Out and About

 I've been out and about lately.  The other day I traveled down to Waikanae to visit my friend Trish who had recently moved from the Hutt Valley to her new home.  Rather than drive I took the bus down, which is free for oldies like me.  This bus route only travels on Tuesdays and Thursdays, departing from my home town at 9.00am then leaving Waikanae Railway Station  at 3.00pm.  Many locals take this trip down to Waikanae to then get the train into Wellington.

Trish collected me from the station and drove me back to her  new home.  Being brand new, everything is fresh, bright and airy, it was lovely indeed.  After a look around, we had coffee outside on the patio.  The day was glorious, fine, warm and sunny, a very pleasant  Autumn day indeed.  The village Trish has moved to is still under construction, and we watched as builders were climbing up and down the scaffolding with ease, obviously all fit young men with good balance, well used to working at heights.

New Summerset Village

Trish was keen to take us out to lunch at the cutest little pink bakery/cafe I've ever seen.  You could tell it was very popular with the locals as there was a steady stream of workers coming in to get their pies, bread rolls, sweet treats and coffees to take away.  This business was close by the beach so I could imagine workers sitting in their work trucks enjoying their lunch watching the waves roll it.  

Olde Beach Bakery

We sat in the courtyard to enjoy our lunch.  I was going to have a bread roll but they were huge, big man sized rolls for a hungry workman to devour but I didn't think I could manage one at all.  So we both ordered a French pastry and a nice hot coffee, chatting away under the shade outside.  Several customers had their dogs with them in the courtyard, the animals were well behaved sitting quietly at their owners feet and no bother at all.

Al Fresco lunch on a lovely sunny day

Then we drove down to Paraparaumu to the Mall to have a look around the shops.  Goodness me, a nice light jacket jumped into my bag and came home with me!  This is the same shopping mall I got lost in and couldn't find the correct exit last month when I took the coach tour trip to overnight in Wellington for dinner and a show.  Luckily Trish has a better sense of direction than me and we made it safely back to her car, and then drove back to Waikanae for me to get the bus home again.  I had a lovely time out and will certainly use the bus again in the future.  I may even hop on the train for an adventure, next time, that would be exciting!

The previous week I booked a seat on the Health Shuttle to Palmerston North -  it was time for my annual mammogram.  I was a little early so I sat and did  some knitting to pass the time.  These thick wooly socks hadn't seen the light of day for quite some time, so I was pleased to progress them a little further.  

Cozy socks for winter

Once the mammogram was done, I just sat and waited a short time till the shuttle collected me to take me back.  This is a wonderful service to get to health appointments, most people go to the hospital, but drop offs are made to other health venues as well.  All for the price of a donation.  Robin used to have a regular slot on the Heath Shuttle timetable and really enjoyed his time there.  

Cruising about

Something ticked off the Bucket List, and what an adventure we had.  We are currently in Te Anau (which means place of swirling waters) and recently enjoyed a Coach/Cruise/Underwater Observatory combo to Milford Sound and through the Homer Tunnel.  Our adventure started in Te Anau when we boarded the big red coach – with several photo stops along the way.  The scenery here is spectacular. The very pretty Mirror Lakes were just off the roadside, and it was a nice easy 5 minute  boardwalk there and back.  People everywhere, we certainly weren’t the only bus in the car park.

Us and the big red coach, and the Mirror Lakes

I was looking forward to going through Homer Tunnel.  It is 1.2 km (0.75 miles) long, and was  opened in 1953.   William Homer and George Barber discovered the Homer Saddle in 1889, and Homer suggested that a tunnel through the saddle would provide access to the Milford area.  But work didn’t start till 1935  The tunnel and the associated Milford Road were built by relief workers during the Depression.  The men had to live in tents in a mountainous area where there might be no direct sunlight for half of the year.   Progress was slow, with difficult conditions, and work was also interrupted by World War II and a avalanche.  These problems delayed the tunnel's completion and it was finally opened in 1953.   So there we were, waiting at the red traffic  signal to start our trip through the single lane  tunnel.  And out the other side where we drove under an avalanche shelter, certainly a danger on parts of this road.

Homer Tunnel

Here we went onboard The Lady Bowen  for the afternoon cruise.  Most people had rushed upstairs to sit on the outside deck, but we secured a table downstairs under cover.

The Lady Bowen

First things first, we redeemed the ticket for our picnic lunch.  Wonder what was in them?  We were pleasantly surprised – sandwiches, two pieces of fruit, cheese and crackers, two Anzac biscuits, small bag of chippies and a chocolate bar.  There was plenty of help yourself tea and coffee available too.  We ate the sandwiches, cheese and crackers and a mandarin each, and took the rest back to the van for later.

