Category: Golf, Travel,Nature

After a very pleasant three days in Bath, the travellers were off to Liverpool. On the way, they made a detour to Macclesfield to catch up with Sue’s niece Vicki, her partner Chris and children Maisey and Wesley.

On to Liverpool, and our accommodation, which turns out to be rather disappointing. A terrace home in a rather “scruffy” part of town, so we decide to stay for 2 nights, instead of our original 3.

A must visit is the Beatles Experience, at the Royal Albert Dock. An interesting and informative exhibition, including a mock Cavern and Abbey Road studios.

The next day is Scott’s birthday, and the Rugby World Cup final, with New Zealand playing South Africa. We sort out a venue, “The Long Shot Bar”, to watch the big game.

The rugby result was disappointing for the Kiwis! However, the next morning, whilst the youngsters had a sleep in, Sue and Blair headed into town for a Beatles bus tour. This 90 minute guided tour included a drive through the city, then out to the area where the Beatles grew up, their childhood homes and iconic sites. A great tour!

After a pleasant flight, the Pharts are met at the Airport by Scott, Eva, Andrew and Neethd. Two rental cars are collected, and it’s off to their Air BnB in Bath. Sue went to University in Bath, so a trip down memory lane for her. The accommodation is ideal, and just a short walk down the hill to the city centre. We have a good look round the town, and are most impressed.

The next day, it is to be another trip down memory lane with a visit to Wells and Cheddar. Sue’s parents went to school in Wells, and she spent a lot of her childhood on the Mendip Hills. Before the drive to Wells, Sue and Scott trek the short distance to Bath University, so Sue can once again relive old memories.

That evening, we dined at a restaurant recommended by our Airbnb hosts. Chez Dominique, a French bistro near the Pulteney Bridge. Excellent!

The Old Pharts are on the move again, flying to England, with a 24 hour stopover in San Francisco, USA. Staying at the RIU Plaza Hotel at Fisherman’s Wharf, which is very comfortable and ideally located. Dinner that night was burgers at the famous Boudin bakery and restaurant.

After a substantial hotel breakfast and morning walk, it was back out to the Airport and on to Heathrow, London.

With winter almost over, the Pharts are off on their annual skiing pilgrimage. A change this year, with Arrowtown, not Wanaka, the destination. Two top commercial ski fields are close by. Coronet Peak and the Remarkables. Arrowtown is a small, picturesque township with a number of excellent bars and cafes, without the hustle and bustle of Queenstown.

After arriving and settling in to their Arrowtown Essex Avenue apartment, the Pharts are to meet friends at the Kobe Japanese restaurant at Millbrook. The friends however are unable to attend due to illness, so the Pharts dine alone. Fabulous food and service.

Our first day skiing is Sunday at Coronet Peak. A “Bluebird” day, with surprisingly few people. There is sufficient snow on the groomed trails, but a bit sparse off piste. Typical spring skiing .. firm to begin then softening from midday onwards. However, plenty of runs for the Old Campaigners, and an enjoyable day. Tonight we pick up friend Cameron from the Airport, who will join us through to Friday. Sadly his wife Maria can’t be present. Dog sitting duty.

Dinner that evening is Thai takeaway, from Arrow Thai food. We then drove to the Airport and collected Cameron.

The next day is another “cracker”, so we are up early and off skiing at Coronet Peak once again. Another stunning bluebird day, with small crowds and no lift queues. Dinner that night is the Mantra Indian restaurant in Arrowtown. We are joined for dinner by Russell Mawhinney, an old cricket friend of Blair’s, and a Queenstown local. Top food .. one of the best Indian restaurants we have been to.

The fine, settled weather continues, so we decide to try the Remarkables ski field for a change. More people, particularly snow boarders, but still no queues and plenty of skiing variety.

Dinner for the evening is at La Rumbla, a very popular local restaurant serving Spanish inspired small plate dishes. Excellent food!

