Andrew Walcker
Mod Emeritus
Mario, you are looking more and more like a native in the pics, sure you're not planning an AT plant S'ly of the Equator?:jump:
Loving the post, keep them coming
Loving the post, keep them coming
New Zealand Vagabonds
- Thread starter elcoyote
- Start date
elcoyote
Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0004
We awoke early so that we could hit the CafeNet connection before boarding the Interislander Ferry from Wellington to Picton but we could not get online so we simply headed to the docks to wait our turn in line at the ferry terminal. I got so enamored walking around through the line taking pictures of vehicles and talking to people about them that I didn’t notice that our line was boarding! A sprint to the front and our lone van with Anne waiting inside for me, we zoom onto the cavernous ferry and park in the hold.
We’ve been on ferries in the San Francisco bay area and in the San Juan Islands but they were nothing like this! This was very large indeed. The lower deck was full of rail cars. The second deck with semi trucks, our deck with cars, medium trucks and RVs. The upper decks contained a bar, a restaurant, a cinema, child care facility, VIP lounge and on & on. We sat on the fifth deck, near the bow for a full view of our crossing of the Cook Straight with an order of Fish & Chips and Champagne. The crossing takes 3 hours. About a ½ hour to get out of Wellington and into the straight. The last 45 mins of the crossing is in the very calm waters of the sounds on the South Island. This is a stupendous sight indeed.
Right after the ferry docked, we zoomed off, into the parking lot and quickly made a quick right turn onto Queen Charlotte Drive. This is a very narrow, twisty scenic drive along the sound. Top speed I think was 40 kph. The road is shared by bicyclists and walkers so one must be attentive at the wheel. We followed the road until it came to a small T that would lead us down Kenepura road, an even twistier and narrower road (as if this was possible). We soaked up the scenery as the bush grows right up to the waters edge along Mahau Sound and Kenpuru Sound. There are a few small beaches here and there that are either private or DOC (Department of Conservation). We inched down a slick and steep narrow track through the bush to Mistletoe Preserve on Onghau Bay only to find it filled with a large group of kayakers camping for the night. We crept back up the hill, back onto Kenepuru road and kept on until we reached the small Cowshed Bay with its tiny beach. It was the perfect place to make our camp for our first night on the South Island. We walked the beach at low tide. It was covered with jellyfish, clams, mussels, oysters and other shells that we did not recognize. This bay is surrounded by heavy bush that is full of birdsong unlike any we had ever heard before. As the sun sets, we finished the last of a Mission Sauvignon Blanc 2006 and cracked open a bottle of Drylands Dry Reisling 2006 to wash down some NZ Blue Brie and artisan honey walnut & olive levin. I like how each of our days of travel end with “Bon goût!”
We’ve been on ferries in the San Francisco bay area and in the San Juan Islands but they were nothing like this! This was very large indeed. The lower deck was full of rail cars. The second deck with semi trucks, our deck with cars, medium trucks and RVs. The upper decks contained a bar, a restaurant, a cinema, child care facility, VIP lounge and on & on. We sat on the fifth deck, near the bow for a full view of our crossing of the Cook Straight with an order of Fish & Chips and Champagne. The crossing takes 3 hours. About a ½ hour to get out of Wellington and into the straight. The last 45 mins of the crossing is in the very calm waters of the sounds on the South Island. This is a stupendous sight indeed.
Right after the ferry docked, we zoomed off, into the parking lot and quickly made a quick right turn onto Queen Charlotte Drive. This is a very narrow, twisty scenic drive along the sound. Top speed I think was 40 kph. The road is shared by bicyclists and walkers so one must be attentive at the wheel. We followed the road until it came to a small T that would lead us down Kenepura road, an even twistier and narrower road (as if this was possible). We soaked up the scenery as the bush grows right up to the waters edge along Mahau Sound and Kenpuru Sound. There are a few small beaches here and there that are either private or DOC (Department of Conservation). We inched down a slick and steep narrow track through the bush to Mistletoe Preserve on Onghau Bay only to find it filled with a large group of kayakers camping for the night. We crept back up the hill, back onto Kenepuru road and kept on until we reached the small Cowshed Bay with its tiny beach. It was the perfect place to make our camp for our first night on the South Island. We walked the beach at low tide. It was covered with jellyfish, clams, mussels, oysters and other shells that we did not recognize. This bay is surrounded by heavy bush that is full of birdsong unlike any we had ever heard before. As the sun sets, we finished the last of a Mission Sauvignon Blanc 2006 and cracked open a bottle of Drylands Dry Reisling 2006 to wash down some NZ Blue Brie and artisan honey walnut & olive levin. I like how each of our days of travel end with “Bon goût!”
