Category — Travel

After taking the ferry from the north island to the South Island we ended up in Picton for the night. The Campervan Park was nice but a little noisy as it was right on the main highway.

The next morning Dean and Judy headed off to Nelson and the west coast on NZ and we headed towards Kaikoura on the east coast. On the way we stopped for a couple hikes and since we were right on the ocean we saw lots of Seals and nursing Pups plus a pod of Dolphins. Kaikoura is also known as a place to see lots of whales.
Kaikoura is a cool little seaside village and we did a long walk along the water front before hitting the road for the day
We made the holiday park reservation while travelling and got the last spot as today was the start of a national holiday. ??????

From Kaikoura we headed towards Rakaia to stay at a river side holiday park.
For the first part we drove along the coast and the scenery was amazing.

Rakaia was another holiday park where we got the last spot. We went for a walk to the river and just about got there before hitting a muddle puddle that was trail wide and you could see where the Quads had chewed if up pretty good. This was definitely a family oriented camping park and lots of activities going on.

From Rakaia we drove to Geraldine on our way to Lake Tekapo. The Geraldine information centre lady was very helpful after getting loaded up with many things to do we arrived in Lake Tekapo. It was another campground that was full, but we had pre booked, so no problems getting a spot over looking the lake.
Lake Tekapo has a great beach walk and pedestrian bridge which makes getting around really easy.

We are into the last few days of being on the north island of New Zealand and are currently sitting in the Islander Ferry Terminal line up.

Below are a few of the pictures and sites we’ve seen over the last few days.

We are starting to get into sheep country, lots of fields with lots of sheep.

This is also where we have started to see lots of wind power energy generation in windmills

Foxton Beach holiday park, where we camped just off the Tasman Sea and the sand dunes were amazing. It was very windy so you can just imagine how much the sand dunes drift over time.

Our last stop before crossing on the ferry was in Wellington. Here we are having lunch on the Seaside boardwalk and waterfront

This morning we had a local bird visit us during breakfast

and here are some pictures from the ferry lineup waiting to board headed for the South Island and the town of Picton.

The following pictures are a few of our highlights so far.

Katikati Bird Sanctuary

Arapuni Suspension Bridge from 1925 used by works to get to construction site building hydro power station

Orakei Korako thermal hot springs that we had to take a ferry for the 2 hr hike

Opepe Bush Historic Reserve with huge trees and an amazing trail through the forest

Clifton Road Preservation Area – Freedom Camping on the beach

Well we have been busy exploring New Zealand the last few days and haven’t had much time to give more complete updates, but here’s a short summary.

Since the last update we have met up with Dean and Judy, took a tour down into a Glow Worm cave and saw our first stalactites and stalagmites, we watched a logging truck hit the ditch, flip over and spill its load block the highway and through all this we made it to Rotorua where there are thermal mud pits and the smell of sulphur.

The logging truck incident was the most exciting, thank heavens no one was killed and the driver escaped with minor injuries. It was a pretty surreal event we rounded the corner and the trailer and recto wheels were still spinning. The truck was on its side, driver cab on the high side. Electrical lines were on the ground and the way the truck ended up you couldn’t get to it. Fortunately there was another truck approaching from the other side and they obviously helped the driver out.

However the road we were travelling to our next location was blocked and it required us to take a 3 hr detour. We arrived into Rotorua much later than planned.
Once in Rotorua we took an extra day to see the city, walk around Sulphur Point and go out for dinner on Eat Street

Today we visited two geothermal sites.The first site was Waiotapu which had a 90 min hike through the geothermal fields, it was hot and pretty smelly. The lakes the run off created were spectacular hues of green.

The second site we visited was Orakei Korako. It was another geothermal site but this one was about the various limestone pits and the multicoloured formations. Plus it was extra hot and humid from the bubbling mud and boiling water

Tonight we are in Taupo and off to Napier tomorrow.

Yesterday we drove from Miranda to Coromandel to spend the night.

