I had not been back to New Zealand since the Commonwealth Games in Auckland in 1990, (January 24 to February 3) when i caught up with Fred Field ad Rodger Strom in Auckland .I attended the Opening Ceremony , some athletics , swimming and gymnastics.
I left Sydney at 1020am on QF 137, which was scheduled to arrive in Christchurch at 330pm. One young lady in my row had flown in from the Punjab in India –to Delhi, then Sydney and finally to Christchurch. We could see the Southern Alps in the distance, and they did have snow on the peaks.
The long distance traveller, who lived in Christchurch, was more interested in her z’s. My last flight to Christchurch had been in January 1990, and we hit massive winds/gales over the Alps .The plane buffeted badly from this. We finally touched down at midnight, and all of the passengers clapped the pilot for bringing the Qantas plane down safely .I recall this clearly to this day.
Upon arrival at Christchurch Airport, i collected my luggage .The security dog decided to not sniff my luggage, but my jeans. The tall , solidly built handler, who was also good looking , called out to me “ you must have a dog “ i replied “i do, i have a beautiful Cavalier.“
I caught a shuttle bus from the Airport to my self -contained apartment at Cathedral Junction Apartments, near Christchurch Cathedral. Fortunately, i had New Zealand currency on my travel card. I had dinner at the nearby Novotel, and met a couple of ladies from Auckland, who had flown to Christchurch for a long weekend away to catch up with the long weekend sales. They invited me to have dinner with them on Monday night.
Monday was a Public Holiday, so a lot of cafes were shut. I had booked a morning tour of Christchurch, along with a visit to the International Antarctic Centre in the afternoon. It was a good opportunity to have an overview of the City. Many buildings, which had been destroyed in the 2010 earthquake, have been rebuilt with stronger building codes. Some have not been rebuilt, and remain boarded up .The Cathedral had scaffolding around it. Work was progressing on this until a few weeks ago; when the Authorities announced that no more monies could be spent on it .This stunning Cathedral represents Christchurch.
The International Antarctic Centre was excellent. I will return one day to this centre, which provided so many different insights into Antarctica. A ride in a snowmobile provided a first hand experience as to how people travel over the Antarctic terrain. It was rough, and a case of hold on to the straps provided in the vehicle.
The brave would be dressed accordingly, and enter a closed exhibition, which replicates the weather conditions in Antarctica. It was minus 8 degrees C on Monday October 29 2024 at Neumayer Station 111, with winds of 85km per hour. I chickened out of this activity. I loved meeting some huskies, which were used for many years in Antarctica .The huskies have not been used in Antarctica since April 1994, and have been replaced by motor vehicles and helicopters.
Monday night, i caught up with the 2 Auckland ladies for a long dinner at the Novotel .We had a hilarious dinner talking about our many travels around the world. One lady had travelled quite extensively in the Middle East, and told us some hilarious and some more serious stories. Earlier this year, she had been with her husband in Birdsville, Queensland when it was subjected to heavy rain. The ladies were interested in my message in a bottle story, and would like to throw one out to sea off the New Zealand coast. I suggested the North Island, and east coast-however they had to do research.
Tuesday morning, i took the wonderful tourist tram ride to stop 5 to Ballantynes Department Store, which was delightful. I purchased a heritage green ribbed possum and merino wool sweater for my trip to Norway in 2025. It is very light and very warm and a size larger than i normally wear. This is to accommodate layers underneath in a very cold climate. I enjoyed a cup of tea in this department store, which reminded me of David Jones. I then caught the tram to stop 10, the Botanic Gardens to have lunch, as i was going punting down the River Avon in the afternoon. And the punting jetty was nearby.
I arrived in time for my punting adventure; punting happens in Cambridge ,Oxford, parts of Germany and Christchurch .There were 6 young people from Australia in the front of the boat, myself at the rear, and the guy who paddles at the rear . He is dressed in Edwardian costume. Tongue in cheek i said “well I appear to be the most senior person here this afternoon, so i need help getting into the boat. “ We had a wonderful trip down the Avon –it was so relaxing . When we returned to the jetty, i again had to ask for help out of the boat!
I jumped back on the tram at stop number 10 and continued to the tram terminus. which was close by to my accommodation . I had to ensure my luggage was packed Tuesday night, as i was leaving on the 225pm Intercity bus for Oamaru from the Bus Station on Wednesday. I had packed two Australian wines into my suitcase. The bus trip takes 4 hours and 15 minutes, there are no trains operating in many parts of New Zealand, so Intercity bus is the go .
I arrived in Oamaru at 640pm, and Jocelyn and Lex were there to meet me .They had previously lived on a small farm out of town, but had decided to move into town in more recent years. Wednesday night we ate at home.
Thursday morning, we left for Dunedin to tour Larnach Castle, which is stunning. It is privately owned by the Barker family, who have spent many years since 1967, restoring the Castle to its former grandeur.
It is the perfect site for weddings, balls, and Scottish dances and balls. Accommodation today consists of the Camp Estate, Larnach Lodge and Stable Stay. The gardens are exquisite.
In 1870, William Larnach, whilst walking on the Otago Peninsula, chose this site to build a splendid mansion. He was an Australian banker, who came to Dunedin, lured by the tide of wealth following the gold rush. Larnach lived in the Castle with 3 successive wives until 1898, when he took his own life in New Zealand’s Houses of Parliament.
