Peski POP

It’s been another day where we’ve put some kilometres behind us, 260 to be exact. Initially we thought we might just do the short 100km stretch from Parnasuss to the NZMCA Park at Weedons on the south side of Christchurch but once on the road we decided that as we had no errands to do in the city we might as well carry on to Geraldine, then it’d just be a short hop to Tekapo tomorrow.

The new sculpture ‘Fanfare’ can be seen from quite a distance as you approach Christchurch on the Northern Motorway. It stands 25 metres tall and is covered in 360 spinning metal pinwheels that reflect light and move in the wind. It is one of the largest public artworks in New Zealand and was gifted to Christchurch by the city of Sydney after their 2004 New Year celebrations.  Back then, it was hoisted onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge from a boat that carted it out into the harbour.

Christchurch is still in a major state of upheaval and repair after the earthquakes 5 years ago. The main road that skirts around the city and past the airport is one major road work with enough orange cones to stretch from one end of the country to the other. Then there were cones and machinery on the road south, just out of town and near Weedons (bottom left). I thought they must be about to start to widen that road. It really needs to be widened, it’s a very dangerous road with too many fast cars. But no, they were only about to trim the hedge!

After a brief stop at Rolleston for fuel (and lunch, that darn Golden Arch was beckoning us) we carried on south along the plains. Already we’ve seen some silly manoeuvres on the road including this guy overtaking us on double yellow lines. Idiot.

The Rakaia River bed was a mass of yellow lupins but these aren’t the lupins I’m looking for; the MacKenzie lupins are way more stunning. I spotted a nesting colony of endangered Black-billed gulls on a gravel island just below the bridge as we passed over it. It would have been good to stop and check them out but with such a braided river I doubt I’d have been able to get close.

Thankfully we weren’t heading north, the traffic was horrendous on the other side of the road. There was a traffic queue a few kilometres long through Ashburton and out the other side. We thought it was caused by slow progress across the Ashburton River bridge but apparently it is being caused by road works way down in Temuka. Stop/Go lights that hold a line of traffic back for far too long.

We gave the Pilot Vehicle a toot of thanks for holding the traffic up for us so we could safely cross the narrow Rangitata River bridge. No...wait, he wasn’t holding them up for us? Ok, well he must have been holding them back for the wide load truck that we passed just before the bridge. You can see it in the distance in the photo above.

We turned inland at Orari which wasn't too far from our next overnight stop on the outskirts of Geraldine. Peski’s is a very popular POP, a NZMCA park over property and our hosts Maureen & David run a well oiled ship on their small lifestyle block.

The grounds are lovely with beautiful trees, gardens and an aviary. There’s water available, power if required, rubbish disposal and a dump station for smaller volume cassette toilets.

The ‘cigar hut’ has a washing machine, comfy chairs, magazines, books, a hot water zip, brochures, maps and lots more (I’ve decided ‘cigar hut’ is the name I’m going to call all small sheds with everything in them for us movanners- after having lunch outside the cigar hut at Bulwer). There’s also a lovely selection of pickles and pastes to buy along with fresh eggs. And I bet a few veges from the garden when there's an over supply later in summer.

A small winding walkway (mown and kept clear by David….no not my David, concentrate) winds it's way through the bush down to a river behind the property.

We’re parked up length way near the house so we don’t have to un-hitch (ready for a quick get-a-way in the morning….well quick by our standards). There’s more parking available in the grassed yard out the back…

…and a small paddock with a flock of free-range chickens. Mr Rooster was none too impressed when he saw that I didn’t have any food for him and his harem.

There's also a very cute little (tiny) dog called Tui, but she had disappeared when I stepped outside to take photos.

Picton to Parnassus

After a rather noisy night parked at the Evans Bay carpark, we were up bright and early and ready to roll, well ahead of schedule. It was a quick and painless trip through the early morning rush-hour traffic to the downtown ferry terminal where we lined up to wait for boarding to commence. We’re travelling with Bluebridge once again, while both shipping companies give good discounts if you’re a member of NZMCA, we save a quite a bit more with Bluebridge.

Once the trucks have been loaded, we’re next in the queue; we seem to always lead everyone else up the ramp, it must be to do with our 14.5 metre length. No problem there, first on means first off too!

It was a cold, grey day in Wellington but luckily for me there wasn’t too much wind. My fingers were crossed for a smooth sailing.

The drizzle started as we pulled away from the wharf. I was hoping for a bright day to take this photo of the cool terraced houses on the hill above Oriental Bay. I have seen many prints on walls of this scene. Perhaps next time I’ll get a bit more colour.

