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And so it was back to where this holiday started, Rydges Latimer in central Christchurch.

Dinner that night was The Permit Room, an Indian restaurant near Cathedral Square. We chose a variety of small plates. The place was humming and the food superb.

After a substantial hotel breakfast, we walked into town, and then to and around the Botanical Gardens. Lunch was at the vibrant Riverside Market. Feeling energetic, we headed to the Travis Wetland Park near the coast, and walked the track around. Then a short drive to New Brighton, and out to the pier.

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Dinner that night was at Francesca’s Italian restaurant, next to the Isaac Theatre Royal. This place is very popular, and with excellent food and reasonable prices, we could see why.

Monday was our last full day in Christchurch, and we were keen to play golf. Son Scott took a day off work, and we played at the Russley golf course, near the airport. Excellent facilities, both on and off the course, and a nice way to conclude this South Island holiday.

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Dinner for our final night was with Scott and Eva at Zaffron. This is a Thai/Vietnamese restaurant in Beckenham. Excellent food and company.

Visits to Christchurch in the future may be less frequent, as Scott and Eva are moving back north. We look forward to seeing more of them.

In conclusion, a great trip. The South Island is hard to beat!

After the spectacular Clay Cliffs, the intrepid travellers stopped for a coffee at Omarama, then back in the car and southwards.

Another of the Old Pharts favourite roads in New Zealand is the Lindis Pass. It begins on State Highway 8 south of Omarama, and runs between the Lindis and Ahuriri Rivers, through to Tarras. The cafe at Tarras is another favourite spot.

Mid afternoon we reach Wanaka, and settle in to the modern and comfortable West Meadows Motel, for the next nine days. On the agenda .. skiing, golf, bike hire, hiking, eating out and catching up with friends. The latter has been affected by another Covid outbreak, moving Auckland to Level 3 and the rest of NZ, Level 2.

Fortunately the ski fields are able to operate, disruptions being numbers in the cafes, and chair lift loading restrictions, whence bigger queues.

Friday was a spectacular day, so we headed up to Cardrona. A “Bluebird” windless day, but large crowds curtailed ski time. An enjoyable day none the less.

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With the long range weather forecast looking settled, the Old Pharts decided to abandon the skis for the weekend, and indulge in other activities. Saturday we hiked to the top of Mt Iron, which looms alongside the township. An easy climb is gives great aerial views of the lake, town and mountains. The scale of growth in Wanaka over recent years is amazing!

Sunday, and we decided to play the Wanaka golf course, for the first time. A glorious day, albeit chilly, the views from particularly the front 9, were spectacular!

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The weather continued to be gloriously fine, so it was back to Cardrona Monday and Tuesday. Less crowds were appreciated, and a lot more runs packed into the day.

Wednesday was a day off the skis, and bike rental and an explore around the Lake. We cycled to the Clutha outlet, and followed the river to Albert Town. Lunch was at the popular Pembroke Patisserie, with its authentic French pastries and breads. Delicious!

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Wanaka is blessed with many fine cafes and eateries. The wonderful Florence’s cafe and food store was a short walk from our motel, and we were frequent visitors. Not normally open in the evening, they do a “communal” set menu dinner on Wednesday night. We attended, and enjoyed the food and company. Other old favourites revisited were Big Fig, Red Star Burgers, Amigos Mexican and Relishes Cafe.

We decided to make Thursday our final day at Cardrona. Four days of excellent skiing. We were happy. Friday, the weather was deteriorating, so we drove to Queenstown and had lunch with old friends Russell and Susan Mawhinney. Russell was a cricket colleague from many years back. A nice catch up.

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For a final night treat, we booked Bistro Gentil, on Golf Course Rd. Excellent food and service, and a fitting end to a really enjoyable nine days.

The next morning, we loaded up the Forester, and headed back to where we started .. Christchurch.

One of our favourite New Zealand road trips is Christchurch to Tekapo via Rakaia Gorge and Geraldine. A bonus this time was a coffee and muffin stop at the Staveley cafe, located near the Mt Somers turnoff. Well worth a visit.

We had two nights booked in Tekapo, and a place we hadn’t stayed before, the Tekapo B2 Lakeview Apartment. Turned out to be a delightful one bedroom elevated cabin, with mountain and lake views. After completing the Cowans Hill walk and explore around the lakefront, we were ready for dinner. We found a Japanese restaurant which was very nice. For our next and final night we booked McKenzies. Always top quality and also a celebration of someone’s birthday .. Sue (55!).

