Author: odohertyelaine

I’m leaving Franz Josef this morning and heading further south to a town called Wanaka. The famous Queenstown is just an hour drive further south but as I spent some time there in 2018 I decided Wanaka would be the next best place to explore. They kind of compete against each other and Wanaka definitely doesn’t have as many backpackers as Queenstown. I’m definitely heading for nicer weather and I stop at the first viewing point called Knights Point:

It’s about a four hour drive on these windy, regularly under construction roads, that I’m getting used to and there are lots of places to stop as I make my way through Mount Aspring National Park.

I pull off the road at Thunder Creek Falls, and walk the short pathway to a gushing waterfall.

The next point of interest is a sign for the “Blue pools”. It’s about a thirty minute hike to get there, involving a couple of rope bridge crossings. It’s really pretty although it’s essentially the river bed and not quite pools. Nice though, and popular for a quick cool down.

You gotta love these signs at all these bridges that, in fairness, do look like they could collapse at any minute.

I continue towards Lake Wanaka and the first view that appears is “the neck” of the lake. It’s so pretty driving toward it. It’s like driving into a billboard for a holiday advertisement.

I finally get to my destination. I’m staying at a resort that’s a few minutes drive to the downtown area but it’s really nice and nestled among some very picturesque hills.

I get checked in and then drive down to the lake to check out where I’ll be for the next three days. It really is a beautiful spot.

I eat at a place called Big Fig where you chose the size plate you want and then fill it with a choice of one meat, a carb, and veg or salads. It was great.

Next morning I hire a bike and I’m going to cycle around the east side of the lake to Lake Hawea. The temperature is a lot cooler at night and it’s still cool enough to need a sweatshirt first thing this morning (delightful sleeping weather mind you).

It’s hard not to keep stopping and taking photos as the view changes and becomes more beautiful from each progressing angle. True to form, I end up veering off the cycle path (they could do with a few more signs) and climbing this steep hill onto an outlet road. I chat to a few locals out for their morning walk and they set me straight and get me back on the path at Albert town. Climbing up and getting a little distance from the lake did give me another perspective of it though so all good!

Back on the trail, I’ve got to go over another rope bridge. I’m definitely walking the bike over this one.

I’m coming up to the second part of the trail which leaves lake Wanaka and goes along the River path to Lake Hawea.

I stop here for a few minutes as there’s a guy trying to get up on a surf board. I watch him make two attempts but he can only manage to paddle on the board. Just as I put away my camera and on his third attempt he stands on the board – it was very impressive.

I arrive at Lake Hawea, another very beautiful, massive expanse of water, roasting and ready for a rest before turning around and cycling the same path back.

Lunchtime first though – some fish and chips at the Hawea hotel.

The cycle path, (that I manage to stay on the whole way back btw), hugs the waters edge and is quite narrow in parts with danger signs at fairly regular intervals. The water is high as there’s been rain so I’m very cautious not to slide from the path or come off the bike on the mucky sections of the track.

Back in town I decide to pick up some provisions and eat in tonight. I grab dinner supplies at the New World supermarket and spot a wine shop for a gander. The guy in the shop gives me a taste of a Chardonnay from Hawkes Bay and it’s really good. When I come back to buy it, after grabbing the other supplies, he gives me a chilled one from the fridge and his tasting bottle, which has about a glass in it – so nice 🍷.

Next morning after a lovely sleep under the covers (it’s such a treat when in the Southern Hemisphere) I enjoy the views while taking a walk to the lake.

Doesn’t this row of properties look almost like a film set it’s so perfect:

All along the lake there are red tiles with historic events listed by year. The path runs the whole length of the lakefront from where I arrive to downtown so I take a look and end up spending best part of an hour reading them all.

It’s called the “Lakefront Millennium Tile Path” and it starts at the year 1AD and goes to the year 2000.

As I’m walking I’m thinking about significant dates in history and I wonder if they’ll have the potato famine when I get to 1845….

I walk around the shopping area and sit at the lake checking out the ducks passing by.

As I’m walking back to the hotel I see a sign for Florences Foodstore and Cafe which I decide to check out for lunch. It’s got a nice outside seating area and that lovely backdrop of mountains. I do little else for the rest of the day other than lounge by the pool and watch the Oscars. [I must go to see Parasite]

Next morning it’s time to head to the airport for my flight back to Sydney. It’s not a long drive, only about an hour and it’s along another twisting road that runs through the Cardrona valley and Crown Mountain range. It is quite spectacular.

View looking down to Queenstown in the distance.

As I have time to spare, I take the turnoff for Arrowtown as I’ve read it’s a cute historic town. I walk around the couple of main streets looking at the buildings and it is a cute little detour.

Arriving at the airport I remember those beautiful Remarkable mountains

And I’m reminded how far away from home I am – 18,973km – the furtherest on the board.

Bye Bye New Zealand, until next time….

It’s takes over three hours to drive from the pancake rocks (which by the way are part of Paparoa National Park) to Franz Josef. I really enjoy the drive and checking out the scenery. When I arrive it’s still nice and bright and it’s a sunny clear evening. There are just two streets in Franz Josef, Highway 6 which I came in on and Cron Street. This is Cron Street at around 8pm!

I’m staying at the “Scenic Franz Josef” hotel which is in the middle of the two roads so you can walk out of the hotel onto either one.

I take a walk along Cron Street and end up at Monsoon bar and have a local cider called Monteith – it’s the best cider I’ve ever had…. no joking. It looks like fizzy water!

Next morning I’m supposed to be taking a helicopter to the glacier and doing a three hour hike up there but the cloud has set in so I’m not feeling optimistic. Sure enough when I arrive the sign says all Heli-hikes have been cancelled. Disappointing but that’s how it rolls here. No point going up there if you can’t see anything and certainly not if there’s a slight chance of it being dangerous. [side note: Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter just a matter of days ago]. So instead I do some of the local hikes. I head to “Peters pools” which I’m told has a great reflection of the glacier on a calm sunny day. Looking at the proximity of the glacier, even behind those clouds I don’t think there’s been a reflection in that pool since about 1920! The glacier has receded significantly.

Beyond the pool the rest of the hike is closed off

So I set off on another walk called “Sentinel rock”. It’s brightening up and there’s some pretty waterfalls but again the hike is closed beyond a certain point.

Lastly I walk toward the Glacier in the hope the cloud might clear and I might get a view. Unfortunately the cloud is back and it’s brought rain so it’s not happening.

And again I can’t go any further. You used be able to walk along where the water and rocks are behind but it’s been closed off for months as it’s flooded multiple times and is just too dangerous to remain open. Ah well.

If I zoom in you can see a little bit of glacier but that’s as good as it gets.

Another walk brings me through some delightful forest but the rain comes and goes and again the clouds are blocking the view.

