An update on the Haast Pass Highway 6 slip for the South Island properties sending guests up the West coast.  The road has been open 93% of the last 15 days October 2 to October 17.  This is having devastating consequences for tourism operators both on the coast and in Wanaka.

Haast Highway Slip, NZ Transport Photograph

There have been some ongoing challenges on Highway 6 since heavy rain triggered a slip on September 8 2013. It is located 3 km on the West Coast side of the Haast Pass summit. Since then there has been a lot of road work on the slip as it stabilises. NZ Transport Agency have just run public meetings right down the West Coast (October 17) to update us on progress on fixing the problem.
The slip at Diana Falls is 3km before the top of the Haast Pass.

Although there were long closures back in September, throughout October Highway 6 has been open for much of every day for 14 of the last 15 days (93% of the time). That means that providing you aren’t running on a very tight schedule such as some of the big tour buses, people will usually get through the slip area straight away or with a brief delay every day so be a little patient. There are road men at the slip site all the time letting people through and managing the traffic and safety.

For safety reasons the Highway Authorities are closing the road every night between 6pm and 8am. Our guests don’t usually travel at night anyway because they are here to see the scenery so this will not affect them.
We do suggest that if they are driving north from Queenstown/Wanaka or south Hokitika to Queenstown/Wanaka, aim to come through the slip area around the middle of the day and don’t leave it until the late afternoon (when they might decide to close the road early) or early in the morning (when the roading people might still have to clear rocks off the road).

Our guests coming to or going from the Lodge usually do drive through this area around the middle of the day so this should not be an issue.
When there is heavy rain it may trigger more rockslides that have to be cleared off the road but usually this is achieved by 1pm each day.
The closures are getting less and less as the loose rock is washed down off the slip.

From mid November 2013 onwards the roading authorities are installing rock netting and engineering works to solve the problem. This can only be done once most of the loose rock is flushed off the slip.
When you/they drive from Fox Glacier south or from Wanaka north there will be an electronic sign that advises current highway conditions. This is not Gospel. It does change all the time so we generally encourage you to keep on with your original travel plans. There is a website www.nzta.govt.nz “South Island Highway Conditions” that is updated 4 times a day..
For 93% of the last 15 days the road has been open despite the fact that we have had rain over much of that period so the road guys are doing a great job keeping the road open most of the time.

The Luminaries

The Luminaries

The Luminaries, Booker Prize 2013

Well, what a wonderful way to put Hokitika on the map.  The book has been flying off the shelves throughout the country and no more so than in our little town.  Our local bookshop has just been trying to keep up with demand and has ordered at least twice as much stock as previously and they are still running out.  If this book gets the global following we think it will, then people will come and visit us because of that.  Who knows, they may make it into a movie.  That will certainly put Hokitika on the map.  I had a call from a film production company who needed five rooms this coming week, but because we have four were unable to assist them.  Oh well, hopefully there will be more requests in the future!  So, everyone, enjoy the book.

Coast Spring

The tulips are coming to an end and are now replaced by the warratah and protea flowering on the edge of the cliff. We have just spent the day mowing the lawns after ten days of rain. Oh, spring is wonderful on the coast!

Now that spring has arrived on the coast, our garden is looking spectacular.  The bellbirds, tuis, thrushes and of course the destructive kereru (pigeon) have returned, the pigeons to eat all the leaves from our plum trees and the tuis and bellbirds to nest close to their food source.

I don’t think the kereru (native pigeon) like quinces so perhaps we will get lots of fruit this year.

…

Helen & Peter
Rimu Lodge

33 Seddons Rd
Rimu,  Hokitika,
WESTLAND

Phone:
+64 3 755-5255

Email: [email protected]

WELCOME to Spring in New Zealand. The changeable landscape is changing again and we are inspired by this Haiku composed by Lynne Hopkinson, Mount Hope, Ontario (Canada). Lynne explored NZ in springtime 2012 and has graciously shared her Haiku with her hosts and now with all of you.

