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Greatest Adventure Yet....

January - March 2025
  • Keith Eckersall
  • Jayne Eckersall
A 56-day adventure by Keith & Jayne Read more
  • Keith Eckersall
  • Jayne Eckersall

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Around the world, Car, City trip, Couple, Culture, Photography, Sightseeing, Train, Vacation, Wildlife
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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....

    We'll be coming down the mountain ..

    January 29 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Waking up on our transit day from Mount Cook to Oamaru, we didn't realise you had to pay a supplement for the view ........... as ours had been removed!!! With the car packed, we drove back up to the Hermitage Hotel for breakfast and hopefully let the weather improve. Which it did, and we were soon heading back down the mountain along Lake Pukaki towards Twizel and the nearest petrol station. (thankfully as it was downhill, if we ran out of fuel, I could free wheel there!!). On our way to Oamaru, we drove past numerous hydroelectricity dams, and what reminded me of old western towns I saw in cowboy films, with everything on one street as you pass through We stopped at one such town: Kurow, and it really was like stepping back into the old days. Another stop before arriving in Oamaru was at the impressive Elephant Rocks on the Island Cliff-Duntroon Road. About 23-25 million years in the making the large hummocky rock formations that look a lot like Elephants were created after fossil-rich limestone deposited millions of years ago eroded, leaving behind an incredible boulder-field which towers above your head. We finally arrived at our hotel at the Mews Motel at about 3:00 some 3 & 1/2 hours and 240 kilometres later.Read more

  • Greatest Adventure Yet....

    O my in Oamaru......

    January 30 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Free day in Oamaru until our excursion at 21:00 tonight. So it's a bit of a lazy day again after driving quite a while yesterday and seeing what Oamaru has to offer.
    Oamaru, the largest town of the Waitaki District, has a rich history and proud heritage, enriched by the passionate and perhaps 14,000 quirky locals. The town boasts a Victorian Precinct, where there are shops, galleries, and traditional crafts within some of the Southern Hemispheres' most complete Victorian streetscapes and 19th century architecture, it really is like stepping back in time.
    After lunch, we went to check on where our evening excursion was taking plaand we were so glad we did as you can sea lion below 🦭.... 😅    Read more

  • Greatest Adventure Yet....

    Findpenguin - update

    January 30 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Penguin Found ................here in Oamaru; the home to a colony of the tiny Blue Penguins; the world's smallest penguin 🐧. Whilst they nest and breed along the coastline all around New Zealand and Southern Australia, they leave in the early morning and swim 30 miles off the coast to feed returning as the sun-sets every night.Read more

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    On the road again.....

    January 31 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    I'm not saying that driving on New Zealand's South Island is easy but it is very pleasant especially when you come to a signpost that says Dunedin (our next destination) 110 km and the car sat-nav saying turn left in 107 km!!

    After just over half an hour, we saw a signpost for the Moeraki Boulders that are found on Koekohe Beach and definitely worth making that early left turn. The boulders appear to be perfectly formed spherical shapes, and measure up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) in diameter, and are estimated to have taken 4 to 5.5 million years to grow. Before we went down to the beach, we had a breakfast snack of Croissants filled with ham, cheese, and tomato accompanied by large coffee whilst we watched the wave of the South Pacific Ocean roll onto the beach.
    After going down to the beach and marvelling at these phenomenon, we headed the car back onto the State Highway 1 (SH 1) which is the longest and most significant road in the New Zealand road network, running the length of both the South and North Islands. Before leaving the Moeraki Gift Shop, we were told to venture off the SH1 and take the scenic road into Dunedin, and my was this good advice! We stopped off at Shag Point on the Matakaea Reserve and saw Sea Lions basking and playing in the sunshine. After stopping off for a comfort break and visiting a garden centre on route in Waitati, we arrive in a busy and bustling downtown Dunedin around 4:00pm. After checking into our room, we were greeted with a welcome to Dunedin note from our Travel Counsellor, Rebecca, Birthday card and a platter of cheese and biscuits from the hotel.    Read more

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    The Tour Guide....

