Postscript on New Zealand
A couple of things I wanted to mention before finally winding up New Zealand.
Someone might be interested in the distances I travelled. The total was 2861km of which 2117 was in the South Island. This is not an obsession I hasten to add! The figure is printed on the Hire Car invoice!
The second really fascinating issue concerns the role of the Maori in New Zealand (which I mentioned briefly) and especially, now that I'm in Oz, the comparison between the Maori and Aborigines in society. Of course the overwhelming number of place names in NZ are Maori (despite those associated with Cook etc); there is a significant Maori political party; and there is a Commission report which is being implemented after many years delay.
Sydney
I said I wasn't going to post a blog about Sydney, and I'm not. However, here is my itinerary!
Sunday 03/01/10. Only arrived in the evening so didn't do much except wander around and get some bearings.
Monday. Spent most of the day on the Hop-on/off bus Sydney (the ticket is $25 for those of us of a certain age - incidentally I didn't get concessions anywhere else except the Sydney Opera House tours as they are reserved for Aussies).
Tuesday. The ticket lasts 24 hours and has two two routes, the second being Bondi. So I took this to Bondi North and walked along the beaches/cliff tops between North Bondi and Coogee, where there's a marked path. It's not so far but took most of the day. Then I got normal service buses back to Bondi and then Circular Quay. This was great except the sun is hot here and I got burnt feet.
Wednesday. Ferry to Darling Harbour and return. This is regarded as the best way to see the Opera House and the harbour in general. I visited the National Maritime Museum at Darling Harbour which was disappointing. However the replica of Cook's ship HMB Endeavour was terrific. Just watch your head! On the return to Circular Quay I visited the Opera House, walked through the Botanic Gardens ( the large (fruit?) bats are impressive and noisy); and in the evening went for a city tour on the Monorail.
Thursday. Took another ferry ride to Manly, where I hired a bike and cycled around part of the Sydney National Park. Worked well and took most of the day.
Friday. My plans for the part of the day I have available are to visit the Art Gallery of NSW, the Australian Museum, and take the Opera House tour.
Not everyone's choice but perfect for me.
Back to the land of ice and snow...and it'll be nice to be home.
Thursday, 7 January 2010
Sunday, 3 January 2010
Sydney Monday 4th January 2010
Arrived in Sydney last night-absolutely exhausted for some reason. So much so that I mistook the huge mirror in the foyer for the reception! Not good but amusing. Anyway it's mid-morning in Sydney and before I get immersed in the city, I wanted to complete my New Zealand blogging.
I thought it would be interesting to write up some overall thoughts on my trip, so here goes. I had a great time, I must say, in what is a beautiful and extraordinarily varied country. It's young geologically and changing fast, sitting as it does on two geological faultlines. Hence the volcanoes, geysers and hot springs, earthquakes, avalanches and so on.
Would I like to live in New Zealand? It isn't going to happen of course, but the answer is probably not. It would be a very comfortable and peaceful location (I don't know about social security systems and so on, of course) and great for a couple of years. But it's terribly isolated and I like having big cities on my doorstep. It's a long way even to Sydney.
Nicest cities? Probably Auckland and Wellington (although the latter shares with the Butt of Lewis a lot of gales which whistle through the Cook Straits). They have beautiful waterfront locations and have exploited them to the full.
What were my favourite trips/activities/locations? In rank order, something like the following:
#1 Tongariro Crossing. My first real experience of walks in New Zealand and in beautiful weather.
#2 Arthur's Pass Village - just everything about it was terrific. The walking/climbing; the food in the Wobbly Kea-first time I've had two lamb shanks served on my plate [but subsequently found it common]; the coffee in the village store (best in New Zealand); my accommodation; and the assisistance of the Department of Conservation (DOC) staff, especially a man from Lockerbie. And..the weather was beautiful, most unexpected and one might go back another half dozen times and be faced with cloud and rain.
#3 Elm Wildlife Tour. Not simply the Royal Albatrosses and Yellow-Eyed Penguins but the wildlife in general - fur seals, waders (the Spoonbill is impressive in flight; it looks like Concorde), raptors (Australasian Harriers) - and the location on a hilly peninsula (I think some of our small group found the walking up and down hills to/from beaches a bit strenuous).
