New Zealand Holiday - Week 6 and 7 - Nelson and neighbourhood - 3rd March to 18th March
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Nelson - an Admirable location.
It's great to travel but its even better to put down roots for 2 whole weeks. No packing up for 14 days -whoopee! And we are staying in Nelson.
Nelson has a great deal going for it. It's a pint-sized City that has just about everything and is also great base to explore the surrounding region with it's lovely beaches, lakes and vineyards. We visited some old favourites and found some new ones. Oh, and there are plenty of Pubs, Restaurants and Coffee Houses.
The Vic in Nelson
Tw's on the Ginger Beer
Our new Apartment was just North of Nelson underneath a residential property in Atawhai, a hillside residential suburb. We did not have much of a view from our basement dwelling but it was inexpensive and only 5 minutes from the City by car.
Atawhai - hilltop view at sundown
Lake Rotoiti
Lake Rotoiti was a must-do for us. It's an interesting drive to the small village of St. Arnaud, very close to the Lake. We were surprised to find that there's a good lunch spot there. We thought we would be picnicking but found the Rotoiti Alpine Lodge in the village. Nice pizza and cake. The water in the Lake is quite warm in March and could not resist taking a dip. I didn't step on any eels. The area is unspoiled. Just a car park with people stopping off to take in the view or go for walks in the bush.
The Tophouse - closed today - on the way to St.Arnaud
Lake Rotuiti
Cable Bay
Cable Bay
Cable Bay
Cable Bay is where the first telegraph cable came ashore. It's just a short drive to the North of Nelson.
There were problems with the road so our first attempt to get there was aborted. We were told the road would be open at the weekend so we made it at the second attempt. There's a good cafe, The Cable Bay Cafe and some decent walks. It really is frightening how parched everything is, its been a very dry Summer. Good for us tourists of course but challenging for the Farming Community.
Centre of New Zealand Lookout
Centre of NZ lookout
Journey to the Centre of New Zealand is a very pleasant walk up to a lookout point above the City.
Kaiteriteri Beach
Kaiteriteri Beach
Kaiteriteri is a pretty and popular beach about an hour North of Nelson. It's more like a small but busy European resort with the road just behind the beach. On the day we visited the weather suddenly changed as the wind did a swerve. It went from Beach weather to 'hang on to your hat' in about half an hour. We sat in a beach cafe and had Fish and Chips. There was a group of German Girls at the next table, adding to the European feel.
Marahau
We intended to travel up the coast from Marahau and explore the initial part of the Abel Tasman track, but the strong winds deterred us. Canoeing is a favored activity here, and several groups were surprised by the abrupt shift in the wind. Luckily, the brisk onshore breeze pushed the canoeists safely to the beach. A fleet of individually named tractors was ready to retrieve the canoes with trailers. We found refuge in The Sprig Cafe.
Beach Tractors ready for action in Marahau
Marahau Tractor rescue
Marahau
Marahau
Marahau from the Sprig Cafe
Tahunanui Beach
Tahunanui is the main beach area in Nelson, there's plenty of parking and a nice greenspace behind. It's really close to the City so dead easy for the locals to pop down at the end of the day. We visited several times.
Tahunanui Beach in Nelson
Moutere Inn
The Moutere Inn is a very good country pub in the Moutere Valley. We only stopped for a drink but I would have been quite happy stopping for Dinner and the Quiz Night.
Brooke Waimarama Sanctuary
About 4 miles South of Nelson there is a bird sanctuary. It's fenced off to prevent alien intruders. They are making big efforts in NZ to limit introduced predators such as Rats and Possums in general but particularly in certain areas where they are re-introducing local species. This sanctuary is a bit special.
Quayside Wandering
Its pleasant by the Quay on a sunny day. There are Cafes and Restaurants to check out. We had a good meal at Styx with D & D and coffee at the Boat Shed.
TW on the quayside in Nelson
Down by the quay
On your bike - The Great Taste Trail
Riding bikes is popular in the Nelson Area.The Great Taste Trail is a nice flat easy ride, as far as Brightwater anyway. If I lived in the area it would be my regular exercise run. Importantly Brightwater has a great coffee stop. Headquarters is great for a light lunch as well.
