Author: odohertyelaine

Leaving Tipperary, Miriam and I continue our journey to Kilkenny. We head to Goresbridge which is a pretty little village and thankfully the local Spar has a toilet we can use!! We walk a part of the Barrow Way, which is a lengthy walk along the river. We cross the bridge and the sun is out for the walk along the riverside.

We do a 5km stretch as far as Ballyteigelea

We’re well prepared with leftovers so have a picnic by the bridge and then carry on toward the city.

Going through Gowran we stop for a look at St Mary’s church

St Mary’s was built in the late 13th century dedicated to our lady.

The sky threatens rain so we don’t have long before a shower comes. I run to the car while Miriam saunters along delighted with another excuse to wear her cape!!

We’re staying at Fanad house which is an ideal location for exploring Kilkenny. It’s a few minutes walk along the side of the castle grounds to the main parade and the room is very nice for a reasonable price. I would definitely recommend it for future visits.

We have a delicious meal at Aroi, an Asian fusion restaurant on Friary street.

As we have a window seat we notice Ryan’s bar across the street. It looks like a proper pub that doesn’t serve food (one of my pet peeves is going to a pub for a drink and everyone is eating or there is just a stench of food when you just want a drink.. so annoying) ok rant over, Ryan’s is a great spot – it usually has music but of course that’s not allowed yet. We get a couple of gin and tonics and it’s nice to feel like we’re “out out”. We get chatting to Arthur who runs the bar, meet an interesting mannequin and even get our photo taken for the Facebook page!

Next morning we decide to go for a walk before breakfast. We need to build up our appetites so we wander around the castle grounds.

Back at Fanad House the full Irish is outstanding…

We have some additional peeps joining us for our journey today. Miriam’s sister Grace and her youngest daughter Emma have been on their holidays in Kilkenny for the past week and are joining us for the day as we head toward Wexford… but there are some adventures to be had ahead of that. We load up the car (looks like they were away for a month!!!) and off we go…..

_{I insist on pulling over to check out this random square tower / castle that is clearly very old and part of someone’s house and garden.}

Our first official stop is Kilfane Glen and Waterfall. We walk around the beautiful gardens which were untouched for 200 years and are an example of a romantic era garden.

There’s even a little cottage orné that has been restored and as we come upon it from the woodland walk it feels like it could be the home of Hansel & Gretel!

Time to move on and we head for Duiske abbey which is in Graiguenamanagh or as I like to call it Gu-gen-a-bar-ah!! As we approach the town we notice a statue of a monk and then we see another one further into the town and then another as we leave (unwittingly having passed the abbey). Grace as quick as lightening is onto the google and finds out there are actually 12 statues of the monks and they are positioned all around the village. We decide there and then we will find them all…. first we need to turn around and go back into town!!

Monk No.1

We park the car and head back up the road to check out our first monk. He appears to be a baker 👨‍🍳

Monk No.2

We quickly get to monk no.2 on our way to the centre of town.

So here’s the story with the monks : In 1204 a group of twelve monks made their way along the river Barrow (where Miriam and I walked yesterday) and they established Duiske abbey. A number of years back local Tidy Towns committee commissioned 12 life size granite statues of the monks depicting them working in the community and placed them all around the town. They hope it will bring tourists and encourage people to learn about the heritage of the town. It has certainly worked on us.

Monk No.3

Monk No.4

We’re a few monks in so we decide it’s lunchtime or at least coffee & tea and maybe cake time. We sit down outside the Duiske cafe and are looking across at this magnificent display of flower baskets. On first look the cafe doesn’t look up to much but we were so delightfully surprised. The lady who served us was extremely pleasant and helpful and everything we ordered was tasty and very inexpensive.

After the spot of sustenance we head to see what we actually came to Graiguenamanagh for – Duiske Abbey. Another highlight of Irelands ancient east, Duiske abbey was founded in 1204 by William Marshal [this guy Marshall is a key figure who built most of the castles you see today including Kilkenny that we just visited this morning – this is all pieced together later when we get to Ferns] and is one of the largest Cistercian buildings fully standing today. Unfortunately it wasn’t open when we were there but we walked around it and checked out the graveyard which had some high crosses.

