Alpen Club – August 2010

We have just returned from a couple of weeks at the Alpen Club. Very many thanks to Jim and others who provided valuable information which made the trip dead easy. We flew Manchester/Munich via EasyJet and took the S8 to Central Munich where we stayed the night as the flight was a very late arrival.

It all worked out really well. We stayed in a decent hotel right opposite the station (Europaischer Hof). This meant that the next day we could have quite a few hours exploring central Munich before going to the train. We walked down to Karsplatz and enjoyed the fountain and the old medieval gate, the Karlstor. We continued along Neuhauser Str. and looked in the Museum and the Lieben Frau Dom (Cathedral of Our Dear Lady). The huge Hirmer store is most impressive with its big red vertical banner flags (bit reminiscent of old films – you know what I mean). In Marienplatz we sat and had a coffee and watched the antics of the automation figures complementing the glockenspiel in the new town hall (built over 100 years ago but looks much older).

We then walked down via the old town hall (Altes Rathaus with its 12th century tower) to the market place (Viktualienmarkt) and on to the English Garden or Englischer Garten (just the first bit as it is massive and you can easily spend all day there). We saw the Hofbrunnwerk, which I believe is an old aquaduct. Certainly looked like it. We returned via the beautiful Hofgarten and enjoyed a violinist playing in the Hofgartentempel. The Theatiner church at the Odeonsplatz is pretty impressive and then there is the Feldherrnhalle (nuff said), though the lions are good. We stopped off at the Fountain at Frauenplatz, a very pretty little oasis and a pleasant terrace of green painted houses.

There is just so much to see and do in Munich that it ought to be on everyone’s list of major cities to visit.

We returned to the hotel to pick up our cases and walked over to the station. The train obviously left bang on time and we had an easy 50 minute ride down to Schliersee. The German train system is brilliant. It is so easy with the destination displays at the end of the line and the place names over each door.

We had notified the resort and they picked us up in the resort mini-bus, as arranged by email. The day after we arrived our son and family joined us (separate apartments!!)

The first few days the weather was superb. Bit too hot to be honest.  But then it settled down and became a bit changeable – but still nicely warm. It did rain at times but we always seemed to strike lucky and it never troubled us.

We walked from the resort to the cable car to take us up the local mountain. Splendid views over the lake and valley. Had a ride round the Alpen Roller (bit manic and you think you are going to be tipped off). Went down the toboggan and it didn't hurt too much when it tipped over. Did this outing twice as we enjoyed it so much the first time.

The countryside in Summer is magical. All lakes and mountains with pretty towns and villages. So quiet and peaceful. Totally different sort of a holiday. I actually feel quite rested! We were obviously early for the main Oktoberfest but Schliersee had its own beer festival while we were there which was good fun. Huge flagons of ale, sausages and bread and sauerkraut and roast chickens etc. I bought quite a few bottles of the special Oktoberfest beer. Very nice. In fact I was pleasantly surprised to find that booze is quite cheap and meals seem very reasonably priced. The local Supermarket is a Netto. It has just about everything you need but we actually preferred walking over to the Tengelmann supermarket in the town centre.

So, what else did we get up to. Well, the first thing is to walk down to the lake and get the big boat for a trip around the lake. Easy orientation process. We also hired two motor boats on two separate occasions which the grandchildren loved. The sun canopy was needed on both occasions. We enjoyed the restaurant by the lake near boat hire. We used the one nearest to St. Martin’s Church. The grandchildren enjoyed paddling in the lake and feeding the ducks with all the stale bread you acquire over  the days.

We used the resort pool quite a bit as it was so good and safe – uniform depth throughout. The pool featured a waterfall that nearly knocked you over. It was like a massage. Next to it was a jet flow that proved good fun. As did the cocktails at Happy Hour. We also enjoyed the skittles. How anyone ever gets all nine down is beyond me.

We walked round the lake and had a drink at the cafe (Rixner Alm) and lunch at Kögl am See. All very nice. We called in at the Marzipan shop (as we called it, in front of Cafe Mesner) in Schliersee.

Regarding trips out – we went on the Church and Cake trip. This took us to two churches in Fischbachau (St. Martin’s and the one next to it) and walked through the meadow and up Calvary Hill to Berkenstein. Fantastic churches, Fantastic interiors. St Martins has a particularly gruesome Jesus carving just inside the entrance. We then went to Elbach to

Winklestuberl for cakes and coffee (it sort of means Cosy Corner). Excellent cakes.

We took the BOB to Osterhofen for the cable car to Wendelstein. We went in the cave, had lunch, Dave and Jack walked up to the observatory. Tiny Church was for us. The clouds came down and that was that. Another time we “BOBbed” to Tegernsee. Changed at Holzkirchen. Had lunch by the lake at the Seehaus and later ice cream at the Italian ice cream shop where we watched a wedding at the town hall opposite. All very nice.

A great walk we took was from the resort towards Ratch’n but took the footpath to Hausham. Rested awhile in the beer garden and walked back by the river. As we crossed the railway line a thunderstorm broke so had lunch at the Gasthof zum Prinzenweg just down from the resort. Rain all gone by the time we came out. Nice.

Walked to Ratch’n for coffee one day, just to check it out. Jurgen is quite a character and speaks good English and showed us around. He has a nice collection of old sixties film and pop stars painted in semi-religious poses. The last supper was in delightful taste, featuring Marylyn, Elvis, James, Dean etc. He also collects old radios. The upside down table hanging from the roof with a full meal was quite interesting. We booked for the evening. Excellent meal! We also had a good meal down at the Ratskeller and another at Cafe Mesner.

All in all we had a fabulous time and we are now committed fans of the Alpen Club. We were most impressed by Dieter behind the club bar. He is a complete professional and looked after us very well and kept us amused every time we went in for drinks and meals. In fact we had quite a number of meals at the resort. I had read some rather negative reports but we found the food and service to be fine.

Anke, who is maybe the assistant manager, gave us exceptional service – indeed, as did all the staff at reception. They are a delight. The housekeepers, grounds men and maintenance men were all very friendly and helped promote a lovely, relaxed atmosphere. What a lovely resort.

Day 4 – Singapore – Monday 29th March 2010

 

What a last day in Singapore? Couldn’t have been better. Everything went exactly to plan. Bit of a lazy start. Val did a load of packing while I, err, hmmm, did something else. We needed to sort out on-line check-in so went to see the concierge who did it for us. But before that we had to sort out the extra day that idiot-brain at TravelBag forgot to book for us. Took a while but eventually we checked out for the first four days and checked back in again for the last day. Having attended to the bureaucracy we went across to our favourite mall and had a bit of a last mooch about. Val decided to purchase a nice pair of shoes she had coveted on our first visit.

