Christmas Good Wishes 2022

My Christmas tree

Now we are at the end of another year and they seem to go faster the older I get!

Here in New Zealand it is summer and the start of the long summer holidays for students.  Everybody's thoughts are on barbeques and long lazy days at the beach and, of course, Christmas.  Christmas is different here at the bottom of the world, no snow for us, or holly or little robin red breasts perched delicately on fence posts, despite the wintry Christmas cards they still sell in our shops.  Christmas dinner is a bit different too.  Although many people stick to the traditional Christmas dinners the early European immigrants brought to New Zealand more and more celebrate with a relaxed barbeque at the beach or in the back yard, albeit a bit fancier than usual...maybe with a crayfish, or lobster and some fancy salads. When I was a child we finished the meal with plum pudding containing shiny 3 penny pieces - it was so exciting to find one in your plate.  Nowadays most people have pavlova, with ice cream and fresh berries for dessert.  The old style Christmas here is evolving to become something more in keeping with our usually hot sticky Christmas days.

(I made the above video during lock down.  I hope every one who wishes to can travel now)

For myself, I am looking forward to having my family around for Christmas dinner. Mine is a mix of old and new...hot glazed ham, roast vegetables, green beans, ice cream, pavlova and fresh berries. The greatest joy of my day is being with family and seeing the excitement on my grandchildren's faces as they open their presents.

NB: If you will be alone at Christmas key in: Alone at Christmas in my search box for good ideas on how to spend the day.

Whatever the season the message of Christmas is the same the world over . It is a message of hope, peace, joy and goodwill to all.  You do not have to be a Christian to appreciate this message and it is my hope for all my readers. I also hope you all enjoy family time and have time to relax and that 2023 brings you only good things.

See you next year!

  

Britain's Mighty Magna Carta at Salisbury Cathedral.

 Some people remark that they are all Cathedraled out after a trip to Britain or Europe.   Personally I love the peaceful ambiance and the architecture of ancient cathedrals.  I'm always in awe of the fact that these intricate, soaring and highly decorative buildings were constructed without the benefit of modern methods and machinery.  However, if you are in the "all cathedraled out" camp there are still some worthy of a visit and one of them is Salisbury Cathedral in the beautiful county of Wiltshire, England.

Built between the years of 1310 and 1330 this cathedral has many claims to fame.  Firstly it has the tallest spire in Britain at 123 metres and weighing 6500 tons.  It also has the largest cloisters and close of any cathedral in Britain. (A close is the area surrounding the cathedral which is the property of the cathedral) In Salisbury the close covers 80 acres and contains museums, colleges and stately homes together with vast lawns and gardens ideal for relaxing in, strolling and picnicking.

The mechanical clock

     (Apologies for poor quality of the above photo taken into the sun)

Interestingly the cathedral is home to the worlds oldest mechanical clock.  Built in 1386 in Delft, Netherlands, by order of the then bishop to ensure the priests knew when to pray and when church services would start, it is a large contraption with no clock face. This fascinating 650 year old clock  is operated by a system of weights and pullies and needs daily winding to ensure it strikes the time on the hour. 

The cathedral itself is light and airy with  glorious stained glass windows and stone work. As a lover of cloisters I really enjoyed strolling them and visiting the exquisite chapter house with its ornate carvings but the absolute drawcard and 'must see' is the original copy of the Magna Carta (Great Charter). At Salisbury it is one of only four remaining originals and is the best preserved.   Visitors file past this precious document housed in an enclosed, dark, curtained area, just long enough to have a reasonable look but can spend longer viewing a facsimile of it near by. 

The Magna Carta

Although it is now 800 years old the Magna Carta is still one of the world's most important documents as a powerful symbol of justice.

Drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury in an effort to make peace between the tyrannical King John and a group of rebel barons, the Magna Carta limited the powers of the monarchy and gave individual citizens defined personal and property rights. King John agreed to the charter and signed it in 1215 at Runnymede. Most of the clauses in the Magna Carta have been superseded by new laws but two very important and fundamental clauses remain part of English law.  These clauses affirm the rights and freedoms of citizens and is the foundation of democratic society.

Clause 40 of the Magna Carta states: "To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice"

The cathedral houses a large, light cafe and, of course, the ubiquitous gift shop.  Salisbury itself is a pretty town with a medieval centre and an ancient market square. The cathedral is approached along traditional streets housing cafes and gift shops making it worthy of a stroll. The town is only 12 kilometres from Stonehenge which I have written about in a previous post. It can be found in the search box.

