28th Sept
Arrived Manchester.
Late drink in 'Home' and quick drink in 'Britons Protection'.29th
Sept
Met Cath and Colin
for brunch in 'Common' in North quarter of Manchester. Cath and I
then went to gallery and nattered a lot! Shopping later – down
jacket.
Dinner in Thai –
good.
Drink in Britons
Protection – good.
30th Sept
Wandered around
Media City to Salford Quay and along canal – Blue Peter Garden,
Lowry Museum, lunch.
Dinner Pizza
Express, disappointing. Drink in Peverial of Peak, liked the pub.
1st October
Flight Manchester to Singapore. Good films, comfy seats, no sleep. 13 hours!!
Flight Manchester to Singapore. Good films, comfy seats, no sleep. 13 hours!!
2nd
October
Arrived Singapore am, bus to centre, then wandered around by museum before metro to China Town. Left bags in hotel and had some food in Chinese cafĂ©. Checked in; out again in evening – ate in food hall – Roti chanai, yum, yum!
3rd Oct
Enjoying metro
system in Singapore (air conditioned). Late start so metro to Little
India for brunch – Masala Dosa for me. The to Sky Gardens,
wandered around before going into 2 domes. Wandered more, then up to
sky walk at dusk as light and music show started. Amazing! Vertigo on
and off.
Metro back to China
town and food hall for soup and fried parcels.
Early flight from
Singapore. Took taxi van to Ibis in Auckland.
5th
October
Wandered around
Auckland. First took a look in old cathedral by hotel while making
use of hotel laundry. Then breakfast nearby while clothes drying.
Next down to dock area, on to University area, Albert Domain Park and
into attractive Parnell district. Myna birds and Australian Magpies
in parks. Looked around new cathedral and St Mary’s church.
Back in Auckland
Domain; Winter Gardens. Crashed before meeting Ted, Jackie, Linda and
Josh for dinner.
6th
October
Picked up van
'Crunchie'. And drove to Coromandel Peninsula. Stopped in Thames for
shopping and again in Colville. Parked then walked on beach before
cooking tea. Dark by 7.30pm, so tucked up and comfy sleep. Pukeke
wandering around campsite and Californian Quail, House Sparrows.
Seagull and Parakeet flying over. New Zealand Dotterel on beach.
7th Oct
Waikewan Bay,
Coromandel. Walk to Matamataharekeke: Yellowhammer, California Quail,
Pukeke, Fantail on campsite.
Lovely views, fern-y
forest with frequent curry scent from we don't know what.
Kingfisher, fantail,
mini lizards, Tui. Australian Harrier as had cup of tea.
Pm. Walk on beach,
brief swim for me. Welcome Swallow, several New Zealand Dotterel
including on nest site, several pairs of Variable Oyster Catchers and
some gulls.
8th
October
Waiau Falls.
Shopping in Coromandel.
Drive through centre
to Waitianga area. Stopped at Hot Water Beach and again at Habei and
walked to Cathedral Cove - Shell Duck and young Dotterel on Cathedral
Cove beach, red Billed Seagulls in Hot Water beach car park, Fantail
on walk back from Cathedral Cove.
Coffee and ice cream
in Habei. Drove down route 25 to Broken Hills Gold Mine campsite.
Rained. Paradise Watched Kingfisher and Blackbird at campsite.
Eastern Rosella and Harrier with prey by roadside. Clear overnight,
fantastic stars.
9th
October
Walked from campsite
to Broken Hills mine – Collins Drive tunnel.
Drove to Turanga
(oil terminal and long beach on edge of Bay of Plenty). Ice cream and
coffee, then Black Swans on route to Lake Okareta. Mallards, NZ
Scaup, Blue Duck, NZ Dabchick. Friendly parky with tips on where to
see glow worms.
10th
October
Checked out hot pool
– stoners!! no good.
Waimangu Valley
walk. At Waimanga Lake Rotomatana – Black Swans, heron, NZ Shoveller, Grey Duck, lots of male and female Fantails in trees.
Into Rotorura –
steam in Kuira Park.
Blue Lake
(Tikitapu), back to Okareta to camp. Night walk – glow-worms, and
Opossum in tree.
11th
October
Early quick swim in
lake for me.
Off to Taupo Lake
area. Haku waterfall – walked 7km each way. Big waterfall, lots of
Tui, Fantails, Bellbirds on route. Coffee in Taupo, shopping in
Turangi.
Late arrival at
basic camp – Waikoto, in Tongariro National Park. Very wet and more
to come.
12th
October
Drove to Napier to
escape bad weather, via waterfall.
After coffee stop,
Taupo. Wandered around Napier town, Art Deco, coffee in Emporium then
checked into Cories B&B; hot shower! Dinner in Emporium.
13th
October
Morning in Napier –
laundry, farmers market, shops.
Up coast to Waiboa
and inland to Mokau Landing. Stopped at Tutica Wildlife Reserve/Lake
Tutica, just north of Napier, for lunch.
14th
October
Cold overnight, woke up to frozen door, ice on ground and heavy
frost.
Walked to Nga Whanau
A Ruapani Tarms. Mokau Falls by road above campsite. Bell birds,
mallards and Paradise Shell Ducks by lake. Black Swans with signets
on campsite.
Rain at lunch time,
moved on back towards Rotorua. Stayed in Lake Okareta campsite.
Sparrows in van!
