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| Breakfast on the balcony . . . |
I hadn't had an early morning call, either, so that meant my dolphin swim wasn't happening ~ again :-(
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| looking out over the South Pacific / Southern Ocean |
Back in room 7, I found Sita was back from her swim & full of it.
We were both footloose for the day, so decided to hook up & explore Kaikoura a bit.
We first walked over the promontory to an A&P show, & swapped life stories on the way ~ like you do :-)
Dropping down into the showground we saw a 'mini' neighing like mad tied up on his own ~ it looked like he had a hock problem. Some other mini ponies were being judged nearby, & we wandered around the various rings, stopping to watch when it looked interesting.
We got chatting to a farmer whose grandkid was in an event on her pony, & it turned out he was from Lanark originally (he still had traces of an accent). He'd been in NZ 20 years, & was the Major of the pipe band.
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| Best choice of pedaller, methinks . . . |
The poor sod on the bike had to keep pedalling as fast as possible to keep the clippers going until their partner had finished shearing the sheep.
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| Her legs had staying power, & his are way too skinny |
We watched 3 pairs before sampling other events.
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| One of the log-choppers |
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| This kid was quite skinny . . . |
The next was a log chopping contest. The difference being that this poor sod had to stand on their log while they chopped down between their legs until it fell in 2 pieces.
The log, not the leg ;-)
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| but gave it everything he had! |
As you can probably tell, balance was definitely a skill worth having in conjunction with good axe technique.
I think if you fell off your log your were 'out', but no-one did.
It was quite funny, but with a bit of the occasional "eeuu" in case the axe hit a leg instead of the log.
We watched a side-saddle contest as well, but I didn't take any photos, then passed a Bonnie Baby contest in a tent, & Sita stayed to watch.
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| This was a parade of winners. I don't know what of |
Then we had a wander around the main ring while there was some sort of parade on.
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| A pipe & drum band |
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| More parading . . . |
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| including tractors |
They played a song I hadn't heard before, & - on hearing the pipes, some of the horses got a bit skittish & played up.
Two of them had a kicking & biting argument, but no-one got hurt, then ~ despite her horse having lots of ribbons round its neck (presumably meaning she was good at something), one rider fell off, & her horse scarpered out of the ring & headed my way.
3 of us managed to pursuade it to stop running, & a bloke took it back to its rider.
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| "Best in Show" winners Show ponies? Gymkhana? Show jumpers? |
After the Best of Show awards it was time for food .
I chose a bacon & avocado pie - just because it sounded weird.
It was better than I expected :-q
Sita had a whitebait patty & took a photo. Just as my patty had at the Hamilton Botanical event, it was a bit like vomit on a plate (AKA serviette!).
Sita said it tasted good, tho :-)
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| Sita & a whitebait pate~Shades of Hamilton, 2011 (see blog). |
Even though we should have checked out at midday ~ & it was now going up for 1, they had let us leave our bags when we went out, & let us back in for a brew.
How civilised :-))
They knew I was on the bus back south at 4.30, so I left my bags there & Sita put hers in the car.
We had already decided to go up to Ohau Point where we would be pretty certain of seeing lots of seals.
Ohau Point is famous in account of the 'seal nursery' there.
Apparently the mummy seals take their pups there to play & learn improtant stuff about being a seal, & at pup time of year it must be awesome.
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| The seal-less 'seal pool' & waterfall at Ohau Point |
Sadly, no cute baby seals in February, & there were no seals at all in the pool by the waterfall where they all congregate at nursery time.
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| Russell tells us about the Tosser |
There was a volunteer there ~ Russell, who told us that there had been a recent incident where he'd collared an Asian for smoking near the pool & throwing stones at the mums to get a better video.
Some people are Total Tossers! Grrrr
tbh, I'm being politically correct here, & not pointing the finger at which bit of Asia he was actually from.
But he is still a tosser.
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| The Ohau waterfall track through the bush |
We walked back along the track with Russell to the lay-by above the shoreline, & he showed us the best places to get good pics of the mums & pups, playing in the rock pools.
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| Russell the Volunteer |
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| Difficult to spot some of them if they don't move! |
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| Pups 'playing out' in the pool |
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| Not sure, but this pup may be suckling? |
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| They look less like slugs in real life ;-) |
There were loads of mums & nearly grown-up pups hanging out on the rocks, & I got a few decent pics.
I walked along the top a little way & saw a dead seal, so went back to tell Russell before going down to the beach for a paddle.
Unfortunately, he had gone :-/
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| I couldn't work out whether it was going up or down the rock |
I sat in the water after having a paddle & saw the tide was going out, revealing a huge starfish on a rock.
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| Zoomed pic of humoungous starfish with 10 legs |
It was in water too deep for a closer look without swimming, so I just zoomed in.
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| Sita records another moment |
On the way up the road to Ohau Point we had noticed a typically cool NZ road sign, so on the way back south to Kaikoura, Sita pulled into a lay-by for photos.
