How green is my valley? VERY!!!

A very early morning saw us waiting on the footpath outside our hotel, at 6.50am this morning, for our taxi to the airport.....which never arrived. Fortunately a lovely business man by the name of Graeme who happened to be checking out at the same time, and had a chauffeur driven limousine waiting for him, offered us a ride and charged it to his business account. Win No. 1!

Our flight to Nelson was smooth and uneventful.....just how you like a flight to be. When collecting our hire car we were informed that we had been upgraded from a 2013 Corolla to a brand spanking new Rav 4. Win No. 2! The drive down to Owen River Lodge was glorious. The valley is every shade of green imaginable with rolling hills and snow capped alps as a backdrop. Many of the trees are still in blossom as well, which added to the colour and charm. Simply stunning.

We arrived at Owen River Lodge just in time for lunch. The lodge and our cabin are luxurious with breathtaking views out over the gardens to the Owen River. The whole area is just such a vivid green it almost looks fake. Stephen spent some time being fitted with all his gear, so he is ready and raring to go, first thing tomorrow morning. He and his guide Pete will set off about 8.30am. I'm not sure he will be able to sleep tonight.

The Viaduct and Ponsonby areas of Auckland

We headed off this morning without a plan. I popped into Pandora and bought a cute little Kiwi charm for my travel bracelet and then we just walked. We headed down to the wharf area where there was a huge cruise liner in port. The extremely close proximity of the dock to Auckland city must bring in lots of tourist dollars. The streets and dock area were jam packed with American tourists and most of them had a shopping bag or two in their hands. We then headed west and made our way along the waterfront. It was interesting how the Sky Tower dominates the city skyline. It can literally be seen from everywhere. While the skies were grey it was far from cold. The temperature was about 21 degrees and the breeze warm. When we reached the end we hailed a taxi and headed to the trendy suburb of Ponsonby. The timber houses in the beautiful tree lined streets were quaint, but I would imagine very expensive. We found the Ponsonby Centre which is renown for its great restaurants and cafes and enjoyed lunch at Bird on the Wire. As the name suggests it was all about the chicken. I had chicken schnitzel. It was so moist and tasty and served with a delicious caper sauce and lemon. Stephen also enjoyed his chicken burger. After lunch we made our way back to the city and visited the large and well known department store Smith + Caughey. I browsed while Stephen sought out a man chair. Late in the afternoon we returned to our very comfortable little hotel to catch up on some internet and to get ready for our move to Owen River Lodge early tomorrow.

  

Waiheke Island

This morning after a bit of a sleep in, we walked down to the wharf and caught a ferry across to the picturesque Waiheke Island. We hired a car and circumnavigated the entire island stopping for photo opportunities and an odd sheep. The views are incredibly beautiful (photos simply don't do them justice) and the names of each little inlet.....very hard to pronounce. We visited Man O' War Bay where Captain James Cook sought shelter and water in 1769. The whole Man O' War area is now owned by a corporation who farm sheep and cattle and grow grapes. The hills are lined with vines and the cellar door and restaurant overlook the bay. We stopped for a bite to eat at Charlie Farley's which overlooks the gorgeous Onepinga beach. We sat in the sun, with an uninterrupted view out over the water and enjoyed our dips and chips. As you drive around the island you notice all these wooden seats. Each seat has been carefully placed to maximise the view. We stopped at several to take photos and take in the scenery.

For dinner tonight we went to a small and authentic French restaurant in the lane way just round the corner from our hotel. The food was delicious. Stephen enjoyed gnocchi with beef cheek and gorgonzola and my pork with pear, apple and walnuts was to die for. For dessert we both chose creme brûlée. Wow! It was one of the best we have ever eaten.

Travelling across the ditch

We were up very early for our flight to Auckland. The flight left 5 minutes early and was comfortable and quick, just over 3 hours. On arrival the weather in Auckland was sunny and mild. First impressions of Auckland are that it is pretty and quaint. We are staying at Hotel De Brett which is in central Auckland and a short 5 minute walk from the waterfront area. Hotel De Brett is a beautifully restored Art Deco building in a very trendy area surrounded by boutiques, restaurants and bars. We look forward to spending the next two days exploring the city.

Noosa - Day 6

The weather early this morning was humid and warm. Rain is predicted for the rest of the day although apart from a sprinkle it hasn't started yet. Stephen and I walked and I took quite a few photos. Kathy is out walking. Pete went for a run before he and Cam headed to the beach and Lach and Cal had a swim. Luisa (Cameron's school friend who now lives in Brisbane) and Paul (her husband) are driving up to have lunch with Cam and Pete. That will be a nice way to spend a few hours. The rest of us will enjoy our last day out and about in Hastings Street and around the house. Early flight tomorrow. 

This link is to a video of the house. It backs onto the National Park. I love to sit on the veranda listening to the birdsong and the sound of the waves. 

https://youtu.be/dx7WXeA-qss

Noosa - Day 5

Today Kathy, Cameron and I headed back to the small town of Yandina and the Spirit House Restaurant and Cooking School, for a class all about traditional Thai curries. We made four different curries - Chiangmai pork curry, green curry of braised beef ribs, stir fried red curry of crispy fish and steamed curry of prawns with pumpkin and coconut. We learnt a lot and enjoyed eating our creations for lunch, at the end of the class. 

Stephen and Pete went back to Noosa Springs Golf Club for another round of golf. Pete was determined to play the course better, however, he was not a very happy chap when he arrived home. The clubs have been packed away!!!

Lach and Cal spent the day relaxing. Something for everyone.

NOOSA - Main Beach

The This afternoon Stephen and I sat on the balcony of the Noosa Surf Life Saving Club, overlooking the beautiful and quite busy beach, while having a couple of drinks. Not a bad way to spend a couple of hours. 

https://youtu.be/LVjP-0WifIg

This link takes you to a short video taken from the balcony, out over the main beach area. Don't let the clouds fool you. It really is warm and the sun has actually been out for most of the day.