New Zealand - Day 9

Travelled 88 kms

We had to get up at 07:20 to get a choo choo.

Taieri Gorge Railway is a brilliant way to spend four hours. At $90 it’s not cheap but where can you do this sort of thing at home?
We had done a recce yesterday to find a suitable and accessible parking place for the camper van while we were away on the train. Simplicity itself, the car park at the station would let us park all day for $5. No worries mate.

Dunedin Railway Station is iconic with a capital I. It is one of the most photographed buildings in NZ. And the most photographed railway station in the world. It makes Central Station look like a badly made piece of Lego. Have a wee look at this.

We had our seats pre booked and climbed on board to find the Scottish couple along with an English couple in the seats beside us. What's the chances of that happening?
The train pulled out to start the two hour journey up through a steep sided gorge. Some of the features on this line are the huge cast iron viaducts the bridges built on precarious rock formations. Two very long tunnels and a couple of shorter ones. Tree lined valleys. Streams cascading seawards, one hundred metres below, sheep, millions of them, eking out enough to do them on the barren looking landscape. Various coloured cattle, mooing their greetings to us passers by. The train chugged along at a sedate 35kph, stopping very occasionally at designated locations. Where it stopped there would be about ten or so stalls being manned if you like by ladies from various Womens Institute Groups. Happy and smiling. I wondered if they were like that at home. They would offer the usual but nearly always home made tourist cak. All without exception as jolly as a farmers wife, indeed most probably were.

Naturally there was a Pullman offering hot and cold snacks and drinks. The service here was as slow as on the Otago Peninsular road. Luckily enough we'd brought our own food and drink, so only needed a cold beer after the furthermost stop. You might ask why I don't call the stops on the railway line, stations. Well I'd forgive you for that. You see, the stops were just that. A sign stating the stop and a pathway leading away from the track. No buildings apart from what looked like water storage huts.
Needless to say their re lots of photos taken on this journey. It was great to be able to look out of the window without the fear of crashing. And that was the train driver.
Clackety clack went the wheels and whoo whoo went the horn, which was very loud as it echoed around the valley, it was an admirable sight.

The journey back down to Dunedin was as spectacular because we spent most of it on the platform at the back of the carriage.

Back on Terra Ferma

Not getting to the steepest street in the world, which is in Dunedin is the only thing I wated to see but time or whatever was not on our side.


Margaret was anxious to get up as near to Christchurch for our hand over tomorrow. After a quick walk around the town centre where we called in to the i centre to thank our new friend and most helpful soul called Peter. He was, as his colleagues all were, really most helpful.

On the way up we saw the signpost for a certain place that had large boulders on display. I'd see them in Jane Dunns book and as was most of her writings, looked to be of interest. We found them on the beach ad they were very unusual. Almost totally round and differing in size from abot eighteen inches to over a yard in diameter. A couple were broken and thee turned out to be hollow. Strangely like something from "Cocoon". Then Margaret saw a movement on the beach about twenty feet from where we were standing. It was only a bleeddin great fur seal. He was basking in the warm sunshine and presented a perfect photo oppurtunity. I took one and decided to get a real close up. When I was no more than four feet from him he decided to turn to face me. Margaret narrowly missed a golden oppurtunity to see me run instead. I was between him and the sea, and any eejit knows this is not good.

Onwards we went, Margaret smirking at my cowardice and me wishing it was me taking a picture of her and the seal.

We decided to head on up to Ashburton. This is indeed a very nice town, even slightly industrial. It,s approach is lined with farmng machinery stores and garden centres. A bit like going into Ballymena.

As we were both vmished, and this would be our last night in New Zealand we decided to have a very nice meal. But Where? We spotted this hotel, which really, is another name for a pub and asked if they did food. We asked for a menu, and this is were it became evident they didn't get a lot of tourists through their doors. "It's up on the wall round the corner"! The barmaid countered. A quick look revealed a menu consisting of burgers and chips. We're looking for something a bit more substantial I said. Hoping I wouldn't annoy her almost threatening attitude. "Oh. A proper dinner is it?" "Yes please" " Well, you gotta go down there turn right and its called whatever.". "Dead on. We'll try that"
We found what she alluded to, but it looked like a Wetherspoons from the outside and this would not suit our final meal in NZ. We had had nothing to eat since about twelve, and that was the rolls on the train. I was losing weight, fast.
However I spotted a place entirely more suitable across the road behind some trees. We went over, and a charming waitress introduced herself along with the Braided River restaurant.
A first glimpse at the menu showed promise of food we all know and love. We weren't wrong. We started straight into the mains because the puddings showed a great deal of promise. If there's ever Rack of Lamb on a menu, you could put money on the fact it will be M's first choice, I'm the same with beef ribeye especially if served with Bernaise Sauce. A side of frsh asparagus filled the plates out nicely.This time would be no different, in fact the home of lamb and the high school of beef proved to be faultless. Absolutely the best meal of the trip. Along with a goodly cheesboard for one and a Mixed Berry cheesecake. A beer G & T and two glasses of wine, all for $127.50 or £59.

Once again we entered Campsite into old TomTom and he led us to Ashburon Holiday Park. For $26 or £12 we had our place for the night. It was dark when we got in, and there were no lights in the part we decidd to set up in. To be honest we were both knackered from such an eventful day. Tonight will see us having our last Gins and beers under the Kiwi sky. All to soon we won't be able to say, " Look, you could nearly touch those stars". And it will come to soon.
New Zealand. For a such a small place in the grand scheme of things, your heart is bigger than probably every other country we've travelled in. You've howed us your naked beauty, your warm and very friendly people, your tumbling streams, and majestic mountains. If I had youth and the nuts, I'd be over there within months, to live. Pity, such a pity, it's so far away.