NB - ALL the pictures of this second blog are
DIFFERENT from the ones on the main page!
=> People
=> Nature, Parks and Wildlife
=> On the Road
Napier, on the North island
Napier is located
in Hawke's Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island about 320 kilometres northeast
of the capital city of Wellington. It is the nexus of the largest wool centre
in the Southern Hemisphere.
Napier is a
popular tourist city, with a unique concentration of 1930s Art Deco
architecture, built after much of the city was razed in the 1931 Hawke's Bay
earthquake. It has one of the most photographed tourist attractions in the
country, a statue on Marine Parade called Pania of the Reef.
Driving to Ongaonga (historic villlage), on the North island
Nelson (all pictures from now-on are on the South island).
Nelson is
the oldest city in the South Island and the second-oldest settled city in New
Zealand – it was established in 1841 and became a city by royal charter in
1858.
Nelson is
well known for its thriving local arts and crafts scene; each year, the city
hosts events popular with locals and tourists alike, such as the Nelson Arts
Festival.
On the way to Mt Cook
At 3’724 meters, Aoraki/Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand. I
A popular tourist destination, it is also a favourite challenge for mountain climbers.
Wanaka is a popular ski and summer resort
On the way to Arrowtown, a historic gold mining town
Catlins lighthouse
The Moeraki Boulders are unusually large and spherical boulders lying along a stretch of Koekohe Beach on the wave-cut Otago coast of New Zealand. These boulders are grey-colored septarian concretions, which have been exhumed from the mudstone enclosing them and concentrated on the beach by coastal erosion.
The boulders were described in 1850 colonial reports, in more recent times they have become a popular tourist attraction.
Akaroa is a small town on Banks Peninsula in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. The name Akaroa is Kāi Tahu Māori for "Long Harbour". The area was also named Port Louis-Philippe by French settlers.
In 1838 Captain Jean François Langlois made a provisional purchase of land in "the greater Banks Peninsula" from 12 Kāi Tahu chiefs. On 9 March 1840, 63 emigrants left from Rochefort. The settlers embarked for New Zealand on the Comte de Paris, an old man-of-war ship given to them by the French government.
The area still shows a French influence, prominent in many local place names. It is the oldest town in Canterbury and one of the most historic places in New Zealand.
On the way to East Cape
=> Camp-sites are VERY regulated and well organized!
Freedom camping is when you camp on public land that isn’t a
recognised camping ground or holiday park.
There is nobody at entrance of campsite: you insert your money in an envelope and drop it inside a box. Copy of your payment is posted under the windscreen of your camper.
There may be spot checks that campers have paid their fees!
=> Camper vans
At a restaurant
In my Campervan... Not quite as sophisticated!
=> I was there
For biosecurity reasons, when you go to a different island, authorities do not want you to carry soil from one place to another one. You have to scrub your shoes on this gadget to remove all the soil under your shoes!
Having so many pictures, I created an addtional page for:
- Warnings, Notices and Road Signs
- Museums and Attractions
Click here to see it