The "Kingston Flyer", Kingston, South Island, New Zealand

The Kingston Flyer was a vintage train that ran about 14km to Fairlight from Kingston, at the southern end of Lake Wakatipu, and back.

This tourist service was suspended in December 2012 because of locomotive issues.

However, before that, we managed to go on one of the tours, and it was a memorable trip.  Trying to drink a cup of tea from the restaurant car was very difficult, given how much the carriages moved around on the tracks.

The original Kingston Flyer ran between Kingston, Gore, Invercargill, and sometimes Dunedin, from the 1890s through to 1957.



There are two steam locomotives used for the Kingston Flyer service, the AB778 starting service in 1925, and the AB795 which started service in 1927.



The AB class locomotive was a 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotive with a Vanderbilt tender, of which 141 were built between 1915 and 1927 some of which by New Zealand Railways Addington Workshops.



No 235 is the builder's number for the AB778



There were seven wooden bodied passenger carriages, three passenger coaches, one passenger/refreshments carriage and two car/vans.  The is also a Birdcage gallery coach.  Each of the rolling stock was built between 1900 and 1923.  They were built at either of Addington, Petone, or Hillside.



I suspect the 2 on the side means second class



The passenger coach we traveled in was very comfortable.



This is one of the guard's vans, and for transporting cargo.



The Kingston Railway Station



and cafe.



A poster sign advertising the Kingston Flyer



The running times for the tourist services, when it was running.

Queenstown Gardens, South Island, New Zealand

Queenston Gardens are not far from the center of Queenstown.  They are just down the hill from where we usually stay at Queenstown Mews.

More often than not we approach the Gardens from the lakeside during our morning walk from the apartment to the coffee shop.  You can walk alongside the lake, or walk through the Gardens, which, whether in summer or winter, is a very picturesque walk.

There's a bowling club, and I'm afraid I will never be that sort of person to take it up (not enough patience) and an Ice Arena, where, in winter I have heard players practicing ice hockey.

I'm sure, at times, ice skating can also be done.

There is a stone bridge to walk across, and in Autumn/Winter the trees can add a splash of color.

There is a large water feature with fountain, and plenty of seating around the edge of the lake, to sit and absorb the tranquility, or to have a picnic.



There are ducks in the pond



and out of the pond

and plenty of grassed areas with flower beds which are more colorful in summer.  I have also seen the lawns covered in snow, and the fir trees that line the lake side of the gardens hang heavy with icicles.

There are clouds, and then there are more clouds

In a country that is renowned for clouds, and even having the nickname of 'the land of the long white cloud' there is always a few clouds hanging around, or, as on some of the days of our most recent holiday, more than a few.

Unfortunately, these were not snow clouds as my grandchildren had hoped.  They saw snow for the first time, but it may have been all that more special if it had snowed while they were there.

This day, was, for a while, dark and gloomy.  The rain threatened but never came.

This was a day of sporadic sunshine and a cold breeze

This was one of the better days, with sunshine in winter, and some spectacular landscapes on offer for keen photographers

This day had the odd lonely cloud hoping to make an impact

or clouds that just skimmed the surface of Lake Taupo at sunrise

Whakapapa ski field, Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand

Whakapapa ski field is on the northern side of Mount Ruapehu, one of two on the mountain, which is also an active volcano.

It is accessed by a 6 km road from Whakapapa village, where Chateau Tongariro is located and is a hotel that can accommodate skiers in winter, and trampers in summer.

On the day we decided to visit, the carpark at the top of the mountain was full, and the only way to get from Whakapapa village to the ski field was by bus, and was, on that day, very expensive.

From the bus, which we decided to catch at a place called National Park, this being the least expensive method of getting to the ski fields, you could see the slopes come into view, and just pick out the ski lift pylons.

My level of skiing being a novice at best, I would have to join the many others in Happy Valley, a large area set aside for beginners.

The objective of the visit was so that two of our granddaughters could see snow for the first time, build a snowman, which considering the numbers that were there that day, a remarkable feat in itself, and have lunch in the cafe.

To be honest, the food wasn't all that bad.

Aratiatia Dam, Taupo, New Zealand

Aratiatia Dam water release, Taupo

The Aratiatia Dam, rapids, and hydroelectric power station are located on the Waikato River, New Zealand's longest river.  It is about 16km from Taupo, and 6km from Huka falls, and there is a walking track, for the fit, of course, between the two water attractions.

This happens three or four times every day, depending on the season, and lasts about 15 minutes.  Water is released at the rate of about 80,000 liters a second, so it is quite a lot of water being sent through the rapids.

