Addendum- Amsterdam

For th e information of anyone travelling to Amsterdam. 

1. Hotel Luxer €80 - 5 minutes walk from

Centraal  Station

2. Good Continental Breakfast at hotel €8 or around the corner - turn left at hotel door , then right - on right Omleg 2 minutes - serves eggs and granola etc c.€ 10 

3. Lastage - excellent 1 Michelin star restaurant 4 courses €57 with amuse Boucher before appetiser and dessert!! - v generous s ! Highly recommend the restaurant and the Medoc at €40 a steal l - no added service charge. 5 minute walk from hotel. 

Enjoy!! 

Auckland- Guangzhou - Amsterdam- Dublin.

Arrived at 0430 an hour early , having lost 5 hours!! China Southern gave us a complimentary hotel room for the day, including breakfast and transport to and from the airport. 

Guangzhou continues to prosper if the volume construction is any measure of prosperity. The size of Guangzhou is staggering and if I recall it is only the fifth largest city in China .

Note the tower blocks in the distance 

 It was only 12 degrees when we arrived but summer temperatures reach into the 40s J advised and it is very humid to add to the discomfort. 

We depart Guangzhou at 0005 hrs Sunday , arrive Sunday in Amsterdam at 0505 and will overnight there and return to Dublin on Monday. 

The plan that I drafted on that first morning in Auckland- jet lagged but  awaiting a room to become available - worked out a treat in no small thanks to Isite who were able to book bus, ferry , train, car and plane with the utmost efficiency. I can't recommend them highly enough. Tours are very expensive so I'd definitely advise drawing up one's own itinerary.  

As the sign says'New Zealand Roads are Different ' and so they are . With the exception of a few kms around the main cities, NZ roads are 2 lane with a passing lane every 2-5 km. They are well surfaced and even the minor roads are excellent. The maximum speed is 100km with 70 to 50 in the towns and cities. Don't break the speed limit, particularly in the 50 km zone as we frequently saw police cars checking inside the 50 km limit. The fine is on the spot and though it begins at €30, it increases rapidly in relation to the speed excess! 

The maps give estimated time limits and although these are generous, one has to take into consideration that one's journey may involve many steep climbs in addition to the 50 km limit as one travels through the towns. 

Keep in mind that the cost of living is high  - accommodation, meals and transport are substantially greater than Ireland's. Wine for example though produced in the country is as expensive and more than Ireland - in pubs basic bottle of wine was $ 40-60 and a pint of beer was upwards of $12! All tourists we met agreed - the Americans, the Aussies and the British were confounded by the prices considering that NZ is an agricultural country, though tourism has recently overtaken agriculture as the leading industry. !!! Travelling the country , we found little evidence of the presence of multinationals or shops sporting designer label goods. 

The Kiwis are a wonderful people so generous and helpful We had a very enjoyable if action packed holiday. - but we did really get to the essence of what is New Zealand. 

We departed Guangzhou a 0005 this morning and arrived in Amsterdam at 0510 an eleven and a half hour journey with a gain of seven  hours!! We're now at the Hotel Luxer, ( on the edge of the Red Light District !!) a 5 minute walk from the station awaiting a room to become available. Amsterdam Centraal Station looked resplendent still on its Christmas cheer.!!  

Until the next trip.......

Wellington - Auckland via Northern Explorer

The Northern Explorer left on time at 7.55am. 

Thankfully we were following a different route to the bus route we took on our way down the North Island. 

From Wellington to north of Paraparaumu and on to North Palmerston, we followed the coast. It was a beautiful morning. Had summer arrived just as we are about to depart NZ? 

The train then diverted inland and we crossed plains abounding with sheep and cattle. 

It traversed numerous river valleys via spectacular viaducts. 

And stopped at small stations to drop off passengers. 

We reached the Mt Ruspehu National Park and in the distance we could just make out Mt Taranaki , a stratovolcano and one of the most symmetrical volcanoes in the world.

Mt Ruspehu , nearly half a million years old is the highest peak (2,797m) in the North  Island and the only one with glaciers.  