Our picnic lunch each

Nothing says Milford Sound more than the iconic 1683m high Mitre Peak, named by Captain John  Stokes of HMS Acheron in 1851, who found it’s shape reminiscent of the headwear worn by Christian bishops.  Our Captain pointed out places of interest and wildlife  as we cruised along, as we gazed at awe at the shear granite cliffs, then taking us right out to the entrance of Tasman Sea. 

Views from the stern

There were several waterfalls tumbling down, and in the rains many more appear.  The Captain nosed into Stirling Falls, giving those on the bow quite a splashing.  Never mind, getting drenched is meant to make you look 10 years younger, we were told.

Stirling Falls

On the way back we stopped at Underwater Observatory, one of the highlights of the trip.  The Underwater Observatory was built in 1995. The construction project involved building the viewing chamber in 3 sections in Invercargill and assembling them in Bluff. This unique floating underwater observatory is the only one of it’s kind in New Zealand.   After an interesting talk about the facility and wildlife we descended the spiral staircase to 10m beneath the water – 50 steps down.  There were lots of viewing windows, and we all moved around, checking out the marine life.  And to see the black coral, which is actually white.  The fish swimming nearby are not fed, they are just going about their business, and no doubt looking in the windows at all these strange creatures looking out.

The Underwater Observatory

After climbing back up those 50 steps, it was time to climb aboard the boat, cruise back to the dock, where we all disembarked and made our way to the correct bus for the ride back to Te Anau.  Everyone was quiet, no doubt reflecting on our trip, and I’m sure several nodded off as we drove along.  And why not, it had certainly been a big day out, from 10.30am to 6.30pm with lots of lovely sights along the way.  It was a great trip indeed, we would certainly recommend it.

We booked another short cruise (two hour duration) a day or two later, to visit the Te Anau Glowworm Caves.  Way back in the mists of time (about 35 years ago) we did this same cruise after the completion of our four day Milford Track walk, we were much younger and fitter then, of course.

 

All Aboard

The trip took us for a 30 minute cruise to the western shores of Lake Te Anau.  On arrival we walked up to the Visitor’s Centre. There was a full contingent of 72 people, and we were split into groups of 12, and away we went into the cave for a guided tour.  No photos are allowed in the caves, and when in the boat, we must be silent, we were told, otherwise the glowworms take fright and their lights go out!

Photos from the brochure

Luckily there were handrails to help us walk through the cave, and in some parts we had to bend our head and shoulders to get under the low ceiling!  That was a bit tricky.  What I had forgotten was just how loud the rushing water was in the cave, it was so noisy the guide had to shout to get her messages across.  The rushing water exited the caves, and our boat ride thankfully took us across still waters deep inside the caves.  With just a torch to guide us as we clambered into the small boat and then we moved slowly along in silence and complete darkness.  And there they were, tiny dots of light on the roof of the cave, certainly a sight to behold.  The boats have no motors and our guide told us later that she moves the boat along, standing in the front and  pulling on a chain, all in complete darkness.   What a woman!

After our cave experience we walked back through the wet cave, drip, drip, drip, to return to the Visitors Centre where we helped ourselves to a hot cuppa and listened to a presentation on the life of a glowworm.

Back on the boat for our return trip to Te Anau, and we decided to take ourselves out for diner after our wonderful trip.  The meals were huge, neither of us could finish them.

Dinner for two, please

The weather here has been exceptionally hot, up to 30s some days.  Gemma found an ideal way to cool off.  After snoozing away  on the cool grass  under the caravan, safely on her lead, she came inside and we wondered where she was.  Believe it or not, she had curled up inside the hand basin in the bathroom, just her size and obviously nice and cool! 

Gemma put herself in the hand basin

My knitting is coming along slowly, a few rows here and there as I feel like it.  There is no rush for this, and it is slowly growing.

Church, Chocolate Fish and Monsters

During the week we joined 40 or so members of our Probus Club for a Big Day Out in Wellington City.  The alarm clock was set bright and early as we were having an early start.  I’m pleased I decided to take my walker with me as we were to be on our feet for hours, and I didn't know how my back would cope.  I don’t use the walker much at all these days, but for this outing it was worth it’s weight in gold.  It folded up and tucked neatly away in the baggage compartment, so it was no bother taking it al all.