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| The seal-sign ~ particulary important at nursery time |
Back in Kaikoura, it was time for another free brew at Fish Tank before waving goodbye to Sita.
She was driving back to Christchurch where she worked.
Then it was time to take my bags to the bus stop on the Esplanade before the Naked Bus ride down to Waipara.
Unfortunately, the bus was late & we didn't pull out until 1620.
I had a front seat, & got a pic of the coastline before we turned off it at Oaro to head SW inland.
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| I think this somewhere north of Pinnacle Rock |
At some point before Cheviot - where Naked Bus passengers get a comfort break, I saw a bloke dressed like a Lama or Buddhidst monk walking along the SH1. Sue (the driver) said she had seen him on the way up earlier that day, & he'd walked about 23K since then.
I wondered where he was headed.
Waipara is about 55K south of Cheviot, but Sue hadn't been told of a drop-off there. Before I got off she told me to contact the office to make sure my bus north would stop there at 0805 on Monday.
My hostel for the weekend was Waipara Sleepers.
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| Waipara Sleepers |
It was a bit rough, but quirky, & my bed for the next 2 nights was in an old railway carriage.
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| The entrance to my 'dorm' |
I checked in, paid $50 for my 2 nights, was given some linen & a towel, & was told which Box-car I was in.
I dumped my ruckie etc on a bottom bunk & got some food out.
By this time it was well after 6, & I was starving: it had been ages since the bacon & avocado pie.
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| The Lounge ;-) |
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| This wasn't meant to be monochrome, & there were 2 extra legs |
I took a quick pic of the 'lounge' area, & headed to the kitchen.
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| Saturday's tea from left: Cheesy pasta, black tea, riesling in cider bottle, sudoku & brew |
On the way there I met a cat, & obligatory photo ensued.
I made a cheap & cheerful
cheesy pasta again, & washed it down with the Straight 8 riesling I'd decanted into the cider bottle.
Sticks of licorice & tea finished me off.
While I was eating, I met Paula - from Newcastle Under Lyme. She had gone to Canada, met & married a Canadian, & now lived south of Christchurch.
They were up in Waipara to attend some sort of charity opera concert.
Finding I had no charger, Paula kindly offered to to charge my camera & took the lead & the Lumix back to their caravan. tbh, I was hoping she wouldn't do a runner with my photos, but all was OK, & she brought it back after about an hour, during which time I had finished the riesling, done some sudoku, soaked my breakfast porridge, & written up today's notes.
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| I think the tall tree is manuka, but don't quote me! |
I like the way the setting sun turned the white tree trunk pink in the first, the lilac & pink clouds in the second, & fire in the sky in the third.
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| The sunset from the platform at the back of the Box-car |
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| Ditto, less than a minute later |
I went to bed at 2130 & was very warm in bed. However, I was sharing with 2 unknown peeps, & didn't want to sleep on top of the duvet.
February 28th: I hitch to Hanmer Springs (& back)
I was woken at quarter past one by noise outside the carriage. I attempted to ignore it, but it carried on for more than 15 minutes, so I got up & asked them pipe down a bit.
They did, & I went back to sleep.
However, when they (2 blokes) eventually came in, they made a racket getting ready for bed, & then one of them moaned in his sleep all night.
Bad dreams??
The disturbed night continued, & I woke when it was still dark & I was freezing - kinda from the sublime to the ridiculous ;-p, as we say in England.
I used my towel for extra warmth & dropped off again eventually.
The next time I woke, my mob said it was 0705, & it was bright & sunny outside (there were no curtains in the carriage other than some lightweight ones which did nothing to darken the interior).
Having sweated buckets earlier in the night, I went for another communal shower (ie with the bugs & spiders). While I was at it, I washed my striped shorts & unmentionables, then hung them & the towel on the line so they'd be dry when I got back from Hanmer Springs later.
There was a sign in the kitchen saying Free Eggs, so I had 2 for breakfast. It may be a long day (especially if I didn't hitch a ride), so I had the porridge as well.
I made a sign from some cardboard saying Hanmer Springs, & set off just after 8.
There wasn't a right lot of traffic - it was Sunday, after all, & I walked for about 40 minutes before a guy in a Landrover stopped.
His name was Roger Moore, & he told me a tale of being given amazing service when visiting the US on a viticulture trip & telling them his name.
Hehehe.
He clearly thought it was fun to hoodwink the Americans ;-)
It was over 75K between Waipara & Hanmer Springs, & about an hours drive. I'd only walked about 4K, so we had plenty of time to swap stories. He said he had a vineyard in Waipara, but I've been unable to get Google to tell me which one.
Roger was off for a Sunday game of golf, & took me through Culverden, & all the way to Hanmer Springs ~ dropping me off at about twenty to ten.
I'd had a really good ride, & my notes say we chatted about rugby, Britt Ekland & Linda Carter, grapes, skiing, & horses. It was a great lift & Roger is a very interesting & entertaining chap :-)
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| A tall tree at Hanmer Springs |
'nuff said, eh?
