I got stopped by the customs people when I arrived in Singapore. They x-rayed my luggage and obviously 'noticed' the bottles of wine I was transporting!
They kindly pointed out that I seemed to have more wine than the duty free allowance of 2 litres. I tried to use the excuse that I was in transit -- they just said that I could store my wine in left luggage.
In the end it wasn't so bad. The total duty due was about SGD18, which I paid up (and if I wanted to store my wine that wouldn't have been free). I just felt a bit naughty!
Saturday, 12 March 2011
Friday, 11 March 2011
At CHC Airport
I had to get up stupidly early to drive up from Timaru to the airport. The roads were reasonable empty apart from loads of milk tankers.
On the back of a camper van I passed there was a good quote, "During the week my body is a temple; at the weekend it's an amusement park!"
Anyway I'm now all checked in and I'm contemplating spending the last of my New Zealand dollars on a bottle of duty free wine (that'll be in addition to the 4 bottles in my checked luggage!).
On the back of a camper van I passed there was a good quote, "During the week my body is a temple; at the weekend it's an amusement park!"
Anyway I'm now all checked in and I'm contemplating spending the last of my New Zealand dollars on a bottle of duty free wine (that'll be in addition to the 4 bottles in my checked luggage!).
Lamb -v- Beef
I think I've had 4 meals of each, so it's a tie!
The surprise to me has been how fantastic the beef has been here. I guess everyone immediately associates New Zealand with lamb, but as I've been driving around there have been a lot of fields full of cows!
Although it might be a tie in terms of number of meals, when I come to think of the meals I've enjoyed the most, then beef nudges ahead.
And then of course there are great seafood meals I've had..........
The surprise to me has been how fantastic the beef has been here. I guess everyone immediately associates New Zealand with lamb, but as I've been driving around there have been a lot of fields full of cows!
Although it might be a tie in terms of number of meals, when I come to think of the meals I've enjoyed the most, then beef nudges ahead.
And then of course there are great seafood meals I've had..........
Timaru
This is the second of my unscheduled stops caused by the Christchurch earthquake.
There really isn't much to see in the town. Caroline Bay looks like it's the sort of place that would look good when the sun is shining. Unfortunately its been grey and overcast.
The stand out was the restaurant I had dinner at. It was called 'Steak @ The Customs House', and yes it is a steak restaurant. The three courses I had comprised the best meal I've had in New Zealand – salt & pepper squid, rib eye steak with vegetables and roasted garlic mashed potato and lemon tart with raspberry sorbet.
Sensationally executed.
I had a Central Otago pinot noir with the starter and main course and then a late harvest Riesling with my dessert. Very good matches.
The only thing I couldn't get my head around was the fact that it was so quiet for a Friday night. I turned up at 7.45pm and only about a third of the tables were occupied and nobody came in after me. Maybe everyone wanted to have their food early before the Crusaders v. Brumbies 'Super Rugby' match?
There really isn't much to see in the town. Caroline Bay looks like it's the sort of place that would look good when the sun is shining. Unfortunately its been grey and overcast.
The stand out was the restaurant I had dinner at. It was called 'Steak @ The Customs House', and yes it is a steak restaurant. The three courses I had comprised the best meal I've had in New Zealand – salt & pepper squid, rib eye steak with vegetables and roasted garlic mashed potato and lemon tart with raspberry sorbet.
Sensationally executed.
I had a Central Otago pinot noir with the starter and main course and then a late harvest Riesling with my dessert. Very good matches.
The only thing I couldn't get my head around was the fact that it was so quiet for a Friday night. I turned up at 7.45pm and only about a third of the tables were occupied and nobody came in after me. Maybe everyone wanted to have their food early before the Crusaders v. Brumbies 'Super Rugby' match?
Penguins
So I was unexpectedly in Oamaru the other day (I was due to be in earthquake stricken Christchurch).
Oamaru is known for two, possibly three, things: Penguins, it's Victorian town centre and possibly the Whitestone Cheese factory.