winter slowly passed 
the land of the long white cloud
spring comes, the sun warms

thin snow-fingers creep
foreboding snow-capped mountains
peeking down at clouds

 shadows long and dark
coming from one direction
shortening to naught

hoping not to fall
bare tree roots cling to grey rocks
and to each other

 grey rivers rushing
impeded by rocks and stones
slow to a trickle

 boulders in bare fields
interfering with the land
from where have they come

 soft winds whispering
clouds creature-shaped and wispy
drift across the sky

stands of brown beech trees
shriveled leaves grasping branches
await new spring coats

sporting new crew cuts
long stands of border hedges
shelter furrowed lands

young spring lambs crying
all searching for their mothers
dot newly greened fields

reflected in pools
yellow and white daffodils
reaching for the sun

 spreading silver ferns
protect trickling streams and brooks
and dark pine forests

lakes turn grey to green
fruit trees bud, blossom and bloom
exquisite birds call

tussocks wave and sway
long brown grass turning to green
greets the new season

Lynne on one of her adventures, exploring White Island, NZ. White Island is an active Volcano off the coast of the Bay of Plenty

Thank you Lynne for your delightful Haiku.
We look forward to more words of wisdom from your next adventure.

Franz Joseph Glacier, South Westland

Lynne also visited the Franz Josef Glacier in South Westland (South Island), staying at

Holly Homestead

Holly Homestead. Hot one week and cold the next!!  New Zealand can have “four seasons in one day” so always be prepared with your sunscreen and your jacket.

The Franz Josef Glacier is located within the Westland Tai Poutini National Park. Many visitors expect that we live high in the mountains, whereas the township is located approx 150 metres above sea level. Our wonderful region has lush rainforest, stunning coastal scenery, rivers, reflective lakes, snow capped mountains year round, and (of course) glaciers.

If you need some adventure with your scenery, here is a sample of some activities in Glacier Country:

Kayaking Lake Mapourika

Franz Joseph Glacier Group in crevasse

Quad Bikes-Franz Joseph

Thanks again to Lynne for her Haiku.

Happy springtime to everyone, everywhere.

Best wishes from Bernie & Gerard at Holly Homestead.

2900 Franz Josef Highway (SH 6 – P O Box 35 )
Franz Josef Glacier 7856
South Westland

[email protected]
www.hollyhomestead.co.nz

Jeanne and I are just back from a leisurely walk down to the waterfront for a coffee, then along the Queen Charlotte Sound foreshore.

Picton Harbour from Coathanger Bridge

Picton Winter weather has been very kind to us, with the firewood shed still over half full.

The first few days of the Spring season have given us fantastic sunny weather. May it long continue!

Garden Club Visit

Woodpigeon in Kawaka

We have just hosted a bus load of local Garden Club members for a look around McCormick House  native forest gardens.

They were very interested in the many different types of native trees, shrubs and flowers.
We have compiled a list of around 30 identified species with their common, Maori and Latin names for our guests to look over.

Spring Blooms, Avian Visitors and our Garden

Tui in Kowhai

Our daffodils are in full bloom. Tuis and Belllbirds are enjoying the nectar on our Kowhai trees and native clematis vines.

We have had a visit from a curious local Weka in our  garden. They are very similar to kiwi birds.
The garden is a credit to Jeanne, who puts most of her time in our quieter months.

Our shaver brown chickens are still laying plenty of fresh eggs for breakfasts

Weka in McCormick House Garden

.

The strawberry patch has increased in size, providing colour and juicy  flavour for our fresh fruit salads.

The Man’s Cave

Guest Dining room

I have been busy in my wood-shop restoring, repairing and creating furniture during the cooler months.

Our guest dining room now has a  NZ rimu wood sideboard to match the antique rimu table and a newly constructed, outdoor guest dining table, complete with sunshade.
There are several other woodworking jobs waiting for my attention, along with some tree branches needing chainsawing and  our 1950’s clinker white pine and mahogany speedboat project.

Great Season and Wonderful Guests

Amber & Matt McCormick House

We have had a very enjoyable season hosting guests from around the globe.

A lovely couple from Perth Australia chose McCormick House for their boutique wedding ceremony. We were nervous at first, but it all went without a hitch.

Local Attractions for Guests

Local Sea Kayaking

Our local Queen Charlotte Track,continues to attract large numbers of visitors.

Many staying with us at McCormick House before and after the track.
There are not many walking tracks where luggage is transported by water taxi to your accommodation each night.
Choose between walking, kayaking or mountain biking each section of the track.
You  only carry your lunch, water, camera, sunhat  and coat.
We are happy to help with bookings and offer complimentary secure luggage and vehicle storage for returning guests.