There are a number of viewing points, the most popular being from the bridge, where I took these photos, and 5 minutes down the walking track to the ridgeline where you can get an overview of the river.

This is looking towards the rapids, as the catchment leading to the rapids starts to fill

The pool is almost full and the excess is starting its journey towards the rapids

Now full, the rapids are at capacity as up to 80,000 liters a second are heading down a 28-meter drop heading towards the hydroelectric power station.

And once full at the bottom, there is a jet boat ride available for a closer view of the water, and a few thrills to go with it.

The Trials of Traveling: Arranging a trip for 7 passengers

I'm in the middle of arranging a holiday.  No big deal, really.  Airfares, accommodation, rental car, simple.

I know where I'm going from, I know where I'm going to.

How hard can it be?

Oh, did I forget to say there's seven people traveling, four adults, three children?

OK, airlines do not class 14-year-olds as children, but adults.

But this time it seems that booking the airline seats was the easiest of the tasks.

Of course, we have yet to the seating arrangements on the plane, and at the moment we are supposed to be on an A320-200, which has a 2-4-2 seating plan.  8 across when we have 7.  Who is going to sit by themselves?  Someone else can sort that out.

So, try using any combination of 7 to book hotel rooms.  I tried several times with all sorts of whacky results and expensive options.  Seems you have to use a more basic combination, 4 adults and 3 children, and this two brings up a multitude of different options, but one or two hotels recognize the fact you may have a larger family and accommodate it.

Yes, I booked what we needed, two adjoining rooms with twin queen beds.  You try putting two children in the same bed, you need space between them.

Now we have to do something about transportation.  A car is not going to be big enough.

We have 7 passengers, this time it doesn't matter how old they are.  7 passengers, 7 bags, and 7 cabin bags, computers, handbags, etc.  You get the drift, plenty of luggage.

No matter which car site you go to, putting 7 people in, doesn't do anything but give you a list of all their cars, so I move to the end of the list.

Small cars, medium cars, large cars, aha, down to the SUV's, seating 5 and space for 4 cases.

Not enough.

Going down.

An iMax, seating for 8 and 4 cases, quite possibly more.  A bit iffy.

Keep going.

Aha!  A Toyota Highace, 12 passengers, 12 cases, bingo.  And a reasonable cost too.

Now all that's left is the travel insurance, that's reasonably easy, but not necessarily cheap.

All of this was not easy, and it took nearly a week.

One thing I discovered is that you need a travel agent, and make sure you know what you want.  It may take a little longer but it's worth it.

Waitomo caves house, North Island, New Zealand

A relatively unassuming lane leads to what could be described as a grand hotel, called Waitomo Caves Hotel.

The original hotel was built in 1908, and it was later extended in 1928 it was extended.  Part of it is 'Victorian', based on an eastern Europe mountain chalet, and part of it is 'Art Deco', the concrete wing, and a feature, if it could be called that, is none of the four corners are the same.

Views from the balcony show part of the surrounding gardens

and the town of Waitomo in the distance.

In gloomy weather, it does look rather spooky, and I suspect there may be a ghost or two lurking somewhere in the buildings.

Oreti Village, where we prefer to stay

This is not the name of a village but of a timeshare resort located new Pukawa Bay, about 12 kms from Taurangi.

We have an original timeshare in Rosebud, Victoria, Australia, and space bank our week so we can go elsewhere in the world, though it seems it is mostly to New Zealand.

Oreti Village is about as remote from a city as you can get, and we love it.  Quiet, picturesque, and very relaxing we come to do what we call veg, just wind down and do nothing.  The place we stay is a self-contained three bedroom unit with full kitchen laundry and ample room for six people not to fall over each other.

It costs us 199 dollars for the week.

An equivalent anywhere else would cost between $1,200 and $2,500.  I know, I've tried.

The best part about this place is the walks, all of which are manageable for people like us, no longer able to run a marathon or hike from dawn to dusk, and along the way at be entertained by ducks geese swans and the off rabbit.  Well, this year there were a lot more rabbits.  Even in the rain, early morning or late afternoon, there's always something different to admire.  We tend to feed the ducks and swans.

I'm sure there is more to the facilities of the village, like a tennis court and a heated pool, and more but we never had the inclination to find out.  Maybe in the future, we might.  There's no doubt we will be going back.  One day.

At the resort there is a 5-star restaurant where over the years we have stayed has provided us with some of the most memorable dinners and an interesting selection of wines, mostly local.

What more could you possibly want?

