Thursday, 31 Mar - Derwent Bridge
This morning we're looking forward to one of our few luxuries in Tassie, a cruise up the Gordon River (
www.strahanvillage.com.au or www.gordonrivercruises.com.au ). We've booked the upper deck option with (Hiacynth Bucket style) superb reclining lounge-style seats, floor-to-ceiling windows, exclusive deck space, spacious surroundings and complimentary bar and buffet service at $149 each.
We're up early, with a very quick breakfast, in order to drive the 45 min from Queenstown for boarding at 0800.
Our well equipped upper deck, where the captain is, has less than half of the 40 seats occupied and is therefore extra spacious and certainly worth the extra dollars.
First we head off to Hells Gates, the only entrance to the very big harbour and a dangerous spot. Even on a good day like this - again we're lucky with the weather, forecasted to be fine and 24c today - it's pretty rough going. The vessel goes at 50 kph and with a head wind on the way out I could lean over at about 30 degrees in the wind.
On screens in the cabin, either slide shows illustrate the commentary or there's a map and nautical information about position, course, depth, speed etc.
Then it's back into the harbour and into the Gordon River. The surface of the water changes with the wind and is at times very smooth, creating wonderful reflections of the trees.
We stop for a short rainforest walk after which lunch is served, accompanied by Tasmanian wines, while we head for Sarah Island, where a guided tour awaits us.
Guiding myself away from the guided tour about convicts, I see a black snake about 70 cm long, probably a poisonous Tiger Snake or so the guide says. This part of the cruise I'd have been happy to trade in for more time up the river or in the rainforest, takes an hour after which it's 35 min back to the harbour.
This has certainly been one of the highlights of Tasmania with an excellent boat, river, food and weather.
At 1430 we drive back to Queenstown and on to Derwent Bridge, in the direction of Hobart. There's a steep climb though the moonscape of Queenstown, which is caused by the intensive copper mining. We take a couple of half hour breaks and walks at Nelson Falls and Franklin River, after which Derwent Bridge arrives quickly, just at dusk does. We're staying the night for $105 incl breakfast at the Derwent Bridge Wilderness Hotel (www.discovertasmania.com.au/home/product.cfm?productid=279&from=All%20Tasmanian%20Accommodation ).
The hotel is about the only place to eat here but it suits us and has a varied menu. We have the pub beef roast, a small one, which is big, and an even bigger large one ($29 for both) and a couple of pints. More than enough meat is piled on a very good mix of 9 kinds of freshly cooked veg. One of the best meals we've had so far and certainly the best day as far as food is concerned because the food on the boat was excellent.
Have driven 1006 - 836 = 170 km today.
Tasmania, Gordon River Tour
Tasmania, Gordon River Tour
Wednesday, 30 Mar - Queenstown
Off at 0915 after a friendly chat with the owners of the huts. It's cloudy but clears up as soon as we leave the mountain area. We're in Strahan (rhimes with 'torn') at 1200.
Pick up our tickets for cruise tomorrow and walk around to other side of harbour. There's a strong smell of freshly cut grass in Strahan, they like to keep their pretty town looking presentable. The walk around the harbour takes us to one of the terminals of the West Coast Wilderness Railway between here and Queenstown.
We do the pleasant rainforest walk to Hogarth Falls from Peoples park in 45 min but fail to see any platypuses.
Off to the mining town Queenstown. It's 45 min, 40 km and 296 bends, or so someone said. We're booked in at the majestic, century-old Empire hotel in the centre of Queenstown. One night at $65 incl. breakfast, which will have to be first thing at 0700 and very quick as we're off to Strahan for a cruise up the Gordon River and boarding is at 0800-0815.
We take a little walk around town and climb up a steep track to Spion Kopf Lookout where there's a very good overview of the town. Warm colours as the sun sets behind the hills.
At 1830 we see the train from Strahan arrive. The station is opposite our hotel.
On advice of a shopkeeper we take a look at the dinner specials at the Mount Lyell Motor Inn, also opposite our hotel. The lamb roast ($8 pp) is quick and good, accompanied by a couple of pints of Boag draft ($5 pp).
836 - 641 = 192 km today, tanking 24 l for $28 at 711 km.
Tuesday, 29 Mar - Cradle Mountains
By the time we've taken the shuttle bus to Ronny Creek car park it's 1000. That's when todays walk starts. First we head for Crater Lake via Crater Falls, then I climb up to Marions Lookout while Marijke waits for an hour at a resting place. The views from the top (1223 meter) are great, helped again today by the wonderful weather. The area has infamously unpredictable weather, offering four seasons in one day.