Our coach awaits

The bus driver maneuvered the large bus around the narrow Wellington streets, and our first stop was a short but rather steep walk up the hill to Antrim House in Boulcott Street, thank goodness for the walker.  Antrim House was built for Robert Hannah (of Hannah’s Shoes fame) for his family back in 1904, and the surrounding area would have been quite different back in those days.  The views down to the sea would have been spectacular with no high rise buildings crowding the view back then.  The interior is a warm glow of polished kauri and totara paneling, and features a lovely kauri staircase.

Antrim House

Down the hill we walked to our next stop of St Mary’s of the Angels Church, built in the Gothic Revival style, and opened in 1922.  I can vividly remember my previous visit to this Catholic Church.  It was way back in October 1962, the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the world waited with baited breath,  we thought we were on the brink of nuclear war.  A group of my office workmates and I decided to attend a church service here, to pray for peace, I was 17 years old at the time.  Even down here in far away New Zealand, we felt threatened by the unfolding events.   An American U-2 spy plane secretly photographed nuclear missile sites being built by the Soviet Union on the island of Cuba.   President Kennedy decided to place a naval blockade, or a ring of ships, around Cuba, to prevent the Soviets from bringing in more military supplies. He demanded the removal of the missiles already there and the destruction of the sites. On October 22, President Kennedy spoke to the nation about the crisis in a televised address.  What on earth was going to happen?

No one was sure how Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev would respond to the naval blockade and US demands. But the leaders of both superpowers recognized the devastating possibility of a nuclear war and publicly agreed to a deal in which the Soviets would dismantle the weapon sites in exchange for a pledge from the United States not to invade Cuba. In a separate deal, which remained secret for more than twenty-five years, the United States also agreed to remove its nuclear missiles from Turkey. Although the Soviets removed their missiles from Cuba, they escalated the building of their military arsenal; the missile crisis was over, the arms race was not.  How many can remember living through this troubling time?  The interior of the church is very peaceful, with many beautiful lead light windows.  After looking around, many of us were happy to sit and reflect awhile, after all, the world is still troubled by unrest in many countries and an unjust ongoing  war in Ukraine.

St Mary of the Angels

The bus was waiting outside for us, we climbed aboard and drove through the city streets.  The conversations were interesting, as people exclaimed of the new buildings erected since their last trip, many years in some cases, replacing the places they knew in earlier years.  We drove around to Shelly Bay to our lunch stop, Chocolate Fish Café.   Our group was ushered into a covered courtyard, the heaters were glowing to keep the chill at bay, and we sat and pondered the menus.  Whitebait fritter sandwich was on the menu and it seemed that this was the most popular choice, with seafood chowder coming a close second.  Whitebait is a real delicacy, and can be rather pricey, so how often do we have it?  No wonder it was so popular – however Robin bucked the trend and went with a steak sandwich.  After our meals were cleared away, the staff returned with little dishes of chocolate fishes for us to enjoy, that was an unexpected touch, and very welcome.

Robin with Bruce and Julie, our neighbours from the village

The highlight of the day was our 90 minute tour of Weta Workshops, of Lord of the Rings fame, both of us had been wanting to come here for ages.  Kevin, our very enthusiastic host, took us around the display rooms, explaining how the film props were made going through many stages  from conception to the finished products.  And those heads and bodies which the actors wore, turning them into monsters, all these took an awful lot of time to make, and to get in and out of for filming  As Kevin told us, since starting Weta Workshops, technology has come a long way in making these creations. 

Kevin, our host

Interesting to find out that there is a full time sword maker on staff a required, and his original work of art is used in close ups by the hero and copies are made from this for the crowd scenes.  All very interesting and absorbing, and we were pleased to be able to handle examples of exquisite leatherwork, chain mail, and weapons as they were passed around.  Taking photos was limited to the reception room, and masks were required during our time here.

There’s a monster behind us!

It certainly was a great day out, we were on the go all day, and pleasantly tired enough on our trip home for many to nod off in the bus.

Still Tripping Around

We're making the most of the sunshine, and what better way to do that than indulge in a huge raspberry snow freeze waffle cone ice-cream.  Made with fresh fruit grown at Windermere Gardens in Wanganui, and enjoyed while sitting in the café there.  I didn't manage to consume it all before it started melting and dripped down the front of my top, but that’s not an unusual occurrence for me.

Yummy ice-cream

So, what else have we been doing?  We had a great day out on a big red double decker bus the other day.  We don't see many of these in New Zealand.  First in, best seated, as the early birds climbed up the narrow stairs to the top deck.  Robin was tasked with ringing the bell at the rear of the bus, ding, ding, I’m sure he felt just like one of those characters on the long running series “On the Buses”.  But his most important job was to make sure no one from upstairs tripped and fell down the stairs and out the back entrance!  I kid you not, this bus did not have a back door so was open to the elements.