After three days skiing in a row, the legs need a rest, so we opt for a day off the skis. Cameron has a friend in living in Wanaka, so we decide to head over there for the morning. Nice to be back in one of our favourite places!

Dinner for the evening is “Slow Cuts” in Arrowtown, where we are joined once again by local legend Russell Mawhinney. Another great meal, service and company

For the final full day in this fine part of the country, we decide to head back up to Coronet Peak. The forecast is for another fine day, but with the recent warm temperatures, the snow is beginning to retreat. However, a most enjoyable day on the mountain, with no queues and plenty of runs.

Dinner is a Thai takeaway from Arrow Thai. Excellent food and a satisfying evenings conclusion to an excellent skiing holiday.

An uneventful seven hour flight, and we are now in Dubai. By the time we check into our hotel at mid morning, it is 36 degrees! Our hotel is the Sheraton Jumeirah Beach, in the Dubai Marina area. Nice hotel .. beach access, large pool, many restaurants etc. This will do us nicely for a couple of days, before the final journey home.

Dinner for our first night was in one of the hotel restaurants, the Peacock. This was a Chinese restaurant, and the food was excellent. Alcohol is available, but very expensive. The Pharts then went for a walk along the beachfront of JBR, the neighbourhood of our hotel. Very spectacular with the lights and lots of people, restaurants and stalls. Then it was an early night!

For our final evening in Dubai, we wondered along the beach boardwalk from our hotel, in to the nearby lively JBR area. We dined at ZouZou, a Lebanese and Turkish restaurant. I had lamb shish, Sue the Keltic Kofta, along with a rocket salad. Generous portions and good food. We then wandered along and across the foot bridge over to the Blue Waters area. An ideal viewing area for photos of a brightly lit Dubai.

Overall, a very relaxing two days in Dubai. Very hot, limiting what you can do, particularly during the day. Also, a seventeen hour fight to Auckland. Not an ideal stopover, but the urgency of our departure limited our options.

Fly home tomorrow .. looking forward to it.

With the necessary tasks completed in Chard, the Old Pharts have three days in London, before commencing their journey home. They have the pleasure of staying with old Kiwi friends Shaun and Michelle, at their wonderful home in Queens Park.

After a delightful dinner and catch up, the intrepid couple are meeting up with another old friend, Marianne. She is married to Blair’s old pharmacy friend Niven, who is away on a work conference. Marianne is a qualified “Blue Ribbon” tour guide. We meet at Liverpool St station, and she gives us a walking tour around the City of London, finishing at St Paul’s. Very educational.

We dined that evening at the Milk Beach restaurant, just around the corner in Lonsdale Road, Queens Park. Dumplings for starters, then Sue had the Saffron Risetto, and myself the Chicken Schnitzel. Very nice.

Our second to last day in London and England, and we decided to visit the redeveloped Battersea Power station area. The former power station was derelict for many years, but is now a shopping centre, surrounded by restaurants and apartments. A stunning transformation! We then walked along the Battersea Park and Thames river, and across the Albert Bridge into Chelsea. Along Kings Road, through Sloane Square, Eton Square, Grosvenor Square and into Hyde Park. We then walked down Piccadilly to the Circus, jumped on the tube and back to Queens Park. Quite an excursion!

For their final day in London, the Kiwi Battlers decided to check out Little Venice, Regents Park and Primrose Hill. We decided to walk it, as it wasn’t too far, but take the tube back. The weather has been pleasant in London, and it has been an enjoyable three days. We are grateful to Shaun and Michelle for their hospitality, and had a nice dinner at the local Bob’s Cafe last night.

And so, the time has come to depart England. We fly to Dubai, for a two day stopover, then back home.

After two and a half weeks in Chard, and the funeral and related tasks completed, it was time for a “mini break.” The destination is a fishing village, Brixham, on the south Devon coast in the “English Riviera.” We are staying in a very nice bed and breakfast called Ranscombe House. It overlooks the Harbour, and a short walk into the town centre.