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elcoyote
Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0004
It would be criminal of me if I did not report on ExPo about the tons (tonnes) of uber cool vehicles that they have here in NZ that we will probably never see stateside thanks to lobbyists and the sum of silly laws brought forth by our legal community…I digress.
Utes? You betcha! Lots of them. Almost all of them diesel too. Crew cabs, mini delivery trucks & vans, 4x4 crew cab cabovers with ute beds Diahatsu, Nissan, Ford, Toyota, Isuzu, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Fuso, Mercedes Benz. Everybody has a cattle pusher on the front, snorkels are common but winches are not. I would expect more winches with 40 inches of average rainfall on the North Island. Perhaps that will change on the South Island where the average we are told is 100 inches.
Today as we waited to board the Interislander Ferry, we parked next to a GM vehicle under the brand name Holden that looked like a chopped station wagon: 4 doors, low to the ground, with a short truck bed. This ************** car/pickup in its SS series comes with a 5.7 liter V8 Corvette engine and a 6 speed manual transmission…yeah baby! I think I’m gonna apply for asylum here.
Of the vehicles that I have seen so far and had not seen before anywhere else, I liked the little Suzuki Ute. It comes in a diesel. Bring that little puppy home and drop it off at Calmini for some mods and it would be a killer trail rig! I also like the Nissan S-Cargo. One for the play on words and two because it’s a perfect little town car if you don’t commute far and need to haul stuff around the neighborhood like me, picking up tires and rims for trailers etc. I thought the Holden was the perfect cross between family car, hot rod and hauler. Of course we have all seen the Hilux, BJ 70, Patrols etc here on ExPo and we all want them bad. I just wanted to share some of these unusual finds.
There is a huge difference between gasoline and diesel prices in NZ. Regular gas runs on average NZ$ 1.58 per liter (US$ 4.47/Gal) and diesel is NZ$ 0.95 per liter (US$ 2.69/Gal). The van we have been driving has been averaging 9.6 Km/L which is equal to 22.4 MPG. Not bad considering we’re pushing a 22 ft Ford Transit van conversion up some steep grades. The engine runs at 2800 RPM at 100 KPH (62 MPH) in 5th gear. The engine is a 2.4 L DuraTorq turbo diesel made by International. The manual says it’s 66 kW. I am not sure what that equates in HP but it lacks no torque. Emissions are so much better than the gasoline engines we run in the US. So I ask you, why can’t we have this too? I just don’t get it. Something needs to change.
I found some super cool 4x4's today that I will post pictures of in the next few days...stay tuned!
Utes? You betcha! Lots of them. Almost all of them diesel too. Crew cabs, mini delivery trucks & vans, 4x4 crew cab cabovers with ute beds Diahatsu, Nissan, Ford, Toyota, Isuzu, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Fuso, Mercedes Benz. Everybody has a cattle pusher on the front, snorkels are common but winches are not. I would expect more winches with 40 inches of average rainfall on the North Island. Perhaps that will change on the South Island where the average we are told is 100 inches.
Today as we waited to board the Interislander Ferry, we parked next to a GM vehicle under the brand name Holden that looked like a chopped station wagon: 4 doors, low to the ground, with a short truck bed. This ************** car/pickup in its SS series comes with a 5.7 liter V8 Corvette engine and a 6 speed manual transmission…yeah baby! I think I’m gonna apply for asylum here.
Of the vehicles that I have seen so far and had not seen before anywhere else, I liked the little Suzuki Ute. It comes in a diesel. Bring that little puppy home and drop it off at Calmini for some mods and it would be a killer trail rig! I also like the Nissan S-Cargo. One for the play on words and two because it’s a perfect little town car if you don’t commute far and need to haul stuff around the neighborhood like me, picking up tires and rims for trailers etc. I thought the Holden was the perfect cross between family car, hot rod and hauler. Of course we have all seen the Hilux, BJ 70, Patrols etc here on ExPo and we all want them bad. I just wanted to share some of these unusual finds.
