Category: Golf, Travel,Nature

After a couple of comfortable nights in the Torc Hotel, Killarney, it was time to drive north to County Clare.

After a morning tea stop in Adare, we continued on and stopped for lunch in Ennistimon. Lonely Planet recommeded ”Oh La La”. They were spot on ,as the crepes were excellent. The Irish comedy series ”Father Ted” was filmed in this area.

So, on to the Cliffs of Mohr, and our first experience of large crowds of tourists. A very impressive piece of Irish west coastline.

On to our accommodation for the night, Vaughan’s Anchor Inn in Liscannor. Their seafood restaurant is highly rated! And very nice it was too!

After a very comfortable night in the Metropole Hotel, Cork City, the Pharts loaded up the car and headed west. Killarney was the destination, but via the very popular Ring of Kerry. The weather was overcast, cool and showery, but this is Ireland!

We decided to drive the Ring ”clockwise”, as the tour buses go the other way. We stopped in the very attractive Kenmare for a coffee, then lunch in Waterville. The latter is notable for the Butler Hotel, where the Chaplin family liked to holiday. Also notable was a number of children swimming in the sea!

Late afternoon we arrived at the Torc Hotel, on the outskirts of Killarney, and steady rain.

We drove the short distance to the town centre for dinner. It seemed extremely busy! We were informed the next day was the Ring of Kerry charity cycle race, therefore Killarney was full of cycling enthusiasts. We dined at the Curious Cat Wine Bar and Tapas. A great spot, in fact so good we had breakfast the next morning at their Curious Cat Cafe.

Killarney is very close to Lough Leane and Muckross Lake, so the Pharts decided to take on the Dinis Loop Walk. About 10kms all told. A good workout!

After a couple of enjoyable days in the Waterford area, it was time to drive south west to Cork. Just before Cork, is the town of Cobh, on an island in Cork city’s harbour. It is the docking area for cruise ships. It was the Titanic’s last port of call, and is also notable for its colourful houses, and large cathedral.

After the long, Covid enforced travel layoff, the Old Pharts are finally travelling overseas!

With Sue Hamilton departing ahead of Blair to catch up with family, the pair were reunited at Heathrow Airport. An overnight stopover in Seoul en route for Blair, helping break up the journey.

After a few days of recovery in the Bath House Hotel, Chard, and family caught up with, it was off to Ireland. Bristol to Dublin on a budget airline, with the inevitable delays and a packed airport!

Rental car collected at Dublin Airport, the intrepid couple drove south to Waterford, with two nights accommodation at the Granville Hotel. This hotel is the oldest in Waterford, centrally located, very tidy with ”olde worlde” charm.

The Irish Golf Open 2022 is being played at the Mount St Juliet golf course, about thirty minutes away. The Pharts have tickets to the Pro Am, a warm up day prior to the tournament beginning. Great opportunity to get close to stars such as Ryan Fox, Seamus Power and Min Woo Lee.

With Kilkenny a mere twenty minutes up the road, the Pharts departed the golf for a quick visit to this well known town. With its many churches, cathedrals and a castle, it was worth the effort.

Kilkenny explored, it was back to the Granville, and a pre dinner drink. Guinness for Blair .. pure genius. Dinner that night was at nearby McLeary’s restaurant, which was very nice.

The rain continued to pour down, as the intrepid travellers crossed Cook Strait, and one night in Wellington. A stay at the Bolton Hotel, an independent hotel in the city, with spacious rooms and a nice restaurant.

The next morning, a drive over the Remutaka Hills, and on to Masterton, in the Wairarapa. The weather is terrible, with the North Island being hit by the end of a tropical cyclone. The Pharts are heading home soon, but Masterton provides an opportunity to catch up with Blair’s Uncle Rick and Aunty Marion. Also cousins Wendy and Brandon. The latter has a pet cockatoo, Billy, who takes a shine to Sue.

Accommodation in Masterton is the iconic Copthorne Solway Park. Convenient and comfortable, it has ”The Grill” restaurant, a decent option in town.

We had hoped to play the Masterton Golf Club, at Lansdowne, but sadly the poor weather was against us.

The Pharts hit the road again, destination Chateau Tongariro at Whakapapa Village. On the way, we called in to Pukaha Mt Bruce Wildlife Centre. Located between Masterton and Ekatahuna, it is worth a visit to see Kiwi, Kea, Kaka and others.

We arrive at the Chateau mid afternoon, to perfect weather. We decide on a brisk walk to Taranaki Falls, a circuit walk of about ninety minutes.

So, the final night of trip, and dinner is in the Ruapehu Room at the Chateau. The place is very busy. Turns out many people have taken advantage of a ”Grabeone” special! Dishes on the menu are expensive, and unfortunately the food and service fail to deliver. However the room and ambience are great, so the Old Pharts head back to Hamilton, well satisfied with their tour.

The arrival in Mapua coincided with the arrival of rain. Warm and humid, the rain looks to be with us for the duration of our stay.

Always great to catch up with friends Cameron and Maria, who live in Tasman Village. The Mapua, Tasman and Moutere area is renowned for its arts, crafts and wine. There are also vast areas of hop plantings. It’s always interesting to visit the many galleries both in this area, and Nelson.

With the weather forecast unfavourable, we decided to drive over to Nelson and check out the art galleries. The Suter Gallery is excellent, with the bonus of a very nice cafe. No purchases were made, but the Pharts enjoyed their day of culture.