Our first evening in Brixham, we dined at Rockfish, a restaurant on the waters edge. Although chilly, we dined on the outdoors verandah, and saw a numbers of fishing boats coming in. The food was very good .. seafood the specialty of course!

The next morning, after a hearty cooked breakfast, we decided to explore Berry Head, and continue walking out to Sharkham Point. A decent long walk, coming back through the town.

The afternoon saw the Pharts walking in the opposite direction, following the coastal path to Churston Cove.

Dinner was at Beamers restaurant. Quite delightful! A shared starter of fish balls, then I had the turbot, and Sue the Sea Bass. Great food and service.

With the quite sudden passing away of Sue’s mother, after a short illness, the Pharts had to hastily organise a flight to England. Sue had only recently returned for her mother’s 90th birthday celebrations.

Fortunately, our travel agent was able to book return flights for us on Emirates, via Dubai. We were travelling premium economy.

The Auckland to Dubai leg is 17 hours, so the Pharts decided on a 24 hour stopover. They had been to Dubai before, some 10 years ago, so decided to stay and explore the older area, near Dubai Creek.

The flight on the A380 was very comfortable, and some sleep was had. Dubai was a warm 33 degrees, and it was pleasant to walk around, stretch the legs and take in the sights.

After a bite to eat in our hotel, it was very early to bed, as we were tired, and being picked up at 4:45am! We both had a decent sleep, and were perky and alert as we headed back to the Airport, and the final leg to London Heathrow. At seven hours, it will be a walk in the park compared to seventeen.

Chard, Somerset, England

After collecting our rental car from Heathrow Airport, we hit the road for Chard, Somerset.

After a meeting with the Funeral Director, Yvonne’s funeral is set for Wednesday May 10th, at Taunton Crematorium. Also, excitement builds in the UK with the King’s upcoming Coronation.

When back in Chard, we like nearby visit Lyme Regis, and lunch at our favourite spot, The Bell tearooms. The weather was cool and overcast. Not really beach weather!

Yvonne’s funeral was a very successful and fitting send off at Taunton Crematorium. Sue did a great job of the eulogy, with the “after match” at Hornsbury Mill. This is mainly now a Wedding venue, but the Crossman family owned it for many years previously. An old watermill, Sue grew up there and served many a cream tea!

Out and about in the Chard area. Lots of walks, pub lunches and dodging the rain.

Near Chard is Forde Abbey, historic house and gardens.It is a privately owned former Cistercian Monastery dating back 900 years!

With Old Phart Sue in England visiting family, an opportunity arose for Blair to fly to Queenstown to watch the NZ Golf Open. It was an opportunity he jumped at!

The tournament was to be played at Millbrook Resort near Arrowtown. So three likely lads in Thommo, Rads and the writer flew out of Auckland on Friday lunchtime. They picked up a rental car, and drove straight out to take in the action. An old cricket friend, Russell Mawhinney, lives near Queenstown, and kindly offered to host us.

The tournament is a Pro Am, and features a number of NZ sporting stars, past and present.

It was great to watch the pro golfers in action, particularly Steven Alker, who has had success on the Champions Tour in the US.

Back to Russ’s for a Thai takeaway, a few reds and stories from yesteryear.

The next morning was considerably cooler, but the lads had plenty of warm clothes. The highlight for the day was Russ securing tickets into the hospitality area, courtesy of a generous friend. Plenty of food and drink, and spot the celebrity.

Shark and tatey for tea, washed down with beer and wine. More stories from the past and lots of laughs.

Similar weather for the final day. The field is bunched, and a winner hard to pick. Eventually it is Aussie Brendon Jones who emerges from the bunch. With birdies on 3 of the last 5 holes, he is a comfortable winner.

At the conclusion of the golf, we headed into Arrowtown for food and drink. They dined at Mantra Indian Restaurant. Great food! We were all most impressed.

