Christmas in Marlborough

Happy New Year to you all. Blog 33 finished with details of my citizenship ceremony which was very well organised. I am currently waiting for my New Zealand passport and hoping it comes before we travel to Australia mid-February. Blog 34 begins with the Pohutukawa Tree blooms that have been magnificent this summer.

We had a lot of rain in November but gradually, as we got closer to the official start of summer, the sun began to produce some warmth. We caught up with our friends before Christmas. Lovely drive to see Sue in Whakatane...... Win in Papamoa before her journey to Canada for Christmas and D and V here with Peter and Sue Barker for a pre-Christmas get together. We ate with Dave and Vrons at Harbourside for Lynn's birthday which was very pleasant. Not so pleasant was having to call an ambulance for her that evening when she started shaking and quivering about 9.00 pm. They took her in with a temperature of over 40 deg and kept her in 24 hours pumping her full of antibiotics for a water infection. As we were going on holiday in six days it was a bit of a scary time!!!!. However, the hospital staff were excellent, and she was really well cared for.

. Flew from Auckland to Christchurch. Map Code Yellow. Stopped at Arthurs Pass and watched naughty Kia's on cars!

They steal your food, car keys and anything loose! Stayed at the Scenic Hotel Punakaiki, right by the sea. 

Map Red Line .Punakaiki to Nelson. Punakaiki pancake rocks and Weka birds.  

Stopped at Charleston to ride the rainforest train into the tropical forest. Privately operated on the old gold mine tracks. 

Interesting but ruined by sand flies! This train driver was originally from Ireland and used to live in Tauranga!

We had a fantastic drive through the Buller Gorge to Nelson. The scenery was stunning. We had arranged to meet with Sue and Tim Gall ( Longbottom) at their house for dinner. Great to catch up with them in their house in the trees.

Map.... Pink line Nelson to Blenheim via Picton. Christmas Day took the boat to Furneaux Lodge for lunch. Lovely weather for a 1 3/4 hour cruise along Queen Charlotte Sound.

 Met with other group, who are doing the trip the opposite way. This included Leanne who was on our last MOA trip on the Bridge to Nowhere December 2020! Small world!

Blenheim to Picton, Grey line . Day 4 First stop the Omaka Aviation Museum including Peter Jackson's collection of World War I memorabilia.

First planes 1913...... it is a wonder they ever got off the ground. By the time the war ended they were much more sophisticated.

After lunch we visited the barque,  Edwin Fox, that was used as a ship to carry criminals in 1858. I noted one was from Bedford and arrested for Arson. 

 Finished the day back on Queen Charlotte Sound for an evening dinner cruise. Thankfully we had beautiful weather, both days.

This area is famous for its green lip mussels, but not for me!   Captain cooking salmon for dinner.

 We are definitely in the right place as the N Island is getting heavy rain and thunderstorms.

Map. Grey line. Day 5 Blenheim to Kaikoura via wine tasting Wither Hills, Marlborough. Lunch was beef cheek and crushed pots with wine tasting. Sumptuous! 

  Evening at The Morph Inn in Kaikoura…… lovely hotel.

 Day 6... Black line. Kaikoura to Christchurch. Visited Fyffe House dating back to the whaling days of 1840's.

 Drove through many more wine growing areas and stopped for lunch and more wine tasting. Lunch was at Waipara wines, serving a platter and five wine tastings. Lovely setting with live music.. 

The Gang.

Thanks Sean for a great trip.

Flew home to Auckland. 1 hr and 5 minutes. Stayed at the Jet Park before driving home on Friday.................. in the pouring rain. 

That was Christmas 2023. It was so lovely to be away that we have already booked to go to Northland Christmas 2024. 

Onwards to 2024. Plenty to look forward to with Richard and Rebecca coming to Sydney and then to NZ. Dave and Vrons family arriving at the same time. Our trip to Aussie Feb and into March and then Simon, Tamara and girls coming to NZ end of April. Next blog will include all of those things. Hope our South Island tour has brought a bit of cheer to those of you back in blighty!

Happy New Year.