#4 Routeburn Track, even though I only had a day walk.
#5 Milford Road and Milford Sound: sites and sounds and very informative nature commentary.
Best YHAs. No problems anywhere. Apart from Arthur's Pass, Te Anau and Wellingon stand out for different reasons; the former was very small and peaceful, the latter big and bustling but the staff couldn't have been more helpful and my room was especially nice.
What would I do if I went back? Three things for certain: tramp one of the Great Walks (probably the full Routeburn or Milford Tracks); go walking on Mount Cook; and get to the South (the Caitlins, Invercargill and Stewart Island).
What would I do differently? Eat less junk food - New Zealand is big on big pies and sausage rolls, and muffins. I blame Tom Brewer for introducing me to blueberry muffins in Maine! Yesterday in Christchurch I had a chocolate and strawberry muffin. Wonderful! Of course I wouldn't eat less junk food-me a chocoholic and fat lover! Food portions, are, as you might expect pretty large, but food was fairly consistent in quality at the middle price range level. Coffee quality deteriorated as I went south from Arthur's Pass. Having thought I'd settled on my preferred coffee - 'flat white' - it turned into weak milky concoctions. This was particularly an issue because while I was driving I found myself salivating mid-morning thinking about an 'Arthur's Pass (or more generally North Island) coffee' stop! However things got better when I switched to cappuccino! Long story, but of course I wouldn't eat less junk food.
Misc blogettes to finish
1. Apropos the Hogmany celebrations in Dunedin. Saturday's paper claimed that there were 10,000 people in the Octagon (compared with my 1,500 estimate). Maybe somewhere in the middle would be accurate. I mentioned about the poor rendition of Auld Lang Syne. Just thinking that the lack of knowledge of the words would not please Rabbie Burns whose statue presides imposingly over the Octagon!
2. The contrast between 'Scottish' Dunedin and 'English' Christchurch was very striking. The Edinburgh street names in the former contrast with Oxford and Cambridge Terraces, punting (yes really) on the River Avon, Canterbury Museum etc. I came across one fascinating example on Saturday evening when I went to The Brewer's Arms on the recommendation of the Motel owner in the Merivale area of the city where I was staying. The pub was built in English village pub style; next to it was a (tiny) Merivale Village Green (maintained by a local society); and next to that Merivale Church. The latter was renamed from St Alban's Uniting Church Methodist -Presbyterian and originated in AD 1894. The history of the Christian churches in New Zealand is a fascinating story with lots of rivalry and intrigue.
3. Vocabulary. I'm sure there must be many differences, but here's an example. I was listening to the radio and there was a discussion involving a PR woman talking about the Tiger Woods Affair(s). She stated that it could have been handled better 'to avoid getting into a rolling maul' - I think she was talking about the way in which the press kept pushing on the issue (but it could have other interpretations!). Otherwise 'mince pies' become 'Xmas tarts', and packets of nuts & raisins become 'Scroggin Mix' for trampers. Incidentally, New Zealand Radio National was the only station I could get consistently while driving; apart from that station, I seemed only to come across random farming or rugby programmes.
Well that's about it folks. I hope you found something interesting here. I've enjoyed doing it for sure, and it has made me more aware of my surroundings as I've been travelling. So thanks to everyone who has encouraged me.
Now to get into Sydney...
Steve
I thought it would be interesting to write up some overall thoughts on my trip, so here goes. I had a great time, I must say, in what is a beautiful and extraordinarily varied country. It's young geologically and changing fast, sitting as it does on two geological faultlines. Hence the volcanoes, geysers and hot springs, earthquakes, avalanches and so on.
Would I like to live in New Zealand? It isn't going to happen of course, but the answer is probably not. It would be a very comfortable and peaceful location (I don't know about social security systems and so on, of course) and great for a couple of years. But it's terribly isolated and I like having big cities on my doorstep. It's a long way even to Sydney.
Nicest cities? Probably Auckland and Wellington (although the latter shares with the Butt of Lewis a lot of gales which whistle through the Cook Straits). They have beautiful waterfront locations and have exploited them to the full.
What were my favourite trips/activities/locations? In rank order, something like the following:
#1 Tongariro Crossing. My first real experience of walks in New Zealand and in beautiful weather.
