Day 5 - The Hunters Marlborough Garden Tour - Garden 1

Day 5 once again dawned a brilliant blue sky, although rather cold in the morning. I love the Blenheim weather. We headed into town to pick up the bus for our Garden Tour. We were to visit 5 gardens. They were all different, but all absolutely spectacular. The work that has gone into these gardens one can only imagine, as they were huge. But what I loved was the variety of flowers and plants that were able to grow. I'm jealous of the Rhododendrens and the Clematis plants, both of these that don't grow well in Auckland..

The first house was owned by the Gibbons in Annandale. Because of my deafness, I only picked up snippets of information at each house, but I'll do my best. It was a perfect morning for photographing - early, sun not too bright and no wind. We were greeted by this garden. The first thing I noticed was the lawn. It was PERFECT. Oh to have lawn like that...



Beautiful tall trees and shadows and light. Further around were all the flowers. On the unopened peonies there were lots of bees laden with dew, and still cold and slow, so I was able to get the shots without a tripod, which is just as well as my tripod was at home in Auckland..



The Rhodendrens were fantastic..



And lots of different colours..



Lots of Irises as well although they are particularly hard to photograph. I got one shot..



The Roses were much better than mine in Auckland. When I came down none of mine were even in flower. At this time of the morning they were covered in dew This one is my favourite...



This one was a close second..



Here's another gorgeous one...



But my favourite of all was the Clematis. I just love it..



Thanks so much for the Gibbons for letting us explore their beautiful garden. It was one of my favourites of the day.

I took many more photos, but becuase of no tripod, not all of them turned out. I also didn't want to bore you all with flower after flower, so am just picking out the best of each garden.

Day 4 - Havelock to Picton - Picton

We arrived at Picton around 1pm. I hadn't been to Picton since I was engaged to be married - now that was a long long time ago - probably 1981 or thereabouts. My memory is a bit hazy of Picton as we didn't really stop at the time, but it looked a bit bigger and a bit more trendy since I had seen it last..



Picton is nestled at the head of the Queen Charlotte Sound, at the top of the South Island. It's a busy port, as it's the main thoroughfare of the inter-island ferries that ply between the North and South Island of New Zealand, providing car and passenger transport. Picton isn't huge, but it is much bigger than Havelock. It has a population of 4000.

We stopped and parked in the main road, then got out and explored. Lots of cafes and art galleries, however I knew we were strapped for time, so I left the others in the art galleries and started exploring with my camera. This is the main road - the ice-cream parlour was great too! This was looking towards 'Blenheim' which is about a 20 minute drive away.



The other way looks towards the port, and also serves as a monument to those that died in World War I..



Through the monument, the steps take you down to the waterfront. You can see the inter-islander ferry to the left, getting ready for the next sailing.



Down the steps to the left, I found a kids paddling pool. No kids in it today becuause it was too cold, but plenty of seagulls having fun..



The blue of the water really offset the gulls, so I ended up taking another shot..



And another...



Aren't you lucky it finally flew away - or else there may have been 100 more...



Looking up the Queen Charlotte Sound towards Wellington..



I then walked around towards the marina - these kayaks were for hire. Would love to do this next time I'm down.



These look loads of fun too...



Like many of the old small towns around New Zealand, I find the building and architecture really interesting. Oxley's Hotel is no exception - a mixture of the original facade and the new..



Once again - I found another building with some great artwork on it, again very typical of the smaller towns. I love finding these works of art and I think they make the towns so interesting.



Time gets away with you when you're having fun, and today was no exception - we suddenly realised it was very late and we had to speed back to the farm as Carol had some mother duties to do. I still made her stop to take this image of the Richmond Ranges - the weather was packing up on this side of the valley.



These ranges are featured on the Cloudy Bay wine label, the ranges are beautiful and ever changing. Yet on the other side of the valley where we were, the hills were still basked in the late afternoon sun. So beautiful - I could feast my eyes on this sight all day long..



In a few months in midsummer, it'll all be brown - so enjoy this green while you can..

Day 4 - Havelock to Picton - Queen Charlotte Sounds

After leaving the Shoe Fence, Carol made her way back towards Havelock and eventually found the turnoff we were supposed to take to head over through the Sounds. Stunning views met us at the top of every hill - like this..



The colour of the water was amazing - a real mix of blues and greens. We were taken over to a beautiful bay where there is an outward bound course, and the start of a walk. It was very sheltered and there were lots of people around mucking about with boats...



Little boathouses dotted the bays as well...



The surrounding hills were a mix of pine forest and native bush giving an amazing variance of green hues...