From Marions Lookout I walk 80 meters of the 80 km Overland Track, just to be able to brag about it sometime.
Back down from the Lookout at 1230, we set on via Wombat Peak, Wombat Pool and the Cradle Valley Boardwalk (actually this is part of the Overland Track) where we see an Echidna poking about. The Boardwalk continues on for 5.5 km back to the Visitor Centre, so I suppose we can say that we've done 8 of the 80 km.
We arrive at the Centre at 1600 and we sit for a while and watch a short film of the area and then enquire where and when we can see some wombats. Close to the Boardwalk at Ronny Creek, after 1700. Shuttle bus back to our hut, regroup, look at the hoppers just outside the hut and we're off in the car to the wombats. They aren't in abundance and we're lucky to find a couple of boys who have located one. We're very lucky to have it approach us and run under the boardwalk, have a drink in a stream and give us the opportunity to take a photo. We also see a quoll speeding off. Looked a bit like a weasel. We feel very lucky.
It's pretty dark by this time, about 1830 and very cold. Really need gloves. You can't imagine how it must be to camp out for the night on the Overland Track, high up in the mountain instead of where we are. And when it's raining instead of dry.
We see if we can get a take-away to supplement our provisions but the place at the. Information Centre seems to have shut up shop at 1900 so I make some toasted ham and cheese forcaccia rolls and salad.
I go outside to take a look at the stars and it's cloudy and raining slightly. We have been lucky.
Realise that this was the first day we didn't part with any money.
Marions Lookout
Wombat droppings
Wombat at dusk, in flashlight
Monday, 28 Mar - Cradle Mountain
My toasting of hot cross buns triggers off a fire alarm. I figure out how to disarm it but can't help thinking about Inspector Clouseau reporting back to the manager "I have tested your alurm. There will be no charge."
Starting at 0800 the drive to Cradle Mountains took 5 hours for the 300 km via the Mole Creek route, not stopping much. Tanked 21 l at 307 km for $25. The last hour of this route zig-zagged through mountainous area.
We've booked 2 nights at the Cradle Mountain Highlanders (
www.cradlehighlander.com.au ), just outside the national park. We've got a secluded Woodlander Hut with self-contained facilities and a breakfast basket for $110 a night. Very cosy and an enchanting location.
Cradle Valley is the starting point of the famous 64 km Overland Track that takes five or six days (http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/recreation/tracknotes/overland.html ) and end up at Lake St Clair, close to Derwent Bridge where we'll spend Thursday night.
We drive to Dove Lake to do the 6 km walk around it. It's busy at first but seems to thin out after a while.
I oblige 3 Japanese by taking a picture of them in front of the photogenic lake. When I give the camera back I'm provided with a second one. And after that a third one. Very amusing.
Occasionally a plane or helicopter flies around, presumably scenic flights with www.adventureflights.com.au.
The walk around the lake is excellent. It's clear and quiet. Wonderful views with the sun enhancing the reflections. It's partially set behind the mountains at 1645, after 2h45m, we're back at the car park. I've taken about 60 photos but want reduce them to about 12.
On the drive back we stop at the Visitor Centre and buy a map of the area. After the short Rainforest Walk we see some marsupials hopping around, they're either the Bennetts wallaby or the Tasmanian pademelon according to our leaflet.
When we get back to our hut we see some Morris Minors that were at the Rally in Hobart on Saturday. There are also wallabies close to the hut. It's cooled off enough to warrant turning the gas fire on, very cosy. Meal is a salad with ham, boiled eggs, coleslaw, olives, herb forcaccia rolls.
Just as the day starts with an incident it ends with an one as well. During the meal when Marijke sees a spider on the floor. Australia has a number of very dangerous examples so with a "Crikey!" I do a Steve Irwin, picking it up with a cloth and throwing it out of the door.
It's a clear night and the southern sky is bright, especially the fullish moon, much more so the at home.
No GPRS here, not even GSM, so we're isolated from the rest of the world for a couple of days.
With 19 km done in the park we're up to 622 km in total.
