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Tairua and the Coromandel

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What a lovely start to the day! Sunrise over Tairua .  Although the journey through to Coromandel was not too many kilometres, the extremely winding roads and passes made it a long, though magnificent journey. The forested mountains here are just marvelous and everything seemed so lush. Our first stop was in Coromandel at the Driving Creek Railway, set up originally by a potter wishing to transport his clay to his pottery. As he needed to pay his debts and people became interested in his tiny little railway, he opened it to the public, and it is certainly worth a visit. Not only is it a feat of engineering and construction, but the views and the forest are sensational.    They have planted thousands of Kauri trees and we learnt some interesting facts about them. When young, they have little leaves sticking out of their trunks, acting as protection but also there to ensure that there is more chance of photosynthesis.  Clever tree! No wonder they get so old....
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Final days Engadine

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 The cold days continued a little while, with fresh snow on the slopes just above the camp, and temperatures below zero. It was lovely and snug in the barrel, but going out during the night was not the favorite part of my stay! I was completely spellbound by the phenomenal views when I opened my door in the morning. I've never seen such magnificent clouds before. I'm so pleased I went back for my camera. By the time I returned from my shower, the clouds had changed completely. It was a perfect day spent with Tom, who had ended up in hospital after arriving from Thailand. He had an allergic reaction to a mosquito bite! We had a fabulous walk in the shade of the pine forest near Sils Maria. Such peace and tranquility, and no bikes! I continued from Sils alone to Silvaplana. The scenery is spectacular and the color of the water incredible. It doesn't matter how often you do these walks, they are always different and always breathtaking. As I neared Silvaplana, many kilometers ...
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Christchurch to Wānaka

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It's been a long time since I made this wonderful trip to Wānaka. It'll be a long time to the next, so I've really made the most of it. What strange yet ever changing weather conditions I encountered. There was fairly thick fog for the first hour or so, then at Pukaki the clouds were ominously dark and heavy looking, but no rain. I met up with my friend Jayne at the pie shop in Fairlie, where we both enjoyed their famous pork and apple pies.   Oh how lovely to stand at the top of the Lindis Pass after a brief but heavy rain shower had passed, and to see those fabulous rolling hills with their golden tussock.             What a marvelous sight, Lake Wānaka in the early evening light, with the mountains in the distance shrouded in dark clouds.                           It's so good to be back. The evening sunlight on the water was a sharp contrast to the stormy clouds ha...
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