Monthly Archives: April 2014

SwimGym

Karola has 23 lambs. Eight of these have been chosen as ewe replacement. Three were weeded out as runts with terrible daggy problems, a fourth was singled out because it was limping. That left eleven lambs ready for market.

When Karola looked over her eleven market opportunities she spied another two runty ones, one was small and a wether (#309), the other (#329)also had terrible daggy problems.

Then, after a quick breakfast, we penned up the 11 lambs and took out the two runty ones leaving nine for today’s market, all ewe lambs and potentially breeding stock. We trundled them down to Stortford Lodge, Karola submitted the paper work, we unloaded the lambs and that was it. There are over 8000 lambs expected today at the sale-yards, the place was thick with sheep and cattle trucks.

Karola had an appointment with KiwiBank in Stortford Lodge so we pretty much came straight back in for that, and to pick up dry-cleaning, post some packets (medicine left behind by Felicity, couple of audio cassette tapes), and get a cup of coffee.

Karola then decided to drench and wash #329 so I gave it drench and she washed its hind quarters. I preferred my role. (Drench was Scanda – withholding for meat of 10 days)

Having sluiced out and put the stock crate, trailer, and landrover away, and after the sheep work, we had a relaxing afternoon reading in the weak autumn sun.

Stortford Lodge Sale Yards Parking Area

Oak Avenue Weather:5℃—16℃ 0.2mm rain [84.7]

Overcast with occasional rain spots and certainly colder.

Karola saw the team pick up the pumpkins from the orchard. Six pickers per tractor; three tractors scurrying back and forth with bins. I caught them after the pumpkins were all picked up but before all the bis were loaded on trucks.

Mid morning Karola gave the three runty and daggy lambs a clean-up and I tried again to see if I could find anything wrong with the fourth, limping, lamb. No joy. Karola’s runts have improved overnight with the drenching and now they do look a lot cleaner. Karola has booked the 9 good lambs, not the ewe replacements of course, into the sale at Stortford Lodge tomorrow.

More mushrooms, the tail end, so I had mushrooms on toast for lunch.

We’ve booked in at Eastwood Arboretum accommodation in Gisborne for 8th and 9th nights in May and plan to go to Gisborne on Thursday 8th, attend the conference on 9th, have dinner with Kirsty’s brother Raymond Faulkner on Friday night, attend the field trip on Saturday and then drive home after that.

Karola planted some White Pine trees in the planting area adjoining the orchard, south of the gateway at the northern end.

Pumpkins Promptly Picked

And Who Said Having A Few Sheep Wasn’t Fun

Oak Avenue Weather:5℃—18℃ 0.2mm rain [84.3]

SwimGym

We put the stock crate on the big trailer today so we’re ready if Karola decides to send her lambs to the saleyards on Wednesday.

Mary hasn’t been answering her phone and we were wondering why. Sprott House has had a nasty gastric bug and Mary was one of the unfortunate people to catch it. We’re wishing her well and for a rapid recovery.

Meticulous Maids came and cleaned the homestead late afternoon and this should last a few months as our rush of visitors has at last come to an end for a while.

Karola went to town for food and also to talk to KiwiBank about an investment she has there. They kept her waiting for an hour and even then were not helpful.

Oak Avenue Weather:7℃—19℃ no rain [83.9]

Karola weeded and mulched another long section of the bay tree planting area, using up all the mulch I made two days ago. At least the trailer is now empty so we can put the stock crate on and maybe sell most of Karola’s lambs later in the week.

We also yarded up the lambs and I drenched the three runty ones (#301, #322, #324) and looked at the foot of a limper (#315) – couldn’t see anything wrong. (Drench was Scanda – withholding for meat of 10 days)

I mowed the cottage lawn and spread grass seed mixture – rye grass and clover seed treated to be resistant to fungi and repulsive to birds.

Oak Avenue Weather:10℃—20℃ 0.1mm rain [85.0]

Farming Programme on radio at 7:00am.

Karola extended her lawn electric fence to include the big oak and let some very happy ewes in.

I shopped, including getting some wasp killer for the nest on the edge of the driveway. My attempts to quell just using petrol didn’t totally succeed.

Karola is hard at it weeding the bay tree planting area and putting mulch from my mulching yesterday round each tree.

Chris Ormond came as expected and chainsawed up two piles of firewood from the old apple logs, one for us, one for his family.