It was too cold out on the deck so I moved indoors, found David and we retired to the movie theatre to watch a movie. We’ve only been to the pictures twice since leaving for our life on the road and both those times have been on the Cook Strait ferry! How sad is that? After Paddington Bear last time, today’s movie was “Far from the Madding Crowd”, a chick flick that I didn’t think was that great but at least it took my mind off the choppy sea outside. The movie finished just as we entered the Sounds, out on deck I could hardly see from one side to the other through the mist and cloud. Picton was ahead of us somewhere.

It was still cold and wet when we drove off the ferry heading for Blenheim but by the time we were out the other side of the city the sun was shining and the roads dry. And it’s not only the roads that were dry, the hills were too, although with just a hint of green. Marlborough and North Canterbury are still fighting severe drought conditions and it doesn’t look too good for the summer with our friend El nino expected. This is in stark contrast to the lush green Hawkes Bay farmland we drove through just yesterday.

We pass the salt ponds at Lake Grassmere, with just a touch of pink showing. I’ve no need to stop to take photos of the ponds this time, I had much better colour, November two years ago.

And no need to visit the seal pups at Ohau waterfall either (top photo below), I’ve been there 3 times on our trips past. I wonder if eventually I’ll be saying that for the whole of the South Island. “no need to stop there David, no photos needed here darling, yes I have that church…”. I guess that’ll be the time to leave the south.

We’ve already noticed that there are many more motorhomes on the road since we left the south 2 months ago. Just about every 2nd vehicle was a motorhome of some sort; either a rental or with NZMCA member’s ‘wings’ on them. It’s going to be a busy summer me thinks.

We did stop so I could see if the shag colony near the waterfall still had chicks but they had all flown the nest and there were only bundles of twigs and empty egg shells littering the ledge.

This is a sign you’ll not see often. Luckily for us (and them), the seals were taking a day off from sunning themselves on the tarmac.

Not too far south of Kaikoura there are two separate very narrow road tunnels that scare the bejesus out of both of us; they are so narrow with fast approaches and sharp exits (depending on the direction you’re heading). I suck in my breath (and tummy) whenever I glance in the side mirror to see how close we are to the wall. It’s a close shave I’m sure, in fact I know it is, going by the scrape marks along the tunnel wall.

We were stopped behind this guy at some roadworks. Who knew there were motorised wheelbarrows out there? Not me. Is that cheating or what? Perfect for a wheelbarrow race though, as long as you could hide the workings.

And here we are parked up at the NZMCA Park at Parnassus in North Canterbury. We’re making good time, it’s hard to believe we were in Napier just over 24 hours ago.

And just in case you’re getting ideas; I won’t be doing a daily blog post, just keeping up to date for now.

Pullin' Out

Finally the time had come to say goodbye to the family and head back 'Out There'. We had planned to leave yesterday morning but the day dawned cold, grey and wet so we made an executive decision and decided to delay our departure until this morning. You can do that when you have no firm plans, part of the joy of living on the road. One more day is neither here nor there in the scheme of things.

With the van off the concrete pad, we helped Dad put his carport 'sail' back up; his car will be looking forward to being under cover again. And the neighbour will be pleased to not be looking at the back of a hulking great big brown wall out her kitchen window.

We said our farewells to Mum & Dad, not too sure when we'll be seeing them again- I think I'll have to keep an eye out for cheap flights to Napier. I said goodbye to Lily too (my gorgeous cat who has had a new Mum & Dad for the last 3 years), she's getting old now and we think her kidneys are failing but she still enjoys life and is great company for Mum & Dad. 

And then headed up to the newly revamped dump station at the Boundary on Marine Parade. This must be the best view of any dump station we've visited in New Zealand, right out across Hawke Bay to Cape Kidnappers. And it's a great station too, easy access with a dump station on both sides so it's no problem where your outlet pipe is situated.....except we came in the wrong way! Never mind, no one about and it was easier driving out with no sharp turn.

We'd originally thought we'd overnight somewhere on the way to Wellington but it was such a lovely day for driving and it is only 300km, and we were a day behind out initial plan, so in the end we drove all the way through. We stopped at Takapu for a late lunch and then Featherston for a walk around and a cup of tea before the big climb over the Rimutakas and straight into 5 o'clock rush hour!

It actually didn't take too long to drive through the city and back to our favourite overnight stop at Evans Bay. It was like coming home....except we had visitors. Plenty of them and they'd taken most of the good parks! 

So we had to back our tiny mobile home in beside these two ginormous buses. I still can't get used to preparing dinner while overlooking a busy arterial route with cars, bikes and people passing just a couple of feet from my back window. It's just weird.

We'll be up and gone early, we're booked on the 8am sailing to Picton. And this time I shall make sure I have taken my Sealegs before we leave. I don't want a repeat of the last sailing.

See you on the other side!

