Whale Watching @ Kaikoura

Well we are heading north from Christchurch today to get to Kaikoura ... we have done our washing, Hugo is well but requires a bit of oil each day. We are both well, have organised our flights home (happy sad feelings) and we have got our Jack Johnson tickets for the Christchurch concert. ... so things are good.

Few places on Earth possess the magic of Kaikoura. Many who visit leave transformed.
It is a special part of New Zealand, imbued with powerful natural energy. A place where tectonic plates collide, towering peaks fall to the sea and ocean currents converge. Such rare combinations lure an abundance of marine life, the most famous being the Sperm Whale. It was a whale that led the Maori ancestor Paikea to New Zealand many centuries ago. His descendants live in Kaikoura today. Fittingly, the whale continues to guide the people of Kaikoura and the visitors they host.















Kaikoura is one of New Zealand's leading nature tourism destinations offering a variety of exciting marine wildlife encounters. Despite the recent rise in tourist numbers, the town retains much of its historical charm. Many new motels, cafes and restaurants can be found in beautifully restored old buildings. Fresh local seafood, like this crayfish, is always on the menu.




















The retention of the town's distinctive character has made Kaikoura extremely attractive to artists. Their work, inspired by the remarkable landscape and wildlife, can be seen all over town.
The Legend of the Whale Rider
According to legend, Paikea came to New Zealand from the Pacific Islands on the back of a whale many centuries ago. His descendants include the Kati Kuri people of Kaikoura. Paikea was the youngest and favourite son of the chief Uenuku from the island of Mangaia in the present day Cook Islands. This favouritism made Paikea's elder brothers extremely jealous. They conspired to kill Paikea while fishing offshore and tell Uenuku he drowned. But the night before the trip Paikea feigned sleep and overheard his brothers plotting. When far out to sea Paikea foiled their plan by deliberately sinking the canoe and drowning his brothers. Now adrift in a great ocean, Paikea clung to a canoe plank and awaited his own death. It was then that Tohora the whale appeared and lifted Paikea onto his great back. Tohora took Paikea south to New Zealand and the settlement of Whangara just north of present day Gisborne. Here, Paikea began a new and prosperous life.Many years later one of Paikea's sons, Tahupotiki, travelled further south and became the founder of the great South Island tribe of Ngai Tahu. It is from Tahupotiki and Paikea that the Ngai Tahu and Kati Kuri of Kaikoura claim descent.

Akaroa ... Dolphins

About an hours drive from the city of Christchurch on Banks Peninsula... just 75 kilometres , Akaroa is an historic French and British settlement nestled in the heart of an ancient volcano. We stayed here for a few days and did the swim with the Hector dolphins. Tomorrow we will head back to Christchurch and then probably on up to Kaikoura ... a few hours north on the east coast of the South Island.

In Akaroa explore the village with its colonial architecture, craft stores, and cafés. Relax in the sun at French Bay, or find a secluded beach of your own in one of the neighbouring bays. Go cruising on the beautiful Akaroa harbour, you can choose from a variety of cruises including sailing around the harbour. View the stunning wildife including the Hectors dolphins. Enjoy Akaroa and the harbour for the week, your weekend, or just one day there's an Akaroa Escape to suit your mood.
The beautiful harbour dominates the landscape and is home to a variety of sea and bird life including the worlds smallest and rarest dolphin, the Hectors Dolphin. There are activities for everyone including wildlife cruises, sailing, swimming with the dolphins , boat hire and sea kayaking.
For those in search of relaxation there is nothing more satisfying than lazing on the sand as the family enjoy paddling at the safe beach.
The harbour's edge is home to plenty of activities for those who prefer to stay on dry land. Enjoy farm, outer bay or seal and penguin colony tours or visit one of the neighbouring surf beaches.

















Tree Crop Farm ... cafe and romantic little houses with outside baths

Females, Frisky Fillies & Farewell Spit

Images from Abel Tasman National Park

Jack Johnson, Christchurch, 20 March 2008

YES we have tickets for this ... yeeha

It's been almost 3 years since Jack Johnson last performed in NZ, and he returns this coming March with Matt Costa in support for what promises to be a truly captivating affair.
The 2008 tour sees Jack Johnson return to Christchurch, as well as making first time visits to Napier and Plymouth. These beautiful outdoor venues at the Church Road Winery and the TSB Bowl of Brooklands will give fans a chance to head out of town, see the show, and spend the long weekend in idyllic surroundings.
Jack Johnson returns to our shores with a new album under his belt, and a back catalogue of hits spanning his multi-platinum selling albums "Brushfire Fairytales", "On and On", and "In Between Dreams". The shows promise New Zealand audiences the extraordinary live experience they have come to know and love over the past 8 years, as he performs such classics as "Flake", "Taylor", "Times Like These" and many more.

