with snow on the top. The avalanche of snow was still there but not as big as last time. There was a sign this time telling you not to go near it so we couldn’t get any close up photos. The sun made the mountains look totally different than the last time we were here.
We waited our 15 minutes for the lights to change before driving into the tunnel. Seemed like ages before we were driving out again and the view is awesome. You can’t put into words the views in Milford, just spectacular. We drove down the very winding road before managing to pull over for some photos. Snow was covering the tops of the mountains, so beautiful!
We had one more stop at the Chasm. It was gushing with water, so powerful. Ben managed to get some more photos of it, some rain had gotten on his lens the last time we were there so it was good to get some more photos.
Our last stop was the mighty Milford Sound. Awesome view! Driving in with the sun beaming through the range, so awesome. Everything is HUGE!
We parked up the van and then had a walk along the boardwalk. We watched the cruises sailing back in and going out into the Sound. We were going to have a pint in the pub but it was closed.
We then decided to go to the campsite, just a 10 minutes walk from the Sound itself.
We enjoyed some home cooked corned beef hash followed by the daily dominos and Uno championships.
It gets so dark in the Sound at night with all the mountains around. Makes it feel really eerie.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ....... BUNGYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!
We had a bit of a lie in today 7.15am!! Yippee!! We were all soon up though and doing the usual routine of setting up the table for breakfast, kettle on, muffins in etc! We were then in the shower, then heading off.
We stopped to fill up then the supermarket, then we were off heading to Cardrona. It only took us about an hour and a half to arrive at The Cardrona Hotel. With the old car outside, it’s such a lovely place.
At 10.15am we walked into the pub and were sitting infront of the fire enjoying a pint of Speights!! The barman was impressed that we were all drinking at that time of the day. We all didn’t want to move from the fire but we did and managed a walk around the pub gardens. We even got to observe “Whiskers” the pub cat playing with a mouse that he’s just caught. It was still alive but wasn’t for long, disgusting!! We took a few photos of the gardens and then we had to drag ourselves away from the pub.
We were then back on the mountain roads and stopping at the lookouts. The roads were really windy but we did make it to the bottom.
We arrived at our first destination of the day to Kawarau Bridge (the original AJ Hackett Bungy Jump).
As soon as we got there and walked down the ramp, me and Ben visited the loo before booking ourselves in for a jump. We had to do it without thinking about it and before we knew it we were being weighed and handing over our cash ....... it was now too late to back out!! With our weights wrote on our hands and our check in voucher in hand we had to walk outside to the bridge. There was no one there, last time we were here it was packed with people.
Ben wanted to watch a jumper first so we waited for what seemed like ages. A girl was there standing on the edge, no screaming and she was gone .... just like that !! One more jumper later and we were on our way up to the jumping platform. We were harnessed up and standing waiting to be called. I was feeling like I was going to puke ... big style !! They wanted Ben to jump first, but we’d agreed I would jump first. I was asked to climb onto the jumping platform and I could see the river below .... urgh !! My feet were strapped and the crew member was trying to keep me talking about other stuff, I kept asking him if anyone had puked before .... no was his answer, well there’s always the first aye?! My feet were strapped really tight and before I knew it I had the bungy attached and I was asked to move to the edge .... WHAT ?! It was a hop to the end, toes hanging over the edge and ready to go. The crew member had hold of me behind and I did have a word asking him to give me a slight push incase I didn’t go. Then a quick photo, trying to look calm and cool and the countdown .... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ........ “COWABUNGA!!”. I jumped forwards and screamed like a girl, all the way down and back up again. So strange diving over the edge to the river below and for so long, seemed like ages before I was bouncing back up again. Can’t explain the feeling just WOO HOO !! I wasn’t sick either which was good, so pleased with myself. I caught the pole from the boat below and was pulled in really quickly .... awesome !! I was untied and on my way back up to where Mam and Dad were standing......I was alive!!
After a brief break to catch my breath I was back on the bridge and waiting with Ben for his turn to jump. It was about 10 minutes before Ben was asked to move to the platform to get ready ... talk about making him sweat !!
I (Ben) was now bricking it. Claire had done it so now I had to!! I sat and got strapped up nice and tight, while the guys chatted to me. They were trying to keep my mind off what was next! Then it was time, before I knew it my toes were over the edge and there was only one way down, the quick way! “5,4,3.......” I didn’t hear 2 or 1, I just spread my arms, leant forward and dived off towards the water. Oh my god! The free fall feeling was out of this world, but before I realised what was going on I was already bouncing back up. At the point I finally let out a loud “WAHOO!”. It was such a great feeling afterwards knowing me and Claire had both experienced the same thing. After a while of trying to get hold of the pole for the boat below, I was lying down and getting untied .... awesome! Claire was there to meet me at the bottom and we smiled all the way up.
The giftshop had our photos and DVD’s for us to see. We decided to buy the photo pack and we got a FREE t-shirt !! Proof of what we’d just done .... 43m !! Woo hoo indeed !
After getting our legs back we drove to Queenstown and got onto the campsite in the town centre. We walked it into the town and to Fergburger for our lunch. Two Mr Big Stuffs, a Bun Laden and a Ferg Burger with cheese later, we were all truly stuffed, well and truly. We carried them down to the lakeside and ate them, overlooked by the surrounding mountains .....lovely!
We had a walk around the shops to try and walk off the dinner before stopping for a pint in an Irish Pub.
Afterwards we decided to take the gondolas up to the top of the Mountain to overlook Queenstown. Mam was a bit nervous getting into the gondola but we tried to play it down a bit before arriving at the top. We got loads of photos and then enjoyed a pint in the bar with the lookout. We even got to listen to some Maori’s singing and welcoming people to the show that was on up there.
After we’d had a good look round we caught the gondola back down and walked back to the camper for an evening chilling. No doubt they’ll be some Dominos and Uno in there somewhere.
We stopped to fill up then the supermarket, then we were off heading to Cardrona. It only took us about an hour and a half to arrive at The Cardrona Hotel. With the old car outside, it’s such a lovely place.
At 10.15am we walked into the pub and were sitting infront of the fire enjoying a pint of Speights!! The barman was impressed that we were all drinking at that time of the day. We all didn’t want to move from the fire but we did and managed a walk around the pub gardens. We even got to observe “Whiskers” the pub cat playing with a mouse that he’s just caught. It was still alive but wasn’t for long, disgusting!! We took a few photos of the gardens and then we had to drag ourselves away from the pub.
We were then back on the mountain roads and stopping at the lookouts. The roads were really windy but we did make it to the bottom.
We arrived at our first destination of the day to Kawarau Bridge (the original AJ Hackett Bungy Jump).
As soon as we got there and walked down the ramp, me and Ben visited the loo before booking ourselves in for a jump. We had to do it without thinking about it and before we knew it we were being weighed and handing over our cash ....... it was now too late to back out!! With our weights wrote on our hands and our check in voucher in hand we had to walk outside to the bridge. There was no one there, last time we were here it was packed with people.
Ben wanted to watch a jumper first so we waited for what seemed like ages. A girl was there standing on the edge, no screaming and she was gone .... just like that !! One more jumper later and we were on our way up to the jumping platform. We were harnessed up and standing waiting to be called. I was feeling like I was going to puke ... big style !! They wanted Ben to jump first, but we’d agreed I would jump first. I was asked to climb onto the jumping platform and I could see the river below .... urgh !! My feet were strapped and the crew member was trying to keep me talking about other stuff, I kept asking him if anyone had puked before .... no was his answer, well there’s always the first aye?! My feet were strapped really tight and before I knew it I had the bungy attached and I was asked to move to the edge .... WHAT ?! It was a hop to the end, toes hanging over the edge and ready to go. The crew member had hold of me behind and I did have a word asking him to give me a slight push incase I didn’t go. Then a quick photo, trying to look calm and cool and the countdown .... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ........ “COWABUNGA!!”. I jumped forwards and screamed like a girl, all the way down and back up again. So strange diving over the edge to the river below and for so long, seemed like ages before I was bouncing back up again. Can’t explain the feeling just WOO HOO !! I wasn’t sick either which was good, so pleased with myself. I caught the pole from the boat below and was pulled in really quickly .... awesome !! I was untied and on my way back up to where Mam and Dad were standing......I was alive!!
After a brief break to catch my breath I was back on the bridge and waiting with Ben for his turn to jump. It was about 10 minutes before Ben was asked to move to the platform to get ready ... talk about making him sweat !!
I (Ben) was now bricking it. Claire had done it so now I had to!! I sat and got strapped up nice and tight, while the guys chatted to me. They were trying to keep my mind off what was next! Then it was time, before I knew it my toes were over the edge and there was only one way down, the quick way! “5,4,3.......” I didn’t hear 2 or 1, I just spread my arms, leant forward and dived off towards the water. Oh my god! The free fall feeling was out of this world, but before I realised what was going on I was already bouncing back up. At the point I finally let out a loud “WAHOO!”. It was such a great feeling afterwards knowing me and Claire had both experienced the same thing. After a while of trying to get hold of the pole for the boat below, I was lying down and getting untied .... awesome! Claire was there to meet me at the bottom and we smiled all the way up.
The giftshop had our photos and DVD’s for us to see. We decided to buy the photo pack and we got a FREE t-shirt !! Proof of what we’d just done .... 43m !! Woo hoo indeed !
After getting our legs back we drove to Queenstown and got onto the campsite in the town centre. We walked it into the town and to Fergburger for our lunch. Two Mr Big Stuffs, a Bun Laden and a Ferg Burger with cheese later, we were all truly stuffed, well and truly. We carried them down to the lakeside and ate them, overlooked by the surrounding mountains .....lovely!