St Arnaud is a small alpine village in the Tasman district, and situated at the northern end of Lake Rotoiti. Our accommodation is at the Alpine Lodge, which has an in house restaurant. This proves handy as there are very few other dining options!

The area has an abundance of mountain biking and walking trails, so we decided to do the Mt Robert circuit. This involves driving to a car parking area, walking up the Pinchgut Track to the top, then down Paddy’s Track. A round trip of around four hours. The walk up is long and steep, through bush and open country. The views make it worth it. At the top we are at 1400 metres.

A most rewarding walk. We made it a little harder for ourselves than needed, by taking a wrong turning. The Lakeside walk was pleasant, but meant a long uphill walk on the road, to get back to our car.

After two very comfortable nights at Alpine Lodge, it was time for the Pharts to move on. Destination .. Mapua (near Motueka). On the way, a stop at the 9 hole Golden Downs golf course. Its claim to fame is the longest hole in NZ, at 659 metres! A nice course, which we had to ourselves.

The itinerary for the Old Pharts on tour was head up the West Coast. An overnight stay in Hokitika, then on to Westport for three nights. However, torrential rain and an awful forecast, forced a change in plans. The decision was made to head up the East Coast to Christchurch, then on to Blenheim. The weather in both of these places wasn’t great, but the correct decision was made.

Highlights in Christchurch were C1 Espresso cafe, Ballantynes, Francesca’s Italian restaurant and Waitikiri golf course.

Highlights in Blenheim were Chateau Marlborough Hotel and Quenches restaurant, Wither Hills restaurant, Herb and Olive cafe, the movie ”Belfast”, and the Marlborough Golf Club at Fairhall.

After the rigours of the Milford Track, the Travellers had three days at Millbrook Resort to look forward to. An old pharmacy student friend of Blair’s, Ken Millar and his wife Emily have a house at Millbrook. Games of golf at ”The Hills”, ”Millbrook Coronet” and dinner at the Kobe Restaurant will be shared activities.

The next day, golf with Ken and Emily was again scheduled. The course this time was to be the Millbrook ”Coronet” course. Unfortunately the weather deteriorated, with overnight rain and showers during the round. The Old Pharts however completed their round, and loved the course.

Dinner that evening was at Kobe restaurant, at the Resort. Fantastic Japanese food, and highly recommended.

We loved our stay at Millbrook, and a big thanks to Ken and Emily for their hospitality and generousity.

The intrepid travellers were excited to depart Hamilton on the morning of Sunday, January 23rd. A days drive to Wellington, an overnight stay, the very nice QT Hotel, then on to the Picton ferry the next morning.

A perfect ferry crossing lead to the classic road trip down the East Coast of the South Island to Christchurch. Another overnight stay, in the excellent Quest on Manchester.

The road trip was to continue the next day, destination, our old friends at The Cairns of Lake Tekapo. We had been caught there in August with a Covid lockdown, when a 3 night stay became 15!

With the golf clubs in the car, we stopped and played the Hororata golf course on the way. A really pleasant course, with a cafe adjacent to the course, for a post match snack.

The next day it was on to Queenstown. We attended the afternoon pre walk meeting at Ultimate Hikes, collected our day packs, and were set to go the next day. Our accommodation for the night was at Millbrook Resort near Arrowtown. Dinner at the ”Hole in One” at Millbrook. We are to return to this Resort for three nights, at the conclusion of the walk.

The Milford Track experience begins! Forty eight keen and expectant trampers, plus four guides, depart Queenstown for Te Anau. Lunch at the latter is followed by a short journey north, and on to a boat. This one hour long ride takes us to the top of Lake Te Anau, and the start of the walk. First stop, Glade House

The next morning after a hearty breakfast and lunch making, the Old Pharts and intrepid trampers had a 16km walk, destination, Pompolona Lodge. A flat, pleasant walk, with a swim in Prairie Lake for some shortly before arriving at the Lodge.

After another wonderful three course dinner, it was an early night for the group. The next day was the ”big one” of the Track, the Mackinnon Pass.

Unfortunately at breakfast the next morning, we were informed fifteen of the group were struck down by a vomiting and diarrhoea virus. They were unable to participate in the days walk. Very disappointing for them, and relief for those who “dodged a bullet”.

The Mackinnon Pass was indeed a challenging hike, particularly the downhill, which was steep and rocky. However, the weather was great, and the Old Pharts “knocked the bugger off” without issue. They still had enough juice in the tank to check out the Sutherland Falls. Despite a lack of rainfall in January in the region, they were an impressive site. Another comfortable evening of great food and company, this night in Quintin Lodge.

The penultimate day of the Milford Track experience, is the final day of actual walking. A 21 km walk, pretty flat, through the bush to the final destination of Sandfly Point. From here, a boat ferries us across to Milford Village, and our accommodation at Mitre Peak Lodge.

Day 5, the final day, is a mornings cruise on the Milford Sound. Once again, a glorious day, with the lack of recent rainfall meaning the absence of waterfalls cascading down. As walkers, we were quite happy to remain dry.

Cruise over, its back on the bus for the long drive back to Queenstown. Goodbyes to friends and acquaintances made over the last few days. A big thanks to our Ultimate Hikes guides, Meg, Sandy, Naomi and Ethan. Quality guides and people.