Taurangi, it's an interesting town

Located at the bottom of Lake Taupo, staying here would make more sense if you were here for the fishing, and, well, the skiing or the hiking, or just a relaxing half hour in the thermal pools.

I saw a sign somewhere that said that Taurangi was New Zealand's premier fishing spot.  I might have got the wrong, but it seems to me they're right.  On the other side of town, heading towards Taupo, there's a lodge that puts up fly fishermen, and where you can see a number of them in an adjacent river trying their luck.

It's what I would be doing if I had the patience.

But Taurangi is a rather central place to stay, located at the southernmost point of the lake.  From there it is not far from the snowfields of Whakapapa and Turoa.  Equally, at different times of the year, those ski fields become walking or hiking tracks, and the opportunity to look into a dormant volcano, Ruapehu.

It is basically surrounded by hills and mountains on three sides and a lake on the other.  Most mornings, and certainly everyone is different, there is a remarkable sunrise, particularly from where we were staying on the lake, where it could be cloudy, clear, or just cold and refreshing, with a kaleidoscope of colors from the rising sun.

I don't think I've been there to see two days the same.

However, Taurangi, on most days we've visited, is even more desolate than Taupo, both on the main street and the central mall.  The same couldn't be said for the precinct where New World, the local supermarket, a Z petrol station can be found.  There it is somewhat more lively.  The fact there's a few more shops and a restaurant might help traffic flow.

There is also a mini golf course, and in the middle of winter, it is a bleak place to be, especially in the threatening rain, and the wind.  It had also seen better days and in parts, in need of a spruce up, but it's winter, and there are no crowds, so I guess it will wait till the Spring.

In the mall, there's the expected bank, newsagent, gift shop and post office combined, and a number of other gift shops/galleries.  But the best place is the cafe which I've never seen empty and has an extended range of pies pastries and cakes, along with the fast food staples of chips and chicken.
Oh, and you can also get a decent cup of coffee there.

There are two other coffee shops but we found this one the first time we came, we were given a warm welcome and assistance, and have never thought to go anywhere else, despite two known change of owners.

But despite all these reasons why someone might want to stay there, we don't.

We have a timeshare, and there's a timeshare in Pukaki called Oreti Villiage.  That's where we stay.

Taupo, it has the lake, but...

If you are not skiing, not hiking, not horseriding, and have come for the fishing, this is the place to be.

Except...

There is something about a summer resort town in the middle of winter.

Or maybe it's like this all the time.  After all, I have been here in Spring and Autumn and it was just as deserted on the main street.

And not just deserted it is almost like a ghost town, and I suspect the few people that are here are the few hapless tourists wandering about wondering where everyone else is.

It's about 2 pm and we are heading for the local Coffee club for lunch and coffee.  It might be past lunch but I don't think that's the reason why there are so few customers

There is just no one here.

Perhaps it's probably a different story on weekends when the city people come down for the snow and are passing through.

But, essentially, Taupo is a holiday town, and if you take a closer look, all you will see is cafe's, dining establishments and motels.  A quick tour of the shopping center shows more shops are closed or vacant than there are open.

It's not surprising that a lot of businesses cannot survive, because to stay in business, you need a steady stream of customers all year round, not just in Summer.

Unlike their winter counterparts, the ski resorts who seem to have a different working model, take as much as you can while you can, they only have to operate a few months of the year, use non-permanent seasonal workers, and can adjust if there's no snow.

An indication of just how much custom there is in Taupo in winter is trying to organize horse riding.  Admittedly it is rather cold for both humans and horses, but not every day is a loss.  We sought out the local Taupo horse riding establishment and found it closed for Winter.  Understandable perhaps, but the more telling point was the fact it had a big sign up "Business for Sale"

To me, after visiting the town for the fourth time, there's no reason to go back again.  I don't fish, there is precious little to do there in winter, and I prefer to stay closer to the snowfields in winter, or even summer when there is more than just skiing.

This is why we stay near Taurangi.

Auckland, New Zealand, a rare day for the port

We were staying at the Hilton and advised there would be a large cruise liner berthing next to the hotel.  There was the Arcadia.



This is the view from the other side of the hotel.  Where our room was, we could almost walk onto the aft end of the ship.

We were also told this was a rather extraordinary day because there were two cruise ships in the port. particularly because it was near the end of the cruising season.

The other ship was two berths along, the Sun Princess.



Not as big as the Arcadia, up close it was still very impressive.

Oreti Village: No two sunrises are the same

Oreti village

Pukawa Bay

North Island, New Zeland

On the southern tip of Lake Taupo

Three days after we arrive.  Cold.  Red Sky.

