TRANZALPINE TRAIN TO ARTHUR’S PASS –NEWZEALAND JOURNEY

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After resting in the hotel for the night and after a hearty breakfast the next day we set going for one more day of travel today, this time in the world famous TranzAlpine train. We traveled on road past rural pastors of the Canterbury plains and reached Christchurch station from where we were going to travel by the train to Arthur’s Pass ,our coach captain Peter dropped us there at the station and after bidding goodbye to us went on ahead to Arthur’s pass to wait for us

 The TranzAlpine operates a daily return service between Christchurch and Greymouth. It would start at 8.15 AM and reach Arthur’s pass at 10.52 AM.
By the time we got into the station, the train was ready waiting for us .As our luggage had gone in the bus ahead of us, we were only carrying our hand luggage with some food to eat on the way

We observed other tourists checking in their luggage which was stored very efficiently in the dedicated baggage carrier
 TranzAlpine train journey has been rated as one of the top 10 train journeys in the world .The train had award-winning world-class carriages with specially designed seats which were spacious reclining type, panoramic windows, glass shelves and skylights.

 As a result of the windows the carriages had plenty of light and delivered  an incredible view of New Zealand's epic landscapes unfailingly.
The audio commentary system was mounted in the arm of our chair with a free headset to use for the journey, The commentary was in both English and Mandarin. Obvious intention was to connect with the histories, legends and myths of New Zealand by tuning into the audio commentary system. Packed in the commentary was a seamless stream of stories, narratives and facts about the places outside the windows.
We also had a power outlet to stay switched on for the whole journey!
Seating arrangement in carriages featured two different styles:
• Forward facing seating: these were the more spacious of the two options. These seats were rotated at the beginning of each journey to face the direction of travel. The forward facing seating had the advantage of always facing in the direction of travel and had much greater legroom than the table seating.
• Table Seating: this featured four seats around a large table perfect for families and groups who want to eat, drink, play games and enjoy time together.

The train had a licensed café carriage providing snacks and light meals Alcohol had to be purchased on board and prices were on a par with bars/restaurants ,there were plenty of clean toilets
 The train had started and we hardly had realised it as it was running so smoothly
We were lucky to have the out door viewing carriages next to our carriage. These carriages had open sides and allowed us to have a feel of being genuinely outdoors while travelling across the great plains, through dense forests, along gorgeous coastlines and over spectacular mountain passes ,we however had to be dressed in warm clothing as it got cooler out there

From Christchurch, the first major stop was Springfield.

The landscape there was amazing. The town sat on the vast, flat, Canterbury Plains, but as we went just a couple of miles to the west, the Southern Alps ascended from the ground regally

We could see the fields of the Canterbury Plains one of New Zealand's primary agricultural regions, miles of native beech forest  followed by the spectacular gorges and river valleys of the ice fed Waimakariri River. We luckily got a seat on the right hand side going to Arthur’s pass and got the best views of the rivers and gorges

There was a TV screen in each carriage that showed where we were and also alerted us when commentary started.
The first hour was a gentle ride across the plains and the mountains appeared in the distance, getting closer and bigger each minute. The train slowed down a lot as it started its climb and over the following hour it gripped the side of gorges ,and crossed bridges with jaw-dropping views between the high mountains.

The views were spell bounding with the green forests ,deep blue river and mountains and gorges appearing and disappearing
The train finally arrived at Arthur’s Pass - 737m above sea level (2,284ft)  to get a few additional engines added for the final climb through the Otira tunnel.
From Arthur's Pass, the TranzAlpine descends through the 8.5km long Otira Tunnel. This landmark structure was the second longest tunnel in the world when it was completed in 1923. It's historic completion also marked the completion of the Midland Line and the opening of the railway line from Christchurch to Greymouth.
However we all got down at Arthur’s pass and boarded our bus to proceed for Franz Josef