Oak Avenue Weather:4℃—20℃ no rain [83.7]

Main job today was to try out the mulcher with its replaced, resharpened blades. I chopped up the twigs and leaves from the fallen branches I chainsawed for firewood and it took several hours.

Meanwhile Karola completed her creation of two small additional planting areas on the corners of the cottage lawn.

Karola also selected her eight best ewe lambs to become the ‘replacements’ in her main flock: ewes #304 (grand-daughter of 604), #311, #319 (Texel mum), #325, #327, #328, #333, and #337.

Todays Mulching

White Peonies

Persimmon Tree

Oak Avenue Weather:8℃—24℃ no rain [84.0]

SwimGym

Karola continued with her many tasks including taking recycling to the depot and buying some rhubarb crowns for our raised bed garden. Her white peonies are in.

I spent a happy hour or so picking up the firewood I’d chain-sawed and doing a bit more chain-sawing of fallen branches. I’ve now finished that.

I put back the sharpened mulcher blades which is a bit tricky and involves many machine bolts – it took about 90 minutes and this time I did not cut myself on the wickedly sharp hardened steel blades.

Karola now finds evidence of vermin in the cottage and cottage garage – nibbled foodstuffs, not good.

Henare dropped round for a chat at lunchtime.

Oak Avenue Weather:10℃—23℃ no rain [85.0]

No SwimGym today but I did go in to Hastings for food and to check on when my GF bread would be available – just as well because, unlike Easter Friday rules, the bread will not be here until Saturday. Drycleaning to pick up and drop off, and salt lick blocks for the sheep and 25kg sheep nuts.

The ewes and ram are grazing the main lawn before too many leaves fall and cover the grass.

I cut up a couple more piles of fallen branches.

Karola, among many other outside activities, put a new wooden edge plank in across the end of the bay tree planting area, next to the cottage garage (see below). She plans to plant two white peonies she bought from the gardens at Tikokino.

Karola went rodent exterminating today – checking her traplines in the homestead, mainly in the attic.

Banging In The Pegs

Oak Avenue Weather:7℃—19℃ no rain [85.1]

SwimGym – Karola decided we’d do SwimGym on Tuesday and Thursday this week as both Monday and Friday the gym is closed.

Then a relaxed morning chatting with Geoff & Felicity; they packed and left for palmerston North by 12:30pm.

Gill rang to say the purchase of Mary’s flat had become unconditional which is a very good thing.

Karola put electric fence round the lawn for her ewes, that way we can have the sheep get the nourishment and then Garden Groom can come a bit later and clean up the leaves.

Oak Avenue Weather:7℃—20℃ 8.9mm rain [83.7]

A slow day. We all pottered round while the majority of our guests packed up and departed. Felicity, Geoff, and Madeline went to see Peter and Charlotte in Havelock North in the morning, returning for a quick lunch and then off to Hastings where Madeline caught the bus for Wellington.

I chain-sawed up most of the fallen branches from a few days ago.

Karola made a delicious baked apple pudding for us in the evening.

Oak Avenue Weather:6℃—21℃ no rain [84.7]

Easter Sunday and a cool sunny day in Hawkes Bay.

Gwen’s family and Lucy went out for a bike ride in the morning and another ride, including Bolke’s parents, in the afternoon.

Meanwhile Felicity, Geoff, Madeline went with Karola to the Farmers Market in Hastings and, after lunch, we all, including Bramble, went for a stroll along the Clive embankment and wetlands.

Karola cooked a huge hunk of wild venison for dinner, provided by Rowena’s family up at the Mahia. Lucy and Bolke’s parents had gone back to thier hosts for dinner but the rest of us enjoyed a feast on the Kauri table in the dining room of the homestead.

Clive Coastal Wetlands

Oak Avenue Weather:9℃—24℃ no rain [83.7]

Geoff Rashbrooke has a nasty cold. Gwen and Bolke Waters and their daughters and Maddy, Gwen’s sister, hunted for mushrooms this morning, and for more Fejoas.

Bolke’s parents came late morning, along with their grand-daughter, Lucy. Some combination of Lucy, Madeline, Gwen and Bolke and daughter Merriam (in buggy towed behind Bolke’s bike) went off on a cycle ride for miles and miles. In fact maybe one before lunch and one afterwards.

