Travel Story «Kaikoura a flying visit»

New Zealand | 0 Comments 17 December 2006 - Last Update 29 January 2007

 Well after Nelson we headed in the direction of Christchurch for the 18th for the arrival of Miss Karen Lewis, which we were all waiting with bated breath. So on our way from Nelson we stopped off in Blenheim as a half way mark for some lunch and light shopping as we had picked out our secret Santa’s and needed to start getting stuff together. So after a nice pit stop we heeded for Kaikoura, which is on the East coast about two hours north of Christchurch. Now as ye know we are kind of not roughing it like some of our other peers who call themselves backpackers so we knew we were going to stay in Kaikoura for two night so decided to book a motel/apartment thing for ourselves worked out pretty well, nice little unit with beds, TV and kitchenette and right by the sea. Now I had been chatting to people who had been to Kiakoura and they all recommended that you go Cray fishing. Now this is for two reasons one that Kiakoura is famous for crayfish and they are very expensive so it works out if you go fishing and then get to eat the catch. Also its not so much fishing as just empting the Cray pots so not too much hard work! So the owner of where we were staying said that he goes out in mornings and on Monday that he had room for two of us to go so we booked in for that.
That evening on the owners recommendation we headed for Donegal house for Dinner. Now I have to say we were hopeful as it was in lonely planet and owner said the portions were huge. Also we are well aware now that everyone thinks that Irish pubs aboard our the best so we are not embarrassed to go to them just wish we didn’t have to do it all the time! It was a hotel as well as a bar and the entrance into the bar was like an old cottage whitewashed with red doors! Once inside this establishment the walls were covered in huge blown up pictures of people standing outside cottages and fields in what we concluded was Donegal. Now like in most pubs they have a big screen but in the Donegal house they were not playing sports on this occasion oh no they have what I would like to classify as Satan’s music. Now I have I since coming away found a new fondness for things Irish you know become proud to an extent of music and culture and the fact that all Irish people are fabulous. But they were playing Irish music being sung by a man dressed in various tweed items of clothing, standing beside and petting a donkey that had turf in those basket things on either side. Then posing beside a tractor and outside a whitewash cottage. It was seriously cringe worthy. Then top it off they played some Irish tune and had for the video Irish dancers on what I assume was the cliff’s of Moher or such the like. We all we highly embarrassed that people actually made, sold and showed these things as Irish it was really bad. It actually nearly put us off eating lucky we had a hungry on us! So after our dinner with decided to make a quick exit and head for the bustling Mecca of Kiakoura town on a Saturday night. Now if you can’t gather I am writing in sarcastic tone there. The town was a little dead we headed for the Strawberry fields pub surprise surprise it was an Irish pub. So after a few drinks I got a text message from an acquaintance from home Angela O’Connor who had been on a mini break in New York before Christmas. Now she updated me to tell me that she had a great time and was back on Irish soil safe and sound and that she had picked up a sparkler on her trip! Now this last part of the message confused me as since being away it is hard to pick up tones of messages and also we sometimes feel we are missing out on stuff so I thought maybe a sparkler was a new must have gadget that Angela had picked up on her shopping trip! So after I text back and asked her what a sparkler was? she presided to tell me that she was referred to her newly acquired shiny beautiful engagement ring! Yes people I was a little speechless, still a little shocked but congrats Angela and condolences to Dave you are a very brave man taking that one on!

On Sunday well Miss Lewis had read in the Bible the Lonely Planet that you could do fly an airplane in Kikoura as well as all the wildlife excursions. Now our little trill seeker has rubbed off on us all and Miss Crowley and I decided that we wanted to be top guns as well and booked in to fly an airplane. Aisling dropped us off at the airfield while she headed off to mass to pray for our souls (Thanks Aisling). Now I had been to mass before and they changed a few words in the mass so I was like one of those old people who instead of being a few words behind I was saying wrong ones. Our Aisling did not have this problem but was greeted at communion with two lines and was unsure of protocol but knew she did not want wine and caused a little scene! Now back at the air base (ya right it was a little house) our flight instructor was a little on the young looking side for me and after a 2 second briefing on how a plane flies and works seriously it was that long and then we got him to repeat it again surrounded by nervous laughter. So seeing at it was Emily’s suggestion Grainne and I let her go first, which was big of us I know, not! we wanted to see if she would make it back alive! And she did with a grin from ear to ear. I went next after a game of paper, rock, and scissors with Grainne. Now to say the plane was cosy is a little bit of an understatement it was tiny. So we taxied out to the run way and the pilot took off now I expected that he would run through a few things with us but no. Two minutes into the air he got me to take the controls and said to keep the plane level with the line on the dial thing on the dash board was a little nervous I have to say! But it was fine anyone that has been in a car with me knows that I talk a lot and it sometimes distracts me from my actual driving well you will be delighted to know my flying is no different! As we were talking something I do a lot of when I am very nervous he kept butting in to tell me to keep the nose of the plane up or down. The views up there were amazing though. It was a little cloudy over the nearby hills I actually went through a cloud by mistake bloody scary. So after what felt like way long than 20 minutes we came into land. Now the pilot I have to say was so bloody laid backed it scared me slightly he was quiet happy for me to keep flying as we were coming close to land but I protested and he took over thank god. But then we didn't even land on the runway I could have done better, we landed on the grass supposedly this was the plan all along something to do with the life span of the tires. Ya right he was in shock and awe by the excellent of my flying!
So after I got back on solid ground Grainne with a nervous smile and spring in her step hopped in for her flying experience. Oh also after we did the bit from Top Gun “I feel the need, the need for speed” Pilot laughed at us! Emily and I chatted about our experiences have to say showed how different we are I asked pilot where he was from usual chit chat and Emily had done most the same but also asked where the parachutes where at which point he said there was none! So glad I went second as we fondly looked at Grainne taking off! Aisling made it back just in time to see Grainne come back down and we all got a certificate to say we had completed 20 mins of flying! 
So we headed for the town centre where we discussed our future flying careers over coffee, bought a few bits for Christmas and caught up on some Internet time. Then we went back to our cosy accommodation were Chef Crowley cooked us up a storm and Miss Emily Lewis took to drawing up an accommodation chart for the Christmas period and proceed to book accommodation I have to say it was done with military precision. Aisling and I really did try to help giving her or visas and phones to used and ate some cheese! So after about hour we had out accommodation and itinerary drawn up till the second of January.

The next morning we were leaving for Christchurch but not before I got up rather early and alone as my travel companions decided to get a few extra zzz’s to go Cray fishing. Well it was I, the owner and a Swiss doctor who was very nice headed out in a aluminium boat with garden furniture for chairs was a little apprehensive as there was no life jackets! Anyway was a little rough but really nice way to see Kaikoura from the bay. Now he had three pots and of course we all had to pull one up he made it look so easy but as people now I have no upper body strength (Amazing if not freakish leg strength but a weakling on top!) So this was quiet a challenge for me and I have to give up with rope burns on my hands. We caught about 4 in total, the owner said he had not checked the day before and usually there would be more. So when we got back the owner cooked the Cray fish simply steamed them and dished it up. I have to say it was lovely really tasty and rather sweet and didn’t have to pay a thing of it was really nice. So after my crayfish breakfast and cup of tea we hit the road for Christchurch.

Lorna

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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