CHRISTCHURCH ,HORRIFIC QUAKES AND ASTOUNDING REMAKES ,NEW ZEALAND JOURNEY

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We went on towards Christchurch which is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. It is home to 396,700 residents, making it New Zealand's third most populous city behind Auckland and Wellington.
Archaeological evidence has indicated that the Christchurch area was first settled by humans at about 1250. Christchurch became a city on 31st July 1856, making it officially the oldest established city in New Zealand. The Canterbury Association named the city after Christ Church, Oxford. The new settlement was laid out in a grid pattern centred on Cathedral Square.
 The Avon River flows through the center of the city, with an urban park located along its banks. At the request of the Deans brothers—whose farm was the earliest settlement in the area—the river was named after the River Avon in Scotland, which rises in the Ayrshire hills very near  their grandfather's farm

As we travelled towards the city we got a very descriptive picture of the city which unfortunately suffered a series of earthquakes between September 2010 and early 2012, On Saturday 4th September 2010, a magnitude 7.1 earth quake struck Christchurch and the central Canterbury region at 4:35 am. Located near Darfield, west of the city at a depth of 10 kilometres, it caused widespread damage to the city with minor injuries, but no direct fatalities.
Nearly six months later on Tuesday 22 February 2011, a second earth quake measuring magnitude 6.3 struck the city at 12:51 pm. It was located closer to the city, near Lyttelton at a depth of 5 km. Although lower on the magnitude scale than the previous earthquake, the intensity and violence of the ground shaking was measured to be IX (violent), among the strongest ever recorded globally in an urban area and in total 185 people were killed.
 Significant liquefaction affected the eastern suburbs, producing around 400,000 tonnes of silt. The earthquake was felt across the South Island and parts of the lower and central North Island. While the initial quake only lasted for approximately 10 seconds, the damage was severe because of the location and shallowness of the earthquake's focus in relation to Christchurch as well as previous quake damage. Subsequently population fell and Christchurch main urban area fell behind the Wellington to decrease from second to third most populous area in New Zealand.
 People from more than 20 countries were among the victims. The city's iconic Christchurch Cathedral was severely damaged and lost its spire.

The collapse of the CTV building resulted in the majority of fatalities. Widespread damage across Christchurch resulted in loss of homes, major buildings and infrastructure. Significant liquefaction affected the eastern suburbs, and the total cost to insurers of rebuilding has been estimated at NZ$20–30 billion.
On 13 June 2011, Christchurch was hit by two more large after shocks There were no fatalities though it resulted in further liquefaction and building damage.
The city has been from then being experiencing a series of earth quakes
Following the earthquakes, over 1500 buildings in the city had been demolished or partly demolished by September 2013.
However the city has been experiencing rapid growth following the earthquakes, with the central city rebuild, which is outlined in the Christchurch Central Recovery Plan, starting to ramp up, and massive growth in the residential sector, with around 50,000 new houses are expected to be constructed in the Greater Christchurch area by 2028, as outlined in the Land Use Recovery Plan (LURP).
 As we went through the city we didn’t stop anywhere but came to realise the bravery of the people of Christchurch, their tenacity and will to re build and stay back in their beautiful city come what may
Christchurch we found in our fleeting ride all over the city was vibrant and energetic where regeneration, creativity and innovation thrived.
 Amazing street art, innovative projects, a booming hospitality scene and state-of-the-art architecture all the while staying true to its heritage and traditional English feel, contrasting to empty lots,half demolished buildings and cordoned off areas
One could take time to explore the city by double-decker buses, vintage bicycles, gondolas, tram or classic Edwardian punt and discover bars, eateries and an eclectic mix of boutique shops by foot. The city’s award-winning Christchurch Botanic Gardens surely offers a relaxing inner-city escape

The serene Avon River flowed gracefully through the beautiful gardens before continuing through the CBD and out to sea.
Presently Christchurch is in the midst of an epic rebuild that has completely reconstructed the city centre, where over 80% of buildings needed to be demolished after the quake. We could see the scaffolding and road cones all over the city, could envisage exciting new buildings.
We finally arrived in Quality hotel Elms, Christchurch our hotel for that day.