Reflections of Cradle Mountains
Sunday, 27 Mar - Bicheno
Putting the clocks back helps us get an early start to Freycinet National Park (
www.parks.tas.gov.au ) where we want to do the walk to Wineglass Bay, despite the dubious sky. It's rained a fair bit last night and doesn't look too good. It's about 30 km south of Bicheno and we get there at 0900 and set off on the walk 15 min later, having first bought a $50 Holiday Pass for all the NP's because we'll be doing another couple at least. We've got another $300 out of an ATM, in addition to what was left of the $150 we still had when we entered Tassie.
At the beginning of the Wineglass walk we encounter a wallaby, very tame, poses with us for a photo. After about 40 min the walk branches off two ways, to the lookout over the bay and to the bay itself, with a sandy beach. We do both, plenty of climbing involved and very enjoyable, getting back at 1230. The weather has turned out very well, it's a 23c warm and sunny day. On the way out we also do the Cape Tourville and Sleepy Bay walks, both giving big views over the bay.
At 1430 we go to East Coast Natureworld (www.natureworld.com.au ). For $13 each we see Tasmanian devils being fed, koalas, wombats, possums, snakes and lots of birds. This keeps us amused until 1630. On parting, the keeper mentions an animal we haven't heard of: the quoll. He's just got permission to add them to his collection.
It's cooled down a fair bit in the last hour and starts to rain a bit on the way back.
Back in Bicheno we do some shopping and then take a look at the Blowhole, a natural rock construction that forces incoming waves into a spout a couple of meters tall.
Take away flake and chips ($11.20) from Porks is good. In the shop I notice a newspaper clipping about this afternoons zoo keeper, apparently an influential figure in the wildlife world. Also a sign:
- End of month
- All targets met
- Customers satisfied
- Employees motivated
- All pigs fed and ready to fly.
120 km today, total 303 km.
Wave breaking at Wineglass Bay
More waves, now from above
Tasmanian Devil
Koala's
Blowhole at Bicheno
Saturday, 26 Mar - Bicheno
Our flight with Jetstar to Hobart goes fine, just a 20 min delay. No frills, but only $60 each for the 65 min flight. A $9 shuttle bus takes us in 25 min to our $85 hotel,
www.astorprivatehotel.com.au . It's a 1920's place and is kept in the original style with lots of dark wood. Friendly and informal reception, consistent with the emails we've exchanged.
When we walk into the breakfast room, one of the guests bursts into tears and everybody is very quiet for a while.
We've had a lovely time with Pauline but it's good to be on our own again, and I expect she thinks the same way.
It's a chilly morning but sunny, the sun on the buildings reminds me of Hoppers Early Sunday Morning.
We visit the busy Salamanca Market. Plenty of stalls with clothes, food, crafts but not as tacky like some markets are.
A walk up some steps to Battery Place, now a very desirable area.
Through a couple of little parks towards the harbour. We look inside a gallery (www.despard-gallery.com.au ) and the owner gets the impression he's got customers for a $22000 Clifford Possum painting. It's hard to get away but we learn something about aboriginal art in the process. He mentions SOFA in Chicago, must look it up.
Two $4 sausages in rolls with cheese, sauerkraut, tomato and onions is our lunch.
We stumble across the 12th National Morris Minor Rally with 175 exhibitors. Great fun.
Another art gallery (www.artmob.com.au ).
30 min walk to the well established Botanical Gardens (www.rtbg.tas.gov.au ) and then back to the city to collect a $35 a day red Mazda 121 from www.aaacarrentals.com.au .
Bit of shopping for food at Woolworths, then pick up the bags from the hotel and at 1600 we're off to Bicheno. The 185 km takes 2h15m, not bad for small twisty (main) roads, but there's not much traffic.
We're booked into the Seaview Holiday Park (www.seaviewaccom.bigpondhosting.com ) for 2 nights. Didn't realise it but they seem to be associated with the Churches of Christ and this is in keeping with other places we've booked, the Christian Guesthouse in Bangkok and the Salvation Army in Hong Kong. Our $65 wooden big unit is self-catering and suits us fine. It's still a bit cold, 18c inside, but there's an electric heater.
The meal is a salad, with chocolate cake after.
The clocks go back an hour tonight, strange that NZ does it a week earlier.
For the first time I have no GPRS connection and so email is offline for a few days.
Friday, 25 Mar - Melbourne
Our trip today, after a walk alongside the local wetlands, is to Geelong, about 50 km South-West of Melbourne. It's a coastal town and is supposed to be the place where rabbits were first brought in. Couldn't find a monument to the guy who did it though.
We had a long "eat all you want" buffet lunch at Smorgies, at the end of a pier. Fairly busy, with lots of families as it's Good Friday.