On the way there we passed through Thames and stopped to enjoy the Saturday Market. It was pretty interesting and eclectic, it was part Retail Business, part Farmers Market and a whole bunch of Flea Market. There was a little bit of everything. We picked up some local Apricots and Plums.

Our camping spot for the night was a Freedom Camping site. It was located right across from the Police Station in Coromandel and situated on a small stream. It was a great location for the night.

Just as we were going to bed it started to rain? Well in the middle of the night it started to pour rain and we mean it rained lots and it rained steady? Plus there was thunder and lightening.

When we woke up the next morning the quiet little stream was now a pretty good river.
After breakfast we headed off towards Whitianga. Mid day we stopped in Tairua for a meat pie and a hike around the towns nature preserve. Later in the afternoon we then eventually stopped for the night at Athenree Hot Springs.

While in Auckland we walked the waterfront, stopped in some stores for shopping and got in a harbour tour cruise? Auckland was very busy with at least 1 Cruiseship in harbour and on the last day there were 2 large Cruiseships in town.
But after a couple days to adjust our body clocks it was time to get this Campervan Adventure going.

We picked up our Campervan from Wilderness Campervan.
Here’s a picture as we were just getting ready to leave the Wilderness base.

Driving on the left hand side of the road is a bit of a challenge at the start, especially on the very narrow secondary roads we were taking out of Auckland. But in the end we made it safely to our planned camping spot in Miranda.
Tomorrow will be a whole new adventure and I am sure we will get more comfortable driving on New Zealand roads.
It was great to have such a good navigator to get us from point A to point B and I only scared her a few times with the wheels in the ditch.

Well we’ve made it to 2025 and trust us the next three months are going to be exciting.
We are headed to New Zealand and Australia from January 20th and returning on to Kamloops on March 10th.
We fly to Vancouver a couple days early and meet up with Dean and Judy then board Air New Zealand for the 14 hr flight
Once in New Zealand we have a couple of days together and then we pick up up our Campervan and head off towards the east coast? Meanwhile Dean and Judy are renting a car and head north of Auckland to a wine district.
We hope to provide regular updates, so stay tuned.

We flew to Vancouver a couple of days early as a safety precaution with the winter weather. Once there we met up with our travel companions Dean and Judy
Monday we headed to the airport and now the adventure really begins

Well we finally made it to Auckland? The flight was actually not too bad.
After the plane took off they gave you a drink, then served dinner and a bit later they shut all the lights off.
No fooling around here, it’s time for bed. Then about 3 hrs before landing they feed you breakfast and before you know it your landing.
Here we are at 5:30am waiting for the shuttle bus to downtown Auckland

Here’s photo proof we made it to Auckland

By the time we got back from Las Vegas it was almost mid October

We weren’t home that long and we decided to take a trip to Prince George to visit Dean and Judy and do some face to face planning for our early in 2025 adventure to New Zealand and Australia
It was great to go spend a couple days with Dean and Judy, they are such great hosts

In late October we really started getting serious about planning for NZ and AUS
2025 calendars were printed out and dates and locations and routes started hitting the planning papers
There is so much to see and so much to do in both Countries, thank Heavens Brenda is so good at detail stuff like this, we are going to be busy

We had Kevin come for a visit for a couple days in October, he was here for his high school reunion

November arrived and the planning is going crazy
A rough agenda was drawn up We leave Kamloops for Vancouver on January 18th, fly to Auckland NZ on Jan 20th We arrive into Auckland on January 22nd and pick up our Campervan on January 24th
Dean and Judy are heading north and we are headed South and East
We meet up in Rotorua a few days later and then travel together until we take the ferry to the South island where we go our separate ways for about a week and we finally meet in Christchurch to drop off the Campervans
From Christchurch we fly to Melbourne AUS after a couple days in Melbourne we take the southern coastal route to Adelaide for a few days
After Adelaide we fly to Sydney for a week and Dean and Judy are headed North to Brisbane
After a week in Sydney seeing the sights we fly to Brisbane and drive north to Coolum for a week
Then it’s back to Auckland and the long flight home to Vancouver and eventually Kamloops?
This is a real “big picture” condensed trip itinerary there is a ton of stuff we are going to be doing