We divested ourselves of our luggage, the room was spacious and had a heat pump which we saw for the first time ,we could open the windows for fresh air and could hear birds chirping cheerfully

We then went for window shopping down the Papanui Road , there I spotted a street name Sydenham ,immediately remembered Sydenham’s chorea seen in Rheumatic heart disease , we could see buses going to the city centre ,
We did a small souvenir shop survey ,bought some trinkets and we then went in search of Indian restaurant ,there were many, some one suggested the Maharaja Indian restaurant ,this was a home converted to a restaurant ,owned by an Indian not surely a Maharaja of course.

There to our pleasant surprise we found many non Indians suited and booted relishing our biryanis and curries with our chappatis ,it was very gratifying for us to watch them, after a hearty Indian meal which was surprisingly quite cheap ,we returned to our room to rest

LAKES AND SMILES –NEW ZEALAND JOURNEY

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We reached Blenheim the most populous town in Marlborough, in north east of South Island. It has an urban population of 31,300 and is well known for its wine industry. It has one of New Zealand's sunniest climates, with hot, relatively dry summers and cool, crisp winters .
We rested in Scenic hotel fitfully and started next day at 8 am for Christchurch ,we braced ourselves hard as we were going to travel a long way that day .

Though there was a very beautiful road between Blenheim and Christchurch, due to damage to the road between Kaikoura and Blenheim,in earth quake on 14th November in 2016, this road was currently closed. We had to take the road which passes through Lewis Pass through St Arnaud Murchison and Hammer Springs . This would take us approximately 6 to 7 hours to cover the 450 kms distance

As the bus wove its way along the road, the hills began to fade away and open plains slowly opened up before us. We could see Pony farms and cherry fields with road side cherry stands, roads were gracefully unfolding garlanded by huge expanses of vineyards

We soon saw the alpine village of St Arnaud sitting prettily on the edge of Lake Rotoiti against a stunning backdrop of mountains. It was known as the perfect base for exploring the Nelson Lakes National Park, New Zealand's second-largest national park..

Lake Rotoiti , previously also known as Lake Arthur, is a lake in the Tasman Region of New Zealand. It is a substantial mountain lake within the borders of Nelson Lakes National Park. The lake is fed by the Travers River, water from the lake flows into the Buller river. The lake is surrounded by Beech forest and is 82 metres deep.

The first European to see the lake was John Sylvanus Cotterell on 18 January 1843. Thomas Brunner and Charles Heaphy reached the lake in November 1843, and Heaphy named it Lake Arthur after Captain Arthur Wakefield, but the Maori name remained.
Our bus stopped very near the lake side and we all got down,we immediately were surrounded by ducks both small and big ones

It was such a pristine setting that it was stunning, the highlight was the view over the lake towards the snow covered and the fiery wild mountains. The lake was like a mirror, we could take beautiful and stunning photos of the scenery.

When we stepped towards jetty,we saw big eels swimming around the jetty.These eels which are endangered species were huge in size and almost resembling big snakes ,they were lazily swimming around in the region of the jetty as if they were posing for a photo shoot ,we were told that we could feed them steaks but were to be careful of our fingers as they would be snipped off if we were nor alert

Tramping tracks circled the lake, including the Lakehead track on the east side and the Lakeside track on the west side. There was a water taxi service that traveled the length of the lake ferrying tourists to and from the Coldwater and Lakehead huts at the head of the lake which has a lovely waterfall. Hamish the operator was famous for showing willing tourists details of the lake and even the remote places

Though we didn’t go we were told that the view was very beautiful at the head of the lake
Apart from the eels, trout were found which were introduced to attract recreational fishermen
As we were alerted before visiting the lake we applied some cream for sand flies because they were plenty at the lake side
The lake offered amazing opportunities for swimming, boating, rowing, paddle-boarding.
There was a nip in the air, glamour and a romantic ,healing and mesmerising effect on the mind, soul and body.
As it often happens with us, whenever we visit a beautiful place I yearningly tell my  practical husband how I wish we could stay here for ever and would get a scathing look from him in return,LOL !