The Victorian town centre is immediately obvious, and very impressive it is too, and the cheese at the cheese factory was quite tasty. The penguins require you to be at the Blue Penguin Colony at a certain, changeable time each evening. On the night I was in town it was 8.15pm.
After a bit of a route march from my motel I was at the Colony just before 8.15pm. I didn't have to wait long before the first 'raft' of penguins came ashore.
The penguins are the same as the ones that can be seen at Philip Island in Victoria, Australia. However, the set up in Oamaru seems better (maybe because it's on a bit of a smaller scale). Also we had the added interest of a fur seal being disturbed from its slumber as the penguins came ashore (it wasn't happy), and the fact that some of the penguins are about to start malting. Whilst they are malting they can't go out to sea because they are not 'waterproof', so they need to eat enough food until they are 'waterproof' again. This means that some of them are so full of fish that they struggle to walk and stumble all over the place. Very amusing!
Oamaru is known for two, possibly three, things: Penguins, it's Victorian town centre and possibly the Whitestone Cheese factory.
The Victorian town centre is immediately obvious, and very impressive it is too, and the cheese at the cheese factory was quite tasty. The penguins require you to be at the Blue Penguin Colony at a certain, changeable time each evening. On the night I was in town it was 8.15pm.
After a bit of a route march from my motel I was at the Colony just before 8.15pm. I didn't have to wait long before the first 'raft' of penguins came ashore.
The penguins are the same as the ones that can be seen at Philip Island in Victoria, Australia. However, the set up in Oamaru seems better (maybe because it's on a bit of a smaller scale). Also we had the added interest of a fur seal being disturbed from its slumber as the penguins came ashore (it wasn't happy), and the fact that some of the penguins are about to start malting. Whilst they are malting they can't go out to sea because they are not 'waterproof', so they need to eat enough food until they are 'waterproof' again. This means that some of them are so full of fish that they struggle to walk and stumble all over the place. Very amusing!
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
Sandflies
One souvenir I've got from my day in Milford Sound is the fact I've been feasted upon by sandflies. My legs, from my knees to my ankles, are dotted with bites. It's a real trial of willpower not to give them a good old scratch!
Otago Sunshine
A gloriously sunny day in Dunedin today (not roasting hot though -- max temp of about 19 degrees).
I started off with a swim, then walked up the steepest residential street in the world (Baldwin St.) and then finished off by spending the afternoon on the Otago Peninsula.
The Peninsula has some lovely beaches. I dipped my toes into the Pacific ocean on one of them -- the water was bracingly cold!
Tomorrow I should've been travelling up to Christchurch. Instead I'm going to Oamaru. Apparently it's famous for penguins and there is a cheese factory (Whitestone Cheese).
I was talking to an American yesterday and she was describing the earthquake and how her backpack is still in a hotel in the Christchurch CBD. The CBD is still 'locked down' -- there is a security cordon around it and there is no clear idea as to when it will be safe to re-open it. The hotel I was due to stay in is inside the cordon.
So instead of Christchurch I might get to see some penguins!
I started off with a swim, then walked up the steepest residential street in the world (Baldwin St.) and then finished off by spending the afternoon on the Otago Peninsula.
The Peninsula has some lovely beaches. I dipped my toes into the Pacific ocean on one of them -- the water was bracingly cold!
Tomorrow I should've been travelling up to Christchurch. Instead I'm going to Oamaru. Apparently it's famous for penguins and there is a cheese factory (Whitestone Cheese).
I was talking to an American yesterday and she was describing the earthquake and how her backpack is still in a hotel in the Christchurch CBD. The CBD is still 'locked down' -- there is a security cordon around it and there is no clear idea as to when it will be safe to re-open it. The hotel I was due to stay in is inside the cordon.
So instead of Christchurch I might get to see some penguins!
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
On the way to Dunedin
I saw this sign as a passed through a small town on the approach to Dunedin today:
No Doctor
No Hospital
One Cemetery
No Doctor
No Hospital
One Cemetery
Fiordland
I left Queenstown yesterday and drove to Milford Sound, which is in fact a fiord. I went on a cruise around the sound/fiord which served up spectacular scenery by the bucket load.
