The First Third of 2021

Before we return to the USA in May, I wanted to update our travels since January. All of the places I have written about in prior blogs, but for those craving orientation, I provide the numbered map below of the northern half of the South Island. The photos are not numerical order. I promise this will be mostly photos with little text. 

1. Timaru 2. West Coast 3. Golden Bay 4. Tasman/Nelson 5. Arrow to Wellington on North Island       6. Kaikoura 7. Hanmer Springs

#1 Timaru and environs

Lake Tekapo is one hour away in the Southern Alps, noted for its iconic wee lakeside church and Mt. John observatory. We went for an overnight on a cold, clear, and dark evening, perfect for stargazing. I got no photos, but here is one of a cluster I viewed called the Jewel Box. This photo from Wikipedia shows the three different colored stars in the center.

NGC 4755 taken by the VLT
Credit: ESO

The colors of the hills reminded me of paintings by famed NZ artist Rita Angus.

Landscape (Wanaka)-1939 by Rita Angus

We discovered a wonderful place stay, the Lake Tekapo Lodge, with this view from the breakfast table.

13 Km. east of Timaru is a place we had heard about but never visited until recently. We took a drive out to find Castle Claremont. Built in 1884 by a wealthy family, it was sold to a Catholic religious order as a college. They expanded by constructing a chapel and dormitory with student labor, apparently unnoticed by local authorities. Lately it has been used as a B&B and Conference/Wedding venue. Unfortunately since most visitors were American, it has been mostly empty the last year and is up for sale.

Castle Claremont

If you keep your eyes open wherever you are you may spot random local artworks.

Wall facing Speight's Pub in Timaru

#6-Kaikoura

Always good for a splendid view and food, its name combines Maori words for "food" and "lobster". Yum! 

Salmon salad

Lobster plate

 
 #5- Charlotte Sound to Wellington

Two years ago my sisters and I had a grand time hiking the Queen Charlotte Track, staying at lovely lodges. I took Fayne (by water taxi) for two nights to one of my favorites, the Furneaux Lodge. 

View of Charlotte Sound from Motuara Isle

Puhikereru Rimu Tree

From there we took the Cook Straight ferry for a few nights in Wellington. It is always worth visiting the capital if only to go to Te Papa National Museum. You never know what you might see, like a large space filled with webbing and numbers.

The Web of Time...

...by Chiaru Shiota

Colorful Pacifica-inspired cylinders anyone?

Haukulasi by Filipe Tohi

Perhaps unusual undergarments interest you. Can you find the one entitled "Prickly Heat"?

Bizarre Bra Section Third by Wendy Moyer

A different venue hosted a popular multimedia exhibit called "Van Gogh Alive". Interesting, but I suspect Vincent may have lopped off his other ear if he saw this.

 

#2. The West Coast
We have previously gone up from Greymouth to Westport, but I was curious as to what lay further north.

Monument to a 1967 Mine Disaster

Pancake Rocks, Paparoa NP

 

Pororari River Gorge in Paparoa NP

60 miles north of Westport where the paved road ends you will find Karamea, a town of 357 hearty souls.

Statue depicting the legend of the Hokioi and chief Te Maia Kahurangi

Karamea Hotel

Karamea Estuary

 #3- Golden Bay & Able Tasman National Park

The top of the South Island is a wonderland, especially the jewel that is Able Tasman NP, and we stayed at the perfect place: Adrift in Golden Bay. It is highly recommended, the best place we have stayed in New Zealand.

An aerial view of Adrift

The view from the beachfront

Exploring the environs, we encountered this monument to Abel Tasman.

The rather modest memorial to Tasman

The Dutchman was the first European to lay eyes on New Zealand on 16 December, 1642, but an unfortunate encounter with the locals near here resulted in four Dutch sailors killed and at least one Maori. The Dutch never landed and left, naming the inlet Murderers' Bay. It took until October 7, 1769, over 126 years, for Captain James Cook to become the first European (pakeha) to land in NZ.

The view from the Abel Tasman Memorial

The view from Grove Scenic Reserve

Wainui Falls

The clear waters of Te Waikoropupu Springs

Able Tasman NP is among the most beloved parts of NZ and it is easy to see why. The weather is mild and the golden sand beaches stretch for miles. This visit we took a day to explore by water taxi and walking in an unhurried way with few other visitors due to the global pandemic.

 

 

Split Apple Rock, Able Tasman NP from the sea

View from the beach

#4- The Tasman Region & Nelson

We ended up spending a fair amount of time around Nelson, including a five-day working stint at the local hospital. One must do on our list was to visit The Smoking Barrel in Motueka, nationally famous for its wide array of both sweet and savory donuts, as well as some of the best in Kiwi BBQ.

L) Sweet-Lemon Jelly; R) Savory Cheeseburger

Mixed BBQ Platter

 

Just west of Nelson you will find Mapua Wharf. We visited on a sunny Sunday when they were having a regatta for all floating vessels: paddle boards, kayaks, small outboards, and sailboats.

Mapua Wharf and Regatta, west of Nelson

We spent a few nights in a posh waterfront condo in Nelson overlooking Tasman Bay.

As we were in Nelson over Fayne's birthday, she feared she would miss out on a special chocolate birthday cake, but what kind of a husband would I be if I let that happen?

The scrumptious cake from Chocolate Velvet

#7- Hanmer Springs

When taking the eight hour drive from Timaru to Nelson (or vice versa) it's nice to stop for the night. If you go up the east coast, Kaikoura is the spot, but if you travel inland through Lewis Pass, Hanmer Springs will do.

Known for the springs, family-friendly and commercialized

Thomas Hanmer (1827-1892) From Hanmer, Wales, surveyed but never lived here

The surprise this time was the Hanmer Heritage Forest Amble including whimsical wood animal sculptures by artist Andrew Lyons of Christchurch.

Odds and Ends

Two recent items from the "Perhaps Walt Disney was Right, It Is a Small World After All" file:

1) I was watching my favorite BBC-TV chat show, The Graham Norton Show, when I saw this: Tom Jones sings a Malvina Reynolds song," No Hole in My Head". Friends may know that I lived and worked with the legendary Berkeley folk music/singer/songwriter/activist Malvina Reynolds in the early 1970's. I never expected to see  Tom Jones cover one of her songs and give credit to her afterwards in 2021 on international TV while watching in New Zealand. (If you want to see Malvina sing the song, click here.); and

2) The next week in the local Kiwi paper daily trivia quiz, this appeared:

My Mind

One final image to share: A final request of my father was to have his ashes scattered on Two Medicine Pass in Glacier National Park, Montana. Sister Cheryl found this photo of him there in 1980.

I hope to go with my sisters sometime in 2022 to honor his request.