We had a spot of lunch and relaxed for a while and then set off to Sentosa Island. Weather was a bit flaky today so on arrival we decided to experience our first Segway adventure before it rained. It was brilliant. The phrase “Duck to Water” comes to mind. Got on and just did it without any trouble at all. We soon zoomed off around the landscaped circuit. Got to go around twice which doubled the fun. A truly excellent adventure.

It then started to spot with rain so we went to the pictures. This is billed as a truly interactive experience and is called 4D Magix. The film was a pirate adventure starring that bloke from the original spoof airplane disaster. You know the one. Captain Over. Can’t remember his name. Eric Idle was the first mate. The seats have six degrees of motion and are equipped with some interesting features. Like for instance when a load of crabs came out of the screen and attacked us you could feel then crawling around your feet. When water was chucked over you it really was (only a bit but enough to make you jump). All good fun.

We then tried to go up the Sky Tower but the poor weather meant the thing was closed for a bit, so we went on the Luge. This was equally brilliant. You sat in a cross between a luge and a go-cart. The big thing was that you could slow the craft down and steer it. Soon got the hang of that so once again we chucked ourselves off down the concrete hill. The photo on the right is just a part of the long downhill track that was quite wide in places to facilitate overtaking.Soon overtook the wimps in front. Enjoyed that.

We then returned back to the top on a chairlift that also returned the luge back to the top. It was exactly like the one we saw in Queenstown on South Island. I wish now we had gone down that one. Anyhow, after we got back to the top the Sky Tower was back in business so we went up that. Great views but the poor visibility made photos a bit hit and miss. Still most enjoyable, mind you. The photo on the right is taken from the chairlift, of the chairlift, with the Sky Tower visible at the top of the hill.

We then had to wait quite a while until it went dark so we mooched around and had a drink and went on a nature walk and mooched around a bit more. Then got the bus to the beach and joined the heaving throng who were congregating to go in to watch the light show. This was called “The Songs of the Sea”. They had built this set out on the water, a Malaysian village that looked like one of these ethnic villages you see on Tele with wooden huts stuck up in the air, on stilts. There were hundreds of seats built like a Roman Amphitheatre facing this set. No backs to these seats, just concrete benches. No cover so good job it had stopped raining.

The production started off a bit naff with a bunch of kids messing about on the beach but eventually the science took over and the special effects were pretty good. Lots of water, sprays, jets and cascades all artfully lit with smoke and lasers projecting moving images. These were excellent. Some were full colour, not just the usual green laser light. As things progressed we had lots of fire effects and finally fireworks to create a spectacular finale. Made a great end to the holiday. I took loads of photos and video clips but they don’t look that impressive when reduced and shown in the blog. What I forgot was that we went on the mono rail so here is a photo of the two of us on the monorail and a shot of the red beast itself.

Had a bite to eat on our return and Val has more or less finished the packing while I wrote this. It is now 10:15 so I’ll now knock off and add a few photos and publish this and check emails. I mentioned the flight details last night so I won’t repeat them again. Just not looking forward to tomorrow but can’t be helped. At least we are not with BA. That would be tricky. Don’t think I’ll blog again but you never know. Been nice chatting. See you soon.

Day 3 – Singapore – Sunday 28th March 2010

 

Zoo Day today. Bit of a must-do thing if you are in Singapore for a while so we complied with expectations. Decided to make the trip a bit of an adventure by going by public transport. This is easier said than done as the zoo is well over the other side of Singapore Island. Remember now that Singapore is a country, not just a big city. Anyhow, got the MRT down a few stops then changed lines and got off where we knew there was a bus connection. That all worked out well as we are now experts on the underground. Emerging from the station in a place called Ang Mo Kio we wondered what to do next. Fortunately we espied the bus station over the road. Even better we found the right bus to the zoo. Said it would be three-quarters of an hour. We queued for the bus, got on and there were no seats left. Great. Standing room only so we took it.

Anyhow, we got to the zoo and paid the entrance fee and went in. We paid to use the “tram”. Thought we would walk a bit first of all so we set off on the Tree Tops Trail and on up to the Boat Dock. Vaguely considered a boat ride on the surrounding lake but the heat was getting to me so we had an expensive Magnum ice-cream instead. That improved things for all of five minutes as we strolled on through the Australian Outback but when we came to a tram stop we decided to hitch a ride. Trouble was a load of other folk had the same idea. Anyhow we waited patiently as it was shaded and eventually got on a tram that took us all the way back to the disembarkation point. Hey Ho.

But we stayed on and went round to the start of the circuit and boarded a new tram. By the time we had finished I was baking hot but we had another bit of a walk but decided to call it a day. Eventually got back outside as a taxi drew up so grabbed it quickly before anyone else had a chance. The underground/bus cost was just $6.60 for the two of us. Dead cheap considering the distance travelled. The taxi cost $18.80 but we gave him an extra $1.20 for his most excellent air-conditioner. I was feeling nearly back to normal body heat by the time we got back to the hotel. Had a spot of lunch and crashed out again for another couple of hours.

We then felt up to taking a look at the very adjacent Mustafa Centre. This is a shopping mall with a difference. Entirely ethnic. No concession whatsoever to us pale-faced Europeans. But it did have air-conditioning so that was good. But it was a fabulous experience. Remember, this is Sunday, but the place was packed. Narrow aisles and chock full of stuff on five levels and covering a heck of a lot of floor space. We covered most of it as it really was fascinating. Anyhow, got tired again so back to the hotel for another sprawl on the bed. I had previously bought a can of Kilkenny. This has been in the fridge for 24 hours so now was the time to crack it open while Val had another G&T. Managed not to fall asleep again. Read a lot and Val decided to phone home while I started typing this up.

Tomorrow is our last day in Singapore so we are going to spend the day down on Sentosa Island. Should be a good last day so long as we don’t damage ourselves on a Segway or on the Luge. Staying late to watch the water/laser show. Have to get up early Tuesday morning as we are being picked up at 7:30 to be taken to the airport for a 9:35am departure and a 7 hour 10 minute flight to Dubai. Then we have a stopover for one hour 50 minutes before another 7 hours and 40 minutes flight to Manchester. That’s an elapsed time of 17 hours. Not looking forward to that one little bit. Should arrive at Manchester at around 7:00pm local time so expect to be home between 8:30 and 9:00pm.

Goodnight Vienna!

