First Overnighter

I decided to have the first night away in our 'new' bus not too far from home. Bernie was working so it was just me and the dogs.

After looking at the NZMCA app and reading posts in various Face book groups, I chose to go to a DOC campsite near St Arnaud - Teetotal Camp. First, and most importantly it was dog-friendly,  with several walks right beside the camp. Secondly, we hadn't been away overnight in this particular bus, I thought if I ran into trouble, I was only an hour from home.

We (Oakly, Boo and I) arrived just after midday on a hot summer's day. Only one other camper was there so choosing a spot to park was easy. I decided on an area beside some trees for some shade for the dogs.

As I mentioned, one of the reasons I picked Teetotal Camp was due to reading some Facebook posts. One post had shown photos of dogs in a river and with that thought in mind Oakly, Boo and I set off for a walk. Usually I don't walk the dogs during the day in summer as I'm mindful of how hot it can get for them. However they were itching to get out to explore and I figured they could cool down once we got to the river.

After walking for more than half an hour there was still no sign of a river. I thought of turning back, the dogs were hot and seeking shade to rest. However, I thought if we turned back they'd have to walk another half hour or more and still wouldn't get to cool down in the river. But, how far away was this river?

After some toing and froing, I decided to keep going, hoping the river wouldn't be too much further. Oakly is 13 now and in the last 12 months has started slowing up. Nowadays he likes to stop every few metres to smell everything in sight, so it was a slow walk.. 

In the distance I heard some dogs barking and when they appeared, along with their owner, I asked how far ahead the river was. She told me there wasn't a river ahead. Fortunately she lived in the area and suggested rather than returning on the same track, we follow a less trodden path. She knew the area well and explained the shorter route. So off we went.

Oakly handled the return-walk surprisingly well ... it was Boo who struggled, so I had to carry her some of the way. I felt awful having them out walking in this heat.

It was great to eventually see the campsite! 

And, after a nice, big drink of water we lay down to rest.

The dogs signal when they're ready for dinner - I never need to check my watch. It's alwaysbetween 4 and 5pm. When they indicated they were hungry, they ate in the shade and not long after were napping again.

I had a rough idea how to turn the inverter on so I could turn Netspeed on, but when I tried it didn't work. Normally, this is when I'd see if Bernie knew how. However, he wasn't there so I had to figure it out myself. I know it's not rocket science but the set up in this bus was different than our previous set-up. However I'm pleased to say, I figured it out!  Then I celebrated a successful day with a movie and wine.

Later that evening I messaged my Facebook friend to ask where the river was that she'd posted while staying at Teetotal. I laughed when I read her reply. Turns out, when she stayed there they took a day trip to Nelson and stopped at the Motueka River to give their dogs a swim. When posting photos of their time at Teetotal she'd included the Motueka River photos. LOL.

Wow, we could have walked for hours and not found a river! Thank goodness we stumbled across that local lady walking her dogs!

The First Sunrise of 2023

The alarm went at 5am - I wanted an early start for the 10 hour drive ahead (Twizel to Nelson). I'd also planned to be near Lake Tekapo at sunrise and was looking forward to taking photos of lupins during the golden hour.

My first stop was at Irishman Creek. The early morning light was just touching the top of the hills, turning them a pastel peach colour.

Irishman Creek was the birthplace of the Hamilton Jets and as a youngster, my Mum lived there for a couple of years when her father worked for Hamilton Jets as a mechanic.

After taking a few photos I continued on towards Lake Tekapo. A few days ago when I had been driving in the opposite direction, I'd seen a field of lupins. I'd wanted to stop, but there were cars behind me and I couldn't see anywhere safe to pull over. 

But now, as I looked in the rear view mirror, I was pleased to see there wasn't a car in sight.  Now there was time to look for a spot to park and I was rapt when I noticed an open gate leading to the lupins!

As it was early morning, there wasn't anyone else about. Just me, amongst all those gorgeous lupins.

It did feel a little odd not having the dogs with me. They're usually always by my side and with all the rabbit holes and tracks, they would have been beside themselves with excitement!

The surrounding hills were bathed in a gorgeous golden glow and before long the lupins were also covered in the first rays of light. 

Credit for this beautiful scene goes to Mother Nature and also to Connie Scott of Godley Peaks Station, whom back in the late 1940s purchased lupin seeds from a local stock agent with the intention of making the region more attractive. And I'm sure you'll agree, Connie achieved her goal.

What a fabulous start to 2023!

St James Tarn

If you enjoy alpine scenery, alpine walks and alpine vegetation, I recommend stopping at St James Tarn (along Lewis Pass Highway). Only a few metres from the carpark, lies a picturesque tarn and on a still-day you'll be rewarded with reflections. 

The photo below was taken a few years ago when I stopped for the dogs to have a stretch. Luckily, there wasn't a breath of wind and the small mountain lake was just like a mirror.

However, when I stopped this time, a slight breeze caused a ruffle over the water, however with or without reflections, it was beautiful.

