For a crayfish treat go to Nin's Bin just a 20 minute drive north of Kaikoura
Crayfish is a real delicacy. They are freshwater crustaceans in the same family as lobsters.
Crayfish - yum!
For a treat try crayfish at Nin's Bin food truck in Kaikoura – they're closed now til October but when they are open they specialize in freshly caught seafood – including crayfish.
It won't be particularly cheap but it's a treat, right?
Bluff (at the bottom of the South Island) is famous for its oysters. The season is on right now. A dozen fresh oysters will cost you about NZ $30 (about US$20) – so pretty pricey.
Now, I have never willingly tasted an oyster. My father used to slurp them down raw and it looked and smelled so disgusting that I couldn't face it.
I like other seafoods but oysters are a step too far.
For those of you who like them, Bluff oysters are supposed to be special. They grow naturally in the Foveaux Strait – not farmed. It is a New Zealand native.
Every year there is a festival – but this year's has been cancelled (covid, again)
Do you like oysters? What is your favourite way to eat them?
First, an admission, I was born in Central Otago so am biased. I didn't live there long – we left before I was out of nappies. So I don't have any real recollections from that time. But I've seen pictures and have visited quite a lot of times.
Central (as locals call it) is in the inland part of Otago in the South Island. Its towns include Alexandra, Clyde and Cromwell.
The landscape is majestic. The Clutha River, the Alps and the empty plains.
The Abel Tasman National Park is one of the 13 National Parks in New Zealand. It is named after the Dutch explorer who was the first European to sight New Zealand in 1642. He didn't land – we all might have ended up speaking Dutch otherwise.
The Park was opened in 1942 to mark the 300th anniversary of his visit.
It is the smallest National park – 59000 acres. Still quite large. It is at the top end of the South Island.
The Abel Tasman Coast walk is one of the Department of Conservations "Great Walks". It is renowned for Golden Beaches, and Sculptured Granite cliffs.
Many people will have heard of Milford Sound – it is probably New Zealand's top tourist destination (back when there were such things). Rudyard Kipling even called it the 8th wonder of the world.
Milford Sound is a fiord found in the Fiordland National Park. It's name in Te Reo is Piopiotahi – a single Piopio (a little bird)
There are 2 permanent water falls – Lady Bowen falls and Stirling falls.
Rainfall is over 250 inches a year.
You can see seals, penguins and dolphins.
If you ever have the chance to visit, take it – it is a long one day trip from Queenstown.
Today's post about a New Zealand location is about a train ride.
KiwiRail operates this 5 hour one way journey from Christchurch to Greymouth. The scenery is spectacular – you go through 16 tunnels and over 4 viaducts.
First you go across the majestic Canterbury Plains to reach the Alps.
There are normally 2 classes of seat – Scenic and Scenic Plus.
There is an open air viewing carriage – good for those photos.
There is a stop along the way at Arthur's Pass.
This service runs once a day in each direction but has reduced hours at present due to Covid.
It costs NZ$189 one way – about $136 US.
Farewell Spit can be found at the northern end of Golden Bay – That's right at the top of the South Island.
It is a narrow sand spit. It is the longest in New Zealand being over 26 k's long on land and another 6k under water.
The tide goes out a long way here which is great for wading birds but not so good for whales which quite often strand here.
Cape Farewell was named by Captain Cook since it was the last bit of New Zealand he saw on his first voyage before scooting over to Australia.
The lighthouse at the end of the spit is now automated with the last lighthouse keeper leaving in 1984.
The spit is a sea bird and wild life reserve.
Arrowtown is a picturesque historic gold mining town on the banks of the Arrow River. It is only a few minutes drive from Queenstown in the South Island.
Quite a lot of old mining cottages have survived along with some commercial buildings. It is picture perfect at this time of year.
You can get a good meal there and buy touristy stuff.
It is close to the Millbrook Resort – which is very pretty also (but not historic). If you are a golfer Millbrook will be perfect.