It doesn’t feel like there’s much point in trying more walks so I go to the West Coast Wild Life Centre to catch a glimpse of New Zealand’s rarest kiwi – the Rowi kiwi. I didn’t know much about this bird but I find out there are 5 different types, they’re nocturnal and they’re flightless (well I did know that). The wildlife centre is small but I really like it because I feel like I have time to read everything and take it all in. There’s no overload of information, it’s delightful! There’s just one kiwi in the nocturnal house when I visit and her name is Tayejana and she’s 4 months old. I hear rustling around and once my eyes adjust to the dark I spot her roaming about eating and stretching. Her long skinny beak is the easiest bit to spot in the dark. No photos allowed but I did manage to find her doppelgänger thanks to the joys of the internet.

There is also a Tuatara exhibit. Tuataras are lizard like and believed to have first appeared on earth 200 million years ago. They aren’t actually part of the lizard family but the only remaining of a family long extinct. There are six of them in the exhibit and I manage to see five. Apparently they are the only species that have a third eye. It’s fascinating to look for them as they’re so camouflaged and they stay still for ages.

After spending quite a while at the wild life centre chatting to the guide about the kiwis, I head for a late lunch. I decide to try the whitebait as it’s a bit of a speciality around here. They cook it with eggs like an omelette and it was really nice, served with a great salad and garlic bread.

I spend the evening watching the cloud clear from the mountains. The view from my balcony is terrific.

Finally there’s a glimpse of a glacier:

Next morning the sky is clear and I’m excited for my heli-hike. I can hear helicopters in the air and just look at that clear blue sky:

I layer up and head toward the base with a brief detour to call in and see Tayejana. She’s obviously had a good nights sleep with the lights on so she thinks it’s daytime and now she’s running up and down in the dark. A quick peak at the tuataras while I’m there too. This fella was a lot more active this morning.

When I reach the base It’s not good news. Although conditions are good, they’re only sending up scenic flights. The hike trail on the ice has been washed away and there are guides up there now trying to reinstate it. I need to come back at 3pm. I’m afraid the clouds will roll in again but surprisingly the girl behind the counter says “no way, look at that day, you’ll be all set for 3pm”. I have a chat at the info centre and the girl recommends I head to Fox Glacier where I’m bound to see some good stuff.

Ehhhh…. wrong! She explains that up to about a year ago you used to be able to drive quite close to Fox but the road has been closed. However you can still get a decent view. This is the view I got:

Her next recommendation was to go to Matheson Lake. This is supposed to frame an amazing view of Mount Tasman and Mount Cook but look… it’s more cloud, I can’t believe I left a beautiful sunny Franz Josef and came to this!

I continue on in the hope of it clearing and do the loop walk around the lake. It’s a lovely 1.5 hour walk and I reckon when the sun is shining and the sky is clear it’s magnificent. Still nice today just not so stunning.

I really should know better, but forever the optimist, I head to Peak Viewpoint where I’m told I should get a great view of Fox glacier. Worth a try….. just in case. As I turn off the main road following the directions to the view point I’m on an unpaved gravel road. All I keep thinking is don’t get a puncture as I didn’t pay extra for the roadside assistance. Alas not worth the trip…..

I reckon it’s time to be getting back to sunnier skies so I can get ready for my Heli-hike. Driving back into Franz Josef I’m not loving the look of the sky…

I go back to the hotel to layer up before heading to the base but unfortunately it’s bad news again. Yep, the hike path is ready but the weather has turned and everything is cancelled again. 😩 I get rescheduled one more time for tomorrow morning but I don’t hold out much hope as the weather app says rain is due. I do another walk toward the Tatare tunnels but again it’s closed beyond a certain point and at this stage I’m getting a bit disheartened.

I’m so glad I’m in a nice hotel with a good view. I have a bit of downtime and then go to Alice Mays for my final dinner. The restaurant is famous for its patron Alice who was called a man slayer. When I read about her I find out she only killed one man, her husband, and she shot him – hardly worthy of the title “man slayer”. The place gets great reviews and it’s packed. I have to wait at the bar until a table is ready. And then …. well it’s an average meal…. nothing to write home about (but apparently blog worthy!!). It seems today just wasn’t my day! I’m ready for it to be tomorrow!

I wake up. It’s my last morning. I’ve one last shot at this Heli-hike. I open the curtains. It’s kinda sunny. I can hear helicopters. I get excited. I get out of the shower. It’s cloudy. I’m pessimistic. I go for breakfast. It’s sunny again. I layer up, get myself ready and head to the base…….

I’m outa here.

By the end of my trip I’ll have done 3 out of 4 of these Great Journeys of New Zealand.

Right now I’m at Picton Railway station for my first train journey. I’m taking the Coastal Pacific as I head from Picton down the east coast to Christchurch.

It’s a six hour journey, but on a very comfortable train with extra high windows to take in the views. The scenery changes quite drastically as we move along. We pass through dry looking hills…

Salt flats….

And the ocean….

The train passes through Kaikoura which is a popular spot and quite a few people get off but I don’t have time on this visit, maybe next time.

It’s hard to capture the beauty of the scenery as we speed through the countryside but it is fabulous and the weather is great so we see it in all its glory. We reach Christchurch at 8:30pm and wind and rain has set in. It’s straight to the hotel for a nights sleep, with a gale blowing outside.

Next morning it’s time for my next train journey. This time the TranzAlpine which is considered one of the world’s most scenic train journeys. It’s fairly flat as we leave the Christchurch area.

The train will travel north west across the country from the Pacific Ocean to the Tasman Sea. There are many bridges but again it’s hard to capture a good snap.

There’s a great mountain range to cross so a cavalcade of tunnels and viaducts takes us up through the Southern Alps and to Arthur’s Pass. The train moves quite slow in a lot of places like it’s struggling to keep travelling up! Just before arrival at Arthur’s pass the train operator announces we are about to go through the 8.5km Otira tunnel. [side note: the population of Otira is 45 people!] The dining cart is closed, the viewing carriage at the front of the train is closed and everyone is asked to stay in their seats while we go through the tunnel… I found that a bit peculiar. Anyways of course I do what I’m told and end up dozing off before we reach the end! The train stops for 5 minutes up here so we can get out on the platform.

From here it’s all downhill (literally) and the weather is still rainy and a bit dull. The scenery is not as impressive as we’re led to believe it is on a sunny day. The clouds are making things quite grey.

It’s still a great train journey though and soon enough we’re in Greymouth. I pick up a rental car here. The rental car offices are chocker block for about an hour after the train arrives and then they’re all quiet again. It’s a bit of a queue but everyone is in good form and excited to be on the west coast and about to embark on another adventure. It’s about a three hour drive south to Franz Josef but I’ve decided before heading there I’m going to head north to see the Pancake rocks. It’s a windy road along a beautiful coastline which obviously I can’t photograph as I’m driving!

The coastline reminds me of the 12 apostles on the Great Ocean Road. One big difference is the colours though. On the Great Ocean Road the water was so blue against the yellow rocks, the bright sunshine helped I’m sure. Here, the water is completely white as the sea is so rough all the way along the forty odd kilometers north.

I get to the Pancake rocks and I’m delighted I made the extra journey. They’re literally just off the highway and they’re cool…..