Felicity and Madeline, Karola and I went to Havelock North for an indian restaurant dinner with Peter and Charlotte Offenberger and David Greig. A jolly time was had by all.

Pumpkin Patches Awaiting Harvest In The Orchard

Oak Avenue Weather:9℃—20℃ 0.1mm rain [83.5]

Gwen, Bolke and family went for a bike ride and, after lunch, a trip info Napier.

Karola counted her lambs – all present and correct.

More mushrooms gathered in the One Acre and along the Scotts boundary of the orchard.

I photoed the branches that came down in the night. The cracks in the crook of the English Beech tree mean that another huge, heavy branch may crash down close by where the previous one did.

Felicity and Geoff and daughter Maddy (Gwen’s sister) arrived late afternoon.

Macrocarpa by the Big Wellingtonian

Eucalypt In The Front Paddock

Cedar At Front Gate (133 Ormond Rd)

Ominous Cracks In English Beech At The End Of The Ha-Ha

Elm In The Goose Paddock

Swamp Cyprus In The Middle Paddock

Oak Avenue Weather:14℃—20℃ 0.9mm rain [83.4]

Lots and lots of rain; squelching everywhere so we stayed mostly inside except for Karola and Bramble who went into town for haircut (Karola not Bramble) and more food for the long weekend,

Gwen, Bolke and their young children Mirriam & Sophia arrived late afternoon and are now ensconced in the homestead, warm and dry.

Oak Avenue Weather:16℃—19℃ 51.5mm rain [83.4]

SwimGym

Karola went out to a mid-day”Tree Croppers” meeting about bees and trees over in Havelock North. Bramble and I stayed home all day.

When she returned Karola, with a little help from me and some pretty impressive hindrance from Bramble, moved her 23 lambs from the One Acre into the Island and Middle paddocks. The Middle paddock has been resting for several weeks so has ample grass.

Forsaken For Tree Croppers – My Lunch

Oak Avenue Weather:15℃—22℃ 16mm rain [83.4]

A little rain overnight but a beautiful autumn day. Rain is forecast for tomorrow and Thursday.

Dental appointment to replace an old filling that fell out and for the annual check. A snip at $280 (what!). I also asked about the smiles of the models and presenters on TV, how did they learn to smile showing such huge amounts of upper teeth.Apparently there are 3 – 4 major facial bone structures and one of them does result in that toothy upper-jaw smile. There is no point in me practising in front of a mirror and yes, many models do happen to have that facial type.

Karola picked mushrooms and then I picked mushrooms – all the paddocks seemed to have some but mostly they were in the Front paddock this year. Afterwards Karola put her 32 pregnant (we hope) ewes and the ram in the Front paddock, swapping with the 23 lambs. We have had mushrooms on toast for lunch; mushroom soup, and mushrooms with mince. Karola is even cooking and freezing some.

I mowed the cottage lawn, the washing line lawn by the homestead garage, and a walkway from the cottage up to the homestead.

We spent the afternoon reading in the cool autumn sun. Delicious.

A Few Of The Mushrooms We Gathered

Oak Avenue Weather:11℃—21℃ 0.1mm rain [84.1]

SwimGym – we both went after the break caused by trips away.

Cold wintery weather. All the sheep and lambs are here and have enough grass but are a bit miserable in the cold and wet.

Meticulous Maids came and cleaned the cottage late afternoon.

Karola went shopping in the morning and again late afternoon.

I did a bit of email and admin and slept a lot.

Fejoa Fruit Aplenty

Oak Avenue Weather:12℃—15℃ 3.5mm rain [83.6]

The final morning ramble with the IDS folk started with the grounds of the Auckland University. Of particular interest were the trees that survived erection of large buildings, being woven into the landscape and protected from the huge excavations for foundations within a metre or two of their trunks. Many of the buildings were of very modern design but the trees had been carefully blended in as a planned part of the final effect.

Late morning we left the University and went one block over to Albert Park. Again more large, old trees.

We had an excellent light lunch in the Auckland Art Gallery which adjoins Albert Park and then went by taxi to see Campell Ewing and Jane Heslop in Onehunga – swinging by the hotel to pick up our bags on the way.

Jane and Campbell seem in good health and relaxed and we heard about the changes to their house and garden and discussed the children’s progress. Jane served us with a pea soup dinner and Campbell then drove us to the airport – in time, this time – for our ride home.

