Kia Ora

Our flight is not until later today so once we had checked out of our hotel we decided to do a tour of the WETA Workshop. Sirs Peter Jackson and Richard Taylor of Lord of the Rings fame have produced the digital effects and props for many movies and were also responsible for the scale models at the Gallipoli exhibition. The tour lasted about an hour and it was interesting to get a sneak peek behind the scenes. 

We then went for a drive along the coast road and the views were sensational. Don't be fooled by the blue skies. It is still windy and very cool.

We are now at the airport. We have a long wait before we board our plane so we are filling in our time on our computer and iPad as the WiFi is free and pretty fast. See you all soon.

Last day in Aotearoa (Land of the long white cloud)

Today we hired a little Toyota Yaris and drove out to the Hutt River Valley which is a beautiful area north of Wellington. On the way back to the hotel we drove along the beach road and stopped at Petone Wharf. The views back towards Wellington from the wharf are wonderful, however, the weather was NOT!!! Windy Wellington has certainly lived up to its name and it was blowing a gale again today......and bloody cold. (Although we hear that it was blowing a gale again in Melbourne today too.)

It had rained heavily again overnight, but the sun did come out late in the day and I ventured out onto the balcony for the first time, to take a photo of the view out over the harbour and wharf area.

www.wellington.co.nz

......and the www stands for Wild, Wet and Windy. It was very squally and it rained quite hard all night and we woke to greyer skies than yesterday. We set off to find the underground craft market. It was a nice little market held in an underground car park on the wharf area of the city. We enjoyed a crepe for breakfast and a look around before heading into the central city area to catch the cable car up the hill. The ride up (or down) is only quite short but the views at the top are lovely. They would be magical on a sunny day. We browsed the cable car museum and watched a short film about all the private cable cars in Wellington. The wealthier citizens of Wellington build towards the top of the hillside (or on top of the hill) and put in their very own small cable cars at enormous cost. It was amazing.

The rain had set in again by then so we decided to have lunch in a cafe at the top of the line before catching the cable car back down. We managed to dodge the showers and wound our way back down and along to the wharf to Te Papa and our hotel.

Windy Wellington

Oh my goodness! I have certainly heard Wellington referred to as a windy city but I didn't know they meant the type of wind that almost blows you off your feet as you struggle to walk along the footpath.  The flight from Nelson only took 25 minutes from gate to gate. We literally went up and then went down. The weather in Nelson was sunny and warm and STILL! The pilot signalled that we could expect some turbulence on landing and he was correct. The small plane was buffeted from side to side as we flew in over the Cook Strait, but he was obviously a skilled pilot as the actual touch down was quite smooth.

We are staying in a serviced apartment overlooking Wellington harbour. I would go out onto the balcony to take a photo of the view but I am frightened that I might actually get blown off. The weather is grey and gloomy and the mountains that encircle the city are not visible as the cloud is so low, however, surprisingly it is not freezing cold.

We did venture out to visit the Te Papa Museum which is New Zealand's National Museum. We had lunch in the cafe before going to see the Gallipoli exhibition. Two and a half hours later we emerged. It was interesting to hear and see the story of the ANZACS from the New Zealand perspective. It really was wonderful, if not quite sad and emotional. It is called, The Scale of War and the story is told through the letters and diaries of six soldiers, a medical officer and a nurse. Each section opens with a 2.5 x scale model of the person telling the story. The models were made at the WETA Workshop which is the company who made all the models for the Lord of the Rings trilogy. They are absolutely amazing, so lifelike. It is actually hard to describe just how lifelike they are except to say that if one of them had turned and spoken to me I wouldn't have been surprised. We then visited the earthquake exhibit. We were able to experience a few seconds of a 5.0 earthquake and believe me if that is how it feels I never want to experience an 8.9 which is what they recently experienced in Christchurch.

The museum is large and interesting and we only visited a very small section of it. If it rains all day tomorrow, as is forecast, we may return but hopefully we will be able to get out and explore the city in between showers.

http://gallipoli.tepapa.govt.nz - this link will take you to the website for the exhibition. Just like the actual exhibition it is interactive and well worth a look.

In and around Nelson

Stephen and I have decided that we really like the small city of Nelson. Today we made our way up to the lookout that takes in views of both the Tasman Sea and deep water channel and then back behind towards the bay and the mountains......and the views were just breathtaking. Our next stop was the Suter Gallery and Queen's Gardens, right in the heart of the city. Bishop Suter and his wife Emily were some of the founding fathers/mothers of the Port of Nelson and they had the forethought to bring with them some of the most wonderful and important paintings of their time. These are now on display in the recently renovated gallery that bares their name. The Queen's Gardens, while small are beautifully laid out and full of lovely plants and flowers.

After a quick stop to take a photo of the Church of Christ cathedral we went to visit Pirate Pearl (real name Robyn) at her sail making factory. We met Pearl last night over drinks on the deck at Wakefield Quay House. We had gathered to watch the yachts racing around the harbour. Pearl is a long time friend of our hostess Woodi. Both women are absolute characters who have lived the most interesting and diverse lives. Pearl now lives on a catamaran and makes sails and interesting duffle style bags.

Our day trip then took us to the wharf area of Mapua where we had lunch overlooking the water. It is about a 30 minute trip from where we are staying. The drive takes you out through the vineyards and is very pretty.

We arrived back at the house just after three where we were treated to a wonderful display by five orca whales who were playing and feeding not 100m off the beach. They stayed around for about 45 minutes and it was amazing to see. Woodi tells us that it is quite rare to see them at all, let alone that close to the shore.

Nelson

Today we had to say farewell to Owen River Lodge. What a wonderful 4 days! Hopefully one day we will return. We drove 90 minutes north to the very pretty city of Nelson and our fantastic B & B - Wakefield Quay House. The owner Woodi (Female) is a hoot and I'm sure our two night stay will be very comfortable and entertaining. Our room has the most magnificent views out over the water. Early this evening there was yacht racing in the harbour channel just in front of the house. It was a lovely sight as the sun was setting. For dinner we walked to the Boat Shed which is as its name suggests, a shed. It actually hangs out over the water and you could see the sea through the cracks in the floor. Dinner was delicious but the views even better.

A bathroom with a view!!!

Nelson Lakes National Park

Today we drove the short distance to Lakes Rotoroa and Rotoiti which are both part of the Nelson Lakes National Park. They were formed some 12,000 to 20,000 years ago as a result of glaciation. The lakes area is very popular with fishermen, boaters and 'trampers' which, is the name given to bush walkers, by the kiwi folk. We even saw an area where real kiwis are said to live, however, they certainly weren't about today.

Matakitaki River

One of the largest rivers in the south island the Matakitaki can rise 18 vertical feet after significant rain. Sight fished from the bank and saw plenty. Managed to hook a couple and scare away another eight. Hooked a 6 pounder which only escaped after burying its head in some rocks at the bottom of the river. In the afternoon we ventured over to the Mangles River which is much like the Ovens at Harrietville. Took a small fish on a nymph which ended three sensational days in New Zealand waters. (Stephen)

These photos are a compilation of Stephen's fishing exploits over the three days of guided fishing.

Stephen and his guide Pete (on the left) hit it off. Stephen was amazed at his knowledge and fish spotting ability. Adam is an intern and spent the three days assisting Stephen and learning from Pete.