The Spectacular Minack Theatre, Cornwall

 I enjoy live theatre and have been to many theatres over my life time from local playhouses to grand theatres in London and the USA, even to vast, awe inspiring  ampitheatres in Turkey but the Minack Theatre in Cornwall is like nothing I have ever seen before. 

Located only a few kilometres from  Lands End on the stunning coast of Porthcurno Bay, the 750 seat theatre was the brain child of Rowena Cade.  Rowena had bought the headland for 100 pounds in the 1920s and built her home there. As a great lover of  theatre she quickly became involved in local productions offering her garden for a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.  She then decided that since there was no theatre in the area she would build one herself on her rugged coastal property.

Rowena began work on the Minack in 1930 and although having able assistance from her loyal gardener, Billy Rawlings, and some local workmen, did much of the work herself carrying buckets of sand and wooden beams up and down the very steep site. By 1932 she had the bare bones of the theatre in time for it to host a production of The Tempest. Facilities at that time were sketchy so stage lighting was provided by battery and car headlights, however, her work continued and the theatre expanded and improved over time.

Seats engraved with the names of productions performed at the Minack

 Rowena mastered a technique of making the concrete and sand seats look like stone and she painstakingly engraved Celtic patterns and the names of the plays performed there into the backs of the seats. In the whole theatre there is only one granite seat which Rowena dedicated to Billy Rawlings who died in 1966.

The perfect location for a war time look out post

During the second World War the theatre was requisitioned for use as a look out post. After the war major restoration and improvements were undertaken and in 2014 it was named as one of the most spectacular theatres in the world, a truly wonderful legacy for Rowena who continued working on the theatre up into her mid eighties.  She died in 1983 just short of her 90th birthday.

The steep seating ensures good views of the stage below and the sea beyond

Today, to cater for modern audiences, improvements continue but are made strictly in keeping with the style and vision of Rowena.  There are now professional lighting and sound systems, toilets and a coffee shop and a small exhibition area where you can see historic photos of Rowena at work. Nevertheless seating is still on grass or concrete terraces and patrons are advised to bring cushions to sit on.  Productions are held here rain or shine so umbrellas and raincoats are also advised depending on the weather.  I can only imagine how thrilling, albeit rather uncomfortable, it would be to see a production of The Tempest in an actual tempest with waves crashing on the rocks right behind the stage.  It was my good fortune to visit on a glorious sunny day and it was, without doubt, a major highlight of my trip to Cornwall.

Loving the ambiance- on the stage

www.minack.com

Dartmoor, Devon, England - Wild, Wonderful and Mysterious

Taking in the view 

In my imagination Dartmoor was a hostile, unwelcoming and, at times, spooky place. I had read Arthur Conan Doyle's chilling Sherlock Holmes novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and various other accounts of how bleak and inhospitable it was, so naturally that was what I expected. As luck would have it it was a glorious, hot, summer's day when I travelled through Dartmoor recently and the sweeping, vast landscapes looked anything but inhospitable.  

Located in county Devon, England and  covering 368 sq miles (954 sq kms) Dartmoor is a treasure trove of history and nature. There is everything for the nature lover from forest, farmland and heather clad open moors to wild flower meadows. For the history buff there are stone cists, burial cairns and hut circles. Also industrial ruins of tin mines, quarries and even the remains of a 19th century gunpowder factory.

Sheep up on the gorse and heather clad moors

The spectacular landscape was formed 300 million years ago by movement within the earth which forced granite up to the earth's surface creating granite tors, the tallest being over 2039 feet (621 metres) above sea level.  Human beings settled in the area around 4000 years ago and built villages, farmed cattle and sheep and mined tin. Today Dartmoor is a National Park, with a few tiny villages, farms and walking and cycling tracks popular with trampers and cyclists.  

Above and below:  Highland cattle and wild Dartmoor ponies

High up on the moors we stopped for a while to admire the expansive views out over the countryside and spend a bit of time with the wild life.  I was particularly delighted to get up close to Highland cattle (aka hairy coos), and the tame sheep.  The wild ponies were a bit more circumspect but were close enough for us to get photos, albeit not very good ones.

    

We drove past the infamous Dartmoor prison built originally to house French captives from the Napoleonic wars and known to have a harsh regimen for most of its 200 years.  Today the prison houses medium level offenders and proudly focuses on rehabilitation and counselling, however, if you want to learn about grim prison life here in times gone by there is now a very popular Dartmoor Prison Museum.