There is a huge difference between gasoline and diesel prices in NZ. Regular gas runs on average NZ$ 1.58 per liter (US$ 4.47/Gal) and diesel is NZ$ 0.95 per liter (US$ 2.69/Gal). The van we have been driving has been averaging 9.6 Km/L which is equal to 22.4 MPG. Not bad considering we’re pushing a 22 ft Ford Transit van conversion up some steep grades. The engine runs at 2800 RPM at 100 KPH (62 MPH) in 5th gear. The engine is a 2.4 L DuraTorq turbo diesel made by International. The manual says it’s 66 kW. I am not sure what that equates in HP but it lacks no torque. Emissions are so much better than the gasoline engines we run in the US. So I ask you, why can’t we have this too? I just don’t get it. Something needs to change.
I found some super cool 4x4's today that I will post pictures of in the next few days...stay tuned!
elcoyote
Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0004
I met up with Eddie Gallop at his shop, Delta 4WD here in Blenheim today. I had to pull over when I saw a couple of super cool vehicle in front of his shop. One is his short cab FJ40, a vehicle he told me was commisioned by the NZ Govt some time back and a Land Cruiser VX that they had turned into a UTE bed. The VX has coil over all around from the factory but has been modified with an Ozzie Tuff Dog system. Even Eddie's mini mini parts getter van is 4x4! Drool on boys!
elcoyote
Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0004
We awoke this AM in Cowshed Bay to the sound of a group of kayakers putting in for an extended trip in the sounds. We on the other hand had decided to head south, the way we had come via Kennepura road to Hwy 6 and on to Havelock. We stopped in Havelock at a scenic overlook to be greeted by a bird about the size of a chicken but have yet to identify in our guide books. Any ideas folks?
From Havelock, we continued our way to Marlborough. This has been a quest for us since we had been doing some serious homework on this wine growing region of New Zealand famous for its’ Sauvignon Blanc. Our Native Parks guide lead us to Clifford Bay, in between Renwick and Blenheim, where we would return later to park for the night. We sampled some vintages, good but nothing truly notable. From there we went to Herzog, a virtual micro winery that only produces 3000 cases a year. For a winery, that is considered almost a hobbiest level. They only make 100 cases of Sauvignon because there are expected to. Most notable were the Malpuciano and a Vignonier which is common in California’s Paso Robles region but very rare here. Both were very yummy and we left with a bottle of their excellent Pinot Noir. From there, we went to The Chocolate Factory (no Willie Wonka here). Talk about decadence! We left with a few thousand calories of Hazelnut Pralines and back to the grassy lot at Clifford Bay for the eve.
The following day we decided to hang around, catch up on e-mails and go for some more winery hopping. We had made a young acquaintance, just 21 years old in Solvang a year ago who told us that he was going to take an apprenticeship in this area for a year. We tracked him down through some locals at Dog Point Vineyards to Cloudy Bay Winery. This winery is one of the larger ones in the region with a stellar reputation. We caught up with David who was surprised to see us. The vintage had just ended a few weeks earlier and the activities there had slowed enough to where he was at liberty to take us for a private guided tour. It was very interesting to be walked through the large scale production process where some of the crushers crank out 260 tons of grapes a day and the fermenting tanks are 80,000 liters! We sampled some wines and got a good buzz going.
Upon David’s recommendation, we went into Blenheim to Whitehaven winery that also houses Dodson Brewery, the Black Creek Café and Whitehaven’s’ own restaurant. If you make to Blenheim and you’re looking for an interesting meal that is fairly priced, don’t miss the Black Creek Café. I had some green lip mussels in a wine cream sauce and Anne had mushroom, spinach and fresh tomato pizza…and of course, a few more glasses of wine!
We found new digs for the eve at Spring Creek just north of Blenheim. We camped to the soothing sounds of the creek just out the back door of the Vino Van.
