February 29, 2016. Completing full circle around South Island

CAMPGROUND:  Amber Kiwi Holiday Park.  Commercial park.  Full amenities.  $30/night.  4 stars

LOCATION:  Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand

WEATHER:  Cloudy, misty.  Turned much cooler. Highs in 50s

We learned that our campground site, Donegal's Irish Pub, is one of the oldest buildings in New Zealand.  They also have beautiful gardens.

Each site is labelled with an Irish name.  This is our site, with horses galloping in the nearby field.

We drove the "Alpine Scenic Route", a very winding road through mountains and farms.  After making a circle, we arrived back on the Pacific Coast and enjoyed an indoor (in the car) lunch picnic watching the waves.

On to Christchurch.  We selected this RV park as it is on the bus line to downtown, which we plan to explore tomorrow.  

The manager told us about a great neighborhood pub, so we walked there, about 3 kms.  Really great beer and cozy atmosphere.

DINNER:  Eating leftovers is our mission tonight and tomorrow night, before we fly out.  I made an omelette with leftovers...minced grilled lamb, onions, broccoli, garlic and blue cheese.  As I cooked in the communal kitchen, I chatted with a family from Norway with 4 little children tenting around the country, a family with 3 children from Israel, a couple from New Caledonia (a French colony near Fiji), and a couple from here in Christchurch whose home was destroyed 5 years ago in the earthquake.  

February 28, 2016. Eating our way south

CAMPGROUND:  Donegal Irish Pub.  Parking lot next to pub.  No facilities, but can use pub's toilets.  $6/night.  3 stars

LOCATION:  Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand.  North of Christchurch

WEATHER:  Beautiful. Highs around 70

We walked along the beach at the campground where we stayed last night, then headed south along the Pacific Ocean.  Beautiful drive.

We stopped at this little cafe with a crayfish on top.  The New Zealand  crayfish are more like lobsters. 

They are quite expensive.  These people shared a $100 one.

This area is famous for its paua (abalone).  We thought we should try one.

We tasted a paua patty and a bacon wrap with bacon the owner had smoked,  seasonied with a seaweed and chili rub. Wow!  

Our route followed the coast.  We stopped along the way, mesmerized watching the thousands of seals playing and sunbathing.  There were also several locals snorkeling for paua.  

Once in Kaikoura, we strolled along the beach-side avenue.  We shared an order of huge green-tipped mussels.

I had seen this Irish pub advertised as offering camping, and we thought it would be fun to spend the night here.  The owners have a family tree posted showing the descendants of the original Irish people who settled here during the Irish famine.

George had a Guinness in the pub, chatting up the waitress.  Then, we shared a roast chicken dinner with Yorkshire pudding.  Very tasty.  

February 27, 2016. Wine-tasting in Marlborough, Sauvignon Blanc country

CAMPGROUND:  Marfells Beach Dept of Conservation Campground.  Showers with cold water. Clean toilets. No other amenities.  Gorgeous location on the beach. $8/night.  4 stars

LOCATION:  South of Marlborough area, on northeast coast of South Island, New Zealand

WEATHER:  Beautiful. Highs in 70s

We left Picton and headed inland to the famous Marlborough wine area.  It is like Napa Valley was perhaps 25 years ago.  Only a few restaurants and inns.  Gorgeous wineries.  Not snobbish at all.  Most of the tastings are free.  Renting and riding bikes along the wine trail is a popular thing to do here.  We followed several bicyclists.

This area is most known for its Sauvignon Blanc, but also has tasty Pinot Nois, Pinot Gris, sparkling wines, and some other light reds.  

We tried to get lunch at a couple of wineries, but they were booked with tour groups from the cruise ship.  So, we went to a small winery and ordered an antipasto platter.  It really hit the spot!  

All the wineries are close together.  We went to several.  Their fall is March-April, so they will be harvesting soon. 

Most of the wineries we visited are small with names we didn't recognize.  Our last stop was Brancott Estates, which exports worldwide.  It is a huge operation.  The tasting room overlooks a valley full of vineyards.

We finally had to call it a day.....

Then, southward.  We found thus wonderful Dept of Conservation campground along the beach.  

DINNER:  Since we just have a few more days here, I'm trying to use up leftovers.  We bought way too much minced lamb the other day, so I used more of that in a lentil soup, with onions and garlic. 

February 26, 2016. Across the ditch to Wellington!