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Day 2 – Singapore – Saturday 27th March 2010

 

Busy day in the Orient. Got up at the crack of dawn. Well, 7:30am. Early enough when you are on holiday. Reason being we had to be in reception for 8:30am to go on the City Tour. All worked well. First stop was a flying visit to the Singapore Flyer – the big wheel. But that was just because it was a coach meeting point. The first proper stop was at Merlion Park. That is Mer Lion. See picture on left! A mythical beast that spouts many a gallon of water and stands on the bank of the Singapore River where it guards the entrance to the Marina. Behind it is the Fullerton Hotel. This is a holy hotel. You go into the Foyer and exclaim “Oh My God” if you stay there, then when you get your bill you shout out “Jesus Christ” and fall down in a dead faint. It is one of the few six star hotels in the world. We didn’t stay there.

Across the bridge are the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay. These are a pair of new buildings built in a most curious architectural style. They are said to resemble a spiky Singapore fruit called a durian. See picture on right (theatre is the rounded structure across the water, to the left of Val). This is Singapore’s answer to the Sydney Opera House. Just along the Marina Promenade from the theatres there is the world’s largest float. Oddly enough it is called “The Float at Marina Bay”. On the land behind it is a grandstand. This will be used to seat the crowd at the opening and closing of the first Youth Olympics which will be held here in Singapore, opening on the 14^th August, I believe. There is also the Singapore Grand Prix that races here and goes right past the stand.

We then visited the Thian Hock Keng Temple. I think that is the first Buddhist Temple built in Singapore. Lot of incense in the air. We then went to the Singapore Gems Building on Kung Chong Road, just off Hoy Fatt Road if you know it. Some nice items on display but fortunately I had no cash about my person. We then zoomed off to the Mandai Orchid Garden to look at a few of the 60,000 orchid plants. Very nice. Didn’t know there were quite so many orchids on the planet. What made the visit great for me was recognising a face walking towards us. It was Jools Holland. No kidding. I said “it has to be” to him and he gave me a cheeky wink. How great is that?

After that we returned to the city centre region, in particular Little India. Very colourful but they kept wanting us to buy things so we returned to the coach and thence back to the Singapore Flyer where we boarded our capsule and set off skywards. The wheel is bigger than the London Eye and is located at the confluence of the Singapore River and the Kallang river. It looks down to the river barrage. A bit like the Thames Barrier. I must say we did enjoy the trip. As expected, the views are spectacular. Couldn’t help but take another shedload of photos. The Grand Prix track is all around the wheel and the Bay. Could see it all from the top of the wheel.

We then decided to walk to the Raffles Hotel. It didn’t look far from the top of the wheel! But the heat and humidity in Singapore is life-threatening. We managed to reach the Marina Square mall and sanctuary. Isn’t air-conditioning great!? We stopped off for a refreshing iced coffee and lemon cake. Thus restored to full health we set off again, keeping to the air-conditioned malls as much as possible. We eventually made it to Raffles but the place is now a big shopping arcade as well as a hotel. Very exclusive, as one would expect. After mooching about the place we finally made it to the Long Bar. This most famous and iconic and ridiculously expensive bar. Anyhow, sat at the bar shelling monkey nuts and dropping the shells on the floor, just as they did in the 1920’s. Didn’t have a Singapore Sling. Had a Tiger Beer instead.

We then trudged to the MRT and returned to the hotel where we crashed out for a couple of hours. That was one hour per G&T. Then got ready again and went down to the bar and on to the restaurant. Went all ethnic and had a right old selection of curried this, that and the other. Had Tempura Prawns which were delicious and finished with assorted melon pieces and finally mixed ice-creams. Slightly full after that little lot.

Just one final thing. Apparently today was Earth Day or something. The Hotel joined in the fun by turning off most of the lights from 8:30 to 9:30pm. Very romantic. I feel I have contributed to saving the Earth and promoting a greater awareness of the problems caused by climate change. I have done my bit for mankind. No applause is necessary.

Day 1 – Singapore – Friday 26th March 2010

 

Well. Bit surprised really. Expected to be shattered today but got up at 8:30am after around 7 hours in bed. See, gain time coming home so jet-lag is much less of a problem this way round. Well, that’s what I think! So, we were out and about by 10:00am. But before that, after getting up and looking out of the window to see the view Val was amazed how much heat was felt from the glass. Last night we had been amazed to see how much condensation there was on the outside of the window. Absolutely pouring off and made it hard to look out. But the morning heat had shifted it all so I took a few photos before going out. The photo on the right is shot through the glass of the bedroom window.

Started off going down to reception and having a look around and find the hotel is built over a small shopping centre so we went down to have a look at that. Then went out and right across the road is a massive brand new and exceedingly shiny shopping centre called City Square Mall. Spent a good hour to and hour and a half in there looking around on all the levels. Terrifically impressive. Bought a few bits and pieces and brought them back to the hotel. We had bought a “Sub” (Chicken and Teriyaki sauce with all the trimmings) and some wine so had lunch in the hotel room.

Had a kip after that and got going again by 2:00pm. Went over to the local underground station – called the MRT in Singapore. Rode the North-East line down to its terminus at Harbour Front, where we found a big ship – the Star Virgo. The underground is very cheap but is a very clean and efficient transport system. Had a look around the Harbour Front Mall and then walked along the side of the Harbour and stopped off for a refreshing drink. The sky was getting quite threatening and eventually it rained a little but not for long. Bit we did get some lightning. Decided to go back inside and so discovered the huge VivoCIty Mall. Just immense and goes on forever.

The harbour is facing Sentosa Island. This is just one big playground for kids and adults alike. Easily spend a day there and we will, but not today. This was just a day to get acquainted with Singapore. We had been told we must take the cable car to the island so we searched for this, only to find the whole thing is shut down for ages while they make some changes. This isn’t really a problem as there is a monorail across to the island and we actually fancied that more than the cable car. So we decided to find out where that was. You would think it easy to follow the concrete rail track but not so. It gets all wrapped up within VivoCity so it took us ages to find the terminal. But we did and it is also dead cheap so we now have that all sussed out. We were now getting tired and it was 5:00pm so we expected the return train to be packed if we left it till later. As it was we were OK and got back to the hotel room by 5:20pm where we had some nibbles and relaxed and I started catching up with two days blogging. It is now 7:40pm so I’ll sort out a picture or two and go online and post this. See you tomorrow!

Day 3 – Melbourne and Depart for Singapore – Thursday 25th March 2010

 

Last day in Melbourne. For some reason we had been thinking the flight to Singapore was in the morning but it was actually 18:55 so we had a good third day. Started off by walking over to the Queen Victoria Market. This has to be the biggest market we have ever encountered and it was brilliant. We walked up and down every single aisle. It is divided up into nice sensible regions. The biggest part was the main market full of general stalls. This had a row of old-fashioned shops at the end so we recovered a while by sitting down and having another luxury iced coffee. Really getting the taste for these.