Leaving behind the beautiful lake we sped through the road ,we saw the enchanting beech Maruia Forest and the scenic Lewis Pass.We continued south to the Garden City of Christchurch ,though the journey was tedious our ever cheerful Tony entertained us with lot of Irish Jokes and constant flow of lollies

PICTON AND OMAKA AVIATION HERITAGE CENTER -NEW ZEALAND JOURNEY

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Before we alighted from the inter islander ferry Kaitaki ,Tony gathered our group together and told us that there was going to be a slight crowding at departing point so we had to get down individually and take a blue line down the street and wait for him ,we could finish having our lunch in Picton
He had to meet the coach Captain of the bus coming down from south island loaded with passengers who were going to start the North Island tour and would be in Kaitaki returning from Picton to Wellington ,we had bid a fond farewell to Megan on the previous day in Wellington ,she was a wonderful woman ,ever patient ,handling all the heavy luggage effortlessly ,was proficient with Maori culture and in totality was a good sport
We gathered our bags and prepared to get down from the ferry, Tony handed over our maps over the 3 odd hours in the ferry he had diligently drawn route maps for all of us ,places we were going to cover in the South Islands and those covered in North Island
On the way out we found ourselves amidst lot of cars and other vehicles getting ready to get off, we came out of the ferry terminal and faithfully followed the blue line and viola ! we found ourselves in the centre of the town

We went searching for a good restaurant ,by then we had discovered the art of searching for small restaurants serving sea food and would order economical and filling food with a bit of spice thrown In.
On the main road  we found a small restaurant serving take away food , happily ordered fish and chips with chicken and lamb kebabs and luckily we found a counter there to eat our stuff and eventually some of our group members sauntered in for food
While waiting for Tony we went around wandering to while away time but we had a cautious eye on other members of our bus as we didn’t want to miss our bus.

 I could see and also used the wash rooms set in the garden at the wharf, were so clean and neat ,not at all like a public toilet

Tony came with the bus after a while ,he was literally sweating and flustered ,apparently the bus coming from South Island was late because of road work going on and the tourists from south island almost missed the ferry .We were introduced to our new coach captain Peter who was a South Islander and also very good
Picton is a town in the Marlborough Region of New Zealand's South Island. The town is located near the head of the Queen Charlotte Sound, 25 km north of Blenheim and 65 km west of Wellington.
Picton is a major hub in New Zealand's transport network, connecting South Island road and rail network with ferries across Cook Strait to Wellington and the North Island. It has a population of 4,360, making it the second-largest town in the Marlborough Region behind Blenheim.

Built around a very sheltered harbor, the town has an attractive seafront dotted with cafés , restaurants and various galleries. There’s also a floating maritime museum and an aquarium. Local operators can take us cruising, fishing, dolphin watching, sea kayaking or mountain biking.
Unfortunately we had just an hour to spend there and set going in the bus to Blenheim where we were going to stay for that night in Marlborough scenic hotel
On the way we stopped for the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre ,an aviation museum located at the Omaka Air Field, 5 km from the centre of Blenheim

Heritage aviation interest began in Marlborough area in late 1990s and Marlborough War birds Association was formed. In 1997, a small group of aircraft owners and enthusiasts established New Zealand Aviation. A decade of collaborative activity lead to establishment of the Marlborough Aviation Cluster
 Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre, which occupies around 3,000 sqm of display area was officially opened on 9th Dec 2006. Stage Two was opened in 2016
It has two sections and has separate pricing and a reduced pricing for both combined
Omaka's first exhibition, “Knights of the Sky”, presents one of the world's largest collections of World War I and rare memorabilia, including a mix of static displays along with flyable planes. The collection is on long term loan to the museum and is managed by the 14-18 Aviation Heritage Trust, chaired by film director Sir Peter Jackson

 Jackson’s got the exhibition designed by Joe Blakeley and was able to employ the talents of Wellington's finest set builders, painters and props specialists, enhanced with lifelike mannequins by Weta Workshop. Despite its complexity the exhibition took less than 10 weeks to complete from design to opening.
"Knights of the Sky" features rare memorabilia, such as an Iron Cross cut from the fuselage of the Red Baron's Fokker after he crash-landed it, having been fatally wounded by a shot to chest as he pursued enemy aircraft.
 There are personal stories of heroic individuals, including a New Zealand ace who jumped out of cockpit and onto the wing to steady and then to steer the disabled craft until he could get low enough to the ground to jump off safely.

