Enjoying Greymouth

At the end of my last post we were at the railway station awaiting the shuttle through to Christchurch. The train is a once a day trip - Christchurch to Greymouth and back about an hour later. And far too expensive for us ordinary folk. So we caught the shuttle bus and it was comfortable enough with very congenial company. People chatted and shared food and one man loaned a blanket to someone who was not dressed warmly enough. 

But before we left there were things to do and places to see.

I went back to the school gates and took a photo and a close up of the poppies that had been crafted and attached to the gates on ANZAC Day.

On ANZAC Day Sis and I met up with our cousin and after lunch we went up to the cemetery at Karoro and put flowers on our grandparents grave and a poppy on Grandad's war plaque. It was nice to see the gravesite looking so good especially with there being no family living there now.

    

From the cemetery we took a short trip to the Karoro beach, it is a stony beach, no sand, and the stones polish up beautifully. We went fossicking - looking for greenstone or pounamu and we found some stones with a green tinge but I doubt it was the pure stuff. We did pick up some pebbles for the Aussies to take home though. Some are such pretty colours.

Karoro beach, you can see the Southern Alps in the far distance and on a good day can pick out Aorangi Mount Cook.

Lorraine and Peter fossicking. There was a lady and her children fossicking as well, she had a hammer and chisel to break stones open, we just spat on ours to see the colour :)

Another day Peter invited Lorraine and I to go to the Mawhera Pa with him. The pa is built on the site of the original Maori settlement, which surprised me as I had always thought it was about a half mile further up the river. So after lunch at one of the local cafes we went on an immersive learning adventure. It was well worth the money and time spent, a world class attraction I would think. I was really impressed with the quality of the exhibits. Below is a collage of some of the interior, small individual storytelling pods, small theatres showing movies/animations of life on the pa and the environs and a larger than life model of a Maori chief. Just some of the delights in this amazing cultural centre.

I think it was that same day that we went to the railway station and bought tee shirts for the kids, well I bought tee shirts I don't know what anyone else bought. And then i told the other two to follow me. They indulged me and were pleased they did as I was showing them the pounamu boulder at the end of the platform. It's enormous and one of several scattered around the town. 

 Another night we had dinner at the hotel next to the motel. It was nice to go and have a proper meal after cooking scrap meals at the motel and we spent a very pleasant hour or so just chatting about our respective families and having a proper catchup.

Occasionally Lorraine and I did our own thing when Peter was away touristing :) One day we took a bit of a walk along the flood wall of the Grey River but although it looks like a nice sunny day a cold wind blows down the valley and it wasn't very pleasant. You can see looking upriver that there were grey clouds and although it didn't rain it was cold. 

Then we went and had brunch at a little place just up from the quay. 

We had to wait until after 11am as Sis wanted whitebait, so whitebait we had. $16 each for a very big patty sandwiched between fresh white bread. It was delicious :)

That was pretty much it in Greymouth. It was great to visit our old home town. We went and looked for the houses we lived in but neither of them were there anymore. Even the hospital where we both worked and the nurses home we lived in have been knocked over and rebuilt - I suppose that's what happens after a major earthquake or two.

When we arrived in Christchurch I had about six hours before my flight down to Dunedin so we met up with our Christchurch cousins. Six girls, we sat and chatted for a couple of hours before the cafe closed. That was half the girl cousins, another six are scattered throughout Australia and New Zealand.

That's me at the back on the left. Look at all that white hair, lots of wisdom in that group :)

And now I think I should stop. I don't talk a lot but I seem to forget to stop when I'm writing. 

So, until next time, 

keep well and keep safe.

Diana 

An icy start

I know I haven't been around much lately but I have managed to find some pics to put up for the photo challenge over at 

I live, I love, I craft, I am me with Hawthorn. Most of them were taken while we were on holiday earlier in the month. I hope to get back to normal in the not too distant future, in the meantime I will visit and post when I can.

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1)  Making

We have been away on holiday for a few days and decided to go into the city centre for a bit of a stroll and look around. It just so happened that there was a street party and a good crowd of people. Amongst all the food stalls were one or two more interesting ones and this one caught our attention. An ice sculptor at work. Making!

And I'm sorry there are two pictures but I wanted 

to show you some of his finished work (even though they are not very clear).

2)  Empty

Once more two photos but you need to see the size of the pre meal 'while you are waiting snack' to appreciate the empty bowl below. We were out with our grandson, his partner and friend while on the same holiday. An enjoyable meal followed.

3)  Starts with an F

On another nice day we decided to go and have a look at the 'Cardboard Cathedral' which is being used in place of ChristChurch Cathedral after it was devastated by the earthquake almost seven years ago. This is the font just inside the entrance. The font and base are made from beautiful wood but the upright is cardboard. 

4)  Paper

Now this one is from the archives. We went up to Alexandra one Saturday during the blossom festival a few years ago to watch the procession and just generally hang. When I was young I always thought the procession floats were decorated with blossoms but of course I now realise that is not possible if we want to have summer fruit. So these lovely floats are made with tiny paper flowers.

5)  Neat

I think this tiny pansy is neat. It was only half an inch 

across and those little light dots on the purple are actually

 specks of pollen. I hope you agree this little flower has a neat 

little face as well as being so dainty and pretty.