Post Office and General Store, Postbridge

 In the heart of Dartmoor is the tiny village of Postbridge where we stopped to admire the adjoining two bridges. The ancient Clapper Bridge was built around the 13th century in order to get horses and carts across the river.  It is a simple construction of granite pillars topped by huge granite slabs.  The word clapper comes from an Anglo Saxon word meaning stepping stones. 

The Clapper Bridge, Postbridge

Close to the Clapper Bridge is the Road Bridge (c1792) which carries modern traffic. There are many myths and legends around the Road Bridge the most famous being the ghost story called 'Hairy Hands'.  The story goes that numerous accidents have occurred caused by mysterious hairy hands coming from nowhere, grabbing steering wheels and causing cars to veer off the road.   They are colourful stories but investigations found that the accidents were most likely caused by motorists driving too quickly on the unfamiliar road and that the camber of the road was dangerous.  The camber has since been corrected. 

The Road Bridge

Our final stop on Dartmoor was at the serene and beautiful Burrator Reservoir (1898), its lush vegetation and expanse of water a contrast to the high moorland.  Water level in the reservoir was low due to a long hot summer.

Dartmoor was in some ways what I had imagined but due to perfect weather not the forbidding place I had expected it to be.  I am certain that a long, cold, wet winter on the moors would be an entirely different matter. It's a wonderful place and I can see why it is so popular with trampers and cyclists having a bit of everything - history, nature, interesting geography, tiny villages and wild life.

 www.dartmoor-prison.co.uk

You will get a good feel for Dartmoor by watching this short video by National Parks

Marble Hill House, England - a Stately Home I could happily live in

 Over the years I have visited a number of stately homes in England, most of them huge and many of them beautiful but overly grandiose, however I have never felt that I would be comfortable living in any of them.  That was until I visited Marble Hill House in Twickenham. Not only does it have an idyllic setting right beside the river Thames but it is also comparatively modest in scale and has a cosy comfortable feeling about it. 

The house was built by Henrietta Howard, a woman with a colourful history, who wanted a quiet country retreat from the court of George II. For many years Henrietta had been not only George's live in mistress but also the personal servant of his wife Caroline, a tricky situation requiring a lot of tact.  Henrietta had been left as an orphan by the age of twelve and  later made a disastrous marriage to a violent, gambler.  Joining the court became a safe refuge for her.  It was King George who gave her the funds to buy off her husband and to build Marble Hill house. 

Built in the Neo-Palladian style in the 1720s, the house is a rare example of a house built for, and by, a woman in Georgian England. It was here that Henrietta could relax and enjoy the company of genuine friends.  She became the queen of the 'Twickenham Set' which included Alexander Pope, Horace Walpole, Jonathan Swift, and John Gay, all literary men, plus a number of politicians. She was a patron of the arts and an enthusiastic hostess despite a life long hearing disability.    I can imagine some lively evenings in the beautiful dining and drawing rooms at Marble Hill.

 Alexander Pope said of Henrietta ' I know a reasonable woman, handsome and witty, yet a friend"

Eventually King George moved on to a new mistress and after the death of her first husband Henrietta was free to marry again. Her second marriage was a very happy one.

My son and his wife had lived for a time right opposite the house but it had not been open to the public during a lengthy restoration so I jumped at the chance to visit it on my recent trip. Set in 60 acres and well back from the road  it is an elegant, perfectly proportioned building. The rooms are of a pleasing size, no great ballrooms or overly flamboyant galleries etc and the decor is of its time and appropriate to the house. 

I love this wall paper in the small dining room

Guides are positioned in every room and are enthusiastic and happy to talk about the history and life of the house. As far as stately homes go it is small and doesn't take long to tour but I loved it.  I felt I could happily live there, something  I have never felt in a stately home before.

The Great Hall (photo by English Heritage)

After touring the house I walked in the grounds.  The old orchard and gardens are being restored with plantings likely used in the original gardens and the huge ice house is worth seeing.  The grounds are peaceful so I sat for a while enjoying the view of the river and imagining how much Henrietta would have enjoyed this idyllic location, in the company of her friends, away from the gossip, intrigue and stiffness of the court of King George.

The restored gardens (photo by English Heritage)

Included in the 60 acres surrounding the house are rugby, cricket, and hockey grounds, tennis courts and a children's play area.  There is also a cafe in the old coach house. The estate is well used and much loved by the residents of Twickenham.  Henrietta would be surprised, and no doubt delighted, by her legacy.

