Wine and Wildlife on the South Island

The InterIslander saw us safely onto the South Island, first stop Picton. A town nestled in the queen charlotte sound at the point where the interislander ferry docks. Most travellers pass very quickly through this picturesque harbourside town, but we felt it was well worth a visit for the afternoon and really quite underrated. The town planners have been careful in designing lots of open spaces for the tourists to enjoy and you can very quickly walk to some fantastic rural locations.

Waterfront in Picton

First priority as always was to find good wine, and we were in luck, as the Marlborough region is world renowned for producing stunning Sauvignon Blanc. Due to financial restrictions, we decided we should try backpackers lodge. This worked out suprisingly well as they supplied us with a  evie-sized trailer for our bicycles so we could tour the vineyards in style! Our pick of the vineyards was Cloudy Bay.

Evie and Dad cycling the Renwick vineyards

Our fav - Cloudy bay

Delicious Villa Maria

After a sleepless night we piled back into the car and drove North towards Nelson. A popular coastal city for kiwi tourists at the gateway of the Golden Bay region. We loved it, despite the fact we picked another rental property at the top of a hill to stay in. Soon we will get used to the fact we are parents and have a heavy old pushchair to lug around!
One of the best memories of Nelson was the welcoming family who kindly babysat for us so we could go out for the evening. They were very dissapointed Evie did not wake up!

We had a particularly amusing day out at a Salmon farm in the Abel Tasman National Park. Owned by a dutch couple, this farm allows you to fish for your lunch in their lake and they will then smoke your catch. Clare showed her sensitive side by being unable to kill the fish, when she had finally caught one.
 

Clare Salmon fishing

Andy makes a catch!

30mins later...Lunch!

The water sports continued for Evie, as well as her first fishing trip, she also had her first swim with Daddy. If you look closely enough you'll also see that Daddy put the swimming costume on back to front!

Evie's first swim

Onwards we powered further around the coast to Kaikora. Appreciating on the way, the first of several awesome natural sights; the fur Seals at the roadside.
They littered the coastline in their hundreds and were so close you could've touched them (but they smell so we didn't!)

Hundreds on seals on the coastline towards Kaikora

One came to say hello!

We took the opportunity to seek out some more sea mammals, taking a trip out on the Whale Watcher to see the sperm whale. Both taking separate trips (Evie being too young), we were lucky enough to see these impressed giants alongside seals and albatrosses and Andy was entertained by a passing a pod of Dusky Dolphins.

Whale fin as it dives

Pod of Dusky Dolphins

The sea-life also boasts fantastic crayfish, hence to Maori name KaiKora, translates as ...So of course we sampled super fresh BBQ'd specimens - yummy!!!

Evie gets her order in!

Clare tucks into the Crayfish BBQ

Of course we couldn't let the time pass without yet more, steep uphill scenic walks!

After all this hardwork we were ready to continue our trip of the east coast, first stop - hot springs in Hamner...

After all that Crayfish, a walk around the peninsula

Wellywood!

Our visit to the capital city, Wellington was a welcome break from rural life. We embraced the culture on offer and relished in some city living for a few days.  It’s a hilly city, built around Wellington harbour, famously known as the windy city. Staying true to its reputation, our hillside apartment was buffeted by gales, rain and hail.

Keen to visit a city centre bar, we quenched our thirst at the dockside. Evie was pretty pleased with her first pint.

Next stop Te Papa, the impressive and modern national museum. Our highlights; the preserved colossal squid and whale skeletons. The vague rumble in the earthquake house was a bit of a let down, but overall a great combination of history and modernity with stunning views too.

view from Te Papa

We braved an afternoon outing to the cinema with Evie, unable to resist a peak inside the beautiful building of the Embassy Cinema where Lord of the Rings premièred. After a little encouragement Evie went to sleep to the sound of the circus as Mum and Dad watched Water for Elephants.

The Embassy

Coffee is a huge part of the culture in New Zealand, particularly in Wellington boasting 16 different roasters. We tried as many as possible, our favourite - Cafe L’affare, best coffee so far, other than AllPress from Niki at Waihi Beach.

Keen to explore cake options for my habit we wandered to the food emporium Moore Wilson, but Andy and Evie just wanted cheese!

75kg wheel of cheese - yum!