We had a walk around the shops to try and walk off the dinner before stopping for a pint in an Irish Pub.
Afterwards we decided to take the gondolas up to the top of the Mountain to overlook Queenstown. Mam was a bit nervous getting into the gondola but we tried to play it down a bit before arriving at the top. We got loads of photos and then enjoyed a pint in the bar with the lookout. We even got to listen to some Maori’s singing and welcoming people to the show that was on up there.
After we’d had a good look round we caught the gondola back down and walked back to the camper for an evening chilling. No doubt they’ll be some Dominos and Uno in there somewhere.
Lakes and Shooting Stars
The rain was on and off for a lot of the night but we awoke to a glorious day. We headed out taking in the gorg mountain ranges with the snow on the tops. Taking time to pull over for photos.
We drove on to Lake Matheson ..... WOW!! Even from the carpark the views of Mt Cook were amazing!! The early morning low mist across the wet fields and the sun shining on Mt Cook ...... WOW!
We took the walking track around the Lake. It took about 10 minutes before our first glimpse of the Lake. It was so still, it was like a mirror. The walk was really lovely, cutting through the trees around the edge of the Lake.
About a third of the way around we arrived at one of the lookouts. Mt. Cook reflected in the water, absolutely gorgeous. There was a young bloke enjoying his weetabix on a camping chair taking in the view. What a way to have breakfast. The track carried on around the Lake with equally breathtaking views of the mountains.
We had a coffee in the cafe by the start of the walk and just sat and took in the views around us. The snow on the tops of the mountains and everything were just like you’d see in a magazine!! We made the most of the blue skis, mountains and sunshine.
Back in the van and Claire started the long drive to Lake Wanaka.
We pulled over at Bruce Bay to leave our mark, there are thousands of rock piles that people have left to leave there mark. We decided to leave our mark and Claire was off like a whippet down the beach, coming back with some stones. We wrote our message and placed it on top, might see it again one day?!
We drove onwards, stopping at a lookout and catching a glimpse of some seals in the distance. They were basking on the beach, catching some sun.
We were back in the van and back heading to Haast. At 12.45 we pulled into the car park of the Hard Antler Pub, to our dismay there was a sign on the door saying it was closed ..... NOOOOOOOO!! We were looking forward to taking Mam and Dad in there to experience the place .... nevermind!
It was just a short drive to Haast Township where we parked up and had some lunch. The sun has indeed got his hat on today.
Back on the road again now with a 3 hour drive to Wanaka. We stopped off at Thunder Creek Falls and with the sun shining got some lovely photos, even managed to spot a rainbow at the end of the waterfall.
Next stop was another lookout at Fantail Falls. The snowy mountains looked pretty as a backdrop to the Falls, with the river running quickly past the front.
We arrived at our campsite in Wanaka, got set up and had a brew and a beer outside on the campchairs. We then walked along the lakeside and into the town centre. The cafe on the corner we’d stopped in with the Hines Seniors looked inviting so we had a pint of Brewski and watched the sun set over the lake. We had another brew in the Wannaka Ale House before ordering kebabs and heading back to the camper.
We sat outside the camper and stargazed, spotting a shooting star! We named it Lisa as it was Lisa’s birthday, we then decided to rename it Susan-Lisa, Susan’s idea!!! Sorry Lisa!!
Of course the night ended with Dominoes and Uno.
We drove on to Lake Matheson ..... WOW!! Even from the carpark the views of Mt Cook were amazing!! The early morning low mist across the wet fields and the sun shining on Mt Cook ...... WOW!
We took the walking track around the Lake. It took about 10 minutes before our first glimpse of the Lake. It was so still, it was like a mirror. The walk was really lovely, cutting through the trees around the edge of the Lake.
About a third of the way around we arrived at one of the lookouts. Mt. Cook reflected in the water, absolutely gorgeous. There was a young bloke enjoying his weetabix on a camping chair taking in the view. What a way to have breakfast. The track carried on around the Lake with equally breathtaking views of the mountains.
We had a coffee in the cafe by the start of the walk and just sat and took in the views around us. The snow on the tops of the mountains and everything were just like you’d see in a magazine!! We made the most of the blue skis, mountains and sunshine.
Back in the van and Claire started the long drive to Lake Wanaka.
We pulled over at Bruce Bay to leave our mark, there are thousands of rock piles that people have left to leave there mark. We decided to leave our mark and Claire was off like a whippet down the beach, coming back with some stones. We wrote our message and placed it on top, might see it again one day?!
We drove onwards, stopping at a lookout and catching a glimpse of some seals in the distance. They were basking on the beach, catching some sun.
We were back in the van and back heading to Haast. At 12.45 we pulled into the car park of the Hard Antler Pub, to our dismay there was a sign on the door saying it was closed ..... NOOOOOOOO!! We were looking forward to taking Mam and Dad in there to experience the place .... nevermind!
It was just a short drive to Haast Township where we parked up and had some lunch. The sun has indeed got his hat on today.
Back on the road again now with a 3 hour drive to Wanaka. We stopped off at Thunder Creek Falls and with the sun shining got some lovely photos, even managed to spot a rainbow at the end of the waterfall.
Next stop was another lookout at Fantail Falls. The snowy mountains looked pretty as a backdrop to the Falls, with the river running quickly past the front.
We arrived at our campsite in Wanaka, got set up and had a brew and a beer outside on the campchairs. We then walked along the lakeside and into the town centre. The cafe on the corner we’d stopped in with the Hines Seniors looked inviting so we had a pint of Brewski and watched the sun set over the lake. We had another brew in the Wannaka Ale House before ordering kebabs and heading back to the camper.
We sat outside the camper and stargazed, spotting a shooting star! We named it Lisa as it was Lisa’s birthday, we then decided to rename it Susan-Lisa, Susan’s idea!!! Sorry Lisa!!
Of course the night ended with Dominoes and Uno.
Glaciers ..... WOW!!
After breakfast we were back on the road again and onwards towards Franz Josef for a day of Glaciers. A quick photo stop at Lake Ianthe and then back on the 6.
After much winding and up’s and down’s we arrived at Franz Josef. We had a look around the sovenier shops and then drove to the Glacier. We crossed the narrow bridge and decided that the gorgeous scenery was an awesome place to have lunch .... so we did!!
We had out lunch and then drove the short distance to the Glacier Car Park. We had just pulled up and the heavens opened!! Really heavy rain, so we stayed in the Camper where it was dry. There were a load of walkers outside waiting for the bus to pick them up and they got soaked!!
It passed within 5 minutes, so we started our walk down to the Glacier. Luckily it wasn’t as wet as it was last time we were here so there was no streams to wade across (No wet feet this time Mum H).
We made it there in no time and we stood where we’d stood previously at the lookout. We watched the hikers going up the Glacier, climbing to the top and we even saw some coming down. It's so big and icey .... to state the obvious !! It;s just so much to take in. On our way back it started to rain heavy again so we took shelter under a rock.
We stood and watch the river for a while, caused from the Glacier and the surrounding mountain range. We could hear a loud noise and found out it was melted Glacier chunks rolling down the river, they were huge bouncing down. It sounded like thunder! Massive boulders of ice.
We walked back the way we came and back to the camper to dry out, before our next stop Fox’s Glacier.
A 40 minutes drive later and we arrived at Fox’s Glacier Car Park. Unfortunately that was as far as we could go! The track to the Glacier was closed due to rock falls and recent heavy rain ...... nevermind. We still got to see a little bit of it and had to wait ages for a quick photo as everyone else was doing the same.
We weren’t far from the campsite so we headed there for the night. We were surrounded by huge moutains and it got really dark, really quickly. The campsite was really nice, really modern. We just chilled at the Camper having soup for tea (for a change!) and spent the evening playing Dominos and Uno under the mountains ..... perfect!!
After much winding and up’s and down’s we arrived at Franz Josef. We had a look around the sovenier shops and then drove to the Glacier. We crossed the narrow bridge and decided that the gorgeous scenery was an awesome place to have lunch .... so we did!!
We had out lunch and then drove the short distance to the Glacier Car Park. We had just pulled up and the heavens opened!! Really heavy rain, so we stayed in the Camper where it was dry. There were a load of walkers outside waiting for the bus to pick them up and they got soaked!!
It passed within 5 minutes, so we started our walk down to the Glacier. Luckily it wasn’t as wet as it was last time we were here so there was no streams to wade across (No wet feet this time Mum H).
We made it there in no time and we stood where we’d stood previously at the lookout. We watched the hikers going up the Glacier, climbing to the top and we even saw some coming down. It's so big and icey .... to state the obvious !! It;s just so much to take in. On our way back it started to rain heavy again so we took shelter under a rock.
We stood and watch the river for a while, caused from the Glacier and the surrounding mountain range. We could hear a loud noise and found out it was melted Glacier chunks rolling down the river, they were huge bouncing down. It sounded like thunder! Massive boulders of ice.
We walked back the way we came and back to the camper to dry out, before our next stop Fox’s Glacier.
A 40 minutes drive later and we arrived at Fox’s Glacier Car Park. Unfortunately that was as far as we could go! The track to the Glacier was closed due to rock falls and recent heavy rain ...... nevermind. We still got to see a little bit of it and had to wait ages for a quick photo as everyone else was doing the same.
We weren’t far from the campsite so we headed there for the night. We were surrounded by huge moutains and it got really dark, really quickly. The campsite was really nice, really modern. We just chilled at the Camper having soup for tea (for a change!) and spent the evening playing Dominos and Uno under the mountains ..... perfect!!