 Nearby was Mt Tongariro and Mt Ngauruhoe ( meaning in Maori 'throwing heated stones!!). 

The high point was the Raumuri Spiral , built in 1898, a feat of engineering that allows trains to climb the 132 m height difference between the Whanganui River and the Volcanic Plateau. The train travels, making s complete circle, a 90 degree turn among others. It travels 6.8 km which is only 2 km in a straight line. 

The journey continued past the Waitimo caves - limestone caves featuring NZ glow worms. 

Eventually we cross the longest river in NZ running 425km to the sea.     

It was a fantastic evening as we approached Auckland. As we entered the city  well appointed , detached bungalows abounded. Our guide explained that the Kiwis, like the Irish,  are in love with their home on a half acre plot. Apartment living is not popular. The homes are surrounded by manicured parks. We saw no evidence of anti social behaviour and this is possibly due to the ban on drinking in public - especially at festivals. 

We arrived at Strand St. Station a half an hour early. Our airport shuttle awaited us and we were whisked off to the airport where we were instantly given our boarding cards flor the 2300 hrs fight to Guangzhou, to arrive 0530 Saturday, having lost 5 hours!  

More tomorrow.....

Wellington

Brunch at Pondoro on Willis and Bond. Eggs Benedict and tea $21(€15) . The  restaurant is only open for breakfast and lunch but the fare was excellent. 

Our next port of call was Isite , where we booked a shuttle to take us from the Railway Station at Auckland to the airport - an hour' s journey. 

Subsequently, we visited Civic Square, it is such a beautiful concept: 

   The Old Library now The Art Museum 

            The modern Library. 

and 

                   The Civic Offices

We entered the library- what an impressive place - three floors beautifully laid out with plenty of seating - from cosy arm chairs to desks with internet access. 

The Mezzanine entrance was guarded by a sculpture made from a World War 1 tank that took part in the Battle of the Somme. 

The Kiwis lost heavily in the two WWs and continue to remember their dead. In each and every town is a memorial inscribed with the names of those who died in the service of their country. 

We quittedthe Library and went to visit the former bank now arcades of specialist shops. 

I then wished to get z last view of Wellington Harbour. The harbour was deserted as the wind was blowing s gale - not unusual in our experience of Wellington. 

The waterfront has been transformed as the old warehouses have been converted sympathetically into apartments, restaurants ( it is said Wellington has more restaurants per head of population than NYC) and shops. 

Along the harbour are plaques commemorating various facets of NZ history, including a plaque commemorating the Irish contribution to Wellington. 

On I ploughed , holding the railing in case Mary Poppins like I rose into the sky!!  

All the shops were closed and the restaurants wore an abandoned aspect.  

 I arrived at Te Papa and from there retraced my steps back over the unusual bridge 

that crosses the motorway and into the Civic Square again   From there I returned to the hotel.  

With a 755am start tomorrow, we're eating locally tonight - back to the Belgium pub we ate in on the first night here.......

Christchurch- Wellington

Christchurch's Airport was beautifully laid out with its manicured lawns, supplied with garden seats to the front. 

 There in the lawn was a wondrous sculpture - a depiction of the clouds according to its sculptor. 

 Having checked on , we returned to the lawn to avail of the sunshine. It wa the first summer's day we had had for some days. 

The 35 minute flight to Wellington was a pleasure. Much easier than the ferry and bus trip on our outward journey - bit then. We wouldn't have seen the country side. The air journey was also less expensive ($60pp including a checked in bag).  

Arriving on time, we soon retrieved our bags. The bus just outside the door of the terminal , brought us within 50 metres of our hotel. We decided to return to the Ibis on Featherstone St . and we had arrived there within an hour of landing! I have to again compliment the Kiwis on their efficiency! 

We are staying here for two nights for a little R/R . Tomorrow at 0730 , we take the Northern Explorer to Auckland ($199pp) its cost dictates that it is a tourist train. We then adjourn to the airport where we begin the first leg of our journey home. 

We returned to Cuba st. where we had previously dined whilst in the city. 

The street was busier now than on our previous visit . All the restaurants were now open but frequented by few. The busiest venue was Murphy's Irish pub , established 1836!!!  The Murphys the blurb advised, hailed from Cork! 