#2 Arthur's Pass Village - just everything about it was terrific. The walking/climbing; the food in the Wobbly Kea-first time I've had two lamb shanks served on my plate [but subsequently found it common]; the coffee in the village store (best in New Zealand); my accommodation; and the assisistance of the Department of Conservation (DOC) staff, especially a man from Lockerbie. And..the weather was beautiful, most unexpected and one might go back another half dozen times and be faced with cloud and rain.
#3 Elm Wildlife Tour. Not simply the Royal Albatrosses and Yellow-Eyed Penguins but the wildlife in general - fur seals, waders (the Spoonbill is impressive in flight; it looks like Concorde), raptors (Australasian Harriers) - and the location on a hilly peninsula (I think some of our small group found the walking up and down hills to/from beaches a bit strenuous).
#4 Routeburn Track, even though I only had a day walk.
#5 Milford Road and Milford Sound: sites and sounds and very informative nature commentary.
Best YHAs. No problems anywhere. Apart from Arthur's Pass, Te Anau and Wellingon stand out for different reasons; the former was very small and peaceful, the latter big and bustling but the staff couldn't have been more helpful and my room was especially nice.
What would I do if I went back? Three things for certain: tramp one of the Great Walks (probably the full Routeburn or Milford Tracks); go walking on Mount Cook; and get to the South (the Caitlins, Invercargill and Stewart Island).
What would I do differently? Eat less junk food - New Zealand is big on big pies and sausage rolls, and muffins. I blame Tom Brewer for introducing me to blueberry muffins in Maine! Yesterday in Christchurch I had a chocolate and strawberry muffin. Wonderful! Of course I wouldn't eat less junk food-me a chocoholic and fat lover! Food portions, are, as you might expect pretty large, but food was fairly consistent in quality at the middle price range level. Coffee quality deteriorated as I went south from Arthur's Pass. Having thought I'd settled on my preferred coffee - 'flat white' - it turned into weak milky concoctions. This was particularly an issue because while I was driving I found myself salivating mid-morning thinking about an 'Arthur's Pass (or more generally North Island) coffee' stop! However things got better when I switched to cappuccino! Long story, but of course I wouldn't eat less junk food.
Misc blogettes to finish
1. Apropos the Hogmany celebrations in Dunedin. Saturday's paper claimed that there were 10,000 people in the Octagon (compared with my 1,500 estimate). Maybe somewhere in the middle would be accurate. I mentioned about the poor rendition of Auld Lang Syne. Just thinking that the lack of knowledge of the words would not please Rabbie Burns whose statue presides imposingly over the Octagon!
2. The contrast between 'Scottish' Dunedin and 'English' Christchurch was very striking. The Edinburgh street names in the former contrast with Oxford and Cambridge Terraces, punting (yes really) on the River Avon, Canterbury Museum etc. I came across one fascinating example on Saturday evening when I went to The Brewer's Arms on the recommendation of the Motel owner in the Merivale area of the city where I was staying. The pub was built in English village pub style; next to it was a (tiny) Merivale Village Green (maintained by a local society); and next to that Merivale Church. The latter was renamed from St Alban's Uniting Church Methodist -Presbyterian and originated in AD 1894. The history of the Christian churches in New Zealand is a fascinating story with lots of rivalry and intrigue.
3. Vocabulary. I'm sure there must be many differences, but here's an example. I was listening to the radio and there was a discussion involving a PR woman talking about the Tiger Woods Affair(s). She stated that it could have been handled better 'to avoid getting into a rolling maul' - I think she was talking about the way in which the press kept pushing on the issue (but it could have other interpretations!). Otherwise 'mince pies' become 'Xmas tarts', and packets of nuts & raisins become 'Scroggin Mix' for trampers. Incidentally, New Zealand Radio National was the only station I could get consistently while driving; apart from that station, I seemed only to come across random farming or rugby programmes.
Well that's about it folks. I hope you found something interesting here. I've enjoyed doing it for sure, and it has made me more aware of my surroundings as I've been travelling. So thanks to everyone who has encouraged me.
Now to get into Sydney...
Steve
Friday, 1 January 2010
Christchurch 2nd January 2010
The last time I wrote I had just arrived in Dunedin and I blogged (is that correct?) a few immediate impressions. Maybe they were affected by the weather which was just like a late autumn day in Glasgow (and this is mid-summer!).
