Oamaru was an unexpected treat. From Lonely Planet, “The architecture is a mosaic of styles from Gothic revival to neoclassical Italianate and Venetian palazzo. Local limestone was soft enough to saw but hardened when exposed to the air, and so was a convenient and enduring building material.” We were fascinated to stroll past ornate facades housing shops in the style of Victorian England. Bookbinders, jewel merchants, limestone carvers all offered their wares. Even the Milford Whiskey warehouse was a masterpiece, and offered tastings of their single malts. We followed a dapper young man upstairs in the warehouse to sit at an antique table and savor the different vintages they produce. After we recorded our impressions, he left us alone to wander the limestone warehouse in which the floors and interior walls were in-framed in native timber. We found sitting on a dusty shelf a curious bottle of “Root Beer Extract” produced in Detroit Michigan. Curiosity is one of my attributes (some say scourge), so I pried out the crumbling cork, and sure enough, I caught the pure whiff of old fashioned root beer. Cool!
Dunedin was an orgy of limestone cathedral towers all crowded into a downtown of steep alleyways. We stayed in the Bishop’s mansion facing St. Josephs cathedral, now converted into a backpackers named Hozwartz. We would hike ourselves silly in the mountains, and then pick up a historical map and hike the sidewalks of these cities. A cozy pub, ice cream stand or streetside café would reward our explorations in the afternoon, before we ramped our way back up a side street to our international cooking experience in the backpacker’s for dinner. The Cadbury chocolate factory was an essential stop in Dunedin, as was joining in a 7 single malt scotch whisky sampling in a Scottish bar near the Octagon, hub of downtown. We came BACK to Dunedin a week later to visit the steepest street in the world and tour the only Castle in the Southern Hemisphere, and of course stock up on the third best Pilsner in the world straight from the factory: Emerson’s
Invercargill was kind of a snooze, but it was cool to be that far south, next stop, Antarctica.
We had trouble locating a backpackers that would take us in Christchurch. We asked the owner’s of Hogwartz if they knew of a place and they said, “How about the old jail?” So we booked 2 nights there. See pictures. They preserved one cell to show you what they started with. From a remodeling perspective it was awesome! Claire was not at all interested in trying out the isolation chamber for the night. The rooms were actually very nice, finished in very thick gloss white paint.
Christchurch’s art gallery was hugely satisfying. Christ College, a private boy’s secondary school looked straight out of Harry Potter, the dining hall especially. The avon river ran through the city center. Clothes window shopping was decidedly haute couture; Claire wasn’t quite sure what to make of the fashion.
Our last stop before the ferry was at Picton where we rode some very steep mountain bike trails, hiked a tiny end of the Queen Charlotte Track, and I enjoyed the last of my Emerson’s Pilsner while relaxing with home baked bread from our backpackers hostess. Kev’s tree house at our funky backpackers saw some history and science lessons.
Back to the North Island, we stayed near Wellington for a second go round in New Zealand’s capital city. Its city museum Te Papa is an architectural artwork in itself, and really tired out our feet and backs after absorbing 5 floors in one day. We met a fellow cruiser from England at the atrium coffee couches. This father of 3 had headed to New Zealand with his wife and kids, and stayed over at Minerva Reefs which we missed, then with a cyclone threatening, got his boat going as fast as possible and ended up in New Caldonia where his boat is now.
Wellington has a large college population which adds a youthful energy to the bar scene and the late night coffee shop scene is very artistic. We saw a play about New Zealand dancehalls in the 50’s which was a nice slice of local flavor.
Our last stop before heading back to Auckland was at Tongariro National Park (also a World Heritage Area, signifying a unique natural environment) which gave us jaw aching vistas in different ways. To quote Mark Pickering's "202 Great Walks - The Best Day Walks in New Zealand": (The Tongariro Crossing) is dubbed the finest one day walk in New Zealand, and perhaps it is. A volcanic heartland of steaming hot springs, lakes daubed with unearthly colors, barren volcanic craters and the grey brooding cinder cone of Mgauruhoe. Busloads of people are dropped off and sent scurrying into this god-forsaken wilderness with scant idea of what they are in for." We were three of the unsuspecting.
We climbed steeply up The Giant's Staircase and into the South Crater, which is dead flat, a welcome grade after the climb. The Red Crater follows a final short steep climb and after its iridescent red color knocks you back onto your heels, you crest the rise and see a shimmering Blue Lake in an old collapsed cone. Then the first of several Emerald Lakes appear below. A difficult walk down volcanic scree brought us to the rims of the Emerald Lakes and steaming fumarole vents for lunch and to empty our sneakers.
The third crater is easily negotiated and then the other environments are a pleasant wind down to this volcanic tour de force: tussocks and sweet-smelling turpentine scrub to the abrupt edge of the Totara forest and the waiting return bus.
We really enjoyed our vacation from cruising, but now it is time to take care of business back home and try to plan the end of our 2 year sabbatical by selling Sensei. We need to meet somebody who has oodles of cash and the hankering to do some ocean cruising. Know anyone?
Chris
