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South Island garden tour; Garden themed travel
Topic Started: Feb 4 2017, 10:29 AM (848 Views)
sooty
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Just a teaser for the Southern Hemisphere's next Spring. I've signed up for a Garden Tour of New Zealand South Island in late October. Same company who did the North Island very well last year.
Now you'll have to wait till October 25 for the travelogue.
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agate
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That is a long...long...long tease sooty :a226gif:
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Kahu
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Pack your woollies Sooty ... with the weather we've been having you'll need them in spring!
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sooty
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Collected the paperwork today from Travel Agent. Lovely spring weather here in Adelaide and despite the advice from a NZer I think I'll pack a few short sleeved blouses. Shorts and sandals may not be an option.
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sooty
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OK have definitely put on all the weight I lost last year. Only one pair of travelling trousers fit, with all the tucks taken out. The other two ! Well if I could fly and coach standing up the zips may just hold, but sitting I'd be bursting out all over . Will have to take two pairs normal slacks, elastic waist. I like the travel trousers cos they rinse out overnight and have lots of zip pockets for passport, etc. am laying clothes out on the spare bed and more importantly trying them on before packing.
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agate
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Well that seems to have rolled around real quick

Will look forward to your story travels...enjoy.
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blizzard
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So soon? I need to check in more often!
I will look forward to your posts if I can get them when back in China.
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sooty
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It's started!
Day1 South Island trip
Why oh why do you sleep badly before the start of a holiday? I was up at 5.10am , switching off the alarm for 6.00 am. Caught the bus to the CBD along with all the workers and balanced case, backpack with an almost full bus. Didn't have to wait long for the airport bus and this one had a seat and luggage space. Enjoyed a Krispy Kreme donut and coffee. I've sworn off alcohol and sweet foods for this trip but it doesn't start till I'm on the plane.
Memo to self: Next overseas holiday I swear to only take one change of clothes with some extra knickers, and more importantly only the boots I'm wearing. Alan has frightened me with the possible cold, wet weather in the South so I'm up for all seasons and several boot changes. I'm such a "just in case"person, belt, braces and several safety pins!
Managed 8,000 steps before boarding, walking up and down the terminal. Three hours is such a wait and you don't go through immigration and customs till the last 90 minutes. Purchased some textas for my mindfulness cat colouring book and slowly calmed the senses. Maybe I should allow alcohol for the plane and start ( dry) when I land in New Zealand? Yes, it wouldn't be an international flight without a gin and tonic .
Good flight, one of the best vegan meals I've had on a plane. Don't like their new air safety promo, last years was really fun. Enjoyed a documentary on Carly Simon , a Beach Boys concert ( they are old men now), then got hooked on a series documentary of Ernest Rutherford. Good that I'm flying back with Air New Zealand so I can watch the last two episodes.
Usual immigration and customs at Auckland. Owned up to packets of Ryvita, muesli bars ,herbal tea and a jar of Vegemite . The officer was only concerned that I had brought honey in. G, please stop laughing ( I HATE Honey). Have gained two and a half hours with the time zone. Had a snack before bussing to the domestic terminal and the flight to Christchurch. Grand Pacific ( tour company) have a good pickup system so was in the hotel in about fifteen minutes after arrival. PJs on, a herbal tea and some Vegemite Ryvita . Some of you would remember last years raiding of the bar fridge on the first night.
Costs snack NZ $8 Adelaide $6, $20, $4
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agate
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Lovely sooty...the adventure begins, enjoy.
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Kahu
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sooty
Oct 25 2017, 10:46 PM
The officer was only concerned that I had brought honey in.
I should have reminded you about that ... fresh fruit and honey are a definite no-no here for biosecurity and customs. Australian customs/biosecurity is similar to ours.
BTW the Kangaroo Island, Island Sting , honey liqueur, is quite nice thank you and will last me for years!
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blizzard
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so no maple syrup from Canada?
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sooty
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Don't know about NZ Blizzard but some years ago I took maple syrup ( tinned) home to Australia and it was ok through customs.
Alan, glad you like the sting. Do come to visit SA when you run out.
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sooty
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Day2 South Island garden Tour.
14C and cloudy Christchurch
Slept well, marvellous what a sleeping tablet can do. Caught the penguin bus to my first choice for today's "free time".
The International Antarctic Centre in Christchurch highlights the fact that Christchurch is the gateway to the Antarctic Stations. Their blurb states that it is " the coolest fun in town". Very true and I had a ball experiencing all on offer.
The Hagglund ride ( all terrain) was spectacular (even with my eyes closed). I scored the front seat next to the driver. AHHHHH! Then the snow chamber with a snow storm, chill factor -18C. The museum gave the history of the explorers and the geology of the region with artefacts and some superb films. I shared the 4D theatre with a group of school kids. Our chairs moved, the spray hit our faces and it was so real. Amazing photography and special effects. Lastly the penguin rescue centre for feeding their rescued blue and white penguins. Penguin vs car or dog. We know who wins. They can live out their life here in safety from predators.
The afternoon was spent in the city area. This is a beautiful city and English in style, winding around the River Avon and lots of parks and avenues of deciduous trees in full leaf and some in blossom. Azaleas and Rhododendron in pinks and purples. I did some walking along the Avon, saw the earthquake damage in shored up buildings, vacant land and new developments. Most poignant was the CTV site where over 100 lost their lives. The Anglican Cathedral is still the most photographed building in Christchurch. Now it's shored up with the spire and two sides collapsed, overgrown with vegetation. It is to be rebuilt.
I walked to the Transitional Cathedral , a modern temporary timber and cardboard structure. A square of shipping containers create shops to replace those businesses destroyed ( ReSTART Mall). Great bookstore.
Finally I caught the Christchurch tram for a city tour. A most informative guide, lots of anecdotes. He did need to extend his repertoire as we were held up a one spot for an extra ten minutes while the President of Ireland caught the Tram in front. Security was everywhere. The green tram is used for presidents, queens and kings. We were in the red one, but ours was older (1903).
Passing the Remembrance Arch we could see a section of river bank lined with white crosses. This was to commentate the massive loss of life by New Zealand soldiers at the Battle of Paschendale in World War One ( October 12). Each cross had a name, a poppy and a carved silver fern- 845 men from a young country.
Lots more visual images, history but these are what I will remember.
The tour formally started with a group dinner tonight. The common theme " garden lovers".
Temp 15C steps 15,600 Costs entry fees $40mc, $18mc ; food $8, $13, $5; Books $46mc $37 mc; Photos $25 miscellaneous $10 $6.