The house is located on Richmond Rd, St Margaret's area.

Open Wednesday to Sunday April to October. Admission is free but you are required to buy a guide to the house at a very minimal cost.

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, London

 The great thing about London is that no matter how many times you visit there is always something to see that you haven't seen before. Writer, Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), famously said "When a man is tired of London he is tired of life".  Nothing could be truer,  London always delights. On my many visits to London I had never taken a tour of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, sure, I'd walked past it often enough but there always seemed to be hordes of tourists or school children lining up for a visit so I would just keep walking.  Anyway, this visit I decided I just had to take a tour, it had been tantalising me for too long.

 

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, South Bank London
(photo by Diego Delso, delso.photo, license CC-BY-SA)

The  Theatre is the brainchild of American actor and director, Sam Wanamaker who had a dream of recreating the original Globe of 1599, close to its original site and as it was in Shakespeare's day. After finding the original site of the Globe theatre neglected and marked only by a blackened plaque, recreating the Globe became an obsession for Wanamaker. The original globe had burnt down in 1612 when a stage effect went wrong and set the thatched roof alight.  The theatre was rebuilt in 1614 but was closed down in 1642 by the Puritans, who thought plays were the devil's work.

 In 1970 Wanamaker founded the Shakespeare Global Trust with the aim of achieving his dream.  It took 27 years with the Theatre eventually opening in 1997. Sadly he died in 1993 without seeing the theatre completed.  Wanamaker's goal of reconstructing the theatre as near as possible to the original wasn't an easy task since there were no remaining plans or contracts, however, luckily there were some contemporary drawings and accounts of what the theatre was like. Other surviving buildings of the late 16th and early 17th century were studied, including the building contract for the Fortune Playhouse.  He also had to battle with the local council who wanted to build an apartment block on the site.  Despite all the barriers put in the way the result is believed to be realistic even accounting for the need to ensure modern safety requirements. 

Since a play was in rehearsal we were not permitted to photograph the stage
This photo is of an earlier production - note the groundlings (Jack1956)

Although the recreated Globe theatre caters for audiences about half the size of those in Shakespeare's day it is as authentic as possible. It is built entirely of English oak with simple benches in galleries for seating, and an open to the sky pit for 'Groundlings' (those who stand to watch a play), which is now concreted but would originally have been earth strewn with straw. The Theatre also has the only thatched roof permitted in London since the Great Fire of London of 1666, albeit with special fire retardants and sprinklers.  There is a modern lobby, restaurant, gift shop and visitors' centre and an adjoining  smaller theatre, the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse which is modelled in Jacobean era style and used in the winter months.  

I found the tour completely absorbing.  The guide was excellent, describing London of the 1500s and 1600s vividly.  Acting and play performances were then regarded as rather suspect, and not seemly, so the playhouses were located on the South Bank away from the more 'decent' people of London on the other side of the Thames.  Despite this plays drew huge crowds from all walks of life and the audience could be rowdy and raucous even to the point of throwing fruit and eggs at the actors.  Beer was also consumed in large quantities during the play and with personal hygiene not being the best back then the groundlings, who paid 1 penny for a ticket, would be labeled 'stinkards' for obvious reasons. Shakespeare was a 12.5% shareholder in the theatre and due to its great popularity during its heyday this afforded him a comfortable income. The crest above the main entrance, written in Latin, translated to "The whole world is a playhouse"

Fortunately there were no stinkards around for my visit and we were lucky enough to sit in on a rehearsal for the upcoming play, I Joan, about Joan of Arc.  It was fascinating watching the actors and directors at work and to see how the theatre operates.  I thought the theatre was very beautiful and felt as if I had been transported back in time.  You do not have to be a fan of Shakespeare to enjoy a visit to this wonderful theatre, it is a glimpse back into times past and an opportunity to admire outstanding craftsmanship. I'm so pleased I finally visited Shakespeare's Globe and as luck would have it there were no school groups or hordes of tourists on the day of my tour.

As an aside, one of the best books I have read in a long time is Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell.  It is a fictionalised account of Shakespeare's life and times. I found it utterly absorbing.  Highly recommended.

#shakespearesglobetheatre #globetheatre

Stonehenge - More than just a pile of rocks

 "It's just a pile of rocks in a field" an acquaintance said to me after visiting Stonehenge. "It's disappointing. I don't know what the fuss is about". Well recently I visited the pile of rocks to see "what the fuss was about"  and I thought it was absolutely marvelous.