All aboard!

Our first stop of the day was to the beautiful Putiki Anglican Church.  Although sporting a relatively plain and modest exterior, stepping inside is full of Maori carvings, woven panels, and painted kowhiwhai panels.  No photos were to be taken inside, but take my word for it, the interior was breathtaking.  The work was overseen by Apirana Ngata, who led the Maori Art and Crafts School in Rotorua.  He agreed to bring his team of tutors and student carvers to Wanganui over a two year period.  Four local women were sent to Wellington to learn how to weave the tukutuku panels, and shared their knowledge with other local weavers.  All the timber has been richly carved with only the pews left plain.  The people were told “We will carve you the most beautiful church you have ever seen”, and they certainly did.

Putiki Church in Wanganui

Back in the bus again and it slowly ground it’s way up Durie Hill, puffing diesel fumes onto the following cars.  But never mind, this bus in aa good age, after all. Some of us took the opportunity to ride the  Durie Hill Elevator,  built in 1919.  This is the only public transport elevator in the country and is still used daily by locals and visitors.  At $2.00  a ride it seemed a bargain and I followed a little later with Scotty.  The other passenger on board kindly took our photo, Scotty, me, and the young elevator operator.  After our ride down we walked through the long, rather ghostly tunnel to finally reach the street.

Going down.

We waited on the footpath at the bottom for the bus to drive back down the hill and collect us.  But……. it drove straight past, with the others on board waving out the windows.  Seems Neville had forgotten all about us, drove over the river, then had to do a U turn and make his way back to collect  the missing passengers!

We had a great lunch out at St John’s Club in town, my scallop wee delicious.  Then bus driver Neville took us on a tour around Wanganui, through the town centre, out to the beach, then back to camp.  I had climbed up the steep narrow stairs of the bus for the ride back to camp, and can attest that every little bump in the road is definitely magnified ten-fold upstairs!  What a great day, thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Scallops for my lunch

Off and Away

Our three week caravan trip away started off with a weekend rally with our caravan club buddies.  And what fun we had.  There was quite an adventure planned for Saturday, with a trip to Day’s Bay and back on public transport.  Originally we were to travel from Naenae to Wellington by train, but track maintenance was being carried out and the trains were replaced by buses.  Not such a disappointment, as along came a big yellow double decker bus to carry our bunch of OAPs into the big city.  It’s been a while since we were in the big city, and we didn’t even realise that Wellington had double decker buses in their fleet.

Our double decker bus

It was a brisk walk along the waterfront, or in our case, a quick taxi ride, to save the sore knees and back from  too much stress.  Then it was “all aboard” the Cobar Cat East-West Ferry to Day’s Bay.  It’s certainly a sign we are getting older when people such as doctors, policemen, and in this case, the ship’s captain, all look so young!

Cobar Cat

A big family group laden down with large packs and chilly bags full of supplies departed at Matiu/Some's Island to stay overnight.  Matiu/Some's Island is now a predator-free scientific reserve.   It may be a small island but its place in New Zealand’s history is huge. Its harbour location made it an ideal location for New Zealand’s first inner harbour lighthouse, a human quarantine station, an internment camp, military defence position, and an animal quarantine station over the years.

Leaving the ferry we walked along  Days Bay wharf, across the road to Williams Park and into the very popular Pavilion Café for lunch.  Plenty of great choices on the menu, and it was just as well we had a large table booked for our group, as the place was packed.  It took us two buses to return to Naenae, and we arrived back at the college tired but happy after our big day out.  Such a fun day, and we all traveled free courtesy of our Gold Cards.

On Sunday after our evening meal we went out for dessert to the Berry Berry Nice Café in Jackson St, Petone, formerly the old Post Office building.  What to select from this range, we wondered, as we contemplated the selection.  There was certainly plenty to choose from.  Most of us chose to sit in the rather trendy little half circular seating arrangements.  We all enjoyed our desserts, with coffee/tea to follow.  What a great weekend we had, full of fun things to do.

Dessert time

Then it was time to head off on our three week caravan safari, spending the first night in Wanganui, then moving on to New Plymouth where we stayed at a former tamarillo farm.  Such a well set up place to stay for a few days, with very friendly hosts.  While in New Plymouth, we always try to catch up with Robin’s school friend Gary and his lovely wife Glenyss.  They were off on a trip themselves the following day so it was lucky that they could squeeze us in before they departed.  Forgot to take photos of our visit, but quite by chance, their mutual friend John had sent through a photo showing four friends after a fishing trip. Just look at those happy faces, the boys are all in their 70s now.