Sure we’re too busy to spend any more time here, we have monks to find… we decide to enlist the help of some locals as we’re running out of monks in town and need to figure out where the rest are… our next fella is outside the bank and we decide we’ll jazz up the selfies… this one, as you can see we decided to opt for hoods up with a cap for the monk!

Monk No.5

Monk No.6

Having interrupted some local ladies sitting outside having a coffee, I get invaluable information as to the whereabouts of the remaining monks… it’s hard to keep track of them all though. They did tell us that there’s one up the hill at the back of the abbey on the way to the Silaire wood loop walk… we are on it…. and 20 minutes later we are still walking… and enjoying a beautiful view back down to the town.

Grace has forged ahead at speed and we’re starting to worry that we’ll have to retrace our steps and get the car when she shouts that she spots a monk up ahead…

Delighted with ourselves we continue the loop walk that takes us down to the river where we get chatting to a couple of men who tell us there is another one further along the water on this side and one more on the other, say no more lads, we’re on it…

Monk No.7

We spot monk no.7 from across the river so we take a snap… alas no selfie it’s too far and we still have 5 monks to find…

Monk No.8

The sunshine has come out again and we continue a delightful walk along the river. Emma and I decide to run ahead in the hope of finding our next monk and just around a slight bend we spot him. We realise he probably doesn’t know there’s a pandemic and decide he should be wearing a mask.

There are beautiful houses and gardens along the route, this one in particular

And look what else we find… a castle – Tinnahinch Castle from 1620 (seriously they’re everywhere!!)

Monk No.9

It’s getting harder to find the remaining monks. We’ve been told they are on each of the roads leading into the village so we decide to head for the car, via an ice cream shop!

Monk No.10

The excitement is fierce as we drive one of the roads (who knows which one at this point) and find our next monk

Monk No.11

The last two are the hardest to find but after driving in and out multiple main roads we spot this fella collecting the sheaves

Monk No.12

He was the toughest to find but we wouldn’t give up… we just followed our noses and low and behold before our eyes he appeared in front of us. The excitement is fierce and there’s a fair bit of whooping from the car! We’re delighted with ourselves and the extra effort was worth it… he definitely deserved a big kiss!!

Much later than anticipated we leave this cute little village and head for Wexford, a relaxing evening of Thai food, wine, chat and craic lies ahead.

Next morning after a bit of a lie in, we visit the refurbished Ballycarney post office. It was a post office from 1891 and a local man Sean Lacey has done a fabulous job restoring it.

Next we head to the Ballycadden Windfarm walk which provides some beautiful views of the countryside

Our weeks holiday ends with a Sunday roast courtesy of Miriam’s Mam and it is delicious. She’s definitely spoiling us as she’s made my favourite apple and blackberry crumble with fresh cream. What a way to finish the week

We head from Cashel to Moyaliffe house which will be home for the next three nights. We are in the recently renovated maids quarters which is very apt for Miriam and I 🤪. The house sits on twelve acres and is quite remote (although only 20 minutes from Thurles) so we stock up in Aldi en route. Our little apartment has a kitchen, living room and bedroom and is gorgeous.

The house is owned by Lorna (Irish) and Paul (Australian) who moved back from a sheep farm in New South Wales a few years back (with their 5 dogs!) and they’ve been renovating the house and rebuilding the walled garden ever since. They’ve done a great job so far and have been keen to keep the history of the place alive. Lorna is very welcoming and as we unload the car and get settled in, she tells us that the previous visitors had a bat get into the bedroom last week. We reckon they must have had the windows wide open because of the recent heatwave. We don’t intend to be that silly…..

Once we get settled I proceed to burn a pizza in the new oven and we eat it with some salad and a bottle of red wine and plan tomorrow’s hike.

Next morning we drive about half an hour to the Glen of Aherlow and do the 9km Millenium Stone Loop walk. The trail (which is very well signposted) starts at the Christ the King statue where there are beautiful views of the Glen.