Of course, we had to burn off all the cheese so embarked on what we thought was a short stroll up Mount Victoria. Well, we should have known better, what with all the health enthusiasts in Wellington. Sure enough, our 'stroll' was a 1hr 45min hike uphill, the views were worth it though.

Runners at Welly waterfront

View at Mt Victoria, Evie not that impressed!

We all had our first experiences of NZ public transport, not entirely successful, but we tried the train, bus and lastly the ferry as we headed over to the South Island. The 4m swell of the Cook Strait left Andy feeling sick before we entered the calm, beautiful waters of the Queen Charlotte Sound.

InterIslander to South Island

Queen Charlotte Sounds, the rewarding view from the Ferry

Leaving the Northlands, we had 6 days to make our way to the bottom of the North Island, Wellington.

NZ’s best-known tree and a major part of their history – The Kauri is found all over the Northlands. However, none on such a scale as the 1200yr old giant Kauri tree, so of course we made a stop to see the 18m monster.

Stopping the night at the Matakohe homestay, we met a fabulous lady June who at 81 runs a B&B. She sent us of for more Kauri sights, a whole museum dedicated to the trees! Andy also got his very own chunk of Kauri gum, collected by her husband - a local legend. Andy is trying to make it into a necklace for Evie and I!

It took another pause at a vineyard South of Auckland before we finally reached the sight of Lake Taupo, in the central plateau. Basing ourselves at Turangi (Trout fishing capital of the world!!) we were hoping for lakeside tramps, but the constant rain sent us up the indoor climbing wall.

Evie helps Mum plan her way up

The weather cleared eventually, we took a walk around the River Taurangi, passing many Trout fishing enthusiasts.

A beautiful drive through Rangipo Desert, with Mt Doom in the background took us to the Kapiti coastline and on to Wellington.

Adventures begin...heading North

Our 81 day adventure began on 30^th April from Waihi beach. After packing our Chrysler voyager  car full of various baby paraphernalia, we began our journey by heading to the Northlands of New Zealand. Clare was a little fatigued having stayed up to watch the entire royal wedding the night before, luckily Andy was doing the driving!

After only 3 hours we decided it was time to stop at a Ransom Wines Vineyard just north of Auckland- Evie needed a break of course!

We finally arrived at Paihia, Bay of Islands, on a wet dark evening. It was our first realisation that a 4 hour car journey means 7 hours when travelling with a baby!

The weather clear at times whilst we did some sightseeing in the bay of Islands, but when it rained we chose to visit fascinating sites such as the Hunterwasser toilets. These were constructed by an Austrian artist and amusingly feature on the list of ‘101 top things to see in New Zealand’ (number 99, admittedly)

Evie doesn't look too excited about the toilets!

Toilet highlights - recycled tiles

 We had a great time when we took a short boat trip to Russell for the day. A colonial town, originally a whaling port, that retains its historical buildings and has an elevated viewpoint that was a bit of a challenge to drag Evie up to in the Buggy!

finally at the top with the buggy!

Flagstaff hill, cloudy day view of Bay of Islands

Clare outside the oldest hotel in NZ

We continued to head up to Doubtless Bay right at the top of the North Island. When Nelson first saw this area he announced that ‘Doubtless, it is a bay’ , hence the imaginative name.

On the way here we suffered our first puncture due to stones from roadworks. When they resurface a road in New Zealand they don’t divert you a different route as they would in the UK because there are no other roads to take! Instead they keep the road open and keep the stones as sharp and large as possible in a bid to increase business in the local car repair centres.

Anyway, the view as we entered cable bay was worth the trouble and it was sunny and 23 c again. We even put Evie in the water- much to her distaste! 

Andy tried his hand at fishing from the rocks, but caught nothing but a load of seaweed, so we had some delicious hakupu from the local fish shop instead.

The following day we decided to do what we do best- visit a vineyard. We stopped at the beautiful Mitai Bay at the top of the Kari-kari peninsula on the way.

View from Karikari vineyard

Lunchtime view of Mitai Bay

This sets the pattern of our 'travelling' so far...food, wine and relaxation !

The last 3 months...

Just over 13 weeks since our last post, the arrival of our gorgeous daughter Evie Dee certainly keeps us busy! 

So, a summary of the last 3 months before we get back to regular blogging again as we travel around New Zealand in our big car!

