NZMCA Weedons Campsite

We arrived here in Christchurch last Sunday with plans to stay for a couple of weeks. Our campsite is the NZ Motor Caravan Association campsite at Weedons which  is a between Templeton and Rolleston on Jones Rd (parallel to the main to the main road on other side of the railway line).
There is a very large campsite for members and we pay $3 pp a night with a max of 21 nights in any two month period.  There is plenty of fresh water, rubbish disposal and a large communal shed that members use for meetings and get togethers. It also houses information about the area, a large screen TV, and a clothes dryer. Unfortunately the washing machine doesn't work as the site has no waste water facilites as yet.

This week we have been busy. Stephen has been helping Doug with some of his plumbing work and I have been cleaning his new flat. He has just moved into it and unfortunately it was very dirty. It is now sparkling.  

Plans are to stay another week, with Stephen doing more of the same and me enjoying a rest. The weather is providing us with cold frosty nights/mornings followed by clear winter days.  Perfect.

Geraldine

Last week we spent three days in Geraldine, to catch up with Mum and Dad. They live in a quiet street so we are able to pull the bus up outside their house which is so very convenient.
Mum always likes us there as she gets some help with the cooking of the meals and I also like to do any jobs for her that she doesn't like to do herself these days. The shower and the fridge were on the 'list' again this time.

I did take some time to make myself a couple of new oven cloths. The one I was using was long past its used by date and as Mum has a cupboard full of fabrics (she is an avid patchworker) there was plenty to choose from.  With some instructions from Mum I completed two lovely thick oblong cloths. I used some patch-working techniques: the 'walking foot' on the sewing machine to hold the layers together and the binding around the edge.

On Saturday afternoon we went for a drive into Waihi Station- about 10km away, through Waihi Gorge. It is here the National Dog Trials are being held this week. My brother Fraser, as the president of the Canterbury Centre, is playing a large role in the organisation and we were keen to see how the preparations were going.  What a hive of industry was going on, but of course with 300 competitors
there would always be a lot to do. It was lovely to see Fraser taking on such a big role and he certainly looked like he had things under control. Well everything but the weather.
A history of dog trialling

Inside the large marquee.

Score board

Some of the tents being set up for the big event.

Riverstone Kitchen, gardens, gift shop and castle (no less).

We camped up for the night at the Lower Waitaki Valley Golf Club (just north of Oamaru) for the night. This is one of the Park over Place (POP) that the NZMCA have listed in their directory. For a donation we had a safe spot to park as well as access to fresh water. Just perfect.
We wanted to stay in the area as we were keen to call into the Riverstone Kitchen just along the road a few kilometres.  We had heard good reports about the restaurant and had also recently heard an interview on the radio with Dot Smith, entrepreneur and the owner of the property called Riverstone.

So late morning saw us pull up outside the property (we parked on the road as we are never sure if we can get the bus and attached the car turned around so we always take the conservative option).
This is certainly a place to allow plenty of time to visit. There is a large vegetable garden and orchard that supplies the restaurant,  a very large gift/general store in several buildings,  an extensive playground for children, the castle still under constructed and of course the restaurant.

Dot's castle under construct.

The extensive vegetable gardens that supply the cafe/restaurant.

Dot Smith as she appears on the cover of her book.

Dot working in the kitchen, with her chef son Bevan.

After a good look around we headed into the restaurant to sample the coffee and a snack. For a restaurant well out of town, it is highly patronised and most of the tables were either occupied or reserved. We were lucky to have a seat on the large leather sofa by the fire where we enjoyed (and shared) a large savoury scone, and a piece pear and ginger tart with ginger ice-cream with our coffee.

We were pleased that we had taken the time to stop and have a look. We thought it was certainly worth it.

Further information can be found at: Riverstone Kitchen
or by listening to the interview with Dot on Radio NZ: Interview

Totara Estate, North Otago

This is yet another place that I have always thought we should stop at and have a look.  So once again having the time,  we pulled over and parked the bus outside the impressive entrance gates. We are always wary of taking the bus up long narrow driveways in case we can't turn it around. (In this case there was plenty of room so we will know for another time.)
As it was a cold miserable afternoon we were the only visitors there, so we were well looked after. This site is one of the NZ Historic Trust properties, and as we are members our entry was complimentary.

The Totara Estate is the site of the first meat freezing plant in NZ and it is from here that the first frozen meat shipment was sent to the UK in 1882.   The history of this industry can be seen here on this site.
The 'tour' starts with a short video explaining exactly how and why this happened here. The rest of the tour is self- guided through the buildings.
A very good website explains all this in detail and a photo gallery: Totara Estate

Stables

        

Exhibit showing carcass being processed.