Today we visited a few more wineries: St Clair which we thought was ordinary, Huia which we thought was spectacular, the best so far without a doubt. Then finally Drylands Estate which we learned is part of a larger conglomerate that makes other wines we have seen stateside such as Monkey Bay, Nobilo and Icon. The day is not done and we have not made plans for tomorrow…but then again, that is the beauty of the spontaneous vacation.
Later y’all!
From Havelock, we continued our way to Marlborough. This has been a quest for us since we had been doing some serious homework on this wine growing region of New Zealand famous for its’ Sauvignon Blanc. Our Native Parks guide lead us to Clifford Bay, in between Renwick and Blenheim, where we would return later to park for the night. We sampled some vintages, good but nothing truly notable. From there we went to Herzog, a virtual micro winery that only produces 3000 cases a year. For a winery, that is considered almost a hobbiest level. They only make 100 cases of Sauvignon because there are expected to. Most notable were the Malpuciano and a Vignonier which is common in California’s Paso Robles region but very rare here. Both were very yummy and we left with a bottle of their excellent Pinot Noir. From there, we went to The Chocolate Factory (no Willie Wonka here). Talk about decadence! We left with a few thousand calories of Hazelnut Pralines and back to the grassy lot at Clifford Bay for the eve.
The following day we decided to hang around, catch up on e-mails and go for some more winery hopping. We had made a young acquaintance, just 21 years old in Solvang a year ago who told us that he was going to take an apprenticeship in this area for a year. We tracked him down through some locals at Dog Point Vineyards to Cloudy Bay Winery. This winery is one of the larger ones in the region with a stellar reputation. We caught up with David who was surprised to see us. The vintage had just ended a few weeks earlier and the activities there had slowed enough to where he was at liberty to take us for a private guided tour. It was very interesting to be walked through the large scale production process where some of the crushers crank out 260 tons of grapes a day and the fermenting tanks are 80,000 liters! We sampled some wines and got a good buzz going.
Upon David’s recommendation, we went into Blenheim to Whitehaven winery that also houses Dodson Brewery, the Black Creek Café and Whitehaven’s’ own restaurant. If you make to Blenheim and you’re looking for an interesting meal that is fairly priced, don’t miss the Black Creek Café. I had some green lip mussels in a wine cream sauce and Anne had mushroom, spinach and fresh tomato pizza…and of course, a few more glasses of wine!
We found new digs for the eve at Spring Creek just north of Blenheim. We camped to the soothing sounds of the creek just out the back door of the Vino Van.
Today we visited a few more wineries: St Clair which we thought was ordinary, Huia which we thought was spectacular, the best so far without a doubt. Then finally Drylands Estate which we learned is part of a larger conglomerate that makes other wines we have seen stateside such as Monkey Bay, Nobilo and Icon. The day is not done and we have not made plans for tomorrow…but then again, that is the beauty of the spontaneous vacation.
Later y’all!
Martyn
Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0018
elcoyote said:We stopped in Havelock at a scenic overlook to be greeted by a bird about the size of a chicken but have yet to identify in our guide books. Any ideas folks?
Mario
It's a chicken!! No seriously it's a Lesser Spotted Crocodilly Duck
elcoyote
Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0004
Martyn said:elcoyote said:We stopped in Havelock at a scenic overlook to be greeted by a bird about the size of a chicken but have yet to identify in our guide books. Any ideas folks?
Mario
It's a chicken!! No seriously it's a Lesser Spotted Crocodilly Duck
A Cocodilly Duck?! You've got to be kidding me! That's better than a Gerbillator!
New post and pictures tomorrow
elcoyote
Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0004
Could it possibly have happened? Yep it did, we’re sick of Sauvignon Blanc….well, nearly. It’s time that we’re out of the Marlborough area. We are heading south today after stocking up on a few supplies at the local New World market.
We head south on Hwy 1 destination unknown. We don’t get far. A few klicks south of Seddon, when we see a sign for the Lake Grassmere Salt Works, evaporative pools that are harvested seaside. We head down a washboard road and find the operation. It is the first and largest of such works in NZ and currently provides half of the country’s salt requirements. It is very small in comparison to the salt works we have seen in Guererro Negro but then again, something makes me recall that that is one of the largest in the world.
We get a little turned around and end up on the Blind River Loop road (appropriately named for us navigationally impaired) that takes us through some beautiful rural backcountry and eventually to Hwy 1 again, North of where we got off of it…how did we do that? Ah heck, we don’t mind and just enjoy the ride.