We were met by Graham and Bramble at home; Graham and Tracey were called to a funeral in Auckland on Monday and were leaving at 4:00am so Bramble needed to come home a day early. Bramble was pleased to see us.

Albert Park – Huge Morton Bay Fig

Oak Avenue Weather:12℃—16℃ 3.5mm rain [?]

Off in the morning to Rangitoto Island, the most recently active volcano in Auckland harbour. Thoroughly inhospitable mountain of scoria. No springs or streams. Only traces of soil. The shores comprise rocky outcrops and black, smelly mud beaches fringed with straggly mangroves and some very tough small Pohutukawa growing on the high-tide mark in pure scoria. The island still has large stretches of bare coarse black scoria gravel and boulders but most of it is covered in Pohutukawa forest with a smattering of other hardy trees and understory.

The island is managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC) and tens of thousands of visitors come over by launch each year. Mammalian predators have been eradicated but constant re-infestation means that there’s an active program to find and remove new invaders. Exotic trees and weeds are also controlled but not eradicated.

A couple of the more high-spirited IDS members struck out for the summit but then took a wrong turn and missed the returning ferry providing much merriment for the other IDS people. The lost souls rejoined us at the “Sacred Grove”.

In the afternoon we went to Wilson Home, a property run as a trust for recouperating children and families, for educating children unable to attend normal schools, for weddings and other functions. There was a wedding in progress while we were there. More trees. Afternoon tea in the summer house on the top of the cliff overlooking the harbour.

Last stop, the Pohutakawa “Sacred Grove” along the waterline at Takapuna beach. Then to the hotel for another fine meal and the traditional “tree auction” where mainly rubbish trees are sold at auction with much humour and noise.

Rangitoto Island – Mangroves & Mud, Scoria & Pohutukawa

Oak Avenue Weather:13℃—24℃ 4.5mm rain [?]

A bus took us through developing suburbs to the south east of Auckland city, through Otara and out into what was only five years ago, farmland. The scale of development was staggering – horrifying to see row upon row of tightly-knit houses each on their minute section.

First stop on the bus tour today was Ayrlies, designed, created, and managed by Bev McConnell. This is a large classic landscaped garden with many trees and lots of water features – ponds and water falls – leading down to a wetlands on the estuary below. The trees were as large as most of the Karamu trees and had all been planted no more than 50 years ago. Lunch was in a gazebo near the swimming pool and happily coincided with a heavy downpour with thunder and lightening.

Next was Mount Cecilia Park in Hillsborough. The park contained an historic house (the Pah), now used as an art gallery. Many huge old trees dating back to the earliest English settlers included fine specimens of Morton Bay Fig.

Onwards to Auckland’s Government House in Mount Eden. Formerly the house of the Mappins family, donated to the country when the earlier Government House site was requisitioned for university buildings. An informal top lawn was carefully preserved with its theme of trees and grass; no loud colours are allowed in the understory. Below the house there is a parade ground and more regimented vegetation, where formal events are held.

Eden Gardens, next door to Government House, is built in a disused quarry and it was here that we had refreshments and held the IDS (NZ Branch) annual meeting. Back to the hotel for a group dinner at the hotel.

Morton Bay Fig

Oak Avenue Weather:13℃—19℃ 4.1mm rain [?]

In the morning we drove Bramble up to Tracey & Graham’s place up the Taihape road; the rest of the day was spent packing and checking all was well with the sheep etc.

Late afternoon we had a power cut which affected 80,000 houses in Hawkes Bay – quite widespread. There was still no power when we left for the airport so we couldn’t shut the garage door properly, had to disengage it from its motor mechanism and just slide it closed. Also, the lights in the house which have more than one switch were left ether on or off, we couldn’t tell which.

We got half way to the airport before I noticed I’d left my iPhone behind so we went back and retrieved it. We had left in plenty of time and so were still in good time despite the detour. The power came back on shortly after we reached the airport.

A short, comfortable flight up to Auckland then a $60 taxi ride to the Quality Hotel in Parnell, where the IDS group were booked in for the duration.

We checked in and had dinner in the hotel restaurant where we met up with Peter and Diane Arthur and several other IDS trip attendees, some from Australia.

Oak Avenue Weather:16℃—22℃ 8.3mm rain [?]

