Koekohe Beach Boulders- Otago

Catch-up; November 2019

Our next stop is at the Koekohe Beach boulders, more well known as the Moeraki Boulders. Did I get you? Thought that might grab your interest more than the regular name. Moeraki Boulders is another one of those 'famous in New Zealand' attractions that are a must visit if you are passing. 

It's been six years since we last visited the Boulders and I wanted to see if they have changed. Haha, no of course not...they haven't changed in over 60 million years! No, I wanted to capture some sunrise shots of the Boulders. The tides were right and to make it even easier to access them at that time of the morning, the Red-Barn-By-The-Sea CAP (costs apply parking for NZMCA members) was right beside the Boulder carpark. We couldn't get closer if we tried!

But first things first. We visited another Kiwi icon, Fleurs Place in Moeraki village, a world famous seafood restaurant located right beside the harbour and where fresh fish is delivered daily.

We've also visited Fleurs before, in fact twice. On our last visit the dinner was so lovely we went back again the next day for lunch! We resisted doing that this time and only went for dinner and it was just as lovely as we remembered.

There's a new cafe/restaurant on the wharf since our last visit, The FishWife; with, of course, seafood as the main event including freshly caught crayfish. Sadly, it was closed otherwise we'd have visited there too.

From the village we headed over to Katiki Point, hoping to check out the local wildlife.

The historic 1878 Katiki Lighthouse sits at the entrance to a large reserve where... 

...if you're lucky, you'll see Hoiho/Yellow Eyed Penguins, Kekeno/NZ Fur Seals and several colonies of Black Backed & Red-billed gulls, many of them nesting if you're there at the right time of the year. 

We had an amazing experience with the penguins when we first visited here. One waddled right past David's nose as he was laying hidden off the track (although obviously it wasn't off the penguin's track!) Two penguins made an appearance on this day but they were quite a distance away although David saw a couple up close as they moved from 'Penguin Beach' up to their nests. He was frantically trying to locate me but I was out of sight at the end of the headland checking out a seal pup who was crying for his mum. 

That's Mum lounging on the rocks middle left (not the fat 'slugs' sleeping in the seaweed at the bottom of a cliff), and the pup hiding under a rock in the water. Mum got up and slid into the water to check on the pup and then hauled back out. He stayed in the water crying and kept peeping out to see if I was still there (bottom right). I backed off and left them to it. 

I walked to the Boulders in the middle of the afternoon and was immediately pleased that we were staying overnight; there were people everywhere. I did know this though because of the amount of cars and campervans that were parked in the carpark beside our camp. A lot of people were also accessing the beach from the cafe above the boulders, where you can pay $2 to use their stairway.

With so many people climbing on, lounging over and posing in front of the boulders I took single boulder photos as they became free of people. 

At least I would be able to come back later in the evening and the next morning. I did manage to capture one photo without anyone photobombing the shot.

Unlike this boulder which I was photographing when these people walked right into the shot, totally oblivious to me (I was a lot closer but stepped back to take this photo).

I gave up and headed home. I guess the boulders will be having a well earned break at the moment.

One morning a bus load of students arrived in the carpark and disappeared up the beach. An hour or so later a few came back to the bus and sat about on the grass waiting. It was quite some time before the rest of the students arrived and they all left. Later when I went for a walk along the beach, I found their sand, shell and driftwood artworks in the sand just through the track from the carpark.

Once it was high tide, the people disappeared & so did the rocks!

Although they still proved to be great subjects.

Luckily we stayed two nights 'just in case' it was cloudy at sunrise. The first morning was grey and miserable and I happily went back to bed. The second morning looked more promising when I lifted the blind at 4:45am to check the eastern horizon. I hurriedly dressed and was striding up the beach in the darkness shortly afterwards. 'Oh darn, was that head torches I could see ahead of me near the boulders?'. I wasn't going to have them to myself after all.