It’s a forest trail loop which goes across the Slevenamuck ridge (Slievenamuck stands for hill of the pigs!) and at a couple of points there are some beautiful views of the glen.

When we finish the hike we have a delicious picnic with our blaas from Waterford and our fancy milk jug looking out at the lovely views….

On the way home we visit Athassal priory (or abbey) which is close to the village of Golden. Siri has been brilliant with the google map directions so far but she lets us down here. We can see the ruins but can’t figure out how to get to them other than passing through someone’s land and possibly having to navigate a river! We decide to head into Golden and sure enough the priory is signposted from there.

We have to climb a turnstile and pass through a field of cows to get to it…

It’s worth it though. The abbey was founded around 1200 and sits on the banks of the river Suir. It’s Augustinian, dedicated to St. Edmund and at one point housed 2,000 people. It was one of the largest medieval priories to be found in Ireland. There are some interesting statues and I love the “windows”.

We say goodbye to the guardians of the priory and head back to our maids quarters

Back at Moyliffe house Miriam cooks a beautiful dinner (ok she puts a chicken kiev and spuds in the oven but she does also prepare some carrots and peas)! It’s gorgeous.

Miriam has ensured the windows are closed and we are chilling out with some wine after our delicious dinner when the loudest smoke alarm I have ever heard goes off. We definitely haven’t done anything to set it off and although Miriam manages to stop it for a while, the lady of the house calls the electrician to check it out… wouldn’t want that happening in the middle of the night. We decide to go for an evening stroll around the grounds

There’s a carriage from 1834 and we feel very Bridgerton as we climb up and check it out

Next morning we check out the tennis courts…. Miriam may have found a new sport 🎾

The weather forecast is not so good today so we haven’t planned a big hike just some “local” exploring.

The present round towers were built in 1495 and it was owned by the Butlers before being confiscated by Henry VIII in the 16th century. We do the tour and get to meet the owner Cyril Cullen. He is quite the character and tells us lots of stories about the treasures he has accumulated throughout his very interesting life [sidebar: I think he should be on the Tommy Tiernan show!].

There are many photos with famous people and his 4 daughters The Cullen Sisters are harpists who have been on the Late Late and performed at many highbrow events. Cyril himself is a knitwear and porcelain designer and we check out his studio and buy a Christmas ornament. If you’re ever in this neck of the woods I fully recommend checking out Farney, it’s a castle tour like no other.

Next we head to Upperchurch which has a bog walk and not much else….. apparently there’s a dolmen around here somewhere but after walking around in the rain with no sign of it we give up and decide to check out Thurles. The weather has definitely turned on us although silver living it gives Miriam a chance to wear her new cape 😀

Thurles is a wash out, there’s nothing much in it other than a Tesco where we stock up for tonight’s dinner. On the way home we turn off when we see a sign for a Ballinahow castle. It doesn’t disappoint.

Back at the casa, Miriam insists I get started on the blog so after another handy dinner we relax on the sofa with yes you’ve guessed it, a glass of wine! I love traveling around the country with my favourite wines in the back of the car, it’s the way to go!

I’m a few pages in, fairly engrossed in what I’m doing when I see something out of the corner of my eye (have I mentioned my peripheral vision is excellent!!) so I jump up screaming. It’s a bat swooshing overhead and it takes a while for Miriam to see it so she has no idea what I’m screaming at. I’m jumping around like a maniac and Miriam spots it and although she doesn’t scream she does let a very cross roar at me to STOP SCREAMING! She tells me to go into the bedroom and shut the door which I’m happy to do and leave her to try entice the bat out the window…

After turning off all the lights I can hear her trying to coax the bat to fly outside. She goes between softly telling the “poor little fella, come on, out you go” to “stupid bat, there’s the window, come on, get out”. I go toward the door and open it slightly to check on her but the bat flies directly toward me.. arghhhh, I bang the door and decide I won’t be doing that again. I have my phone but there’s no cell service so I can’t ring the hosts. There’s WiFi so I message them on the Airbnb app (which seems futile but maybe they’ll see it or maybe they’ve heard some of the screaming). At least ten minutes have passed and I decide I need to go to the loo. Luckily there’s an en-suite so I use that. Just as I’m about to dry my hands there’s a swoosh and to my horror there’s another bat in the bathroom … cue the scream….arghhhhhhhh. I manage to keep him trapped and bang the bathroom door.