15th
October
Drove towards
Waitomo, Stopped on route at Waikato river reserve, excellent path
and swing bridge, walk and lunch. Lots of Fantails, Silver Eye,
Quail.
Stayed in Top10
campsite at Waitomo.
16th October
Glow worm caves and
Rukuri caves. Jim!!
Walked to natural
bridge in Rukuri bush walk. Drove to and walked on black sand beach (dead seal).
Wakoto Falls,
Piripiri caves, natural Bridge.
Pizza and chips in
bar by campsite.
17th
October
Otopeheke for ferry
booking then drove to Raglan via coast road and Bridal Veil falls.
Lunch in Raglan (surf town).
Ferry from Half Moon
Bay Auckland to Waiheke Island after leaving 'Cruchie' with
Spaceships in Auckland depo.
Met family at house
(no 155).
18th
October
Linda and Josh's Wedding.
19th
October
Bruch with wedding
guests then ice cream with Mel, and family day on the beach. Pizza madness
for dinner!
20th
October
Early start, ferry
back and drive down North island to Wellington. Good Mountain vews.
Lunch stop in
Cambridge, honey at farmers market. Cup of tea in Bulls.
Hotel in Wellington,
drinks at Quay.
21st
October
Early start to
ferry, fantastic views on way in to S Island – Picton.
Shopping in Picton
and booked kayaking, then off to Aussie Bay campsite. Walk to
Momonang, along
coast; ice creams.
Walk towards the
Grove after dinner – letter boxes! Mel and Andy drove past us on
our way back, stopped for natter.
22nd
October
Sea kayaking from
The Grove along Queen Charlotte Sound. Stop at beach, quick swim at
end. Shags in trees and on rocks, starfish, Gannets diving.
Drove to Havelock
for coffee/tea, then Nelson (big). On to St Arnot – lakeside
campsite on Kerr Bay. Walk in woods, lovely views, eel by pontoon,
lots of sand flies.
23rd
October
Walk tip at
breakfast from local. Walked up Mont Robert route, zig zag to cairns,
great views, but hot. Tom-Tit.
Drove to Murchison,
with short stops on the way. Cup of tea and shopping in everything store
in Murchison.
Coke in Berlins.
Boullah River. West coast – breezy, no sand flies, hurrah!
Crafter Beach Top1-
campsite in Westport; washing.
Short walk by
lighthouse, chased by Weka in car park. After tea drove to seal coly
bay for sunset. Gulls.
Beer in 'The Quarry'
in Westport.
24th
October
To seal colony in
morning. Short walk, lots of seals, Black Backed Gulls.
Drove to Pancake
rocks and blow holes. Met Mel and Andy. In time for high tide –
lots of blowing!
White Fronted Terns.
On to Greyport –
grey!
Then Hokakite –
old buildings and craft shops.
To Okarito Community
campsite. Short walk in woods, South Island NZ Robin. Rain overnight
25th
October
Woke up to
torrential rain, gave up on plans to kayak on Okarito lagoon.
Quick chat and cup
of tea then on to Franz Joseph for breakfast (bowl of beans!).
Up to Fox Glacier
for photos, rain slowing.
Quick stop in Haarst vistor centre before
starting on Haarst Pass. Stopped at Roaring Billy and Thunder Creak
waterfalls, then Blue Pools (grey!), short swing bridge.
On to Wanaka and
stayed there in Top10 style campsite. Hawae on the way.
26th
October
Breakfast in Wanaka,
then on to Linds Pass – Clay Cliffs and Kettle Holes (Wairepo) –
saw Stilts and Plovers at Kettle Holes. Noisy bullocks! 6K walk.
Through Omarama
towards Mount Cook via Twizel. Photo stop, then back to Omarama and
on to Oamaru, driving alongside NZ's largest reservoirs. Stopped to
see Maori cave paintings, but mainly removed! Pidgeon's and starlings
in rock face.
Beers and chips in
new Brewery Tap on Omaru harbour, chatted with campsite owner.
Stayed in Top10.
27th
October
Walked through Town
Gardens (lovely) to old town. Wandered around Oamaru.
Coffee in 'Steam',
lunch in the Criterion.
Drove to Marika to see boulders and then
Yellow Eye Penguins (2), lots of seals, nesting gulls and shags.
Coffee in village bar. Then on to Yellow Eye Penguins reserve at
Oamaru - one coming out of sea. Decided against visiting Small Blue
Penguins, set up too zoo-like.
Beer in Criterion
then back to Top10 campsite.
28th
October
Farmers market and
coffee in Oamaru. Then to Riverlands garden north of Oamaru -lots of
ideas.
Timaru for coffee
and art gallery/sculpture park. Scenic road 79 through Geraldine,
Mayfield, Staveley – stopped for view
of Rakaia Gorge then took gravel road to Lake Colleridge. Great
mountain views.
Quick look at Arthur's Pass after Linden Lake, then on
road to Christchurch. Straight grey, rain; boring end to trip!
Top10 near airport,
take away fish and chips.
29th
october
Fly to Singapore (10
hrs, sigh).
Hotel and a wander
around quayside. Quick beer.
30th
October
breakfast near Hong
Kong Street, metro to Botanic Gardens – fantastic, but very hot.
Metro to Little India for late lunch. Rain. Snooze in hotel. Back to
airport for trip home.
31st
October
Flight 13 hrs. Paris
CDG – buses! Manchester. Earlier train than expected, home by 5pm.
And relax!