The short rock (far right) is the heel rock this points to the sunrise at summer solstice

Believed to have been constructed between 3000BC and 2000BC, by a culture with no written records to tell us why, it has been the subject of conjecture over the centuries.  There are many theories for it's construction such as it was a religious site, or it was built for ancestor worship, perhaps it was a funerary on account of the large numbers of deceased buried nearby, or even a place of healing, but the current, and most generally accepted interpretation of the site, is that it was a pre-historic temple which aligned with the sun in the winter and summer solstices.

The colossal stones, weighing about 25 tons each and standing 4 meters high, were brought long distances, some from as far as 250 kilometers away, a phenomenal feat. It is believed they were dragged on sleds along wooden tracks greased with pig fat and next to the Visitors' Centre there is a mock up of the type of sled most likely used. Examination of the stones shows they were dressed using sophisticated techniques and were erected using interlocking joints, something unique to Stonehenge. Although there are many hundreds of stone circles in the world Stonehenge is the only surviving linteled stone circle. Surrounding the site there are 350 burial mounds putting the monument at the heart of one of the largest cemeteries discovered in Neolithic Britain.

Replica Neolithic village based on what has been found in excavations

The Visitors Centre is excellent.  There is a museum where you can learn about the site, view unearthed artifacts and see pictures of its restoration. Near by is a tiny replica Neolithic village and, of course there is the ubiquitous gift shop and cafe. Regular shuttle buses take visitors to and from the site although it is an easy walk up a gently sloping hill, however the shuttle is handy if you are time constrained. Although visitors cannot actually enter the stone circle you get close enough for it not to matter. Fortunately for me it was a glorious summer's day for my visit so I spent a long time walking right around the perimeter, looking at it from all angles and marveling at its construction.  I was thinking of the people who constructed it, how motivated they were to carry out this back breaking work and imagining what their short lives were like (average life span was around 35).

People on the right indicate the scale of Stonehenge

Today many thousands of people flock to Stonehenge to watch the sun rise precisely over the heel rock on the morning of the summer solstice. The winter solstice is marked by the arrival of modern day druids, pagans and people from a variety of beliefs who hold ceremonies on site as they watch the setting sun shine through the two tallest rocks directly opposite the heel rock. Archaeologists believe that the winter solstice was the more important to the Neolithic people.  Excavations of the surrounding countryside and the nearby village of Dorrington Walls,  show that the winter solstice was the time when most cattle were slaughtered and beer and wine were fermented so it appears the village was a site of winter festivity.

If you are interested in prehistory Stonehenge is a must.  I am so glad I visited and, no, it is not just a pile of rocks in a field, it is a remarkable monument to the skills and ingenuity of a people who lived thousands of years ago. And it holds mysteries that might never be uncovered.

Hokitika, New Zealand - A Cool Little Town

 There is something about Hokitika that has stolen my heart.  On the face of it it is just another small town on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island, struggling with the after effects of our long covid lockdowns,  like so many other small towns, but for me  Hokitika is still the whole package.  Not only does it have a rich history dating back before European settlement, very friendly locals and a whole host of heritage buildings, but it is also a  centre for artists and is blessed with a stunning landscape.  As a big city dweller and all that goes with living in a big city, a trip to Hokitika is refreshing and really makes my heart sing.

View from Hokitika to the alps and New Zealand's highest mountain, Mt Cook

The town of Hokitika was founded in 1864 as the centre of the West Coast gold rush.  It's hard to believe now, with its current population of around 3000, that in 1866 it was one of New Zealand's most populated centres boasting the busiest port in the country and 101 hotels. The town's major industries were greenstone, gold, coal and forestry.  As those industries have declined they have been replaced by dairy farming and increasingly, ecotourism.

Back before there was even a township West Coast Maori discovered the beautiful pounamu, otherwise known as greenstone or New Zealand jade, in the nearby river beds and along the beaches.  It was very precious to them as its strength and beauty made it perfect for weapons, tools and personal decoration. To own or wear greenstone was a proud symbol of status.  In Hokitika you can visit galleries to watch carvers at work preparing greenstone jewellery and art works for sale.  The town boasts several different artists studios from glass blowers to photographers, potters to wood carvers and many others. 