The boats here were more like fishing boats than pleasure craft. But that may just be because Summer holidays haven't arrived yet..



However, I think it would just be fantastic to own a boat to simply explore the area, and all the little bays..



You could tie up at a different jetty every single night..



The bird life around here was scarce. I would have liked to have seen and photographed more. But what I did see was that the shags are very bossy. Get over there this one seemed to be saying...



What birds I did see I was lucky to get, as they seemed to take flight very quickly, not tolerating humans at all. I think these are spoonbills...



And the Blue 'white faced' Herons, even though they were across the water, and I took this image with my telephoto lens, they still took flight. I was pleased I got a pair in the wild though. Apparently a lot of birds are shot because people don't want them on the grapes at the vineyards. PRobably why I didn't see that many!



They were the only bird images I got. Here's another jetty i could tie my dreamboat up to...



The colour of the water is really quite something. I remember swimming in this water when I was about 15. Damn cold, but there were wild seahorses. I wonder if they are still there.



The colour of the water is so impressive I just have to show you again... Just in case you forgot...



I loved how every corner we turned, there was yet another sheltered bay, sheltering yet more boats. You can see why Ben and Olivia went missing around here. It would be easy to 'hide' in the sounds. Plenty of bays with no road access.



Here's the photo again with a bigger wide angle.. Fits in more boats!



Lastly - we arrive at Picton, to see one of the interisland ferries arriving, and one leaving, heading to Wellington through the Sounds.



All in all a fascinating drive, very beautiful, and on such a beautiful day as we had we just wanted to stop at every bay. I'd like to camp around there one summer!

Day 4 - Havelock to Picton - The Shoe Fence

To get to Picton through the Queen Charlotte Sounds, we had to leave Havelock briefly and head south, then turn left to go round the harbour then over the hill.

Carol missed the turnoff. We looked and looked and she couldn't find it. I was really pleased though as it meant we travelled south and came to the Shoe Fence again. This time I asked her to stop so I could photograph it.

The reason I was interested in it was because..

a). I had never seen one before and
b). I had heard of the Bra Fence in Cardrona but that was way south from Havelock.

The Bra fence has an interesting story. I looked it up on Wiki It has a couple of photos on that website there if you're nosy..

But for those that don't want to visit the link - I'd do the brief synopsis here for you..

The Cardrona Bra Fence was a controversial tourist attraction in Central Otago, New Zealand, where passers-by started to add bras to a rural fence, with the fence eventually growing into a famous tourists attraction with hundreds of individual bras. The fence was on a public road reserve adjacent to farm property in the Cardrona Valley area southwest of Wanaka.

The Bra Fence began at some point between Christmas and New Year 1999, when four women's bras were attached to the wire fence alongside the road. The original reason for the bras being attached to the fence is unknown. News spread of the addition, which was left on the fence by the local landowners, and more bras began to appear. By the end of February there were some 60 bras, but at about this time they were all removed anonymously. This was reported in the local press, and the story gained widespread dissemination through the New Zealand media, leading to more bras appearing.

By October 2000, the number of bras had reached around 200, and again the fence was cleared of bras and this time the story spread even wider, as the fence had by this time become to some a quirky tourist attraction, and media sources from as far afield as Europe became interested in the fence. Due to this interest the number of bras being added to the fence personally or sent to be added increased dramatically. In early 2006, the number of bras attached to the fence stood at close to 800.

Although some locals welcomed the fence and regarded it as a tourist attraction, others viewed it as an eyesore and embarrassment and also as a potential hazard to drivers using the road. Frequent legal attempts were consequently made to see it removed. These attempts were increased in early 2006, accompanied by a further removal of some 200 of the bras. Some locals claimed that a lot of Japanese students who are being educated in nearby Wanaka could get offended by the fence, as well as many other Asian cultures or South Africans.

However local sheep farmer John Lee, who had become the unofficial guardian of the site, refused to remove the bras from the fence, claiming that 90% of letters received about the fence were positive and that the bras were the most photographed attraction in the area.

On April 28, 2006, after discovering the fence rested on public road reserve, the local Council determined the bra fence was a "traffic hazard" and an "eyesore" and ordered the bras on the fence to be removed. On September 7, 2006, the local Council announced it would remove the remaining bras from what it described as a "dilapidated eyesore." Two days later, the local Council made good on its pledge and removed over 1,500 bras. The fence's removal led to an attempt to make the world's longest bra chain, at an annual festival in nearby Wanaka, later that year. The attempt at the world record fell more than 100,000 bras short but raised over $10,000 for charity.

