FAIRLIE to ASHBURTON

WEDNESDAY, 13th NOVEMBER.

We weren't in a hurry to leave Fairlie this morning, this is our last full day in New Zealand.  The sun was shining brightly when we left and our first stop was at the Farm Shop Cafe in Geraldine, where we'd stopped on the way to Timaru about 10 days ago.  The coffee was just as good this time and was accompanied by warm savoury and cheese scones.  It was 16 degrees when we left and had become overcast but there's not been any rain.  

On the road to Geraldine

On arriving in Ashburton and before checking into our motel, we visited The Plains Vintage Railway & Historical Museum, which, unfortunately was not open....at least it was only partly open so we wandered through those exhibits which were open.

The lovely little church was locked

but the cottage was open so we walked through, the side garden was gorgeous!

the Church and Cottage

a large shed full of all sorts of machiney

the Plains Railway Station

a couple of the shops

So that's it.  Tomorrow morning we'll drive into Christchurch and fill in  a couple of hours until we leave for Sydney and a couple of days with family before flying home on Saturday.  It's been a lovely time, we've enjoyed it immensely but are both feeling weary and a little under the weather so will be happy to get home and stay in one place, for a little while!

"KIA ORA"

OMARAMA to FAIRLIE

TUESDAY, 12th NOVEMBER.

 We left Omarama at 9.30a.m. in 14 degree bright sunshine and drove to Twizel.  

On the way to Twizel

a salmon farm

a stop at the Musterers Hut Cafe for coffee in the sunshine

and on towards Mt Cook

We weren't going to go on the road to Mt Cook, having been twice before (1967, 1999) but it was such a gorgeous day and we had plenty of time so said 'why not?'  So glad we did!

Along the Mt Cook Road, on the shores of Lake Pukaki

 

Boris and Sydney enjoyed the view

As far as we went, deciding to turn back from here

The return

Lake Pukaki

We headed to Lake Tekapo then and to the village for a bite to eat, like so many other places we've visited on this trip, Tekapo was crawling with tourists, us among them.  It barely resembled the town we remembered.  We didn't stay long, just long enough to take a couple of photos.

Fairlie was our next and final stop for the day, another super day.  After checking into our motel, we visited the nearby laundry and while that was washing and drying, went for a walk up the main street and found an ice cream shop.  Naturally, we couldn't resist buying and eating an ice cream each!

Later, we strolled down the same street to the Gladstone Hotel, the only pub open last night, for refreshing drinks.  

A Fairlie quiet night!

WANAKA to OMARAMA

 MONDAY, 11th NOVEMBER

Ten degrees at 9.00a.m. and sunshine!  Today being Remembrance/Armistice Day, we wore the knitted poppies we bought at the National War Museum in Waiouru a couple of weeks ago.  New Zealanders were asked to knit or crochet poppies for an exhibit honouring all personnel who served in the World Wars and the response was so enthusiastic, a huge surplus was the result, these were available for a coin donation which goes towards the upkeep of the museum and we were pleased to contribute in our small way.

This is the view which greeted us when we opened the curtains at 6.30 this morning

We made a brief stop at Puzzling World

which looks like it could be a lot of fun for younger than us people

then less than 10 minutes later came to traffic lights at the one way bridge

and in another 10 or so minutes we were at Lake Hawea

a very pretty spot.

In another half hour we arrived at our morning coffee cafe

at the Tarras Village

and happily sat at one of the outdoor tables to eat our cake and drink our coffee in the sunshine with two little friends

Before leaving the village, we wandered through the Merino Shop adjoining the cafe, admiring all the merino products and on our way to the car, heard the very long blast on a truck horn and lots of shouting.  We didn't see what occurred but it seemed that  a motor home and a wide loaded truck had collided and the motorhome awning had been ripped off.  A second motorhome had also lost its awning.  Traffic from both directions was held up for quite a time, so we weren't going anywhere in a hurry.  No one was injured though the motorhome drivers, Korean I think, would probably be in shock for a while.  While waiting for things to clear, we walked a little way up the road to photograph a gypsy type caravan which had parked there.

Not long after leaving Tarras was the start of the Lindis Pass on the Alpine Highway, a highlight of the day.

Pulling in to a stopping place, we met a Norfolk couple travelling in a rental motorhome who noticed the poppies and struck up a conversation.  We chatted for 15 to 20 minutes, mostly about travelling, funnily enough, then continued our journeys.

From the summit

and on towards Omarama

and arriving!

After checking out a couple of cafes in the main street of Omarama, we drove a short distance to the Wrinkly Ram Cafe which was extremely busy, and bought and ate a pie each.  Another lady noticed our poppies and we enjoyed an interesting conversation with her.  She lives in Arrowtown and was accompanying a friend to Christchurch where the friend is to have any eye operation.  Such lovely ladies! We then checked into our motel and chilled out for the rest of the afternoon and had a Mike cooked bbq for dinner.  Another top day.