I didn’t know what to expect but I’m really impressed. There’s a 15 minute loop walk and these layered rocks are everywhere. There are also blow holes with the water shooting up through the rocks.

I don’t spend too long as I want to get on the road. There ares signs all over the main roads in NZ saying “NZ roads are different” and they’re right, everything takes a little longer whether it’s due to weather conditions or road works because of roads being messed up from previous storms, floods etc…. As I start to head south toward Franz Josef a little animal ran across the road in front of my car and I realised later it’s a stoat. Apparently they’re one of the kiwi birds biggest predators. He’s lucky I didn’t run him over.

This morning I leave the north island and take the ferry to Picton. It’s a three hour journey and it’s a bit grey and overcast as we leave the harbour. That said, it’s not a rough crossing so I’m happy about that. The ship is huge and I’m in the premium cabin so get fed breakfast and tea and scones at 11…. very posh altogether!

We sail through the Cook Straits and as we approach the South Island the sun comes out and the views are much prettier:

Arriving into Picton:

When I arrive I’m straight on the intercity bus to Nelson.

There are fields and fields of grapes as we are surrounded by wine country. If we’re not passing a vineyard, we’re passing apple orchards or fields of hops. There’s also a lot of craft beer brewed around here.

I’m staying at the Rutherford hotel which is a big hotel right in the centre of town. It’s a two minute walk to the top of Hardy street which is the Main Street in town. I have a walk around and settle on a restaurant called Harry’s Hawker House where I have my favourite meal of the trip so far – shoulder of lamb massaman style and the hawker vegetables which were bok choi and broccoli in oyster sauce with crunchy roasted kale on top. It was to die for!

Next morning I start with a quick trip to the gym and a leisurely breakfast. Then it’s off for a day checking out Nelson. The concierge tells me there’s a nice hike to the “Centre of New Zealand” and if I want to continue from there I can do a loop that will take about three hours and bring me back to the city by the river. Sounds good to me. From the Centre of NZ looking back into the hills and valley:

It’s official – this spot is the very centre point of New Zealand!!

From the Centre of NZ looking toward the sea and across to Abel Tasman National Park (where I’ll be very soon):

I walk the path downward toward the sea and look back at the centre of NZ monument:

Unfortunately I’m stopped in my tracks as part of the trail is closed but I follow the Bluff road and manage to get back on the trail around the corner.

I walk through the Miyazu Japanese gardens, a nice quiet spot away from the main road.

Having made the full loop around Nelson, it’s past lunchtime so I’m ready for a stop. River Kitchen has been recommended so I sit looking out at the river and enjoy a calamari salad with a local fizzy lemon drink. Feeling refreshed I carry on back into town. Between two of the city’s streets is “Queens gardens” which I check out with a cup of tea.

I’m naming these ducks the “Green beak” duck but clearly it’s their surroundings causing the distinct green beak look!

My hotel is right beside Christ church cathedral so I take a l quick look inside. I wasn’t sure if it was catholic when I walked in but the giveaways quickly appear, especially when I saw photos of the queen on the walls!!

I knew they’d been here as I’d just seen it on The Crown!

Happy with what I’ve seen, I head back to the hotel for some downtime and to catch up on what’s happening at the Australian Open. I want to watch Ash Barty in the ladies semi final. [As I’m typing this Barty is beaten – what a game]. Federer and Djokovic play tonight but I won’t be able to stay up late enough to watch it as I’ve a big day tomorrow starting my Abel Tasman 3-day walk. It’s a low key evening for me, I’ll pack my backpack, get my hiking boots out and maybe have a little glass of something while I’m doing it!

Next morning after a quick visit to the gym and a hotel buffet breakfast, I get picked up by Wilson’s tour company, who I’m doing the organised hike with. We drive about an hour to Motueka where we organise our day packs and hand over our overnight bags which will be transported by boat to the lodges each day. From here we head to Kaiteriteri and board a boat which sails along the coastline (that we’ll be walking) to Totarani. It pulls in at a number of different beaches along the way to let beach visitors and hikers off.

We pass a seal colony, where we spot some babies.

As we sail along the Abel Tasman National Park, passing lots of beautiful beaches with stunning scenery in the background, the captain points out a tree which looks like a Christmas tree in the middle of the beach.

Off the boat at Totaranui and we are ready to start walking. We do quick introductions to the group. Myles and Sylvan are our guides and the group has Canadians, Americans, English, Kiwis and me! We hike just seven kilometers today. Starting on a beach we quickly turn a corner into lush green forests but we regularly see hints of the ocean from the path.

I’ve never hiked on trails where you regularly have to pass through beaches. I love it!

We finish today’s walking at Awaroa and are staying at the Meadow bank Homestead. To get to our accommodation we need to take another short boat ride but the tide is going out so we have to wade out into the water to get into the boat. See that little boat out there:

Once aboard it’s a short journey and we land at the beach where our accommodation awaits.

The accommodation is stunning and holds the family history of the Wilson family. Each bedroom is named after a family member and there are photos and information about them in each room. I’m in “Fred” who was a son of the original parents and who lived until he was in his 90’s. Although I signed up for the shared accommodation I get a room to myself which I’m delighted about as I think I dodged a very quirky bullet. 😉

After a welcome shower we relax and take in the wonderful views. I’m loving looking through to the beach, beautifully framed by the flowers – those agapanthus that I love but are actually considered a pest.

We are served a delicious three course meal and then watch a short video about the family who own the house. It’s quite the story – bear with me! The couple who built this home had nine children. At some point they took in borders and the wife “got involved” with one of them. She divorced her husband and left for Wellington, taking just the youngest child with her and married this other man. She had two more children with him but alas, in her words, she had a temper and he took to the drink and ultimately he “shot her in the breast”. This was sometime in the early 1900’s… imagine! When the family heard of her murder, Fred (who’s room I’m in!) went to Wellington and brought back his brother (the original child she took with her) and his new half sister. The other son was left behind and made a ward of the state. At some point, many years later, someone went searching for someone (it got complicated!) and the adopted son in Wellington was reunited with his sister and half siblings back in Nelson. Shocked and exhausted after all that it’s time for bed!

Day 2 : Today we walk 17kms from Awaroa to Torrent bay. There’s 16 in our group and half opt to kayak while the other half of us walk. There are a number of bridges to cross today.

Again the landscape goes from almost tropical green to white sandy beaches. It’s all beautiful.

We stop at Bark bay for lunch and meet the kayakers.

Another bridge at Falls river:

The walk is handy enough, some decent hills but mostly an easy walk. The view that greets us on Arrival into Torrent bay:

We stay at another great accommodation called Torrent Bay Lodge.

We all agree a dip in the water is needed after a hot day. I paddle in the sea among some waves and then check out a small bay around the corner which is calmer and has warmer water for a swim. It’s really refreshing and sets me up for another evening of good food and wine and chat with the group.

Day 3 : Today we are hiking 13 kms to get us back to the entrance into the Abel Tasman National Park. Having my morning cup of tea while watching the sun come up from the front of the house is just lovely, not to mention the yoga moves, squats and stretches done with my new American buddies Suellen (yes Suellen!) and Mary.