By now Miriam has trapped the one in the living room behind a blanket (a beautiful Avoca blanket no less) which she’s holding up, at full stretch against the wall. She tells me it’s safe to come in as I need to go through to get outside and alert out hosts so maybe they can help us. I head downstairs and out into the dark (do you know I’m afraid of the dark!) so I’m being very brave and next thing a dog barking furiously runs at me… arghhh… more screaming and door banging. Miriam is shouting from upstairs wondering what’s going on and I’m trapped yet again, this time by the dingo outside … well ok he wasn’t a dingo but he might as well have been!

Eventually after banging on their door, Lorna arrives to help. She explains she did hear noise but thought we were laughing at a movie!! Miriam is still arms stretched keeping the bat in the dark under the blanket and Lorna suggests she put on gloves so she can grab him …. seriously! I seriously hand her a pair of yellow marigolds and remove myself from the situation but luckily her husband has arrived with a net and they manage to get the bat out the window. A similar approach with the net sees the tiny bat unravel half of the toilet roll but eventually be removed from the bathroom. I’m not the better of that. Poor Miriam, so brave 😀😀

Bright eyed and ready for more adventures it’s time to bid adieu to Moyaliffe. It’s been quite an eventful stay and we would do it again in a heartbeat. It’s a fabulous place, just keep the bats out!! Lorna and Paul dig us a few spuds and give us some homegrown tomatoes and we set off as we have more ancient east treasures to uncover.. first Holy Cross abbey

The holiest of relics resides in the abbey – a relic (i.e. a splinter of wood) of the cross of Jesus Christ. Presented to the abbey in 1110 by the then Pope it was stolen in 2011 by some unknown thieves but retrieved by Gardai in 2012 and is now back on display! [sidebar: if you google relics of the true cross you’ll be surprised how many there are around the world, or maybe not…]

Onwards we go to find Kilcooley Abbey which is within the grounds of the Kilcooley estate where the residents live in a massive Georgian house and enjoy their garden of 1,000 acres! So this is kind of in their back garden….

The entrance to the estate is a long avenue and we are the only people around. We pass an interesting pyramid monument which I feel Robert Langdon would love!

That’s our Tipperary adventure done, we’ve ticked a lot of places off the list and we’re moving on to Kilkenny. Slán for now

After the August bank holiday weekend in Tramore (where plenty of pints were had as the pubs are now open), I set off with Miriam to explore more of county Waterford and follow some of “Ireland’s Ancient East”. En route to Lismore we stop in Cappoquin to get blaas at the famous Barron’s bakery but unfortunately it’s closed. We will have to return …. [a blaa is a soft white roll introduced to Waterford in the 17th century; in 2013 it received protected geographical indication status so you can only call it a blaa if it was made in Waterford]

We continue to Lismore and are greeted with a fabulous view of the castle as we drive over the bridge. It really is a stunning site as you round the bend and see it appear…..

The castle dates from 1170 and has a lot of rich and interesting history. It’s current owner is the 12th Duke of Devonshire who goes between here and his other grand houses in England. Just like me, popping down to the holiday home in Waterford!!! 😀 It has been visited by many including JFK, Lucien Freud and Fred Astaire but no public visitors allowed as it continues to be the dukes private dwelling. It is however available to rent “on an exclusive hire basis” per the website. If anyone needs me to make up numbers for the large party group just let me know, I can make myself available!

The gardens are open to the public so we head there after a little sustenance at the Vault cafe, named as it houses the vault from the former bank. The large vault door which you can see behind the deli counter leads to the pantry. After tea and coffee and a homemade scone (sure you’d have to), we hit the gardens…

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.