CAMPGROUND: 2nd night at Top 10 Holiday Park

LOCATION:  Picton, South Islsnd, New Zealand in northeast coast

WEATHER:  Beautiful.  Windy in Wellington

We decided to "cross the ditch" and take rhe 3 1/2 hour ferry ride to Wellington on the North Island.  The trip was beautiful, passing through many islands in the Marlborough Bay, then across the Cook Strait to Wellington.

Parts of the trip were through narrow straits, such as  here when we passed a ferry going the other way.

  

It was lunchtime when we arrived, so we found a popular craft beer pub.   We split an interesting dish, mushrooms on toast with goat cheese.

We walked around Wellington, the capital of New Zealand.  It was super windy.  We visited the Wellington Museum which had been highly recommended, and it was very well-done. We strolled around the quay...

then around the government buildings...

Then, back to the ferry for the ride back to Picton.

Nice day!  We are glad we made the trip. 

DINNER:  Since it was late, I just threw together a quick pasta dinner, with the grilled lamb, onions, spaghetti , and feta.

February 25, 2016. Picturesque Picton

CAMPGROUND:  Top Ten Holiday Park in Picton.  Commercial park, part of a chain.  Full amenities, including swimming pool.  Tight spaces.  $32/night.  4 stars

LOCATION:  Picton, South Island, New Zealand.  Northeastern coast

WEATHER:  Our hottest day so far.  Sunny.  Highs in 80s

We had coffee along the sea wall where we camped last night.

The campground filled up during the night.  Mostly young Europeans, hiking around the island.  We talked to a few, and they said they supplement their travels by working occasionally and volunteering on farms in return for free room and board. (WOOFing)

We drove east through Nelson, stopping in New Zealand's first craft beer microbrewery.  

We took the scenic route, hugging the north coast, through the Queen Chatlotte Islands.  Just beautiful.  Our destination was Picton, a cute port town.

Picton is the location of the ferry between the North and South Islands.  We hope to take the ferry to the North Island tomorrow.

We strolled around downtown and had drinks at a waterfront cafe.

After food shopping and walking back to the RV park, we were hot and tired, so plunged into the gloriously cool swimming pool.  Heaven!

DINNER:  Lamb burgers with feta.  Side salad.  Yum!

February 24, 2016. Abel Tasman National Park

CAMPGROUND:  McKee Memorial Park. Like a county patk. Just a toilet, but clean.  Sites along the coast.  $8/night. 3 stars

LOCATION:  Near Richmond/Nelson on northwest coast of South Island, New Zealand

WEATHER:  Beautiful. Sunny. Highs in low 70s

We left our nice RV park after meeting our first Americans, a couple from Alaska.  Most of the other campers we have met are European, especially a lot from Germany.

We returned to the Abel Tasman National Park, farther into the park into the northern part of the peninsula.  About 75% of the South Island are national parks and reserves, so there is a lot of natural beauty.  This area, like all the parks, is popular among hikers.  We see a lot of backpackers and hitch hikers.

Our first stop was the "world's largest fresh water spring".  The water was crystal clear.

 

The road took us way over the mountains where there were breathtaking views of the valley and sea below.  

George was anxious to stop at Tata Beach for a photo opp.

It is a beautiful beach area, with not many people.

Lunch was fish and chips, using Southern whiting fish.  Nicely done and presented.

We drove back toward Richmond and decided to camp at this place,  it is $4 per person.  We parked right on the shoreline on an elevated area like a levy.  We relaxed in our lawn chairs, watching the tide come in.

DINNER:  Necessity is the mother of invention.  I needed to use up the remaining seafood medley, so after cooking it up, I made a curried lentil/seafood/vegetable soup.  Quite tasty!  To the store tomorrow!

February 23, 2016. Relaxing with wine and eels!

CAMPGROUND:  We decided to stay at this Queen Street Holiday Park a second night since it is so nice.

LOCATION:  Near Nelson on the northwest coast of South Island, New Zealand

WEATHER:  Perfect!  Highs in low 70s. Sunny

I lied.......I had previously noted that we were avoiding the pesky sand flies in the West.  They have found us, and we are itching like crazy....worse than Minnesota mosquito bites!

We went on a day trip to the north.  Our first stop was a darling cafe called the Jester.  It was set up like Alice in Wonderland.  One of their attractions are their "tame" eels swimming in their creek.  We fed the hungry guys.

The cafe's kitten likes the eel food, and tried to snatch it as we fed the eels.

The cafe grounds are full of fruit trees.  George had a slice if their plum pie.