We start by crossing the small bay that I swam in yesterday evening as there’s barely any water in it now. We go barefoot or with reef shoes and put our boots on, on the other side.

Our lunch stop is, surprise surprise, at another beautiful beach! This time I dip my feet in to cool down before tucking into a really great packed lunch. They really do feed you well on these trips.

Our guides Myles (Welsh) and Sylvan (Kiwi) are really great with the group. [I’ve an uncle Sylvan and that’s the only other time I’ve heard this name. Our guide says he’s never met another Sylvan].

The island in the background here is called Adele island:

We pass Apple Tree bay and finish our walk at Marahau where we boarded the boat a couple of days ago. At the entrance to the park with some of the group:

I finish my time in Nelson going back to the restaurant I went on my first night cause it was so good and I’ve been thinking about the bang bang cauliflower that I didn’t get to try. I’d recommended the restaurant to a number of people on the trip so one of the couples Sue and Andy are there. We have a great chat, some wine, and as expected, a great meal. A lovely end to a great time in this very beautiful part of the country.

Next morning I’m back on the intercity bus to Picton. Another two hour journey but the views are just as good as they were a few days ago going in the other direction and the weather is still gorgeous. I get checked in at the Picton Yacht Club Hotel and try a pie at the very popular Picton Bakery:

Then it’s off to follow the Tirohanga track upwards to get a view over Picton:

I think that’s enough walking for today – I’ve been hitting way in excess of 20,000 steps a day so I decide I’ll have a sit down looking at the foreshore with a glass of local cider.

Back at the hotel I jump into the pool, more as a cool down dip rather than an actual swim and have a little poolside snooze. After grabbing a pad Thai for dinner it’s bedtime and an early start in the morning for a boat trip around the Marlborough Sounds.

By 7:30am next morning I’ve had breakfast, checked out and I’m on a boat to explore the Marlborough Sounds. It’s a bit rainy so the first hour heading out of Picton is a bit grey and lack lustre but by the time we arrive to Motuara island the sun is out.

Motuara island is a bird sanctuary. We have an hour to walk up to the look out point and see what birds we can see en route. I see lots of South Island robins and I think a mini parakeet:

I see a South Island saddleback, which is a tiny bird that was close to extinction in the sixties:

The views on the way up the track are stunning:

And from the top looking out at the Sounds:

Back on the boat we ahead across the Sounds to Ship Cove where there’s a Cook monument. This is also the starting point for the Queen Charlotte track.

Picton bound I stay on the top of the boat this time as the weather is reasonable. There are a few windy sections though!

Back on dry land I have time for lunch before I go to the train station. For lunch I have something I’d never heard of, a wild Tahr burger – apparently it’s goat. Very tasty! Time for the Coastal Pacific to Christchurch.

After a disturbed nights sleep resulting from a fire alarm and evacuation of the hotel at 3am, I could do with a snooze on the plane, but it’s such a short flight to Napier there’s hardly time, and there’s some great views of Volcanic mountains. Ah well.. we’ll soldier on! I visited Napier on my 2018 NZ adventure and visited my friend Karina but this time she’s in a new home by the sea so I’m excited to see it. This weekend is really all about a catch up and as it turns out wine!

We stop at Linden winery on the way from the airport. They have a really extensive list of wines to taste so we get struck in. From Chardonnay to Viognier to Syrah and a really nice port. They’re all delicious so it’s hard to pick our favorites to buy. Ultimately we do though, and we’re clearly delighted with our purchases.

Next it’s on to a small local brewery. Not much for Karina and I here but the lads love it.

Time to get home and have a little rest, followed by a swim and another little rest and did I mention the wine!!

The view of Hawkes bay and the ocean is spectacular from Karina and Wynns. Check out this view from the living room… such a beautiful location and an amazing view.

We have a lovely evening of good wine and food and feeling a bit more rested, next day it’s time for more exploring. Napier is one of the last remaining Art Deco towns so we take a ramble around and a walk along that beautiful coastline.

And then it’s time for another brewery. This time one that has a lot of different ciders… great tasting there. There’s some music playing so we decide to stay for lunch before checking out the Mission winery and having another relaxing evening at home.

It’s been a quick couple of days but we have to get on the road to Wellington. We are sent on our way with some fruit from the garden!

Nobody told me about “Windy Wellington”! Forget about Chicago being the Windy City this city is crazy windy. The drive, which took about five hours, took us through some scenic hills and fields full of sheep. In Wellington we get rid of the car and head toward the famous Cuba street for dinner and drinks with Shanes friends.

We have fantastic Malaysian food on Cuba street and check out this art!

I have a full day in Wellington so next morning I start off with a trip on the cable car. Nice mural in the cable car station:

View from the top:

I talk the Botanic garden route down from the top. The gardens were established in 1868 and sit along the hillside so ideal to check out on the walk down from the cable car.

I really do love the agapanthus which I’ve seen all over:

I’ve seen these boxes, what look like office filing boxes to me, but realise they’re bees…..

I check out the Lady Norwood rose garden and the Begonia house with gorgeous flowers and there’s warm beautiful sunshine.

A short stop for tea and a cheesy scone at the picnic cafe then it’s on to the Bolton Street Cemetery. I do love a good wander around a cemetery and there’s a memorial trail with map to follow so I’m happy out.

The cemetery was split into a public section and a Jewish section and the gravestones look out toward the town.

A motorway runs through the centre of the cemetery splitting it into an upper and a lower level. Nearly 3,700 graves were dug up and shifted to a mass grave to facilitate the motorway. At the end of my visit I visit a small chapel that has a memorial list with all the names.

I land back in town by the parliament building, known as the Beehive:

From here I head for the sea and walk along the waterfront to Te Papa Museum.

It’s a huge museum with a lot of different levels and it’s not at all busy. In fact other than the first nature section I’m nearly by myself for lots of the exhibits. I learn about the Kiwi bird.

I like looking at the old portraits which are hung against a red wall just like in the Dublin art gallery. You could easily think you’re back in Dublin until you take a close look at the paintings.

There are a lot of prints of people covered in tattoos, not something I’m a fan of but obviously it’s a huge Maori cultural phenomenon. The artistry is amazing in fairness.

I come across an interesting artist Greg Semu who depicts a mauri Jesus:

On my lonesome for dinner tonight so I take my kindle and head to Mr Go’s which got some great reviews on line. My pork knuckle fried rice is fantastic.

Well that’s Wellington ticked. I leave the north island tomorrow and head south.

I’m on the North Island having flown into Auckland last night and this morning I’m taking a two hour ferry to The Coromandel. The Coromandel is a peninsula sticking out of the top eastern part of the north island. I have a two night stay in this area which is supposed to be beautiful so really looking forward to it.

The ferry ride flies by as there’s plenty to see and the captain gives a running commentary. As we leave the harbour which is sheltered by the Hauraki gulf, he points out Bean Rock lighthouse which is the last “cottage” lighthouse in NZ and one of the remaining few in the world.