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So far we had been blessed with fine weather, and the next day was another “cracker”. We headed up to Tekapo’s nearest ski field, Round Hill.
A perfect “Bluebird” day, no crowds and reasonable snow conditions. Not enough snow however for the legendary Heritage rope tow. This is a long, vertical run which is probably beyond us! Round hill has T- bar lifts, so after many runs the intrepid couple were worn out.

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After a pleasant birthday dinner at McKenzies, it was time to depart Tekapo for the Ohau Lodge and ski field at Lake Ohau. This was a first time visit for the Old Pharts, and they were really looking forward to it.

Another Bluebird day awaited us at the ski field, after a bone jarring drive up the access road. As a bonus, a fellow Hamiltonian, Jim Fitchett was to be there for the day. Nice to ski a few runs with the silly Old Bugger!

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After an excellent 3 course set menu dinner at the Lodge, a comfortable nights sleep and hearty breakfast, it was time to continue to Wanaka.

However, there was a stop we wished to make on the way. This was to visit the Clay Cliffs, near Omarama. It is a twenty minute drive from the main highway, and well worth a visit.

Having spent the previous six months stuck in Hamilton due to the viral pandemic, it was with great excitement as we boarded our flight to Christchurch.

Almost over our disappointment of the cancellation of overseas travel to the UK and Europe, we were looking forward to seeing Scott and Eva, then travelling south to the ski fields of Tekapo, Ohau and Wanaka.

Our accommodation was Rydges Latimer Hotel, very conveniently located in the central city. When in Christchurch, we always visit the iconic Ballantynes department store, plus the boutique “Tannery” in Woolston. Purchases were made!

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Saturday morning we visited the Lyttelton food and craft markets, then lunch in Sumner and a walk along the Beach. Dinner the previous evening was at Formaggios, an Italian restaurant in Beckenham. Saturday dinner was at MoriMori Japanese restaurant in Sydenham. Both were excellent.

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After a hearty breakfast at our favourite C1 Espresso in High Street, we jumped in our hired Subaru Forester, and made tracks for Tekapo.

The Kinloch Club is a privately owned, Jack Nicklaus signature golf course. It is at the small settlement of Kinloch, on the western side of Lake Taupo.

With the absence of overseas golfing visitors, the club was offering discounted fees for New Zealand residents. My friend Graeme Olorenshaw (Olly) and myself saw this as an opportunity too good to miss.

The weather forecast was good, so Olly and I made the two hour journey to the course. We allowed ourselves plenty of time for a coffee, scone, then some warm up hits, before tackling the course.

There are four tee options, with Olly and I choosing the Blue (second to back). My 12.1 index was a 15 on course handicap, Olly’s 15.0 a 19.

The course is very much a links layout, heavily bunkered, sloping and undulating fairways, with quick and multi-layered greens. Fortunately the breeze was only light. This was going to be a tough test of golf for the lads!

A tough test it was! The rough thick and unforgiving, with some holes protected by around 20 bunkers. The threat of a hole blow out and big numbers was constant.

The lads had a match amongst themselves, with Blair prevailing 2 and 1. The final hole was a par 5, with a lake protecting the left hand side. The duo finished solidly, with a par for Blair, and Olly a bogey. Blair finished with 90, Olly 99.

After a refreshing beer in the lounge afterwards, the golfing pair headed back to Hamilton, and reflected on a most enjoyable day.

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February saw Sue and Blair loading the car, and driving to an area previously unexplored by the couple.

The destination was Taumarunui, just over two hours south of Hamilton. Courtesy of “Forgotten World Adventures”, they did the 5 tunnel rail journey. This is a 3.5 hour self driven rail cart journey through hill country and native bush, to the historical village of Matiere.

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After dining that evening at the local RSA, and a restful nights sleep at the Forgotten World motel, we were off the next morning to New Plymouth. Our route was to be State Highway 43, or the Forgotten World Highway. This 150km stretch of road from Taumarunui to Stratford is very windy. It also includes 12kms of unsealed road. About halfway to Stratford is the “Republic of Whangamomona”, so called due to residents objecting to a council boundary change. A nice place to stop for a coffee and a muffin, a wander and explore.