6)  Street

Still on holiday. On the day we went to view the cardboard cathedral we also found this memorial to the 185 victims of the earthquake across the street. It stands on a street corner and is quite poignant. It consists of 185 white painted chairs. The tiny chair in the front is a baby's car seat and what makes it more moving for me is that it represents a young girl and her tiny newborn baby from my town. They were killed when a building collapsed onto the bus they were sitting in at the bus stop. 

7)  Kettle

This one had my brain ticking over...what to do that was different? Copper kettles? Nah. Electric kettles? Nah. Then one night...an 'Aha' moment. We have a sports field in the city named Kettle Park! So last weekend in I went and took a photo and here it is. Football (rugby) and football (soccer) are both played here but not in the same areas obviously. The park adjoins the beach just over to the left and a wild wind blows off the water at times during the winter. Believe me I know - I've stood in it whilst watching my grandsons playing football (soccer).

8)  Unexpected

Another holiday pic - when we went out with our grandson for an evening meal we saw this round, glass topped table in the main bar but didn't take too much notice. It wasn't until we were leaving that we managed to have a closer look at it - a well in the middle of the bar! Totally unexpected. This is taken looking down the well and that is a light reflecting off water at the bottom. Unfortunately I never thought to find out the background story to share.

9)  Vase

Not very original I'm afraid. I mean what can you do with with 'vase'? I asked myself. And so all I came up with was this pic of shelves of vases in the Warehouse. A real challenge here so I'm interested to see what others have done with it :)

10)   My choice

Back to the holiday pics. I would love to have a ride in a punt sometime. It always seems quite romantic to me. This is a punt on the Avon River in Christchurch. Taken after we had spent a restful afternoon strolling around the botanic gardens.

Two intrepid walkers - on a road trip

I hope you will take a few minutes, maybe five, 

make yourself a coffee or tea and join me 

as I take a road trip to my childhood home.

Well it's been over for a week or two now but when my little sis was here on holiday from Australia we went on a bit of a road trip. All in the name of the reunion we are having at Easter next year. 

We had intended heading back up Central and knocking off a bit more of the rail trail but got chatting and decided on a completely different plan. Dunedin to Greymouth and back in four days, because I had a meeting to get back for. That's a round trip of over 1130 k's and meant we were on the road most of the time without a full day anywhere.

After making sure my GKB was okay with baching for a few days we got on the road. He didn't fancy a menage a trois of any kind anyway and quite honestly even though the campervan was supposed to sleep four it would have been pretty crowded. Comfortable enough for two though.

After a couple of hours on the road, we decided to stop for lunch at one of the rivers we crossed on the way. There was a fair wind blowing but we got out and stretched our legs, took a photo or two and some of some tourists as well, with their camera. (We are so nice like that, ha ha). The name of the river eludes me now but it is the same braided river I showed you in an earlier post with the ducks swimming on it. The photo above is a tiny sheltered braid close to the bank. Very pretty but the river itself is rugged. If you look hard you can see the Southern Alps in the background on the left. And then we headed for Christchurch to stop for the night.

There are a lot of road works and rebuilding going on and at one point we went round this roundabout into a little detour and came back out where we had gone in. Don't ask! I think that was as we were trying to get onto the Coast Road as we left the next morning. Anyway we went through here several times over two days. We had just enough time to get parked up at the camping ground/holiday park when we arrived when my grandson rang to say his partner had just finished work and was on his way over to pick us up for dinner. Time for a quick wash and tidy up and away we went for a lovely roast dinner.

The next morning, after an early start and finally negotiating the road works we turned inland and onto the West Coast Road. That is the Southern Alps we are heading for and which we had to cross. Heading home, well to my childhood home which I love.

Above is Castle Hill, no castle just these rather wonderful rock formations which from a distance do look like a ruined castle, we pass this on the way. And then a bit further on we come to the Bealey River, we're up in the mountains now and although there is no snow where we are, it's on the tops and cold.

Over the bridge and before we knew it we were in the Otira Gorge and driving over the viaduct. So different to when I was young, when you had to drive a lot higher up the mountain on an unsealed road with no barriers to stop you going over the edge. 

The photo above is taken through the van window, a waterfall above the road with the sluice to carry it across the road above the traffic. We stopped for lunch in Otira village, next to the railway station at some picnic tables and then carried on to the coast. We were on the downhill run now. We can hear the call of home :)

And I think that is where I will leave you today. I'll pick up here again in about a week and tell a little more. 

Joining Amy for 

Five on Friday

Diana

A road trip - spoiler

I went on a road trip this week with my sister.

Here are five photos of some of the

 places we stopped very briefly at, 

or passed through. I hope you enjoy. 

I will post about this trip later. 

Joining Amy at Five on Friday.

Why don't you pop on over and see 

what others have been up to as well.

Sunset over the Tasman Sea.

A rainbow as we headed into Otira, Westland.

Tussockland in the Canterbury high country.

Near Castle Hill, Canterbury, 

with the Southern Alps in the background

Ducks and geese swimming in

 a braided river in South Canterbury.

Diana