We followed the coast.  This area is full of orchards.  They are picking apples and pears right now.  Hops are also plentiful here.

Speaking of hops, we visited a small brewery and tasted their beer.  As in the USA, the microbreweries make much more interesting beer than the commercial breweries.

We stopped at a seaside town near Abel Tasman National Park for lunch.  These tractors passed by taking tourists on water taxis out to an island to go sea kayaking.

Not to leave out wine, we visited a vineyard, too.  It is on a cliff overlooking the sea.  They cover the vines to keep the birds off.

We bought a bottle of their Sauvignon Blanc, just because the host was so nice.  

Since we were thinking of eels from our earlier adventure today,  we bought a package of smoked eel and ate it with crackers (called biscuits here) for an appetizer.  

DINNER:  Using more of the frozen seafood medley, I made a sort of Shrimp and Grits dish.  When we left our Airstream in storage, we didn't want to leave any food inside, so George brought our remaining package of grits.  I cooked them,  added the sautéed seafood with garlic and onion, then served it with local feta cheese.  Yum! 

One-lane bridges in New Zealand

Most of the highways in the South Island of New Zealand are two lanes.  They are fairly narrow, so bicyclists have it rough.  

The many bridges are mostly one-lane, and they have a nifty system to determine which driver goes first.  As you approach one of these, you will see ONE LANE BRIDGE painted on the asphalt.

Then, there will be two sets of arrows.  In this one, we have the long white one which means we have the right-of-way, and to proceed.

In another one, we have the long red arrow and a sign saying "Give way", so we let the other car go first.

We sit until the car crosses.

I don't know why, but I don't think this would work in the US.  

February 22, 2016. Making a circle around New Zealand's coast. Around the bend to the North

CAMPGROUND:  Queen Street Holiday Park.  Commercial park. Brand new.  Fantastic kitchen with everything provided.  Immaculate private showers and toilets. Free wifi.  Picnic tables.  $24/night.  5 stars

LOCATION:  Richmond, South Island, New Zealand.  Near Nelson

WEATHER:  Sunny. Highs in low 70s

I took one last look at the beach where we camped last night.

We drove north to Cape Foulwind, so named by Captain Cook.  We watched a vibrant seal colony.  On our path, we encountered an unusual flightless bird called a wikka, relative of the kiwi.

The drive along the west coast was gorgeous.

All around the island, there are reminders to drive on the left, and helpful arrows painted on the highway.

Then, we turned inland and followed a gorge east for several hours.  There was really nowhere to stop for the night, so we kept driving to Richmond.  I had read rave reviews about this campground, so we thought it would be a good place to stay.

After grocery shopping in a very nice supermarket, we got set up.  Setting up with this caravan simply means turning off the engine, then putting food in the refrigerator.  

DINNER:  I bought a package of mixed seafood for $6.  We'll be having more of this!  Tonight I made it into a curry, adding veg and a potato.  

February 21, 2016. Glorious sunshine on the West Coast!

CAMPGROUND:  Punakai Beach Camp.  Commercial park.  Near beach.  Grassy spots. Good bathrooms and communal kitchen.  Some wifi. $28/night.  4 stars

LOCATION:  West central coast of South Island, New Zealand.  North of Greymouth

WEATHER:  Sunny at last!  Highs in upper 60s

We continued driving through the rain forest along the Tasman Sea.  We stopped in one village called Shantytown which is an old gold mining site.  Another stop was in a town famous for its jade.  The jade carving shop was full of Chinese tourists.  On north.  We had lunch in Greymouth, trying the local favorite whitebait fritters.  They are like small minnows, prized on the West Coast.

A word about driving....George has acclimated to driving on the left, although roundabouts still get a little dicey, and somehow the window wipers get substituted for  the left turn signal on a regular basis!  Today we had our third "issue".  First was backing up into a ditch in Bluff, and popping off some screws on the bumper. This campervan doesn't have a rear view camera like we are used to on our pickup truck at home.  Second incident was at Milford Sound hitting the rock and puncturing the tire.  Today was #3 in Greymouth.  When we pulled into the parallel parking spot, we got too close.  Since the van is low, the front bumper got stuck under the curb.  A kind passerby and I lifted the front end while George backed it out.  Whew!  Now for that weird noise we are trying to ignore coming from the motor when we are idling....

We stopped in Punakaiki, famous for its pancake rocks.  