His children sold the property, which changed hands several times, and was twice abandoned. The Barkers bought the property in 1967, and set out to remove growth from the ruined garden, which revealed lost features and amazing vistas. The family committed to the restoration and development of the property. New Zealanders and tourists are fortunate to now have the opportunity to visit such a wonderful property.
Jocelyn, Lex and i enjoyed each of the rooms in the house: ground floor, first floor, second floor, top floor and Jocelyn ventured to the turret. The rooms have been beautifully furnished. Oh, how did those ladies in their voluminous dresses managed the stairs? There were no lifts in those days
We had lunch at the cafe at Larnach Castle, and then drove on to the Otago Settlers Museum. Jocelyn had to go off to catch up with her daughter and grandchildren in Dunedin . Lex and i visited this excellent museum. The Exhibits were well displayed and informative. i always enjoy looking at fashion –dresses and hats of the past .The museum staff are to be commended for such wonderful displays.
After the Museum, we dove back to Oamaru, as we were dining out. We ate at a restaurant, Del Mar on the Harbour in Oamaru. The owner may have been Argentinian, along with some of the staff. It is interesting that Argentinians are moving into the restaurant scene in the South Island .The Penguin Centre is opposite the Restaurant.
Friday morning, Jocelyn and I had coffee and then photographed the end of the Alps to Ocean Cycle Trail. We then visited some of the Victorian buildings in Oamaru. It is amazing that they have survived, and today they are sometimes used on film/ television sets. We visited some of the artistic and trendy shops / boutiques within these buildings .I ordered a small penguin in Oamaru stone, which i had to collect at noon on Saturday. And i bought two hats, one of which i wore to a Melbourne Cup luncheon in Sydney on November 5 2024. We also had the opportunity to view a building, which had many historic items in it. The willow table pattern setting was impressive.
Jocelyn showed me the hut on the foreshore, where news was received of the death of Captain Scott and his team in Antarctica. A plaque was placed here to acknowledge the centenary on February 10 2013. We returned home for a late lunch.
Lex and I then chatted about Cochrane family history. He indicated from his DNA testing that we have a very minute Norwegian background. Maybe this is why i am visiting Norway in late 2025! We know that the Cochranes lived in Lesmahagow, and moved between the 1891 and 1893 Census to Hamilton. Three Cochrane children were admitted to Beckford Street School, Hamilton in 1893.
One Cochrane relative had emigrated to Canada. Lex knows that George Knox Pate was born on August 19 1902 to Agnes Hamilton McCulloch and Alexander Pate in Blantyre, Lanarkshire, Scotland. George Knox emigrated to Canada on the “Letitia, ” which sailed from Glasgow on July 27 1934 for Montreal , Canada. According to a family member, he died in Canada on April 10 1979. Hopefully, one day, we might locate descendants of George Knox.
Lex’s father, Robert Cochrane emigrated from Cambuslang, Glasgow in 1925 to New Zealand; and my grandfather, Robert Cochrane emigrated from Hamilton to Australia in 1909, sailing from Liverpool to Sydney. My grandfather and Lex’s grandfather were brothers. Robert Cochrane came 3 years before my Grannie, Agnes Gibson, who was from Hamilton. They married the day after Agnes arrived in Sydney in late April 1912, at the Manse in Balmain, Sydney. I have commemorated my Grannie’s journey in my 2013 8 minute YouTube, Anne’s Adventure. This acknowledged Grannie’s journey, 100 years later.
I had the task of then repacking my case, as i was on the 335pm bus out of Oamaru on Saturday to Christchurch, arriving at 740pm. I had informed the Hotel that i would be arriving late.
Saturday morning, the Cochranes met for coffee .in Oamaru. Catherine and Margaret and her children joined us. I collected my Oamaru stone penguin and was told” not to paint it.” It was a very chilly day. We had lunch at home, and it was soon time for the intercity bus. i said good bye to Jocelyn and Lex and thanked them.
The time passed by quickly, and i arrived back in Christchurch at 740pm, where i caught a taxi to the Airport Gateway Hotel. I highly recommend this hotel. I had a lovely dinner in the restaurant, and breakfast in the morning.
I left for the Airport at noon. QF 136 was due out of Christchurch at 435pm, and was arriving in Sydney at 6.05pm. The airport was busy with one flight to Sydney, one to Brisbane and one to Melbourne. This highlighted the busy cross Tasman traffic. I purchased two bottles of New Zealand wine in duty free, along with a few other items. I wanted a tea towel map of New Zealand to highlight where one of my bottles had washed to from Eden, NSW in 2012. It had reached the top of New Zealand, before the ocean currents then apparently pushed it back to Yeppoon in Queensland in 2015.
QF136 was again an almost full flight .I sat in the same row as a man, who returns every 6 weeks or so to Christchurch to check on his elderly father, who has dementia. We had an empty seat in the middle. The flight went quickly and we then then touching down with a massive bump at Mascot. This pilot did not believe in a smooth landing! My wonderful Uber guy, Hugo was waiting for me in the short stay car park.
I met people in New Zealand from the Netherlands, Finland, and India and noticed Chinese visitors on bus tours. People were travelling throughout New Zealand doing different things – some were on bus and train tours, some were independently travelling, and some were doing hiking trips amongst many other options. New Zealand provides so many options as to how you want to see the country.
Lex mentioned that sheep farming in the South Island is not as dominant as it was. Cattle farming is also now happening .The current New Zealand Government is undoing some policies of the previous Government. And the nation is showing a strong current of displeasure in relation to this. Of particular concern, is the erosion of the Maori language and culture? There were a number of other examples.
Anne Field