Around The Mount

Things must be getting desperate when I have no local blog to post. I've been using all my free time to catch up on my "to do" list which had grown in leaps and bounds over the last few months with the knowledge that once we were parked up at Mum & Dads' I could update and download at will, with a free connection to their wi-fi. It also helps not to take too many photos while you're trying to process dozens of folders from the past few months. 

With just a few small things left to do on the van over the weekend, we're getting ready to 'hit the road' again on Monday. Out time in Napier is coming to an end and our feet are getting itchy, it'll be sad to say goodbye but it's time to continue on with our wandering. We also need to make it to the MacKenzie Country by the last week in November, I've missed the mass lupin flowering the last two seasons, this time I'm making sure we will be there.

So, here are a few more photos from our time at the Mount-

These first two are long exposure (1.6sec) shots just before dawn. Long exposure lets more light in and smooths the rough water out. It was quite rough in amongst the rocks with choppy waves bouncing up and over the rocks, you can see remnants of water on the rocks behind. You also need a tripod if you're doing long exposure otherwise it the whole scene would be blurred.

A ship leaves Tauranga Port-

Starting as they mean to go on- daily exercisers begin the steep climb to the top of Mauao (the name given to the extinct volcano cone itself). 

The Red Beacon-

The bulk carrier ship 'Foochow' leaves Tauranga Port-

Different views of Mt Maunganui's Main Beach-

Dawn over Pilot Bay-

Calm before the storm- Pilot Bay ahead of the summer influx-

From the top of Mauao with Karewa Island behind and the Coromandel Penninsula and islands on the horizon. And hats off to the ladies on the summit with their 20kg+ toddlers on their backs! One of them is my daughter-in-law Sophie with grandson Joel, they carted the kids all the way to the top in the carry packs on their backs. That's Maddie and her friend in front.

The iconic view from the top of Mauao- looking down on Mt Maunganui with the Main Beach on the left and Pilot Bay on the right. The camp ground and the salt hot water pools directly below. It's no wonder that this is one of the most popular holiday resorts in New Zealand.

OD- My Favourite Street Artist

While at the Mount I took the chance of shooting a few more of my favourite street artist’s work. OD aka Owen Dippie is a world renowned street artist who I have been following for a few years now. Owen grew up in Mt Maunganui but sadly for the Mount & Tauranga he has recently moved to Auckland which means there won’t be any more random murals appearing around the city’s industrial areas.

These first two are quite visible on the rear of industrial buildings along the main route into Mt Maunganui (they're not from the series)

The Incredible Hulk- which was part of OD's super hero series.

The critically endangered Maui’s Dolphin-

OD will continue to paint, as funds and time allow, commissioned works for the Tauranga City Council’s  ‘Larger than Life’ series. This is one of the five painted so far, it’s hoped that there’ll be 15 works of art eventually placed around the inner city of Tauranga.

From the famous Michelangelo sculpture, The Pieta-

Here is the fifth in the series and last for the time being. We have visited this building many times- our lawyer’s offices were once here!

The ‘Goddess of Love' as seen in Botticelli's 1486 painting ‘The Birth of Venus’-

You must admit this is quite an impressive sight- especially if you wake up and throw open the curtains in the hotel room across the carpark. At 27 metres high and covering six storeys, it’s one of OD biggest works. Although not as large, and in my opinion as wonderful, as my favourite piece of all; The Ballerina, painted on the rear of the Isaac Theatre Royal in Christchurch.

Owen was also commissioned by Tauranga Boys College to paint a series of mural portraits featuring a range of Kiwi heroes that depict the college’s house leaders. It was just as well it was school holidays when I stopped by to check them out.

Sir Apirana Ngata- a Ngati Porou leader and politician, Apirana Ngata is one of New Zealand's best-known figures. As MP for Eastern Maori, he worked to strengthen Maori communities and revive Maori culture.

Moana Nui a Kiwa Ngarimu- a New Zealand soldier and posthumous recipient in 1943 of the Victoria Cross. He was also the first Maori to receive this honour.

Sir Edmund Hillary- a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953, Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

Sir Bernard Freyberg- a British-born soldier and Victoria Cross recipient, who later served as the seventh Governor-General of New Zealand from 1946 to 1952.

Sir Ernest Rutherford- a New Zealand-born British physicist who became known as the father of nuclear physics.

Sir Murray Halberg- a former New Zealand middle distance runner who won the gold medal in the 5000 metres event at the 1960 Olympics.

Tauranga Boys College is one of the largest boy's colleges in New Zealand with a roll of over 1,870 pupils. What great role models these famous and outstanding men are for future generations of boys.

You can see more of Owen’s works in this blog post- Girl with a Pearl Earring, which I did a couple of years ago just before we left Tauranga for our life on the road.