Southbound once again, in a few more klicks, we are distracted by a small sign with a tent on it, nothing more, pointing to the east. We take the sharp leftie and follow this road that runs along the south side of Grassmere Lake and ends at Mussel Point. We find and incredible camp site, a mere meter from the beach. We can see land mass almost all around on the horizon. After consulting the map once again, we realize that the beach is north facing and that we are actually seeing the southern tip of the North Island in the distance.
We decided to stay the night. We and walk and beach comb on the crescent shaped beach that is littered with mussel, clam and oyster shells. There are about a half dozen other vans parked at this beach, called Murfells Beach Scenic Preserve. Our closest neighbor must be at least a 100 yards. The tide comes in to its high point about 25 feet from our van, the sky is clear and we are rewarded with a fantastic sunset in the WNW around 5:30 PM local time, our happy hour. In the evening, on the northern horizon, we can see the glow of the lights of Wellington. The milky way is spread out above us. Occasionally we see the lights of a few fishing boats working the productive waters, work lights blinking on & off as they bob above & below the crests of the swells in the distance.
The sun rises in the NE and quickly fills our bay with light. Toast and a mushroom omelet get us of to a good start after another stroll on the beach. We find our way back to Hwy 1 and continue southward towards Kaikoura, a mecca for sightseers of marine life. There are whales, seals, dolphins and sharks everywhere. We take a side road to visit Ward Beach on the way but find the campsite closed. We continue on towards Kaikoura stopping several times for one way traffic control of road repairs. One of our roadside pull outs rewards us with a view of a seal colony, basking themselves in the sun. I write this evening from the Adelphi streetside pub in Kaikoura, hoisting my glass and saying “Keaora!” (Hello in Maori) to all who tune in today to read this
We head south on Hwy 1 destination unknown. We don’t get far. A few klicks south of Seddon, when we see a sign for the Lake Grassmere Salt Works, evaporative pools that are harvested seaside. We head down a washboard road and find the operation. It is the first and largest of such works in NZ and currently provides half of the country’s salt requirements. It is very small in comparison to the salt works we have seen in Guererro Negro but then again, something makes me recall that that is one of the largest in the world.
We get a little turned around and end up on the Blind River Loop road (appropriately named for us navigationally impaired) that takes us through some beautiful rural backcountry and eventually to Hwy 1 again, North of where we got off of it…how did we do that? Ah heck, we don’t mind and just enjoy the ride.
Southbound once again, in a few more klicks, we are distracted by a small sign with a tent on it, nothing more, pointing to the east. We take the sharp leftie and follow this road that runs along the south side of Grassmere Lake and ends at Mussel Point. We find and incredible camp site, a mere meter from the beach. We can see land mass almost all around on the horizon. After consulting the map once again, we realize that the beach is north facing and that we are actually seeing the southern tip of the North Island in the distance.
We decided to stay the night. We and walk and beach comb on the crescent shaped beach that is littered with mussel, clam and oyster shells. There are about a half dozen other vans parked at this beach, called Murfells Beach Scenic Preserve. Our closest neighbor must be at least a 100 yards. The tide comes in to its high point about 25 feet from our van, the sky is clear and we are rewarded with a fantastic sunset in the WNW around 5:30 PM local time, our happy hour. In the evening, on the northern horizon, we can see the glow of the lights of Wellington. The milky way is spread out above us. Occasionally we see the lights of a few fishing boats working the productive waters, work lights blinking on & off as they bob above & below the crests of the swells in the distance.
The sun rises in the NE and quickly fills our bay with light. Toast and a mushroom omelet get us of to a good start after another stroll on the beach. We find our way back to Hwy 1 and continue southward towards Kaikoura, a mecca for sightseers of marine life. There are whales, seals, dolphins and sharks everywhere. We take a side road to visit Ward Beach on the way but find the campsite closed. We continue on towards Kaikoura stopping several times for one way traffic control of road repairs. One of our roadside pull outs rewards us with a view of a seal colony, basking themselves in the sun. I write this evening from the Adelphi streetside pub in Kaikoura, hoisting my glass and saying “Keaora!” (Hello in Maori) to all who tune in today to read this