It’s a bit gray today but a comfortable temperature and the sun is starting to peak through the clouds. There are a lot of islands in this neck of the woods….

One in particular, called Rangitoto, is particularly picturesque as it has a perfect volcano shape (so the locals believe).

At one point on the crossing we’re treated to some dolphins swimming alongside the boat:

As we approach the Coromandel, we see a large number of boats in the bay catching mussels. I’ll be trying some of those later. On arrival, I’m met by the tour company and shuttled to Coromandel town. A quick lunch and then we’re off to explore the town starting with a train journey on the Driving creek railway.

It’s a small train built by an eccentric local who was obsessed with building a railway and making pottery!

It makes it’s way up the mountainside through native forest and some unique art. There are a number of tunnels which are pretty tight – “everything inside” the driver continues to remind us.

A the top of the hill we get out and climb some steps to check out the view from the “Eyefull” tower!

Next we set off to visit the Kauri forest. We learn that the Kauri trees, which are native to NZ, and at one time covered the island, were cut and logged by the settling Europeans. Now there are very few of them.

This is one of the only grove of kauri remaining

On the way back to town we stop at Waiau Waterfall

The guidebook tells me that a must-eat while in the Cormandel is bivalves. I don’t know what a bivalve is so I have to look it up and find out it’s mussels, scallops and oysters. Fair enough – they’re on every menu from the fancier restaurants to the takeaways. I eat at the Pepper Tree and order half a dozen mussels and they’re gorgeous, definitely the biggest mussels I’ve ever had. (Very different to our smaller sweeter Dublin bay mussels).

Fish is definitely the way to go in this town so I also have the seafood chowder which is delicious. A glass of wine from Gisborne (not too far away) and I’m knackered and ready for bed.

Next morning I meet up with the tour group and we head to the other side of the peninsula to visit Cathedral Cove. The bus journey takes about an hour and a half via windy roads, across some beautiful countryside. We are dropped off at the car park and there’s a 2.5km coastal walk to get to the beach. The views along the way are spectacular.

Cathedral cove is famous for this rock arch:

We walk through the arch in between big waves so as not to get soaked and there’s nobody on the beach. There’s no way I’m getting into that water beyond ankle level as the waves are huge but a Canadian couple from our group brave it – impressive! The large swell makes it really exciting watching the waves:

The other side of the arch also has a beautiful beach:

So beautiful I reckon it’s a fine location to do a few planks!! [physio prescribed for a hip/glute situation I might add!!!]

Next on today’s agenda is a visit to Hot water beach. There is a peculiar phenomenon on this beach where if you dig into the sand (at certain spots) you come across hot water. In some spots it’s nearly boiling. It’s a huge tourist attraction and huddled on one small section of the beach are a hundred people digging and lounging in this hot water:

A few minutes walk and there’s no one around on this beautiful stretch of beach. The beach was officially closed as the swell was so big and lifeguards were calling to the few people who ventured in and asking them to get out or at least come to the edge. We did paddle our feet and while chatting and laughing about the “sneaker” wave that got me last year in Australia, low and behold a huge wave hit and soaked us.

We’re back in town by 3pm so it’s early enough to do a hike. There’s a 2.5 hour loop called Harrays which I do with a girl from Hawaii who I met on this mornings trip. There’s a lookout point which a lovely view:

Having tried the mussels last night I go for the special fish of the day at the Fish and Chip shop. It’s two flounders – don’t think I’ve ever had this fish before. There’s a lot of it…. but you know me, I manage it!!

Thank God my hotel is not in the alcohol ban area… as whilst writing this I’m sitting outside my very fancy motel room, watching the sun go down, with a glass of wine. Not bad for a Wednesday!

Next morning I take a leisurely walk along the coast road to McGregor bay:

I grab a “Coro pie” and head to the meeting point for the last excursion of my trip.

The final beach I’m visiting on this trip is New Chums beach. It’s about a half hour drive away and then there’s a half hour (assuming you’re steady on your feet!) walk to get to the beach. It’s an undeveloped, remote beach and the path can only be walked at low tide. Before setting off on the walk the guide Jo took a mugshot of me just in case!! I set off from this beach….

The path to the beach:

And get to this beach

New Chums had made it onto all sorts of best beach in the world lists so I’m expecting it to be busy but it’s not and it’s worth the trek to get here.

My Coromandel visit is over and I get the shuttle to take me to the return ferry to Auckland. Two minutes out of town and the bus is going suspiciously slow and then comes to a sudden stop. Oh dear we’ve broken down. The driver assures us the ferry will wait and sure enough another bus arrives and gets us to the ferry which has delayed its departure for us. The view of Auckland as we approach the city:

Tonight I eat at “Food Truck Garage”. I honestly thought I was going to a spot with multiple food trucks but I clearly didn’t do my homework and it’s just a restaurant called Food Truck Garage!! It is open air though and has a nice menu so I happily sit down with a glass of rosé and relax after a 25,000 step count day.

Next day is my opportunity to explore Auckland. I’m up early and checked out as I’m meeting a friend who I used to work with and haven’t seen in 15 years! I wish I’d looked out the hotel window before coming to reception in my shorts and sandals – it’s bucketing down rain! Not to worry they give me a huge umbrella and I’m on my way. So good to see you Grant 😁

Now to walk around the city and avoid the rain. I walk around the Viaduct harbour

And then check out some NZ art at the Art gallery:

I came across an interesting artist I’d never heard of – Louise Henderson. French born but lived in NZ most of her adult life. I really liked this triptych:

The highlight for me are the Maori leaders portraits from the late 1890’s and early 1900’s. They’re amazing… almost like photographs.

More rambling, (the sun is out now) including a visit to Albert Park and I’m happy to call it a day on Auckland. I’m moving on to Napier tomorrow and will continue my adventure through the north island.

This morning we say goodbye to two of the gang who are going to Amsterdam and the rest of us are heading to Paphos in Cyprus. Paphos is all about the archeological remains, well unless you’re an English tourist going for the English food and bars!!! We arrive early to a really nice Airbnb with a private swimming pool, will defo be checking that out later. For now we go for a wander to check out the surroundings and find a spot for lunch.

As we walk toward the harbour and centre of town we pass our first archeological buildings – the Roman baths:

Holes in the roof to let the steam out:

We pass lots of tavernas and restaurants but a lot are closed. All we seem to find that’s open are places serving “English food” – not what we’re after. Eventually we find a small taverna serving a basic local menu and I’m happy to have my first halloumi on the island. We chat to the lady who’s a bit of a character and tells us that the tavernas close during the day for a siesta. She has a mad laugh and tells us (in between giggles) that she doesn’t bother with the siesta as she’s no longer interested in, let’s just say, “entertaining” her husband…. he’s standing nearby presumably understanding nothing she’s saying. We’re all looking at each other trying to figure out if we heard her correctly and she continues laughing saying she’ll close early and get some shenanigans in the evening. We are in stitches! Anyhoo, she waves us off and we continue checking out the town.