 It was both fascinating and frightening to see the whole recreated scene, we had a close and personal" look at the guy whose steady nerves brought him back safely against great odds.

Dangerous Skies" features World War II aircraft and fascinating memorabilia from the Eastern Front as well as a gripping short film on the Battle of Stalingrad. The exhibition display about Lydia Litvyak , a female ace fighter and "Hero of the Soviet Union" is fascinating and utterly arresting when you come upon it
It was amazing to see how fragile the early aircraft were (wood, cloth and wires) and it was also interesting to note the speed at which new innovation was adopted.

The saddest part was to read that most pilots were around 20 and few made it to 23 . I have always felt that all wars have been unnecessary events which have ruined mankind and the worst affected are the young ones who either get badly hurt maiming them for life or die leaving their family to grieve for them The displays are so real and authentic,planes had bullet holes and dents. We found a plane crashed into a snowy tree, another with a soldier standing on the wing, one wired in a muddy field, another has crash landed and pilot was being pulled out of the cock pit

Whole museum was amazing, informative with rare exhibits. We saw a great 360 degree surround type video for 8 minutes, which showed WW2 bombing movie it was amazing and definitely worth the time spent .There was a cafe with a good range of drinks and food and we had an amazing coffee

We then went to the hotel to rest for the day early as we had a long distance to travel the next day

THE WONDERFUL KAITAKI - NEW ZEALAND JOURNEY

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We were about to finish our tour in north Islands and go to south islands, though there was an option of flight our tour included a ferry journey from Wellington to Picton  and it indeed turned out to be memorable.
There are two main ferry companies: Inter islander and Bluebridge,Up to 5 ferries usually start from 2.30am to 8.00pm.We were going to travel by the inter islander ferry Kaitaki
 We were instructed by Tony that our bags had to be kept out earlier that day as they had to be sent to the ferry before us

So after a hearty breakfast we said goodbye to our hotel and went in the bus to the ferry terminal located on Aotea Quay. Wellington harbour was used to be called Port Nicholson,. Cook Strait lies between the North and South Islands of New Zealand. It connects the Tasman Sea on the northwest with the South Pacific Ocean on the southeast, and runs next to the capital city, Wellington. It is 22 kilometres wide at its narrowest point, and is considered one of the most dangerous and unpredictable waters in the world.

The strait in Maori has the name of "bitter leaves" and is named after James Cook,the intrepid explorer who discovered in 1770 that  contrary to popular belief at the time  New Zealand is made up of two major land masses. The inter-island ferry connects the North Island and South Island of New Zealand travelling from Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city, to Picton, a picturesque harbour town located at the head of the Queen Charlotte Sound and known as the gateway to the magnificent Marlborough Sounds and the South Island of New Zealand

After a half an hour wait at the terminal which we spent picking up some material on south island ,we were checked in for the ferry ,as we had only hand luggage we could sail through easily and we saw our ferry the famous Kaitaki  meaning "challenger" It has a capacity of 1350 passengers and is the largest ferry operating in New Zealand ,it has 132 passenger berths, can hold 600 cars and crew are 60 in number

We entered the ferry in no time, though there were elevators ,most of us used the stairs and were led to a private lounge which was booked for our group, we settled down there for a few minutes initially with our hand luggage stowed safely and went to top deck to see the starting of the ferry from Wellington .

The ferry started and the scenic ferry journey offered many highlights en route and was richly supplied with local legends and myths. From Wellington, the ferry slowly made its way through the harbor offering us panoramic views of its dramatic city scape set on high hills which plunged steeply into the sea. It was very windy reminding us that we were bidding farewell to windy wellington.

Suddenly I recollected our crossing the English Channel which  is a part of the Atlantic Ocean,  separating the island of Britain (part of the UK) from northern France and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean from Dover 2003,entire bus  was taken in the ferry I still remember the rough sea that day ,about 15 years back, the English channel today is one of the busiest shipping lanes on the planet. It's approximately 350 miles long, and at its narrowest in the Strait of Dover.
 Our ferry passed past Ward Island in Wellington Harbour, which according to Maori legend is one of the daughters of the great Polynesian explorer Kupe, and then past Somes Island, which was used as a detention centre during WWII and around the point to Oterangi Bay, the North Island terminal of the Cook Strait power cable and the place where in April 1968 a land wind speed of 268 km/h was recorded, then out into Cook Strait.

