South Island Holiday - Manapouri, Bluff, Catlins, and Dunedin

It was a misty morning when we left Te Anau, stopping off at Lake Manapouri, the deepest lake in the country at 1455ft.    The Maori name means "Lake of the sorrowing heart", referring to two sisters whose tears formed the shape of the lake.  Environmentalists   campaigned long and hard between 1969-1972 to prevent raising the lake level 12m to provide more water storage for the power station.  The prospect of irreparable damage to this beautiful lake led to nationwide protests and a huge petition which was presented to the government, and finally led to the scrapping of the project.  The rock and plaque shows the intended new level, if the plan had gone ahead.  Lake Manapouri was saved due to people power.

Lake Manapouri

We all climbed back in the coach and headed down to Invercargill, the second southernmost city in the world.  But first, a trip down to Bluff, (previously known as Campbell town) to get our photos taken at the famous Bluff signpost.  It was a bit of a struggle getting the large coach up the narrow winding road, then squeezing into a car park with all the other tourist cars and campervans who had the same idea.

Made it to Bluff!

A short walk took us to an interesting sculpture.  This anchor chain has a matching piece on Stewart Island, Rakiura, at Lee Bay.  Together, they represent the mythological anchor chain of Maui linking his canoe, the South Island, to it's anchor stone, Stewart Island.

Anchor chain of Maui

Bluff also has a dubious claim to fame.  It was at the restaurant overlooking the Bluff signpost that Covid made its entry into New Zealand while a wedding reception was taking place in April 2020.  79 cases and one death resulted when an overseas guest brought the virus into the country.  

Our next stop was at the Invercargill Airport to drop off several passengers who were taking an afternoon flight across to Stewart Island.  This was our lunch stop too, and once again, on this South Island trip, I ordered the famous South Island cheese rolls.  I had been trying these at various cafes as we travelled along, and must declare that these were the best!  We stayed the night at a local hotel which was quite a drive out of town, but possibly one of the nicest we had been to.  

The next day was a very full day indeed, took us through the Catlins, which certainly brought back plenty of memories.  We stopped at Waipapa Point, a coastline known for native sea lions and the historic 1884 lighthouse.    I didn't see and sea lions myself, but some of the more hardy passengers who walked further than me certainly did.  It was a beautiful, wind swept place, and we were lucky it was a fine sunny day.

Waipapa Point

The coach stopped at Owaka for lunch, which is the largest community in the Catlins area.  In saying that, it is really quite a small place.  There was a large shop/showroom with all sorts of things for sale, and the owner had free coffee and  biscuits available for the coach passengers.  Some of of took advantage of this kind offer, sat down at the tables, made our drinks and nibbled on a biscuit or two.  Others decided to try the other couple of eating places around.  I purchased some candles to take home, I like to light a candle in the evenings for Robin.   I was reminiscing about the wonderful teapot display in a lady's front yard that we admired previously.  Sadly the lady had died, the old house is derelict, and the tea pot tree is no more, the shop owner told me.  But luckily, I found some photos from the blog post I had written way back in 2012 to show you what it was like.  There were teapots galore outside, and some in the window of her house.

Teapot Land, 2012

Then we all settled back to enjoy the ride to Dunedin.  The first Scottish migrant ships were sponsored by Free Church of Scotland, and set sail in 1847.  The aim was to establish a new Edinburgh in the Pacific.  The community was eventually named Dunedin, the ancient name for Edinburgh.  The discovery of gold in the 1860s generated rapid growth and wealth, and a building boom of expensive buildings.

Coming into Dunedin

Our day of sightseeing wasn't over, and the coach pulled up outside Olveston House.  That was exciting, I hadn't been here before, although we took many trips to Dunedin over the years.  Olveston House was built in the Jacobean style for the wealthy Theomin family in 1906, and was bequeathed to the city in 1966.

Olveston House

We were given a guided tour through this fabulous home.  The wealthy owners took many overseas buying trips, and the house is full of their treasures.

Inside Olveston House

That was certainly a big day, and we were pleased to arrive at the hotel and relax.  It was nice to know that we were staying for two nights here.    Mind you, there were busy times ahead for us in Dunedin.

A Little Knitting and a Fancy Raincoat

 Just for a change of pace this week I've put my summer cotton top I've been knitting aside.  There were several very small balls of left over yarn hanging about so I decided to knit a baby hat, just to use them up.  I had a little of pink, white, grey and burgundy so knitted up a striped baby hat.  That didn't turn out too bad, nice easy knitting in the evenings, and I was pleased to see those tiny balls gone.