I find it hilarious - and can't see why some people might find it offensive. Please leave me a message if you have time if you think it is or isn't offensive and your reason why.

Back to the Shoe Fence.

The shoe fence south of Havelock is in typical New Zealand countryside - you know, green hills, green grass, sheep, and wire fences...



Unfortunately scenes like this are getting scarce as the country is turning sheep farms into dairy farms hand over fist. More money in dairy than wool. Sad sad state of affairs.



The thing about the shoe fence I found odd, was the lack of heels. Lots of trainers and boots and slippers - but no stilettos. What does that tell you about the type of people putting shoes up there??



The work boot looks like it had seen better days. Carol told me that really, we didn't have to stop here, because her husband has boots just like these and she could tie them to her fence at home on the farm for me to take photographs!! In fact she reckons her husbands boots were in an even worse state! Probably time to tie them onto this fence!



See? Slippers, sandals, trainers! But where are the Heels???? Aren't there any females just south of havelock that have worn out their heels? Heck - I have some I could take down and tie on there that I no longer wear!



As you can see the shoes went for some way down the fence. So - I've heard and seen photos of the bra fence, I've seen a lost hubcap fence up north, I've seen a shoe fence. Any others out there for me to look out for??? If so - tell me!

Vodaphone Answered - 12 Days Later!

Here is their reply to me...

Hello Robyn,

I have discussed your case with my manager.

We have come to a conclusion stating that we would be able to provide you with $10 off your broadband service if your home phone line rental is with us .Since your home phone line is with a different provider you are currently paying $50 for your broadband service. If your home phone line rental is through us you will be eligible for a $10 direct dial discount, Hence your broadband service will be charged at $40 and your home phone line rental will cost you $42.50 inclusive of GST. We have decided that at this stage if you decide to bring your home phone line rental to us we will provide you with 3 months of free double your data. We will not be able to extend this offer at the moment but there could be newer plans or promotions sometime next year.

Alternatively you could also check out the ideal pack we offer. Below is the link to the ideal pack.

http://www.vodafone.co.nz/home-phone-and-broadband/bundles/ideal-pack.jsp

We also have the double your data option.

How much does it cost?

*
Double your data on the easy pack (get another 1GB) - $5 per block( same for broadband 1)
*
Double your data on the ideal pack (get another 5GB) - $10 per block( same for broadband 2)
*
Double your data on the ultimate pack (get another 20GB) - $30 per block

Please let us know in what you would like to do.

If there are any other further queries please respond back to this email.

Kind regards,

Vivek George


and here is my reply to them....



Dear Vivek George,

Well,

This doesn’t really suit. For one – I have phone two lines, not 1. Someone else uses the telecom line and that can’t be changed.

Telecom, Orcon, maxnet, Xnet are all offering 10gb data plans at the same price that you offer me only 5. I can go to any of those companies RIGHT NOW, and get 10gb of data allowance for the same price I’m paying you now for only 5gb. Your double your data plan only gives me 3 months. I need something more long term than that. ONLY one of those companies want my phone for that, and that’s Telecom, of which I already have my phone with – the others don’t care, and I still get MORE data allowance for the same price.

Why should I have to move my phone to you when I can’t USE a phone to get that discount. That is simply discrimination – I CANNOT use a phone so why do I need to change it? I realise you are not the only broadband company that is offering discounts like this, but when it comes to DEAF customers, it really does smack of discrimination. I don’t actually want a phone. The only reason I have it is because I need broadband. You need to start thinking laterally and offer customers what THEY want, not what YOU want them to have. AND have a pro-rata price plan accordingly.

Not only this – your customer service leaves a lot to be desired. Firstly, it took 10 days to answer my original query. Your reason for being late is simply not good enough. Vodafone is supposed to be a leading telecommunications company, specializing in broadband/internet which actually encompasses email, and both the auto response emails full of useless and conflicting information makes you look unprofessional. Secondly, I’m sorry, but 10 days to answer an email ? There is simply no excuse whatsoever. Further, when you replied to me 2 days ago, you said you would get back to me that night, or at the very latest the next morning. You did not keep that promise and took another 48 hours to respond. Again, that is simply not good enough. If you put something in writing to a customer, then that is what the customer expects, and then when it doesn’t happen, then the person/company that comes off looking stupid when it doesn’t happen, it once again looks totally unprofessional.