Being refreshed, we then did the remaining regions: the meat counters, fish market, deli counters and more fruit and veg. We bought some dates, sweet corn cobs, ciabatta and pastrami and took them back for lunch. We did not need to check out till 12:30, which was great. After lunch in the apartment we took the cases down to reception for storage and then went out for our last afternoon in Melbourne. We started off by visiting the Chill-On bar. This was basically a bar in a big freezer. But beautifully done. Lots of ice-carvings and ice tables and chairs. Fortunately the chairs had fur covers!!

The bar itself was all carved out of ice and the drinks were poured out into ice cups/mugs. It really was a bizarre experience and we only lasted about 10minutes before we had had enough. We were all togged up in big coats with hoods, inner and outer gloves, but at -11degC it was bloomin’ cold. It was great to step outside into the Melbourne heat. Our last day was the hottest. We walked over to the Melbourne Museum and Imax. Decided we would have a restful afternoon so booked tickets for the Imax. This gave us an hour to visit the museum. Once again, a very new building with excellent architecture. Most impressive. The technology inside was also impressive, bringing the exhibits to life with interactive displays. The Imax show was a Dreamworks production called “How to train your dragon”. This was an animated film aimed at kids but also had plenty for grown up kids to enjoy. I love Imax shows. You feel you can just reach out and grab things. Makes you look a bit daft if you do but the temptation is hard to resist.

We then walked back to the hotel to retrieve our cases and wait for the airport shuttle we had booked earlier. Bit of a worry when it didn’t show up and we waited too long before checking up, by which time we were somewhat late so had to fork out for a taxi. Trouble was, rush hour was now well underway so we were stuck in queues of traffic. Our driver decided to use his local knowledge so we took to the back street and did OK. Got to the airport after more queues of traffic but checked in OK. Got down to the gate and more or less boarded straight way. Sat through a seven hour flight that left half an hour late and arrived on time at 11:35pm Singapore time, which was 2:35am for us.

We had booked an airport pickup which was waiting for us. Big relief! Delighted to find when we went outside that the car was a big BMW. All black leather seats and air-con working overtime. It was a hoot when we first went outside. The plane had been quite cool and Singapore airport is a big, modern, fully air-conditioned airport of impressive proportions. So it is just that little moment in time stepping from the airport to the car that you experience the sweaty heat. And we did. Had an easy ride into the city and arrived at the hotel just fine. Checked in OK and found we had a superior room on the 17^th floor of the Park Royal Hotel on Kitchener Road. We took ourselves up to our room and a bell-hop brought up the cases for us. Val unpacked to a degree and we crashed out at 1:30am local time, which was 4:30am as far as we were concerned. Slept just fine. Thanks for asking.

Day 2 – Melbourne – Wednesday 24th March 2010

Another busy day in Melbourne. Started bright and early by popping over the road to the Carlton Gardens for the start of the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show. Had a very enjoyable couple of hours walking around all the stalls, stands, statues, sculptures and the fantastic exhibits and model gardens. There was everything you could wish for but the star of the show was probably the Ford Fiesta ECOnnetic which is covered in 15,000 flowers, including orchids, gerberas and carnations. The Exhibition Building itself is something to behold. It is actually better looking from the inside than it is from the outside. The vaulted arches and the use of light and the internal decoration make this a most imposing building. Considering it is over one hundred years old.......

We then caught the City Circle Tram around to Parliament House. As before, the tram was packed. The Parliament of Victoria was in session so we were not allowed to enter the building. Instead we walked around to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Would you believe it – we couldn’t go in there as a private service was being held. Tsk! So we walked over to the Fitzroy Gardens. Big and spacious and most pleasing to the eye. Took in a few of the features, such as the Model Tudor Village that was presented to the people of Victoria by the good citizens of Lambeth in thanks for the food parcels that were shipped over from Australia during the war. It was being very well maintained. Which was nice.

We then had a look at the Fairies’ Tree. This old river red gum tree is carved with elves, fairies, goblins and animals. Quite delightful. We then took a look at the Dolphin Fountain but because of water shortages the fountain was turned off. Pity. Next came Cook’s Cottage. This is headlined as the oldest building in Australia, being built in 1755. However! It was originally located in Great Ayton in Yorkshire but brought to Melbourne by Sir Russell Grimwade in 1934 – brick by numbered brick. We then went over to the Conservatory, but our run of poor luck continued as it was closed. They were having a bit of a make-over and setting it up for a new theme.

We then walked through the adjacent Treasury Gardens where a charity event was being staged. It seemed to consist of lots of people stuffing their faces. Bit jealous, really. Flinders Street was the next thing and we had to visit the fantastic Ian Potter Centre. This is part of the National Gallery. The architecture is just so far out. We took in three floors of exhibits and eventually stumbled out into Federation Square and over the bridge to the Southbank. Our destination was Eureka Skydeck 88 at Riverside Quay. This is the highest public vantage point in the Southern Hemisphere. Eureka Tower is the world’s tallest residential building (they say). It is 984.3ft (300 metres) in height and the lift zooms you up in less than 40 seconds at 9mps. Needless to say we were impressed with the views from the top. It is the Melbourne Grand Prix on Sunday and you could easily see the circuit from the observation deck.

We then zoomed back down to ground level and walked back to the city centre for another look at some more arcades. We had afternoon tea of scones, jam and cream at the Hopetoun Tea Rooms in the Block Arcade. Yummy. That revived us enough to walk on back to the hotel where we zonked out again.

Day 1 – Melbourne – Tuesday 23rd March 2010

 

Yesterday went well. Hugh took us to the airport and we arrived in good time. Said our goodbyes and went into the airport to find a big queue of people all waiting to check-in for Emirates. But we had checked in on-line and so we bypassed them all and joined a very small queue to drop the bags. Brilliant. The flight went well and I watched a newly released film called 2012. It was all about the end of the world but as it turned out some entrepreneurs had build some modern arks so most of our heroes were saved. The rest of the world drowned, which was a shame. On arrival we picked up our bags and got a taxi into Melbourne and checked in without any hassle. Went straight to sleep at 1:00am as far as we were concerned but the clock said it was only 11:00pm.

This morning we enjoyed the great view from our balcony, looking right over the Carlton Gardens which are the home of the Royal Exhibition Building, behind which is the Melbourne Museum. We headed over there by 9:00am. We first of all walked around the outside of the gardens as the gardens were closed to the public as The Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show starts tomorrow. This is the biggest in the southern hemisphere.

