Thought I would do this blog page for those of you who don't get to the West Coast very often. It is such a special part of New Zealand. Conde Nast Traveller, a prestigious North American travel magazine, rates it one of the world's most scenic highways.
But to go back a little..............
In January 1968 50 nervous 17 & 18 year old girls arrived at Dunedin Hospital to commence a three year nursing programme. We had a reunion in Dunedin in 1978, and it was considered that 50 years since we started would be a suitable time to have another get together. So Paul and I decided to have a south of the South Island holiday in conjunction with this event.
We left Nelson on March 16 in time to spend St Patrick's Day in Christchurch with some Irish friends. It was quite an eventful day which started with 9am Mass at Sacred Heart Church, Addington, which had been our parish. An Irish priest added to the atmosphere. Then spent most of the rest of the day being led astray by our Irish friends Bryan and Marie Kelly, at the Irish Society, various Irish bars, etc. We bailed out at 9pm!
Headed to Ashburton the next day and took Val and John Shaw out for lunch. John is a bit slower getting around (86 now) but they were both very interested to hear how you all our family are. While driving south from there we could see fresh snow on the Southern Alps. Beautiful but cool. We stayed that night at a motel overlooking lovely Moeraki, then drove on to Dunedin on Thursday.
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| Class of 1965 |
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| Moira,Sandie,Pam, Pat, Christine |
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| Pat,Barb,Moira,Ros,Sandie |
There were 4 functions for the reunion and all went very well. 17 attendees from our class, and 20 from the April one which amalgamated with ours at the end of our first year. We stayed at a motel on Gt King St in Dunedin opposite the North Ground so just a short walk to the functions at the Nurses Home and Hospital, and even closer to the Saturday night dinner at Cargills where some of the husbands joined us. In between times we enjoyed visiting various friends and relatives. On the Sunday morning we went to Mass at St Bernadettes and saw numerous people there whom we knew.
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| Pat,Paul,Peter, Barry, Anne |
Then stayed a night at Milton with Anne and Barry, so great to catch up with them. They had invited their neighbours over for a BBQ with us. NZ is a small country. Peter, the neighbour, is the brother of a friend of ours at church here in Stoke. The next day drove through to Cromwell, where Anne and Barry had kindly lent us the use of their lovely holiday home there. It will become their permanent home when Barry retires in a few years time.
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| Autumn colours-poplars near Bannockburn |
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| Paul with Uncle Bernie |
It was a good base, being at the hub with Alexandra, Queenstown and Wanaka only short distances away. Autumn colours starting on the trees were beautiful. Saw Paul's Uncle Bernie Pettit, now 92 and the last of his family of 10 siblings. He has his own house at a retirement village, but is getting a bit forgetful. Sharp as a tack when looking at old yachting photos of him and Paul's father, Cyril. His daughter Judy and her husband, Pete Carroll also live in Cromwell, and hosted us and Anne (who had come through to have the weekend with us) for an evening meal. We visited Robbie and Lyn Wyatt in Alexandra, and also Suzanne (nee Curran) and Kevin MacKenzie there. Jan and Gordon Gutzewitz did some water skiing on the lake before meeting us for a tasty long lunch at a cafe in Cromwell.
On the Sunday we drove through to Wanaka where we stayed with Barbara and Tony Waterworth for the night. Had hoped to see NZ win the Cricket Cup final. Alas, it was not to be, but Barbara's delicious dinner and lively conversation with Lesly(who was one of the reunion organizers) and Graham Stewart also there made for a very convivial evening
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| Rugged Westland coast |
So on to the West Coast the next day. It would have been about 16 years since I had last driven through the Haast Pass - when we lived in Queenstown. Paul drives the length of the West Coast and through to Central Otago quite often, driving/& guiding Karen's North American clients, but always from north to south. I don't think there are enough superlatives to adequately describe this exquisitely beautiful area - all the way from the Haast right up to the Buller Gorge just inland from Westport. I shall work on the "a picture is worth a thousand words" principle and attach photos to this.
A landscape architect couldn't have done a better job than nature itself with the vegetation, bush and trees. Ferns at the roadside, bush and tree ferns next, then taller trees. In most cases extending to the tops of the backdrop hills, and 30 shades of green.
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| From lookout at Rocky Point |
And as for the coast - majestic & rugged with new and stunning views around every corner.
Waterfalls of various drops cascading down gullies, and birds wheeling in the air.
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| Afternoon at Lake Matheson |
We stayed at Fox Glacier and that afternoon did the bush walk around Lake Matheson, which is often described as a mirror lake because of the reflections it affords of the surrounding bush and Mount Cook.
There was a ripple on the lake when we saw it, so I have borrowed someone else's spectacular photo to show it in its glory, with snow capped Mt Cook in the background.
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| Lake Matheson with Mount Cook in background |
Driving on the next morning, mist clung to the gullies running between hills which sloped right down to the road. Stopped at various viewing areas. In Paul's usual style, he struck up conversations with other travellers, who had come from numerous different countries and were awed by the diverse views.
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| Westland hills and early morning mist |
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Paul on Hokitika Beach
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We stopped for that night at Hokitika. Looked at a motel near the centre of town, but decided against it when a freight train went noisily rumbling along the nearby railway line. The owner would not have been happy with the timing! So next looked at a complex away back from the main street and railway line. Lovely lady welcomed us, and we were very comfortable in a spacious one bedroom unit. Later in the evening heard Paul talking to someone outside, and he came in to say that he had invited the owners in for a drink! They had moved there from Christchurch just 8 months before and were interested to hear of our experience in the industry. They kindly gave us a CD, saying that their daughter had sung the NZ National Anthem at the Gallipoli commemoration last year, and had been invited to do so again this year, at the 100 year ceremony. She is a reservist in the Navy. We played it in the car the next day, and Oh My Gosh, what a beautiful voice Rebecca Nelson has. The CD is named Reflections, and she has several clips on You Tube, some about 5 years ago when she was busking in London and Grafton St in Dublin.
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| Lake Ianthe |
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| Selfie at Okarito Wetlands (no-else around to take photo!) |
The next day was sunny and calm, and we headed to the Okarito Lagoon in the hope of seeing the white herons which nest there over the summer. Paul had done a tour there before so opted to do a challenging walk up a nearby hill. I elected to go out on the lagoon in a kayak. Suitably set up, I set off just before high tide. Paddled up the lagoon for about two Kms with birds of all varieties flying above me, and walking on the nearby mud flats.
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| Wetlands at Okarito Lagoon |
Went off in to a creek through a wetland area where I was delighted to see a few of the majestic white herons. I had expected an easy trip back on an outgoing tide, but a brisk westerly wind had kicked in, so it was hard work. Very worthwhile though, as saw more of the herons on my way back, and it was such a tranquil spot. Only saw one other boat with two people in it during the three hours I was paddling.
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| Okarito coastline |
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| Blowhole spouting |
As we approached Punakaiki and the Pancake Rocks Paul said we most probably wouldn't see the blowholes in action as usually a combination of high seas and a westerly wind was needed. However, our luck was in, as a very high tide created a lot of spray pluming out the top of the blowholes. In one of these photos, you can see the water line way up on the rocks. I am particularly pleased with the one which caught a rainbow in the spray.
Back home to Nelson, with lots of great experiences, memorable times spent at my nursing reunion, and with family and friends, and visual memories of some stunning NZ scenery.
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