Jan 2011
So, spent New Year's eve in my van overlooking the harbour at Whangamata with some tunes on and some nice Organic weed. At 12 oçlock the Huge firework display was stunning, not only visually but the sound was giving multiple echoes off the headland by the harbour bay......
Spent the week hanging around with
http://www.eventfinder.co.nz/2011/feb/lower-hutt/gypsy-fair-original
They are a Great bunch of people...
Drove South down SH1, calling in at the Hutt valley (to see if Jabba was home.. lol..), to get a new viscose fan for the van as it still keeps overheating when mountain climbing,,, carried on down to Wellington where a quick wander round the center confirmed that it is pleasant, as cities go, then booked the car ferry to South Island, ($200/single). Was a bit disappointed with the small archaic ferry boat... BUT the view of the Southern tip of North Isle and the Northern tip of South isle was Stunningly Beautiful :-). After docking at Picton the coastal road to Havelock provided more beautiful views and I even hiked up to a few of the 'viewpoints', knackered me out though.. LOL.. Met some great people along the way, including Nina, a German/Kiwi çouchsurf host from Nelson.
They seem a Friendly bunch her in the South but they are fed up with free-camping tourists and the Media has been stirring it up against them. I must admit that there are MANY more little camper vans and backpackers sleeping in cars here that there were on my last visit 10 years ago. A few companies seem to rent them out, 'Wicked camper vans' for $120/day...........
OK, MORE LATER...
So::: Catchup time..****..
[50g of tobacco here in NZ costs $50(nz) --- 25 Quid,,, :-( ...]
From Nelson, Drove South past Murichson,(ok), to Buller Gorge,(Great), to visit NZ's longest swing bridge. Wobbly walk across the ravine, 30 meters above the river's raging torrent... LOL.. then return vie the ZIP-LINE,,, WTF,,, was a great Buzzzzzz...
Southbound past Charlestown,(small), and on to Franz-Joseph Glacier,(nice), and Fox Glacier,(nice), then out to the coast on a 12km dirt road to Gillespie Beach,(Great). Arrived at Gillespie beach in the evening and walked on the beach, where lots of weird shaped driftwood silhouetted in the setting sun made an amazing sight, (see youtube: January), and by the light of the beach campfire later in the night. The next day we, (few people from campsite), walked about 1km up the beach and found a tidal lagoon that was filling with the incoming tide. Welllllll:::: Swimming(skinnydipping), in the semi-tropical lagoon, surrounded by jungle & bush, looking out at the Glaciers in the distance was a fine way to spend the day... :-)
Drove South to Hasst,(full of sandflies), then east across the mountains to a nice DOC campsite high on Culver Flats,(magnificent views), where I stayed for a few days doing jobs & painting on my van. East again to the Blue Pools, (nice but not very blue due to rain in the mountains), traversing several swing bridges and a bush trek, then on to Albert's Town where I stayed on a huge & mostly unoccupied, sandfly free, campsite by the river.
Continuing East and calling in at Wanaka,(nice lake & town), and on to Queenstown,(nice lake but Very Touristy). Didn't stay long in Queenstown as it was wet&windy but found out that ALL the NZ liquor shops sell artificial Cannabis,,,,WTF,,, :-) (I had run out of the real stuff the week before,,, LOL.), Kronic, $40/3.5gm... almost as good as Skunk but doesn't smell as nice.... So, off Eastwards into the mountains to get happily & LEGALLY STONED !!!! LOL, so Parked at Trotters gorge DOC campsite and was treated to a 2 hour beautiful display of 3 young Harrier Falcons learning to fly and doing Ariel acrobatics around my van with the adult perched on a tree only 3mtr away from me..(Gobsmacked). :-)
So, spent New Year's eve in my van overlooking the harbour at Whangamata with some tunes on and some nice Organic weed. At 12 oçlock the Huge firework display was stunning, not only visually but the sound was giving multiple echoes off the headland by the harbour bay......
Spent the week hanging around with
http://www.eventfinder.co.nz/2011/feb/lower-hutt/gypsy-fair-original
They are a Great bunch of people...
Drove South down SH1, calling in at the Hutt valley (to see if Jabba was home.. lol..), to get a new viscose fan for the van as it still keeps overheating when mountain climbing,,, carried on down to Wellington where a quick wander round the center confirmed that it is pleasant, as cities go, then booked the car ferry to South Island, ($200/single). Was a bit disappointed with the small archaic ferry boat... BUT the view of the Southern tip of North Isle and the Northern tip of South isle was Stunningly Beautiful :-). After docking at Picton the coastal road to Havelock provided more beautiful views and I even hiked up to a few of the 'viewpoints', knackered me out though.. LOL.. Met some great people along the way, including Nina, a German/Kiwi çouchsurf host from Nelson.
They seem a Friendly bunch her in the South but they are fed up with free-camping tourists and the Media has been stirring it up against them. I must admit that there are MANY more little camper vans and backpackers sleeping in cars here that there were on my last visit 10 years ago. A few companies seem to rent them out, 'Wicked camper vans' for $120/day...........
OK, MORE LATER...
So::: Catchup time..****..
[50g of tobacco here in NZ costs $50(nz) --- 25 Quid,,, :-( ...]
From Nelson, Drove South past Murichson,(ok), to Buller Gorge,(Great), to visit NZ's longest swing bridge. Wobbly walk across the ravine, 30 meters above the river's raging torrent... LOL.. then return vie the ZIP-LINE,,, WTF,,, was a great Buzzzzzz...
Southbound past Charlestown,(small), and on to Franz-Joseph Glacier,(nice), and Fox Glacier,(nice), then out to the coast on a 12km dirt road to Gillespie Beach,(Great). Arrived at Gillespie beach in the evening and walked on the beach, where lots of weird shaped driftwood silhouetted in the setting sun made an amazing sight, (see youtube: January), and by the light of the beach campfire later in the night. The next day we, (few people from campsite), walked about 1km up the beach and found a tidal lagoon that was filling with the incoming tide. Welllllll:::: Swimming(skinnydipping), in the semi-tropical lagoon, surrounded by jungle & bush, looking out at the Glaciers in the distance was a fine way to spend the day... :-)
Drove South to Hasst,(full of sandflies), then east across the mountains to a nice DOC campsite high on Culver Flats,(magnificent views), where I stayed for a few days doing jobs & painting on my van. East again to the Blue Pools, (nice but not very blue due to rain in the mountains), traversing several swing bridges and a bush trek, then on to Albert's Town where I stayed on a huge & mostly unoccupied, sandfly free, campsite by the river.
Continuing East and calling in at Wanaka,(nice lake & town), and on to Queenstown,(nice lake but Very Touristy). Didn't stay long in Queenstown as it was wet&windy but found out that ALL the NZ liquor shops sell artificial Cannabis,,,,WTF,,, :-) (I had run out of the real stuff the week before,,, LOL.), Kronic, $40/3.5gm... almost as good as Skunk but doesn't smell as nice.... So, off Eastwards into the mountains to get happily & LEGALLY STONED !!!! LOL, so Parked at Trotters gorge DOC campsite and was treated to a 2 hour beautiful display of 3 young Harrier Falcons learning to fly and doing Ariel acrobatics around my van with the adult perched on a tree only 3mtr away from me..(Gobsmacked). :-)