SwimGym, again by myself although Karola’s cold is subsiding.

Sheep on the other half of the cottage lawn make quick work of the lush grass.

We uploaded 24 photos to Geoff Robinson’s web site – the best of the photos we took on the joint holiday with Geoff & Edwina. They are safely back home in the UK now, reunited with their grandchildren.

Oak Avenue Weather:17℃—21℃ 2.2mm rain [83.7]

Lovely rain on and off all day. I had hair cut in the morning and later went to Greta’s vegetable stall on Omahu road for tomatoes for lunch, otherwise we stayed in most of the time. Karola did take Bramble for a long walk after lunch.

In the morning Karola and I went through the several hundred photos we took on our recent visits and adventures and picked the handful that might have broader appeal. Photos came from both our iPhones and two cameras Karola uses.

The sheep had another couple of hours on half the cottage lawn. One ewe got behind the electric fence into the Bay tree planting area. I attempted to get her out and she showed great signs of alarm, rushing hither and yon around the Bay trees. It was all bogus however; when she stopped in front of the rose bush planted at the end of the Bay trees next to the garage she wasted no time in taking a couple of mouthfuls of rose leaves.

In the afternoon we went through our emails and other admin; amazing what piles up when you’re away for ten days.

Oak Avenue Weather:18℃—20℃ 7.6mm rain [84.3]

SwimGym for me – Karola’s cold is still quite severe and not to be shared.

Lovely rain, gentle and persistent – just what the ground needs.

We together conspired to flatten the Subaru battery overnight so had to roll it backwards out of the garage and jump-start with the Landrover – no problem.

We all went off to town, first to Pernel’s for lunch then to Hastings for food.

The grass is so luxuriant on the cottage lawn that we let the sheep in for a nibble – more nibbles in the days to come. The sound of them munching is frightening.

Loud Nibbling

Oak Avenue Weather:18℃—21℃ 29.4mm rain [84.0]

After such a great holiday shared with our very good friends and long time comrades Geoff & Edwina Robinson, we are back home and are totally shattered. And we were the youngsters on the trip too. Geoff & Edwina are still making merry in Auckland.

Karola appraised her sheep and declared all were fit and well if a little slimmer than last we saw them. Karola gave them some pea straw which they scoffed down energetically. Still pretty dry here.

We went up the Taihape road and picked up Bramble from her surrogate keepers, Tracey and Graham. All has been well and despite obviously enjoying her surrogate family and the other two dogs Bramble made an immediate bee-line for Karola and was ecstatic to see her, rushing straight past me. Eventually she came and gave me an enthusiastic welcome too.

Karola did mounds of washing and other things, getting back into normal (for us) routine – even though we’re scheduled to go to Auckland on Thursday for the IDS meeting. I moped around, worn out by the excitement, the company, and the banter.

Oak Avenue Weather:16℃—22℃ 10.3mm rain [84.3]

Bridget and the grand daughters drove over to the Days Bay flat with us in the morning and we discussed how perhaps the flat could be used for medium length rentals of a week or two. Bridget has offered to be our property manager for the place and as we use it so little it makes sense. We’d be relieved of the expense of rates and insurance and, if it worked out well, Bridget would get some extra pocket money. There are some minor repairs to be done and some furniture needs to be removed or swapped about – and some valuables like Karola’s special picture-photo of Oak Avenue need to be taken away.

We had lunch together in the Pavillion cafe just next door then Bridget took the girls home and we set off for Karamu, up through the Wairarapa and on SH2 over the Takapau plains, Waipukurau, Waipawa, Paki-Paki and home. It was late afternoon when we got home and still light and all seemed well. The end of the most brilliant holiday.

Oak Avenue Weather:13℃—23℃ 0.1mm rain [?]

After breakfast we finished packing, checked out and drove up near Nelson Cathedral. Geoff and I had a street-seller coffee while Edwina and Karola briefly browsed in a quilting shop. We then walked through the cathedral grounds; I stood on the steps where I must have waved my flag as the new queen, Queen Elizabeth II, toured Nelson in 1953.