The history of the city is fascinating with the Free Church settlers from Edinburgh (via Lewis!?). There's a fantastic Otago Settler's Museum which fortunately begins with the Maori in around 1100, before going on to show the photos of the 340 arrivals from Scotland in 1848 and recounting their early history. I saw a couple of really old women with frightful Edinburgh accents, obviously descended from the original settlers. Apart from screwing up the location and planning-they superimposed Edinburgh and it's street plan upon a very hilly Dunedin-they did create a number of firsts, including New Zealand's first university, its first all girls school, as well as a robust banking system.
Dunedin is a small city - not much more than 100, 000 (excluding the 16,000 students who were on holiday), although it is spread over a wide area. It has an attractive location, but lacks the beautiful waterfronts of Auckland and Wellington. And it is a bit of a hotch potch as I said before. There are beautiful Victorian buildings - as you see all over the former colonial world-but the grey stone is different. The Railway Station is a work of art. However planning seems to have gone awry because there is an industrial area (including a Cadbury's factory very close to the centre of the city-and Cadbury's is the best of it!) and it's a bit of a mess. Beyond that is the University, Botanic Gardens and Otago Museum, all very attractive. The university has lots of greenery and an old central building with a tower supposedly replicating something in Scotland, but I'll need to check what. The tower isn't as grand as that at Glasgow University (!)-the bus tour guide announced it as a copy of Glasgow University but it can't be.
I did lots in my time in Dunedin: the Taieri Gorge Railway trip (supposedly one of the 10 best of such train journeys in the world!?! Embarassingly I haven't been on the West Highland Line in Scotalnd so I can't comment); New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame; Otago Settler's Museum; Otago Museum; and Botanic Gardens. But for me the highlight was the Elm Wildlife Tour I took yesterday to the Otago Peninsula (3:30-10:00pm) to see the albatross colony and a developing colony of yellow-eyed penguins. We were really lucky with the albatross as the wind got up, encouraging flight. They are huge, wing span over 9ft, and beautiful in flight. Maybe I'll write more later on the albatross. Our group then went to see a colony of yellow-eyed penguins: they have only relatively recently returned to the Otago Pensinsula and this company is highly conservation-minded and they've helped numbers expand significantly. They run a penguin clinic to restore injured penguins back to good health. The guides were passionate about their work. It was a pleasure to be with them. Anyway we watched then return to land after their day's fishing. They are small forest penguins so have their nests on the hillside above the beach. But they seem to arrive singly, so they appeared so forlorn doing their Charlie Chaplin walk up the beautiful long sandy beach; and also a bit stressed as there was a sea lion and one or two seals around. It was an absolute thrill then to see them meeting their partners and having a little kiss & cuddle-so beautiful and moving. The company has built some hides so you can see them up close. Fantastic day, the more so since the weather was a glorious, sunny 25C.
The wildlife trip was on New Year's Day. I went up to the Octagon (an open event area in the centre of town) the previous evening for the Hogmanay celebrations: they had a few bands playing and a firework display at midnight. There must have been about 1,500 people, I'm guessing, including many families with children, so it wasn't a drunken affair; and mostly tourists. The lead singer in the band playing at the bells didn't know the words for Auld Lang Syne, but it wouldn't matter since most people there didn't either (they might not even have been aware of Auld Lang Syne and especially its significance)! Still it was a pleasant, relaxed event-somehow I expected something more Scottish.
Today I drove to Christchurch, where I'm staying in a motel just outside town. The drive was less comfortable than any before-it was busy for the first time, with, I assume people going home after the holidays, and some of the overtaking was a bit hairy (the days have gone, when according to my son, Nick, I would only overtake on corners, on the brows of hills or when there was car coming in the opposite direction). It was also hot and I was feeling a bit sleepy. The drive took me through undulating country from Dunedin into the Canterbury plains and arable land (amazingly no sheep in sight!). Since I've come out of the mountains in the west, some of my generalisations need to be amended: I haven't seen a one-lane bridge again, which suggests that part of the reason for them is that they get washed away by floods or avalanches; and the towns up the east coast have traffic lights!
Enough for now. I may not continue this blog in Sydney but I'll try and make some observations on my New Zealand trip overall. Bye for now. Time to explore Christchurch.
