Post 'Quake Break' (NZ)
Created | Updated Mar 20, 2011
Post-'Quake Break'
Having a house guest, a friend from UK via her sister's on the Bay of Plenty, who arrived a week or so after the latest 'quake (we having put her off for a few days), we took her to the top of the South Island so she could see some of our scenery. Trees, too.
From our town, north of Christchurch, pause for a fish-and-chip lunch in Kaikoura, the whale-watching town, then on to Picton which is this end of the inter-island ferry (to Wellington) for two nights.
Picton is a pleasant town, obviously very touristy – and they do it very well. Lots of coffee shops, eateries and craft shops plus a Fair Trade outlet – where I bought a rather nice playing-card box.
There, I noted my first NZ Parking Warden, in my first NZ Pay-and-Display car park (40c per hour – about 20p).
We stayed at a motel at the Waikawa Marina (the Waikawa Bay Seafront Apartments) – uninspiring on the outside but well designed and comfortable within. Two bedrooms and shower room on the ground floor. Kitchen & living above (with extra toilet) and with balconies back and front, for the views.
The marina is at the Picton end of Waikawa Bay. We'd stayed twice before, at the bay village and had thought it might be a place to look at for buying a house – until seeing building sections for sale near where the marina now is and realising what was going to happen. And, it has. Somewhat less beautiful than it was.
To be fair, though, the village itself, a few kilometres further east, is pretty well untouched – but not the sort of place you're likely to find a reasonably priced house.
Westward, on Queen Charlotte Drive. Spectacular scenery, but you need to stop at some of the many viewpoints because trees and shrubs, holding the slopes together, interfere with the view from the car.
To Nelson and an old motel, salubrious in price but not otherwise. A parking warden in town here, too (charge 50c per hour).
Shopping for the girls. For me a walk, an 'antique' shop then a beer. That antique shop had some lovely stuff (including a few real ones – probably). I nearly bought a carved horse in alabaster and, almost, a lovely chinese-style carving – you know, the filigree-look delicate trees and houses, but wasn't confident of getting it home or of it surviving for very long.
We gather there were quite a few people here from the 'quake in Christchurch but the place didn't seem much more crowded than you'd expect. They'd be people who could afford to do it, of course.
Southish now, to a little place called Murchison. We'd been here before, too, and liked it.
There's not a lot there but it is a centre for walking, kayaking, jet boating, fly fishing. You can go panning for gold, too.
There's a sock-knitting machine in the museum that was paid for by residents panning – and one of them could knit a sock in four minutes!
They are proud of their town. Two plaques caught my attention. One, recording the history of the first hotel was notable only for the fact that it was on the blank wall of the supermarket opposite.
The other, though, is the subject of the accompanying photograph ... enjoy.
This time, we found that the place actually does have useable cafés and restaurants (at least one from 7am!). Previously, no-one seemed inspired enough to make a $ that way.
If you're travelling through, an overnight pause at River Song Cottages might be pleasant –– especially if you can book the 'Tui' cottage – two bedrooms plus bed-settee. Shower/toilet, kitchen and garden at not too much more than half those other prices. I doubt if you'd be disappointed.
Continuing south, pausing at Pukeko Junction, south of Amberley, for a late lunch (we occasionally treat ourselves there).
Homeward, and finding myself pleasantly surprised to realise that my feelings were not simply about being near home but of belonging here.