Picton  waterfront development is now complete and hosted over 9000 people for  New Year’s Eve  with bands, festivities and  fireworks.  Picton’s boat marina expansion is due to be completed in the next few weeks.

The Interislander Ferry “Kataki” is currently having a makeover in Australia and is expected to be back on the Wellington to Picton crossing by the 18th of September.

Wine tours in New Zealand’s largest and most awarded wine growing region  continue to be a favourite recreation.

Jeanne & I continue to enjoy the diverse range of unique   Marlborough wines and have got to personally know many local Marlborough winemakers.
We are both happy to  share our  wine  knowledge with guests.

Centenary !!!!

McCormick House turns 100 years old next year,  so we had better start planning the party……..

…. Jeanne & Carl, McCormick House
21 Leicester Street
Picton 7220,

[email protected]
www.mccormickhouse.co.nz

The Grapes

Our grape harvest at the winery with Peter (our winemaker) and Josie (one of our helpers).

Autumn has been a busy time at Clearview Lodge this season. In April, after a marvellous sunny warm summer, we harvested our Pinot Noir. We are currently drinking our 2011 and 2012 Pinot Noirs and for something a little special, our  2010 Pinot Noir Port which has proven very popular and is available for you to try in the guest lounge by the fire. This

years harvest is at our Winemakers (20 minutes away in West Melton) We have 2 1/2 Barrels of Pinot Noir (about 65 dozen bottles) and a half barrel of Port

Our harvest, in the vat and beginning to ferment. It’s a shame you can’t smell the lovely fruity fragrance!

(about 12 dozen bottles) which will be bottled  later in the year. We harvest our grapes in April or early May depending on ripeness and weather.

We have about 20 friends and

relatives to help, and have morning and afternoon tea and a lunch accompanied by some of the previous seasons wines. It is a wonderful day as we can only pick in nice weather, as rain would dilute the juice and we can’t have that!

Grape Pruning

 These pruners are really quick, but very heavy, the plan is to keep 5 fingers on each hand so care is being taken. Our winter, while wet this year, has been very mild and it is still July and there is sap rising, which means the buds will be swelling in no time. This also means the vines could be vulnerable to frost, so I hope we can have a few good frosts to slow them down again, so I can finish pruning before bud burst. During your tour of the vineyard, I can explain all the different tasks which have to be done throughout the season. There is always something to be done in the vineyard, whether it is selecting shoots or removing laterals or leaves, to get sun on the bunches. Once the nets are put on, to keep the birds out (at the end of January or beginning of February), there is less to do. Samples are taken to the winemaker in April and we keep an eye on the weather and prepare for the harvest. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to enjoy a glass of Pinot Noir or Pinot Port with us. It’s a tough job, but someone has to to it!

And so it begins again. Sue pruning with her new toy, an electric pair of pruners.

The Olive Harvest

Robin with our Olive harvester which knocks the olives off the trees.

Our Olive harvest is a somewhat more drawn out affair and takes place over about 3 weeks. We have a mechanical harvester which helps and, just like in Italy, we spread our nets under the trees and collect up all the olives, which Robin knocks off with the (electric back-pack) harvester which has a long pole and long carbon fibre rod fingers. Some are picked by hand but mostly only if the tree has frosted fruit, from the previous season, which we don’t want in our extra virgin olive oil.

We have friends and family, and occasionally guests, who help with moving the nets and sorting the olives. At the end of each day the fruit is all taken out to the press in Ohoka and the oil is collected from the previous day. Now we have all our oil, we will send away samples to be certified Extra Virgin and enter some of the olive oil competitions. We won a Silver medal  in the New Zealand Gourmet Oil competition in 2011 and a bronze medal in the New Zealand Olive Association awards in 2011.

Sue on one of our nets which we use to catch the olives, which Robin has knocked off

This year we picked 2300 kgs of fruit and have 137 litres of oil. Some of our 500 olive trees had 30-40 kgs of fruit. You might like to try our oil with some nice fresh bread and

some of our dukkah, which Robin makes from

some of our walnuts and hazel nuts, which are also available a bowl, up in the lounge, if you would like to have a nibble.  Due to our cool-climate situation we don’t get a very high yield of oil but it is very good quality oil.

Once the olives are picked they are taken to our shed to be de-leafed.

