A winery in our finery

Today I achieved a long held ambition. I've loved the Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc for years, but actually visiting the vineyard was not something I thought would actually ever happen - it was so very far away. But now, we're here! And so we went, all dressing up in honour of the occasion (Kevin in his smart shorts, and I finally wore one of the summer dresses I packed - albeit with various extra layers in my bag...).

Blenheim, where we staying, is just on the eastern edge of the Marlborough Wine Trail, so we had a short drive through the town and then between row after row after row of immaculate vineyard with spirit level straight tops, on a large flat plain surrounded by high, misty-topped mountains. Then the very recognisable sign; and a driveway to a set of pretty, modern green and white buildings, with ivy covered walls. We walked into a light and open tasting room, with windows through to where barrels of Pinot Noir were stored, and - having installed Jemima at a table with a sticker book and Peppa Pig videos - signed up for the Cloudy Bay Indulge Tasting Menu: a pink fizz (tasty); 2005 Sauvignon Blanc (much mellower than the fresh, zingy young one I know and love); what they called an "old-fashioned" Sauvignon (nice, but not as nice); then two different Pinot Noirs (never my favourite red, but ok). It was all fun, but I've always found wine tasting a bit silly - all the spitting and swilling and calling a liquid "lithe" or "chewy" (and it only really confirmed that we like the one we knew we liked). The main reason we were here was to be drinking their Sauvignon Blanc where it was made. So over lunch, that is what we did.

And it was glorious. It was a gorgeous, sunny, windy day, and we had a table on the grass under a big umbrella, surrounded by vineyards and mountains. It was an Asian-fusion small plates type menu (which I love), so I said to Kevin I'd be happy with anything on the menu - so he ordered one of everything for us all to share. Fat oysters, roast duck with noodles in a dashi broth (Jemima's favourite), edamame and mint soup, peppered venison, cured salmon and horseradish, beef tartare, and cheese and biscuits, all washed down with the world's best white (to me, anyway). Followed by a play on the grass, and a snooze in the sun. Completely blissful - I will remember today for a long time. We lasted a happy afternoon until they were about to close (I bought a champagne stopper as a wine-related souvenir on the way out), then returned to camp to enjoy the lovely early evening sunshine. 

For the first time this trip it felt like real summer. We had beach clothes on, no jumpers (even today, although it was warm in the sun, the wind made it a bit chilly), and all the windows open in the motorhome. Jemima and I even attempted a swim, but the unheated pool was too icy to stay in long. Then from Cloudy Bay and Asian plates it was cups of tea and beans on toast - we were all a bit overdone - and an early night. So far, South Island is GREAT.

PS I know I'm a bit behind on photos - it's been a bit busy. I will catch up asap...

 

Cloudy Bay!:

 

 

Jemima being patient:

 

 

Fun outside:

 

 

 

 

 

Lunch!: 

 

 

 

More playing:

 

 

 

 

Feeling blissful:

 

 

Blenheim to Cloudy Bay Vineyard (note the local bay is actually called Cloudy Bay, named by Captain Cook in 1770 apparently because the water is a bit cloudy from the silt washed into it by the Wairau river):

 

Finding treasure, and a ferry crossing

A surprisingly quiet night given our urban location, and, hurrah, a sunny morning. Kevin went out to replenish our wifi and sample a Wellingtonian cappuccino, while Jemima and I did some Disney dancing and I was strong-armed into playing Mary to Jemima's Joseph (she still has fond memories of her playschool nativity). Then we were off on today's mission: Te Papa Tongarewa, or "the treasure box of this land", NZ's National Museum, and famous for its kid-friendly exhibits. 

And rightly so. Loads of things to push, pull, press and climb in the natural history section, all about NZ's flora, fauna, and geology, including a shaking house to simulate a force 5 aftershock (they are very hot on their earthquakes, if you'll excuse the pun - at Whanganui there were signs up pointing to the nearest tsunami safe zones). Then outdoors into Bush City, a recreation of NZ's landscapes with a waterfall, swamp, volcanic rock, greywacke wall, swing bridge (more fun jogging mummy), sandpit to dig for fossils, and a cave with moa bones, stalagmites and stalactites and - best of all - fake glow worms that dimmed when you made a noise - we were there for quite a while. So great to have an outdoors exhibition at a museum - only possible in a warm climate.