Nelson Cathedral Steps

Geoff and I took a detour along Examiner Street to where I’d lived long ago in the upstairs flat of a two storey house on the grounds of Nelson College for Girls. The stucco house next door is still there but the house that we lived in has been replaced by a large classroom block. I recalled the aquarium I had back then, and the small fire in a cushion left by the downstairs tenants on their verandah, a fire that could have been much worse. And the two old dears who lived alone in the house next door. For some reason the names Doris and Elsie Waters come to mind but I don’t know, probably those 1950s radio personalities reminded me of them. The raised concrete goldfish pond in the back garden which one year had myriad tiny goldfish. The gone-to-seed asparagus plot that made good forts, and a huge garden spider with a painful bite. Memories, memories.

I met an elderly lady inside the cathedral who said she remembered our family, she was living out along the boulder bank at Atawai when we were living in the vicarage at Todds Bush in 1950s. She suggested I sign the cathedral visitors book.

A quiet stroll around Queens Gardens – where I occasionally saw a white heron when I was a child – and then it was time to take Geoff and Edwina to Nelson airport for their afternoon flight to Auckland. They planned to spend three days in Auckland before departing for the UK on 7th April.

Geoff & Edwina – Queens Gardens – Nelson

Karola and I then drove out along the boulder bank, towards Atawai and Todds Bush. There is still an overgrown quarry on the corner but the rest of Todds Bush is transformed. We drove slowly up and down Todds Bush road, now lined with houses in large gardens. No sign of the market garden at the top of the road, nor the sheep farm next door to the vicarage or the thick stand of Kanuka above the quarry. The willow-lined creek across the road is still there but now looks more like a ditch than a river.

Enough reminiscing so we set off over the hills towards Blenheim. We stopped for lunch in Havelock at the Slip Inn restaurant on Havelock marina. Reaching Blenheim, we returned the rental car at the airport and had a short uneventful flight back to Wellington. We rode the Airport Flyer bus into the city and got off at Wellington railway station where Bridget and her daughters picked us up and took us home to Khandallah.

The Damage

Oak Avenue Weather:9℃—22℃ no rain [?]

Sad to leave Ratanui Lodge but after another hearty, delicious breakfast we drove off towards Nelson, back over the twisty, windy Takaka hill again.

Steve and Pete’s Ratanui Lodge – Pohara

We joined forces with Karola’s cousin James Wilson in Richmond, as planned, and had lunch together in a little cafe quite near the Nelson Pine factory, our next port of call.

Nelson Pine is a Japanese-owned company based in Richmond. It is a single site factory and headquarters and more Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) – its main product – is made at this site than any other single site in the world.

Nelson Pine Ltd – Richmond

Karola’s elderly cousin Hilary Haylock had suggested we ask for a tour of Nelson Pine. Her husband, Owen Haylock was a key figure in creating the MDF industry in New Zealand as a way of creating valuable products from forestry waste and he helped start Nelson Pine and other MDF factories in New Zealand. The CEO of Nelson Pine, Murray Sturgeon, was a protege of Owen’s and Owen helped him get started at Nelson Pine.

Murray Sturgeon spoke to us for over an hour; he spoke of the company history and described the MDF process from forest waste to valuable fibre board, mainly shipped overseas to Japan and Asia. He also told us about their new product, Laminated Veneer Lumbar (LVL), a wood product 5 times stronger than plain wooden planks, weather proof and a cheaper replacement for steel in many situations. The basic LVL product is a 15 metres 4×2 (100mm x 50mm) railing but it can be bulked up into super strong beams maybe 30 meters long and 500mm deep. As we saw in our tour of the factory later, the factory’s most recent shed has LVL beams stretching perhaps 40 metres without intervening supports. Another example of LVL use is the exciting wooden design at the Waitomo Glowworm Caves which Karola and I saw a couple of years ago – though we didn’t know it was using LVL then. Murray said that LVL can be about 2/3 the cost of equivalent building structures made of steel; it’s a New Zealand product with enormous potential – strong, cheap, attractive, and environmentally sympathetic. All Nelson Pine wood comes from managed forests with a 25 year rotation located within 60km of the factory. Waste products of MDF and LVL production are used to create 3/4 of the energy used by the factory and they put a lot of effort into minimising their impact on the environment – the water, the waste disposal.

Nelson Pine Linear Veneer Lumbar (LVL)

NelsonPine-LVL-Brochure-web

Late afternoon James Wilson rushed back to Picton for ukelele practice with the Picton Ukelele Orchestra and we checked into the Trailways hotel on the banks of the Matai river in Nelson. We had dinner at the Ford restaurant just a few blocks up Trafalgar Street from the hotel.