No chips for pudding this time !!
We’re now ‘on the road again’ on the 6 and heading to Greymouth. It’s 9.17am, Ben driving first and me in the passenger, Mam and Dad feet up in the back. The weathers warm but cloudy and very dull. Had a windy night and winds are forecast for today so we’ll be taking it easy.
Well we arrived at our first lookout ‘Hope Saddle’. It overlooked the valleys full of trees, the clouds disappearing into the mountains. The weather is perfect again, the roads are wet but there’s no rain or wind here, just sun!! YIPPEE!!
The roads are windy and up and down like a rollercoaster. There were so many stunning views along the way, unfortunately most of them didn’t have anywhere for us to pull in for a quick photo.
After an hour and a half, we pulled up and tag teamed the driving, Claire took over.
We enjoyed the journey, the scenery changed around every corner. There was a layby at the Lower Buller Gorge so we stopped for some lunch. The Gorge was flowing strongly, the water was as brown as Willy Wonka’s chocolate river.
We drove on stopping at the Punakaiki Blow Holes. The tide wasn’t in enough for the blow holes unfortunately, the pancake rocks were enough, it’s only been a few weeks since we were there before but it was like seeing it for the first time.
We drove another 40 minutes and arrived at the campsite at Greymouth and checked in. Dad even got to squeeze in a quick dip in the spa. We’d decided to go out for dinner, it had to be a return visit to Ham’s.
We walked down from the campsite, past the motel where we’d stayed previously. We got our drinks from Bernie and ordered our food....... steak for the boys, gammon for Mam and Chicken Nuggets for Claire. We had a few more drinks and even squeezed in a pudding, just!! Not chips for pudding this time though like Dad H on the previous visit!! Bernie’s son offered to take us home, we could have done with the walk to walk off all the food but gratefully accepted!! Straight back to the campsite, what a star !! What a place!!
Back to the Camper for a port and some dominoes before bed!
Well we arrived at our first lookout ‘Hope Saddle’. It overlooked the valleys full of trees, the clouds disappearing into the mountains. The weather is perfect again, the roads are wet but there’s no rain or wind here, just sun!! YIPPEE!!
The roads are windy and up and down like a rollercoaster. There were so many stunning views along the way, unfortunately most of them didn’t have anywhere for us to pull in for a quick photo.
After an hour and a half, we pulled up and tag teamed the driving, Claire took over.
We enjoyed the journey, the scenery changed around every corner. There was a layby at the Lower Buller Gorge so we stopped for some lunch. The Gorge was flowing strongly, the water was as brown as Willy Wonka’s chocolate river.
We drove on stopping at the Punakaiki Blow Holes. The tide wasn’t in enough for the blow holes unfortunately, the pancake rocks were enough, it’s only been a few weeks since we were there before but it was like seeing it for the first time.
We drove another 40 minutes and arrived at the campsite at Greymouth and checked in. Dad even got to squeeze in a quick dip in the spa. We’d decided to go out for dinner, it had to be a return visit to Ham’s.
We walked down from the campsite, past the motel where we’d stayed previously. We got our drinks from Bernie and ordered our food....... steak for the boys, gammon for Mam and Chicken Nuggets for Claire. We had a few more drinks and even squeezed in a pudding, just!! Not chips for pudding this time though like Dad H on the previous visit!! Bernie’s son offered to take us home, we could have done with the walk to walk off all the food but gratefully accepted!! Straight back to the campsite, what a star !! What a place!!
Back to the Camper for a port and some dominoes before bed!
Sailing to the South ......
We had set our alarm for 6am to make sure we were all up for the ferry. We had a quick brew and with no time for breakfast or a shower we were back heading for the ferry. About 10 minutes later we were checking in and parked up in Lane 1 behind the rest of the campervans.
The sunrise was amazing, so pink and the whole of the sky lit up. The water was flat calm, perfect weather conditions. Ben and Dad got some good photos whilst we were waiting to board.
At 8.15am we were (well Ben was!) driving onto Kaitaki, our Interislander ferry. We grabbed a banana and our waterproofs and climbed the stairs to Deck 8. We stood outside and then decided to have a wander up to the back of the boat. We found some seats in the lookout and waited for the off. Ben had a walk upstairs and found the sundeck. We all decided to walk up there instead. Then we were off leaving the North Island (for the time being!).
The views were amazing as we left Wellington. So many islands and it was really sunny. It was a wee bit chilly with the sea breeze so a brew was in order. We stood on top deck and enjoyed the sun on our faces. Wasn’t long before we hit the Cook Straight, nothing much to see yet so we headed indoors for some games of Dominos.
The crossing was so calm just a bit cold, we could live with that though (we got to wear our big hoodies!) We went back out on deck to watch the boat arrive in the South Island. The view totally different, so green. Little houses dotted in the middle of nowhere on the waters edge, beautiful!.
After 3 hours on the boat, we arrived into Picton, Ben again drove the van off the ferry and we parked up outside the local Danish Bakery. We bought our selection of pies and cakes and drove down to the waters edge, near the marina. The weather was gorg, so we sat on a picnic table soaking up the rays. We stuffed our faces and then had a walk around the town to walk it all off.
It’s a small town so it didn’t take long to browse the store. We filled up Eddie with diesel and then headed out to our next stop Nelson. The road out of Picton was amazing, pretty much water all round. The water turquoise and blue skys, it looked like the mountains went on forever.
We stopped at all the lookouts, as the views were so lovely. The roads were typical of the south, so windy but the camper managed them really well. We arrived at Nelson and it started raining ...... our second rain since Mam and Dad arrived. It was 4.30pm as we booked into the Tahuna Beach Holiday Park.
Kettle was put on straight away as the usual! We all sat down and chilled after the breathtaking day. Some awesome photos was taken by all. The best road I’ve ever been on, sp picturesque!!
We enjoyed some tea and played some cards and even cracked open the Port we’d bought as a treat for getting to the South Island.
The sunrise was amazing, so pink and the whole of the sky lit up. The water was flat calm, perfect weather conditions. Ben and Dad got some good photos whilst we were waiting to board.
At 8.15am we were (well Ben was!) driving onto Kaitaki, our Interislander ferry. We grabbed a banana and our waterproofs and climbed the stairs to Deck 8. We stood outside and then decided to have a wander up to the back of the boat. We found some seats in the lookout and waited for the off. Ben had a walk upstairs and found the sundeck. We all decided to walk up there instead. Then we were off leaving the North Island (for the time being!).
The views were amazing as we left Wellington. So many islands and it was really sunny. It was a wee bit chilly with the sea breeze so a brew was in order. We stood on top deck and enjoyed the sun on our faces. Wasn’t long before we hit the Cook Straight, nothing much to see yet so we headed indoors for some games of Dominos.
The crossing was so calm just a bit cold, we could live with that though (we got to wear our big hoodies!) We went back out on deck to watch the boat arrive in the South Island. The view totally different, so green. Little houses dotted in the middle of nowhere on the waters edge, beautiful!.
After 3 hours on the boat, we arrived into Picton, Ben again drove the van off the ferry and we parked up outside the local Danish Bakery. We bought our selection of pies and cakes and drove down to the waters edge, near the marina. The weather was gorg, so we sat on a picnic table soaking up the rays. We stuffed our faces and then had a walk around the town to walk it all off.
It’s a small town so it didn’t take long to browse the store. We filled up Eddie with diesel and then headed out to our next stop Nelson. The road out of Picton was amazing, pretty much water all round. The water turquoise and blue skys, it looked like the mountains went on forever.
We stopped at all the lookouts, as the views were so lovely. The roads were typical of the south, so windy but the camper managed them really well. We arrived at Nelson and it started raining ...... our second rain since Mam and Dad arrived. It was 4.30pm as we booked into the Tahuna Beach Holiday Park.
Kettle was put on straight away as the usual! We all sat down and chilled after the breathtaking day. Some awesome photos was taken by all. The best road I’ve ever been on, sp picturesque!!
We enjoyed some tea and played some cards and even cracked open the Port we’d bought as a treat for getting to the South Island.
Camping in Car Parks ....
We were all up early and had a quick breakfast and shower. We were off at 8.30am. We picked up the 50 so we passed through all the vineyards. All very pretty even though they looked like they'd all been picked.
We headed towards Levin and soon picked up the 2. The roads were so quiet, we made great time.
We stopped off at Otaki Beach. The sun was shining and the beach was beautiful. We had some lunch and had a stroll along the beach. Mam and Dad had their first paddle in the Tasman Sea. It wasn’t too chilly, bit warm actually. We had a good long walk down the beach taking in the view and getting some great photos. We then had a walk back up to the camper.
It was only another hours drive and we pulled into Newlands near Wellington. We had originally planned to visit Wellington but it clocked up 22.7 on the temperature gauge so we pulled into the campsite (well a car park!)
We spent the afternoon sitting in the sun on the picnic table, enjoying some beer/wine and some Dukkah, it’s certainly hard work this travelling!!
We headed towards Levin and soon picked up the 2. The roads were so quiet, we made great time.
We stopped off at Otaki Beach. The sun was shining and the beach was beautiful. We had some lunch and had a stroll along the beach. Mam and Dad had their first paddle in the Tasman Sea. It wasn’t too chilly, bit warm actually. We had a good long walk down the beach taking in the view and getting some great photos. We then had a walk back up to the camper.
It was only another hours drive and we pulled into Newlands near Wellington. We had originally planned to visit Wellington but it clocked up 22.7 on the temperature gauge so we pulled into the campsite (well a car park!)