    February 1 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Today was the day of our own personal tour guide in the form of a friend from over 40 years ago; Alison. She picked us up from our hotel at 09:00 and drove straight over to the Otago Peninsula to see the Sea Lions 🦭 on the beach and we arrived just in time to see one young seal chase a couple of surfers🏄‍♂️🏄 away from the water 😆. We then carried onto Harrington Point for another photo 📸 opportunity of the magnificent landscape before arriving at the top; Taiaroa Head and the Albatross Sanctuary, where i felt small when compared to the wingspan of this mega sea bird . Unfortunately, we didn't see any Albatross, but there were endangered red beaked seagulls nesting there. I did think 🤔 about asking if they needed a Seagull supplier, but the cost in fish 🐟 and chips 🍟 to feed them wouldn't be acceptable!! 😅 Heading back to Dunedin, we stopped off to look at the gardens of Larnach Castle 🏰 built in 1871.
    Alison then drove us around the outskirts of Dunedin, showing us various sites of interest that Dunedin holds a claim to fame for being pioneers for in New Zealand before stopping at Baldwin Street which is the World’s Steepest Street, before dropping Jayne and I back at our hotel. Before we said our goodbyes, Alison recommended a South American restaurant for our dinner that night and what a lovely restaurant it was with fabulous food and wine to be had. We shared the Focaccia Bread, then Jayne had the Cannelones, which was Uruguayan style pasta with spinach, mushrooms, walnuts, and mozzarella wrapped in savoury crepes with a creamy sauce. I, of course, went for the Argentinian style Beef Fillet with potatoes gratin, green beans, sautéed in garlic, chimichurri butter, fresh chilli and reduced beef jus. We finished this off with Tahitian Vanilla Ice-Cream. Before watching the Chinese New Year Firework display from our hotel bedroom window.    Read more

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    Dunedin's Heritage

    February 2 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    After yesterday's tour, today was a more sedate walking 🚶‍♂️ tour of Dunedin's buildings and architecture. The 1st building of note and perhaps the most famous; well the most photographed is Dunedin railway station 🚆; built in 1906, in fact it is the second most photographed building in the southern hemisphere, after the Sydney Opera House. Across the road is the no longer used Dunedin Gaol, built 1896 & operating as a working prison for men & women until 2007. It is now used for adventure games where people pay to go in and are actively encouraged to escape by solving puzzles. Another well-known building in Dunedin is the Speights Brewery established in 1876 and is brewed for longer, thus reducing the amount of carbohydrates by 75% of other leading beers brewed in New Zealand. - I wish I had had a pint now instead of a half if it's healthy!! 🍺Read more

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    Done in Dunedin......

    February 3 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Leaving Dunedin around 10:00 am this morning we took a leisurely drive out on State Highway 1, driving parallel with the ocean but couldn't see it until we arrived at Milton then taking the SH-8 towards Central Otago and Queenstown. We crossed the Taieri Plains and travelled on a "Pleasure Beach Big Dipper" style of road to the Clutha Valley and Lake Waihola where we stopped for a photograph. After driving for just over an hour we stopped off in an old gold mining town called Lawrence for a coffee and a scone. Carrying on we drove through Roxburgh, a chief town of Central Otago and the centre of an irrigated orchard area, yes we have finally hit fruit and more importantly wine country. We also stopped for more photographs at the large and impressive Hydroelectric Power Dam. Continuing our drive through large and modern towns called Alexandra and Cromwell we then followed the river; Kawarau River; which has a famous 10-storey bridge built in the 1880's; the Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge, and is the birthplace of Bungy Jumping, into Queenstown on the shores of Lake Wakatipu and our accommodation at the Garden Court Suites and Apartments; where we had been given an upgrade overlooking the lake for Jayne's birthday. We had travelled 280 miles in a leisurely 5 hours including stops. After checking in and unpacking clothes for 3 days we walked down the hill into Queenstown itself where it was Happy Hour in the bar by the lake so helping the local economy we had a couple of cold beers and some tapas in the sunshine.Read more

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    Journey to Middle Earth

    February 4 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Woke up early this morning as we were meeting our Nomad Safari guide for a trip into Middle Earth; as Hollywood would have us believe: some of the film 📽 🎬 locations around Queenstown used in Lord of the Rings. It was a lovely tour; even though we had never really watched any of the trilogy or the Hobbit, as the scenery was fabulous. Our tour guide, Phoebe, was brilliant, stopping quite often to allow photos 📷 and to explain what scenes had been shot and the imagery used to actually change what we were seeing. At the refreshment stop, she gave out cloaks, swords, and daggers so we could reenact the scenes that Jayne and I didn't know while she made teas and coffees ☕️🍰 for everyone.Read more

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    In a Gondola, and Just NO Cornetto....🍦

    February 4 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    After the LOTR Safari we made our way back to our accomodation for a bite to eat before venturing into downtown (literally - the hills are that steep) Queenstown making our way to the Gondola🚠 ride, which takes you 480m up over Lake Wakatipu to the top of Bob’s Peak. Up there you enjoy spectacular views of Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Walter and Cecil Peak, and, of course, Queenstown ⛰️ and also the daring hang-gliders🪂 jumping off the mountain. After coming down, we headed into Anita's Gelato for well deserved ice-creams. Walking further down the hill, we came across the usual tourist places offering excursions where I booked a fly 🚁- cruise🚢 - fly🚁 trip by helicopter for a cruise on Milford Sound. By coach, this is an all-day (10 hours) excursion, but Jayne didn't fancy it, so flying it was only 4 hours. Wandering through this relatively small lakeside town we came across street sellers selling fresh oysters, and fruit etc.After a lovely meal in an Italian restaurant we made our way UP-hill🧗🧗‍♀️ as the sun-set back to our hotel as it's another early start for me in the morning.Read more

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