A standout feature of Hokitika is the wild and wonderful beach which runs the length of the town.  I could happily spend endless hours walking the beach in any sort of weather. On my recent visit the weather was wet and wild and I was mesmerised by the waves rolling in and crashing on the shore.  It was quite other worldly. The beach is strewn with driftwood which the locals celebrate each year with the Driftwood and Sand festival.  People come from all over New Zealand and overseas to view and admire the intricate sculptures and the town's  famous  "Hokitika" sign sculptured from driftwood. The popular Wild Foods festival in March celebrates all sorts of weird and wonderful food.

I am a great lover of heritage buildings and Hokitika has a lot to choose from.  Get a map for the heritage trail from the information centre, as I did, and take a two hour stroll around town to view them. 

The locals fought hard to save their art deco cinema, now beautifully
 restored

The Customs House dating from 1897

Old Government Buildings built between 1909 and 1911

I love the friendliness of Hokitika.  I called into the local stationers and ended up having a long friendly chat with the owner. One evening I had dinner at  Stumpers restaurant, great food and a warm and welcoming atmosphere.  I was on my own but had pleasant conversations with people at the nearby tables, that doesn't often happen in a big city.  One of the things I really enjoyed was joining the locals to greet a large contingent of motor scooter riders who had braved the freezing temperatures to ride over the mountain pass from Christchurch to raise money for charity.  For just a few moments I felt like a local although it is said that unless you are born on the coast you can never call yourself a coaster!

Hanging with the locals, fun times.

When my son brought his new Irish wife to New Zealand for a belated honeymoon a number of years ago they toured many of the South Island's famous beauty spots but it was Hokitika she fell for.  My late husband went to Hokitika for work on  several occasions and he too was captured by the place.  It was one of the last places we visited before he died. It holds great memories for me and I  can't wait to go back. A Cool Little Town indeed.

NOTE: The novel The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton, winner of the Man Booker prize in 2013 is set in Hokitika.

www.coollittletown.com

One of the World's Greatest Train Journeys - The Tranz Alpine, New Zealand

 

I love train journeys, they are  absolutely my favourite way to travel.  As far back as I can remember I had wanted to take a trip on New Zealand's Tranz Alpine which travels from the east coast of New Zealand's South Island to the west coast.  A couple of months ago I finally got the opportunity. So many people had told me what an amazing experience this was and I was hoping I wouldn't be disappointed or be expecting too much....I wasn't in either case. It is always great to discover that all the fulsome praise heaped on something turns out to be accurate. This trip is definitely deserving of all the accolades, if you visit the South Island I would say it is a must do. 

A misty day on the journey to Greymouth

Early in the morning I boarded the train in Christchurch and settled into my very comfortable seat with its wide panoramic windows, looking forward excitedly to the journey ahead. It was drizzling as we left the city to cross the flat farmlands of the Canterbury plains and I crossed my fingers that the rain would ease before we reached the alps. Just beyond the small town of Springfield we could see the tall peaks of the Southern Alps ahead and I  wondered how the train would ever get through.  But get through it did by following the tracks along the pure, aqua, alpine water of the Waimakariri River. 

The Waimakariri River

The slow climb up to the Craigieburn Plains took us through 15 short tunnels and across 4 dramatic viaducts, the most spectacular being the 72 metre high Staircase Viaduct.  By then the drizzle had abated and there was just an eerie mist swirling around the peaks. The views of the snow capped mountains and vast empty valleys were stunning. 

 It was freezing out on the open air observation carriage but I was so enamored of the sights I didn't mind and spent plenty of time out there enjoying and photographing the views. 

Then back to my seat for a nice warming cup of coffee before a scheduled stop at Arthur's Pass where we got off the train to stand in the softly fluttering snow flakes and fill our lungs with the purest of air. 

After Arthur's Pass the train started its descent to the west coast through the 8.5 km Otira Tunnel, the second longest tunnel in the world when it was built in 1923. 

Once we popped out of the tunnel we were in an entirely different landscape.  The west coast of the South Island is renowned for its rain and that is reflected in the lush, green, dripping and primeval scenery. We traveled between high hills, along river valleys and skirted the exquisite Lake Brunner before pulling into Greymouth Railway Station four and a half hours after leaving Christchurch. 

The tiny workers village of Otira, miles from anywhere, nestled under the mountains

Lake Brunner

The lush, verdant, dripping landscape coming into Greymouth

I was elated, it had been all I'd hoped for from the plains, to mountains, rivers to lakes, ancient and unspoiled landscapes.  Imagine my delight when I made the return journey a few days later to find perfect weather and the snow capped mountains bathed in a pink glow from the setting sun.  It was absolutely magical.

The return journey was even more spectacular