At Headquarters in Brightwater - coffee time
The wibbly wobbly bridge on the Great Taste bike trail
On your bike - to Rabbit Island
Nelson to Rabbit Island is another flat ride. It is not pretty all the way but the Rabbit Island Beach is lovely. It was a cool day so I didn't go in the water. Just had a paddle. I carried on the trail and took a bike ferry across the inlet to Mapua Wharf and the Smokehouse for lovely Fish and Chips lunch. I did press on further but picked up a puncture and had to be rescued by the bike hire man. Bit embarrassing! I should have been able to change the tube but I couldn't get the tyre off the rim. It's an operation I find tricky with wide tyres.
We drove back to Rabbit Island a few days later and checked out the water, very pleasant and empty of tourists . NZ has so many nice beaches.
Bike to Rabbit Island
Rabbit Island Beach
Croquet in the City Centre.
There is still plenty of greenspace in the City. We played Croquet on the large lawns in the centre of town.
Nelson Market
The Saturday Market was good fun. Lots of different craft and food stalls. I bought myself a hand-made hat to keep the sun at bay. Also invested in some local honey and tea. Had a pleasant stop at the Comida Cafe afterwards.
Vintage Nelson
At the back of the town there are some lovely old properties. We had lunch on the Terrace on our final day at a very smart Melrose House before heading for the Airport.
Melrose House
Lunching at Melrose House
We found quite a few eateries and places to have a comfortable drink in Nelson. We had a Pizza at Stefanos on an Italian day. Unfortunately the fire alarms sounded and we were evacuated
We were amused by one particular pub and address. The Honest Lawyer in Quiet Woman Way, can there be a more unlikely combination?
Heading West on a Staycation Broadhaven South Beach TW found a last minute cancellation to this 2000 Acre National Trust property. Our cottage usually takes six so it is not a cheap deal for just two people. In normal times, of course, we would have headed east for Austria but these are not normal times. The need for an expensive Covid test before we entered Austria made it inconvenient and impractical. Private Covid tests cost between £150 and £200 and there is no guarantee on how quickly you get results. To enter Austria you need the test to be carried out within the last 4 days. So the staycation made a lot of sense. Spending our money in the UK to help protect jobs was also a strong persuader. So with the car laden with our bikes and provisions we headed west on the 240 mile journey to Stackpole. Crossing the Border on the Severn Bridge No Covid test was required but the Welsh did make us go through a sheep dip ...
French Leave - 14th September 2013 Good Morning ride down the Old Rhine Canal Into the Forest - and out of the wind Crossing the border - walking bridge at Huningue over the Rhine Another good breakfast, another shower of rain and a return to the Old Rhine Canal. Got a bit adventurous after a while and turned off to take a look at some local villages. Am afraid I went a bit around the houses in the flat farming country. Found my way back on track near Volgelsheim. The place names around here do not exactly trip off the tongue. A fierce headwind from the south made cycling very difficult so had to get my head down. I needed my Patisserie stop! A diversion through a massive forest added distance but gave respite from the wind for a while. My downloaded Eurovelo 5 course headed for Mulhouse but I did not need to go there. I headed off to Basel. I think I was paying the penalty for not researching this area sufficiently. I could see the big Rhine Canal through the tree...
An Italian Escape With Covid in abeyance and another health issue resolved it was time to head South for a week in Italy. Bologna 17th May 2022 We chose the noble City of Bologna as our starting point and BA from LHR our carrier of choice. We had a shedload of BA credits from all our cancelled flights over the Winter so we even took checked luggage! Really great to be landing in Italy and even better that they did not make us line-up in the 'Other Passport' queue, we were straight through the e-gates onto the Marconi shuttle into the City. Bologna Station is a bit of a maze and we struggled to find our way out. Eventually we found a long overpass that took us to the front of the building and a Taxi to our digs for the first two nights. Coincidentally this was in Via Marconi. I thought the comms pioneer was an adopted Englishman but clearly he is very well remembered over here. Our La Dolla Apartment was really nice and modern, a bit of a contrast to the lobby and stairs but th...