It was a little overcast and chilly so we returned towards the hotel and picked up some essential supplies from the shop next door, returned to our rather nice apartment and donned our fleeces.

We walked down Exhibition Street and then through China Town to the central shopping area. Looked in several shops and took in some of the famous Melbourne Arcades. In the Royal Arcade we found a shop that would delight our Claire. It was a magical spell shop and had a lady behind the counter who very kindly posed for us while she blew on some scented smoke. On behalf of Claire I spun a Wheel of Stars and took away a magical piece of paper!

We then made our way down to the very imposing Flinders Street railway station and through to the river bank where we booked on a river cruise. On the River Yarra (you know, where the wine comes from – albeit slightly upstream). We could see the Rod Laver Tennis Stadium and just make out the Melbourne Cricket ground. The cruise was most pleasant. As you head down to the Docklands and past the Southbank promenade you go under some really low bridges, so much so that if you stood up outside you would get your head knocked off.

After the cruise we walked over to the Arts Centre where there was an exhibition on the life and times of Robert Helpmann, a Ballet Choreographer. Then walked up to the National Gallery of Victoria and had a look at that before crossing the road to the park. Had a good walk through there, after which we walked along the South Bank and stopped for an excellent lunch at the Bear Brass. I had Kangaroo. You just have to, don’t you? We then walked further along the South Bank to the casino where a road goes right through it. All a bit odd.

We crossed the river again and caught the City Circle Tram. Nice bit of nostalgia but spoiled a bit as it was packed. Anyhow we got a seat and things improved. It is a great way to see some of the city highlights without wearing yourself out, too much. We went down to the Victoria Harbour and Central Pier, all beautifully restored. Went past the Telstra Dome (now called something else) which has the largest sliding covered roof in the Southern Hemisphere (that phrase is used quite a lot).

We then rattled our way up La Trobe Street and got back to the hotel and crashed out for an hour or so, then went out again to take a look at the Museum. Closed at 5:00pm. Great. Looked at the iMax but they were showing Alice in Wonderland which didn’t appeal much so we gave it a miss and continued walking around the Exhibition Building and Carlton gardens where the flower show is being held from tomorrow. Now back at the hotel typing this. Will go online later (at great expense) and publish it and pick up emails.

Day 17 – North Island – Monday 22nd March 2010

Here in Auckland it is now 11:45am on Monday 22nd March. In four and a half hours we will be leaving Celia and Hugh's house to head out to the airport. We have already said goodbye to Celia as she has now left to deliver some lectures. We have had a great time in New Zealand and received terrific hospitality from Celia and Hugh and Ed and Trish. We cannot thank then enough.

We depart this afternoon for the 18:50 flight to Melbourne. It takes four hours but we gain two hours so we arrive at 20:50 Melbourne time. That means we will only be 11 hours ahead of the UK, rather than the 13 hours we are ahead at the moment.

Isn't that weird. To be 13 hours ahead. You would think it should be 12 hours as we are exactly the other side of the World. But with daylight saving we have to add another hour making it all a bit nonsensical. Politics. That's what it is.

It is a long drive from the airport to the hotel so all we will do this evening is check-in and check-out.

Day 16 – North Island – Sunday 21st March 2010

  
Our last full day on North Island, New Zealand. Hugh drove us all to Auckland city centre and we parked up by the main marina. We had lunch at the Soul bar and bistro. This restaurant is in the heart of Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour. We sat outside looking across the water that takes in America’s Cup boats, super yachts and the ferries. On this occasion we were very fortunate to catch the end of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland which ran from the 9^th March until today – the 21^st March. What made it even better was that we were right there at the same place at the start of our North Island adventure when Hugh took us over on the ferry.
So, after lunch we had a good mooch around the marina and marvelled at the super yachts and enjoyed all the media circus that surrounded the race coverage. It was announced the winning boat (New Zealand, of course) would come in at 3:00pm so we waited for that and witnessed all the excitement and spraying of champagne and the speeches. It was great when we watched it all again on the news.
We returned to the car and Hugh took us on a tour of the city. We went up to Mount Eden, which you are supposed to call Maungawhau. Auckland has around 40 or so volcanoes and this is probably the biggest. At the top you get to look down inside the crater, now all covered in grass. The views over the city are just spectacular.
We then drove over to another peak, this one is called One Tree Hill. This is because it had a tree on it. A very old tree but apparently the Maoris cut it down for some reason so now the locals call it no tree hill. I like that. It now has a monument on the top. One Tree Hill is in Cornwall Park and this is the largest area of parkland in Auckland city. We returned home and crashed out for a while. It is really hard work enjoying yourself.

Day 14 and 15 – North Island – Friday 19th & Saturday 20th March 2010

 

Fri 19^th - Celia and Val returned from Shopping about 5:00pm having had a nice “girlie” day out. Hugh had cooked a lovely pork joint on the BBQ so we tucked into yet another fabulous meal around 6:30pm. Altogether it was a nice lazy day after our previous travelling.

Sat 20^th – a most important day. Celia’s 61^st Birthday. We started the day going for a walk around the local nature reserve and down to the beach and round to the local marina and back home. The scenery is great. So much so that a majestic frame has been installed at one point to capture the scenery and set it inside this frame. The trouble is, no-one mentioned this to the trees so when you look through the frame now all you see is trees! So we decided to use it to frame us, instead. As you can see, below. At one point we had to make a small payment in order to continue our journey. This took the form of grabbing a few small branches from the trees and feeding them to three goats who guard the path!

Hugh and I then drove over to Botany to pick up Celia’s birthday cake. This was a surprise for Celia so we had to be somewhat cunning and returned with some very tasty Turkish flat bread. This went down very well at lunchtime, outside on the deck, in the sunshine. Val then helped Celia prepare the food for a party that was planned using us as an excuse but was always going to be Celia’s birthday party. Friends started to gather at 4:30pm and pretty soon the party was in full swing. The time flew by as everyone enjoyed the great food and drink.

Amongst the highlights were the bacon wrapped mussels and bacon wrapped apricots that Hugh cooked on the Barbie. (Celia and Val did the wrapping – a most fiddly exercise that was beyond anything I could manage). There were 22 folk there, including us, and they were great company. Part way through Hugh came in with the surprise birthday cake and Celia did the business with a sharp knife. No injuries were sustained throughout the proceedings.

Everyone left by 8:30pm and the four of us sat outside and had a welcome cup of tea to relax. Then came the big clear up, after which we retired to the lounge and watched Diamonds are Forever! A perfect day!