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It was now on to New Plymouth via Stratford. The former is a city in Taranaki, with a population of around 80,000. It is a coastal city with an excellent walk and cycle way along the coast, art galleries, parks and gardens and Mt Taranaki looming large to the south. It also has excellent cafes, restaurants and golf courses. We decided to play the Ngamotu course of the New Plymouth Golf Club.

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An excellent coastal course, in great condition and featuring stunning scenery. Wind is a constant, so a good test of golf.

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After two very enjoyable days, we drove the Surf Highway around the Taranaki coast, and south to the small town of Hawera. We played the local golf course, and stayed at a very nice B&B. The next stage of the road trip, was to Palmerston North, via a coffee stop in Whanganui. The plan was to play the Hokowhitu golf course of the Manawatu golf club. It was unavailable however due to a tournament, so we played at the Palmerston North golf club instead. As a many NZ golf courses in summer, including Hawera, the fairways were firm and brown, with plenty of run. Both were nice courses. After a meal at a Vietnamese restaurant and a comfortable night at “Destiny on Fitzherbert”, it was a two hour drive south to the nations Capital.
Our arrival in Wellington was via the Paekakariki Hill Road and the Hutt Valley.

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Our stay in Wellington was dual purpose. Firstly, that evening we had tickets to a concert in the Opera House .. Mi-Sex opening for the Stranglers! Two blasts from the past!
We arrived around midday, to a glorious Wellington summers day. Had lunch at the Maranui Surf Club cafe in Lyall Bay, then checked in to our Copthorne Oriental Bay Hotel. As we are at the base of Mt Victoria, a walk to the summit and back was obligatory. Great views, and lots of people sunning themselves at the Oriental Bay beach (although not many swimming!)

After an excellent dinner at nearby “Lola Stays” (great for breakfast also), it was concert time.

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A great show, with both bands in fine form and playing all the old favourites.

The next day was a short walk into the central city, and suit shopping for Blair. With two weddings to go to in the next few months, he decided to splash out. Mission accomplished at Rembrandts.

Dinner that night was at Coenes in the Port Nicholson Yacht Club. Excellent food. The next day it was off to the Wairarapa, specifically Martinborough. Blair’s mother was a Masterton girl, so he has many relatives there. Called in and saw cousin Wendy at her home in Greytown, then on to Martinborough for food, wine and golf. Staying at the Pinot Villas, which is very close to the market square in Martinborough. Lunch, a glass of wine and some purchases at Colombo winery, then off to dinner in Masterton with a number of relatives.

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The next morning, golf at the Martinborough golf course. A hot day, firm brown fairways, nice greens, friendly locals. Most enjoyable!
After lunch it was a short walk to Palliser Estate winery for tasting and purchasing. Recommended! Dinner that night was at the Union Square Bistro in the Martinborough Hotel. A busy place with great food.

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For our final day in Martinborough, we decided to walk to the lookout of the Patangirua Pinnacles, have lunch at nearby Lake Ferry, then wine tasting and purchasing at the Luna Winery. A busy day, finished off nicely with dinner at Cool Change Bar and Eatery.

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With the car loaded with “essential” purchases, it was time to drive north, with the Rangitira golf course our destination. This is on State Highway 1, just north of Hunterville. We had driven past it many times, always saying we must play it. The course is set out over three levels,starting roadside then descending to river level. At the conclusion of the 18th hole, you climb on to a cable car, which returns you to the upper level, the clubhouse and car park. An excellent course, with a nice cold beer to finish.

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Our final night on this most enjoyable trip was in a very spacious and comfortable B&B in Taihape, called “Llanerchymedd”. Situated in the hills above Taihape, self contained and very quiet.

So another area of previously unexplored New Zealand crossed off, the revisiting of some old favourites and confirmation we are blessed with quality and quantity of golf courses.

Instead of the usual family Christmas celebrations, 2019 saw Blair and Sue driving to Auckland Airport. With a group of friends, they were off to Melbourne to watch New Zealand play Australia in cricket. It was the second test of a three test series, and New Zealand’s first Boxing Day Melbourne test for over thirty years!

As well as Blair and Sue, the group consisted of Graeme and Tracy Olorenshaw, Neil Dench and Annabelle Johnson, Simon and Liz Dench, Tony and Michaela Giles and their sons Lachie and Hamish.

Our sons Scott and Andrew were also going, but independently with a group of their friends. Scott met up with us Christmas Day, before heading off with his group the next day.

