Thursday 10 April 2025

A 2.5 hour trip to Methven via Lake Tekapo was designed to get us within an hour of Lincoln on Friday when we take up our last pet sit with Stella the Highland Terrier. The Lake was, as expected, very stunning. The tourist infrastructure not so. Flashy commented on the many little piles of stones which had been collected by tourists and piled up to look like fairies had visited. Cute maybe, like on a small not so beautiful beach on the way to Port Douglas, although I know the Rangers want to pull them down there. But on the edge of a blue lake with snow covered mountains in the background and autumn reds and yellows of the trees. Well, he did contemplate kicking them down. What would the hundreds of Chinese and Indian tourists do? Let alone, the bus loads of Brisbane pensioners! Look, look. Click, click. Let’s get out of here.

Methven had three pubs. We stayed at a motel and were one of only five rooms booked. Crap food at the pub of choice for dinner.

Friday 11 April 2025

Lincoln is a university town with some fairly new subdivisions, on the outskirts of Christchurch.  A very pretty town. We arrived in more sunshine and 14C, to look after Stella, who was hiding in the owner’s wardrobe. We will have to bribe her with food.

This is how the local farmers dress in 2C degrees on a visit to the pub.
More stunning scenery.
Thousands of the little rock towers.
Pull 'em down!
A statue of  a Collie dog. Backbone of the NZ sheep industry.
A statue of James Mackenzie, a notorious sheep thief after whom the district is named.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  Thursday – Friday 25 & 26 September 2025 Thursday, we took the excellent Baltic Express train to Wroclaw. About four hours in a first class cabin. It was a bit 007’ish. Sean Connery era. Then in the light rain, an Uber to our very large two bedroom apartment in the old town side of Worclaw. After stuffing about with communications, or rather lack thereof from the 30 something, IT nerd owner living in Amsterdam, we got access by some stupid app on the phone. Flashy was clearly not amused and to boot, the friggin apartment was on the third floor 60 stairs up! Friday, after a nice poached egg breakfast, we trammed into town and joined a free walking tour. This was an excellent 2.5 hour, informative insight into Polish history. We discovered a lot about Poland and its people over the ages and took many photos of the little brass gnomes that are all over the city. Then, of course, the guide hangs about for a tip. So much for a free tour. The Americans over tipped as expected....
Read more
Image
 Saturday 1 March 2025 After an delayed flight to Christchurch, which saw us arrive at 1.30 am and a short sleep at the Airport Hotel, we picked up our hire car - a little hybrid Toyota Aqua and checked out our pet sit for the end of the trip. This involved a short drive to Lincoln to meet the owners, then on to visit Angel and Vienna, Lady P's niece and grand niece.  Then in the afternoon, a 2.5 hr drive to Hanmer Springs, a spa town in the mountains. Our little Alpine Motel is very pleasant and the town of 700 (swells to 10,000 in the season), is treelined and full of little coffee  shops and restaurants. However, it is expensive. And I expect NZ will be expensive all over. 500g of butter and I understand they do make some here! is $12. Petrol is $2.69 a litre. Dinner at the local restaurant, No 31 was very good. Tuna tartare and smoked duck and Orange Roughy with a good Sauvignon Blanc and two Pinot Noirs also quite acceptable. However, much wine research is still requ...
Read more
Image
Saturday 14/ Sunday 15 / Mon 16 June 2025 Saturday, the locals put on a band, a food truck and a brewery pop-up in the little garden at the historic house of Jason Russell. This was attacked by the British in 1775 as part of the Lexington/Concord battles – the first in the War of Independence. He was killed (good old British bayonet they say), along with 30 others. The Brits lost about the same. The house is in the main street of Arlington and still has some bullet holes from the skirmishes. Lt John Baker, King’s Own Muskets 1775, recorded,  “We were now obliged to force almost every house on the road, for the rebels had taken possession of them and galled us most exceedingly but they suffered for their temerity, for all that we found in the houses were put to death.” Paul Revere’s midnight ride was along this road and he whispered, not shouted, “the Regulars are about.” So, they say. Sunday was a catch up day. Although, Lady P took Masie for an 8km walk around the lake. Flashy...
Read more