Day 13 – North Island – Thursday 18th March 2010

 

We retreated from The Retreat with a song in our heart. The owner was a singer and serenaded us as we were departing. He had a tiny (but perfectly-formed) ukulele and a singing voice that could be described as “not too bad”. He was a bit of a railway nut and then sand us some railway songs he is in the process of recording for a local railway conservation society in order to raise some cash in order to continue their work. Celia said she was a part-time poetess and he asked her if she would write a poem he could have that he would set to music. Celia agreed most readily and last night she exchanged three hours sleep in the middle of the night to do that very thing. She has now emailed her efforts to said chap. Amazing how these things pan out.

So, after a pleasant start to the day we drove through Paihia and over the bridge to nearby Waitangi. Now, I don’t want to bore anybody but the Waitangi Treaty Grounds are now regarded as the Birthplace of the Nation. ‘Twas not always so. This was the place where, in 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, the founding document of New Zealand as a nation. The agreement was between the British Crown and about 540 Maori rangatira (chiefs). An impressive bit of diplomacy. The place is now a major visitor attraction with an impressive visitor centre and the Treaty House itself, which began life in 1833 as British Resident James Busby's house. In 1932 Governor-General Lord Bledisloe gifted it to the nation. There is also a Maori Meeting House built in the extensive grounds and some wakas (war canoes) parked up. There is also one of the largest wakas housed in the now usual waka house. Also a large flag pole and fabulous views across the Bay of Islands.

We then drove on further north to KeriKeri with its rich history. There are vineyards, art galleries, cafes and craft shops. Quite a pretty place. We drove down to the Stone Store Basin, named after the first stone structure built in the country. Our first port of call, however, was at the recently refurbished Pear Tree Restaurant. This is named after the oldest pear tree in NZ (no kidding). Lovely time sitting out on the veranda having a drink and a lovely meal, looking out over the basin.

We finally dragged ourselves away and had a look at the Stone House itself. This was an old trading post that has been preserved and is now a tourist attraction, complete with a 200 year old woman serving behind the counter. OK, she was dressed as a 200 year old woman. But wouldn’t it have been great if she really was 200 years old. I told her she was looking really well for her age and she was pleased.

Next door is the Mission House, also known as the Kemp House, after a missionary family that occupied it. This is New Zealand’s oldest standing European building, dating from 1822. After this we started the journey home. Pretty much the same trip as before. This time we stopped off in Warkworth and used the new toll road into Auckland. It has been a round trip of 630km and was most entertaining and quite delightful. That has been our last trip for New Zealand. I’m writing this on Friday 19^th March and it has been a very quiet day and nice and relaxing. Celia and Val have gone out for the day. Shopping and looking around. Hugh and I have had lunch and now sat at the table. Been watching John Clark on Youtube. Started with “The Front Fell Off”. If you don’t know it, just type that into Google and sit back for an highly entertaining couple of minutes. We then watched a load of associated clips.

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Day 11 & 12 – North Island – Tuesday/Wednesday 16/17th March 2010

Note - I wrote this yesterday up at the Bay of Islands but there was no Internet access where we stayed. We are now back at Celia and Hugh’s. I’ll add some photos tomorrow and write up today's events tomorrow.

Tues 16^th – set off for the Bay of Islands. Drove through the industrial/retail area on the west side of Auckland (Highbrook) to pick up Highway 1 going north. Actually got held up in queues of cars. Amazing. Drove over Auckland harbour bridge and carried on up through North Shore City. Orewa is where the motorway finishes and we drove on to Warkworth, Wellsford, Te Hana, Kaiwaka and Ruakaka. We didn’t stop until we reached Whangarei, when we had coffee and cakes at a pleasant park cafe.

We hit the road again, going through Hikurangi, Whakapaka (I think that’s my favourite), Towai and Kawakawa, where we left highway 1 and drove up to Opua and finally Paihia. A total trip of 286Km and around five hours duration (we stopped for around an hour at Whangarei).

I’m including all these names for the benefit of our Dave as he likes all these vowels. We are staying at a place called “The Retreat” for two days. It is called the Retreat as it has retreated us back around thirty years. It is a collection of cabins perched very precariously on the side of a steep hill. The road is a cutting through a forested area. Just a track really. The entrance is at road level but everything else is supported on stilts. The whole place moves around when folk walk about. Bit like a very small earthquake. What makes it great is the view. We are looking out over the Bay of Islands and it is just fantastic.

After we arrived, mid-afternoonish, we unpacked and took off for our first look around Paihia. A lovely little town where all the ferry and leisure boots depart. We booked our trip around the Islands and bought a few things and returned to the cabin and had a very nice meal and crashed out really early. It is very tiring doing not very much at all.

Wednesday 17^th – up early and Hugh drove us down to Paihia for the 9:00am departure of our Hole in the Rock Cruise. This was brilliant. The weather has been great. Clear blue sky and bright sun. Dead calm sea. No bother at all. Our first port of call was the short hop across the bay to Russell. This is an old whaling town that had a bad reputation for waywardness (to put it mildly). It used to be the Whaling Centre for the whole Pacific region around here but now it is a lovely tourist town.

We sailed around Tapeka Point to take a close look at the first of the islands we were to visit on our trip. There are over one hundred islands but some are just lumps of rock so no good worrying about them. There are around 20 or so major islands or points of interest (that’s just my opinion) and we saw most of them. Anyhow, Motuarohia was the first point of call. And very nice too. Now, bit contentious this, but something weird is happening in New Zealand. All the old, sensible, English names are being phased out and new Maori names are being applied on a major scale. Even the tiniest brook or stream now has a completely unpronounceable Maori name.

This Motuarohia, for instance, is actually called Roberton Island. Captain James Cook anchored the “Endeavour” off this island and the Roberton family were tragically killed here. I would have thought that was a reasonable reason to retain the proper name. Anyhow, we then moved on to Moturua Island and round to Motukiekie Island. See what I mean. What’s that all about?

We took a sneaky peek at Otehei Bay. Do you remember the American author Zane Grey? Well I do. Ok, a bit before my time as he lived here in 1926. The bay is on the island of Urupukapuka (I’m not making this up!) More later. We then sailed through the gap between Okahu and Waewaetorea (how many vowels is that?) Believe me, it is a very narrow channel. Anyhow, we made it and we were then out in the Pacific. Still very calm but a bit of a swell. Nothing for us experienced mariners to be concerned with.

Away, away, in the distance was our destination. Motukokako! Normal folk call this Piercy Island. Bit easier to pronounce. No? Yes? This island was named by Captain Cook after the First Lord of the Admiralty at the time. Now, as far as us Europeans are concerned it has been called that for 200 years or so but now you have to call it Motukokako. Why? Anyhow, this is the home of the Hole in the Rock and we sailed through it. Not sure how as it is not quite as wide as the boat and is a bit turbulent. On the other side we messed about a bit then back through it again so the captain could show us what a clever lad he was. We then got distracted by a shedload of fish milling about, Just waiting to be caught.