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| Another tall tree - I gould only get the top in! |
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| Nice car! |
After about 40 minutes, I went back to the SH7A - the main road through the village, & got myself the promised bacon butty for my lunch. It was a big one :-D
It was about time to go & soak in the hot pools, but I took a quick pic of my sign first. It's on a bench on the tree-lined walkway leading up to the entrance to the famous:
Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa
A world-class thermal pools complex. With natural thermal pools, aqua therapy pools, freshwater pools, hydroslides and an award-winning spa, it is the best place for relaxation and fun. Located just 90 minutes north of Christchurch in a stunning alpine setting.
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| My hitch-hiker sign |
The hieroglyphics say I went to the pools at 12, but after that, they get 'interesting' ;-p
I've written things like Aqua Thurgy 1st then Hexagonal - AT2, AT3 - Rock Pool, wander, Sulp 40-42 & 43, Coffee & ice cream then back to sunbathe & eat 1/2 butty. At 2.30 went back to do shoulders in AT2, then out to shower etc. Lots of free hair dryers, so dried off bikini top.
At 2 years down the line, I have no idea what some of that meant ~ such are my hieroglyphics! ;-p
At 2 years down the line, I have no idea what some of that meant ~ such are my hieroglyphics! ;-p
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| This looks like a pool with bubbles, & it has no kids in it. That probably means it's the Aqua Therapy pool ~ AKA Aqua Thurgy ;-) |
However, I think Aqua Thurgy meant Aqua Therapy, as I remember doing my legs & back under some water jets for quite a while at first.
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| This looks like it may have been the 'Hexagonal' mentioned in my squiggles? |
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| I remember these pools. They were the hottest at 40, 42 & 43 degrees. Wonderful :-D |
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| Those tall trees may be redwoods? |
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| Happily, this photo tells me this was the 36 degree Rock Pool |
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| This is the last pic at the Pools, taken at 2.38 after the Aqua Thurgy (hehe) on my shoulders |
My notes say I left the Pools at 3.35, so it looks like it was either a very long shower, or it took ages to dry off my bikini enough to put it back on (I'd forgotten to bring a spare that morning!)
I think it was the latter.
The next job was a visit to the i-Site next to the Pools to sort out my Naked Bus pick-up for next morning (as Sue the driver had suggested).
I didn't want to have to hitch to Picton!
Outside the i-Site I spoke to Nick ~ from England, who told me England had beaten Ireland, Wales beat France, & Scotland beat Italy in the 6 Nations back home the previous day (well, overnight in NZ, actually!).
Before setting of back to Waipara, I had a 3rd visit to The Log Cabin for a coffee, & took a pic from across the SH7A.
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| After my 3rd visit, I took this |
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| A photo inside The Log Cabin ~ dated 1940s |
After a final loo stop, I set off back towards Waipara with my thumb out.
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| The final Hanmer Springs photo ~ a lady plaiting grass fronds |
I had Waipara please written on the reverse of the cardboard, but walked for nearly an hour before getting a lift from a couple of ex-pats from the Cotzwolds (lady) & St Annes (man).
Bizarrely, St Annes is just down the road from Blackpool, at the south end of the sand dunes, so we were from within 5 miles of each other.
They'd been in NZ 20 years & lived in Geraldine. However, the bloke still had a Lancs accent!
They took me all the way back to my digs before heading south on the SH1.
Back at Waipara Sleepers, I dumped my kit & went for a wander towards the 'village'. I was headed in the direction of Torlesse Wines in the hope of some food I didn't have to cook & maybe a bottle of wine for later. On the way I got chatting to a friendly Kiwi lady weeding Red Hot Pokers (AKA Kniphofia) in her garden. They were so rampant she was moving them in a wheelbarrow!
I carried on walking, & found Torlesse Wines, but it was all closed up, so no food or drink there :-(
Retracing my steps I stopped for a pic of the bottom station of the Weka Pass railway.
Back at the digs, I washed today's clothes & hung them on the line to dry ~ it was pretty windy by that time.
I then decided to time the walk back to the SH1 so I'd know how long it would take in the morning. Once there, I crossed over to what looked like a service station.
Sadly, that was closed as well.
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| The Waipara Sleeper's cat outside the old Waiting Room |
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| Another view of my dorm. The bunks are on the right past the door |
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| Sunset over Waipara Sleepers 2124 on Feb 28th 2016 |
Back in the box-car, I packed ready for morning, & took another pic of inside.
In the absence or a meal out, no guesses what I cooked for tea ;-).
While I was cooking my cheesy pasta, 3 German lads showed up, so we pooled our food, & I took my last Waipara pic while the kettle boiled for a last brew & the washing up.
The Germans were still eating (I tend to eat fast!), so I left them some hot water as a hint to wash up their own dishes.
Note writing & sudoku followed until 2130, then I went back to the Box-car & set the alarm for 0645.
Tomorrow would be the 29th of February, but I had no plans to propose to anyone ;-)
OAO
