Nelson to Maruia Springs: Thursday, June 19, 2014

This morning we stopped by the bank, before going to a place that makes “Pic’s peanut butter”.  It was extremely interesting to watch the process. From the time the raw peanuts enter the roaster it is no longer than 30 minutes until the peanuts are turned into peanut butter sealed in a jar.  The process is amazing.  It is pure peanut butter with NO additives.  It has such a rich flavor.

Having Coffee at the Warf

Our Café/Coffee Shop

A view of the harbour

Is it real or is it not

By now it is time for another coffee so we drove to the near-by community to a nice coffee shop where we had what they call a “flat black”. I don’t think I have explained coffee to you since we arrived ‘down under’. You have lots of choices, but we order what is called a “flat black”. This is basically 1 shot of expresso coffee with frothy milk added to fill the cup. You are able to get a double expresso if you like.  Ordering a simple cup of coffee simply does not happen – they make an expresso and then add whatever you desire, and this process takes time. During our time here, on several occasions it has taken so long for them to make a cup of coffee that I have jokingly asked Cal if “he has had to pick the coffee beans”!!  Having coffee here is an experience, not just ‘grabbing a cup of coffee’ and running.  Coffee is made the same way if you get it at a convenience store or at a coffee shop. Also the price is much different.  A cup is usually $4.50 to 5.00 regardless where you buy it.  Plus there are no refills - no bottomless cups.

After our coffees this morning we walked through several gift shops to browses - it was a lovely relaxing morning.  We returned back at the house in time to pack up before a light lunch. Right after lunch we were on our way.  Not many roads cross this part of New Zealand due to the mountains - We have driven through valleys, cross into other valleys, and keep going.  Some of the valleys look more prosperous than others.  We saw lots to tree farming- pine trees are grown for 25 years, cut, shipped to China, and more are planted.  We met many of logging trucks along the way. We have seen dairy, beef cattle, deer and more sheep. Late this afternoon we began seeing snow-capped mountains, well maybe I should say mountains with small snow caps and larger areas with a dusting of snow – winter is arriving.

Lord Ernest Rutherford, Nobel Prize Winner, Discoverer of the Atomic Nucleus, First to Split an Atom

Location of Rutherford's Birthplace - Nelson

Raised U-Pick Strawberries



Clear-Cut Lumbering - Replanted Immediately

Deer Farms

We are definitely in a remote part of New Zealand so we knew we had to be careful regarding accommodations for tonight.  Our friends in Nelson had told us about a Japanese Restaurant and Hot Springs Resort located between two villages along the road we would be traveling. It was about 4:30, getting dusk, and as we know it is dark soon after 5:00.  The roads are curvy so if you want to enjoy the scenery you don’t want to travel after dark. (we experienced driving after dark on the Pacific Coast Hwy – not enjoyable)  Sure enough, a couple of the motels along the road were closed for the winter but we were pleased to see the Maruia Springs Resort was open – well sorta open!!  The Japanese Restaurant was closed this week for updating, but the accommodations were available as well as the Mineral Thermal Springs/Hot Japanese Baths. They had a few food items in their snack bar area which was closing in a half hour, so we bought them for our dinner tonight, as there are no food establishments nearby (nothing is nearby), just surrounded by mountains. The next nearest town ahead on the road is an hour drive. 

We checked into our room, ate our hot snack, changed into swim wear, put on the kimono and flip flops they gave us to wear, and were on our way to the hot mineral springs.  There are only 4 of us in the hotel tonight. Wow! Were the mineral springs great! Each pool is a different temperature.

From the pools you can see two snow-capped mountains. It was too dark tonight to take photos plus it was hazy and a little misty.  Tomorrow morning we hope the weather conditions improve for photos.  This little spot in the road is wide enough for the road, and the buildings above the river.  The mountains come right down to the river on the other side.                

As I said this place is remote.  They are even off the utility grid!  They have a hydro generator that makes all the electricity they use, from water coming off the mountain.  There is no mobile phone service, no internet and no TV.  You come here to completely unplug!! (heal your mind & body in the mineral springs)

Tomorrow morning we plan to crawl into the hot springs again before we check out and head to Christchurch, our last destination before starting that loooong trip home!!! We are already dreading it!