The tide was on it's way in and as I reached the boulders I had to weave in and out of a dozen photographers and their tripods lined up along the wave line; Americans on a New Zealand wide photography tour. Oh well if you can't beat 'em join 'em...

Although a few of them weren't too considerate, hogging prime spots to catch the sunrise ahead of me and their fellow tour members. This lady eventually got asked to move aside by one of the tour leaders so others could get in there. The boulder with the opening is a very popular rock.

I did have the last laugh though, I was wearing gumboots (Wellington boots) and able to wade into the waves ahead of them, while many of them danced and jumped about trying not to get wet. Most gave up in the end though and walked into the thigh deep water. My gumboots also filled up as the waves got larger. I felt a little sorry (a teeny wee bit) for them having to wear wet shoes and soaked pants for the rest of the day as they sped about the country looking for the next scenic photo stop.

And for the photographers out there, here are my settings for the photo below- f/10, 3 sec, ISO 50
You also need a heavy duty tripod and be prepared for the legs to be dunked in sea water and also have sand stuck in the telescopic parts (unless of course you have a lovely husband who cleans it all out for you).

Fathers Day- Napier

Real-time

An added bonus of being back in Napier was that we could share Fathers Day with Dad, and treat Mum & Dad out to lunch at a very popular restaurant on the outskirts of Taradale- the Puketapu Hotel. Or as we've always called it, the Puketap' pub. The Puketapu Hotel is a member of the NZ Classic Pubs and a winner of the 2011 Hawkes Bay Hospo Awards which is one of the reasons it's so popular.

Puketapu was once a major crossroads and staging post, where stage and mail coaches, horse and bullock trains met up before branching off on their journeys to Taihape, Rissington, Puketitiri, Taupo, Wairoa and Gisborne.

Puketapu is also a very familiar area to us. When we were young, Mum and us kids spent nearly every weekend over summer at a swimming hole in the Tutaekuri River just up the road. As teenagers we'd also drive our friends out to the swimming hole for the day. Back then the pub was a typical rough and ready country pub. We only had eyes on the country store, it's where we'd fill up on supplies of iceblocks, chippies and fizzy drink- if we had enough pocket money.

Another reason the pub and restaurant are so popular is that Puketapu is at the top of one of the equally popular Hawkes Bay Cycle Trails, the Puketapu Loop, and is a good stopping point for lunch and/or refreshments. The trail starts in Napier (33kms return) but can be ridden from Taradale (18km return) up one side of the river and back down the other. 

Every weekend there is a continuous stream of lycra clad cyclists passing through or stopping for a breather, along with family groups and on this Sunday, a group of enthusiastic Art Deco period costume cyclists who arrived in dribs and drabs depending on their pedal power and lung capacity.

Although the guy on the penny farthing arrived with the first group and quickly disappeared into the garden bar for refreshments!

I'd booked a table earlier in the week, which was just as well as both the restaurant and bar were fully booked. The Garden Bar was also very busy as they have a 'Sunday Session' with live music two weekends a month.

We had a very enjoyable afternoon and we'd all thoroughly recommend the restaurant. There was a special Fathers Day menu but many of the dishes appear on their regular menu also. We all had the King Prawn & Shrimp Cocktail topped with Rose Marie Sauce. It was so delicious I forgot to take a photo! The prawns were chargrilled and warm and placed on top of the shrimps which made for an interesting combination and something a little different from the usual cold prawn cocktail.

Mum and I had the Pork Belly, David had Marinated Lamb Rump and Dad had the Lemon Parmesan Crumbed Beef Schnitzel and everyone was pleased with their choice.

The Puketapu is also a meeting place for Sunday run bikers...

...and their passengers, although it looks like this guy lost his! 

We had a wander past, admiring the line up of bikes... 

...and checking out the Model A truck across the road before heading for home, fully replete and ready for a Nana nap! 

And just a small note to mark a milestone- this is my 600th blog post. That's a bloody lot of typing and photo taking!