We spent the afternoon sitting in the sun on the picnic table, enjoying some beer/wine and some Dukkah, it’s certainly hard work this travelling!!
Dad getting drunk on FREE Wine ....
We were all sitting having breakfast at 7.30am today. We were having a lazy morning so just got the Campervan sorted.
At 9.30am we went to the supermarket for some fresh rolls and then drove on the 50 towards the Hawkes Bay Wine Region.
At 10.40am we were all sitting outside the Ngatarawa Vineyards. Unlucky for us it didn’t open until 11am, so we had a little look around the grounds. The owner came to see us and opened us into the tasting barn. Mam and Dad were tasting, whilst me and Ben watched on. They got to try them all. Mam being careful had a sip and then put the rest into the spittoon. Dad just ‘skulled’ them all!! They liked a Merlot so me and Ben bought them a bottle.
Our next Vineyard was just down the road and was the 2009 winner of the ‘Hawkes Bay Cellar Door of the Year’, Salvare Estate. It wasn’t as snobby as the previous one and the building and grounds were really pretty. Mam and Dad took to the tasting again, this time me and Ben got to taste ...... they had their own vinegarette and olive oil!! Very nice with the bread they had, we nearly finished it all!! Then they gave us some Dukkah to try. A blend of nuts and seeds with spices, absolutely gorgeous!! We all left with 2 jars of Dukkah, Egyptian and Hot & Spicy .... mmmmm mmmmm!!
By now Mam was angry with Dad for skulling everything ..... ha ha !!
Our next vineyard was Trinity Hall, very posh !! Mam didn’t try anything here but Dad was up there, getting his freebies!! I even tried a red with him, quite nice it was too. We didn’t buy anything here, just walked out after checking out the building.
Mam had decided Dad could have one more winery, so our last stop was the Crossroads Winery. We were first for tasting there, so we got to choose what wine bottles to open. Again it was Dad tasting the reds. I got to taste another red as she poured two and no one else wanted it (Shame to waste!!). We all tasted the Crossroads Port and all loved it so much we bought a bottle.
After all the Vineyards we decided Ben needed something so called into the Silky Oak Chocolate Company. It smelled beautiful! You could see the factory through the window, so much chocolate! We were disappointed in the freebies here, one each !! It was so expensive too. Mam and Dad treated us to a bar of chocolate each .... mmm mmmm!!
After that we headed back to Napier (for Dad to sober up! Ha ha only joking!). We drove down to the marina and had some lunch, overlooking the water. We left the van and had a walk along the foreshore, calling into an antiques shop.
We drove back to the town centre for some bits and bobs and decided to fill up with diesel ready for the long drive tomorrow.
We’re now sitting after having tea, watching the usual telly ...... Hotseat / Deal or No Deal. Going to try and have an early night ready for an early start tomorrow. Napier to Wellington, ready for the ferry Wednesday morning.
At 9.30am we went to the supermarket for some fresh rolls and then drove on the 50 towards the Hawkes Bay Wine Region.
At 10.40am we were all sitting outside the Ngatarawa Vineyards. Unlucky for us it didn’t open until 11am, so we had a little look around the grounds. The owner came to see us and opened us into the tasting barn. Mam and Dad were tasting, whilst me and Ben watched on. They got to try them all. Mam being careful had a sip and then put the rest into the spittoon. Dad just ‘skulled’ them all!! They liked a Merlot so me and Ben bought them a bottle.
Our next Vineyard was just down the road and was the 2009 winner of the ‘Hawkes Bay Cellar Door of the Year’, Salvare Estate. It wasn’t as snobby as the previous one and the building and grounds were really pretty. Mam and Dad took to the tasting again, this time me and Ben got to taste ...... they had their own vinegarette and olive oil!! Very nice with the bread they had, we nearly finished it all!! Then they gave us some Dukkah to try. A blend of nuts and seeds with spices, absolutely gorgeous!! We all left with 2 jars of Dukkah, Egyptian and Hot & Spicy .... mmmmm mmmmm!!
By now Mam was angry with Dad for skulling everything ..... ha ha !!
Our next vineyard was Trinity Hall, very posh !! Mam didn’t try anything here but Dad was up there, getting his freebies!! I even tried a red with him, quite nice it was too. We didn’t buy anything here, just walked out after checking out the building.
Mam had decided Dad could have one more winery, so our last stop was the Crossroads Winery. We were first for tasting there, so we got to choose what wine bottles to open. Again it was Dad tasting the reds. I got to taste another red as she poured two and no one else wanted it (Shame to waste!!). We all tasted the Crossroads Port and all loved it so much we bought a bottle.
After all the Vineyards we decided Ben needed something so called into the Silky Oak Chocolate Company. It smelled beautiful! You could see the factory through the window, so much chocolate! We were disappointed in the freebies here, one each !! It was so expensive too. Mam and Dad treated us to a bar of chocolate each .... mmm mmmm!!
After that we headed back to Napier (for Dad to sober up! Ha ha only joking!). We drove down to the marina and had some lunch, overlooking the water. We left the van and had a walk along the foreshore, calling into an antiques shop.
We drove back to the town centre for some bits and bobs and decided to fill up with diesel ready for the long drive tomorrow.
We’re now sitting after having tea, watching the usual telly ...... Hotseat / Deal or No Deal. Going to try and have an early night ready for an early start tomorrow. Napier to Wellington, ready for the ferry Wednesday morning.
A fishy tale .......
As per usual we were all up and on the road again. It was a four hour drive to Napier. We drove out on the Thermal Explorer Highway and the views were superb. The steam from the Thermals were rising up in the morning light, very eerie. It got quite chilly at times, quite fresh!
We stopped off at Lake Taupo for a photo and a quick change of drivers.
Our next stop was the Hukafalls. We drove to the lookout first looking down on the waterfall. Then we drove down to the falls itself. As we were getting out the van, 2 fishermen walked passed carrying a Rainbow Trout. They’d caught loads that morning and wondered if we wanted it. NO WAY, I thought but then here’s Dad walking into the Camper with a fish in his hand!! URGH!!!!!! Dad put it in a carrier and then placed it in the bathroom.
After that excitement we walked down to the falls lookout. The colour of the water is amazing, icy blue just like a fox’s glacier mint. The amount of the water gushing was amazing too, so powerful.
We arrived at our next stop Napier just after 12. We drove through the centre of town, through all the Art Deco Buildings. The sun was shining and the temperature had gone up to 16!
We parked up by the Aquarium looking out over the Pacific and had some lunch and a brew. We then walked into town from there. We passed by the Market/Car Boot Sale and managed to browse a few stalls. All we bought were some peppers!! Great!!
From there we walked further into the town centre and had a walk in the shops. We even called into the ‘Antiques Centre’ again, a little treasure trove of antique shops with everything you could imagine. The clothes are to die for, awesome!!
We walked back to the Camper calling into the Supermarket on the way for some Barbie stuff. It was then we drove to the Campsite. It was about 5 minutes from the town centre and we’d booked it for 2 nights.
A quick coffee and then we took everything to the awesome Camp Kitchen, ready for the Barbie. Dad first got to grips with the fish and Ben watched as he gutted it. Lovely!! We all had jobs to do and in no time we were all sitting round with our beers tucking into our tea. We weren’t alone there though, we were being watched by the Campsite Cat. He could probably smell the fish!! Ben did give him a little taste as we’d left most of it.
We all had a few games of Uno and Dominos before calling it a night.
We stopped off at Lake Taupo for a photo and a quick change of drivers.
Our next stop was the Hukafalls. We drove to the lookout first looking down on the waterfall. Then we drove down to the falls itself. As we were getting out the van, 2 fishermen walked passed carrying a Rainbow Trout. They’d caught loads that morning and wondered if we wanted it. NO WAY, I thought but then here’s Dad walking into the Camper with a fish in his hand!! URGH!!!!!! Dad put it in a carrier and then placed it in the bathroom.
After that excitement we walked down to the falls lookout. The colour of the water is amazing, icy blue just like a fox’s glacier mint. The amount of the water gushing was amazing too, so powerful.
We arrived at our next stop Napier just after 12. We drove through the centre of town, through all the Art Deco Buildings. The sun was shining and the temperature had gone up to 16!
We parked up by the Aquarium looking out over the Pacific and had some lunch and a brew. We then walked into town from there. We passed by the Market/Car Boot Sale and managed to browse a few stalls. All we bought were some peppers!! Great!!
From there we walked further into the town centre and had a walk in the shops. We even called into the ‘Antiques Centre’ again, a little treasure trove of antique shops with everything you could imagine. The clothes are to die for, awesome!!
We walked back to the Camper calling into the Supermarket on the way for some Barbie stuff. It was then we drove to the Campsite. It was about 5 minutes from the town centre and we’d booked it for 2 nights.
A quick coffee and then we took everything to the awesome Camp Kitchen, ready for the Barbie. Dad first got to grips with the fish and Ben watched as he gutted it. Lovely!! We all had jobs to do and in no time we were all sitting round with our beers tucking into our tea. We weren’t alone there though, we were being watched by the Campsite Cat. He could probably smell the fish!! Ben did give him a little taste as we’d left most of it.
We all had a few games of Uno and Dominos before calling it a night.
Quad Day ..... vroom vroom !!
Wahoo, Quad day has finally arrived! After breakfast and a quick dip in the hot pool for Ben and Dad, we all made our way to the Rotorua City Centre. We had a quick walk around the market and then grabbed a brew before having an early lunch.
It was then time to drop the girls off at the shops and the boys went off to Quadzone for our 2 hour off road Quad experience.