Hagley park

Christchurch: Known as the Garden City, Christchurch offers a superb balance between the historic and the contemporary – where early settlers’ architecture lends a surreal charm to a thriving, exciting, bustling city. Christchurch is best characterised as a place with colour, atmosphere and world-class attractions such as the Christchurch Gondola, the unique International Antarctic Centre, and the brand new Christchurch Art Gallery – a testament to the creative and cultural foundations upon which it rests. All of this is set against the backdrop of Hagley Park, more than 150 hectares (395 acres) of beautiful inner-city parkland. It is a relaxed lifestyle – the shopping is excellent and restaurants provide a multi-ethnic culinary mix topped off with a uniquely New Zealand flavour. From great-tasting food to festivals, Christchurch and the surrounding Canterbury region provide a number of unique events and festivals – the Festival of Romance, the International Buskers Festival, Showtime Canterbury, and the Winter Carnival to name a few. Most of the city’s attractions are accessible by foot or tram.

Music in the Park

Sounday Feat. Shapeshifter, Christchurch, 20 January 2008
With Shapeshifter, Ladi6, Tiki, Connan and the Mockasins, Pig Out, The Mixtape Connection with Ed Muzik, MC Sticky Fingaz and the $mix Crew.
Reclaiming the central city for an afternoon of live music excellence, a collection of this country’s top live performers are set to deliver their best, freshest and most loved tunes in the serene surrounds of North Hagley Park. This is an afternoon that promises to make Sounday your new favourite day of the year. Featuring….
Shapeshifter Shapeshifter are unquestionably awesome. Just ask someone who was part of the capacity crowd at the Town Hall, in September 2006 when they appeared with the Christchurch Symphony, or talk to any one of the 12,000 people who let it all go at Cheap as Chips 2007. Shapeshifter are returning to their home town to deliver their signature live blend of Drum & Bass, Electro, Jazz and Soul on the back of a hugely successful international tour. Sounday will be the ultimate homecoming. Chur chur for Shapeshifter at home in Hagley Park.
Ladi6 Also with her roots in Christchurch, Ladi6 (Karoline Tamati) is the soulful voice behind the hit ‘When I return’ (Shapeshifter). One of New Zealand’s premiere female vocalists, Ladi6 has worked on some of the most memorable kiwi tracks of late, with our country’s top music-makers including Fat Freddys Drop, Scribe, 50hz and of course, Shapeshifter. Keep your ears peeled for Ladi6’s debut album, out in January.

Cafe Affair

We often seem to end up here ... maybe it's the food, the people or maybe the drinks !!!!

Cafe Affair is a licensed restaurant/cafe decorated with historical Nelson memorabilia with a deli and blackboard menu for breakfast, brunch and lunch with a full a la carte evening menu featuring Stonegrill dining available from 5.30pm followed by late night menu till close. Children's play area and a fire in winter

The decor expresses the history and beautiful natural surrounds of Nelson, like the Boulder Bank, Appleby River and the Waimea plains. Memorabilia from the old prospectors and businesses, line the walls complimenting the old photos from the past. Monthly art displays from local artist also feature. Unique to Nelson they have stonegrill dining, an exciting and interactive dining experience that presents your meal cooking on a heated stone at your table

e-day

Guess what!! Jeremy's parcel has arrived today!! We were quite lucky, slept in Nelson and came back just in time for d market and a quick shower @Montgomery Square, after that hurried to d post office (left Nelson on Wednesday), but they were closed since 12.30pm (were there @1.15pm), but a nice lady inside saw us and opened the door for us ... something that happens in smaller places. Apparently it just arrived today... So still waitin for d rest. :o)

But thanks a lot for ziggy hair and the rest of our clothes ( a nice bit of fluff!!), we wondered where we could have left them... Did you find Inkas watch or grey pullover by any chance? She keeps losin things in HUGO ...our very large "haus d'wheels"... ;) Or somehow they break, had to buy a second hand camera, coz hers just died...but thank you Jeremy, sooooo much for sending it all over here and especially for d emergency supplies, (Mackintosh lollies ... Inka's 5+ a day diet) as we had a lot of emergencies today!















