Friends and a family wedding, Blenheim - Jan/Feb 2016

We headed from Motueka Valley with no particular itinerary except to arrive in Blenheim in time for the family wedding we had come to New Zealand for.  We had a week to mooch around so up to Cape Farewell and Golden Bay we went.  Arriving at Wharariki Beach Camping Ground we were disappointed to discover that it wasn't anywhere near the beach, so headed back to the campground at Pakawau.  Fresh crayfish for dinner, thanks to the Motueka family.  Next, we enjoyed a night at Cable Bay motor camp.  Well worth the detour off the main road north of Nelson.  The intention was to get up early and take the kayak out fishing ,,,, but it rained and rained and rained.  Never fear, we will be back!

Our tent is smaller than our car ... but it is waterproof

Arriving at our friends in Blenheim we were set for a weekend of relaxing and fishing before the arrival of the family! Thanks to Teleri and Hedley we discovered a cool fishing spot at Wairau heads.  Not cool because we caught fish, but cool because we got to fish with the sea lions .... which is most probably why we didn't catch any fish.  But they were fun to watch and, to be honest, more deserving of a feed of fish than us.

Hedley cooked our dinner on the riverside

The family arrived from near .... Wellington, Levin, Dunedin .... and far .... London, Minnesota, Brisbane.  It was such a wonderful opportunity to all be together.  Clare's niece, Clare, married Tom Saul in the loveliest of ceremonies.  

Mum and Dad ... who were proud to have four generations
in attendance

Photo booth fun

The whole (NZ) fan damily

We had a wonderful week together.  It was especially lovely to get to know Tom's family better.  They were the quintessential hosts with dinners, bbqs, vehicles and accommodation all on offer.

After the main crowds had scattered for home some of us (from both sides of the family) made an escape to the Saul family bach in the Queen Charlotte Sounds at Lochmara Bay.  We swam and fished and watched the stingrays play.

View from the front yard

  We walked over to Lochmara Cafe and found some interesting installments in their back yard.

We fished - of course!

Ridiculously LARGE mussels

  After the family left, we stayed on for another week in this little slice of paradise.

Finally it was time to take a water taxi back to Picton, then bus to Christchurch
from where we were flying out to California ..... to our next house sit.

As we set out from Christchurch City Centre the evening before our flight, packs on backs and headed for the bus stop to make our way to the airport, we happened to strike up a conversation with a lovely lady walking her dog.  She offered to take us to the airport and after much protest that we didn't wish to put her out .... we agreed.  When Chrissy then learned that we were intending to sleep at the airport ready to check in at 4am, she ended up taking us home where we cooked dinner for her and her family while she went for a swim.  We had a lovely evening with them.  Aren't random people awesome.  We were doubly pleased to discover when we arrived at the airport later that you can pay $10.00 per person for a bean bag and blanket if you are flying out before 6.30am.  Great initiative Chch International Airport!

(As an aside, we were disappointed to see that Christchurch seems to be making very little headway in rebuilding the city after the devastating earthquakes of 2010/11.  What's that about?!?!)

River life - Motueka, January 2016

View from the deck

It was such a pleasure to arrive at this wonderful property on the Motueka Valley highway.  We were met by a family of Mum, Dad, three really nice boys and Pepa, the 2yo black lab.

We were situated right across the road from the Motueka River.  What more could a couple of fisher people and a budding fetcher want from life!?!?  Pepa's daily exercise was to fetch sticks out of the river.  She was really well trained .....

Pepa, the wonder dog on video

...... and a joy to hang out with

Fortunately Pepa was happy to hang out at the river while we tried to catch a
very elusive trout (note the lack of photographic evidence of said trout ;-)

Watched by these busy bodies

Oh, we had other responsibilities too, watering the garden and keeping the neighbours sheep out of it

New Zealand silverbeet yum yum

 but there was always time to sit and watch the world go by.

Balancing act!

 It's a dogs life alright. 

Sadly, it was again time for us to move on with our lives but what a privilege it has been to get to know another fabulous pet (and it's owners).

The wild wonderful west - January 2016

After staying with family at a campground just outside Wanaka (The Wanaka Lake Outlet camping ground, away from the maddening crowd that Wanaka becomes in the summer holidays highly recommended) we were ready for our next adventure ... The Haast Pass.

You would be surprised how many New Zealanders have never been over this pass which takes you from Wanaka to Haast on the West Coast.  It is the southern most pass that links the East and West of the South Island.  This really is as unspoiled as New Zealand gets these days.  It is certainly not a fast trot but the scenery is breathtaking and the bush land virgin. Although we were doing this in peak season, it was still not what you would call a busy road.  Quite a few camper vans and cyclists and many many "one lane bridges"!

Lake Hawea

The snow capped Southern Alps

We stayed the first night at Okarito, just north of Franz Joseph Glacier.  The campground is approx 20km from the main road but well worth the drive.  It is quiet and only $12.00 per person per night with reasonable facilities.  The beach looked good for a surf cast but somehow we just didn't get around to it.

Our neighbour at the campsite - a 1924 Dodge converted into a sleeper

The journey up the West Coast is rivaled only by the East Cape in terms of quiet roads.  You can travel for ages without coming across another vehicle.  There are lots of "touristy" things to do, like visiting the glaciers, but not really our style of travel.  We just enjoyed the drive looking for somewhere to stop before we reached Westport.

A tranquil West Coast beach north of Hokitika

Punakaiki Pancake Rocks - well worth a look but make
sure you go on an incoming or high tide

Mouth of the river Nile

We arrived at Charleston looking for somewhere to stay the night.  We started up the track to the Nile Campsite but didn't know where the road was leading until someone told us later (but apparently worth the trek - take the road inland beside the Charlston Campground, approx 10kms up is a free campsite which started off as a festival venue.  Has toilets.  We will check it out next time).

So we headed back to the coast and happened upon the perfect place for the night.  Right at the mouth of the river Nile someone has made a shelter out of pallets and driftwood.

What else to do than use the facilities to cook dinner then indulge in a spot of fishing with some locals who joined us to take advantage of what must have been the perfect tide. James caught quite a few kahawai (all released bar one that was gifted to the locals) and still had time to teach me to cast.

We pitched the tent beside that car and woke early in the morning intent on catching breakfast.  I obliged with my new-found skill.

Breakfast anyone?

After a journey round Cape Foulwind (rather aptly named) and Tauranga Bay - a coffee at The Bay House is a must! - we headed through the Buller Gorge bound for Motueka.  Here we stayed a night at Old Macdonald's Farm campground in Marahau (highly recommended) before checking into our next housesit in Ngatimoti.  We can't wait to return to these parts sometime in the future.