Striped baby hat

Then I came across a stalled knitting project, so pulled it out to see what was left to do on this one.  It is a cozy cardigan using hand spun wool which my dear friend Merilyn sent me.  With just the fronts to finish up, I then have to stitch it together and work on the front and neck bands.  I'll keep this one out close by as I may as well keep on with it, I decided.

The cardigan fronts

Perhaps you may remember when I posted pictures on a beautiful coat made by Vicky from the Creative Crafts group a wee while ago?  Well, she has down it again and stitched herself another beautiful coat, this one is a rain coat using parka nylon, and covered with Vicky's beautiful applique and embelishments.  Such a lot of work, the coat really is eye catching.

Vicky's new raincoat

Cyclone Vaianu has caused flooding, fallen trees, rivers bursting their banks and many road closures in parts of the North Island, and many flights cancelled.  The Met Service advises that the cyclone is moving away from the North Island so that is good news.  My area hasn't really been impacted, thank goodness, and the cyclone was predicted to be so much worse.  The clean up in the affected areas will take some time I imagine, it seems a never ending cycle of damage to the northern areas which are getting hammered several times in a row.

Draw String Bags, and Reading

 I'm still working with pink, the Rainbow Scrap Challenge colour for April, so decided to make some more draw string bags for the foster kids.  Looking through my big bag of bag making bits and pieces, I found four pink contenders.

There was a black and grey fabric piece which I had pinned some bright pink for the top.  Piggies in pyjamas, and a pretty floral fat quarter I had tucked away which yielded two bags.  So I cut, and stitched, added the linings and the draw string tops, found some suitable cord, and they were all done.

Four pink bags this month

I really like the piggy bag.  This is the last remaining piece of pig fabric I have left - aren't they just so cute in their pyjamas!  I remember I used my collection of various piggy fabrics some years ago to make a child's bed quilt, so now it's all gone.

Such a cute little bag

My sewing machine has been difficult lately, so I guess as I can't quite remember the time it was last serviced, it must be well overdue.  I contacted the wonderful Barry to book it in, and was devastated to learn that he is moving house and retiring from sewing machine maintenance.  Oh dear, he was highly recommended and I have used his services most years when we moved to Levin about 14 years ago.  Luckily Foxes Cottage, my favourite quilt shop, has a sewing machine mechanic call and collect machines for service, so I dropped it up at the shop.  My Bernina should only be away from home for a week or so, I'm told.  Don't we miss them when they are gone!

This is such a heavy machine for me to handle, so I was pleased I found one of these wheely things in the garage.  When I dropped it off in the shop, I was amazed that the lady serving me picked my heavy machine up and carried it out to the store room, no trouble at all!  Mind you, she was a bit younger than me, that probably makes all the difference.

And of course I've been reading, I really can't imagine my life without books.  I do enjoy the Joe Pickett stories by C J Box.  What I like about Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett is that he one of the good guys, steady, reliable, honest.  So honest that when he was a brand new game warden he charged a man for fishing without a license, who turned out to be the Governor of Wyoming.  (This was based on a true story which happened in 1995).  In this book Joe had lost his job and was reappointed by the Governor to investigate a mass murder in Yellowstone National Park.  Luckily his friend Master Falconer Nate who lives to his own agenda, tags along too, and once again, keeps Joe from being killed.  This was a very exciting book, with corruption at the highest level, set in the dangers of Yellowstone Park.  

A great story

I'm a real fan of Philippa Gregory's books, and have avidly read all of her historical royal novels.  Tidelands is a bit different, set in the time of Oliver Cromwell and the downfall of King Charles 1st, and a time when suspicion of witch craft can be a death sentence.  A handsome young Roman Catholic priest sent on a mission to save the King meets a poor young wise woman, abandoned by her husband,  who works in midwifery and herbal medicine.  When I read the storyline I thought to myself, this won't end well.  A very tense page turner of a book, I could hardly put it down.  And I'm delighted to find that my local library has books two and three of this series.  Thoroughly recommended.

I loved this one

New Zealand is bracing for the arrival of Cyclone Vainau, expected to bring life threatening winds, heavy rain and coastal sea surges, flooding, and maybe even land slides.  The top of the country has suffered from several storm events lately.   It is expected to make land fall tonight, and the whole of the North Island is under a red weather warning.  Neighbours Bruce and Julie have been popping in to see those of us on our own and make sure that there are no loose items in our yards which could be picked up and thrown around in the expected strong winds.  Bruce stacked up my patio chairs together, they are not really that light, and the six of them one on top of the other and up against the fence should be immune from any wind gusts.  My two patio tables are very heavy so should be fine.  I always worry about the Archgola in high winds, I must confess.  We will just have to wait and see what happens overnight, fingers crossed.

