Report 16 February
By Steef

Gradually we have a fixed morning ritual for everyone. Dirk is working on the Ford, Greetje takes care of the catering and Trudy clears up the tent, a hot job because the mattresses have to be rolled up again.
Neighbor Suzanne from Germany has a problem with the power supply of the inverter. She bought the camper in Christchurch and everything has worked well up to now.
Dirk tries to repair it but he can not find out where the mistake is, too bad for Suzanne.

morning rituals

Suzanne

tentnympf

The sun is going to shine, now I can try my new hat.
The kitchen of the campsite has perfect facilities. He is spotless and has everything to prepare a good meal.

new hat

kitchen in camping Manipura

In Manipura we do a few groceries and at the same time we look at the harbor where we start our boat trip to Doubtful Sound the next day.
Just a beer in the church and then back to the campsite, where Dirk learns a new card game in the evening: Oh Shit!

beer in the church

oh shit

Report 15 February
By Steef

It is still blowing very hard this morning. The roaring wind over the 300 meter deep lake causes large dust clouds on the campsite. Someone tries to change his flat tire. A Ford Model A is coming up. The owner had heard that we were camping here. Actually he wants to tell what his activities are, because he does not even come out of his car to take a look.
Greetje walks to the edge of the lake in the blinding wind. Like almost everywhere on the edges of the lakes and on the beaches, the banks are strewn with stumps and branches.

tractor trek

Ford Model A

Lake Wanaka in the morning

We continue our tour along Lake Wanaka until we approach Mount Pisa. The road is a challenge for the Ford because there are a lot of steep uphill and downhill runs. The Landrover is now ahead because the Ford is slower while climbing and descending .. At the top, the Ford is attacked by a large group of Chinese who all on-in or for the Ford in the picture, each other commands evoking.

mount Pisa

Lake Wanaka

We descend again, Landrover first. In Makarora we do groceries. When Dirk wants to drive away, the starter motor does not work anymore. A problem with the bendix, but he knows how to make it. Our goal is Kingston, where we continue without problems.

bendix problem

rocks

going down from Mount Pisa

After the ratatoulle with lamb I put myself down for the daily report.

reporter Steef

Report 14 February
By Steef

I am standing on the roof of the Land Rover to pack up the roof tent. Today we continue our journey and now towards Makarora, Lake Wanaka.

team member

On the meandering jungle road back to the main road we have to wait for road workers who remove fallen trees.

jungle road

fallen trees

Further on we see Fox Glacier in the distance against the mountain, but we do not go there, it takes too much time to take a walk.

Fox glacier

The rest of the day we drive along rivers and over a lot of one lane bridges.

crossing a river

one more single lane bridge

dry river

open sea

river

In the last part of our trip today we drive with the azure blue Lake Wanaka on our right hand. This ride takes two hours and is breathtaking.

Lake Wanaka

At the end of the afternoon we make our camp on the edge of the lake on a lonely part of the terrain to escape the wind force 8 coming from the lake.
It is windy in New Zealand; wherever you are.

camping at Lake Wanaka.

Report 13 February
By Steef

The morning starts with a light rain, after 12 hours it gets a little less, but the sun we will hardly see today. At a gold diggers town we stop for a cup of coffee in the local pub. Dirk drives the Ford under a canopy to dry for a while.

shelter during the coffee

cattle drivers

We continue along wide riverbeds and narrow bridges.
Because of the rain, the colors of the vegetation are deep and powerful, nature is beautiful.
The high uprising forest edges along the road, partly due to the tree-high giant ferns that stand among mossy trunks, are of a prehistoric beauty.

verns 1

verns 2

The last 16 km meander along an unpaved narrow road. It seems like we are driving through the Hortus Botanicus. On the way we find a dead  opossum and that would be
not the only one.

victim

dead opossum

The campsite at Makarora is located by the sea, the heavy thunder of the surf is audible everywhere.
The sun breaks so the roof tent and the big tent are set up for a quick dry. Greetje and Trudy make a delicious wrap.

Greetje cooking

When the sun goes down, we make a walk on the beach strewn with tree stumps.

trunks on the beach

sunset 1

sunset 2

Report 12 February
By Steef

The day begins with a bright sun so time to pack and leave.
During the preparations I suddenly hear a cheerful piano playing from Kathryn house.
She turns out to have a real pianola and he plays like a tierelier.
Then it’s time to say goodbye.

goodbey from Kathryn

We go to the westcoast over the Arthurpas. The Ford has to get used to get back to work, the carburetor runs over once and halfway Dirk puts the extra fan in front of the radiator as the engine is running hot. Then there is a 16% descent.
However, in the end things are going well. We drive through a beautiful hilly area with many narrow bridges over broad riverbeds.

on the road

on the road 1

on the road 2

hot engine

When we stop for a cup of coffee, a domestic bird comes out of the bushes.
Is it a chicken? or a pheasant? No idea but he / she got one out of hand.

tame bird

Then we drive on again until we arrive at Gillespies Beach in camping “Cloud 9”.
A perfect place with an extensive kitchen where delicious is being cooked.
At the campsite we meet Jack Bartle, gipsy since he was 15 years old. He lives in a home-grown bus and occasionally works as a “handy man”. His credo is: no job is to small.
Two young kittens are frolicking around his motor home, which looks like a mancave from the inside.He is a nice guy and he promises to make a donation on the website.