We got kitted up and found out we were the only 2 on the course!! Awesome!! A few practice laps and we were off. Our guide led us up the mountain. Oh my god!! We were off like three rockets, our 350cc beasts really flew, seriously quick, it was awesome!!
Over the 2 hours we made our way through fields of cows, sheep and holes, it was brilliant. Then we were into the woods, through mud, over humps, onto two wheels the works!! I got stuck in the mud but a push from behind with a 700c got me up the mud hill.
We stopped off for a couple of times, we were both grinning from ear to ear and all Dad could say was “Living the dream, WOO!”, it was true! We had a fantastic time, we were filthy by the end of it, brilliant!
We’d met the girls back at the coffee shop, we still had the muck on our faces, we wanted to keep it on. The girls had a great time in and out of all the shops. We couldn’t stop smiling about it all day, awesome experience!!
When we got back to the campsite me and Dad hit the Spa and eased our bones. We needed to get away from the girls too as they were starting to complain about us talking about it all the time!! After the spa we hit the swimming pool and then just chilled back at the Camper for the evening. What a day!!
It was then time to drop the girls off at the shops and the boys went off to Quadzone for our 2 hour off road Quad experience.
We got kitted up and found out we were the only 2 on the course!! Awesome!! A few practice laps and we were off. Our guide led us up the mountain. Oh my god!! We were off like three rockets, our 350cc beasts really flew, seriously quick, it was awesome!!
Over the 2 hours we made our way through fields of cows, sheep and holes, it was brilliant. Then we were into the woods, through mud, over humps, onto two wheels the works!! I got stuck in the mud but a push from behind with a 700c got me up the mud hill.
We stopped off for a couple of times, we were both grinning from ear to ear and all Dad could say was “Living the dream, WOO!”, it was true! We had a fantastic time, we were filthy by the end of it, brilliant!
We’d met the girls back at the coffee shop, we still had the muck on our faces, we wanted to keep it on. The girls had a great time in and out of all the shops. We couldn’t stop smiling about it all day, awesome experience!!
When we got back to the campsite me and Dad hit the Spa and eased our bones. We needed to get away from the girls too as they were starting to complain about us talking about it all the time!! After the spa we hit the swimming pool and then just chilled back at the Camper for the evening. What a day!!
The Haka and Kiwi Birds ... can't get anymore New Zealand !
Me and Pops were first up as usual but Mam was very close behind, followed by Ben. We had a brew at Camp Kitchen before heading back to Eddie for breakfast.
Ben took to the wheel first and we drove south on the ‘1’ towards Rotorua. It didn’t take us long to get to Cambridge where we stopped for a wee. It was home to corrugated stuff so we had a photo by the corrugated shepherd, dog and sheep!!
Another 50 kms and we arrived at Rotorua. We drove through the town and called into the I-Site where we booked Te Puia for that afternoon. After sorting out the tickets we drove down to Lake Rotorua to watch the black swans. We enjoyed our t-cakes and crisps.
Afterwards we drove to the campsite and checked in before parking up. We then walked 5 minutes round the corner to the Thermal Park Te Puia.
We’d made it in time for the guided tour by ‘Rhyll’ our Maori/Welsh guide! She was really good and informative, you could tell she loved her job. She showed us how the Maoris weave their clothes and she even started weaving Dad a ‘mini’ skirt!
We even got to see a Carving School and see some 1st year students making awesome carvings. Everything is so intricate and they were all using hand tools.... such a skill. Outside there was a Maori Boat which the students had made, really nice to see.
We then got to see the weaving school and see all the things they make. They even weave flowers, so clever! We were even told the feathers in the outfits are all weaved in by hand.... one by one!!
The next part was my favourite, we got to see real live KIWI BIRDS!!!! 2 of them, boy and girl.... so cool!! They were a lot bigger than what I thought. They were behind glass in a darkened room, because they are nocturnal. They were just sniffing about, so cute! Here’s a fact for you, the kiwi bird is in the same family as the emu and the ostrich...... FACT!!
We then walked out of these and towards the Prince of Wales Feather Geyser. We were lucky as it was spurting when we got there. It was HUGE. We got some photos and even Rhyll took one of all of us.
As we’d booked to watch the concert we had to leave the guided tour there and walk back to the Meeting Place. We were greeted by a Maori lady, dressed in the traditional clothing. She explained what would be happening, that the warriors would appear from the Meeting Place and a Conche (a shell) would sound. They would then talk to each other before the Warrior would come down to the chosen ‘Chief’ before giving them a leaf and welcoming us all into the Meeting Place. A man was chosen from the audience and taken to the front and given instructions on what to do when the warrior approached him.
Next thing about 3 woman and 5 men came out of the Meeting Place, all in the traditional clothing. The Conche was sounded and the singing began. Next thing the Warrior started moving forward, towards the Chief. It was quite frightening the way he was moving forward and waving his stick. It was eye contact all the way, so cool to see. He then produced the leaf and gave it to the Chief, welcoming us into the Place. We all moved forward slowly before removing our shoes and entering the building.
The building was so lovely, all hand carved with Maori Designs. We sat in the chairs and the show began. We heard lovely Maori songs and saw the instruments they use. We then got a close up of the Haka, so cool! It is quite unnerving to see it that close but I tried to keep eye contact all the time.... hard to do that with a man that big waving his arms and eyes bulging in front of you! Cool to see it though. We then listened to some more songs and dance routines before it finishing.
We still had time to walk around the Thermal Park. We got to see some mud pools and caves. The rocks were orange/yellow because of the sulphur. The smell was really strong but apparently it’s really good for sinuses!! After a few dead ends we arrived back at the exit, where a 5 minutes walk later we were back with ‘Eddie’.
Me and Mam sorted out the washing, whilst Ben and Dad sorted out the soup for tea and made up the table. We’re now sitting watching telly enjoying a beer, ready for a night in before the lad’s busy day tomorrow!!
Ben took to the wheel first and we drove south on the ‘1’ towards Rotorua. It didn’t take us long to get to Cambridge where we stopped for a wee. It was home to corrugated stuff so we had a photo by the corrugated shepherd, dog and sheep!!
Another 50 kms and we arrived at Rotorua. We drove through the town and called into the I-Site where we booked Te Puia for that afternoon. After sorting out the tickets we drove down to Lake Rotorua to watch the black swans. We enjoyed our t-cakes and crisps.
Afterwards we drove to the campsite and checked in before parking up. We then walked 5 minutes round the corner to the Thermal Park Te Puia.
We’d made it in time for the guided tour by ‘Rhyll’ our Maori/Welsh guide! She was really good and informative, you could tell she loved her job. She showed us how the Maoris weave their clothes and she even started weaving Dad a ‘mini’ skirt!
We even got to see a Carving School and see some 1st year students making awesome carvings. Everything is so intricate and they were all using hand tools.... such a skill. Outside there was a Maori Boat which the students had made, really nice to see.
We then got to see the weaving school and see all the things they make. They even weave flowers, so clever! We were even told the feathers in the outfits are all weaved in by hand.... one by one!!
The next part was my favourite, we got to see real live KIWI BIRDS!!!! 2 of them, boy and girl.... so cool!! They were a lot bigger than what I thought. They were behind glass in a darkened room, because they are nocturnal. They were just sniffing about, so cute! Here’s a fact for you, the kiwi bird is in the same family as the emu and the ostrich...... FACT!!
We then walked out of these and towards the Prince of Wales Feather Geyser. We were lucky as it was spurting when we got there. It was HUGE. We got some photos and even Rhyll took one of all of us.
As we’d booked to watch the concert we had to leave the guided tour there and walk back to the Meeting Place. We were greeted by a Maori lady, dressed in the traditional clothing. She explained what would be happening, that the warriors would appear from the Meeting Place and a Conche (a shell) would sound. They would then talk to each other before the Warrior would come down to the chosen ‘Chief’ before giving them a leaf and welcoming us all into the Meeting Place. A man was chosen from the audience and taken to the front and given instructions on what to do when the warrior approached him.
Next thing about 3 woman and 5 men came out of the Meeting Place, all in the traditional clothing. The Conche was sounded and the singing began. Next thing the Warrior started moving forward, towards the Chief. It was quite frightening the way he was moving forward and waving his stick. It was eye contact all the way, so cool to see. He then produced the leaf and gave it to the Chief, welcoming us into the Place. We all moved forward slowly before removing our shoes and entering the building.
The building was so lovely, all hand carved with Maori Designs. We sat in the chairs and the show began. We heard lovely Maori songs and saw the instruments they use. We then got a close up of the Haka, so cool! It is quite unnerving to see it that close but I tried to keep eye contact all the time.... hard to do that with a man that big waving his arms and eyes bulging in front of you! Cool to see it though. We then listened to some more songs and dance routines before it finishing.
We still had time to walk around the Thermal Park. We got to see some mud pools and caves. The rocks were orange/yellow because of the sulphur. The smell was really strong but apparently it’s really good for sinuses!! After a few dead ends we arrived back at the exit, where a 5 minutes walk later we were back with ‘Eddie’.
Me and Mam sorted out the washing, whilst Ben and Dad sorted out the soup for tea and made up the table. We’re now sitting watching telly enjoying a beer, ready for a night in before the lad’s busy day tomorrow!!
Corned Beef Hash ...... mmmm mmmm !!
As becoming the usual, Claire and Dad were first up this morning....swiftly followed by Mam and then me (Ben).
I got a few photos of the early morning beach while the other 3 enjoyed a brew.
A quick brekkie and shower and we were ready for the day ahead. We drove the short drive to Paihia and filled up ‘Eddie’, the campervan. (Naming it Eddie after the TV show ‘Hotseat’ host. Mam and Dad didn’t know but the 2 seats upfront had heated seats ....... very nice on the li’il tush!)