Ten Twenty Four

I am not the only one that has relatives in Hawkes Bay. David’s brother Tony, sister-in-law Nancy & nephew Ethan also live in the Bay, although they are relative newcomers, arriving five or so years ago after purchasing the Village Motel in Havelock North. Their days are busy and full-on especially at this time of the year when accommodation is at a premium with the many visitors and tourists to the district.

They managed to grab a few hours away from the motel on Sunday afternoon and we met at their favourite restaurant Ten Twenty Four at, well, 1024 Pakowhai Road, Hastings for lunch.

I believe this used to be the restaurant area for the Hettinga Estate Vineyard but I think the vineyard has now leased the kitchen, dining rooms & courtyard to the owners of Ten Twenty Four.

The dining area, bar and open kitchen are light and airy, I love the chandeliers but I’m not so sure on the stag’s head.

But the pièce de résistance, in my opinion, is the courtyard, and especially on yet another hot Hawkes Bay summer afternoon. Ten Twenty Four would make a lovely wedding venue, the bride & groom could get married at the end of the courtyard with the vines as a backdrop.

I thought this was a great way to make a feature of the old fountain pool in the centre of the courtyard. And if a wedding was taking place perhaps they could resurrect the fountain to flow champagne…….or maybe make a chocolate fountain!

Tony recommended we have the Chef’s Choice for lunch and even though it wasn't on this particular day’s menu (which is printed and changed daily), the chef was happy to oblige. Small but visually appealing portions are the norm here, we love this style of casual fine dining where you leave the table replete but not feeling over stuffed.

I’m afraid I can’t give you a blow by blow account of what we had although each course was explained in full to us- my memory just isn’t that good. But I can give you an rough idea; the complimentary glass of plum juice had an interesting arrangement of firm bubbles and dry ice. I loved the glass and saucer set. Next was salmon, a cockle, roasted black garlic, a chicken spring roll and a flavoured foam.

A lamb rack, purple carrot, potato croquette, half a baked stuffed apricot and two different sauces were our main followed by a delicious dessert of panna cotta, chocolate mousse, an edible white basket with a marinated cherry and what looked like a scoop of icecream. It actually broke in half to reveal a few tiny hidden treasures.

Ten Twenty Four might not be everyone’s cup of tea (or glass of plum juice, as the case may be) but if you’re looking for a completely different dining experience in a wonderful setting with great ambience then this just might be for you. But be sure to book, I hear that most evenings they are fully booked. This doesn’t surprise me as Ten Twenty Four is the number one restaurant (out of 56) for Hawkes Bay on Trip Advisor, the travelling public’s on-line ‘bible’. And just in case you’re a little worried at the size of the meals, I see from photos on TA that they are a bit more substantial for dinner.

Hi-de-Hi Hanmer

We stayed the first three nights at NZMCA’s Hanmer Park which is located about 6kms before the village and very near the Waiau River. The first night we parked near the road as there were a few others on the other side of the park. I was thinking “sleepy little resort, not much traffic”. Wrong. The rumbling started at about 4:30am, delivery trucks & cars zooming pass on the road just above our heads!

After everyone had left the next day we moved over to the other side but not just up against the bank as the others had parked, up on the old road which proved to be an ideal spot for us as it was nice and level and we had a grandstand view of the park and traffic coming & going. After 3 nights (the maximum allowed) we moved on to the Pines Holiday Park which was very handy to the village and just opposite Jacks Pass.

The one way 135 year old historic Ferry Bridge, over the Waiau River, is the gateway to the Hanmer Basin. Thrillseekers Adventures run a number of activities off, under & around the bridge; bungy jumping (there’s a jumping platform in the centre on the far side), jet boat rides up the river (you can see a jet boat tied up beneath the bridge). There’s also rafting, quad bikes & paintball available.