The Hrysopolitissa basilica is a short walk away and is free to enter. Its very impressive and it feels like you just stumble upon it while walking around town. It started out as a Christian basilica in the 4th century and is currently used for Anglican and Greek orthodox services. There are some impressive mosaics surrounding the church.

There are lots of fallen pillars in the area and this small one is St. Paul’s Pillar, allegedly where St. Paul was tied and scourged 39 times before he converted the Roman governer to Christianity.

We continue our walk to the harbour which is lined with tourist shops, bars and restaurants.

Later that evening after a dip in the pool and a little downtime we head back into town and have an amazing meal at a restaurant called Argo. It’s a very popular spot with both tourists and locals, especially on Saturdays as they do the special slow cooked lamb kleftiko so we’re extremely lucky to get a table. The family run restaurant do a set mezze menu which includes mixed grill, dips, assorted veg, salad, halloumi, mousaka and more! We mix two mezze meals with two of the lamb kleftiko specials and it’s way more than the four of us can eat but we more or less manage!

Next morning we set off toward the main archeological site. It’s roasting but we decide to walk the hour or so journey. There are pomegranates everywhere…… I’d love to have those at home:

We arrive at the main attraction, the Tomb of the kings:

There are numerous ancient tombs spread out over the archeological site which runs along the sea.

We walk from the new to the old town (actually I think it’s from the old town to the new town!) and pass through an area known for its artists. There’s lots of interesting street art.

It’s been a busy morning so after more delicious local food for lunch we spend the afternoon in the pool chilling out. That evening we head to a cool pub owned by an eccentric Cypriot who prides himself on knowing everything about beer. He has a huge selection of beer from all over and he even brews his own cider. Monique and I try a frozen cider which are lemon curd and hot apple pie flavoured!!

On our last day in Paphos we visit the “Nea Pafos archeological site” which is famous for its mosaics.

We’ve seen quite a lot of mosaics across the countries we’ve visited on this trip. These are as interesting as any we’ve seen.

There’s also an amphitheatre and various tombs and remains of buildings in the site.

And of course pillars… I love ancient pillars:

We walk to the lighthouse….

And continue around various ancient ruins….

We finish off our Paphos adventure with, yes you’ve guessed it, an evening of local food and wine. We get a reservation at St George’s Tavern where you get a set menu of as much food as you can eat. You don’t know what’s coming, the family just keep sending out different dishes until you tell them you’ve had enough, it is an amazing meal and a great way to to round off our Cyprus adventure.

It’s been a superb trip overall but it’s time to go home. 😩

Time to move onward to Greece so today we take a small propeller plane to Athens, which takes just under two hours and from there a fifty minute flight to Thessaloniki. We arrive quite late to the resort of Agia Triada which sits on a beach across the bay from Thessaloniki. It’s quiet and on first look seems a bit run down but our Airbnb apartment is gorgeous with a huge open terrace and walking distance to a stretch of tavernas. We finish the day of travel at one of these tavernas with some local food, which is fantastic – baked aubergine, sardines, taramasalata, cheese, Greek salad, calamari…. it’s all so good and so cheap. Next morning we see Agia Triada by daylight and it’s definitely been hit by the recession. It’s nice to have a view of the sea but it’s time to get ourselves into Thessaloniki.

Thessaloniki on Greece’s mainland is situated in the north and considered the country’s second city to Athens. The city was founded in 315 BC and was part of the Roman, Byzantine and the Ottoman empires at one time or another. We take the no.72 bus into town and start our Thessaloniki exploring with a visit to the White tower.

Thessaloniki is considered the food capital of Greece so we’re happy when it’s time for lunch. We all recently watched Rick Steins “Long Weekend in Thessaloniki” so we have some specific food items and restaurants on our list. We start with a restaurant called Elliniko and want to order everything on the menu as it all looks so good. The great thing about being a group of six is that we can order a variety of plates to share so we get to try all sorts of things. The main thing on our list at this restaurant is the stuffed onions and they are as good as we’d hoped.

Deemed Thessaloniki’s most impressive church, our next stop is Agia Sofia. Built in the 8th century, it is based on The Hagia Sofia in Istanbul. It’s a much smaller version but still quite huge and very impressive inside.

The next two sites we visit are Roman monuments. The arch of Galerius, built in the year AD 303, sits among the bustling modern streets.

From the arch the street leads to the Rotunda which Galerius built as his future mausoleum but he never got buried there. Similar to the Hagia Sofia this was a church (built by Constantine the Great) and later under the Ottomans converted to a mosque.

There are still some surviving mosaics and frescoes throughout the building.

The weather is gorgeous and there is a long promenade which we walk. There’s a cool breeze and the water is fairly high and a bit choppy. Looking toward the water we spot something bobbing up and down and all realise at the same time that it’s a rat…yuck…. and then we spot another and another – what is going on here!! There’s about six dead rats bobbing along in the water… ugh. I hope there’s no-one bathing in that water!

Back to the more delightful aspects of Thessaloniki (although I can’t help looking into the water for rats!!), we come to the Zongolopoulos Umbrellas sculpture.

In high season there is a ferry from here to Agia Triada but as we’re here off peak (actually the shoulder season) it’s back on the bus which we’re hoping is not as packed as earlier. Dinner on the beach at another local taverna rounds off our day.

Next day is James birthday so we’ve planned another day in Thessaloniki to tick more food stuff off our list and find him some craft beer🍻. We start with trigona pastries at the famous Elenidis bakery. Established in 1956, this is all they make. They are delicious crispy filo triangles, soaked in syrup and filled with creamy custard.

Next we check out the Modiano market which has lots of olives, fish, meat, fruit and veg. It’s really interesting to walk around and we see all sorts including butchers hacking into meat while puffing away on cigarettes hanging out of their mouths!

After a few purchases of olives and dried fruit we head to our lunch stop which is another Rick Stein featured restaurant called Aristoufor. It’s famous for salt cod and chips. We’re all going for the signature dish and it’s served on a long tray between two. A big lump of battered cod, sliced chips, a bread roll and a big dollop of thick garlic sauce… OMG it’s gorgeous. [I may need to consider the cabbage water diet when I get home!]

Our afternoon activity to walk off lunch and before finding beer is to visit the old town – Ano Poli. It’s a fair ways up the hill overlooking the bay and new town so we bus it some of the way up and climb the rest. The bus is by far the most packed bus I’ve ever been on. It’s insane!! It’s already packed with no standing room but it keeps stopping and letting more people on. It’s so hot and so crazy we jump off early preferring to climb the steep steps. Once at the top, we walk along the Byzantine walls…..

There are a couple of different monasteries to briefly check out and one (Vlatadon monastery) has a really cool shop with handmade icons. I’ve been eyeing up the icons for a while now so I bite the bullet and buy one. It’s of the Virgin Mary (would you expect anything else!) and when the man in the shop takes it from the wall to pack it for me, he kisses it and blesses himself.