A water theme for the day - 16th September 2013 At Bodensee - the shore of Lake Constance on a wet day Romanshorn to Rothenbach (timer reset after Lindau) I sat at the wrong table at Breakfast at the Anker Hotel in Romanshorn. My table was apparently set for a couple of elderly ladies. The waitress/boss ignored me after that. No offer of extra coffee, or whatever. Took the 9:36 Ferry to Friedrichshafen, home of the Zeppelin. It takes about 45 minutes to cross Lake Constance/Bodensee at this point. It is a car/lorry ferry but with only two cars on this particular crossing plus, of course, one bicycle. It was raining when I set foot on German soil and started to cycle to Lindau, about 28km to the South. Quite a nice route along the Lakeside but a bit busy in the towns. Lots of tourists wandering about with their umbrellas up looking lost. Cycling around Lake Constance is a popular holiday pursuit and I suffered the ignominy of being passed by a large group on e-bikes. Oh well,...
A Day in Winter - 13th December 2012 All quiet at the Advent Market - Daytime in Bad Hofgastein Winter in Bad Hofgastein Bad Hofgastein Kur Park with the Stubnerkogel in the background Bad Hofgastein Kur Park - across the frozen lake Ducks to water The current High Pressure system has brought low temperatures and clear blue skies. TW had the day off and took a few pictures as she walked into town through the Kur Park. In the evening the Advent Market is full of people enjoying a Gluwein or Hot Chestnuts and horse driven sleighs criss-cross the Park. During the day, all is quiet with just a few shoppers and some very hardy Mallard Ducks in the Kur Park. Open Loop - 14th December 2012 On the tracks We can see the Langlauf Loipe (cross-country loops) from our window and we noticed that they had put in some classic tracks. Had to give them a go. Slide and Glide, Slide and Glide. Looking North in Gasteinertal Looking South No downhill today ...
Pancake Day - Pouring in Punakaiki - 18th October Punakaiki Rocks take a battering Piled up Pancakes Hokitika - the clock tower Blown away on Hokitika Beach The wild weather continued. To be fair to the West Coast, if you drive down when a Severe Weather Warning is in place you can expect a little inconvenience. Even more so if the warning is for strong South Westerlies. Our little Yaris was buffeted by these blasts from the southern ocean as we wound down on Highway 6 towards the Pancake Rocks. We pulled up in a Car Park in Punakaiki that was filled with Camper Vans. Not sure how stable they are in the wind. One Aussie said he had seen one earlier that slid four feet sideways on the road ahead of him. They are very popular here though and range from basic people carriers to more sophisticated North American sized vehicles. We are relatively slow drivers and some have no difficulty passing us. Campers are certainly a reasonable option for a holiday here, th...
25th September Day 4 Feugarolles to Castelsarrasin 84km Hunting for snails Crossing the massive viaduct over the Garonne Really enjoying the cycling along the canal. The prevailing wind is from the NorthWest and our heading was South East. Couple that with a smooth surface and only a slight incline and you have a cycling idyll. There are also plenty of towns and villages en route so, really, it would be possible to do the trip several times and get variety by stopping at different places. So anyway, down for Breakfast on another cool day. Six cyclists now, the lead peleton had been joined by les Frères Eccossais, the Scottish brothers. After a jolly meal we headed off. I joined up with the Scots as the pursuivants, the Three Musketeers, in Tour de France terms. The yellow jersey had already left and we did not catch him. This wasn’t grape country. The fields alongside the canal were planted with a myriad of different crops including tobacco, kiwi fruits (what a...
Heading Northwards towards Picton. From Geraldine we skirted around Christchurch heading for Amberley a small town to the North and our staging post on the way to Kaikoura. The Teviot View Motel was very comfortable and the hosts were friendly. We had a wander on the beach at the end of the road. It was not a paddling day on Amberley Beach. The weather was still a bit wild after the recent storm. I ventured for a hair cut in the Barbers next to the Supermarket. I had to wait a short time but the other customers were friendly and one recommended we go to Ohau Point near Kaikoura to see the seals. Turned out to be an excellent tip. Amberley has a very fine Pie Shop which, of course, we visited and picked up lunch. Kaikoura Kaikoura is a well-known tourist spot. Despite a significant earthquake a few years back, the damage isn't readily apparent. The seabed rose during the quake, it seems. We spoke with a local woman who endured the terrifying event. Whales are the main draw here, w...
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