Jan 12th, Evie arrived at 8.55pm. Her entrance into the world was fantastic, indescribable.

However, it's the weeks that followed that really challenged us both.

Evie Newborn

Evie is growing at an astounding rate and easily tops 13lbs since her arrival at 7lb 6 oz.

The first few months have been great fun for her.

Meeting Grandma and Grandad McIntosh at 10 days old and Granny Fisher at 4 weeks ensured visits to several places in the North Island and her first hotel stays – some more successful than others! 


Some of the adventures included Andy and Bernie (Evie's Grandad) white water rafting, 

And some hilltop walks with Granny Fisher during a weekend away to Whitianga...

As Evie reached 6 wks, we said our goodbyes to Waihi beach for a move along the coast to surfing mecca Whangamata for Andy’s second Locum posting.

All this moving means Evie is very much at home in her car seat, from the first day we left the hospital, 3 hrs after her birth.. 

To all the adventures we inflict on her whilst here in New Zealand, she's happy still 3 months on ...

So, the move to Whangamata; a coastal holiday town that boasts a fantastic beach.

Particularly seen here at dawn (of course we'd never get up at this hour before Evie came along).

Dawn walk on Whangamata beach

Exploring around Whangamata needed to include Evie and accommodate regular 24hr on-call shifts for Andy, nevertheless local cafes were thoroughly frequented as well as delighting in the stunning scenery. Highlights included the crazy BeachHop weekend (50's and 60's car/rock and roll festival), walks on the beach with Evie and challenging waves for Andy to progress his surfing.

Cooks Beach Cafe, Evie 10wks

Another beach, Onemana after lunch

The move from Waihi beach to Whangamata was not an easy one. Evie was no longer a sleepy newborn and Andy embarked on a more demanding working life.

It took a while to see that enjoying our gorgeous girl and adapting to motherhood is a lesson in taking everyday one step at a time and fully appreciating the good times.

Hence, we reconsidered why we’d come here initially and with that in mind we’ve taken the opportunity to travel across NZ for longer and enjoy Evie as a family. Andy quit work and our 3 month tour of New Zealand has begun, hoping to post our adventures with more consistency!

Xmas at Waihi Beach

It's been a unique Christmas experience for us here at the beach, of course it hasn't felt the same as we've missed all our family and friends. However, being welcomed into the Waihi beach crowd, the gorgeous sunshine and holiday vibe made for a truly relaxing time.

We embraced some traditional and not so traditional Christmas festivities, here's a flavour of our Kiwi Christmas!

Xmas eve on Waihi beach

We got into the festive spirit at the Santa parade in Waihi, a Christmas themed carnival/summer fete. Several Santas paraded through the town on floats, even the elderly on their motorised scooters...

Scooter Santas at the Xmas parade

By Christmas eve, we joined a Christmas parade of our own, carol singing with the Beach vets footie team, our entourage including a horse (dressed, of course as Santa), several dogs with festive collars and a team of  willing young singers.

Andy was less than impressed with the poor male turn out and has not yet forgiven me for suggesting otherwise. The carols were less than traditional, but great fun and we now know; Snoopys Christmas, Feliz Navidad and Jingle bell rock!!

After all that singing we recovered at the pub and on to Rachels family, and their new addition, Baby Mateo.

Christmas day arrived; after opening our gifts (all kindly sent from home- thank you), taking a leisurely stroll along the beach and enjoying a luxury brunch on our deck, we headed to Sarahs' family for a taste of the Kiwi family Christmas. 

While I lazed in garden hammocks, gossiping with the girls; Andy embraced the Kiwi competitiveness in

several games of Boule and enjoying the childrens' Christmas present, a huge trampoline. 

Evening brought a feast of Avocado and prawn salad, Roast Lamb, Ham, new potatoes (fresh from the garden), peas and salads before a massive array of desserts, the triumph a beautiful chocolate cake - 3 days to make!! 

Bev's awesome Chocolate cake

After all the excitement and delicious food, a glorious sunny boxing day demanded a swim at the beach, so we braved the waves before a Boxing day BBQ with Indri and Hugh's family and a game of beach cricket...

Boxing Day beach cricket

Exhausted after all the fun and games, we're preparing ourselves for new year, BBQs with the neighbours, bands at the pub, Tan and Mo coming to stay and the arrival of baby fisher.