A warning that the weather is going to change.  Will it be rain or snow?



It is as cold and peaceful as the first, but the sun is not yet shining.  All we have is this ethereal pinkish tinge to the sky



Before the first clouds appear.  The surface of the lake is like a mirror, reflecting the sky, and clouds.



How soon will it be before the boats begin to appear?

Just how hard can it be to see some snow?

You would think it is a relatively simple thing to get to the snow.

Of course, there are a few necessities like skis, boots, poles, and warm dry clothing, but that can all be bought or rented when you get there, or if you are an enthusiast, you already have the gear.

So, you get in the car, set the navigator, and off you go.  Till you get within 20 k of the ski field, it's all plain sailing, everyone is excited, and mentally preparing.

Then it all starts to go sideways.

Those last few kilometers to the top are going to be arduous particularly if it's been snowing and the roads are icy, but the weather is fine with blue skies and no recent snow falls.  Were expecting a slow drive and a parking spot.

The road is open.

But...

So late in the morning, a sign at the bottom of the mountain warns all the car parks at the ski field are full, but we venture on anyway.

As you can see, the cars are parked so far away from the ski fields, the prospective skiers have to almost run a marathon before they get there!

And for some odd reason, we picked the very day everyone in New Zealand also wanted to go up to the ski fields so parking, even near the Chateau Tongariro was gone and there were endless cars looking for parking spots and traffic wardens had their hands full trying to keep traffic moving
So, for us and everyone else, everything stops at Chateau Tongariro, and from there the only vehicles allowed up are buses.

It's about 10:30 and we are advised the only way we were getting to see snow was to take a bus

Now, there are two types of busses.  You can go up on a local bus, from Whakapapa Village that costs $20 a person which in the context of the cost of skiing not very much, but if you're not, it's quite expensive.

The second, one we were advised to use, operates from a place called National Park, about 9 km away, a snow shuttle that costs $6 each.  The trouble is by the time we were ready to go there, to catch a shuttle, there were no more shuttles.

We did not know what to expect when we got to 'National Park', but being a railway station makes sense.  It's the only place with a very large carpark!

Oh, well, there's always tomorrow.

Chateau Tongariro, New Zealand

This chateau was built in 1929 and was originally intended as a hostel for hikers.

It is now near the  Whakapapa skifield on the slopes of Mount Ruapehu and within  the boundary of the Tongariro National Park



We had afternoon tea in the lounge several times, and it is very pleasant in winter with the log fires burning.



The interior is still as ornate as it had been in the 1930's.  The chairs are very comfortable, and the atmosphere pleasant.

Mount Ngauruhoe can be seen through the window of the lounge.  This was used in filming Lord of the Rings.

Auckland, New Zealand: Another city that has a tower

Nearly every city has a high building, a tower, or a large Ferris wheel.

London had the London eye
Paris has the Eiffel tower
The Galata in Istanbul
The CN Tower in Toronto
The towers of San Gimignano
Pisa has a leaning tower

We've managed to see all of the above bar the Galata in Istanbul.  One day we might get there.

But, on this side of the world, there are two, the Sydney Tower, and the Sky Tower in Auckland, which we just visited recently.



It's not a tall tower, but it definitely gives great vies of Auckland, particularly to the north



The mountain in the background at the top of the photo is of a volcano on Rangitoto Island.  When we were visiting, there were reports that it might become active again.



To give a height perspective, it didn't seem all that far down to the apartment building and gardens nearby.

Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand, and the Turoa Ski Field, minus the snow

Every year or so we take advantage of using our timeshare and stay at Oreti Village which is located near Turangi, at the bottom of Lake Taupo.  We used to stay in Queenstown but it is no longer possible to book a timeshare there in winter.

Staying at Oreti village gives us the opportunity to go to Mt Ruapehu and the Tongariro National Park.

There are two main skiing areas on Mt Ruapehu, the Whakapapa Ski Area on the north-western slopes of Mt Ruapehu and not far from the Chateau Tongariro hotel.

The other, Turoa requires traveling further to Okahune.  Turoa Ski Area on the south-western slopes of Mt Ruapehu offers a massive 722m of vertical descent on New Zealand's highest chairlift - the High Noon Express

The day we visited, as you can see, is hot and there is little or no snow.



There is a map of the ski area, which, since this picture was taken, has no doubt changed.



There is nothing more lonely than a ski resort in summer




And you can only use your imagination to visualize what it might be like in winter.  Alas, it is quiet and feels like it has been abandoned with not another vehicle in sight.



We will be back in winter when I hope the landscape is more wintry and there are a lot more people here.