I was feeling a bit sore and beaten up after my white water rafting trip, so a leisurely drive and then a couple of hours on a boat were ideal. The weather was glorious, which apparently is not that common. The fiordland area gets the most rain in New Zealand I think.
After the cruise I stayed in a place called Te Anau. I had an fantastic meal -- local wild fiordland venison. Yum yum. I'm overdosing on red meat, but am trying quite hard to mix in a bit of delicious seafood in to my holiday diet!
After a good nights sleep I had a wild venison pie from Miles Better Pies. A winners breakfast to set me up for the 300km drive east to Dunedin! As I chomped through my pie and drank my long black it was quite amusing watching American tourists trying to negotiate the menu of pies and the non-Starbucks coffee choices.
I was feeling a bit sore and beaten up after my white water rafting trip, so a leisurely drive and then a couple of hours on a boat were ideal. The weather was glorious, which apparently is not that common. The fiordland area gets the most rain in New Zealand I think.
After the cruise I stayed in a place called Te Anau. I had an fantastic meal -- local wild fiordland venison. Yum yum. I'm overdosing on red meat, but am trying quite hard to mix in a bit of delicious seafood in to my holiday diet!
After a good nights sleep I had a wild venison pie from Miles Better Pies. A winners breakfast to set me up for the 300km drive east to Dunedin! As I chomped through my pie and drank my long black it was quite amusing watching American tourists trying to negotiate the menu of pies and the non-Starbucks coffee choices.
Dunedin
I'm in Dunedin now on the east coast. It's a bustling metropolis by NZ standards -- a population over 120,000.
It was settled by Scots, evident by the fact that a few of the suburbs are called Musselburgh, Mornington and Corstorphine and there is small river called the Water of Leith.
I'm just about to go for dinner at the Speight's Brewery Ale House, which is about 5 minutes walk from where I'm staying. They do a brewery tour, but I think I'll pass on that -- there aren't that many different ways to brew beer and I can conduct a tasting myself!
It was settled by Scots, evident by the fact that a few of the suburbs are called Musselburgh, Mornington and Corstorphine and there is small river called the Water of Leith.
I'm just about to go for dinner at the Speight's Brewery Ale House, which is about 5 minutes walk from where I'm staying. They do a brewery tour, but I think I'll pass on that -- there aren't that many different ways to brew beer and I can conduct a tasting myself!
Sunday, 6 March 2011
NZ TV
Some things that I've watched:
NZ Masterchef -- a bit of a cross between Masterchef in the UK and Big Brother. Very watchable.
Offspring -- A sort of NZ version of The Secret Life of Us, but set in a hospital. This is really good and I'm pissed that I'll miss next weeks episode (I've seen two episodes as it's on at 10pm on a Sunday).
Rugby -- Lots of it. Oh and I did see a bit of a netball match on the SkySports1 when there there wasn't any rugby on.
Tangle -- Set in Melbourne. Very much like The Secret Life of Us but more grown up. I've seen 20 minutes and it looks very good.
NZ Masterchef -- a bit of a cross between Masterchef in the UK and Big Brother. Very watchable.
Offspring -- A sort of NZ version of The Secret Life of Us, but set in a hospital. This is really good and I'm pissed that I'll miss next weeks episode (I've seen two episodes as it's on at 10pm on a Sunday).
Rugby -- Lots of it. Oh and I did see a bit of a netball match on the SkySports1 when there there wasn't any rugby on.
Tangle -- Set in Melbourne. Very much like The Secret Life of Us but more grown up. I've seen 20 minutes and it looks very good.
Sweet, As!
Sweet, As! It's all you hear from the Kiwis. And to be honest today has been 'Sweet, As!'.
It started with a bit of a false start. My white water rafting trip had been cancelled (not enough people), so I switched to an afternoon trip (lots of people).