I mentioned in the previous post that we were in Hanmer so David could celebrate a special birthday, he was especially looking forward to a massage. Unfortunately we overlooked the fact that it was the school holidays and Hanmer was a very busy little village with many families enjoying a holiday in the alpine resort. The cafes & restaurants were full to overflowing, the thermal hot pools had a queue out the door everytime we passed by, there were a mass of kids & adults at the two Putt Putt Golf courses in town, every second car had bikes attached to the towbar or riding on the roof. And of course along with all the holidaying families there were the regular tourists & their motorhomes crowding the streets. It was a very hyped up little place.

Added to the mix were these cycles, the Village Cruisers were everywhere, pedalling around town, down the forest roads and passing by the camp site at Jacks Pass. I think they were quite hard work to pedal especially when there was just one adult, the kids had stopped pedalling after a few minutes. I took these photos all within about 15 minutes as I waited on a park bench for my phone to update at a telecom hotspot. 

Initially David was going to have a massage at The Spa, part of the thermal pool complex but we found a couple of others places that also did massages and he selected one that he was happy with and booked with them. We were also going to have a swim in the hot pools at some stage but after seeing how many people (and children) were filing into the pools we decided we might just have a swim in a private pool. That was until I saw it was going to cost $60 for 30 minutes! I’d rather find our own natural hot pool on the side of the road than pay that much for a swim! There are a couple near the road through Lewis Pass but they’ll have to wait as we were headed in the other direction when we left Hanmer.

On David’s birthday, which was on a beautiful sunny Sunday, we walked into town and had a lovely brunch at the Powerhouse Cafe, one of the many busy cafes in the village. Every available table inside & outside every cafe was taken with families enjoying the winter sunshine.
We then had a lovely birthday dinner at Restaurant No. 31, one of the few fine dining restaurants in the village and one without a child in sight! No. 31 reminded us of our favourite restaurant back in Tauranga, Somerset Cottage.

One morning during our stay I took myself off on a walking tour of the historic buildings around Hanmer Springs and in particular through the hospital grounds that surround the thermal pool complex. Along with the fresh mountain air, the thermal springs were part of the therapeutic environment which helped patients recover.

Click on the photo to enlarge if you wish to read the information boards.

The Chisholm Ward for “female patients suffering from functional nervous diseases”, later it became a treatment centre of drug & alcohol dependency.

Next door was the Nurses Hostel, a large imposing building with a very small front door beside which the sign read “Out of Bounds to Clients". I can understand that. There could be quite an emotional attachment from patients towards the nurses especially in the state of mind that some would have.

The Soldiers Block- a convalescent home for the treatment of shell-shocked servicemen.

 

This building is of significant historical value, as one of only two similar hospital buildings of this design, it is the only one that remains on it's original site.

And as I wandered on further through the large park like grounds I came across this building which looks like another type of dormitory hospital block, but it wasn’t until I walked around to the back that I saw a sign saying “Private Property, No Entry” It looked like a military building of some sort which has been abandoned. I’ve been unable to find out any information about it so far. 

In the centre of the village is The Heritage Hotel which is located in a beautiful Spanish-style building that was originally built in the 1930s as a lodge catering to the increasing numbers of tourists to Hanmer Springs “taking the waters”.

While David was having his massage I visited the Hanmer Forest Park which was just down the road (everything is just down the road in Hanmer) where there are numerous bike trails. When we came over Jollies Pass the other day I had spotted this unusual stand of conifers with their trunks all on a lean.

I did a few in-camera abstract shots too.

These could be the Ents from the LOTR film. David offered to put his black beanie on and  peep around the various trunks. I could have done multiple shots and merged them. But we didn’t get around to it.

So that was Hanmer, we did have a lovely time but next time we’ll make sure we don’t coincide our visit with the busy school holidays. We left Hanmer Springs after a very cold night, snow had settled on the surrounding mountains and on the grass around our camp site. And as we pulled out heading for Kaikoura, it started to snow again.