It’s an interesting walk back down through the steep streets past people’s homes…

A quick visit into St Dimitrios church, sanctioned by the birthday boy, as I’ve read there’s some relics here. They’re the relics of St Demetrius (patron saint of Thessaloniki) but they’re enclosed in a bejewelled casket so nothing eerie to set eyes on.

The church, Greece’s biggest and considered its grandest, is fabulously decorated with amazing icons and gold decor.

It’s beer o’clock and we’ve a couple of places on the list, assuming they’re open. One has outdoor seating and a good choice of cider so I’m happy. The second, a tiny bar called the Hoppy Pub, with a wide variety of beers, we find out later is apparently on a list of top ten craft beer bars in the world!!! What a find! With a few beers we’ve built up an appetite again so at the birthday boys request we head back to Elliniko for more stuffed onions – they really are that good!!!

We’ve decided to rent a car for the rest of the trip and over the next couple of days we’ll venture further afield. We’ve agreed three drivers, me being one of them 😳. I can’t wait to drive this monster on the narrow roads among the crazy Greek drivers!!!!!!

We decide to explore Halkidiki (or Chalkidiki) which has three peninsulas (or fingers) jutting out into the Aegean Sea.

We stop in a small beachside town on the first finger for a coffee and bougatsa, which is another delicious pastry filled with custard…. it’s sooooo good! And then it’s onward to Mount Athos where we’re taking a boat trip from Ouranopoli along the coast of the peninsula as we’re not allowed on the land.

To the Greeks, Mount Athos is the Holy Mountain. It is an autonomous republic ruled by the monks who live in its twenty monasteries. Only a certain amount of adult males (including just 10 non orthodox) are allowed onto the land each day and women are not allowed at all. The best way to view the monasteries is therefore from the sea. One of the first monasteries we see is a 10th century monastery called Docheiariou, said to house a fragment of the true cross and an icon of the Virgin Mary with healing powers.

Next it’s Agiou Panteleimonos known as the Russian monastery, built in the 11th century.

By law, the boat must stay 500 metres from the land at all times so having a zoom lens on the camera comes in handy!

At one point along the way a speed boat comes alongside the boat and a monk hands a bag of something to a crew member on our boat… quite a novel way for a delivery!

Nearly all monasteried out… one final one:

We eat a late lunch/early dinner after our boat trip and it’s a couple of hours drive home in the dark. Thankfully, as deemed the emergency driver, I’m not called upon to take the wheel – phew!! Glass of rosé please!

Next morning we’re all in agreement that it’s time for a beach day so we’re back in the car heading to a sandy (hopefully) sunny (no worries there) beach….

It doesn’t disappoint and we get free beds and umbrellas if we order a drink… have you met us? Not a problem!

The water is not quite as warm as it was in Sicily but it’s also not that cold.. it’s just gorgeous.

On our last day exploring we head to a town, which I quickly realise is a large city, called Kavala. It’s set on a harbour and is chockablock with cars and bustling with people. We drive around in circles but can’t find a parking spot. We keep seeing signs for Drama but there’s no way we’re heading for that 🤪

We decide to drive up the hill towards the castle and manage to find a parking spot. It’s much calmer and quiet up here. Love the little alters everywhere….

The views from the castle are stunning:

There’s a 16th century aqueduct, built by the Turks, in the centre of town which we can see from the castle….

On closer inspection the aqueduct looks very well maintained.

It’s too hectic to lunch in this busy town so we head to a smaller seaside resort called Stavros. A lot of places are closing for the season but we find a taverna and have our usual mix of dishes for another delicious lunch. Later, back at Agia Triada we have our final Greek meal by the water. It’s been a blast Thessaloniki – be seeing ye!

The journey from Catania to Malta is a very short flight of about 45 minutes. The journey can actually be done by ferry as it’s only 95km south of the island of Sicily. We’ve booked a transfer from the airport through Welcome Pickups and our pick up guy – Andre is really upbeat and jolly. He tells us he can book tours for us, or if we want to hire his taxi he can take us around the island, so we decide to take him up on his offer. We have only one full day here tomorrow and had agreed we would spend it exploring Valletta. But now that we have this other option we decide to take advantage and do a four/five hour morning tour with Andre and cover Valletta in the afternoon. All of the morning exploring will be a bonus.

Valetta is the capital of Malta. We are staying in Sliema which is a peninsula just across from Valletta. It’s a coastal town with a holiday feel to it and a long promenade hugging the coastline. Our Airbnb’s really comfortable and is right on the front overlooking the ocean.

There are “natural swimming pools” or rock pools along the front. These pools were cut into the rock and allow bathers to swim in a concealed, albeit slippery, area from the sea.

We go for a walk to take in our local surroundings and end up having a few seafront drinks and dinner at a traditional Maltese restaurant called Takolina. Rabbit is a bit of a speciality here so we try that among other things… they are not shy with their portions and we’re all stuffed afterward.

Travelling with Australians means you’ll always be up early and you’ll hardly ever be late…. No exception this morning and we’re downstairs a good ten minutes before our 7:30am pick up! Andre greets us individually by name and we pile into the comfy eight-seater taxi. First stop on our tour is the Blue Grotto.

We take a short boat trip around the coast and into the caverns. The water is a beautiful clear blue and under the water at the rocks you can see different colours of red, green and orange. It really is spectacular:

Malta is a catholic country and “herself” is everywhere….

Next the prehistoric site of Hagar Qim which consists of a group of megalithic buildings over 5,000 years old. Very little is known about what they were used for but similar to Newgrange at home, there is a chamber which marks the summer solstice.

About 500 metres downhill toward the sea, with Malta’s smallest island Filfia floating just off shore is Mnajdra temple, another megalithic building. The excavated remains are covered to protect what’s left from the elements.

We are running out of time so by the time we get to Mdina we just about have enough time to get some pastissce (delicious savoury pastries) before a twenty minute dash among the streets of this very cool “silent city”.

Mdina is a walled city that served as the capital of Malta in ancient times. It is said that St Paul the apostle lived here in 60 AD after being shipwrecked on the island. It’s narrow streets and beautiful coloured buildings are fascinating to wander around…. for all of twenty minutes!!!!

We do at least get eyes on St Paul’s Cathedral

Andre drops us off at Valetta for our afternoon of exploring. Climbing high over the bay, there are great views all around…

We visit the Museum of Archeology mainly to see the “fat lady” who was excavated from the temples we visited this morning. This peculiar statue, although called a fat lady could actually represent a man or a woman. This, along with the tiny Venus of Malta and Sleeping lady statues are quite astonishing to see.

We visit St Johns Co-Cathedral, so called as it was raised to the same status of St Paul’s cathedral in Mdina and is home to the archbishop of Malta. It was built in 1573 and was the place of worship for the Knights of Malta. It is insanely decorative and beautiful.

Not only are the ceiling and walls astonishingly decorated but the marble floors are amazing:

There are alters along the sides representing the different countries of the knights of Malta. This is just one example but each are equally beautiful.