The hole in the rock is right at the tip of Cape Brett Peninsula. This is a quite narrow strip of land attached to the mainland but the whole thing could just as easily be another island. But it isn’t. At the very end of this is the Cape Brett lighthouse. It was erected there in 1910 and manned until 1978 when it was automated. We then turned around and headed back, taking a look at Deepwater Cove (see – a proper name – tells you all you need to know).

We returned to Urupukapuka and got off the boat. This really is a very pretty island. We had an hour to walk up to the lookout and take a load more photos and get our breath back and stroll back down to the boat. Very nice.

We then set off back but we left the boat at Russell and had a bit of a look around and then we all had lunch. A most excellent lunch, in fact. Val and I had a seafood platter for two. Very tasty. Had nice Pinot Gris from Palliser Bay. A match made in heaven! We then looked around a little more and got the ferry back to Paihia and thence back to The Retreat. Had a light meal, typed this up and saved it until we get back to civilisation and the wonderful world of the Internet.

Day 10 – North Island – Monday 15th March 2010

 

Nice, restful day, today. Got up late and Celia went off to work and Hugh took us for a very pleasant drive around the immediate locale. We drove to Whitford and on to Botany. The real purpose of the trip had started out to be just a trip to the chemist, as Val is still suffering with a bad cold and sore throat, coupled with lots of coughing and sneezing. Amazing how a little trip can become a day out!

Botany has a shopping centre that is a real treat. Built to look like a village. Very effective. The architect was very clever and built in lots of village-like features with streets and squares and different designs for shops. Really good and really interesting.

We then had a drive through Howick. This is possibly the oldest village in New Zealand. It was built to home the Fencibles. There were about 250 Fencibles in Howick. 'Fencible' is derived from the word 'Defencible', meaning capable of defence. A fort originally stood at this place but that has long gone.

As we were only popping out to the chemist I didn’t take my camera: so, no photos! A pity because we then drove on to visit the marina at Bucklands Beach (I think – this may change after Hugh reads this). We then went to the other side of the peninsular to Eastern Beach. This whole area is what we have been looking over from Celia and Hugh’s house when we look to the West towards Auckland City Centre. The whole area is full of houses. When we consider the amount of land we have seen with no houses at all, it is quite a change to drive through such a highly developed area. And these houses are not cheap. Not small, either. Prime real estate.

We eventually made our way back home and had a spot of lunch, then crashed out for a while. I decided to spend some time looking at the photos I have taken but after quite some time I hadn’t got very far. Started with the Dubai photos and had a bit of a clear up. Then decided it would be “a good thing” to upload some photos to my Drop Box. This is a free service provided by https://www.dropbox.com/home#/

Gives 2 or 3GB of free web storage. I had played around with it before setting off on this great adventure with the express purpose of posting photos but somehow never got around to it until now. Been just too busy having a good time. Anyhow, I have finally got around to posting some photos from the first day we had in Dubai. If you want to have a look at them I think you need to have Dropbox installed on your PC and have an active Dropbox account. Not actually sure if that is necessary but it is quite handy to have a Dropbox account as you can upload your own photos to easily share with friends and family. If you have any bother getting sorted out let me know and I will send you an invitation which makes it a bit easier to see my Dubai photos. If this proves a success I’ll upload some more. Just let me know. Off to bed now.

Day 9 – North Island – Sunday 14th March 2010

 

We had stayed in a really nice Motel in Hamilton. It was a studio apartment, full kitchen and a wet floor bathroom with a good shower. We departed at 10:00am and drove out via Hamilton Gardens and decided to visit Cambridge. What a good idea that turned out to be. A lovely town, very horsey, very pretty. Had a little tootle around the suburbs. Tree lined boulevards is what we found. Then drove down into the town centre. It was really busy and we couldn’t see at first what the crowds were getting up to, then realised the whole town was set out for a Sunday Market. Brilliant. We parked up and had a very pleasant hour mooching about the streets and taking the occasional photo.

The town clearly has a highly developed social conscience. This was apparent from the number of stalls that were set up to raise money for various causes. I took a photo of the welcome to Cambridge sign and on closer inspection I see it has further signs attached to it for the local Masonic Lodge, the Lions, the Rotary and other organisations. In town we found the Masonic Hotel and the Sheffield Court.

We left at 11:30 to return to Hamilton Gardens where we met up with Ed and Trish’s daughter and grandchildren for a picnic. Celia and Hugh drove down to meet us and take us back to their home. We all had a great time in the park. Took more photos but this time they were family photos. Ed and Trish have two daughters and a son. The daughters are Paula Caroline. Paula brought her two children, Spencer and Samara. Lovely kids. Absolutely stuff full of energy. Ed chased them around for a bit and they thought that was great. Talk about lively.

After the picnic we had a walk around the pond where model boats were being sailed. We then went and had a look at the multiple gardens that were themed for particular countries. Botanical gardens but done very nicely.

All too soon we had to depart and bade a fond farewell to Ed and Trish who had looked after us so well and taken us all over the place. We really appreciate what they have done for us. We then set off on the drive north back to Auckland and on to Maraetai. We had a lovely evening meal cooked by Celia with a little fishy help from Hugh. If you remember last week when we first arrived at Maraetai, we had a walk and we came across a boat that was drivable on wheels. It wasn’t an amphibious vessel like the duck we went on in Rotorua. It was a proper boat that had legs installed with wheels on the end that could be lowered and locked in place and you could drive along the shoreline and drive into the water. Then raise the legs and sail away. Anyway, the proud owners of this new boat took it out for a spot of fishing yesterday and caught a load of red snapper. They very kindly gave some to Celia and Hugh and we feasted on that this evening, with a lovely homemade ratatouille. Excellent stuff.

Day 8 – North Island – Saturday 13th March 2010

 

This was very much a Central New Zealand day. We left Taupo at 9:00am and drove down the side of the lake to Turangi where Val got some Strepsil’s for her sore throat (it’s a lot better now). We continued down Highway 1 and drove down past the Kaimanawa Forest which covers an extensive area. We were looking at the major mountains in the Tongariro National Park. These are stunning mountains. The highest is Mount Ruapehu which is 2,797metres high. The sky was clear blue and the sun was shining on the snow on the mountains. We then continued south on Highway 1 and passed through the Rangipo Desert on the now appropriately named Desert Road.