December arrived and life is somewhat back to normal with dancing, music, painting, friends, etc etc and of course Christmas planning

Just before Christmas we had an evening with 3 other families on the street It’s was called a Snow Ball Event where you start at one house with a drink and an appy then after an hour you move to the next home and every hour you move until you are at the last house
What a great way to connect with your neighbours and enjoy the Christmas Season

Then between Christmas and New Years we had an evening Music Jam Session at Tom and Paulette’s There was 3 guitars, 2 Fiddlers, 2 Ukuleles, a Banjo, an Upright Bass and a Drummer
What an evening, the music was fantastic, the spouses and guests sang along to the tunes, the buffet food and goodies at the break were tasty it was a very memorable night
A West Coast Kitchen Party

We stayed home this year for Christmas
Dean and Judy came down from Prince George and stayed with Sabrina, Mike and the grandkids
They very kindly invited us over for Christmas dinner

Final Note from 2024
Our total focus has been on trip planning for New Zealand and Australia
If we have seemed distant it’s because we are planning this once in a lifetime trip, thanks for your understanding

Happy New Year
Please stop back for a visit to this site we hope to keep it up to date as we travel around NZ and AUS in January – February – March 2025

Summer finally arrived and with it “Music in the Park” at Riverside Park.

Always lots of great and free entertainment each night from July 1st (Canada Day) to August 31st We are so fortunate to have this all summer long in Kamloops Another plus this summer was that the smoke from wildfires was not too bad this year

August arrived and our social calendar became a whole bunch busier

Dean and Judy came down from Prince George for a visit and the four of us went on a wine tour We had purchased a wine tour package for them for their 70th birthdays; and we finally got to use it? The tour was with Terri from Divine Tours, she does such a great job Our tour started at Privato Wineries, then on to Sagewood Wineries and finally we ended at Monte Creek Wineries All were different and all were great? Plus the real benefit was we didn’t have to worry about driving as we were chauffeured around by Terri

A day after the wine tour Brenda and Dean’s cousin George and his wife Eva from Gabriola Island came for a short visit It was great to catch up after not seeing them for a couple of years A real enjoyable part of their visits is that George and I have an after dinner music jam session that goes on until are fingers are tired

Not too long after all our company left we had Sage and Conrad come for a short visit? They are so much fun to have for a visit and they like shopping and going to the movies So it was off to Aberdeen Mall or Specialty Stores and then up to the Cineplex where we saw the newest movie out “DeadPool” We also found time to go on a cool hike in upper Barnhartvale

Then right after Sage and Conrad we had Zach and Oliver for a few days
Those two always come with a long list of activities that they want to do
Here is a partial list: Disc golf, Scoopz Ice Cream, Mini golf, Scoopz Ice Cream, Riverside Park Dinner, Scoopz Ice Cream, Wildlife Park, Scoopz Ice Cream, Bowling, Scoopz Ice Cream, Morning Cartoons in Bed, Scoopz Ice Cream – Kind of a reoccurring theme here

At then end of August and into early September we headed to Kelowna to drop off the guys and then look after them as their parents were off to Nashville to se the band “Green Day”

Early September was quieter with a chance to catch our breath and get back into normal routines, Music, Dancing, Walking, etc etc? It also was time to start planning for our next trip with Wells Grey Tours?

