Tuesday, December 08, 2009

On the road again...


This is a the view of Kaikoura from the Look Out, which is on top of the towns water tanks. We spent the weekend there with family and friends. It was a great get away weekend, and at just 2.5 hours drive from home it is not too hard to even get there.

Once you get there, what do you do? Well, some people go whale watching and hiking, fishing, relaxing was on the top of our list. Plus, we're cheapskates and tend to go for the family-friendly free stuff!

Don't forget to embiggen the photos to click on them. I shall take my giggles to another room.

We wandered about until we found some seals to take photos of. You might recall an earlier post I did on visiting Kaikoura, well here's another obligingly posed seal.




We also took time out to look for a holiday home for Owen over at the Magic Lantern Show. I think he would like the indoor/outdoor flow of this place....



On our last evening there, after a few bottles of Veuve and some red wine to boot, we had decided it would be grand to haul ourselves outta bed to watch the sunrise. Great idea at the time, but 3 of us managed to do it. 5.30am saw us down at the Seal Colony, and the promise of a sunrise in the distance.

A few fishing boats were also up and about and I think you will be able to see one of them in the photo below...breathtaking, I really should watch the sun rise more often!



Of course, once we had watched the sun come up we were on quite a bit of a high so I dragged my friends off to the local cemetery for the obligatory tomb shot. This one was already trying to shake off it's overnight shawl...



On the way home, passed a place where holiday makers store their caravans. And this cross for Chris, who won't holiday again.



We also visited the old Fyffe House. This place was great to visit, the kids were NOT impressed by the out house but it was a good way to show them how things have changed over the years. I also thought it would be fun to do this...

12 comments:

Owen said...

Dearest Amanda, not only mentioned in this post (an honor !) but first to comment as well (if I can type fast enough !), that's a real double whammy to start the week with... thank goodness for small blessings, ay ?

And I need 'em after getting trampled by some person with hobnail boots on, and then getting corks in the nose (unknown quantity) in the birthday post below. And thanks at least to the two of ya for hauling my incapacitated carcass back outside and laying me in the rose garden, it as a pleasant awakening at least. Even if Lynne ate up all the leftovers from the feast, and finished off the Veuve...

Well, this is all just wonderful, and yer the lucky sod now sis to get to do all these things in the lovely countryside of NZ while some of us are stuck here in Paris... ahhh, it's a hard life, but someone has to do it. It could be worse, one could be somewhere where it snows heavily all winter long... fortunately I can't think of anyplace like that that we would know though...

Oh, and I just love the holiday cabin you found for me ! ! ! I did click on it to "embiggen" it, as you say, and it looks fabulous. Seems there was a chimney once, but it must have collapsed, leaving just a trace on the wall. And the ventilation looks excellent. I particularly like the grass growing in the gutters. That's very eco friendly these days, to have grass on the roof, sod and all...

Yes indeedy, all around looks like you had a heck of a weekend ! And were able to share it just in time to slip it in before getting to a Tuesday TIPPLE ! Yeah ! Great idea, I swear, all this typing is making me awful thirsty. And I'm going to watch my back this time so no one can sneak up behind me and trample me under the table... am still getting the boot prints out of me back...
:-D

And the WV is "trizes", as in, as 'ard as he trizes, he's 'avin a bloody 'ard time gittin dermists from 'is eyezes, an' de bootprintz from 'is backzes...

Lynne with an e said...

Damn! That Owen got here ahead of me while I was getting my safety glasses on for the Tuesday tipple! I wanted to claim the little dream cottage for me me me (and Pierre, my handy man/chef/).

That sunrise with the fishing boat makes it almost worth getting up at the crack of dawn. But you know, one appreciates them so much more when one is not overexposed to them.

And what a fine specimen of a seal you photographed! We have Christmas seals in Canada, you know. But they're stamps that you're guilted into buying to put on Christmas card envelopes to raise money for TB prevention or something. You'd think it would be for the prevention of seal hunting, but we won't go there...A bit of a sore point in Canada, especially amongst the seals.

It sounds like you had a really fun get-away. Thanks for sharing it with us.

You look lovely with a camera in front of your face: Such a tease.

WV: "lingolig" That must be an Australian word, I think. Something to do with language. Those Aussies, eh? Funny way of talking.

Lynne with an e said...

Saj--I just saw your comment 2posts back wondering how many corks we could get up Owen's nose!! That is soooo funny!

The villager: said...

Great images, Sag ! And the last one is particularly intriguing !!

RB said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
rb said...

Oh Saggy I simply must move in with you. You do all the things that I love to do. Some people make me feel like an alcoholic but not you. You are just like me. Well, not EXACTLY like me - but you are in terms of the way you like to spend your time.

Now pour me a drink, won't you?

I'm meant to be cooking actually - have guests round this evening. Good excuse to drink midweek.

VioletSky said...

there's a big black thing growing on your face and dripping down your front. did you know that? I thought you should be told, discreetly, like.

and my word verification was diseso, as in drinking too much vino is a disease-o

The Sagittarian said...

Owen - dear twin, you're first today and closely followed by the lovely Canadian Sister. A truly big family weekend. I'm glad you liked your holiday house, looks like you and sis will have to have one of those running races for it like in the gold rush days! Those boots of hers may only have been made for walkin' tho'...

Louciao - ah yes, the seals. There were signs everywhere telling people not to get too close to them but the Japanese tourists were about a chopstick away from any seal they chose to photograph. I could only assume they were fast runners. As for the holiday house, have commented to Owen about that above. I think geographically you're closer?

Villager - thanks you, sir!

RB - oh yes, do move in. We're having anew shower fitted upstairs today so we will be able to sluice off any vino we dribble. Actually, its 23 degrees here already and its only 9am!!

Violet - haha, yes I noticed that AFTER I had posted the photo, lens cap etc but I thought it added a little je ne sais quoi, don't you think? :-)

Steve said...

For some reason the shawl on the gravestone sent shivers down my spine... reminded me of old Victorian photos of mediums and ectoplasm for some reason!

matty said...

I'm so jealous!

I love these shots!

The photo you took of the seal is brilliant! Makes me smile!

The Sagittarian said...

Steve - yes, it was rather an odd find! No idea how it got there or anything, but that was the way it was drapped so of course I had to take a photo! Saw plenty of moss and orange lichen which COULD have been dried ectoplasm...

Matty - oh, lovely to see you here again! That seal looks quite pleased with himself I reckon, I think he posed for dozens of us that day.

The Joined up Cook said...

But I can't see you for the camera! bah.

That sunset is absolutely gorgeous.