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Boxing Day, and the group were ready for the short walk from the Citadines on Bourke to the MCG and the big test. There was to be an expected crowd of 80,000, with almost 20,000 of those Kiwi supporters.

Kane won the toss, and asked Australia to bat. The number of NZ supporters was evident early, as Boult took a wicket in the first over.
However, from then on it was all Australia.

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At stumps, Australia were in a strong position, with the NZ bowlers, apart from Wagner, disappointing.

The group discussed the days proceedings that evening in their hotel over drinks and nibbles, before dining in nearby Chinatown.

Day 2, after a hearty breakfast at “The Mess Hall” on Bourke St, the group once again headed to the MCG, in the hope the Black Caps bowlers could pick up early wickets. However, this was not to be, with the Aussies amassing a large first innings total, and the Caps losing wickets before stumps.

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Dinner for the “Gang” that evening was at “ Naked for Satan”, in trendy Fitzroy. With a rooftop bar, and delicious small plate dining, we were happiness filled ( and so was Mumble with the Colman).

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Day 3, and after a hearty breakfast, this time at “Self Preservation” on Bourke St,the group were hopeful of a strong batting display by NZ. However, this was not to be, and they were bundled out cheaply. Australia could have enforced the follow on, but chose to bat. At stumps, they were in a commanding position. A number of the group departed early in response to this poor effort from the Black Caps. However, Messers Olorenshaw and Finlayson stayed until the end, and were impressed by the strong, vocal Kiwi support.

This was our final scheduled day at the cricket, with a private wine tour and lunch booked for the Mornington Peninsula the next day.

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Dinner that evening was at an upmarket Italian restaurant called “Becca”. This was very close to our hotel, and a great time was had by all, with our waitress in particular proving to be very entertaining!

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Day 4, and after cracking brekkie at Self Preservation, we departed for the Mornington Peninsula. Before our first winery visit at Point Leo Estate, we stopped at Arthur’s Seat to admire the views.

As well as most impressive wine tasting area, Point Leo Estate had an extensive sculpture park. The wines were okay, but in the opinion of the many experts in our group, nothing to write home about.

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The next stop for wine tasting was Port Philip. A very nice setting, with the wines once again, just okay. Onwards to Mont Rouge, more wine, and lunch. A nice outdoor setting, with an extensive variety of food. A final tasting for the day was at the Red Hill Estate. As there were many wines tasted throughout the day, the van journey back to Melbourne was a quiet affair. Overall an excellent day in a very pleasant area of Australia.

We arrived back to our rooms in time to watch the cricket on TV, and see Tom Blundell bring up his hundred. One of the few high points in a very disappointing effort from the Black Caps.

Dinner that night was in a local Thai restaurant, “Fomo”. Wonderful food, and a time to reflect on our stay in Melbourne. Sure, the cricket team underperformed, but Melbourne was great, the MCG great and most importantly, the company was great. We will be back!

The second test of a 2 match series between New Zealand and England, at Hamilton’s Seddon Park.

The first test between the 2 sides was played at the Bay Oval, Mt Maunganui. A first ever test at this venue, and NZ’s ninth test venue. The result was a win for NZ’s “Black Caps.”

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In this test,NZ batted first, scoring 375, with a hundred to Tom Latham. England replied with 476, with a marvellous double hundred, to skipper Joe Root, and a century to Burns.

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With a pitch providing nothing for the bowlers, NZ just had to bat for a draw in the second innings. After losing the openers early, and rain forecast for the afternoon, Williamson and Taylor dug in. Just after lunch, and just before the rain, they both brought up their hundreds.

Match drawn. Series won.

A brief, four day stay in Christchurch was dual purpose. Firstly, a catch up with son Scott and partner Eva, and to see the great Lloyd Cole live in concert.

Cole had commercial success in the ‘80’s with his band the “Commotions”, and has released a number of solo albums over the years. He has just released a new album, and the set features songs from the album, plus many from the past.

The concert is in two parts, with a solo Cole and acoustic guitar for 45 minutes, then a 20 minute break. After the break, he is joined by former “Commotion”, Neil Clark, also on acoustic guitar. Cole is in fine form, with his dead pan and slightly sarcastic banter, most amusing.

The concert is in the recently refurbished Town Hall, in the intimate James Hay theatre. About a thousand fans were treated to great comfort, plus tremendous sound and acoustics.

