1

Feb 23

Sat

Christchurch
Copthorne Commodore Airport Hotel,
449 Memorial Avenue Burnside, Christchurch 8053, New Zealand
(03) 358 8129

• Willowbank Wildlife Reserve - Ko Tane Living Maori Village (cultural experience) 7km - 9 min drive from hotel (checking bus), check-in 5:15pm $135
• OR Explore Christchurch (17 min - checking Airport to City bus service - possibly Super Shuttle? )
• & OR Pomeroy's Historic Brewery Inn 292 Kilmore Street, Christchurch (possible dinner venue?)
• OR 30 min Punting trip on the Avon River ($25 p/p) 03 366 0337 (see other tours on this site)
• The Great New Zealand Beer Festival is on in Hagley Park 11.30- 7pm. 45 NZ Breweries, mainly craft type, will be represented, along with music & food - Tickets - Gate sales $40 ea Enter via Park Terrace/Rolleston Avenue http://greatkiwibeerfestival.co.nz/
• The Great British Car Rally (not actual rally cars though) end in Christchurch today. 200-300 British cars of all marques & age arrive after a charity fund raiser from Auckland started by the British Foreign Secretary. 11-3pm Hagley Park North
• Ferrymead Heritage Park in Christchurch is an operating historic township/museum & their tram restoration workshop is an interesting look. They generally have trams running in the weekends & occasionally a steam tram & train, but there is also something for everyone here.

2

Train C/Church to Arthurs Pass "Tranz Alpine wilderness experience. Full day (booked)
Tour information: "Today you will board the world famous Tranz Alpine Train for a full day trip out to New Zealand’s
beautiful Southern Alps. View the incredible scenery through panoramic windows before disembarking at Arthurs Pass, where you will enjoy a tour by road through the National Park to Otira Gorge.
Lunch is included and is at the Wobbly Kea Restaurant.
The return journey to Christchurch is by road, stopping for an exhilarating jet boat ride through the spectacular gorges of the Waimakariri River. Finally, a visit will be made to a farm for late afternoon tea, followed by a sheep shearing and sheep mustering demonstration." Returns 5.30 - 6.00 pm

Pick up the cars - Ron Hazelhurt's crew will be picked up at 0830 for delivery to his premises at 300 Jowers Road, West Melton (20 min) to pick up cars. Bryan Laws crew will have their cars delivered to the Copthorne. All to meet at Amberley (tba) 36 min north of the Copthorne at Norwest Cafe 95 Carters Rd, Amberley ( 03-314 9411) for coffee.

Head north from Christchurch to the Marlborough Sounds and Picton area

• Stop at Amberley
• via Kiakoura famous for a nearby cove and waterfall or whale watching trip,
  plus Nin's Bin (caravan) for fresh crayfish!
• Blenheim / Cloudy Bay – wineries (side trip - Jackson 's Rd near Blenheim 03 520 9197)
• Blenheim - Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre ( 03 579 1305   $25 or $20 seniors 10am - 5pm) "houses a display like no other and you don’t have to be an aviation buff to enjoy it! Human stories from the Great War come to life in a theatrical treatment, which is innovative and the Etrich Taube Dogfight, visually stunning."

• also at Omaka - Omaka Classic Cars and accessed from the Aviation Centre.

• Edwin Fox Maritime Museum 03 573 6868 (30-60 min) Not far from Beachcomber Hotel

Nelson
Leisure lodge
40 Waimea Road, Nelson,
03 548 2089
Wi Fi 50Mb free
then 10c / Mb

"Beachcomber Fun Cruise: Scenic Ship Cove Cruise" Half day (booked) Web site has a good map.
Check in: 9 am departs 9:30 03 57 36 175 or 0800 62 45 26
"Enjoy the stunning scenery of the Queen Charlotte Sound as you sit back & relax on a Cruise to Ship Cove. Meander through the sounds, keeping an eye out for the abundant wildlife. You will have an opportunity to disembark for 15 minutes at Ship Cove which holds key cultural heritage stories told in a beautiful sheltered cove with a lush coastal forest backdrop. On rejoining your cruise vessel you will visit Resolution Bay to feed bread to the pet fish."

The cruise finishes at 1230 and we will have lunch in Picton.
We will then make our way to Nelson, a town known for its abundance of arts and crafts.
Driving distance to Nelson is approx 1 hour 45 mins / 110kms.
" Picton to Nelson is via Queen Charlotte Drive. This is a winding stretch of road on which it is difficult to overtake for much of its length. If you get caught behind slow traffic, it can add quite a bit to the time for the journey. Many campervans and similar vehicles use it and the scenery is quite nice. You should allow a couple of hours for the trip".
After settling in at the Leisure Lodge have a look around Nelson attractions.
Evening Meal: the Smugglers Pub 03 546 4084   Nelson Coaches $6.50 ea. ret. - Mike 03 539 0831 7pm 10pm

There are places to see on the way to Glacier Country - Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers
Stop off at Franz Josef glacier and or..
move on to Fox glacier - check the Information Centre at the Fox Glacier Inn (39 Sullivan Road, West Coast 7886) for things to see and do.
- self guided walk to the terminal face of the Glacier
- Fox Glacier terminal face guided walk (2 hrs $49 ea) I think you may be able to walk by yourself?
- or optional Heli Tour.     Check scenic flights HERE 03 752 0793 OR 0800 800 793 (from NZ$195.00 per adult)

Bryan Laws (MX5 Touring) suggests: "Not sure what your dining arrangements are when you are at Fox Glacier but I can recommend the Lake Matheson Cafe – they have a website and the setting is great and the food very good – much better than the usual hotel buffet fare." 03 751 0878      info@lakematheson.com
I have made a tentative booking (from) 6pm for 30 people. Check the website above - it also has the menus on-line.

Ron Hazelhurst (MX5 Rentals) suggests: " The road between Westport and Greymouth is one of the most scenic of the West Coast, best parts 10km each side of Punakaiki where the bush comes right down to the sea. Hope the weather is good that day. Punakaiki is fairly remote without the facilities like choice of restaurants of Greymouth or Hokitika (not that they are great!) but you will want to push all of them to do at least the walk (5 minutes) down to see the Punakaiki rocks. Next best would be the glaciers. Lake Ianthe and Lake Mapourika are very scenic.
The West Coast can be a bit wet but still great!"

[Stop off at Fox glacier if missed yesterday]
Your drive today will take you down the rugged west coast of New Zealand and through to the beautiful southern lakes region.
Travel to Queenstown via Haast Pass, Hwy 6, then turn right into Wanaka The Visitor Information Centre on the shores of Lake Wanaka (100 Ardmore St) is worth a visit.... OR:
- visit the National Transport & Toy Museum at Wanaka Airport (time permitting) by turning left on Hwy 6 towards Queenstown for 6km. The Airport also hosts the NZ Fighter Pilots Museum.
IF YOU MISS THE MUSEUMS TODAY they can be revisited tomorrow (100km each way)
Meet up with some TR Register NZ members today. (tba)
Travel through Wanaka then to Queenstown via the Cardrona Valley Rd & Crown Range Rd.

A deviation via Arrowtown is recommended as it is an old minig town (& one of the Middle Earth filming locations for the Lord of the Rings).