Geelong (
www.geelongaustralia.com.au ) is decorated by a number of 2 meter tall wooden bollards, carved and painted to represent various historical figures associated with the town. Very colourfull.
On another pier there's rescued and restored 1890's carousel.
Further along a small helicopter is doing 5 min flight for $99 for 3 people.
We're approached by a heavily pregnant woman who wants to call her son Eden and wants to know how we think you spell it in order to prevent him always having to explain "That's Edan with an 'a' ".
The last stop is at the botanic gardens, tastefully done, where we also sit down for a picnic cup of coffee.
On the way back Pauline kindly drives us to the airport and at 1800 we're in plenty of time for our 2100 flight with Jetstar to Hobart, Tasmania. A meal at the noodle bar ($18) does us fine.
Our brief stay in Melbourne was an added bonus to our holiday, providing a different perspective on Australia than you'd get as an average tourist, and we're very grateful for both the opportunity and the hospitality we were given.
Tasmania
Thursday, 24 Mar - Melbourne
Problem. Camera packs up. Lens won't retract, it whirs away, sounding like there are a few teeth in an cogwheel missing. Try putting it in the freezer for 10 min (this sometimes can cure a problem, or so I've heard) but it still whirs away. Take it apart and re-assemble it but no joy. Almost 18 months old and 5000 pictures shot, it should more life in it than that. We have a spare with us but it's only 1.3 megapixels so pretty privative by today's standards. Dilemma is now whether so get a new one here or sing it out with the old one and get things sorted out when we get back. The most we could expect here is, if we should find a repair shop, a quick diagnosis if it's a known problem. No time for a repair I think as we're only here for another night.
I do manage to fix Paulines doorbell for her, so that partially restores my confidence that I'm not completely incompetent.
There are people running about outside. Seems like a resident has 'escaped', says Pauline, and sure enough, after a while they return triumphantly with someone in a wheelchair.
We take a little walk out the back, where they are some wetlands with pelicans, black swans and other birds that look pretty exotic to us. Just outside your back garden! Fair number of flies about, the first time insects have been a minor irritant.
After our walk I retrieve the camera out of the freezer for the second time - it's now been in there for 45 min - and I can't believe my luck but it works. Trouble now is that there's so much condensation that everything's blurred, so now it goes in the oven for 5 or 10 min and everything's back to normal again. What a relief!
Pauline takes us for a little tour of the communal facilities that the privately run retirement village (
www.primelife.com.au ) offers, very impressive.
We have a light lunch outside and talk a lot about various subjects, just like yesterday evening, after which we get treated to an interesting tour of Williamstown. One of the amusing stops is where people are feeding swans in front of a "Don't feed the birds" sign. Pauline can't resist asking one of them whether she's seen the sign and gets a reply "That's just one the stupid things the council has thought up".
In the evening we visit Paulines daughter and son-in-law, who has a number of Morris Minors in various states of restoration and he kindly treats us to a ride in one to a friend who's restoring a thirties Riley.
All in all a very good day and grateful to be able to spend some time with such interesting and interested people.
Wednesday, 23 Mar - Melbourne
Looking back at NZ I see that we've seen/done 7 of the 9 things Lonely Planet mentions on its map of the North Island:
- Bay of Islands
- Rotorua
- Napier
- Tongariro
- Lake Taupo
- Auckland
- Waipoua Kauri Forest
We didn't see
- Waitomo Caves
- Wellington & Te Papa
Didn't plan it that way, but it seems like we've covered the highlights.
With a couple of hours to spare before we're expected at the airport we ask Gwen and Brian at the Skylodge where we can find a bit of green and they point us to the Botanic Gardens within 30 min driving. That's 30 min if you find it first time, which we didn't. It's a relaxing way to spend an hour and I have the opportunity to ask what the white cocoons are that we occasionally come across. Spiders webs, protecting the eggs inside, or so one of the young lady gardeners tells me, seemingly surprised that it's an unfamiliar sight for us.
We easliy find the car rental firm and get a lift from them to the airport. Skylodge put us onto them and get an easy 10% for it, or so the rental man tells us.
At the airport we get an update on the rest of our itinerary, just a minor change in our favour for the flight to Hong Kong in a weeks time, giving us an extra 15 min for a transfer from a domestic flight with another company than Qantas, who are doing 9 of our 11 flights. The other two (to and from Tasmania) we've booked ourselves with Jetstar, one of the low-cost operators.
The departure tax of $25 each comes as a bit of a surprise but helps us spend our remaining cash on something non-trivial.
An interview by A.C.Nielsen about our travels in NZ helps to pass the time and rewards us with a CD-Rom on NZ. Suppose I could have directed them to the blog for most of the questions.
We're getting to be seasoned travellers now, I don't have to lookup my passport number any more. And a flight of 'only' 4 hours to Melbourne seems nothing special.
The Qantas menu offers chicken or fish but all they have is beef.
After having our boots checked for dangerous soil form NZ and having some seashells approved by customs, we're met by a friend we made on a chance encounter at a war memorial gathering on a visit to Melbourne in 2003 and with whom Marijke's kept in touch by email. She's in her eighties but still very active and independent and is kindly putting us up for a few nights. She does, however, have difficulty finding where she's parked the car but we find it in the end and we're off to Williamstown on the west, where she lives in a retirement village in a lovely 3-bedroomed house with a double garage and a view of the water and the sunset from the back of the house.
We discuss a broad number of subjects: plants, birds, computers, art, the Hermitage and her recommendation for a trip 'Waterways of the Tsars', travel, table manners, politics, housing, retirement homes, the University of the Third Age (U3A), the Book of the Kells, the Southern sky and the outline of the programme she's got set out for us tomorrow.
I have an idea we're going to have a busy time here...
Melbourne
Tuesday, 22 Mar - Auckland
Leave Paihia at 0800 heading for Auckland, tanking up for $34 and 26 l at 2026 km and stopping briefly to see the world famous toilets at Kawakawa - well worth the non-functional visit - and to chat to an old guy driving an older Ford, I'd guess '20's or '30's. We mail the Skyway Lodge motel on the way, where we stayed on our first night, and they have a $55 room with shared facilities not ensuite but we take it anyway.
At 1200 and at 2248 km we're in Devonport, north of Auckland but with easy parking and a $9 return ferry to shuttle us in 10 min to central Auckland. Walk up Queen St to Karangahape Rd or K-Rd as it's called here. Queen St could be any city, whereas K-Rd has it's own flavour with a good ethnic mix.
Buy a couple of extra video tapes at $13 each; I already can't bear to even think of editing 7 hours of holiday video but it's got to be done. Hope we can reduce it to 1 hour. We'll be pushing on 1000 photo's as well.
It was misty this morning but disappeared after we go over a ridge and it's a sunny day, maybe 23c.
We walk to the Sky Tower and save $18 each by not going up the 190 m to the observation deck. We do see some people jumping off from this level through, guided by wires and taking 16 second at about 75 kph.
Drop in at a souvenir shop we passed on the way up Queen St where a very amusing Japanese girl helps us. She's very interested in my T-shirt, which has something in Japanese written on it that she can't make out so she asks a Japanese customer (there are a lot of Japanese here) to help her. I gather it's something to do with a Japanese baseball "prayer" who apparently went crazy. She gives us extra discount on the stuff and even shakes hands with us, making we suspect that we bought a bit too much.
Albert Park on a hill offers a short rest before we set of back to the ferry back to Devonport at 1630.
Tank up for the last time with 15 l for $18 at 2268 km and at 1800 and 2281 km we're at Skyway Lodge.
We splash out $53 on an Indian meal tonight: Goan fish curry, lamb in a spinach sauce, mixed veg and 2 beers. Very tasty.
A bit of bookkeeping to finish off the day: by paying the last 124+34+105+18+53=$334 by credit card we're down to our last $67 of the $800 we withdrew.
Other credit card expenses amounted to 737+420=$1157, so that's $2291 for 13 days, of which:
- 867 was lodging for 11 days (2 days at friends)
- 420 car rental + 184 petrol (the car's done just more than 15 km/l)
- 820 food and other costs
That's 1238 euro or 95/day (Brisbane 92 euro, Bangkok 88).
Monday, 21 Mar - Paihia
Bit of sporting news on TV last night. A rugby player made a very nasty high tackle on an opponent and could be facing a life-time ban. It's not his first misdemeanour, having being banned for what adds up to a whole season during his carriere. Some footage of some of his other incidents was shown, graphically illustrating the clipping below:
"Controversial Wests Tigers winger John Hopoate has been suspended for 12 weeks after being found guilty by the NRL Judiciary of poking his fingers up the anuses of three North Queensland players.
