Hello Everyone!
Firstly, so sorry for not updating this blog for sooooo long! I've grown a little lazy about it over the past couple of months and so now have loads to report! Here is a summarised version of what we've all been up to since my last entry:
17th - 24th February: TAUPO
After our tour of the Northland, we travelled south to Taupo in the centre of the North Island. The town is located on the edge of New Zealand's largest lake (Lake Taupo!) which was created in a massive volcanic eruption over 25,000 years ago. We really liked the town and the surrounding area, so ended up staying there for a good week.
During our stay, Anna spontaneously booked herself onto a sky-dive! She was so brave! I didn't have the bottle to go with her! She did a tandem dive from 12,000 feet above sea level! Crazy Girl!
Meanwhile, me and Tom opted for a more leisurely venture on a beautiful sailing boat called 'The Barbary', which travelled across the lake to some fascinating Maori rock carvings that are only accessible by boat. They were very impressive, the best being a giant face sculpted into the rock. The water surrounding them was absolutely crystal clear, and the boat pulled in to allow for a swim stop!
Taupo is also a hotspot for fly-fishing, and so Tom, Pip and I had a good few trips down to the river with the rods! Sadly, we failed to catch anything, but practice makes perfect and to be honest it was just nice to spend time out in the stunning scenery. Saying that however, we did not go home entirely empty handed. One evening we met a really friendly couple of guys who let Pip land a trout they had hooked, and then gave it to us to take home! It was really kind of them...two top blokes!
When not out fishing, our evenings in Taupo were often spent visiting Irish Bars with the instruments, where we usually found ourselves recieving free beer for our music! It is a good way of having a cheap night out! In one of the bars I came across a tray above the doorway which read 'McCallum's Perfection Scots Whisky'. Really wanted to sneak it into my handbag as it would have looked perfect in Dad's conservatory or Pol's music room!
26th February: The Tongariro Alpine Crossing
After leaving Taupo, we travelled to the other side of the lake to a beautiful little village up in the mountains called Whakapapa. During our stay here, we did the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a walk that is described as the most spectacular one-day trek in New Zealand, and from what I've come across so far, I can certainly vouch for such a description.
As the walk is so popular, we decided to set off really early in the morning to avoid the crowds and the hot sun. The route leads up a steep incline to the saddle that links two active volcanoes - Mount Tongariro and Mount Ngauruhoe. The landscape is absolutely breathtaking. You can see the remains of old lava flows which have patterned the rocks giving them an almost lunar appearence. At the highest point(1886m), you look right into the depths of Red Crater on Mount Tongariro, before passing a series of steaming vents that lead you to the beautiful Emerald Green lakes. The entire walk was fantastic. I tried to take lots of photographs (which mum now has at home should any of you fancy a peak) but not sure they can quite do it justice. A must-do for anyone visiting the country!
5th - 27th March: MARTINBOROUGH
From Whakapapa, we travelled South again down the East Coast, stopping at Napier and Hastings until we finally arrived in Martinborough. After spending only a few days in the town, we all grew to love it and decided it would be an ideal place to stay and work for a while. The town is situated in the Waiarapa region which is famous for its vineyards, and so finding work was pretty easy. With just a few phonecalls we all had a job working on the Te Kairanga Vineyard, where we spent our days in the sunshine pruning grape vines. The other staff were all really nice to get on with, and on our last day they even had a big barbeque to mark our send off. The work itself was a little monotonous, but we were all together and so could have a good chat to keep ourselves entertained. Had a bit of a mishap one morning when travelling on the quad bike to the vines! Pip and Tom were upfront on the bike, and me and Anna were sitting in a trailer behind. Suddenly though, there was a bit of a jolt and before we knew it, mine and Anna's trailer was overtaking Tom and Pip on the quad bike! We clearly hadn't been attatched properly and ended up zooming off into a nearby grapevine! Not a pleasant experience, but quite funny to look back on!
In the evenings, spent much of out time in the Martinborough hotel! We got to know the manager, Johnny, pretty well and he very kindly allowed us to stay in his cottage for a couple of weeks. Him and his wife, Sam, have spent a lot of time up in Scotland on the Isle of Harris, and so would be nice to return the favour should they ever make it back to the U.K.
We finished our work last friday and have now left Martinborough. Spent the weekend with Michael and Iona (Tom's distant relatives) in Wellington, before catching the ferry down to the South Island on Monday. We are now staying close to Picton as Micheal and Iona have very kindly let us stay in their holiday home for the week. It's lovely to have all the luxuries of a house again! We have an en-suite bathroom, and even a jacuzzi bath, not to mention beautiful panoramic views across the harbour!
Well, I think that is pretty much me up-to-date! Will try my best not to get soo beind with my blog again! Hope everything is good back home, and tell nana that I hope her leg is on the mend! Will be in touch soon,
Lots of love, Clarexxxxxxx