These "pancake" layers have been formed over the years from wind and water.  The sea views here are fantastic.  It was a beautiful walk along the sea.

We stopped in the pub, conveniently located footsteps from the campground.  We enjoyed talking to a local guy,  one of about 100 people living here.

We have a pretty good routine.  When we stay in commercial parks, we immediately put our food in the refrigerator and water bottles in the freezer.  When the car motor is running, we plug our refrigerator/cooler into the cigarette lighter.  The frozen bottles keep the food pretty cool, and we can go another day and stay in a freedom camp with no amenities.

Today's park, like all commercial parks, have nice kitchens.  

Often, they supply tea kettles, toasters, and dishwashing equipment.  Some even provide cookware and plates.  This one has a nice stove.

The most popular item is the electrical outlets.  People plug in their devices in every available slot.

DINNER:  Spaghetti with leftover lamb and vegetables.  Topped with some good cheese.  

We watched the sun set over the Tasman Sea.  Just beautiful.  Just like summer in Minnesota, the sun sets about 9:00. 

February 20, 2016. Roughing it on the rough west coast

CAMPGROUND:  Otto's/MacDonald's Department of Conservation Campground.  Like a state or national park....beautiful setting but minimal facilities.  Flush toilet and dishwashing area.  $9/night.  3 stars.  On a lake

LOCATION:  West coast on South Island, New Zealand.  Near Fox Glacier.

WEATHER:  Mostly cloudy. Rain in the evening.  Highs in 60s

We drove across the mountains through a lovely rain forest, full of bursting waterfalls, then arrived on the West Coast.  The Tasman Sea was pretty rough today.

There are only a few little towns along the way.  We passed the 2 famous glacier fields that are part of the Southern Alps.  We skipped the skydiving trip from the top of the glacier.

We stopped st this campground, our first Deoartment of Conservation park.  We have been staying in commercial parks recently due to the rain.  Since it wasn't raining this afternoon, we decided to give this a try.  Everyone has been warning us about the sand flies here.  We weren't too bothered as we had bought repellant and wore long pants and sleeves.  We set up camp and enjoyed the surroundings, full of huge fern trees.  

Seeing the dark clouds rolling back in, I decided to cook dinner early.  There is no shelter here, and we have to stand outside to cook.

So, I set up our burner and started cooking.  I made chicken broth from leftover chicken bones, seasoned with ginger and onion.  Then, I made rice using the chicken broth.  

 

After that, I sautéed a bunch of vegetables....green pepper, onions, garlic and ginger.  With just one burner, I have to do one thing at a time.  After they were cooked, I cooked some lamb shoulder pieces.  Finally, I mixed everything together, finishing with soy sauce and sesame seeds.  We decided to eat, even though it was early....5:30.  Just as we finished washing the dishes, the sky opened up, dumping buckets again.  We jumped back into the van and read books, keeping cozy and dry.  

February 19, 2016. West Coast, here we come!

CAMPGROUND:  Makaroa Holiday Park. Commercial park.  Nice communal kitchen/lounge with fireplace.  Popular among hikers and cyclists.  Good bathrooms. $18/night.  4 stars

LOCATION:  Makaora, South Island, New Zealand, north of Queenstown

WEATHER:  Partly cloudy. Highs in 60s

We drove about 25 miles to popular Queenstown.  It really is pretty, situated between mountains and a big lake.  It is the home of daredevil spurts like bungy jumping, sky diving, rock climbing, and jet rafting.  The streets were overflowing with tourists, mostly young people.  Lots iof neat restaurants and shops selling outdoor gear.  We strolled around for a while, then followed the lake toward Glenorchy where much of Lord of the Rings movie was filmed.  Beautiful scenery.

Outside of Queenstown, we stopped at Arrow Town, home of former gold mining camps.  We toured the Chinese settlement showing how the Chinese miners had lived.  We had lunch at the former Postmaster's house, now a cute cafe.  We have been seeing lots of deer farms, so we split a venison burger.

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On the highway north and west, we stopped, intrigued by this fence of bras.

We learned it is for breast cancer awareness.  Next door was a distillery we decided to visit.  It is brand new, so their whiskey was not yet aged/available.  They had designer bottles of vodka called "the Reid".

It is the owner's name!

On north.  Since it wasn't raining, we thought we would freedom camp, but the wind was too strong coming off the lake at the campground we found.  We drove on to this park, next to another beautiful lake.

DINNER:  Tortellini in tomato sauce.  Side salad of tomatoes and carrots.