Barbara's travels continue 2018

I was recommended the visit to Pukeitil Gardens and Rainforest. It was certainly a fabulous start to the day, although the road there was pretty scary, with kilometres of extremely narrow roads with blind corners. The final ten kilometres were through Pukeiti scenic reserve, an area of dense bush and rainforest, but I certainly could not fully appreciate it!  However, once arrived, I could really relax and take in the beauty and diversity of these massive Gardens. Like Pukekura, you could spend an entire day there as there are so many different walks to do. A gardener, one of only four to look after the extensive grounds, suggested my doing the Rhododendron walk and Burns walk, both absolutely gorgeous. To make things even more special, I was alone for the first hour. There were so many native birds and I am also sure I heard a kiwi in an area of swampy, dense bush. They do live there and it is possible that early morning in the darkness of the bush they were still out and about.     

Today I focussed on the east of Mt Taranaki with more walking than gardens. The forecast was great for today and not at all good tomorrow, so it was a no-brainer! The first place I stopped was Eltham, another quirky little arty crafty town with a fabulously decorated public toilet! I visited a pottery in Eltham too and really enjoyed discussing pottery with the local potter. From here it was a short and pretty drive to Te Rotokare Sanctuary, a fantastic predator free sanctuary for many species of native birds, lizards, fish and trees. It is incredible to think of how much work was required to build the fences right around this large park.      It was a perfect day to visit this magical place. I was alone on the track but it was good to know a volunteer was at the entrance in case of problems. The weather was brilliant with hardly a puff of wind, and it was a pleasant tempersture for walking the 1.5 hour track around the lake, through the forest. I was very thrilled to see Saddlebacks,

This is my very first time in New Plymouth, Taranaki, and I loved it immediately. It is full of unique things, like this doggy poo container. From the outset I found everyone friendly, helpful and very relaxed. Added to that, the scenery around here is sensational, with Mount Egmont, Taranaki Maunga, 2518metres in height, in the centre. It is an awesome view as you fly in, to see this dormant volcano with snow covering its peak, as the plane descends to the airport close by. My first visit was to Pukekura Park, situated in the heart of the city. What an introduction to New Plymouth, what a place! The park and gardens are huge, dwarfing our incredible Botanical Gardens in Christchurch. You could easily spend most of the day there, Lakes, streams, native forests, rhododendon dells and ferneries are just some of its incredible attractions. I thoroughly enjoyed strolling beside the stream, with the dappled light casting wonderful shadows onto the tanniny water. The ferns alongside the str

Late spring is such a fantastic time of year, my favourite actually, particularly thanks to my fabulous cherry tree in the middle of the garden. Only a short walk from home takes me to the beautiful Ilam Gardens, where the azaleas are at at their very best at the end of October. A few weeks before that the rhododendrons are amazing, but sadly both periods of blooms are really short, so you have to time visits perfectly. Two days after I took this photo, half of the flowers had already fallen. Now I am volunteering  a couple of times a month at The Arts Centre, I get to enjoy the seasonal changes there. It is looking really magnificent with all the recently restored buildings. It is still a work-in-progress, with the next exciting opening to be the boutique hotel and the Observatory. I always walk through the Botanical Gardens to work so also get to enjoy the seasonal changes there too. This seat has to be one of my favourite places to sit on a warm day! Events are now well underway, o

It is a marvelous trip from Wanaka through to the Catlins. The roads are windy and at times quite narrow, but the scenery is fabulous, particularly around Alexandra. Sadly, as driver, you do not have much chance to fully admire it. In five hours you go from the mountains and lakes of Wanaka and Queentown, through gorges with fascinating , colourful rocky outcrops , through the fertile, rather arid area of Alexandra, to the lush native forests of the Catlins. It is an ever-changing spectacle, along with ever-changing weather. As expected, we arrived at our cute little cottage in Papatowai in rain. No worries! The garden looked so green and the tui song welcomed us, despite the dampness! The little batch, self-contained holiday home was really comfortable and only a short walk from the lovely Papatowai Estuary. I have auch happy memories of that place. We camped next to the estuaty in our campervan with Mark and David when they were just one and two and a half years old. Although it rain