         

Toitu Otago Settlers Museum, Dunedin

Phillip Lang

Not wanting to be out done by Stephen checking out his ancestral heritage at Slope Point, I wanted to look into some of my family history too. I know that my great, great grandfather arrived on the Phillip Lang in 1848 and that he played a prominent role in the early days of Otago life so it was off to the Early Settlers Museum to see if we could find out any further information than what we already knew about James Adam and his family.

This museum has recently undergone a make-over and it now encompasses the original Edwardian Early Settlers galleries,  the former NZ Road Services building and the recently completed entrance foyer.

Photo gallery - James Adam:
1st photo on 2nd row

We were very impressed from the moment we stepped into the foyer. The galleries are both informative and interactive. We were especially interested in the early Scottish settlers gallery and it is here that we found information about James Adam.  His arrival on the Phillip Lang in April 1848 with his wife and two year old daughter Helen, my great grandmother.  Their first house was built where the Empire Hotel now stands at 396 Princes Street with the help of two local Maori.

He was known as  'Champion Recruiter' returning to Scotland four times to encourage new immigrants to new colony and the Edinburgh of the south.  He eventually purchased '7 square miles of land' south of Milton, at Bon Accord. When you are passing through Milton, there are two pillars  in Taylor Park that formed part of the entrance to the farm.  These pillars evidently formed part of the ballast on one of the immigrant ships.  (Photo still to come)

We spent a good three hours browsing the rest of the galleries, and in fact the later galleries were a bit scary as they had items displayed that we could remember using ourselves!!!!

This museum is definitely well worth a visit if you are ever in Dunedin with the cafe a good place to either start or finish.


Link for further information: Toitu Otago Settlers Museum

Have you always meant to stop at these points of interest on your travels??

Have you always meant to stop at those points of interest along the way on your travels??  Well we have and for some we have been sailing passed them for more than 30years without stopping!! So we are making a point of taking the time to stop and have a look.


Lovell's Flat (13km north of Balclutha)
At Lovell's Flat there is a small cob cottage and I have always meant to stop and have a look. It is certainly well worth the effort. It was lovingly restored by the South Otago Historical Society back in the 1970's and it is authentically furnished with artifacts from the 1860s. The cottage was a stopping place for the miners heading to Tuapeka Goldfields.  It makes an excellent spot to stretch the legs and even enjoy a picnic if you are on a road trip.

                          

Sinclair Wetlands 
A few kms before Lake Waihola (and 40km south of Dunedin) is a large sign indicating the turn off to the Sinclair Wetlands. It is a 10km drive along the other side of Lake Waihola and into the information centre and hub of these extensive wetlands. The land was bought as a rundown farm in 1960 by Horrie Sinclair and he reverted back to wetlands. There are several walking tracks that take you through much of the area. With over 60 species of birds that live in the area there is plenty of bird song.
We spent a good couple of hours wandering along the tracks, enjoying the views, listening to the birds and generally enjoying the beautiful day.  Gumboots at this time of the year are a distinct advantage as some of the tracks are very muddy.
There is also a small campsite for self-contained vehicles at the Visitor Centre which we could well of used had we known.
Sinclair Wetlands

Manuka Gorge Railway Tunnel
This place was a few kms out of our way, but we were looking for a place to camp for the night and our NZMCA Travel Directory said there was plenty of room for a large vehicle. For those of you who drive regularly from Dunedin to Central Otago, (it is 13km from the turn off to Central Otago after Milton) it is almost certainly a place that you have always promised yourselves to stop at.  Provided you have a good torch the short walk is well worth it. The now abandoned tunnel is home to hundreds of glow-worms. Once in the tunnel if you are very still and turn your torch off there is whole city of glow-worms to be seen.

The Week in Owaka

The purpose for staying in Owaka for the week was so that Stephen could help his niece  Lisa and her family with the extensions to their house. With Bella now nearly three months old their two bedroom house is beginning to burst at the seams.  Chris started around Christmas time on the two new bedrooms and ensuite, but as he is doing this only part time and when time allows, the project had stalled with only some of the cladding on. So we had decided that when we started moving north for the winter we would detour into Owaka and give them a hand.

Chris took a week’s break from the farm and Stephen and he beavered away all week, in perfect weather, to completely finish the cladding and make the entire extension weatherproof and ready for the internal fit out.  




While I wasn’t much use outside I spend my week with Lisa, Shelby(aged nearly 5) and Bella helping out where I could. I helped with the cooking of meals, dealing with washing, and minding Bella when Lisa was busy. I went to Playcentre with Shelby one morning as well as spending time with her playing games, reading to her and watching her                                                  play her first game of Rippa Rugby. 