Robin and his schoolfriends out fishing

On our last evening Robin took us on a little tiki tour before heading back to camp.  Would I get to see Mt Taranaki/Egmont before we left the area, I wondered?  There is a saying in these parts, if you can’t see the mountain, it’s raining, and if you can see it, it’s going to rain.  We certainly had more than our fair share of rain lately.  Robin drove up to Churchill Height's to see if we could get a view, and there the mountain was, unencumbered by clouds in the dusk.  What a great finale to our evening.

Mt Taranaki/Egmont

The weather was glorious the next day for our 77km trip which took us along the coast, and up and over Mt Messenger and through the Mt Messenger tunnel. The single lane tunnel as originally opened in 1916, later enlarged to provide two-lane access and to allow trucks with big loads to pass through. Mt Messenger is named after Colonel William Messenger, the commander of the garrison at nearby Pukearuhe redoubt during the 1870s and 1880s.  I love coming across these little historic tunnels, originally hewn by hand  through the mountain rock all those years ago.

Mt Messenger Tunnel

We were staying at Mokau for the next night.  This little village is “world famous in New ZEaland” for the Whitebaait Inn Café, serving giant whitebait fritters.  Although we  hadn’t been there before, two of our traveling companions always stop to indulge when passing by.  Seemed a great idea to us, so we all went for lunch.  Our orders arrived, a massive whitebait fritter each served with a slice of lemon and freshly buttered bread.  Goodness me, a feast indeed, its been a long time since we enjoyed whitebait.  The coffee was nice too.  This is a very popular establishment, with a steady stream of customers.  Whitebait is a New Zealand delicacy, and are the fry (young) of native New Zealand fish found in coastal creeks, streams, rivers and lakes.

Giant whitebait fritters for lunch

Sunset at Mokau

There hasn’t been much handwork done so far on this trip, just a little knitting so far while I was waiting for the laundry to finish the cycle.  Never mind, we’ve been traveling, eating out, socialising, and I’m sure there will be time for a little stitching sooner or later. And more adventures to come.

Christmas Day Onwards

Our Christmas Day at home started with the usual breakfast, croissants filled with ham and cheese and  warmed in the oven.  Yum, nice and tasty to start the day.  Do you think I look the part in my Christmas pinny?

 

Breakfast time

The pork roast was soon sizzling away in the Weber BBQ and was smelling delicious.  The inserted thermometer tells us via the cell phone when the meat is cooked.  I’m not sure how that works, it’s all a bit new fangled to me but Robin seems to understand the technology.

Roast Pork

We had a lovely Christmas Day. Friends Dot and Derek joined us for lunch, and with their food contributions as well, we had enough to feed an army.  Robin’s brother and his wife called around on the afternoon, and we all had plenty to chat about.  The time just flew by, so much so that I forgot to take any more photos.

We are now away in our caravan, staying at the NZMCA Park Plimmerton, a handy place to stay if you want to visit Wellington.  The railway station is just a short walk away from the camp, so we planned a day in the Big Smoke, traveling in style on the trains.  Using our Gold Cards, train travel is free.  But wouldn’t you know it, the trains were off the rails for the next week or so for track maintenance, and the services were replaced by buses.  When  we arrived in Wellington City I was keen for a quick visit (my first) to the large David Jones Department Store (formerly Kirkcaldie and Stains).   I really wanted to see their Christmas Shop, but nothing took my fancy so we were just in and out in no time at all.   A cruise ship was in town, and there were people everywhere. 

Perhaps a trip to Wellington Airport for lunch would be fun, we decided, so we boarded the bright orange Airport Flyer and went on our way.  Robin used to drive these buses to and from the airport some years ago, and quite enjoyed the interaction with travelers.

Airport Flyer Bus

There were all sorts of things to see at the airport.  Lots of Christmas Trees decorated by various businesses on display.

Christmas Trees galore

Then there were some  entries from the recent “World of Wearable Art Awards Show”, a big glitzy show which runs in Wellington during September and October.

Entries of Wearable Art

And flying high over the eating area were a pair of  giant eagles, one of them had Gandolf riding on top.  Made by Weta Workshop, one of them was shaken loose during an earthquake and had to be re-installed using a new hanging structure that is able to handle considerably higher loads.

Giant Eagles built by Weta Workshops

We sat in front of the large picture windows, watching the planes arrive and depart.  Perhaps we will have another trip away soon, we hope.  Lunch was Pie and a Pint for him, and Salmon Pasta for her, all very nice and tasty.  It was a great day out, and stress free as we travelled by public transport.

It’s always busy at the airport