It was warmer than on our previous visit and after a stroll down the street , we purchased a bottle of Pinot Noir at the Off Licence and adjourned to a Turkish restaurant for dinner The meal was excllent. . There were few diners and we are last to leave at 10pm !! We returned to the hotel via silent streets.  

Oamaru - Christchurch- Wellington

Last night we went to see the penguins arrive. Their ETA was 7pm! However , when all but one hadnt arrived by 8pm, we left. It was cold - the worst summer in 40 years- we did pick it!!

This morning, we were taking our last car journey to Christchurch, where we will return the car and fly to Wellington..

It was a beautiful warm morning and the sky appeared to have a summer hue unlike most to date! 

We diverted to Hornsby as CC wished to see an Airforce museum. 

After much ado , we found the NZ car hire depot on the middle of an Industrial estate. We were directed by two fine young teenagers who wished us a happy holiday. Bessie , a backpacker special had stood us in good stead for the1800 km journey from Greymouth on the west coast to Christchurch on the east coast via the South coast. A backpacker special _ we had thought we are getting this 

But we got that!  

However. ...

Dunedin - Oamaru

The Edinburgh of the Southern Hemisphere! Last evening , having arrived in Dunedin we went out to check out Dunedin's credentials! We were staying at the Alexis motel a 10 minute walk from the Octagon - the city centre. The Octagon has some spectacular buildings including the Cathedral of St Paul and the Town Hall.

We continued to Dunedin Railway Station and what an impressive building it is! It took over twenty years to build , finally reaching completion in 1906. 

The green, yellow and cream majolica tiles were made especially by Royal Doulton and the mosaic floor celebrating the steam engine has more than 700,000 tiny porcelain tiles! 

I have seen railway stations of wondrous architectural significance but none to equate with Dunedin. On the first floor two stained glass windows depict approaching trains with headlights on.  

The station only now caters for two to three heritage train trips including the Taiere Gorge which we hope to take tomorrow. 

We returned and in Stuart Street spied the Law Courts Hotel where Queen Elizabeth's stayed on her visit to NZ in 1954. It had the Jury Room

Bar and Wig and Pen restaurant but the hotel had seen better days ! 

 

We also saw the Cadbury facility which gives guided tours of he factory but we refrained.

Dunedin is the largest city in the southern half of the South Island., with a population of 120,00. The city has suffered on recent years   The south appears to rely o n tourism. 

Dunedin was a Scottish settlement planned in the 1840s. In 1848 the first emigrant ship arrived lead by Captain Carghill. and Thomas Burns, nephew  of the poet Robert Burns. The Irish and the English followed but the Scots had put their stamp on the area. 

In 1851 gold was discovered 100km west of Dunedin and the gold rush began. The gold rush subsided in the 1870s and shipping became the mainstay of the economy. in addition to railways and farming. However with the iopening of the Panama Canal in 1914 Auckland was favoured over Dundee. 

This morning we took the Taiere Gorge rail journey from Dunedin to Pukerangi. 

The 77 km stretches northwest from Dunedin It was constructed between 1879 and 1921 and I originally went from

Dunedin to Cromwell - 235 Km. today it is run by a Trust who wanted to keep the line open after NZ National Railways closed the line. It is a spectacular journey up through the Gorge .

We returned to Dunedin and commenced our hjourney to Oamaru to see the penguins. En route we had glimpses of the western coast equally as scenic as the south and east coasts. 

En route we stopped to see the Moeraki Boulders partially submerged in the sand with honey combed centres   They were part of the cliff but as the cliff eroded the boulders were revealed. -they were formed around a central core of carbonate crystals and attracted minerals from their surroundings 60 million years ago when accumulations of shell and plant fragments accumulated on the sea floor - large ones 2 metres across and smaller pellets are to be seen. 

We continued to Oamaru, where the old centre is a feast of Whitestone buildings of Victorian vintage. 

And the now defiunct Railway Station except for a few heritage trips! 

We're off to see the penguins tonight but the don't arrive until 7pm     ...... more tomorrow.