After lunch it was the special exhibition: Bug Lab, produced in partnership with Weta, the special effects people behind Lord of the Rings (which is its own tourist thing here - tours of various film locations are advertised everywhere). It was spectacular - four walk-in pods enclosing a camouflaged orchid mantis waiting to pounce; a moving, whirling dragonfly, frog and fish eye-tricking show (we couldn't work it out at all); Japanese honeybees fighting off an enormous evil-looking hornet; and a gruesome scene of a jewel wasp "zombie-fying" a cockroach by injecting venom in his brain so she could seal him up alive with her egg, so he provided a food source for her young when it hatched. And these were interspersed with little hands-on tables, something to touch or pull or play with, focussing on venom or hive minds or the amazing properties of a dragonfly's wing. Brilliant.

Next up, Storytime: an extra 45 minute session for the under 5s. Through the doors, it looked like a small green curtained room, with a friendly lady reading The Hungry Caterpillar. But then she asked the kids to choose a bug costume, pulled back the green curtains, and a kids' wonderland was revealed: a tree slide, a pretend garden, a river with lily pads; and best of all for Jemima, a craft table with glue for sticking! She's been missing that. After making the longest caterpillar in the world, our time was up, and we were back out into the normal museum.

And finally, the Maori floor - for me at least. Kevin took Jemima up to the art gallery for some more playing, while I got my history fix in peace, poring over the various copies of the Treaty of Waitangi from 1840, which was the beginning of the UK's - was it "sovereignty" or "government" (guess which translation had which) - with the marks of over 500 Maori chiefs. Then, Te Papa properly done, we walked back to the motorhome, and drove the short distance to the ferry port. Farewell to North Island.

The ferry was easy - three and a half hours, a better than expected dinner, a children's play room, and a spectacular view, first of Wellington Harbour, then a short patch of open sea, and finally a long passage through the green, unpopulated, and beautiful Marlborough Sounds - islands and crenellated inlets of the mainland, a wonderful introduction to the beauties of South Island. We boarded with a lot of other campers, and also, slightly (hypocritically) distressingly, some lorries packed with sheep who looked out at us through slits in the lorry sides - I am a confirmed meat eater, but we all felt sorry for them. Then a short drive through the dusk, just able to see the difference in the landscape - the road surrounded by jutting hills, so green, completely tree covered, and very few houses. No rolling farmland here. And then the first few vines - this is Marlborough wine country after all. Very tired after a long and busy day, we found our campsite and pitch, and collapsed into bed. We'd see where we were in the light tomorrow.

 

Te Papa - Bush City:

 

 

"The coolest little capital in the world"*

"Mummy, I don't want this rain to happen," said Jemima as we travelled south from Whanganui to Wellington. Neither did we, Jemima, neither did we. Luckily it didn't look like we were missing much: out of the window was a succession of fairly unattractive rural towns (although admittedly not seen at their best through the driving rain). But we had a good (undercover) stopover in mind: the Southern Hemisphere's best car collection at the Southwood Car Museum! A treat for Daddy.

After a car park lunch we rushed in through the rain. Kevin had had the foresight to teach Jemima how to take photos properly on the iPhone, so he wandered at will while she spent a happy hour supervised by me (the fruits of her labour reproduced below - some of which are better than my, admittedly fairly rubbish photography efforts). From the earliest cars, to a wide selection of early 20th century cars, to a large 1970s collection, and everything in between, including motorbikes, an ambulance and a Jeepney from the Philippines - it was huge, and we all enjoyed it in our own way. Then tea and a cookie, and off to Wellington, Jemima listening to story tapes and singing along with the Frozen CD to while away the journey.

The rain finally cleared on our approach, although the sky was still a bit foreboding; but we found our way successfully to our city site - a motorhome car park with electricity but nothing else, right in the centre of Wellington. Kevin got the van successfully into a tiny space, and after a bit of research, called us an Uber (luxury! civilisation!) for Mount Victoria Peak, and a view over Wellington. We had a good perspective on how it's surrounded by various water inlets, and of aeroplanes taking off and landing from a runway that finished in the sea; but the weather wasn't the best for viewing. So back down (in another Uber, lovely), and a regroup before dinner. 

Jemima was a bit tired, grumpy and hungry; so she was fed early with the remains of the spag bol ("YUM!") while Kevin did a recce of the area; then we went out together to explore. This central area of Wellington has a raffish and slightly Bohemian charm, very different from Auckland's clean cut cosmopolitanism. Vintage shops ("Madame Fancy Pants" and the "Paper Bag Princess" being my favourites) rubbed shoulders with coffee shops, tattoo parlours, and pubs, all slightly quirky, graffiti'd, or with a mainly black-and-leather wearing clientele. It was all very lively, and made us want to join in the fun. After some effort (all the interesting little bistros were full, these New Zealanders seem to eat early), we lucked out with a Mediterranean called Loretta's. Open and airy, with a brilliant sprouted white  onion centrepiece and welcoming waitresses, it also had great food: chargrilled-but-pink lamb and sumac skewers with farro, herbs and yoghurt for me; and a clean and crispy tomato pizza for Kevin; and for a post-spag bol Jemima, chocolate and salted peanut ice cream. It was all a little bit different and all very tasty (and memorable for Jemima amusing herself by taking selfie videos doing her own interpretation of the haka, which was hilarious for us all). 