Accused of one of the most bizarre charges in the history of rugby league, or sport in general for that matter of fact, Hopoate was officially found guilty of 'unsportsmanlike interference'. "
At 0915 our 3 hour cruise of the Bay of Islands (
www.dolphincruises.co.nz ) sets off. Within an hour some Bottlenose Dolphins have been sighted. About 6 to 8 of them swim around the boat, ducking under the bow and generally playing about. At $62 for the cruise that's only twice as much per dolphin as our Hapuka fish last night. And of course they're not fish, they're mammals, so a higher price is justified. This half hour with the dolphins was certainly the highlight of the morning. Without them I'd have been a bit disappointed, not that the islands - there are 144 of them in all - aren't worth seeing but 3 hours is more than enough for us.
A couple on the boat reminded us of our friends Edwin and Sheila in England, except that Edwin hasn't got a wooden leg.
It's a warm sunny day with a few innocent clouds, about 23c according to the forecast but feels warmer.
We get off at Russell and walk up and down a hill to get to Long Beach, which seems a bit of a misnomer, considering it's presumably competing with 90 mile beach. Marijke goes for a swim but I don't get further in than knee height seeing as a shark devoured a swimmer in Australian waters yesterday. Can't be too carefull with these matters.
This peninsular town, a $5 ferry ride away from Paihia, fills a couple of hours of the day and then it's back to the hotel for a freshen-up.
The room has been freshened-up as well and that reminds me of one of life's unanswered questions: what happens to the two-thirds used rolls of toilet paper that get replaced by fresh ones? Are they sent to developing countries? Does the employee of the week get to take them home? I asked at reception but no joy on this one, he didn't even know that it happened. Asked him the kiwi question and also got the usual "only in the zoo" answer.
Give neighbouring Waitangi a drive-through visit, stopping briefly at the Waikokopu Cafe where unfortunately, because there's some interesting stuff on the menu, they are shutting up shop at 1800, so it's back to Paihia for a meal. Dory and chips at the same place as last night, eaten outside, followed by 2 ice creams from next door ($16).
With 1990 km already clocked up, tomorrow we set off for an afternoon and an evening in Auckland for our last night before flying to Melbourne on Wednesday.
Sunday, 20 Mar - Paihia
Daylight saving ended early this morning, so the clocks got turned back an hour. Wonder how many tourists have missed a flight because of this.
Sun rises at 0630 but disappears 15 min later behind the clouds that seem to be doing an albatross on us.
At 0845 we're off to see the Kauri trees about 50 km north. Quite a lot of dead possums on the road, occasionally with a bird of prey around. A stop at the Forest Lookout gives views looking down on the forest. Seems like the albatross has pushed off for a while. We ask about walks at Visitor Centre. 12 km further along there are short walks to the big Kauri's. $2 donation for the parking attendant. On a good day he has about 100 cars. I ask him whether he's ever seen a kiwi; only in captivity, he replies. Civilised pathways through the forest. Could be a way of describing NZ: accessible nature.
The oldest and widest tree has a circumference of 16 m and is 30 m high, about half the girth and a bit more than a third of the height of the biggest Sequoia in the USA, General Sherman. But it's still a venerable example, judged to be between 2000 and 4000 years old.
Around midday we make our way east, stopping occasionally. At a short break at a Visitors Centre I ask the lady the kiwi question. She has, just once and recently, while driving. It was in the middle of the road during the day. She almost killed it.
Calling in briefly at Kerikeri but deciding to give it a miss, we end up at 1530 in Paihia in the Bay of Islands. The Paihia Pacific (
www.paihiapacific.co.nz ) has a special on: they've put out a couple of$149 rooms for $99 and we take one for 2 nights. Warmly welcomed and advised about boat trips (www.fboi.co.nz & www.dolphincruises.co.nz ), because that's one of the main attractions here. Nicely furnished and well equipped, we're happy with the room. There are a couple of lemon trees in the hallway, lovely strong smell.
We take a walk through the town and along the beach, book a dolphin (and maybe whale) watching cruise, passing 6 islands on the way, for tomorrow morning from Kings for $62 each.
The girl at the Woolworths check-out hasn't seen a kiwi either, except in the zoo.
As we're on the coast we must have some fish and chips. Very busy place run by 2 Maouri women does us 2 hapuka and chips for $11.80. Don't know what hapuka is but others are ordering it. It's a meaty fish, very tasty. They also have hoki and dory fish.
Mileage is up to 1979 km now.