Clocks Back, Knitting, and Happy Easter

Our Daylight Saving has come to an end here in New Zealand, so it was time to turn the clocks back one hour.  The clever lap top, tablet, and cell phone can all do it magically themselves. That left the kitchen clock, and the clock on the stove for me to do, I had a bit of tuition last year so knew exactly what to do.  My bedside clock is a bit of a problem, so I just take the battery out and wait for the time to catch up, then reinsert it.  There must be an easier way, so I think I should take the clock back to where I purchased it, just over a year ago, and get them to explain the secret.  And last year I decided it wasn't worth trying to change the clock in my car, much too hard, so it is left on standard time all year.  My theory is, by the time I'm ready to go out in the car, I'll know what the correct time is, so why worry. 

My seasonal Autumn wall-hanging is now on display, I really like this one.  Hand embroidered, and hand quilted, I've just checked the back to see when I made it.  Oh dear, I didn't do a label, must do some checking and rectify that.

Welcome to Autumn

It's been a glorious Autumn day today, warm, calm  and sunny enough to sit outside.  I took my knitting, a quilt magazine to read, and a hot cuppa and spent an enjoyable hour or so relaxing.  Still working away on my cotton summer jumper, I'm up to the armhole shaping now, so this project is coming along nicely.  Gemma joined me outside for a while, she curled up on the bark garden, then decided she really wanted to get back inside again.

Knitting outside on a lovely day

Did the Easter Bunny come calling to your home?  Previously, I would buy one of those Lindt chocolate Easter Bunnies for Robin and I to consume over Easter - we would generally be away somewhere in the caravan.  I didn't feel like carrying on this tradition, now it is only me.  So I bought myself some Potter Brothers peppermint marshmallow Easter Eggs, smothered in dark chocolate.  These are small batch produced chocolates, made locally, and so delicious.  With four in a packet, I'm eating one each evening over Easter.  Peppermint marshmallow and dark chocolate, what's not to love!

Ooops, they are sideways, but still taste wonderful

I had a phone call this afternoon from my friend Merilyn's husband Colin, from Dunedin.  Merilyn was my oldest and best friend, going back to early school days,  and sadly passed away 6 months after Robin did.  Colin rang to see how I was getting on, and how I was coping.  I always get tearful talking to him, and I don't think he knows quite how to cope with that.  He reminded me that Merilyn and I were best friends through life, and she often used to talk about me.  I'm just so pleased that I phoned her for a lovely long chat just a week before she died.  Losing both Robin and Merilyn so close together was a double whammy to me.

Pink and Burgundy

 Pink is the Rainbow Scrap colour of the month, so it was time to get stitching on my RSC blocks.  I found a pretty pinkish scrap laying around, just the thing to use in my baby quilt.  Quick and easy, they were done in a jiffy.

Four blocks done

Then I laid the blocks out on the floor, to see how they all looked together.  Coming along nicely, with those pretty soft colours.  I like the way the colours march down the quilt, pink, green, red and blue so far.  This will be 25 blocks, so only a few more colours needed.

Baby quilt blocks

The second lot of RSC blocks I'm stitching is the same design but larger, using funky dinosaur fabric, for a boy's quilt.  I didn't want to use pink, so cut some burgundy strips.  Then I laid out the blocks on my design bed, to see how they all looked together.

I like the  bright stripes against the grey

It is that time  of the year for the flu vaccinations so I booked an appointment at the chemist and went in.  No trouble at all, I hardly felt the needle, then had to sit and wait five minutes, just in case.  There were no side effects, not even a sore arm from the injection.  Flu vaccines are free here in New Zealand and the oldies are encouraged to participate, as they can often have other conditions as well.  Records show that there are over 500 deaths each year from influenza, seems quite a high number, so I'm happy to go in and get protected.

South Island Holiday - Milford Sound

Leaving Queenstown was another busy day, full of wonderful sights and adventure.  It was a  big drive in the coach, heading to Te Anau where we stopped for lunch, then up to Milford Sound.

Not for the faint hearted, avalanche areas along the way

It was calm and peaceful driving through Eglington Valley

The scenery soon changed to grandeur, mountains crowding in on both sides of the road.

This was a view worth waiting for, when Mt Talbot appeared before us.