Chris and Lisa were very grateful for our help and we are very happy to be able to help family out when it is needed. 

Owaka

According to Wikipedia Owaka is  'a small town in Otago, in the southern South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest community in the rugged, forested Catlins area, close to the border with Southland, some 35 km south of Balclutha on the Southern Scenic Route.'

It has a population base of about 350 and is a service town for the large farming area in its vicinity and is also a popular stopping point for the thousands of tourists that move along the Southern Scenic Route and into the beautiful Catilins area.  Large iconic sculptures are very fashionable in our towns and cities at present so plans are afoot to have a large stainless waka in the town. Of course Owaka means 'place of the waka' so it would be very fitting. 

Owaka supports an Area School, a pub, two cafes, a variety of accommodation choices, a     doctor, chemist, garage, hairdresser, library  and a small supermarket. As well there is a craft/collectables shop and a quirky attractions of Dolly World and Teapotland.  Within the area there are many things to do and see and the Museum and Information Centre is an excellent place to start. Opened in 2007 it has modern and interactive displays that tell the story of the Catlins and Owaka. 

Owaka Museum and Information Centre

Attractions and activities include the Purakanui Falls, Pounawea, The Nuggets with the seal colonies and the lighthouse, sea lions at Cannibal Bay and Jack's Blowhole. There are also many walks of varying lengths and more information is on the DOC site: Walks in the area

We have spent time in the area on many occasions and been to most of these attractions. We haven't had much time to explore the area on this occasion, though I have done a couple walks around the town for a bit of exercise. 

Curio Bay

Not far from our camping spot the night before is Curio Bay. This is an internationally significant area with a 180 million year old Fossil Forest recognised as one of the best examples of Jurassic Fossil Forest in the world. A viewing platform looks over the whole area and access down onto the rocks and forest is available to anyone able to walk down the newly constructed set of DOC steps. A series of interpretation boards provides plenty of information about how the area was formed as well as information about the wildlife that can be seen. If you are there at the right time it is possible to see the Hoiho or yellow eyed penguin, as well as seals and sea-lions.  The petrified forest was formed during the Jurassic Period and grew at a time when there was a semi-tropical climate and before grasses and flowering plants had come into existence. 

Petrified forests of this age are very few throughout the world and this is one of the most extensive and least disturbed. It stretches over 20km from Curio Bay to Slope Point.  At low tide the tree stumps and logs are exposed and visible.

Across the road from the car park is a newly formed 15 minute loop track, The Curio Bay Walkway. In fact it won't be officially opened until July this year. This area has been recently fenced from grazing stock so the undergrowth is almost non-existent at this stage. The young pole-rimu stands are just starting their growth and are very dense. There is more established Kamahi and manuka wetlands so in years to come this area will be an added asset to the area.

The other must see is the Curio Bay Camping Ground and the safe swimming beach. The bay is home to the endangered Hector Dolphins and if you are prepared to brave the cold waters it is possible to swim with them. 

Curio Bay is also an excellent camping spot where you can safely shelter among the flax. 

Excellent link to the further information about Curio Bay

Slope Point

Our first  destination after leaving Invercargill last Thursday was Weir's Beach.  We left mid afternoon after doing a few last minute jobs and like getting groceries and filling with fuel. We headed to the Fortrose foreshore and stopped for a cuppa. This is the site of where we camped on our first night two years ago when we began this journey. The photo at the top of this blog is taken in the exact some spot. Unfortunately it wasn't nearly such a nice day so we didn't stay long.
We wanted to get to Weir's Beach before dark. The road follows along almost parallel to the southern coast and much of it is gravel.  There is a District Council camp at Weir's Beach and this is where we parked for the night.
This area has significance for Stephen and his family and I have been calling it his ancestral lands. Stephen's grandmother was a Weir and she married a Bennett.

The next morning we explored a bit more of the area. I had never been to Slope Point, the southern most land point on the South Island of NZ. We thought that it was a poignant spot to visit as we intend to visit the northern most point of the North Island when we travel up there in a month or two.   We traveled along gravel roads with more Weir and Bennett letterboxes visible before coming to a sign that pointed to Slope Point. 

From here we had to walk through farmland (once again the farm that Stephen's Grandparents farmed) to arrive at the southern most land point. The day was a very typical southern coast one with a strong wind blowing. 

                         The trees in the area are certainly testimony to these weather patterns.

We finished our tour by walking down the beach road by the camp to where Stephen's grandmother was brought up. The house is no longer there, having fallen into ruin over the years. Euphemia (Great grandmother) raised a large family here, mostly on her own, as her husband was a sailor on a ship and only returned home for visits.  No wonder Southlanders are a very  hardy bred, having survived in such a climate in those early days.