With the fellas having plenty of time before flying back to Auckland, they decided to have breakfast in Arrowtown. We dined at the Chop Shop. Fantastic food, service and coffee.

So a great few days in a magic part of New Zealand.A big thanks to Russ for hosting us. We will be back next year.

Following a visit to Eat Streat in downtown Rotorua, the Old Pharts spent a very comfortable night at the Black Swan Lodge, lakeside. After an early breakfast, they were collected by guide Elaine, of the tour company “Walking Legends.”

A total of 13 guests and two guides (Dylan the other), destination .. Lake Waikaremoana. With two minivans (one towing the luggage trailer), the intrepid travellers were off. Of concern was the long range weather forecast, with a cyclone in the Pacific heading towards NZ!

As we drive towards the Lake and into the heart of Te Urewera, we stop at the Whirinaki Forest. We are to do a 3 hour loop hike through the pristine, giant podocarp forest, including giant tōtara, kahikatea and matai.

After a delicious lunch in the forest (with fantastic coffee prepared by guide Dylan .. a trained barista), we hike back to the vans and continue our journey to Waikaremoana. The road is mainly gravel from now on, and quite windy.

We arrive at our accommodation, the Waikaremoana Holiday Park, and are shown to our chalet. Very comfortable!
After settling in, it is time for drinks, nibbles and an opportunity to gather and chat with our fellow guests. A great bunch of interesting people, including Kiwis, Aussies and Americans.

After a delicious steak dinner prepared by our talented guides, we all turned in for an early night.

Day two, and after a hearty breakfast, we load into the vans and drive to the beginning of todays destination. This is a hike up the spectacular Panekire Bluffs, that overlook Lake Waikaremoana. This section is part of the Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk track. As we climb higher, we see the lush podocarp forest change into cloud forest with trees covered in fascinating hanging moss. We continue hiking to reach the highest point of the Great Walk track. What great views and a great place for a picnic lunch!

This was quite a tough hike, with an elevation of 600 metres. It was a careful descent, with lots of tree roots and strain on the knees!

We all made it safely back to camp, and after a scrub up and relax, we wandered over to the kitchen area for drinks, nibbles and a natter. Dinner was lamb .. once again delicious! Of concern is the weather forecast. A large cyclone is heading for the North Island of NZ, with an abundance of wind and rain. Access to the Lake is via gravel roads, with areas prone to slips.

Day 3, and a short drive to the start of the track that leads to Lake Waikareiti. It is about an hours walk through red and silver beech forest up to the pristine lake. This lies a further 300 metres in elevation above Lake Waikaremoana. As it is reached only by walking track, it has outstanding water clarity.

After hiking back to the vans, we crossed the road to check out the Āniwaniwa Falls. From two lookout points, we were able to view the falls from an upper and lower perspective.

Back to camp and lunch and a dry off, as rain has set in. Shortly after, Dylan and Elaine call the group to gather for a meeting. The weather forecast is such that the Camp and walks are closing, and it is strongly advised to vacate the area and head home. As we will be back in Rotorua a day early, “Walking Legends” will find accommodation for everyone for that evening. So with sadness but understanding, we pack up, jump in the vans and motor back to Rotorua.

One final act of drama on the journey, a wheel on the baggage trailer snaps off and rolls away down the road. Fortunately no accidents, apart from a badly damaged trailer! Baggage out and loaded into the back of the vans, then off for the final push to Rotorua.

Guests are offloaded at two Rotorua hotels, but the Old Pharts decide to drive back to Hamilton, via an Italian restaurant in Eat Streat.

After our Lake Waikaremoana trip we were to spend a couple of days in Rotorua, cycling and exploring. However, it wasn’t to be.

Despite the early finish, this was an excellent trip. Guides Dylan and Elaine were fantastic, as were our fellow travellers. “Walking Legends” are a very efficient and well run organisation. We thoroughly recommend.