Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain....
Question: What do Kiwis do when it’s raining?
Answer: a) take off thongs (flip flops to the English) to prevent them getting wet.
b) put on a North Cape anorak and press on regardless.
c) go to the pub and socialise.
What is your answer? If you answered (a) then award yourself 5 points; if you answered (b) award yourself 5 points; if you answered (c) award yourself zero points as the Kiwis don’t need any excuses to go to the pub!
Being British, our stiff upper lip and resolve meant that having made our plans we stuck to them and got very wet. So we repaired to the pub as any sensible person would have done in the first place. What did Margery order? A lemon tea – I was soooo embarrassed, so I ordered a “handle” (McGreiths Black ale) and for good measure some chips.
A “handle” is what Kiwis call a tankard and probably about 2/3 pint, and beer is relatively expensive.
We booked to go walking tomorrow (part of the Queen Charlotte Track) and Kayaking on Kenepuru Sound, on Sunday. Both are relatively expensive expeditions as the water taxis takes you across to the starting point, and then you walk to the finish, where, providing you don’t get lost or dawdle too long, you get picked up for the return boat trip to your base.
Before anyone gets too worried, the kayaking is a guided expedition so we won’t get lost and the worst we can do is capsize the thing and get wet. What a joint St Valentines pressy! A romantic cruise around some secluded bays with (probably) 20 other people. Oh what the heck; we’re on holiday! Don’t be such a pessimist! It might just be you and I and the guide playing gooseberry!
Picton, Nelson and the Marlborough area is a mass of Sounds. These are sunken valleys and often you have vast distances to cover before getting into open water. During our crossing yesterday from Wellington we were out of site of land for only about an hour of a 3 1/2hr crossing. The ferry (a la CalMac in Scotland) weaves its way through the islands and along the Tory Channel into Queen Charlotte Sound. This is the deepest Sound (averaging around 60 metres deep) in the area, and is an area that Capt. James Cook frequented and was the site of the last whaling station operating in NZ when it closed in 1964.
Many of the roads in this area are unsealed making it necessary to have an AWD vehicle or better a boat to explore and then plenty of time. We are here for a week and so will only touch a very small proportion of what scenery is on offer. Unfortunately we don’t have Billy Connolly’s budget or his film crew to do full justice to what’s available and so it might be necessary to plan 6 months here as some of the residents do and live the other 6 in the summer in UK! Only kidding!
We explored an old Maori Pa site this afternoon and saw a family of NZ quail on our travels. The iwi (tribal) wars meant that this site was last occupied around the early 1800’s and the attacking tribe used muskets (supplied by the Europeans in trading) to win the battle. By the way most pa sites are surrounded on 3 sides by water being on a steep cliff headland or similar making the landward side the only side that needed real fortification and earthworks for protection. The Maori only had hand weapons and spears until the Pakeha arrived of course.
Oh yes, the new wheels! It has central locking, a cassette player, 1497cc twin-cam 16 valve engine BUT IT’S A NISSAN – I LOATHE NISSANS ALMOST AS MUCH AS I DETEST FORDS! – ok, I know it’s pure prejudice, but the Nasty Nissan is living up to - or rather down to – my expectations – Bigger body, ugly shape and less useable space inside! But it is called Sunny! That’s just another SAD thing about it! Give me our little Slug any day!
Question: What do Kiwis do when it’s raining?
Answer: a) take off thongs (flip flops to the English) to prevent them getting wet.
b) put on a North Cape anorak and press on regardless.
c) go to the pub and socialise.
What is your answer? If you answered (a) then award yourself 5 points; if you answered (b) award yourself 5 points; if you answered (c) award yourself zero points as the Kiwis don’t need any excuses to go to the pub!
Being British, our stiff upper lip and resolve meant that having made our plans we stuck to them and got very wet. So we repaired to the pub as any sensible person would have done in the first place. What did Margery order? A lemon tea – I was soooo embarrassed, so I ordered a “handle” (McGreiths Black ale) and for good measure some chips.
A “handle” is what Kiwis call a tankard and probably about 2/3 pint, and beer is relatively expensive.
We booked to go walking tomorrow (part of the Queen Charlotte Track) and Kayaking on Kenepuru Sound, on Sunday. Both are relatively expensive expeditions as the water taxis takes you across to the starting point, and then you walk to the finish, where, providing you don’t get lost or dawdle too long, you get picked up for the return boat trip to your base.
Before anyone gets too worried, the kayaking is a guided expedition so we won’t get lost and the worst we can do is capsize the thing and get wet. What a joint St Valentines pressy! A romantic cruise around some secluded bays with (probably) 20 other people. Oh what the heck; we’re on holiday! Don’t be such a pessimist! It might just be you and I and the guide playing gooseberry!
Picton, Nelson and the Marlborough area is a mass of Sounds. These are sunken valleys and often you have vast distances to cover before getting into open water. During our crossing yesterday from Wellington we were out of site of land for only about an hour of a 3 1/2hr crossing. The ferry (a la CalMac in Scotland) weaves its way through the islands and along the Tory Channel into Queen Charlotte Sound. This is the deepest Sound (averaging around 60 metres deep) in the area, and is an area that Capt. James Cook frequented and was the site of the last whaling station operating in NZ when it closed in 1964.
Many of the roads in this area are unsealed making it necessary to have an AWD vehicle or better a boat to explore and then plenty of time. We are here for a week and so will only touch a very small proportion of what scenery is on offer. Unfortunately we don’t have Billy Connolly’s budget or his film crew to do full justice to what’s available and so it might be necessary to plan 6 months here as some of the residents do and live the other 6 in the summer in UK! Only kidding!
We explored an old Maori Pa site this afternoon and saw a family of NZ quail on our travels. The iwi (tribal) wars meant that this site was last occupied around the early 1800’s and the attacking tribe used muskets (supplied by the Europeans in trading) to win the battle. By the way most pa sites are surrounded on 3 sides by water being on a steep cliff headland or similar making the landward side the only side that needed real fortification and earthworks for protection. The Maori only had hand weapons and spears until the Pakeha arrived of course.
Oh yes, the new wheels! It has central locking, a cassette player, 1497cc twin-cam 16 valve engine BUT IT’S A NISSAN – I LOATHE NISSANS ALMOST AS MUCH AS I DETEST FORDS! – ok, I know it’s pure prejudice, but the Nasty Nissan is living up to - or rather down to – my expectations – Bigger body, ugly shape and less useable space inside! But it is called Sunny! That’s just another SAD thing about it! Give me our little Slug any day!
The wooden dolphin is the brother to the ones that are on their way home via Jenny! We found Ron's birthday present yesterday - and a beautiful reminder of this fantastic trip. Carved by a guy in Picton, who only packs them himself - he won't let his shop staff do it! So all being well. ours should arrive home a bit before us in mid March.
Another Nissan? What happened to the Scoob?! ...and that dolphin will look lovely on my new mantlepiece ;) lol!
ReplyDeleteGlad you're having a great time guys. J&Dx