THANKS TO BEN OF NELSON DAILY PHOTO FOR THE IMAGE

Tongue & Groove

Coastal Image

Collingwood

This is the little town we go through to get to Farewell Spit ... right up at the top of the South Island














Collingwood is a relaxed, former gold-rush town nestled in the northern tip of the South Island. From bush to beach, Collingwood’s appeal lies largely in its diversity and its role as a seaside village with an abundance of nearby activities. In addition to the bush walking for which this region is famous, Collingwood offers a selection of independent activities, including fishing, horseriding, sea kayaking, yoga and cycling, as well as a number of organised tours capitalising on the area’s natural assets.

The environmentally-friendly locale is also known as New Zealand's first 'plastic shopping bag-free' town, after the residents chose to stop using plastic shopping bags in 2005.

A collection of accommodation options – from backpackers to B&Bs – as well as an array of fine food and beverage outlets – most notably the famous Mussel Inn, and Rosy Glow handmade chocolates – make Collingwood a perfect rest stop for those exploring the area between Abel Tasman National Park and Farewell Spit.

The town was originally named Gibbstown after William Gibbs, but was later renamed Collingwood for Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, Lord Nelson's second-in-command at the Battle of Trafalgar. The town was proposed as the capital of New Zealand in the 19th century. A small goldrush caused a rapid but brief rise in population in 1857. The town was substantially damaged by a major fire in 1904.

Farewell Spit ... North West South Island

Still in the Nelson area but have decided to do a side tour through Takaka, Collingwood and on up to Farewell Spit. A bit like Coromandel this was another hippie region of NZ !!!


If you have yet to wander onto the fish hook that's pinned to the top of the South Island, you really are missing out. Because this arc of sand is really something quite spectacular.Extending eastward into the Tasman Sea, it's not some boring old bit of beach poking out from a solid land mass. Rather, this 35 kilometre spit is the longest natural sandbar in the world.Located just out of Collingwood in Golden Bay, Nelson, the spit's Maori name is Onetahua which translates as "heaped up sand".And heaped it is. Its huge dunes form a coastal barrier that protects an important staging area for migratory shore birds. A total of 83 species of wetland birds have been recorded at the spit, which is also a breeding ground for colonies of Australasian gannet. This significant location is now protected and considered a Wetland of International Importance.But, it's not just birds who hang out here. The isolated historic lighthouse near the end of the Spit, has an interesting history. The walls of the lighthouse are graced with an insight into how the lighthouse families survived in this extremely isolated spot and you’ll learn much about the location's maritime history.

Farewell Spit - Onetahua - Nature reserve is a bird sanctuary and wetland of international importance. The spit is around 35km long and public access is restricted to the first 4km. Farewell Spit is more strictly protected than a national park. Vehicle access is granted only to supervised tours. Through sharing the experience of Farewell Spit we can help to raise public awareness of this precious ecosystem, so vital for migratory birds. "Onetahua" is the Maori name for Farewell Spit and translated means "heaped up sand". Onetahua is also the name chosen for the Golden Bay Marae which was established in the 1980s.

The German Embassy

Inka, Ziggy & Anna at Oriental Bay ...

















Healthy food again !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ... Midland Park






















The German Ambassador and his two assistants

Climbing Mt Kaukau

This is the day we climbed Mt Kaukau which you can see from the Blandford house. We walked up through the bush .. it takes about 45 minutes to get to the top. Ziggy came for the walk and when at the top you get an amazing view of Wellington.

Santa's visit on 25 December

Santa snoggin Jojo ... naughty Santa!!!!!!

















Santa and his helper ... Teagan

Wellington Randoms

Jojo and Anna at Oriental Bay ...






















Inka & Jojo at 14 Karamu St ....
















Inka & Tim at the same place ... clock in background brought Xmas 07 in London






















Jojo working hard on texting .. the necessities of life in the background .. the espresso coffee machine !!























Inka & Jojo at the top of the cable car .. overlooking Wellington .. Oriental Bay between the "two mugs" !!