A walk through Hagley Park, and an explore of the central city followed the next morning. Since our last visit, the Riverside Market is now up and running. On the corner of Cashel and Litchfield Streets, it takes up the area of the old start up Container Mall. With a mixture of food stalls, cafes and bars, it is a huge hit with the punters. This, combined with more shopping and the Oxford Terrace bars and restaurants, the city was vibrant. Great to see!

Lunch with Scott and Eva at the always excellent “Little Poms”, and a catch up with their news and plans.

For dinner that evening we headed back to the Riverside Market, and upstairs to the “Castro”. A Spanish themed bar and restaurant, the food was great, and reasonably priced.

For our final full day in Christchurch, Sue and I decided a decent walk was required. Having read the “Sign of the Takahe” has recently reopened, we decided to visit for lunch.

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After a very nice lunch, we walked up to Victoria Park. From here, there are a number of walking track options around and over the Port Hills. We chose a track which took us to a car park, just short of the transmitter tower on Sugar Loaf. We then followed a track which lead us to the Sign of the Kiwi, and a well earned ice-cream.

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Our return to the Sign of the Takahe was down the Harry Ell track, a walk of about 40 minutes.

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Our return to the city was via Governors Bay, Lyttelton and over the recently reopened road over the hill to Sumner.

Our evening dining for our final night was the Pegasus Arms on Oxford Terrace. We were joined by Scott and Eva, and were impressed by the food and atmosphere.

A most enjoyable stay in Christchurch, finished with breakfast at the always excellent Cafe 1851 on Armagh Street.

After flying in to Queenstown Airport, we loaded up the Rav rental with our ski gear, and drove to Wanaka.

After a slow start to the ski season, there is now plenty of snow and a settled forecast. Looking forward to catching up with old school friend Cameron Rodgers, and his wife Maria Schulcz. We have purchased season passes to Cardrona ski field.

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It was a pleasant surprise to catch up with old Pharmacy friends Steve Walker and Julie Earwaker, plus Noel and Di Waterson.

In need of a skiing rest, Sue and I decided on our “day off” to climb up a hill adjacent to Wanaka township called Mt Iron.It provides great views over the town, lake, mountains and the Cardrona valley.

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After several very successful days skiing at Cardrona we decided upon two things. Firstly, an apres-ski drink at the iconic Cardrona Hotel, and secondly, a visit to the Snow Farm for a crack at cross country skiing.

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After a lesson with instructor Herb, we got the hang of it. Quite different to down hill skiing, and quite tiring. Definitely keen to do it again, and the boots are soft and comfortable!

After a few days of continual skiing, the legs once again needed a rest. We decided to head to Bannockburn, just beyond Cromwell, and lunch at Mt Difficulty winery. This proved to be superb, with great food, wine tasting and purchasing.

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We had 12 days in Wanaka, 8 of which we skied. The weather and snow were both excellent. We have been visiting Wanaka and skiing the area for many years now, and have never been disappointed. Wanaka township has grown and is continuing to grow, but in our opinions, is far nicer than Queenstown. There are plenty of dining options, with The Cow, Speights Ale House and Amigos some of our favourites. We have had a great time holidaying with Cameron and Maria. Great company, on and off the piste!

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With Wanaka done and dusted for another year, it was time to pack up the Rav and drive to Christchurch. It is one of the great scenic drives .. the Lindis Pass, Omarama, Tekapo, Fairlie, Geraldine, Rakaia Gorge, Darfield and Christchurch. It will be nice to meet up with Scott and Eva, and catch up with their news over food and drink.

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And eat well we did. Although Christchurch is still very much in the recovery and rebuild phase, there are plenty of central city dining options.

Saturday night we visited the Permit Room. This is an Indian restaurant on the corner of Colombo and Armagh streets. It is in one of the surviving heritage buildings, wedged between the new Convention Centre. The food and ambiance were great. The next night was casual dining at the Dux Central, and our final night was Little High food court. It was Monday night, but it was packed! Eight different dining options at very reasonable prices. The latter two were in the “Salt” district of Christchurch. This is an area between St Asaph, Tuam and Litchfield Streets. A number of the older buildings survived the earthquakes, and have been transformed into hospitality areas.

As always, we enjoyed our stay in Christchurch, and look forward to returning in November to see Lloyd Cole in concert.