meet Jack the handyman

Jack’s mancave 1

Jack’s mancave 2

Report 11 February
By Steef

Because it rains almost the whole day we decide not to leave yet.
A great opportunity to update reports and to receive a visit.
Jan Willem Lijnes comes along with his son Axel. As an old Edammer, we are curious about his experiences here in Christchurch. I (Steef) apparently bought a hat in the business (Katmandu) for which he works. At about 12 o’clock he leaves again because it is time for the afternoon nap of Axel. The rest of the day we spend on the preparations for our coming departure.

diary

bookkeeping

In the afternoon the wether inproves.

happy hour

After dinner we take a short walk in the vicinity of Kathryn’s house.
Dirk gives a demonstration evening gymnastics.

evening walk

gymnastics

Then the sun drops to the horizon.

sunset at Christchurch

sunset in the Landrover

The lighting of the artwork on Highway 1 is now slowly becoming visible.

artwork over Highway 1

changing colors

We close the day with a glass of wine and our Fordsong for Kathryn

a song for Katryn

Report 10 February
By: Steef

As agreed, the first tourers arrived at Avonhead Av. 499 (where we stay in our cottage) at   half past ten. This entire day was dominated by a tour ride led by Chris and Rosemary. But we started with the transfer of the Landrover Keys to the new driver.

the car is yours

Take your time because there are a lot of pictures that lead you through the day in a chronological way. The atmosphere was very relaxed, the weather excellent, the landscape varied.

the gathering

gathering 2

Model T lovers

coffee in Kathryn’s shed

cars

tourguide Chris and Rosemary

Trudy en Dirk

globetrotters

up front

break-down

meeting point

interview

Shelly Topp reporter

Model T Delevery

Ashley river

Sophie

Chris and Rosemary

Roger and Yanice

Oxford workingmans club

lunch

fish and chips

Ford song

Model T barn of Chris

Cadillac frame

parts

poem

Report 09 February 
By Steef

On this sunny day we were mainly busy with the preparations for our coming departure.

breakfast

Landrover full monty

on the roof

Chris  visited us later with a friend to discuss our tour the next day with a couple of friends  Of course, the Model T was admired from top to bottum.

visitors

Chris Dyer

bottum check

Then we took a ride.

on tour

Report 8 february
by : Steven

The day started with a clear blue sky and that would remain so until the evening.
Dirk and Steef experience a few exciting hours because the two cars still have to go through the technical inspection.
The Land Rover, now with new headlamps, is immediately approved.
After a cup of coffee at home they go back to the inspection station and now with the Model T.There it appears that the license plate is already in use in New Zealand. No problem, the ZZ changes into VZ (on paper) .

license plate becomes VZ

Steer clearance

steering wheel test

Steve checks the headlights.
The auxcillary headlights are considered acceptable.

headlight test

Undersite inspection

underside inspection

Meanwhile, the trip is being discussed because Steve finds it very interesting.

about the tour

The gentlemen deliberate.

3 faces

paperwork

Finally, the brake test must be done at a speed of 20 miles.
Steve puts a device in a wooden box on the bottom of the Ford.
On his mark Dirk kicks hard on the brake. The tires leave a brake track on the asphalt.
You can smell the rubber Dirk calls. 
The meter reads 40% which is acceptable for a vehicle only operation on two wheels.

break test

Finally, the important stickers are stuck on the window on a place that does not obstruct the view, just find an empty space.

sticker 1

sticker 2

There he is finally, the warrant of fitness.

Warrant of fitness

At 11 o’clock they are ready and free to go , thanks to Steve and Annete, no worry mate!

OK by Steve and Anette

Greetje and Trudy are still in the supermarket so now we can pick them up with the Ford.
After lunch, Trudy and Dirk mess around in the afternoon while Greetje and Steef visit the center of Christchurch. The windy city it is one big construction site.
Steef wanted to see the cardboard cathedral, designed by a Japanese after the big earthquake of 2011 and he wanted a hat because of the UV radiation.
At the cathedral there is a memorial for the victims consisting of 185 white chairs, for each victim one. Sit down and be silent for a moment.

cardboard cathedral

(turn your computer)

victims memorial

Report 7 February
By Trudy

Today, the LandRover needs a VINZ Vehicle Inspection New Zealand.
You can not just drive around with your temporarily imported car!

Vehicle Inspection New Zealand

The inspection is going well, but there are problems with the position of the headlights: these are adjusted to drive on the right and you dazzle the oncoming traffic here in New Zealand because we drive here on the left.
This can only be remedied by placing new headlights.

down uner

So …… to a garage.

auto shop KVZ

They order headlights for us, but that will take a while before they are there. That’s why we first go to the airport. Steef and Greetje Reilingh arrive in Christchurch this afternoon. They are our support team in New Zealand.
We are glad that they are there.

First we welcome them in our garden house at Kathryn Smith and then Dirk and Steef go to the garage to install the new headlights.

Headlight change

Headlight change 2

Steef and Dirk then go back to the inspection station with the new headlights.
The station is already closed so tomorrow morning they will try again.