Tuesday, May 18, 2010

New Zealand - Day Three

Day Three - Monday 3rd May 2010
Yesterday we travelled from Christchurch to Kaikoura (181klms) and arrived in the dark, found a lookout and stayed there the night.

This morning we woke up early so WH could get some sunrise photos. This was our view from the bedroom, lounge room, dining room and kitchen! At this stage I am thinking that the Motor home might be a really good thing!

After breakfast we packed up house and moved on. We drove through the town and had a look around.

Today was wine country day and I thought we should wait until mid morning at least before we started wine tasting!

This Church was beside the highway with beautiful views to the ocean! Everything was so neat and green around this area!

Next stop Montana Cellar Door.

I could live here, the building is gorgeous and the gardens are fantastic!

We tasted the selection that was on offer for the day (pleased to say that we weren't the only ones tasting wine before lunch!) and we bought a few bottles, fortunately the cellar door had a playground for the kids to run around in, so Nicholas was happy too!

Next stop Blenheim town centre to find a map of the surrounding area and decide on what we wanted to see. Blenheim reminds me of Mudgee in NSW Australia and the Hunter Valley in NSW Australia. There are a lot of cellar doors in the area and plenty of choices. We decided to drive around, sticking to the main road and stopping at another two cellar doors to do some tasting and just admiring the rest as we drove.
Wither Hills was an impressive cellar door and the lady who served us was fantastic, she was friendly and knowledgeable making the experience even more enjoyable!
Wither Hills had a great area outside on the beautifully manicured lawns with bean bags and low tables where you could kick back and enjoy a drink or a meal! It looked so inviting, however it was time to move on again!
Unfortunately no playground here so Nicholas patiently waited by the fire.
Next stop - Saint Clair Cellar Door. This cute cellar door was nowhere near as big as the first two but it was lovely and welcoming. The outdoor eating area was lovely and we stopped here for lunch as well. I think we could have happily stayed here for longer in the sunshine enjoying the garden, the views and the wine but the road was calling! Given the short length of the days and the amount of travelling and activities we wanted to do in our two short weeks we really had to keep moving along!
We arrived in Picton late in the afternoon, stopped for a wander around the town and for some coffee. We decided that we would stay here for the night and get an earlier start in the morning.
We think this was meant to be Mickey Mouse (Donald Duck was standing close by) but something about his ears was not quite right!
Kaikoura to Picton (157klms)
Well I hope you are still awake and have stuck around for the end of Day 3.
Thanks for your patience! xx

14 comments:

  1. Anonymous18 May, 2010

    Hi Nellie,
    What a wonderful trip it looks like your having!! I wish I were there. Have a wonderful time and keep us posted on your fun.
    Sincerely,
    Melinda

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  2. Looks like you're having a great time.

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  3. Keep the photos coming Nellie they are just beautiful. The view you had when you got up in the morning was just spectacular. New Zealand was going to be our next and the first overseas holiday,it looks like a must place to visit. Sounds like you had a great time exploring. I look forward to seeing the rest of your adventure. Catherine xo

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  4. wow, it's all so beautiful! I'm enjoying seeing your trip. I really want to go to NZ now!
    Jxx

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  5. Wow, now I want a glass of wine! ha

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  6. HI Nellie, these are fab...I gave you an award, just check it out:
    http://flo-ry.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-05-18T15%3A31%3A00%2B08%3A00&max-results=1
    enjoy!
    Flory

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  7. Screw the night out! I want to go with you on your trip! It all sounds so lovely. What an absolutely beautiful adventure. I can not wait to see more. :)

    Cheers~
    e

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  8. What a great day! I have drunk a few (or more) bottles of Montana - would love to visit there!

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  9. Wow Nellie, NZ is on our plans here and how wonderful to see your adventure and your pictures. Now you make me feel even more "excited" to go to NZ!!!!
    Thanks for sharing your trip with us!
    Hugs,
    Li :-)

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  10. Nellie, your trips sounds wonderful! We lived in Auckland for four years and saw quite a bit of New Zealand while we were there. It is a stunning country filled with wonderful people. Just like Australia..

    My daughter is living in Christchurch attending University. I am due to visit her in July and look forward to seeing more of the city. New Zealand took my breath away...so many beautiful locations. I always felt like it was their little secret and they were quite happy to keep it that way. Your photos say it all :)

    Jeanne

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  11. Hi Nellie. How totally awesome does everything look. And you can not go past a good New Zealand white (sorry France!). Enjoy the rest of yout time.
    Kristine

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  12. Great photos. I love the bean bags on the lawn. If I could just recline there and someone could just top my wine glass occaisionally, all would be good in my world!

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  13. Oh my goodness Nellie, these photos are amazing. It looks like a holiday of a lifetime. So glad for you that you are experiencing such a wonderful trip. I'm thinking about trying to sell this idea to my hubby. Can't wait to see more pics. Stay safe and have fun.
    Donna xx

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  14. Anonymous18 May, 2010

    That sounds like a fun couple of days, Nellie. The wineries looked beautiful, (boozers!) and that stone church by the sea was so sweet. Looking forward to the next installment...
    :) Flick

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