Nelson, New Zealand: Wednesday, June 18, 2014:

We are getting far enough south that the sun does not come up until about 7:53 in the morning, so we are sleeping in until at least 8:00.  The sun is then setting by 5:04 pm.  We will be continuing farther south so the days will continue to be shorter. It is wintertime here. The temperatures at night get down into the 40’s and during the day they are in the upper 50’s.  The sun is what makes the real difference. If the sun is shining and you are in the sun, it is beautiful. This noon we ate on a patio area that was protected from the wind and we were sitting in the sun – simply lovely. 

This morning Cal went on a bike ride with our friend, their daughter and granddaughter – that is they rode to a coffee shop (15 km)!  The wife and myself found a few very nice shops to spend a bit of time before we joined the rest for coffee.  After coffee while they rode their bikes home we popped into a few additional shops.  I am sure I was to the one pottery shop in 1996 because of a piece of pottery I bought back then has the same or a very similar pattern.  When we get home I will be looking at the name on the bottom of the piece I have.  

Lettuce Field along the Bike Trail

Cabbage

Vineyard along the trail

Sheep in the Vineyard

This afternoon we had a very interesting historical tour of the town of Nelson. Can you imagine in the 1840’s being on a boat for 4 ½ months, sailing from England, around the tip of South Africa, past Australia to New Zealand.  I just cannot imagine!! Plus it wasn’t just men, women and children, but all their food, water and any possessions they brought, plus animals.  New Zealand had nothing, so all the horses, cows, oxen, sheep, pigs had to be brought by boat.  Actually this was the same for Australia.
 

The town of Nelson was a planned community.  It is located where there is a natural rock barrier creating a protected harbor.  Only folks with families, and specific skills, or trades, were invited to ‘come on’ over.  They have the manifest lists of names, ages, and occupations of all those that came to Nelson in those early years – 1842-43.  A certain number in the group were from the religious Quaker/Friends Society.               

This evening we went to the daughter’s home for a delicious dinner, reminiscing and conversation. We have had a delightful time in Nelson reconnecting with these friends.

They have told us about additional things to do before we get to Christchurch on Friday, so what we are thinking tonight is that we will leave after lunch tomorrow and take an extra afternoon driving south.

Wellington to Picton to Nelson, NZ: Tuesday June 17, 2004

We set the alarm for earlier than usual as we needed to check-in at the ferry terminal at 7:00. However the ferry left half an hour late as the loading process of trucks took longer than planned.  We watched these big double trailer semis load onto the ferry – some of them drove on and others backed on – what a skill to be able to back a double trailer into a narrow spot on the ferry.  But finally at 8:30 we set off for Picton, South Island, New Zealand.  There were very few passengers on this morning’s sailing. Due to our late start we arrived at Picton at 12:00 noon.

Our Ferry Ship across the Strait between Islands

Leaving Harbour

Threatening Weather leaving Wellington

Approaching the South Island

Picton Ahead

Our Ship in Harbour

Picton

At PIcton we picked up another car rental and set off driving on the scenic route to the town of Nelson. We were told it was a curvy road, but after driving the Pacific Coast road we thought it would be no problem! Well it was no problem, but this stretch of road has the tightest curves we have ever driven!  It was a beautiful scenic drive along Queen Charlotte Sound and we were glad we went this way.  In the village of Havelock, known as the ‘green lip mussel’ capital of the world, we stopped and shared a kilo of green lips for lunch.  The setting was lovely as well as the mussels. 

New Zealand Timber Ready to Ship

Slip Inn in Havelock

Green Lipped Mussels at the Slip Inn

Dinner on the Havelock Harbour 

Church in Havelock

One-Laned Bridge

We continued on to Nelson, arriving at our friends after 4:00. It was great to see them again.  Cal & the husband of our friends went off to a Rotary meeting, where Cal was the program. We gals went to their daughters for tea and dinner.  The daughter and her now husband, are the ones who came to Iowa and rode on RAGBRAI with us in 1997.  The kids now have a cute little girl. We will be doing things with them around Nelson and this part of NZ for the next two days.

Napier to Masterton then on to Wellingtonn, NZ – Monday, June 16, 2014

Our goal today is to arrive in the town of Masterton, NZ by 12:00 noon to have lunch with a couple we stayed with in 1996.  Just yesterday they arrived home from a 16 day vacation in Hawaii, so you can imagine how busy they are catching up at the business as well as home, therefore lunch is the ideal time to get together.