Like many ihug customers, I see that the time has come to move companies. You are simply not being competitive enough, both with correspondence or data plans. Further, you need a help desk that actually helps people. In New Zealand there are approximately 200,000 people that are deaf and hearing impaired, that a). either can’t hear well enough to get through your 0800 number phones, and/or b). need to contact you through email. Yet you treat these people as second class citizens, by not catering to their needs, by not responding to emails. We expect equal opportunities and equal access. So an email/fax/letter is like a phone call to us.

Perhaps you should give a dedicated email address for deaf/hearing impaired customers so that they can access your company.

I would like to see this complaint go further, not just to your case manager but higher up the chain. So to make sure this happens, I will be printing off this, and posting it in to the CEO of Vodafone, with copies to the local papers, and to the Deaf Association of New Zealand.

Robyn Carter

VODAFONE SUCKS

It's now been 10 days since my original email to vodafone. Since then I've sent another three, one to a vodafone manager.

Nothing. Nada. Zip - they haven't bothered replying to anything.

What's the point in paying a company when you get no service? How can I force them to answer my queries? They obviously don't care about their customers, or their customers needs whatsoever.

I've also contacted Fair Go - NZ's consumer rights TV programme, and I'm about to do it again.

Vodafone - SHAME ON YOU. I can't make a phone call - I cannot hear on the phone. - Your helpdesk is so unprofessional that it doesn't reply to any queries. You're in the business of technology - internet, email - now why can't you actually use your technology to answer a simple query. 10 days is simply not good enough for a reply. Especially for 4 emails.

You suck bigtime.

Actually - they just sent me another autoresponse email to say that they are experiencing delays and that I will be contacted in the next 10 days. What an absolutel JOKE! I contacted them over 10 days ago, and I haven't had a reply yet.

They should change their auto response to...

Don't bother using this website as we won't reply to you!!!

Time to contact Telecom I think.

Cheers
Robyn

Day 4 - Havelock to Picton - Havelock

Day four dawned cold, but sunny. It may be cold but the sky is this brilliant blue. There's no humidity, just clear crisp air. It feels fantastic.

Once again our fantastic tour guide Carol, showed us around the area. We headed to Havelock first for morning tea. Then we drive to Picton via the Queen Charlotte Sounds, getting back to Blenheim around 4pm - so another good day trip and seeing the sights.

Havelock is located at the meeting point of the Pelorus and Kaiuma Rivers on the coast northwest of Blenheim. It calls itself the "green-lipped mussel capital of the world". Once a gold mining settlement, the town has many quaint colonial buildings which today house boutique galleries and eating places (be sure to order the mussels). The Havelock Museum has interesting displays that explain the town's past. At Havelock's marina there are water taxis and charter boats ready to take you fishing or show you around Pelorus and Kenepuru Sounds. Sea kayaks can also be hired here for guided or independent paddling tours. Local accommodation includes private holiday homes, a camping ground, lodges, B&Bs, homestays and motels.


The population of havelock is approximately 470 people. So it's a 'small' town!

The first thing that catches your eye when you arrive in Havelock, is the art gallery...



Brightly painted, it draws you to go and explore. Inside is just as good with a wide range of artwork available. I could have stayed in there for ages. Over the road from the art gallery was a Scottish Pub. I was fascinated in this, as I've seen plenty of Irish pubs all over the world, but never a Scottish one. The Manager was raising the flag as I was taking he image. It was a bit too early for a Haggis and a beer though, so we didn't go in!!!



While Carol, Nikki and Logan (we had Logan with us as he was sick), wandered around the art gallery, I headed up the road to have a look and take photos of some other buildings. I wonder what happened here...



Probably too much beer and haggis at The Clansman!

I met up with a motorcyclist in colourful garb. He seemed to fit in with the decor, so I asked him to pose for me. He was more than happy to and I was very appreciative of this. I know you're not meant to talk to strangers but I simply couldn't pass up the opportunity!



Even with a population of only 470 people, Havelock still boasted a reasonable sized town hall...



The crime rate is obviously not that big though, because in comparison, the cop shop was small...



It's said to be the Green-Lipped mussell capital of the world. So we headed to the Mussel Pot Cafe for morning tea. I didn't feel like mussels though. I was beginning to get a sore throat and I wasn't that hungry.



Instead I had a drink and some chips. Beautiful gold chips - the big ones, not like the tiny french fries that you get everywhere in the USA. If you look closely, thats a cup of coffee, and the plate is twice the size of the coffee cup. Now look at the length of that chip!!! Huge! That's why I took the photo!



No wonder the cop shop is small - look at the size of their church!!




Anyway - thats the Havelock part - I will some more tomorrow. I have now done 123 photos for Blenheim, I only have 505 to go!!