We have a day in Wellington tomorrow before our ferry South. I think I'm going to like it.

*From The Guidebook (The Lonely Planet of course...)

 

A tale of two playgrounds

A day off to enjoy the breezy sunshine. A slow morning, including me and Jemima doing a Cosmic Kids yoga DVD together; and a drive through more rolling farmland - only getting lost once - to a nearby recommended beach, too windswept for the planned swimming and sand castles, but with the unexpected bonus of a great pirate ship playground and a lovely picnic area for lunch.

Then a drive down Whanganui's Main Street ("specially designed for ladies to spend money!" says the tourist map) to Kowhai Park, chock full of amazing children's play stuff, and happy Whanganui families. (It was free to enter, and there wasn't even a cafe to make money from you - an amazing investment by the local authorities, and it feels very New Zealand-ish). Then back to the campsite for more kid gang playing, and our first NZ barbecue - they have them available to use at all campsites and most public areas (our lunch spot had three). Steak, coleslaw, potato salad, broccoli, avocado - everyone was happy. And a final bout of playing before bed. On the road again tomorrow, but it's been a good pit stop - I wouldn't rush back to Whanganui, but this campsite has worked amazingly for us. Back to a city (Wellington) for a few days, then we'll see what the South Island has to offer. 

 

The road (we got lost on, on the way) to Kai Iwi beach:

 

The beach:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pirate ship playground:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kowhai Park:

 

Walking on the moon:

 

 

 

 

Daddy bear and baby bear:

Dinner outside the camp kitchen:

 

 

Hero Kevin, free range Jemima

"Wild weather wreaked havoc over the weekend" shouted the newspapers - parts of New Zealand saw gusts of 160km/h; streets in Wellington were closed because of glass falling off buildings; and a car was blown off the road. Thankfully, therefore, this weather was abnormal, and likely to change; and also, thankfully, we woke up in Ohakune safe and sound - although it was still raining. A supermarket stop, and we started driving down the mountain.

The temperature was slowly increasing, although it was still raining, when we passed young man fiddling with his bike by the side of the road. Shortly after, we were finishing our lunch in a lay by with a view (I love motorhoming) when he appeared over the horizon, pushing his bike - broken beyond repair. So Kevin was a Good Samaritan and got him and it - and much mud - on board. It turned out he (Justin) was a young twenty-something American, cycling around NZ alone for a few months (!), was going to our destination, Whanganui, too. So we took him there, he, Jemima and I chatting cheerfully on the way. We waved goodbye at his friend's house and found our way to our next campsite, another Top10, with the weather now finally clear (at least warm, and not raining).

These campsites have all been clean and friendly, with great kids facilities, and this was no exception. We were checked in by Jack from Twickenham (!), and Jemima headed straight for the bouncy pillow while I did some washing and Kevin made spag bol for dinner. She started fairly unsuccessfully, chasing after a little German girl saying, "hello, hello, hello, hello, hello" to no response - and even repeating my few words of German didn't help. But other children turned up and soon there was a little gang of them bouncing and climbing on the playground - all slightly grubby and wild of hair, and all barefoot, Jemima included (we've commented to her how all the NZ children never wear shoes and have tough feet, and she now says, "I have tough feet too").  

Kevin had a good idea to move the motorhome from the pretty river view site to one right in the centre, with a view of the bouncy pillow, so we were able to do our own thing while she marauded around with the other children - it's the most independent she's ever been, but it's possible here because it's all so small and enclosed that we can see her without being involved. She loved it (and so did we...).

A delicious Kevin spag bol (AND he did the washing up), then a DVD for him and I once Jemima had gone to bed; and a decision to stay put tomorrow as - fingers crossed - the weather is supposed to be better, and we don't want to spend our one sunny day driving. So the pace feels familiarly once more like our European trips, which is lovely. All we need now is the expected NZ summer sunshine.

 

Driving through the rain:

 

 

 

The Whanganui River:

 

Site with a view (for about ten minutes):

 

Playing!:

 

 

The gang on the pillow (in the sunshine!):

 

Ohakune to Whanganui River: