We left Jacqui's at about midday, and drove down to Eketahuna. The campsite was set in a bight of the river, in very pretty grounds, but the facilities were basic.
We decided on a walk, and picked out the Mangataimoka river valley which ran up to a place called Putara, at the foot of the northern end of the Tararua Range. The drive up through farmland and into the valley, with the river running alongside, was very attractive. Sealed road gave way to 'metal' as we approached our objective. We walked up the trail in the forest park, crossing the river on pedestrian bridges suspended from each side, made from wire rope and spacers with wire netting between. We hoped to reach the point on the saddle where the trail divided between two walking huts. Although for the first part the path followed the river, it was in reality quite hard going, as it climbed to negotiate bluffs and gulleys and then descended back to the river. When the trail did eventually depart from the river, it became mostly a scramble up using the inter-twined roots of trees clinging to the hillside. At last we stopped for lunch, not really sure how close we were to our objective, but decided that given our low level of fitness we had better turn around, returning the way we came. It was just as well, because although we had not covered more than about 8km, we were both exhausted by the end.
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| Crossing the river | A view of the bush |
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| Resting on the roots before descending |
It was blowing a hooley, to the point where we decided it would be dodgy to drive with the caravan in tow. So instead of going on to Greytown, we stayed put. In the afternoon we ventured out and walked along the cliff path overlooking the river, from our campsite towards the town centre, and back the same way. A notice at the camp site advertised the site of an old swing bridge (1890), so we went to inspect that. There was not much left, but we wondered why you would want a swing bridge across a river that appears unnavigable in any case?
We drove down to Upper Hutt. After lunch in a park near the river, we made our way to Eagles Caravans, where we bought the van last year. John agreed to order some window stays and to look into our other issues. We agreed to stay in the area and phone back on Thursday. We then went up to Harcourt Park caravan park, that we used last year, and set up camp there.
We wanted to go for a walk, and decided on a track that follows Akatawara River West through the Karapoti gorge. The track was originally built in 1911 to extract timber, using trams running on wooden rails. The walk proved to be a little disappointing. A contractor was cutting overhanging bush in preparation for a major mountain bike event in March, and leaving the proceeds on the ground, so that you had to constantly watch your step to avoid tripping. Motorcyclists, quadbikes and mountain bikers still came roaring past. The river running by was rarely easily visible or accessible, because of the bush, and the track was cut into the hillside which rose sharply on the other side. We eventually attained McGhies Bridge, ate our lunch, and after briefly going a little further to see if the riverside clearing promised in the leaflet would be more interesting, we retreated the way we had come. There were no realistic loop options. We had covered about 12kms, in 3 hours.
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| Tatahi Bay, NW of Porirua |
We drove south from Upper Hutt, and then westwards to Porirua, where we parked up. We obtained a map from the Information Centre, and had drink in the Irish bar while we studied the map. Having bought John a Kiwi cap, we drove out to Tatahi bay. This was a beautiful spot, and we found Aunt Betsy's cafe open, and were just in time to order lunch, which was beautifully presented and unusual. The cafe was a throwback to the '50's and even had womens' magazines lying about from that era to prove it. It seemed to be the social hub of the settlement. Afterwards we drove north along the Kapiti coast, passing Queen Elizabeth park with its grass covered hillocks, then on to Raumati beach with the Kapiti island sanctuary opposite. The settlements here, and around Paraparaumu are rapidly expanding with some very attractive looking properties. Various types of brick or block are more in evidence than the traditional wooden planking. From Waikanae we took the Akatawara road back to Upper Hutt. Our experience of the Upper Hutt end did not prepare us for the 42km of twisting and turning, as the narrow road hugged the indented hillside over the range to Upper Hutt.
We rang Eagles, and as they had received some window stays, we hitched up and drove down to see them. They fitted stays, and gave us a second hand awning to replace the awning extension we originally had that did not fit the caravan. They also made a locking arm for the front hatch, but we could not get the lock to turn. We then returned to the camp site and had late lunch, after which we drove back to Upper Hutt and found the locksmith, who removed some traces of wood from the lock which had prevented the key from operating it. We stocked up at the Pak n' Save supermarket, and went back to the camp. Keith at the camp site went into the Cook Strait ferry sites, and at that time there was space on tomorrow's sailing, and Interislander looked a little cheaper. However, by the time John booked the space had gone on the civilised lunchtime sailing, and so we chose to go on the lunchtime sailing a day later.
We decided to go for a walk, and John chose instead of an easy loop, a stroll along the railway line that climbed over the Rimutaka range. This piece of line, originally built in 1878, has now been superceded by a tunnel that was opened in 1955. In 1987 the line was opened for recreational use, and the bridges and tunnels are being maintained for that purpose. The line ascends to the summit at 340 metres quite gradually, but the downward stretch is quite steep, at 1:15. In order to get down this, special engines (designed by John Fell) and brake vans had to be used, sometimes up to 5 of each, and these had to be marshalled and hitched up at the Summit township, and at Cross Creek on the Wairarapa plains below. This proved to be a beautiful and interesting walk, with points of interest marked out along the route. However, the problem was the sheer length of the walk: ok for mountain bikes but quite a distance. We reached the Summit, ate our lunch, and then walked on through the 580m long tunnel that starts the descent to Cross Creek. We did so in the hope of a good view of the Wairarapa below, but were disappointed because of the bush growing on each side of the line. We barely managed to get back to the car: we estimated we covered about 26km so we are not yet fit for a marathon!
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| The bridge at Ladle bend | Looking back from Ladle bend |
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| The tunnel mouth |
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| Approaching Queen Charlotte Sound |
We drove down to the Interislander terminal, arriving with plenty of time to spare, so we were first in line on one of the queues. In the event, we were the last on board, apart from an articulated lorry that arrived late. As a result, we could not find a comfy seat on the upper deck, and after a while we made our way below to eat our lunch. Later, we went onto the front deck, below the bridge, where there was a seat vacant, and we grabbed it. As the ferry approached the Marlborough Sound and slowed down, we were joined by many more people who wanted to enjoy the spectacular scenery for the hour or so remaining up to Picton. Once we were off the ferry, we made our way immediatedly to the start of Queen Charlottes Drive. This hugs the hills as it winds along the shoreline, with glimpses of the water below. Eventually, having passed through some bays with small settlements, the road sets off across flats and farmland, passing the end of Queen Charlottes Track and then coming down into Pelorus Sound and the village of Havelock. In Havelock we went in search of a bank, as we were out of cash, and then found the only ATM at a garage was newly installed and did not yet recognise the National Bank! We set off for the campsite, expecting to be able to use EFTPOS. We were warmly welcomed by James, who invited us in to watch the closing stages of England v. Kenya in the Wellington Rugby 7's. These are a major fancy dress party for the Kiwis. We were pretty tired and hungry, and the sandflies on the filled in swimming pool that was our site were vicious, so we retreated inside the caravan instead.
We paid James with a collection of coins which we had scratched together and some notes, and he spent a long time chatting about places, routes, and must-dos. We left the site and drove back through Havelock on the SH6, running along the Pelorus river. It was initially flat and straight, but after the Pelorus Bridge it climbed briefly before descending into the Rai river valley. Largely farm land, this was backed by pine clad hills on each side. At the Wharangoa Scenic Reserve, however, the road climbs steeply through the hills before at last descending into Tasman Bay. On the approach into Nelson the road runs alongside sand flats enclosed by the Boulder Bank before reaching Nelson and its harbour. We left the SH6 shortly before the main town, and made for the Matai Valley Motor Camp, to the north east.
We set up the caravan and had lunch. It was extremely hot, so John went for a swim in the nearby swimming hole, which was very popular. Having had a dip, he unwisely tried to improve the 'dam' and attracted numerous bites, probably from sandflies.
Later we decided to go into town and explore. Arriving at the town centre, we found the street below the cathedral closed to traffic, and people were obviously gathering, carrying chairs, cushions and drink, so we parked up to investigate. Pausing at a bar for a drink, we discovered that a Buskers' Festival had been held, and this being the last night, it was 'neat that we could see it'. We sat down in the road just below the stage: there was a good crowd all the way up the cathedral steps opposite. The entertainment was by a group visiting from California. The warm up act was by 'Rubber Band Man', who was followed by 'Pinky' - who played with hoola hoops, then with the aid of members of the audience, contrived to fold herself into a perspex box half a metre cubed. Marc and Svetlana spat banana chunks at each other, catching them in their mouths and returning them, before getting themselves into impossible positions on a steel frame with ropes across. The first half ended with an escape by RBM from a straightjacket, and by 'Bird Man' in stilletos from chains, and Pinky from a roll of clingwrap to a countdown of 60 seconds. To open the second half, John was enlisted by RBM to assist a lady restrain his rubber catapault from wrapping itself across his backside, but found himself eventually sandwiched between Pinky and Svetlana (not an unpleasant experience), and wearing Marc's wig! Finally 'Fish Man' concluded the proceedings by riding a 10 foot monocycle on stage (static) with one foot, while tossing a fish with his other foot into a fish bowl attached to the top of his head. All provided to a couple of thousand Nelson people for a voluntary whip round in plastic buckets. We made it back to the caravan late, finding it difficult to navigate our way out of the town and back to the camp site, and settled for a snack for supper.
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| All that grey hair | Now covered in a wig.. as befits the role |
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| ..before the bubble burst... |
We decided to push south and forego further exploration of Nelson, as we hope to return this way. Nelson has some beautiful houses perched on the hillside, and there seems to be plenty to see. To the north west is the Abel Tasman National Park, and we hope to spend time there too. We needed to fuel up, and to get bread and milk, so found our way to Richmond where we were able to park the caravan in a double bay at the end of the main street. Pak n' Save is in a smart new shopping mall, and we emerged with a haversack full of beer and wines that seemed at remarkably good prices. The drive south along SH6 through the Wai-Iti valley was again marked by farmland, flanked by hills. The road climbed as it skirted Mt. Norriss (531) the folowed the Motopiko river before again climbing past Clark Knob (654).
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| Lake Rotoroa, Nelson Lakes National Park |
It had rained all night and into the morning, so we waited for it to clear before packing up. The sandflies were terrible! We rejoined SH6 and made our way to Murchison, where we stopped for fuel, milk, and more insect repellent! The SH65 leaves the SH6 just short of 'New Zealand's longest swing bridge', so once again we failed to discover why you need a bridge to swing over a river where no ship could go! We travelled south to Springs Junction where we joined SH7 eastwards towards the Lewis Pass and Hanmer Springs. James at Havelock had advised against our original routing to the west coast and then over Arthurs Pass: he seemed to think caravans might not be allowed over. We stopped for lunch just short of the Lewis Pass and our originally planned stopover, instead deciding to push on to Hanmer.
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| Approaching the summit of Lewis Pass | and contrasting scenery later |
It rained most of the day, so we stayed put. Mo read, while John brought the travel log up to date. The camp site had a good wifi system, that meant that he could nerd to his heart's content. Mo could not be persuaded that however hot the spring spa pools might be that it would be pleasant in there in the rain. Finally we drove down to the village and had a not inexpensive drink in a bar, before returning to the van for supper. We had put our awning up, so the BBQ was able to be worked in the rain.