However before that there was our annual friends Reunion? Judy and Dean were the organizers this year and they found us a great house with a pool near Tappen This was first reunion since Rick passed away last year? So lots of remembering, a few tears but more important a lot of laughs and Rick was or would have been laughing with us

At the end of September we booked another Wells Grey Tours adventure which was a repositioning cruise from Vancouver to San Diego and a side visit to Las Vegas We boarded a shuttle bus in Kamloops headed to Merritt where we met up with a coach to take us to New Westminster for the night Had a great dinner at the Boathouse in New West?
Then the next morning we boarded the coach to get us to the Cruise Ship Terminal to board the Neuw Amsterdam for a 5 night repositioning Cruise to San Diego with a stop in San Francisco
We had a sea view cabin which was great to get some natural light into the room
After cruising for 3 days we arrived in San Francisco We did our own onshore excursions which basically meant we walked a lot of steps for the 16 hrs the ship was in port, I think that day we did between 26000 and 28000 steps
We saw the major attractions, Fishermans Wharf, Ghiraridelli Chocolate Factory, Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street and we road the longest route on the Cable Cars
After leaving San Francisco we cruised for another day and a half and arrived in San Diego
We stayed at the Embassy Suites which is a great location near the waterfront market, plus the hotel has a great evening manager reception and the breakfast in the morning is outstanding
While in San Diego we went to the San Diego Zoo, The Maritime Museum and the Birch Aquarium
Leaving San Diego on a coach we headed off on a 7 hour drive to Las Vegas across the Mohave Desert
The lunch stop was in Barstow CA and it was the best Mexican style food we have ever eaten
After the seven hour bus ride we ended up in Las Vegas We stayed on Freemont Street at The Golden Nugget The location was alright, the hotel was a little older but in the end it all worked out okay

While in Vegas we took a day trip/tour to the Hoover Dam and got to stand on the border between Nevada and Arizona

Also included in the Wells Grey trip to Vegas was a tour of Freemont St, A visit to the Mob Museum with Moonshine Tasting 3 different evening shows; Ventriloquist Terry Fator, Cirque du Soleil Mystique and Excalibur

The four days we had in Las Vegas went fast but we have no desire to go back
It’s just not our thing, we aren’t big gamblers

Early in April we made a quick couple night visit to Princeton and then over to Kelowna to see both families April was mostly a catch up month with us both getting back into life regular routines of dancing, ukulele, gardening and painting.

May arrived and the early part of the month was getting ready for an upcoming Wells Gray Tours trip to New York City

On May 25th we boarded a Wells Gray Tour bus for a drive to Kelowna and then a flight to Calgary for the night By the time we met up with everyone there was a total of 30 travellers

Our tour director was Rhonda and she was excellent, we have travelled with Rhonda in the past and she is always customer focused and shares lots of information, so you always know what’s going on and what’s going to happen Overall it was a great group and everyone showed up when requested and everyone mixed well with each other

Without giving a day to day detail review of what we saw and experienced here is a list of some of the stuff we saw in the 6 full days we were in New York City
Time Square – right outside our hotel
New Year’s Eve Ball – 12ft in diameter and it looks tiny from the street
Empire State Building
Rockefeller Centre and the Top of The Rock

Central Park – Strawberry Fields and John Lennon Imagine mosaic
The Court House where Donald Trump was on trial
The Bronx to The Battery
The Charging Bull in the financial district
Wall Street
The 911 Monument and the Oculus

Ground Zero Memorial Tower #1
Liberty Island and The Statue of Liberty

Ellis Island and the National Park Buildings
Broadway including 3 Plays “Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Son” “Back to the Future” “The Wiz”
Trump Tower with the golden elevator (Don’t be fooled, it’s more brass than gold
Grand Central Station
Tiffany’s
Plus some specialty dinners out and a local food tour
It was a busy few days

The month of June arrived and we were just getting back from New York City

Midway through the month went down to Kelowna for one night to attend Zach’s year end Band Concert He really did well and had fun, we are so proud of how he is progressing in music

When we got home Kevin and 3 of his buddies had arrived for an extended weekend Disc Golf Tournament They were a lot of fun to have visit and they had a lot of fun on their weekend away

Then at the end of the month Jeff, Lindsay, Zach and Oliver stayed with us for a couple of nights and stayed over for Kamloops Canada Day Celebration in Riverside Park

Stay tuned for more life adventures with SillyLog