Mt Talbot

The road took us through the Homer Tunnel, named after Harry Homer, who discovered the saddle in 1889.  The tunnel was begun in 1935 as a project for the unemployed, and took 18 years to complete.  A little further on, and the road ends at Milford Sound.  As the climate warmed at the end of the ice ages, huge amounts if ice melted and the sea level rose, flooding many of the deeply cut glacial valleys to create the fiords we see today.  And there was our boat, waiting to take us on our Milford Sound Cruise.  Can you see the famous Mitre Peak just behind the boat?

It really was a glorious day for a cruise, nice sunny weather, just a little bit choppy, and such glorious scenery.  There was a female crew of two taking care of us, afternoon tea provided, and we settled down to enjoy the trip.  Some climbed to the open area upstairs, or out the back, or just sat inside and listened to the commentary.  I found trying to walk around a moving boat a bit tricky with my walking stick, so after a quick trip to the open rear of the boat, decided it was easier for me to sit and relax by a window.

The Captain

The views were spectacular, rugged cliffs, waterfalls, we stopped to watch some basking seals, all in glorious sunshine.  This is such an amazing part of the country indeed.

Views from the boat

Finally, the boat turned around and headed back. Tired but happy, we climbed aboard the waiting coach, back tracked along the road revisiting all that magnificent scenery again.  What a wonderful day indeed.  Our overnight stay was at Te Anau.

More Binding, and an Exhibition

 I'm sure you are all getting tired of my secret stars and hearts projects by now.  But I have just finished hand stitching the binding down on the second quilt.  Now I have to wait till I catch up with the recipients.  They don't know I've been making these, (I'm sure they don't read this blog), so it will be a surprise for them.

Two secret quilts, finally finished

I went to visit an exhibition on Friday, held at Speldhurst Country Estate.  This is a large retirement village, built in the grounds of a former hospital, so the grounds have many beautiful mature trees.  There is a lot of creative talent amongst the residents, and there were invited guest artists there as well.  Entry was a gold coin. and all funds raised were going to the local St John Ambulance, such a worthy cause.

Stepping in the door, I paid my entry fee, then took a couple of raffle tickets for a basket full of gardening goodies.  I'm not much of a gardener myself, but thought my daughter would appreciate this.  But the two day exhibition is now over, and there hasn't been a phone call to say that I won, so I guess I didn't have the winning ticket.

The first thing I spotted was a display of model trains.  Really big ones like this.

Then teeny tiny ones going round and round the track, and through tunnels.

I'm sure the very enthusiastic men told me what gauge they were.  It certainly must be an engaging hobby, as long as there is room to display their lovingly collected treasures.

This was a fun table, full of cute little hand made toys.  Sadly, I have no one to buy such things for these days.

Toys galore

Then I came across this intriuging display.  "Of course, these are modeled on my figure", the artist said with a smile.  Sadly, no.  But they were certainly fun items.  They are hollow and backless, with a handy hook to hang on your wall.  I had never seen anything like it, I have to say.

For madam's boudoir, perhaps?

Then I found the quilt display.  There is a very strong group of quilters residing in the village, and several well known quilters involved.  I looked around and admired the quilts on display, purchased a couple of raffle tickets for quilts (I'm ever hopeful) Talked to some quilty ladies, and took home a couple of donated magazines looking for a new home.  

Some of the quilts on display

I passed several ladies selling hand made cards. some with knitting items, and there were numerous painters with wonderful displays.  Truly something for everyone, such a talented bunch live and create at this village.

There were really special timber items tucked away in yet another room.  And there was a face I knew, it was Russell from our caravan club.  His speciality is making items from matchsticks.  I already knew this as he had previous shown some of his work at a caravan rally some time ago.  It's hard to imagine just how many hours went into crafting these works of art.

All made from matchsticks

Beautiful boxes made by Dave Brandon

The most amazing thing I saw was a copy of the famous Burt Munroe's motorcycle, also crafted by Dave Brandon.  Burt Munro, from Invercargill, New Zealand, set a documented top speed of 184mph, 296km in 1967 on the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, riding his modified 1920 Indian Scout.  All this at the ripe old age of 68.  The film, "the World's Fastest Indian", starring Anthony Hopkins, made in 2005, tells this story and his struggles to attend the race.

What a beauty

It was nice to catch up with Russell's wife Maureen, and she joined me for coffee and a nice long catch-up in the adjacent cafe after I had seen all the exhibition.  It was a lovely morning indeed, but I was pleased to get home. as I have been feeling a bit under the weather for the last week or so.  Cough, cough, coughing and a sore throat, and feeling weary enough to take me off for an afternoon nap some days.   Just to be sure, I took a Covid test, which came back negative, I'm pleased to say.  Guess I just have to keep up with my lemon and honey drinks, throat lozenges, and rest.