So I had a free morning. I mooched around the shops in Queenstown -- lots of very expensive outdoorsy stuff to buy as well as tourist tat!
The rafting trip, when I finally got to go on it was cool. The bus ride along Skipper's Canyon road was almost as exhillarating as the rafting. The road is one of only two in New Zealand where you're not covered by any kind of insurance! A very narrow, twisty road with sheer drops in to the valley floor. Pretty scary at times!
The rafting was good, but not as wild as I thought it would be. I think that might be because there were lots of calm parts between the severe rapids. Still there were enough hair raising bits (and plenty of reinforcement of the safety briefing from our guides).
The one thing that was different to my previous rafting trips was the water temperature. It was cold! The full wetsuit and booties might have been a hint to what I could expect. My feet were pretty numb by the end.
A good day had its finale with an excellent meal at a really good seafood restaurant. "Sweet, As!" indeed!
It started with a bit of a false start. My white water rafting trip had been cancelled (not enough people), so I switched to an afternoon trip (lots of people).
So I had a free morning. I mooched around the shops in Queenstown -- lots of very expensive outdoorsy stuff to buy as well as tourist tat!
The rafting trip, when I finally got to go on it was cool. The bus ride along Skipper's Canyon road was almost as exhillarating as the rafting. The road is one of only two in New Zealand where you're not covered by any kind of insurance! A very narrow, twisty road with sheer drops in to the valley floor. Pretty scary at times!
The rafting was good, but not as wild as I thought it would be. I think that might be because there were lots of calm parts between the severe rapids. Still there were enough hair raising bits (and plenty of reinforcement of the safety briefing from our guides).
The one thing that was different to my previous rafting trips was the water temperature. It was cold! The full wetsuit and booties might have been a hint to what I could expect. My feet were pretty numb by the end.
A good day had its finale with an excellent meal at a really good seafood restaurant. "Sweet, As!" indeed!
Saturday, 5 March 2011
Queenstown
In a word -- visit.
Totally amazing place. Spectacular scenery, top class wine, superb food and an abundance of things to do.
If only it wasn't 24 hours on a plane to get here from the UK!
Totally amazing place. Spectacular scenery, top class wine, superb food and an abundance of things to do.
If only it wasn't 24 hours on a plane to get here from the UK!
Nothing-Ville
Like in Australia there are lots of places you either pass through or stop in which you wonder why/how they exist. I suppose a lot of the places are service towns for agriculture or other industry/activity which goes on out of sight of the casual tourist.
Greymouth where I stopped en route to Fox Glacier is a good example.
Nonetheless the Countdown supermarket was good, and I was able to stock up on a few bits and bobs to eat after my trip to Monteith's Brewery (I couldn't be bothered with the pubs/restaurants in town).
Greymouth where I stopped en route to Fox Glacier is a good example.
Nonetheless the Countdown supermarket was good, and I was able to stock up on a few bits and bobs to eat after my trip to Monteith's Brewery (I couldn't be bothered with the pubs/restaurants in town).
Gap Year
On my tour of Fox Glacier there was a group of 5 young British blokes who were obviously 'travelling' around Australia and New Zealand (they didn't seem the type to incorporate SE Asia in to their itinerary). They were just a bit too loud and 'wacky' for my liking (I'm not even sure you can say my opinion is a reflection of my age).
When our tour party split in to two groups I made sure I was in the opposite group to them!
I'm probably just jealous that they're about 14 or 15 years younger than me......
When our tour party split in to two groups I made sure I was in the opposite group to them!
I'm probably just jealous that they're about 14 or 15 years younger than me......
Ice Ice Baby
From Greymouth I drove 3 hours south to Fox Glacier.
I'd booked myself on to a half-day guided glacier walk up on to Fox Glacier. The guided walk was really interesting – bits of my A-level geography brought to life.
We walked up by the terminal face of the glacier and then had about an hours 'ice time'. I was able to take lots of pictures, but just as we had the opportunity to go in a magnificently blue ice cave the battery in my camera gave up the ghost!