We were told the drive from Napier to Masterton was about 2 hours so when we left the motel this morning we thought we had plenty of time to take the more scenic route.  This took us through the vineyards where lots of wineries are located and through the area considered the “fruit bowl of New Zealand”.  In this area south of Napier they grow every kind of fruit for export – 85 varieties of pip and stone fruits. Apples are the largest crop – how often don’t we see apples in our grocery isles from NZ, especially the Gala’s and Fiji apples. We saw orchards and vineyards for miles and miles. 

Sheep in the Vineyard

More Vineyards

They also use their sheep for grazing in the vineyards, at least this time of year when the vines are dormant.  I doubt they let the sheep graze when there are leaves and new stems, but then what do I know!  It is an ideal way to keep the weeds and grass in tow. 











After we were out of the fruit area we began seeing a huge concentration of sheep in paddocks and on the hillsides with lots of well-maintained shearing sheds.  

Sheep Country

It was a beautiful drive however we were not getting to our destination very fast!!  Once we were on the main road we started making time until we came to a mountain range that slowed us down.

We pulled into the appointed café at 11:58am!!! And as we were walking into the café our friend pulled up! What timing!   After a great lunch and wonderful conversation, we went to his place of business, Masterweave.  When we visited in 1996 they were using wool yarn to weave blankets and other items. Now he has advanced to using only Mohair and Alpaca yarn – in other words he has moved into a very specialty market. The primary items they make are throws and scarfs in all colors - they are simply beautiful and you must touch them for the softness.

Weaving Loom

Finished Product

We are on the road again! This time our destination is the capital city of Wellington, NZ which is at the south end of the north island of New Zealand.  We will be returning our car to the rental company before 5:00.  We had a great drive, including one mountain range to summit which definitely slowed us down - of course we had to stop for the view at the top!!

Our Highway to Wellington

Tomorrow morning we will be on the 8:00 ferry from Wellington (on the north island) to Picton (on the south island).   It is a 3 ½ hour sail across Cook Strait.  After we disembark at 11:30 we will pick up another car and be on our way to city of Nelson located farther west where we will be with friends who we learned to know in 1996 and have been to see us in Iowa - even rode on RAGBRAI (the bicycle ride across Iowa).              

Tokomaru Bay to Napier, New Zealand: Sunday, June 15, 2014

Sunday morning – We are on the road again, going around a zillion curves, up the many mountains, and then down again, over a bridge where a mountain creek flows, and then back up over the next mountain! Today we began seeing sheep by the hundreds dotting the mountainsides and very few dairy herds.  Also along the way there were large shearing sheds which indicated these were large sheep ranches/stations. We also saw goats, some along the side of the road eating the grass. They did not seem to wander out onto the roads.

Post Office B&B

Tokomaru Bay

Yesterday we saw some timber/tree farms, but today we saw hundreds of acres of timber.  On this Pacific coast highway we saw logging trucks parked for the weekend, while others were running. When we were in Tauranga harbor we saw huge piles of lumber that was waiting to be loaded onto ships for transport to China. So today we could imagine where these trucks were going. Also this afternoon we saw several triple decked semis loaded with sheep – probably going to the processing plant for tomorrow.   

Sheep Grazing Country

Grazing Land by the Sea

Sheep Dotting the Hillside

Sheep Shearing Shed by the Sea

Hawke Bay



Mandarins on Dwarf Trees



Sheep Shearing Shed



Trimming Trees for the Lumber Industry



New Trees

Late this afternoon we arrived in Napier, checked into a hotel, relaxed, even though it still felt like you were going around curves!!

They say that the East Cape “feels like the edge of the earth”.  Well in some ways it definitely has felt that way the last two days.  Cal & I do enjoy the remote and that is why we wanted to do this route.  However if we did it over or would advise anyone, I would recommend doing the route in 3 days instead of 2 days like we did.  We simply have been too rushed.  It takes longer than you think it will.  All of the tight curves slow you down, plus there are so many beautiful spots and beautiful coves where you want to stop and soak in the beauty. The ocean waves are so mesmerizing, high, and powerful.