 |
| Jet
lag be buggered. Bro Paul takes me on a visit through the
Waitakeries to Piha, almost convincing me that there is a reason
people live in the Auckland region |
|
 |
| Piha
beach - if this was America every inch of this beach and the hillsides would be swarming with hotels, apartments, malls
and Elvis impersonators |
|
 |
| A
few days later, I'm back up in the middle of the evil North Island buying a
38 year old Mini off a guy in Rotorua. Stranger things have
happened. Apparently. |
|
 |
| Beep
Beep |
|
 |
| I
have purchased a photogenic example |
|
 |
| Ah,
trains finally. A few minutes later, this thing got moving and I scuttled off to get a pic of it in the South Rangatiki
viaduct. Suddenly the heavens opened. |
|
 |
| Defying
logic, I take the 2am ferry sailing to the South Island which is rougher than a
witch's
carbuncles. Sick bags optional |
|
 |
| 5am:
fuelling up car with gas and me with caffeine at Picton, where I stumble upon
an imperial Landrover's worth of nerds carrying old computer gear
down to a display at the Uni of Canterbury. As a closet nerd
myself, we chew the fat a while. Remember the ZX81, Vic 20, Pet
and PDP11? Nerd. |
|
 |
| Morris
meets some cousins - Morrie Minors in a field near
Kaikoura |
|
 |
| Sunning
herself on the Kaikoura coast |
|
 |
| Yes
its a train, but isn't it nice? |
|
 |
| A
few days later and I'm a guest in a track inspection hirailer to
Arthur's Pass - what an awesome way to travel on an awesome
piece of railway... |
|
 |
| Out
of tunnel three |
|
 |
| Thermit
welding rails together at Arthur's Pass |
|
 |
| Yay!
Cat is over for a few weeks and we... see the Yellow Eyed
Penguins at Oamaru |
|
 |
| ...walk
in the woods at Hanmer Springs... |
|
 |
| ...watch
the mountains from the sea at Kaikoura... |
|
 |
| ...watch
the Shags... |
|
 |
| ...are
we still allowed to say "shags" in this PC world? ... |
|
 |
| Watching
seals at Ohau Point near Kaikoura (north east coast of the South
Island). |
|
 |
| Lazing
on a Sunday afternoon |
|
 |
| Baby
seals |
|
|
|
 |
| Sea
Kayaking in Abel Tasman National Park near the top of the South
Island |
|
 |
| Quick,
to the Batcave. Da dadada dadadada dum |
|
 |
| From
the other end |
|
 |
| Split
Apple Rock. Damn clouds |
|
 |
| 2008
NZ/Irish/German/US Olympic Sea Kayaking Team |
|
 |
| Heron |
|
 |
| The
Goodiessssss. Goodie, goodieyumyum. Note the chains up to the
kiddie cranks and the third
drink bottle, which looks suspiciously like a bottle of
wine... |
|
 |
| Pumpkin
Patch |
|
 |
| Then,
inexplicably, we're in the tiny town of Granity (pop. 50) which
is wedged between the mountains and the sea on the West
Coast. |
|
 |
| The
Big Fish pub is right on the beach... |
|
 |
| ...so
you can watch the dolphins in the morning |
|
 |
| Walkway
on the former Charming Creek bush railway. We inadvertently walked the
whole length of this and were walking back to the car via the
road, which we didn't realize was three times the distance. Luckily
we were picked up by firstly a surfer dude, and then by a
busload of elderly ladies |
|
 |
| Swingbridge
on CC walk |
|
 |
| On
the West Coast, you have to expect a little dampness... |
|
 |
| A
stand of Nikau palms south of Ngakawau |
|
 |
| Gotta
love the Coast... |
|
 |
| Granity
cottages. If you go, pop in and get the BEST cheeseburger in the
world from the stoners at the Blue Zephyr Takeaways |
|
 |
| On
the road again... the arrows are a great idea for those of us predisposed to driving on the wrong side of the road |
|
 |
| The
Pancake rocks at Punakaiki |
|
 |
| Looking
north from Punakaiki |
|