We were quite lucky with the weather. It was generally sunny when we were on the ice and we were back waiting for the bus to return us to Fox Glacier town when the clouds start to roll in and there were a few spots of rain.
I'd booked myself on to a half-day guided glacier walk up on to Fox Glacier. The guided walk was really interesting – bits of my A-level geography brought to life.
We walked up by the terminal face of the glacier and then had about an hours 'ice time'. I was able to take lots of pictures, but just as we had the opportunity to go in a magnificently blue ice cave the battery in my camera gave up the ghost!
We were quite lucky with the weather. It was generally sunny when we were on the ice and we were back waiting for the bus to return us to Fox Glacier town when the clouds start to roll in and there were a few spots of rain.
Before I got to Queenstown -- Greymouth
About the only touristy thing I did in Greymouth was to go on the Monteith's Brewery tour.
Monteith makes a big deal about how small it is, but it turns out it's actually owned by the much bigger Dominion Breweries. Nevermind. The site in Greymouth, although not the original, is pretty old. However, unlike Boag's in Tasmania there are none of the old buildings.
The brewery is very small scale – there are only 4 full time staff. Also it turns out that they actually make more cider in Greymouth than beer (that's made in other DB locations).
The tour I was on started at 6pm, so there was no chance of seeing anything actually working. It was a bit dull really, and it certainly lacked the impressive, almost hypnotic, spectacle of the Boag's bottling line.
To be honest the tour was really just a prelude to the tasting! All 6 or 7 Monteith beers were tasted as well as the cider. The only ones I wasn't too keen on were the darker ones (they're all lagers) and the cider was nondescript.
My fellow tour goers/tasters were a mixed bag. A fair few were backpacker types, thankfully not overloaded with Brits on gap years.
Monteith makes a big deal about how small it is, but it turns out it's actually owned by the much bigger Dominion Breweries. Nevermind. The site in Greymouth, although not the original, is pretty old. However, unlike Boag's in Tasmania there are none of the old buildings.
The brewery is very small scale – there are only 4 full time staff. Also it turns out that they actually make more cider in Greymouth than beer (that's made in other DB locations).
The tour I was on started at 6pm, so there was no chance of seeing anything actually working. It was a bit dull really, and it certainly lacked the impressive, almost hypnotic, spectacle of the Boag's bottling line.
To be honest the tour was really just a prelude to the tasting! All 6 or 7 Monteith beers were tasted as well as the cider. The only ones I wasn't too keen on were the darker ones (they're all lagers) and the cider was nondescript.
My fellow tour goers/tasters were a mixed bag. A fair few were backpacker types, thankfully not overloaded with Brits on gap years.
Wow!
Well first of all I survived the Bungy jump. Well actually my first comment should've been "wow -- what a rush!".
I wasn't as apprehensive as I thought pre-jump, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous! Standing on the jump stop with nothing but fresh air between you and a river bed over 134m below you is quite mind blowing.
I was the second out of my group to jump (it's done on descending order of weight and I was in a group of skinnies). Once you have your leg harness on you kind of waddle to the jump 'ledge'. There is then a countdown and you jump (or not as one person in my group did -- they did in the end). I leapt of off with a bit of a swan dive, as advised, and I let out a fairly involuntary roar.
It was just immense. I've no idea of how much 'free fall' I had, bit it just seemed to go on and on. The only sound is the rush of the air as you fly/plunge through it. Then you jolt and then sort of bounce to a halt.
It then takes quite a bit of time to be winched back up to the jump station -- it's all very calm and peaceful swinging on a bungy cord above a river valley!
Total adrenaline overload.
I wasn't as apprehensive as I thought pre-jump, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous! Standing on the jump stop with nothing but fresh air between you and a river bed over 134m below you is quite mind blowing.
I was the second out of my group to jump (it's done on descending order of weight and I was in a group of skinnies). Once you have your leg harness on you kind of waddle to the jump 'ledge'. There is then a countdown and you jump (or not as one person in my group did -- they did in the end). I leapt of off with a bit of a swan dive, as advised, and I let out a fairly involuntary roar.