I decided to walk the 20 minute loop track, which starts at the beginning of the St James Walkway. The track is well maintained and the board walks are covered in netting as a necessary safety precaution when they're covered with ice and snow.

The loop track, also known as the Alpine Nature Walk winds through an alpine wetland with views of Gloriana Peak and the Spenser Mountains.

It amazes me how anything can survive in such harsh conditions; bone dry in summer, ice-cold in winter, battered by wind, and if that's not challenging enough they're somehow able to grow in nutrient-depeleted soil. 

There were lots of varieties of plants; different kinds of grass, flowers (which mostly seemed to be small and white), assortments of mosses, flaxes, intriguing-looking lichen, native hebes, etc. I'm not sure of the correct names for the plants but one day I'll download a phone app that  identifies plants.

It was an easy walk and one that took longer than the estimated 20 minutes because I stopped so many times to look and touch different plants. Some of the flax leaves looked woolly and felt soft and furry. There were mounds of lichen that looked like clumps of coral and felt brittle and delicate to touch.  

Even on a calm day, some of the trees had a wind-swept look with lichen hanging from their branches.

Maybe when I stop here again, I'll have more time - it would be nice to walk further along the St James Walkway. Apparently the entire walk is 66kms and usually takes between three to five days, with huts along the way. It's suitable for all ages and abilities, so I may get an opportunity in the future, to see what overnight tramping is like.

Being a scorcher of a day, with no wind, it was a treat getting into the car and blasting the air-conditioning! 

Seeing Red

People stopped in their tracks to watch this evening's sunset. Logs that had been washed ashore made great front row seats. 

It was Valentine's Day, and nature acknowledged it by painting the town beach red.

And ... just when I thought it couldn't possibly get any brighter, it did!

The tide was on its way out and the shallow channels of water looked like rivers of lava.

I thought the sky would gradually fade to diluted shades of red but instead it changed to amber.

And never far from my side were my shadows - my dogs. They sat beside me, enjoying the cool night air.  

Such a special way to spend Valentine's evening.

Out Of The Blue

Often I look at buses and campervans for sale on Trade Me and last week I noticed a Toyota Coaster for sale in Blenheim. It looked good and the description sounded great so we arranged a time to view it.

And to cut a long story short ... we are now the proud owners of a blue bus.

                    Photo was taken at St Arnaud on the drive home after buying the bus.

Sun-sational

Sunny Nelson has certainly lived up to its name this summer! When temperatures became too hot to walk the dogs during the day, the best thing to do was head to the river!

Fortunately, Lee Valley near Brightwater is only a 20-minute drive from home. As soon as I picked the campervan keys up, the dogs were off - they couldn't get in fast enough. When we arrived I was surprised to see we had the whole area to ourselves. Bliss 💚

The water looked inviting ... clean, deep, and a gorgeous emerald green.

Once the dogs had cooled down we went for a walk along the river trying to stay in the shade but also close to the water to cool down whenever they needed to.

Afterward, we relaxed in the camper, soaking up bush views and listening to the sound of summer; cicadas clicking, birds chirping, and the burbling river closeby. 

An ideal way to recharge the batteries.

Lion's Mane Jellyfish

Over the last couple of weeks, Tahuna Beach has seen lots of Lion's Mane Jellyfish washed up along the shore. These fascinating creatures are also known as the world's largest jellyfish and can be found in cooler waters around the coast of New Zealand.

The name Lion's Mane Jellyfish comes from the mass of long, yellowy-brown tentacles that look like the colour of a lion's mane.

They have a short life span of one year or less and during that time their colour changes. The younger jellyfish are a pale pink or yellow colour, then as they age they turn a deep reddish-brown.

These beautiful marine creatures are mostly made up of water - they have no brain, no bones, no heart, nor eyes. Although they don't have a brain they're able to function using sensory nerves. Their tentacles, which have tiny, toxic, stinging cells act as a net to capture and paralyse prey before eating them. Food is digested quickly and an opening found underneath their bell-shaped body acts as a mouth and is also used to discard waste.

Their diet consists of plankton, small crustaceans, fish, and other jellyfish. Due to their size, the larger jellyfish don't have many predators but the smaller ones can be eaten by large fish, sea turtles and sea birds. 

Lion's Mane Jellyfish don't purposely attack people, most stings happen when swimmers accidentally brush against them. Even those washed up onshore can sting, although the sting isn't fatal it can be painful. The recommended treatment if you get stung is to flush the area with seawater to rinse away any tentacles or stinging cells. Then apply heat, to permanently inactivate the venom. Others say dabbing vinegar onto the painful area will ease the stinging sensation.

Jellyfish can move short distances by contracting and relaxing a ring of muscles around their domed-shaped body or bell. The muscles open and close the bell, drawing in water and then expelling it, which pushes it forward. However, jellyfish are mainly controlled by water currents. As the jellyfish gets to the end of their lifespan they aren't as resilient and move to shallow waters to avoid the wild ocean currents. And because they're at the mercy of sea currents it's common to see them washed up on beaches.

Did you know a group of jellyfish is called a smack but when huge numbers of jellyfish appear suddenly it's called a bloom?