 Two lighthouses at  Pencarrow Head mark the entrance to Wellington Harbour. The upper lighthouse was constructed in 1859 and was New Zealand's first permanent lighthouse. Although it was a great achievement, the early European settlers hadn't appreciated how the low sea mists and fogs would render it useless. It was eventually replaced in 1906 by the lower lighthouse, which is still in use.
After we appreciated the land scape for some time we went on a tour of the ferry,it was more like a multi storied hotel than a ferry
With two restaurants, a sports bar, shop, several lounges and a deck dedicated to children, Kaitaki  was designed to entertain. With excellent food, comfortable seats, stunning views and a relaxing environment, the Ocean View eatery was a great place to settle down and enjoy the entire journey!
 For someone who likes to sit back and relax with a delicious local beer or wine, the Local Heroes bar towards the rear of Deck 8 was the place of choice. For entertainment, the Local Heroes bar had Sky Sports on TV and live bands playing on stage!

Hector's café a modern, elegant café modelled on the classic Kiwi café-bar style.  was located on Deck 7 towards the front of the ship. We had a delicious slice of cake and a strong cup of strong coffee,
Deck 2 was meant for kids aged 0 to 10 years. Down there we found a huge soft play climbing frame, baby play area and two cinemas. There was a café on a mezzanine level overlooking the play area for adults to sit and relax with an eye on their kids
Kaitaki had several large outdoor viewing areas around Deck 7 and an outdoor seating area on Deck 10. These areas were perfect for soaking up the spectacular views of the sounds

 We came to know that our Inter islander ferry trip was famous as one of the most beautiful ferry cruises in the world. The Cook Strait ferry covers 92 kilometres (58 miles) and the journey across the Cook Strait averages 3 to 3.5 hours depending on the weather conditions 

 Then our ferry started cruising through the majestic Marlborough Sounds, a series of sunken sea-filled valleys that feature many bush clad islands, hidden inlets and bays, clear blue water and native forests growing down to the waterline .

We had lovely glimpses of small wooden homes, jetties and boat sheds owned by locals, many of whom seem to be commuting via the water which was blue
 We met very helpful and friendly staff on and off board the ferry. The interior of the ferry was very comfortable with different sitting areas with big windows to take in the stunning views of the Marlborough sounds and the Cook strait.
There was a lot of space to walk around so that one doesn’t get claustrophobic .There was no dearth of activities on the ferry including a movie theatre, face painting, arcade games, food/drinks, etc.
Access to vehicle decks was not permitted during the crossing, Dogs could be left in large cages on the vehicle deck.

With the hills of Marlborough surrounding us and the sheltered waters calm and placid, sailing through the Marlborough Sounds felt to us more like cruising along a large river than a sea deceptively so calm
The ferry was being operated with  great dexterity as some of the inlets and outlets were quite narrow.
 We were offered fantastic views of the South Island’s Kaikoura Range and there were frequent opportunities to spot dolphins and plenty of sea birds.
Other animals one might spot include seals, penguins and albatross. Over twenty species of  whales have also been spotted around cook’s strait and around 300 humpbacks migrate through the Cook Strait during winter. On a reasonably calm sailing one can see also see a visible line where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet
It is said that a bit of rough weather adds to drama of this untamed inter-island passage. There are no roads or homes within kilometres of the northern coastline and the hills are as wild and rugged as they were when Captain Cook first sailed through as did the  Polynesians  long before him and it is difficult how they did in small primitive ships and canoes

The coniferous green slopes with lovely colorful flowers seen on the sound, encountering other ships ,the ferry and its comforts together made our journey very memorable. The trip across the Cook Straits was surely one of our best experiences in New Zealand's ,the coastal scenery is breathtaking and the transition from bustling and dramatically situated Wellington to the serene beauty of Picton was stunning
During the course of our ferry journey I came across a board mentioning our country which filled me immense pleasure and pride