We pay for the pressing by weigh so don’t want to pay for leaves in our oil. Bryan  (Sue’s clever Dad) has made us a de-leafer.  Together with Sue’s Mum, they work tirelessly sorting. 

We pay for the pressing by weigh so don’t want to pay for leaves in our oil. Bryan (Sue’s clever Dad) has made us a deleafer. Together with Sue’s Mum, they work tirelessly sorting.

At the press. Liquid gold. Our extra virgin olive oil now it has been separated from the juice.

Other Crops

These are our main crops but we had a great cherry season in late December and January and you can pick cherries to have with breakfast or on your tour of the gardens and vineyard when you come to stay. We also enjoyed raspberries, boysenberries, strawberries, red and black currants, blueberries, peaches, nectarines, plums, greengages, feijoas and lemons are always fruiting.  

I will be having words with the birds about the apricots. I am happy to share with our bellbirds but not some of their friends, but I would like a few apricots this year. I am still making muffins with our raspberries and have Pinot jelly, raspberry jam, quince jelly and quince paste, apricot jam all available for your breakfast. Our nuts are ready in Autumn and many visitors enjoyed picking their own chestnuts. I pick up and dry the walnuts and hazelnuts before I can use or sell them.

Whatever the season, you will always receive a warm welcome and something tasty to eat or drink, which you can see growing here and pick if it’s in season.

Some of these photos had a geolocation tag, and so this photos is thanks to that information used in conjunction with Google Earth. The yellow tag is Sue with her pruner… Peter the Blog-Meister

Sue & Robin,
Clearview Lodge

8 Clearwater Avenue, Harewood
Christchurch, New Zealand
Tel +64 3 359 5797
Mobile 021 727 883
www.clearviewlodge.com 

We are well through winter and while we have had some severe conditions at times,on the whole we look out at clear blue skies, a calm lake and snow topped mountains.

The Murchison Mountains from Te Anau

Although these are definitely the quiet months we are heartened by a steady flow of visitors to the town and fiords, and good forward bookings.This week’s news that the government has declined the proposed bus tunnel from Glenorchy to the Hollyford was received with much elation. Most of our community are very opposed to developments of this nature in our World Heritage National Park.

Wendy & Roger McQuillan
Dunluce B&B
128 Aparima Drive
Te Anau 9600
64 3 249 7715

Safari Lodge has been abuzz with a family wedding in January!

Ray and I have done the unthinkable closed the Lodge for almost 3 weeks during Peak Season for our Son’s wedding on the 26th January and to made matters more interesting we rode our Harley Davidson up to Auckland leaving on the Monday after the wedding to attend a 2nd wedding party on the 2nd of February.

We don’t get many opportunities to tour on the motorbike these days so we took advantage of a perfect opportunity. The wedding day was a bit of a blur for me as we ended up doing most of the organizing as the bride and groom live in Melbourne. They had their ceremony on our front lawn with 150 guests attending. Ray’s 8 car garage was converted into a reception hall for the day and I organized the catering at the Lodge. Everyone had a great day Wedding started at 3.pm – evening ending at 4.45am !

Trish & Ray
Safari Lodge
51 Herbert Street, Invercargill.
[email protected]

64 3 214 6329
0800 885 557

The little penguins fletched their first clutch of chicks and will soon start laying eggs again. This is quite common with this penguin species and they can raise two lots of 2 chicks if there is good food supply in the sea.

Yellow-eyed Penguin chicks have hatched and are still guarded by one parent while the other is fishing at sea. Both parents take turns looking after their young. Soon they will both have to go fishing to bring back enough food for their chicks.

This year is set to be a record breeding year for Royal Albatross with 36 nests at Taiaroa Head, the only albatross breeding site that is not located on an island – and it is still within Dunedin city limits! The headland is also a breeding site for red billed gulls. Although their numbers are increasing here their conservation status is ‘vulnerable’ as they are disappearing from other areas. We have been fortunate to observe nest activities close-up.

Guests staying at Nisbet Cottage experience the wildlife first hand with an expert guide in a group of maximum 5 people. What a privilege to be able to observe the rare and unique wildlife of the area! We regularly encounter the critically endangered New Zealand sea lions on our early morning penguin tour and take the time to observe their behaviour. New Zealand sea lions have only recently started breeding again on the Otago Peninsula – all born here have names and are descendants of ‘Mum’ who gave birth to the first pup in 1994. Last week we saw ‘Joy’, a 2 year old female resting on the beach.