We stopped in town and had a walk around the shops. We called in at the I-Site and Dad and Ben sorted out their activity for Saturday. We were all in the car and setting off back on the ‘1’ heading South back to Auckland.
The traffic wasn’t too bad and by 3pm we were driving again past the Auckland Sky Line. Dad trying to get photos as we were driving and failing miserably. Although he did get some good photos of the vans and cars next to us!! Ha ha.
By 3.45pm we were pulling into the campsite. It was the same campsite we’d stayed at near the airport. We were looking forward to a pint, so walked down the road to ‘The Bog’ pub. As we got to the door it was closed and had a sign saying it wasn’t opening...... NOOOOOOOOO!! Gutted we called into the supermarket and bought some stuff for tea....... ‘Corned Beef Hash!’..... mmmmmm mmmmmm!!
We’re now sitting in ‘Eddie’, watching Deal or No Deal whilst Dad is making the tea. Lovely jubbly it was too.
I got a few photos of the early morning beach while the other 3 enjoyed a brew.
A quick brekkie and shower and we were ready for the day ahead. We drove the short drive to Paihia and filled up ‘Eddie’, the campervan. (Naming it Eddie after the TV show ‘Hotseat’ host. Mam and Dad didn’t know but the 2 seats upfront had heated seats ....... very nice on the li’il tush!)
We stopped in town and had a walk around the shops. We called in at the I-Site and Dad and Ben sorted out their activity for Saturday. We were all in the car and setting off back on the ‘1’ heading South back to Auckland.
The traffic wasn’t too bad and by 3pm we were driving again past the Auckland Sky Line. Dad trying to get photos as we were driving and failing miserably. Although he did get some good photos of the vans and cars next to us!! Ha ha.
By 3.45pm we were pulling into the campsite. It was the same campsite we’d stayed at near the airport. We were looking forward to a pint, so walked down the road to ‘The Bog’ pub. As we got to the door it was closed and had a sign saying it wasn’t opening...... NOOOOOOOOO!! Gutted we called into the supermarket and bought some stuff for tea....... ‘Corned Beef Hash!’..... mmmmmm mmmmmm!!
We’re now sitting in ‘Eddie’, watching Deal or No Deal whilst Dad is making the tea. Lovely jubbly it was too.
It's Whangarei not Fangarei ......
Another early start for Claire and Dad, soon followed by Mam, then later me (Ben). After breakfast we walked around to the Whangarei Falls.
A 50ft drop into a pool, pretty big waterfall. There was a walking track around the falls with several lookouts. It was really nice through the wood, Mam and Dads first NZ waterfall.
We walked back to the Camper and set off again, stopping off to visit the famous ‘Huntervasser Toilet’. A famous architect (who is now dead), was asked to design some public toilets and these were them. Me and Mam had a walk down to see them, as far as toilets go these were really lovely. All tiled in fab colours and loads of glass bricks and bottles and stuff. Very nice! Unfortunately the boys weren’t as excited as us and gave them a miss.
After the excitement of the toilets we were heading North again to the Bay of Islands. We stopped off at some lookout points on the way like Frying Pan Bay and stopped at some lovely beaches. Mam and Dad having their first dip in the Ocean.
Just before 12 we parked the camper right by the beach, a perfect setting for a spot of lunch. Claire made sandwiches for everyone, we ate them there enjoying the view and then made our way onwards to Paihia.
We came across a great little campsite, right on the waters edge in a little bay. We parked up and enjoyed a brew, Dad even got to feed the campsite ducks, think he’s made a few waddling friends here!!
We chilled a while in the Camper while it rained on and off outside. We then decided to take a walk up a small track to see what we could see. There were some great views of the bay, even without the sunshine this place is stunning.
Back in the Camper, took 15 minutes drive through the town of Paihia and up to Haruru Falls. Another waterfall, not as big as the one we’d seen earlier but still very impressive.
We got some photos and then headed back to the site for the leftovers from yesterdays Barbie, some beer, some UNO and some sleep ...... not bad eh?!
A 50ft drop into a pool, pretty big waterfall. There was a walking track around the falls with several lookouts. It was really nice through the wood, Mam and Dads first NZ waterfall.
We walked back to the Camper and set off again, stopping off to visit the famous ‘Huntervasser Toilet’. A famous architect (who is now dead), was asked to design some public toilets and these were them. Me and Mam had a walk down to see them, as far as toilets go these were really lovely. All tiled in fab colours and loads of glass bricks and bottles and stuff. Very nice! Unfortunately the boys weren’t as excited as us and gave them a miss.
After the excitement of the toilets we were heading North again to the Bay of Islands. We stopped off at some lookout points on the way like Frying Pan Bay and stopped at some lovely beaches. Mam and Dad having their first dip in the Ocean.
Just before 12 we parked the camper right by the beach, a perfect setting for a spot of lunch. Claire made sandwiches for everyone, we ate them there enjoying the view and then made our way onwards to Paihia.
We came across a great little campsite, right on the waters edge in a little bay. We parked up and enjoyed a brew, Dad even got to feed the campsite ducks, think he’s made a few waddling friends here!!
We chilled a while in the Camper while it rained on and off outside. We then decided to take a walk up a small track to see what we could see. There were some great views of the bay, even without the sunshine this place is stunning.
Back in the Camper, took 15 minutes drive through the town of Paihia and up to Haruru Falls. Another waterfall, not as big as the one we’d seen earlier but still very impressive.
We got some photos and then headed back to the site for the leftovers from yesterdays Barbie, some beer, some UNO and some sleep ...... not bad eh?!
The Lion Man and Bay of Islands
Me and Dad were up at 6.15am. We headed over to Camp Kitchen armed with our cups and t-bags. We were surprised to see Mam coming over about 20 minutes later. Then to our amazement, out popped Ben. Me and Dad thought we’d have hours until either of them woke up!
We all had a brew together and then went back for breakfast at the Camper. By 9am we were heading out on our first ‘Road Trip!’
Wasn’t long before we saw the Auckland Sky Line, even better than that we got to drive over the Harbour Bridge. The perfect start to the break.
Ben was driving, I was co-piloting and Mam and Dad proper chilled in the back taking in the sights. The weather wasn’t perfect but there were short bursts of sunshine.
We swapped driving after a while, my first time at driving a transit. I hadn’t used a clutch for a while, so it was tough getting used to it again. Stalled it a couple of times!! The camper was great, the views were amazing as usual.
We stopped at Whangarei for some lunch and then it was a 20 minutes drive to our destination. A surprise for Mam....... ‘The Zion Wildlife Gardens’.........’The Lion Man!’.
We paid our money and waited for Anton our guide around the Gardens. We were shown all the animals there, starting with a baboon that had been rescued and finishing with the gorgeous lions. It was the same animals that we’d saw on telly. Unfortunately Craig wasn’t there for autographs, apparently he had been suspended over one of the keepers being killed by one of the lions!
The sun was shining all afternoon and we got some great photos of the big cats, still can’t believe we were there. The guide was awesome talking to us about all the animals, we even got given a lion whisker. Anton was telling us he used to work in the Gambia and about him keeping cheetahs at home, raising them and then releasing them. He was saying that he worked on ‘The Big Cats Diary!’ and that he was there when the cheetah peed through roof of the Landrover.
After the guide we drove a short distance back to Whangarei Falls Campsite. Luckily we’d popped into a supermarket for some meat, so we could try out the gas BBQ........ our first NZ BBQ!!!!!
We’re all just chilling, stuffed watching Deal or No Deal on the telly. We’ve introduced Mam and Dad to Andrew and they love it!!
Quite an easy drive today to ease Mam and Dad into the travelling.
We all had a brew together and then went back for breakfast at the Camper. By 9am we were heading out on our first ‘Road Trip!’
Wasn’t long before we saw the Auckland Sky Line, even better than that we got to drive over the Harbour Bridge. The perfect start to the break.
Ben was driving, I was co-piloting and Mam and Dad proper chilled in the back taking in the sights. The weather wasn’t perfect but there were short bursts of sunshine.
We swapped driving after a while, my first time at driving a transit. I hadn’t used a clutch for a while, so it was tough getting used to it again. Stalled it a couple of times!! The camper was great, the views were amazing as usual.
We stopped at Whangarei for some lunch and then it was a 20 minutes drive to our destination. A surprise for Mam....... ‘The Zion Wildlife Gardens’.........’The Lion Man!’.
We paid our money and waited for Anton our guide around the Gardens. We were shown all the animals there, starting with a baboon that had been rescued and finishing with the gorgeous lions. It was the same animals that we’d saw on telly. Unfortunately Craig wasn’t there for autographs, apparently he had been suspended over one of the keepers being killed by one of the lions!
The sun was shining all afternoon and we got some great photos of the big cats, still can’t believe we were there. The guide was awesome talking to us about all the animals, we even got given a lion whisker. Anton was telling us he used to work in the Gambia and about him keeping cheetahs at home, raising them and then releasing them. He was saying that he worked on ‘The Big Cats Diary!’ and that he was there when the cheetah peed through roof of the Landrover.
After the guide we drove a short distance back to Whangarei Falls Campsite. Luckily we’d popped into a supermarket for some meat, so we could try out the gas BBQ........ our first NZ BBQ!!!!!
We’re all just chilling, stuffed watching Deal or No Deal on the telly. We’ve introduced Mam and Dad to Andrew and they love it!!
Quite an easy drive today to ease Mam and Dad into the travelling.