The history of the city is fascinating with the Free Church settlers from Edinburgh (via Lewis!?). There's a fantastic Otago Settler's Museum which fortunately begins with the Maori in around 1100, before going on to show the photos of the 340 arrivals from Scotland in 1848 and recounting their early history. I saw a couple of really old women with frightful Edinburgh accents, obviously descended from the original settlers. Apart from screwing up the location and planning-they superimposed Edinburgh and it's street plan upon a very hilly Dunedin-they did create a number of firsts, including New Zealand's first university, its first all girls school, as well as a robust banking system.
Dunedin is a small city - not much more than 100, 000 (excluding the 16,000 students who were on holiday), although it is spread over a wide area. It has an attractive location, but lacks the beautiful waterfronts of Auckland and Wellington. And it is a bit of a hotch potch as I said before. There are beautiful Victorian buildings - as you see all over the former colonial world-but the grey stone is different. The Railway Station is a work of art. However planning seems to have gone awry because there is an industrial area (including a Cadbury's factory very close to the centre of the city-and Cadbury's is the best of it!) and it's a bit of a mess. Beyond that is the University, Botanic Gardens and Otago Museum, all very attractive. The university has lots of greenery and an old central building with a tower supposedly replicating something in Scotland, but I'll need to check what. The tower isn't as grand as that at Glasgow University (!)-the bus tour guide announced it as a copy of Glasgow University but it can't be.
I did lots in my time in Dunedin: the Taieri Gorge Railway trip (supposedly one of the 10 best of such train journeys in the world!?! Embarassingly I haven't been on the West Highland Line in Scotalnd so I can't comment); New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame; Otago Settler's Museum; Otago Museum; and Botanic Gardens. But for me the highlight was the Elm Wildlife Tour I took yesterday to the Otago Peninsula (3:30-10:00pm) to see the albatross colony and a developing colony of yellow-eyed penguins. We were really lucky with the albatross as the wind got up, encouraging flight. They are huge, wing span over 9ft, and beautiful in flight. Maybe I'll write more later on the albatross. Our group then went to see a colony of yellow-eyed penguins: they have only relatively recently returned to the Otago Pensinsula and this company is highly conservation-minded and they've helped numbers expand significantly. They run a penguin clinic to restore injured penguins back to good health. The guides were passionate about their work. It was a pleasure to be with them. Anyway we watched then return to land after their day's fishing. They are small forest penguins so have their nests on the hillside above the beach. But they seem to arrive singly, so they appeared so forlorn doing their Charlie Chaplin walk up the beautiful long sandy beach; and also a bit stressed as there was a sea lion and one or two seals around. It was an absolute thrill then to see them meeting their partners and having a little kiss & cuddle-so beautiful and moving. The company has built some hides so you can see them up close. Fantastic day, the more so since the weather was a glorious, sunny 25C.
The wildlife trip was on New Year's Day. I went up to the Octagon (an open event area in the centre of town) the previous evening for the Hogmanay celebrations: they had a few bands playing and a firework display at midnight. There must have been about 1,500 people, I'm guessing, including many families with children, so it wasn't a drunken affair; and mostly tourists. The lead singer in the band playing at the bells didn't know the words for Auld Lang Syne, but it wouldn't matter since most people there didn't either (they might not even have been aware of Auld Lang Syne and especially its significance)! Still it was a pleasant, relaxed event-somehow I expected something more Scottish.
Today I drove to Christchurch, where I'm staying in a motel just outside town. The drive was less comfortable than any before-it was busy for the first time, with, I assume people going home after the holidays, and some of the overtaking was a bit hairy (the days have gone, when according to my son, Nick, I would only overtake on corners, on the brows of hills or when there was car coming in the opposite direction). It was also hot and I was feeling a bit sleepy. The drive took me through undulating country from Dunedin into the Canterbury plains and arable land (amazingly no sheep in sight!). Since I've come out of the mountains in the west, some of my generalisations need to be amended: I haven't seen a one-lane bridge again, which suggests that part of the reason for them is that they get washed away by floods or avalanches; and the towns up the east coast have traffic lights!
Enough for now. I may not continue this blog in Sydney but I'll try and make some observations on my New Zealand trip overall. Bye for now. Time to explore Christchurch.
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