In the oratory (now the museum) is Caravaggio’s largest painting – The Beheading of John The Baptist…. exquisite!

We take the ferry back to Sliema which takes only twenty minutes and gives us a nice view back to this capital city.

The promenade is nice in the evening so we stroll along to Julian bay and have dinner and a few beverages before calling it a night.

Just time for a run along the promenade next morning and some breakfast before we head for the airport. Ciao Malta!

After a busy few weeks traveling through Austria, Slovenia and Uzbekistan I’m really looking forward to some downtime in Taormina, Sicily. This gets off to just the right start when we’re greeted by our pals with a beer and within a few hours a local meal with wine…. this is gonna be good!

We’re staying at an Airbnb smack bang in the centre of town. It’s an interesting building with a lot of stairs to the six levels.

It also has some very “interesting” art dotted around the place…

We have a view of Mt. Etna from our terrace, when the clouds are cooperating.

Sicily is the largest of all the Mediterranean islands and is just off the “toe” of Italy’s “boot”. It has a population of approximately five million and it’s capital is Palermo, which is on the northwest coast of the island. We flew into Catania (the second biggest city after Palermo) on the east coast and are staying in Taormina about an hour north. Taormina is a popular town for tourists and it gets its fair share of cruise ships. In fact I was here way back in my early twenties on a day trip from a cruise ship but I can’t really remember it other than the Greek theatre.

We explore the town on our first day…

Taormina is not only perched on a hill high over the sea but once you’re up there the streets are very hilly too. We’ll have calves of stone after this week! Luckily there’s a cable car that runs to the very bottom of the hill by the beach. I use the word “beach” very loosely – there’s rocks and stones and the sea!!

The views of the coastline are really nice though.

We climb down some steps to Isola Bella, a tiny island that you can walk to at certain times depending on the tide. It’s not much if a beach here but it’s very pretty.

There are churches at every turn in Taormina and there seems to be a patron saint of every town!

The narrow streets, some pedestrianised, some where you need to dodge cars and mopeds are full of shops, restaurants and bars. Lots of open air osterias and terrace bars. They are decorated in bright colours and a lot have these heads out front or on balconies. They allegedly are a custom from a story of two lovers, she from a wealthy family, he from the wrong side of the tracks. The father wasn’t having any of it and beheaded the young man and put his head on his balcony for all to see.. nice!!

Today we get a bit closer to Mt. Etna on a day trip involving walking up a crater. As we drive from Taormina back toward Catania and into the Etna region the soil and landscape changes quite drastically. The lava rock is everywhere. The area in the photo below was full of the trees you can see until an eruption in 2013 knocked trees and whatever else down and covered the land in this rock.

The crater that we climb is called Monti Sartorius, named after the man who first catalogued the eruptions on Etna.

It’s steep in places and our guide Davide gives us walking poles but it’s fairly easy.

Happy to have made it to the top:

After a quick packed lunch of salami and cheese sambos we make a short stop at Grotta della Neve, a cave system that we don helmets to climb into.

Before heading back to Taormina we stop at the Gambino family winery to taste some Etna wine. To be honest it doesn’t compare as well to the Austrian wine at the beginning of my trip (and it’s a lot more expensive) but it’s nice, so of course we buy a few bottles!

Next morning we visit the famous UNESCO listed (of course) Greek theatre. This theatre was built in the 3rd century BC by the Greeks for dramatic productions and was later transformed by the Romans’ to hold gladiator battles. Today it hosts open air concerts and operas which would have been amazing to see. It has an amazing view toward Mt Etna.

There are also some more great views of Taormina from up there.

One of the big draws of the island is the ancient Valley of the Temples at Agrigento. It is a 3+ hour journey from Taormina to the south coast, so we are up early for a full day of site-seeing of these Greek temples. There are approximately seven temples, all of which are in the Doric style (as is the Parthenon in Athens). The better preserved temples are on the Eastern side of the archeological park. We start there with the temple of Hera (also called Juno):

It was built in the fifth century BC and thirty of its columns are still standing – amazing.

The complex itself is huge, spanning 1,300 hectares and we walk about a kilometre to our next temple, en route seeing interesting ruins of homes and burial chambers.

Next stop – The Temple of Concordia. This is the one UNESCO use as their logo.

Again it was built in the 5th century BC and it’s one of the best preserved in the world. This is generally attributed to the fact that it was turned into a church in the 6th century AD. There’s plenty of hordes here so I can only imagine what it’s like in high season.

The third temple we visit is the oldest, dating to the end of the 6th century BC, but it was destroyed in an earthquake and today only eight columns remain. It is The Temple of Heracules.

I like walking among the fallen columns that once formed part of this great building.

With an hour free time before we get back on the bus, we take a quick look at the Western side of the park. Lots of huge rocks and pieces of column with an odd few columns still standing.

After a quick arancini [Arancini are stuffed rice balls which are coated with bread crumbs and then deep fried. The most common fillings are ragù, mozzarella and/or ham], we’re back on the bus heading to the Villa Romano del Casale at Piazza Armerina which is famous for its mosaics. As we drive toward the middle of the island a really heavy rain storm hits and some of the small roads are flooded with muddy water running from the hills onto the road. When we reach our destination we have a significant walk to the villa and everyone is soaked. Even though I’ve got my raincoat it’s hard to avoid getting wet. It continues to lash rain and the drain pipes at the villa are working overtime!!

It’s worth getting soaked to see these beautiful mosaics though…

They are unique in how vast they are and are possibly the best preserved in the world. This is due to their being covered by mud for 700 years after a landslide in the 12th century…. seems very apt on a day like today…

There are so many different scenes portrayed and I take far too many photos but it’s so hard to capture how stunning they are. Here’s another couple to give you an idea…

From Taormina we can see Castelmolo, which is the town on the hill above us. Today we decide to head up there and check it out. It’s been raining again this morning so we decide to bus it up and walk back down. The view from the top to a second hilltop town is quite lovely.

There’s an old church on the hill that we check out and I notice they have a couple of carrying statues that are used in the Semana Santa parades. Last night we saw a news story on tv where locals were running with the statues, some running with fire and holy statues getting dragged behind them – mental!!! [side note : we watched some very peculiar Italian tv including a tv show called “Guess My Age”]

It’s an easy walk down, much shorter than we expected with a decent path. As we are walking down the steps we are surrounded by cactus and prickly pear fruit all over the steps.

The prickly pear is everywhere….

On our final day in Sicily we go to Giardini Naxos which is at the bottom of the hill where the “beach” is. It’s a nice little town with a long promenade that we walk for a couple of hours.

We finish our walk with lunch and I have fresh seafood which is really delicious, especially when accompanied by a very tasty rosé.

The damn bus is late though…

Just monkeying around..

Throughout this past week in Sicily we have had numerous good meals and tried all of the locally recommended delicacies we could find. We’ve had our fair share of beer, wine, local firewater and cannoli which I’m now a big fan of.

We’ve also had a lot of laughs and are looking forward to visiting the next country together. So long Sicily… Malta, we’ll be seeing you very soon.