It was just immense. I've no idea of how much 'free fall' I had, bit it just seemed to go on and on. The only sound is the rush of the air as you fly/plunge through it. Then you jolt and then sort of bounce to a halt.
It then takes quite a bit of time to be winched back up to the jump station -- it's all very calm and peaceful swinging on a bungy cord above a river valley!
Total adrenaline overload.
Off the Grid
Well I've been without internet for the last few days.
I'm now in Queenstown, and in 20 minutes time I'll be heading off to do a Bungy jump. And this is no ordinary jump -- it's the 134m Nevis jump (the original one of the bridge is 'only' 43m)! I'm starting to feel slightly apprehensive.
In the last few days I've driven from Nelson in the north of the South Island via Greymouth (on the west coast), Fox Glacier (a bit inland) to Queenstown (even further inland).
I'll post more a bit later (assuming I survive my experience).....
I'm now in Queenstown, and in 20 minutes time I'll be heading off to do a Bungy jump. And this is no ordinary jump -- it's the 134m Nevis jump (the original one of the bridge is 'only' 43m)! I'm starting to feel slightly apprehensive.
In the last few days I've driven from Nelson in the north of the South Island via Greymouth (on the west coast), Fox Glacier (a bit inland) to Queenstown (even further inland).
I'll post more a bit later (assuming I survive my experience).....
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Centre of NZ
I got a bit more exercise today by climbing up through the Botanical Reserve to the geographic 'centre' of New Zealand. It was pretty steep walk in places on gravelly paths. This would've been fine except I had my Birkenstocks on -- definitely not ideal 'hiking' footwear!
The 'centre' is marked by a plaque and a spike type thing (it probably has a proper geographical description).
After my climb I took another trail through the reserve which lead to the Founder's Brewery and Cafe -- my destination for lunch, and the opportunity to slake my thirst with a tasty beer brewed on the premises!
The 'centre' is marked by a plaque and a spike type thing (it probably has a proper geographical description).
After my climb I took another trail through the reserve which lead to the Founder's Brewery and Cafe -- my destination for lunch, and the opportunity to slake my thirst with a tasty beer brewed on the premises!
Aromatics
I went to a couple of wineries today for some 'tasting'.
I've learnt something new since I've been in New Zealand -- there is a lot of talk about 'aromatics'. It's a group of wines that include Riesling, Pinot Gris/Grigio and Gewurztraminer. I've tasted a few since I've been here and they've been very interesting and certainly a change from the wall-to-wall Sauvignon Blanc.
I've learnt something new since I've been in New Zealand -- there is a lot of talk about 'aromatics'. It's a group of wines that include Riesling, Pinot Gris/Grigio and Gewurztraminer. I've tasted a few since I've been here and they've been very interesting and certainly a change from the wall-to-wall Sauvignon Blanc.
Minutes Silence
There was a minutes silence across New Zealand today in memory of those who were killed in the Christchurch earthquake last week. It was at 12.51pm -- the time the quake struck last Tuesday.
I had just finished my lunch, so it was pretty easy for me to be quiet. The table of Kiwi women behind me were oblivious to what was going on and were far too busy planning some kind of evening social event for a conference in November!
I had just finished my lunch, so it was pretty easy for me to be quiet. The table of Kiwi women behind me were oblivious to what was going on and were far too busy planning some kind of evening social event for a conference in November!
30 metres
I went for a swim this morning at the pool here in Nelson.
The pool was a bit odd in that it was 30 metres long. Apart from that it was fine.
I went reasonably early and it wasn't particularly busy compared to what I'm used to back home. There were a few triathlon types -- you could tell by the sharp tan lines from wearing cycling shorts. I held my own pretty well I thought!
The pool was a bit odd in that it was 30 metres long. Apart from that it was fine.
I went reasonably early and it wasn't particularly busy compared to what I'm used to back home. There were a few triathlon types -- you could tell by the sharp tan lines from wearing cycling shorts. I held my own pretty well I thought!
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