Our Last Day in Blenheim Sir Peter Jackson and his team capture WW1 and WW2 themes in the Knights of the Sky and Dangerous Skies exhibitions at the Omaka Heritage Centre, Blenheim. It rained nearly all day and over much of New Zealand that day, which was to prove significant for us as I will …

Hokitika grew up with its back to the sea, as Paul explained to us, the all- powerful Tasman waves claimed so many lives in their sucking under tow that the younger generation, himself included were brought up under threat of real punishment if they went anywhere near that shore. It’s the sheer scale of the …

Far from being in mint condition (!) Fox Glacier, named in 1872 after the then new PM Sir William Fox, is rapidly diminishing and receding up its valley under a thick layer of ugly greywacke rock and shale. In its prime the ice river extended into the Tasman but now it is a mere 12 …

Captain James Cook was doubtful as to whether he and his crew would be able to sail their exploration ship, Endeavour, back out of the sound named after his reservations, which is in fact a fjord since it was ground out by a glacier. Don’t you agree, Doubtful Sound sits more comfortably on the ear …

The little bus almost poured us into one of the chocolate moulds at the Dunedin Cadbury factory it was so handy. The factory which provides hundreds of jobs locally is due to close at the end of the year, but we were assured by our guide, Carol, that the visitor centre would continue. Sadly it …

The grunting hedgehog was tucked up in his warm bed after a night of hunting around our tent when we drove Vicky to her hospital appointment hoping her problem would not be a major one. We walked across a railway line and vast park to get into the centre of Christchurch and the I-Site, relocated …

To the Humming Forests of Nelson Lakes Possums and hedgehogs and freedom campers are considered pests in New Zealand, the first two become road kill and the third litter the countryside with toilet paper and unburied poo rather than use the portaloos provided, the ranger at the office in the park told us. The media …

Our crossing of Cook Strait was mercifully calm and sunny and one yacht passed us in the opposite direction being blown by a nice south westerly breeze. Queen Charlotte Sound looked stunning bathed in afternoon sunshine. As we drove off the ferry and headed through Picton in a westerly direction the din of the cicadas …

23rd January 2017 On the road Southwards, New Zealand style. We were relieved that we had not left Zoonie before the weather bomb hit Whangarei as our little tent would have had a rude awakening to its career passage. There was plenty of tent space at our first camp, Sandspit, just north of Orewa, since …