Hello Blackwells .... New Zealand Take 2
Our 1st night in the Campervan was great! It was a bit chilly but so cosy! We were so used to having electric blankets for the past 2 weeks ....... spoilt! I had to get up first and put the heating on for Ben! Typical aye ?!
We were showered and heading to the airport for 7am. We got there and watched a Qantas flight fly overhead......possibly the Blackwell’s! We parked up the van and walked into Arrivals, feels weird being back at the airport again, we seemed to have spent so much time there.
After what felt like ages, but really 30 minutes ‘The Blackwell’s’ were walking out through the arrivals. They looked great, it was so lovely seeing them again after so long. After hugs and a brief chat we were all walking out to introduce them to the van. Then we all set off back down the road to the campsite.
We all sat around enjoying a brew and catching up and then Mam sorted out the bags. They had a shower to freshen up and then we headed out to the local Asian Supermarket for some bits for tea. It was nice to get some fresh air.
We noticed the jetlag was starting to kick in so Dad went and put his head down for a couple of hours. It was like a relay after that, Ben went next then Mam had an hour.
They all managed to stay awake for a stir fry for tea, then we left them to chill for a bit whilst we went over to Camp Kitchen.
After chatting with a couple and ‘borrowing’ some books, we went back to the camper to them both asleep!!
That was our first proper night in the camper! Awesome good times!!!
We were showered and heading to the airport for 7am. We got there and watched a Qantas flight fly overhead......possibly the Blackwell’s! We parked up the van and walked into Arrivals, feels weird being back at the airport again, we seemed to have spent so much time there.
After what felt like ages, but really 30 minutes ‘The Blackwell’s’ were walking out through the arrivals. They looked great, it was so lovely seeing them again after so long. After hugs and a brief chat we were all walking out to introduce them to the van. Then we all set off back down the road to the campsite.
We all sat around enjoying a brew and catching up and then Mam sorted out the bags. They had a shower to freshen up and then we headed out to the local Asian Supermarket for some bits for tea. It was nice to get some fresh air.
We noticed the jetlag was starting to kick in so Dad went and put his head down for a couple of hours. It was like a relay after that, Ben went next then Mam had an hour.
They all managed to stay awake for a stir fry for tea, then we left them to chill for a bit whilst we went over to Camp Kitchen.
After chatting with a couple and ‘borrowing’ some books, we went back to the camper to them both asleep!!
That was our first proper night in the camper! Awesome good times!!!
08 June 2010
Hello campervan !! Bye bye Hines xx
We all met at 8.30am for our last breakfast together. After free tea and toast we all made sure we were packed and waited for the shuttle bus.
Just after ten we were packed and on our way out of the city. We were dropped off first at Affordable Motorhomes, where we saw our home for the next 3 weeks. It’s well cool!!!
After signing all the paperwork we were shown around and shown how everything works. After a check of the vehicle we were handed the keys. We all jumped in and thought booking a campsite near the airport was a good idea.
The Holiday Park was 20 minutes away. The sun was shining so we just stayed at the site and had some lunch. We all sat round talking about our travels and about our next journey.
We dropped Mum and Dad off at the airport for 6.20pm, we said a brief goodbye.... not too many tears! We’ll be home at the end of the month.
We’re now sitting round the table with a brew watching telly. Our beds made ready for the morning. This campervan lark ...... we could get used to this!! Yey, 1 more sleep and we’ll be back at the airport collecting The Blackwell’s!!
Just after ten we were packed and on our way out of the city. We were dropped off first at Affordable Motorhomes, where we saw our home for the next 3 weeks. It’s well cool!!!
After signing all the paperwork we were shown around and shown how everything works. After a check of the vehicle we were handed the keys. We all jumped in and thought booking a campsite near the airport was a good idea.
The Holiday Park was 20 minutes away. The sun was shining so we just stayed at the site and had some lunch. We all sat round talking about our travels and about our next journey.
We dropped Mum and Dad off at the airport for 6.20pm, we said a brief goodbye.... not too many tears! We’ll be home at the end of the month.
We’re now sitting round the table with a brew watching telly. Our beds made ready for the morning. This campervan lark ...... we could get used to this!! Yey, 1 more sleep and we’ll be back at the airport collecting The Blackwell’s!!
Last day with the Hines (again!).
After a restless night sleep we all met at 8.30am in the cafe downstairs. Considering we were high up you could hear everything! Just glad we’re only here for 2 nights!!
We had a great breakfast and after gathering our rain macs we walked out to find the Saturday Craft Market. We walked to where it used to be only to find a construction site. After speaking to a local we walked back to where we started only to find the market. It was overlooked by the Skytower. There was some lovely stuff, we managed to start our souvenir shopping.
After that we bought some picnic stuff and caught the bus to Mission Bay, We got off the bus at Kelly Tauntons to walk the short way to the Michael Joseph Savage Memorial. It wasn’t as soon as the previous day but still it was dry. We sat and watched the world go by for a while before tucking into our picnic.
We had a walk down to Mission Bay and walked along by the beach and back up by the shops. It’s quite small but very expensive! We did call in for a Belgian Beer but soon left when it was $13.50 a beer!!
We caught the bus back down to Downtown along with either a “Market Boy” gang member/terrorist or the village idiot. After a very scary/intense/terrifying trip we got off at the Britomart Travel Centre and enjoyed a walk around the Wharfside. We stopped off for a coffee and then walked back to the craft market.
Me and Ben went to book the shuttle and camper for the next morning and left Mum and Dad.
We met up again at 6pm for our last meal (we’ve already had 2 last meals!!). We met in the lobby of the hotel and decided to walk down by the harbour side. We all chose the Indian for tea, we’d started with one in Auckland and were now finishing with one.
It was really nice and we called into the city convenience next door for our chocolate fix. It was still a bit early so we called into a pub for a pint. We got back to the hotel around 9ish and then called it a night.
Me and Ben went back to get some photo’s of the Skytower lit up at night. After watching the telly for a bit it was a very restless night ...... so noisy!!
We had a great breakfast and after gathering our rain macs we walked out to find the Saturday Craft Market. We walked to where it used to be only to find a construction site. After speaking to a local we walked back to where we started only to find the market. It was overlooked by the Skytower. There was some lovely stuff, we managed to start our souvenir shopping.
After that we bought some picnic stuff and caught the bus to Mission Bay, We got off the bus at Kelly Tauntons to walk the short way to the Michael Joseph Savage Memorial. It wasn’t as soon as the previous day but still it was dry. We sat and watched the world go by for a while before tucking into our picnic.
We had a walk down to Mission Bay and walked along by the beach and back up by the shops. It’s quite small but very expensive! We did call in for a Belgian Beer but soon left when it was $13.50 a beer!!
We caught the bus back down to Downtown along with either a “Market Boy” gang member/terrorist or the village idiot. After a very scary/intense/terrifying trip we got off at the Britomart Travel Centre and enjoyed a walk around the Wharfside. We stopped off for a coffee and then walked back to the craft market.
Me and Ben went to book the shuttle and camper for the next morning and left Mum and Dad.
We met up again at 6pm for our last meal (we’ve already had 2 last meals!!). We met in the lobby of the hotel and decided to walk down by the harbour side. We all chose the Indian for tea, we’d started with one in Auckland and were now finishing with one.
It was really nice and we called into the city convenience next door for our chocolate fix. It was still a bit early so we called into a pub for a pint. We got back to the hotel around 9ish and then called it a night.
Me and Ben went back to get some photo’s of the Skytower lit up at night. After watching the telly for a bit it was a very restless night ...... so noisy!!
Back in Auckland and back with the Hines ....
We awoke early this morning so we could get showered before everyone else woke up. We had breakfast and boarded the bus with Dusty. We all sat at the front, all 6 of us and it was such a laugh. We set off at 7.45am for Auckland.
Our first stop was Paeroa, home of L&P. We stopped at the brewery factory and took a photo in front of the massive bottle. It was a brief stop before heading off for the town centre. We had enough time for a brew and a quick hello to Rangi from the last Magic Bus before heading to Auckland.
It was a short 4 hour bus journey but such a laugh. We pulled off towards Tamaki Drive, passed the most expensive street in New Zealand to live and onto the Michael Joseph Savage Memorial. He was the first Labour Prime Minister and was held quite highly obviously. Surprising though he was an aussie!! What a view from the top though, there was actually some people learning the haka which we watched for a short while.
We were then driving our last journey on the Magic Bus and into the city centre.
We were dropped off at Base Backpackers and a short walk later we were at the All Seasons Hotel. 16 floors up and a view over the city, it’s really quiet!
We done our washing and were just on our way to the pub when we got a text from Mum and Dad H to say there were in their room. We knocked on their door, it was so strange seeing them again. After a brief chat it was off to the pub downstairs and a proper catch up. Sounds like they had an awesome time, we’re now sitting in the room for a freshen up before heading into the city for some tea.
We all met up at 6pm and had a walk to see if we could find somewhere to eat. We ended up having a very nice Chinese.
We were all shattered after that so made our way back to the hotel to chill in front of the telly.
Our first stop was Paeroa, home of L&P. We stopped at the brewery factory and took a photo in front of the massive bottle. It was a brief stop before heading off for the town centre. We had enough time for a brew and a quick hello to Rangi from the last Magic Bus before heading to Auckland.
It was a short 4 hour bus journey but such a laugh. We pulled off towards Tamaki Drive, passed the most expensive street in New Zealand to live and onto the Michael Joseph Savage Memorial. He was the first Labour Prime Minister and was held quite highly obviously. Surprising though he was an aussie!! What a view from the top though, there was actually some people learning the haka which we watched for a short while.