Oak Avenue Weather:10℃—22℃ 0.2mm rain [?]

This morning the breakfast format changed, instead of sitting at individual tables in the dining room all the guests were seated round a large table overlooking the back garden. Geoff and Edwina were sitting next to a couple on holiday from Auckland and they got chatting. The upshot was that the Auckland couple, Andy and Glenys, showed Geoff and Edwina round Auckland for a day, before their flight home.

After breakfast at the lodge there were earnest discussions followed by a show-and-tell between Edwina and a local fellow quilter, a friend of the lodge owners.

Edwina And A Local Man Discuss Quilts

The tides and the ferry launch schedule meant that the only opportunity to start our Abel Tasman walk was mid afternoon so in the morning we drove in to Takaka, window shopped and had a light lunch in a vegetarian tea rooms. Karola bought me a carved white jade Gecko lizard in a gift shop nearby – a very expensive but quite beautiful reminder of this exceptional once-in-a-lifetime holiday.

Geoff and Edwina visited New Zealand in 2006 and the highlight of that trip was a walk in the Abel Tasman National Park. So we thought that maybe for our last day in Golden Bay we’d reprise that walk. However, in 2006 they’d started from the Kaiteriteri/Marahau end of the walk and taken one of the two inner segments – there are four segments each usually taking about a day – and most of the walk had been gently sloping with only a couple of steepish climbs and certainly no fording of streams. This time we were beginning from Pohara, 45 minutes by car from the start of the walk at Totaranui. Our plan was to take the walkers’ ferry launch from Totaranui down to Awaroa and walk back to the car.

We understood that the afternoon launch would get us to Awaroa in good time for the estuary crossing at low tide around 4:30pm and then we’d be back well before dusk and at the lodge in time for dinner at 7:00pm. The best laid plans etc. etc.

Our drive down to Totaranui, gravel road most of the way, was uneventful. We caught the ferry launch and got to Awaroa in good time. Karola and I had been on the full walk twice before and, even though that was several years ago, we thought we knew the ropes.

We all set off across the Awaroa air strip, down a bank and encountered our first estuary crossing. The estuary was 50 or so metres wide and a channel still too deep for dry shoes meandered down it. Some other walkers splashed through, getting water in their boots but obviously not caring. Karola quickly followed suit; her shoes were washable after all. I then watched as another walker danced across choosing the shallowest places to step, and he got across with dry boots. I followed, leaving Geoff and Edwina to contemplate their options. Luckily at that moment a park ranger arrived and began to drive his quad bike across the estuary. He offered them a ride on his running boards and so they too got across with dry feet. So far, so good.

The easy track continued just above high tide mark towards the Awaroa public trampers hut. We passed some houses including Meadowbrook Lodge where the Brackenburys stayed on their Abel Tasman trip two years ago. Karola dropped in and chatted to one of the staff who said that it’d be another hour before the tide was low enough to cross the estuary, at around 5:30pm. On along the beach and round the corner along the edge of the main estuary, thinking that we’d be going far enough upstream that there’d be a shallow crossing and we’d then be on our way.

We arrived at the hut and joined the dozen or so other walkers waiting for the tide to drop. To our surprise … amazement … horror … we saw stretched out in front of us a muddy estuary crossing over 900 metres wide with several fast-flowing channels that must surely be well over waist deep. So much for not getting wet feet.

We waited for over an hour and still the water in the channels looked quite deep. Walkers starting early were seen taking off clothes as they waded in water well over their knees to get across. The little orange triangle on a post on the other side was only just visible – it seemed a very long way. And as time rolled by the threat of walking after dark loomed. Finally I decided to try a crossing so took off my boots and set out. The water was just over my knees in part and quite swift but I made it without getting unduly wet.  Then I saw Karola coming over – her shoes were already wet and she had no trouble. And finally Geoff and Edwina, trousers rolled up high, waded across. Not quite what they’d expected – but then nor had we, who’d done it before just two years ago. Walking barefoot on the muddy sand covered in millions of small sharp-edged empty clam shells was actually more daunting than the water.

We Have To Walk Right Over There?

Well I’m Glad You Warned Us Abut This!