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Kahu
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Posted Image
Before and after the quakes.

Posted Image
Christchurch was NZ's first planned city ... the cathedral (Christ's Church), was set in the Square in the middle of the town with all the streets radiating out, and no surrounding building was allowed to be higher than the bell tower. Showing two possible scenarios for the rebuild. After a long period of discussion/arguments it seems they are going for the restoration as a cross between ancient and modern (in the middle picture).

Remember Passchendaele, NZ

Yet most of New Zealand's nearly 17,000 dead from World War I fell in the mud of France and Belgium, not at Gallipoli. New Zealand, with a population of 1.1 million, had the world's highest per-capita death rate of the war.
Many of those 2800 New Zealanders who were killed or wounded at Passchendaele were the original Anzacs. Imagine surviving Gallipoli and 20 months of trench warfare, then realising that the generals' plans hadn't worked during the Passchendaele push.

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The statue of Captain Robert Falcon Scott probably won't topple in the next earthquake.
The restored sculpture of the famed Antarctic explorer was unveiled in a ceremony in Christchurch on Friday and much was made of the base isolation given to the 100-year-old artifact.
"What we've learned from the repair strategy will become something that's available to the world," Mayor Lianne Dalziel said. "It's an investment in heritage, not just locally but globally."

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Edited by Kahu, Oct 27 2017, 11:49 AM.
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FuzzyO
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How fortunate to have a widow who sculpts!
Sooty I am enoying your descriptions very much.
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