Babs’ travels -The Peking to Paris Rally and other driving adventures.

         The sun decided to come out for a couple of days - just when the rally is coming to a close. It didn't last, obviously, and normal order was restored today; the cold returned and it was grey, wet and miserable.       Spectacular scenery unfolded in the sunshine as we crossed bleak, beautiful mountain passes.  A complete days route book had been replaced by Kim who had discovered some great gravel roads, some very steep and slippery with big drops, making for a slightly hair raising experience. We got a little warm going up but not to the point of overheating. Adrian had a little check under the bonnet at the top and all was well. Car 10 now weighs considerably more with all the dust it has gathered.                      We stopped at the cosy Dansey Pass Hotel, unnervingly remote, where we were warmly greeted and very well fed. The vivacious owner hold me that they were busy...

The Royal Aalbatross - what a bird!  Huge beyond  all reason: 8 kgs and with a 3 metre wings span. As if those statistics alone were not enough, wait until you hear about their life style. Don't look away, please stay with me, it's truly amazing.  Harrington Point, on the Otago Penninsular near Dunedin is the the only mainland site in the world that these majestic creatures come to breed. Readers, I went there yesterday. I know you are already jealous.  In brief: They can't flap their wings. They are jointed and lock in place once airborne. They rely totally on the wind or, when at sea, the wind coming off a wave, to get airborne then they just glide on the thermals.  They mate for life and the oldest recorded female, known as 'Granny' lived to be 61. The year before she didn't return she successfully reared a chick. She definitely deserved a long service award for all that egg action.  The female lays the egg and then the male sits on it for 80 days. Think...

What a marvellous couple of days driving we've had to get here, Dunedin. The sun even shone for a bit, the rain wasn't continual and the hail storm short ~! Maybe Spring is finally arriving. The wind on the coast is a different matter; hardly surprising when you think that it is coming directly from Antarctica.  Car 10 is cruising along very happily, a little grubby now, but that's alright. It, and its occupants, enjoyed the coastal driving very much. It's all a bit Scotland, a bit Wales and a little bit of Cumbria  except the grass is greener. The howling knock you over coastal wind though, is pure south coast South Island. I'll let the pictures do the talking. The founders of Dunedin tried to recreate a Southern Hemisphere Edinburgh.  Whilst there are a few imposing buildings, the success of that is somewhat limited.... 

We arrived in Te Anua, the gateway to Firordland in the southern Alps, in absolutely freezing cold weather. The wind here can be something else as there is nothing to stop it roaring around the planet with only a tiny bit of South America to slow it down. It's a long way from here to there. We are firmly  in the 'roaring forties' domain. The drive to get to Te Anua from Arrowtown though short at 200kms, was grey and dreary with much rain and even some hail. We had to imagine how magnificent the views would have been without the clouds.  What a difference a day makes. This morning was clear and frosty with sunlight dancing on the lake. It didn't last, but it was warmer and less cloudy than the previous day. Many of us chose to set off early to visit Doubtful Sound.  Much larger, more remote and with far fewer visitors than Milford Sound.  We drove a scant 20kms to the shores of Lake Manipouri, hopped on a boat, travelled across the lake for an hour, and then were take...

It's just nature, nature, nature here. Not that it isn't lovely, it is, but it's rather one dimensional. The people are generally very friendly - not that there are very many of them. South Island is very sparsely populated and we can drive for several hours and only see a handful of cars. The weather is not on our side, not that there is anything to be done about that, but we are certainly seeing some rain and gloomy days. All that greenness has to come from somewhere. When the mountains break through and we get some blue sky, the true beauty of this country shines.  We've been enjoying a couple of days rest at the luxurious Millbrook golf resort, just outside Queenstown. Our suites are huge and extremely comfortable, the gardens are immaculate and the food delicious. Last night we dined at a local winery after a tour of the cave, the countries largest, and a tasting session.   It is also a chance for some car maintenance, several cars have been having work done, but h...