Ooh The Crabs

The next part of the puzzle was a distance marker that said it was still 2½ hours to Totaranui, the same time that we’d seen back on the other side of the estuary. We remembered that we’d been advised a recent slip had made a slight detour necessary towards the end of the walk but hadn’t bargained for an extra 30 minutes. On we went, sometimes on the beach, sometimes a little way up the hillside. We were just about expecting the Totaranui campsite to hove in view when we saw the slip – a large section of cliff had come down taking the track with it. We began the detour, a zig-zag up the hillside. It went on, and on, and on. Each zag looked like the last, but no there were more. On and on.

Finally we reached the saddle, high above the beach, and made the steep descent to rejoin the old track. The new path was almost too steep to avoid slipping and had taken more than half an hour; the original track would have taken ten minutes at most. Darkness was falling. We reached the Totaranui camp site and walked through it in the dusk to our waiting car. Then back up the gravel road and to our very welcome final night’s dinner at the Ratanui Lodge.

Oak Avenue Weather:14℃—23℃ 0.2mm rain [?]

Last night’s dinner set the tone for the rest of our stay at Ratanui Lodge

We Spoil Ourselves Rotten

The Farewell Spit tour didn’t begin until the afternoon so in the morning we went to see the very clear waters of the Te Waikoropupū Springs (known as Pupū Springs), (note the macron over the “u”).

Pupū Springs

Pupū Springs in The Sunshine (Geoff’s photo from 2006)

Geoff told us about their last visit when a dumb pakeha had dropped his cell phone in the springs and with very great reluctance one of the Maori rangers dived in and got it for him. It is a sacred spring for the Maori and not to be touched frivolously.

And then it was time to head for Collingwood for lunch and our tour of Farewell Spit. Thanks to me we had the worst meal of our entire holiday – well I had a grilled flounder but the others made do with very ordinary fare indeed. This was at the Collingwood Tavern; I’m glad we didn’t take advantage of the discount coupons and have our evening meal there.

The eco-tour bus was an old Bedford four-wheel-drive chassis with a bus body bolted high up on top. Quite comfortable and as we found out later, necessary to avoid getting stuck in the soft sands.

The Bus

We set off round the inlets to the northern-most point of the South Island, Cape Farewell. Our stopping place was high up on cliffs with pounding seas below, and a seal basking on a rock.

Cape Farewell

Our Companions Geoff & Edwina Robinson – Cape Farewell

From there we went south and east onto the 25km long Farewell Spit – a peninsula of sand dunes and an inner and outer beach arcing east way out into Golden Bay. Most of the migratory sea birds have long since flown but there were still enough winter residents to keep our interest and Murray, the driver, who’d been taking these tours for 23 years, expanded knowledgeably on the habits of the species we saw. Several seals were seen taking solitary snoozes well up the shore.

Lunch was in one of the buildings next to the lighthouse at the end of Farewell Spit. Built in 1870 the lighthouse became fully automated in 1974 since when the housing has been redundant.

On the return trip we stopped to walk up, and in some cases slide down, the constantly whispering, shifting dunes.

Geoff Ran Down And Scrambled Back Up

Back on terra firma it was dark and as we careered along the narrow road towards Collingwood we could see occasional lights gleeming off the mudflats to our left. Murray told us tales of whale strandings and how volunteers came from all over New Zealand after a big stranding to try and refloat and save them.

45 minutes after leaving Collingwood we were back at Ratanui Lodge, again well past the official dinner time but gracefully served late by Steve, the Maitre d’, greeter, raconteur and joint owner of the lodge with Pete, the chef.

Ratanui Lodge exceeded my expectations. The rooms were comfortable and tastefully equipped. Hot water was hot. The shower pressure was sufficient. The bed was comfortable and there was space to unpack your luggage and stow clothes. A small fridge for morning milk, space next to the basin in the bathroom for one’s personal kit. It was clean, quiet, and comfortable. Steve and Pete made personal special efforts to see that their guests were helped with their holiday arrangements – in our case they booked the boat for the next day’s adventure in Abel Tasman National Park. The breakfast and evening set meals were served fresh and hot – and they accommodated my need for a gluten-free diet without fuss.

The set meal dinners were excellent, the accommodation was gracious, tasteful, and comfortable. And thankfully, the bill was unexceptional.

Oak Avenue Weather:12℃—22℃ no rain [?]