We were then driving our last journey on the Magic Bus and into the city centre.
We were dropped off at Base Backpackers and a short walk later we were at the All Seasons Hotel. 16 floors up and a view over the city, it’s really quiet!
We done our washing and were just on our way to the pub when we got a text from Mum and Dad H to say there were in their room. We knocked on their door, it was so strange seeing them again. After a brief chat it was off to the pub downstairs and a proper catch up. Sounds like they had an awesome time, we’re now sitting in the room for a freshen up before heading into the city for some tea.
We all met up at 6pm and had a walk to see if we could find somewhere to eat. We ended up having a very nice Chinese.
We were all shattered after that so made our way back to the hotel to chill in front of the telly.
Climbing, climbing and erm....... climbing !
We walked to the supermarket for some stuff for breakfast when we awoke. After some cereal and a brew we were ready for the climb.
We met with Brett and he drove us to the bottom of the Mount. We were told to use the 4WD track on the way up, so we found the start of that and started our climb. It wasn’t too bad to start with and we were taking in the views on the way. It soon started to get steeper and we were all huffing and puffing away. We were soon overlooking Matakana Island, which you can only access via the ferry. Apparently there’s a strong Maori presence on the island. The beach on the island was gorgeous and just disappeared into the distance.
We continued up and after about 45 minutes, we reached the top! The views were amazing. It was the perfect weather, the sun was shining and you could see for miles. We could see the Mount Maunganui Beach on the other side of the Mount, so we started our descent.
This time taking the easy walk around the Mount. It wasn’t as steep and soon we were walking along the sand. It wasn’t the nicest of sand but it was still a lovely beach. We could see all the surfers bobbing around, waiting for the big wave.
We walked out along a grass walkway onto Moturiki Island. It was surrounded by rocks, which the waves came crashing into. We sat at the end just taking it all in, before heading to a cafe for some lunch. We found a nice cafe and all ate our food before packing our bags for the hot saltwater pools.
After paying 9 bucks each we changed and all met before soaking on the many hot water pools. Seriously it was hotter than a bath, it was all saltwater and really relaxing. We tried the many different pools and after nearly 2 hours of red hot Jacuzzi’s we were ready for our next challenge ....... the Papamoa Hills!!
We weren’t satisfied with climbing the 232 metres in the morning so we decided to climb the 227 metres to the summit.
It was again a steep climb but this time through beautiful forest, the trees were huge! We were climbing around the hill so the views were different as we climbed. After 44 minutes we go to the top, it was definitely worth the climb. We could see the Mount and the other islands in the sea. We nearly didn’t get to the top, me and Brett were happy with getting to the picnic bench but as we were about to ‘forge’ a photo..... motivation man (Ben) arrived and pushed us to the top! A quick photo was had before me and Brett started off back down, Ben trying to be funny jumped out on us and I thought I’d shit myself ..... not funny we could have rolled off down the edge and I would have had dirty pants!! After a quick 20 minutes walk down we arrived safe at the car. As you can imagine we were knackered by now!
It was a quick stop at New World for some pizzas before arriving back at the hostel for the evening. Our last night in the hostel before checking into the hotel in Auckland tomorrow. 2 nights in the hotel before picking up the awesome camper. Only 4 sleeps til the olds get here now ...... whoop whoop!!
We met with Brett and he drove us to the bottom of the Mount. We were told to use the 4WD track on the way up, so we found the start of that and started our climb. It wasn’t too bad to start with and we were taking in the views on the way. It soon started to get steeper and we were all huffing and puffing away. We were soon overlooking Matakana Island, which you can only access via the ferry. Apparently there’s a strong Maori presence on the island. The beach on the island was gorgeous and just disappeared into the distance.
We continued up and after about 45 minutes, we reached the top! The views were amazing. It was the perfect weather, the sun was shining and you could see for miles. We could see the Mount Maunganui Beach on the other side of the Mount, so we started our descent.
This time taking the easy walk around the Mount. It wasn’t as steep and soon we were walking along the sand. It wasn’t the nicest of sand but it was still a lovely beach. We could see all the surfers bobbing around, waiting for the big wave.
We walked out along a grass walkway onto Moturiki Island. It was surrounded by rocks, which the waves came crashing into. We sat at the end just taking it all in, before heading to a cafe for some lunch. We found a nice cafe and all ate our food before packing our bags for the hot saltwater pools.
After paying 9 bucks each we changed and all met before soaking on the many hot water pools. Seriously it was hotter than a bath, it was all saltwater and really relaxing. We tried the many different pools and after nearly 2 hours of red hot Jacuzzi’s we were ready for our next challenge ....... the Papamoa Hills!!
We weren’t satisfied with climbing the 232 metres in the morning so we decided to climb the 227 metres to the summit.
It was again a steep climb but this time through beautiful forest, the trees were huge! We were climbing around the hill so the views were different as we climbed. After 44 minutes we go to the top, it was definitely worth the climb. We could see the Mount and the other islands in the sea. We nearly didn’t get to the top, me and Brett were happy with getting to the picnic bench but as we were about to ‘forge’ a photo..... motivation man (Ben) arrived and pushed us to the top! A quick photo was had before me and Brett started off back down, Ben trying to be funny jumped out on us and I thought I’d shit myself ..... not funny we could have rolled off down the edge and I would have had dirty pants!! After a quick 20 minutes walk down we arrived safe at the car. As you can imagine we were knackered by now!
It was a quick stop at New World for some pizzas before arriving back at the hostel for the evening. Our last night in the hostel before checking into the hotel in Auckland tomorrow. 2 nights in the hotel before picking up the awesome camper. Only 4 sleeps til the olds get here now ...... whoop whoop!!
Great Waterfalls and planning a climb !
We were ready with our bags, ready to jump on the bus at 8am. ‘Rangi’ was our driver today, he was so disorganised but really funny.
After picking everyone up we were on our way. We stopped for a 10 minutes break to see a waterfall, can’t remember the name of it.
Our next stop was Taupo. The door on the bus had broken so we had a 45 minutes wait here while it was being fixed. We had a good walk around the town. After buying a brew it was time to head down for the bus again. About 15 minutes later the bus arrived all fixed.
Our next stop was the Huka Falls, it was a massive torrent of icy blue coloured water. Very pretty!!
Next stop was Wai-O-Tapu, we’d already been around the thermals so we stayed and enjoyed some lunch and had a LONG look around the gift shop. 1 hour 45 minutes later we had some pick up’s in Rotorua, then off to ‘Mount’.
We were booked into the Pacific Lodge Backpackers and enjoyed an afternoon tea on our arrival.
We arrived late and after a trip to the supermarket there wasn’t much time to do much else.
We’ve got a busy day planned tomorrow with us conquering Mount Maunganui in the morning..... all 232 metres of it!! We met a Brit guy named Brett and we’ve arranged to climb the Mount tomorrow..... we’ve got to do it now!!
After picking everyone up we were on our way. We stopped for a 10 minutes break to see a waterfall, can’t remember the name of it.
Our next stop was Taupo. The door on the bus had broken so we had a 45 minutes wait here while it was being fixed. We had a good walk around the town. After buying a brew it was time to head down for the bus again. About 15 minutes later the bus arrived all fixed.
Our next stop was the Huka Falls, it was a massive torrent of icy blue coloured water. Very pretty!!
Next stop was Wai-O-Tapu, we’d already been around the thermals so we stayed and enjoyed some lunch and had a LONG look around the gift shop. 1 hour 45 minutes later we had some pick up’s in Rotorua, then off to ‘Mount’.
We were booked into the Pacific Lodge Backpackers and enjoyed an afternoon tea on our arrival.
We arrived late and after a trip to the supermarket there wasn’t much time to do much else.
We’ve got a busy day planned tomorrow with us conquering Mount Maunganui in the morning..... all 232 metres of it!! We met a Brit guy named Brett and we’ve arranged to climb the Mount tomorrow..... we’ve got to do it now!!
Chill day in Archie's Bunker
We awoke for our last lie in at Archie’s Bunker, waking up to Paul Henry the breakfast TV host ...... very funny!!
We had breakfast and stepped out into Napier. It was warm but overcast today.
We were heading to the Botanic Gardens and had a steep climb to get there. It was all so green and so quiet! We dodged all the sprinklers on the way around, ending up at the small duck pond to finish.
We walked back to town calling in at a Bakery for stuff for dinner. We walked back to the hostel for a chilled afternoon of watching DVD’s.
We’ve arranged to meet Hines Seniors n Auckland on Friday, which is weird! Then its wave goodbye to them on the 2nd and say hello to the Blackwell’s arriving on the 3rd!
After tea we decided to go for a walk for some fresh air. We walked up the foreshore, passed the aquarium. On our way back we rang the oldies, they were very excited about seeing us on Monday. We ended the evening with yet another DVD and had an early night.
We had breakfast and stepped out into Napier. It was warm but overcast today.
We were heading to the Botanic Gardens and had a steep climb to get there. It was all so green and so quiet! We dodged all the sprinklers on the way around, ending up at the small duck pond to finish.
We walked back to town calling in at a Bakery for stuff for dinner. We walked back to the hostel for a chilled afternoon of watching DVD’s.
We’ve arranged to meet Hines Seniors n Auckland on Friday, which is weird! Then its wave goodbye to them on the 2nd and say hello to the Blackwell’s arriving on the 3rd!
After tea we decided to go for a walk for some fresh air. We walked up the foreshore, passed the aquarium. On our way back we rang the oldies, they were very excited about seeing us on Monday. We ended the evening with yet another DVD and had an early night.
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