We reached Waiouru, which is the home of the Army Museum. We had a look around and then left Highway 1 and turned West on Highway 49 towards Ohakune. An hour after leaving Waiouru we reached a spot where the railway crosses a gorge on a steel bridge. Had to take a picture. We passed through an interestingly named little community that goes by the name of National Park. This grandiose sounding place is just a small settlement where highway 47 branches off from Highway 4. Not long after that we reached the Raurimu Spiral. This is an ingenious solution to the problem of getting a train to ascend 220meters up the side of a hill. The work was completed in 1907. There is a lookout that you can climb to view this engineering masterpiece but the track is through a heavily wooded hillside and you can’t see a thing. To give some purpose to the lookout some kind soul has knocked together some metalwork to illustrate what we ought to be looking at. For us to have something else to remember we stopped over for a coffee and cake.

We continued north on highway 4 to a small village called Owhango. We marked this occasion by stopping for a picnic lunch. Very nice too. We then continued onward and upward (well, up the map) to Taumarunui and had a little look around. Then continued to Te Kuiti, the Shearing Capital of the World. A proud boast. Took a photo of the self-proclaiming sign for good measure and moved on. But wait, what is this? Why, it is a statue of a man shearing a sheep. You just have to stop and take a photo of that!

On leaving the town we took a back road and we were rewarded by coming across a man knocking seven bells out of a lump of rock. He was using a monster drill in fact. Turned out he was producing a sculpture! He showed us his plan of the final article. These guys have a terrific imagination. He showed us some more of his work and we came across other pieces when we moved on. Artists are really quite different to normal people. He told us that just down the road we would come to a river crossing where we share the road bridge with a train track. The bridge is a double decker with the road below and the rail above. A bit like the Tinsley Viaduct where the M1 crosses the River Don between Sheffield and Rotherham. But this was a bit smaller. Still good though as it must have been 100 years old.

Very soon after that we reached the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves. Obviously we had to visit and it really was a great place. Had the usual stuff about what happens in Limestone Caves but then it got seriously different as we went down to board a boat that took us into the main chamber. The roof was a mass of little bright lights. It was magnificent. A real fairy grotto. Well, obviously not that real as there are no such things as fairies. There aren’t, are there?

We called it a day after that and motored up to Hamilton where we booked into a Motel for the night. Went out for another great New Zealand meal. I had a massive plateful of ribs and BBQ sauce with brilliant potato wedges. Had a shower afterwards.

Day 7 – North Island – Friday 12th March 2010

Set off at 9:30am to take a trip on the lake. Decided to utilise the services of the Earnest Kemp. This is a newish boat built to a 1920’s design. We booked the 10:30am excursion and then went off and did a bit of shopping. I purchased a native New Zealand pullover. Wine red. It is made from Possum and Merino. Very nice. Kept me nice and warm on board ship!!

Took off on time at 10:30 and sailed out onto the lake. That’s Ed and me trying to look nautical. The trip took us down past more expensive homes in Acacia Bay and we reached the Maori Carvings that are a renowned feature of the place. Took a further shed load of photos. The one shown is a carving of a Taniwha, a mythical Moari beast. Then crossed the lake to the other side and returned back to base. A two hour trip. Just the job.

We then returned to the hotel for lunch and then set off to Wairakei steam field and power station. Then went on to the glassblowing place. Lava Glass was the speciality. Very ingenious and delightful designs but a bit on the expensive side, methinks. Then went to visit the Taupo Volcanic Activity Centre to see the science behind the geothermal effects we witnessed and the consequences when nature blows its top. Took a brief look at the Huka Prawn Park – really a fish farm for prawns. Then went to look in awe at the Huka Falls. A raging torrent of water that crashes through a narrow ravine. The water flow is such that it could fill an Olympic Swimming pool in three seconds. That’s a lot of water. Returned to the hotel and crashed out for a while before going out to the Mole and Chicken. This is a local pub/restaurant and the food was great.

Day 6 – North Island – Thursday 11th March 2010

 

Set off at 9:00am for Rotorua. Called in at Paula’s on the way. Beautiful big house set up a track on the hillside with marvellous views across country. In Rotorua we had a drive around and went to the Government Gardens. Took a photo of the blue baths and museum (first photo below). A very pretty building that is being renovated. We spotted a duck going past. Only this big bright yellow thing had a load of passengers in it. Just had to have a go in that (see later). We then drove down to the the lake front where we were greeted by thousands of birds. Black Swans (2nd photo below)and gulls galore. There was a float plane (can you see it?), a helicopter and a paddle steamer. There was another Waka, the “Waka Taua”. This means “a vessel for the conveyance of a war party”. We then spotted a booking office and booked to go on the Duck. This amphibious vehicle was built in 1942 and is still going strong. It wasn’t painted bright yellow in 1942. Might not have been a great colour choice on the Normandy beaches.

We then walked over to a church that was in a Maori village. The church was St. Faiths Ohinemutu. The grave yard was interesting. As the whole area is geothermal, you cannot dig a hole without it getting hot with all the steam that is ever present. So the graves are built above ground. Concrete things, not at all pretty but certainly functional.

After a light lunch in Kuirau Park we had plenty of time to drive around to Duck Central. Trish then went off to spend some of Ed’s money while we went on a tour of Rotorua. Had a smell at Sulphur Bay and then set off to the Blue Lake (Lake Tikitapu). When we arrived, after much banter from the driver and plenty of tall stories, we just drove straight into the lake and sailed away (see below – shot taken by hanging over the side of the duck while Val hung on to my feet – just wanted a shot of the duck on the water). How cute was that. We then repeated the trick at another lake, Lake Okareka. This lake has a fair old number of millionaire homes around it. Also an exclusive resort that charges a small fortune each night and Roman Abramovich stayed there with his family for six months. He could have bought one of the houses for what he paid but he wanted the easy life with everything laid on for him. I’m not jealous, doesn’t mean anything to me, does that.

After getting back to town we drove over to Rainbow Springs Nature Park. This is a Kiwi centre and one of the few places where you can see a real live Kiwi. Which we did. Trying to photograph the things was not as straightforward as we would have wished. But that was only a very small part of the experience. We saw loads of other creatures and plants and trees. We then left town and headed down to Taupo, stopping off at Waiotapu Thermal Area and got some great shots of the hot bubbling mud. In Taupo we booked into the Acapulco Motor Inn and I am currently sitting here using the free WiFi. We have been out for a great evening meal at the “Jolly Good Fellows”. The food was great. Superb Lamb shanks but I had to have the chicken curry which was terrific. Honestly, the best I have had. Washed down with a pint of Kilkenny. Bril!!