Now for the East Coast
Trip Start
Nov 18, 2009
1
69
235
Trip End
Jul 08, 2010
Where I stayed
Blenheim, NZ., New Zealand
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Woke up early this morning to the sound of torrential rain hitting the roof of the campervan, a real storm. Decided to delay the early start and had coffee/tea in bed and waited for the weather to improve. We eventually left Murchison at about 10am and headed across country. We had two road options which were to travel to Nelson or to Blenheim and we choose the later, because we will explore the very north of the South Island on another occasion. We have to leave some areas unexplored for our return the next time we come to see Clare and another benefit of this is that we do not have to rush about at such a frantic pace and can stay some places for 2 or 3 days.
The road to Blenheim took us through the rest of the Buller Gorge and then through the Wairau Valley following the Wairau river. This last 50kms of our trip today was through the wine area and we had hundreds of acres of vines either side of the road and probably went past 10/15 differently named vineyards.
Arrived at campsite at Blenheim for one night only and then we head off tomorrow for Kaikoura, further down the East coast for a 3 day stay as we hope to see some whales.
Into town this afternoon, mostly for a long walk as needing some exercise. Nice town centre but nothing spectacular.
Helen and Tony chatting the other day about the fact that we are so far from home and will not go home for another 6 months and will not see Clare and Byron for at least another year, so…………we thought we would change our plans and try to get as near to Wanaka as we could on the weekend before we give the van back, and see if Clare and Byron could wangle some time off work to have a last weekend together. Contacted Clare the other day and things look reasonably positive. We have suggested meeting at a campsite in a place called Twizel, which we pronounce Twizzel and the locals pronounce Twi-zel. Have a weekend of fun.
Comments
that old camper van looks like a falco project to me ?