To experience all that Dunedin has to offer – a 3 night stay should be planned here.

Hildegard & Ralf Lubcke, Nisbet Cottage, Dunedin

Rakiura, Land of Glowing Skies. A sunrise from Sails Ashore

That triangular Island right at the bottom of New Zealand is Stewart Island. At 170,000 hectares the Island is considerably bigger than most folks realise. And just to scotch a perception prevalent north of Cook Straits we do not have winter Icebergs, although we do have penguins. In fact there is a small colony living right beside the village wharf. Our climate is quite mild… we have fruited tamarillos and kiwi fruit in our garden. Though I hasten to say Te Puke should not feel threatened. And for Brits reading this, Stewart Island is 130 miles closer to the equator than are the Isles of Scilly.

The Community

Halfmoon Bay, and the Village of Oban

We are a community of around 380 persons, now primarily engaged in tourism, although we have a strong marine farming presence and the Department of Conservation who manages Rakiura National Park have a significant staff. The fishing industries presence is much reduced from the 50+ vessels who called “The Bay” home in the late 60’s, although the “flavour” of the community is still that of a fishing village. Which, by the way is more properly named Oban.

The Destination

“The Island” is on most New Zealanders Bucket List. Why ????. I suppose the reasons will be as many and varied as the people you ask. And will range from:-

Mason Bay, 9 miles of deserted sand

Tranquility… you don’t have to walk far to find a beach all of your own to sit on…

Feeding the Kaka at Breakfast

Wildlife….. kaka feeding out of your hand at breakfast…. to the fishing….. if a blue cod doesn’t bite within a minute or so it’s time to move

Bullers Mollymawk, a lesser albatross and master of flight

Seabirds…. majestic albatross soaring around the boat…

Masons Island and the Gutter, on a quiet day

Coastline… rugged, wild and sea swept….

Totara on Ulva Island

Forest…. Ulva Island is as close to pristine as any place in New Zealand you and I will ever be allowed to visit.

Easter Orchids hanging over the track on Ulva

Orchids covering forest banks and hanging in profusion from branches. Stunning sunrises & sunsets, aurora and magnificent rainbows… the Islands Maori name is Rakiura, Land of Glowing Skies….

Hard to get to ??…. Not at All

Some may perceive the Island as remote, and hard to get to. I suppose for someone living in a huge city our Island must seem like the far side of the moon, and almost as hard to get to. But now with a minimum of three * 20 minute flights from Invercargill, or two return ferry crossings of an hour from Bluff each day , and many more in the summer, there really is no excuse for not exploring the Magic of Stewart Island.

Sails Ashore

Iris & Peter of Sails Ashore Lodge (with little helper)

At Sails Ashore, Iris and I have managed to get our winter chores behind us, and after spending June in Italy Iris has most of our vegie garden planted. Apart from the odd short storm, an incredibly mild winter and spring has our garden looking as good as it has ever been. Daughter Anne and her Border Terrier Eddie visited recently, much to the initial disgust of our two Borders, who had issues with a boisterous puppy visitor. Two, possibly three new restaurants will open this season. Last year we had just the hotel, a creperie and a fish and chippie. So will be good to have some more choices for our guests, once we have tried them out.
The oil drilling rig that worked here for a short while has departed with no obvious issues, and the community is currently discussing various management points about our soon to be imposed visitor levy. This will be $5 return added to the plane or boat fare and will be spent entirely on visitor infrastructure. I have discussed this with most of our guests who without exception support it, with the proviso that money be spent only on footpaths, toilets etc.
This year cruise ship visits will be down slightly, and critically the largest will be just 450 passengers max, so we won’t have the chaos of 1400 plus people wandering around our narrow roads. With only 28k of roads, and a

Blue Penguins close to the Village Wharf

population of under 400 plus maybe the same or a few more visitors here on any one day, dropping 1400 in on top of us gets just a bit tedious for the locals and probably doesn’t improve the experience for our “normal” visitors.

Boulder Beach, Ulva Island

Guests & a Sealion on Sydney Cove

Photographing Ladies Slipper Orchids on Ulva Island

…. Peter & Iris, Sails Ashore11 View St,
Stewart Island,
[email protected]
www.sailsashore.co.nz

64 3 219 1151
0800 783 9278