tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26631410824616147152024-03-25T21:06:15.724+00:00... and Millie makes threeThe meanderings of the NB Mary H Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00382436449567887759noreply@blogger.comBlogger1238125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-75072028698835550442024-03-21T03:15:00.000+00:002024-03-21T03:15:17.513+00:00The BIG One - New Zealand - Days 38, 39 and 40<p> <span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Saturday 9th March - Dunedin</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What a lovely day. We saw albatross, seals, sea lions and New Zealand’s only castle!</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We went to the Royal Albatross Centre out at Pukekura Head. First we had a short talk followed by a video then we walked up the hill to the observatory where we were able to watch albatross soaring on the wind and we also saw a parent sitting on its month old chick. Parents sit on their babies (literally) for about the first month of their life then they both leave it to go and find food for it. The young albatross stays on the ground until it is about 8 months old and relies on its parents to bring it food all that time. When the chick first hatches it weighs about 300 grams and will weigh about 8 kgs when it finally takes off. It will then take off and fly probably to Chile where it will live until it is about 5 or 6 when it will return to NZ and find a mate - albatross are monogamous though they only meet up at breeding time! They only breed every two years as they lose so much weight feeding a hungry chick for 8 months! Albatross live on the wing and only land for breeding. They have a 3 metre wing span and are gliders and soarers as their wings are too heavy to flap! By using a locking mechanism on their wings they can rest and sleep in the air meaning they don’t have to land. There are 22 species of albatross and 18 of those species are threatened with extinction.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After our wonderful tour we headed to Allan’s Beach where seals and sea lions come up for a rest. It was a beautiful beach, what beach in NZ isn’t beautiful, and we saw both a seal and a sea lion lazing there. The sea lion was huge and had dug itself a nest in the sand. I felt really lucky to have seen them.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On our way away from the beach Richard suddenly saw a couple of seals so stopped for a chat with one of them!</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our last port of call was Lanarch Castle, New Zealand’s only castle, but not what we Brits would call a castle! It was built in 1870 by William Lanarch, who was an Australian banker who went to Dunedin lured by the tide of wealth which followed the gold rush. William lived at the castle with three successive wives until he took his own life in New Zealand’s Houses of Parliament. His children sold the castle which then changed hands several times before being bought by Barry and Margaret Barker in 1967. The castle was almost in ruins by then and the gardens over run. The Ballroom was being used to pen sheep and the roof was leaking badly but gradually they managed to restore both the house and garden and it is now run by Margaret’s son, Norcombe. There are only three bedrooms in the house so really was little more than a family house but built like a castle. It was certainly intriguing and the gardens lovely and we really enjoyed our visit.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While we were at Lanarch Castle I found a few dates in New Zealand’s history which might interest you.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">C800 AD - the Māori settle in New Zealand </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1642 - New Zealand first sighted by a European, the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1814 - first Europeans born in New Zealand </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1840 - Treaty of Waitangi signed between the British Crown and Māori Chiefs</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1848 - immigrant ships arrive at Port Chalmers carrying Dunedin settlers</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1861 - significant gold deposits are discovered in Otago (the region around Dunedin).</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-59uISUn7snDHz36zLzinu9TtPcylZLpuldzLrkYDoZGWtFOQLvXOmUGbT6A42SwZf4KsY1ADo7LyFUQ1fTMJWp_vu1qUuJJF75EAicg_ZdasQs2X8X34b0uoaJkpb31W0C5xeIDdXfxxAdj4Dt5Oj3JW1ay_0ccRMOobDJb2KXP1WptVzo86SpT8_Q8/s5712/IMG_1499.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; 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font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700;">Sunday 10th March - Dunedin</span></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">We caught the bus into Dunedin at 10am, it went from outside the campsite. We arrived into, what is known as, the Octagon, the city centre. We decided to walk to the water front but stopped off at the Toitu Otago Settlers Museum for a wander round. The city of Dunedin was established in 1848 by the Lay Association of the Free Church of Scotland and the name Dunedin comes from Dun Eideann, the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh. When the gold rush of the 1860s caused Dunedin’s population and wealth to increase dramatically, it was, for several years, New Zealand’s largest and most prosperous city. The museum showed exhibits of how the settlers lived onboard ships right up to exhibits of the first PC!</span></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Round the corner from the museum was the Chinese Garden which commemorates the contribution Chinese people made to Dunedin’s history, culture and ongoing prosperity. Chinese miners were invited to Otago in 1865 to solve a labour crisis in its goldfields. They also proved very adept at reworking old ground, finding plenty of gold from areas abandoned by earlier miners. By the 1880s, as gold returns went into decline, the Chinese started market gardens, fruit shops and laundries. One fact learnt from the garden was that it was a catastrophe for a Chinese miner to die away from China as Chinese mourning customs required internment on home soil where family members could tend their graves otherwise the deceased would be left to wander in the afterlife as “hungry ghosts”. This gave rise to communal fundraising to exhume bodies and return them to China. There were three mass exhumations, but the last and largest in 1900 of 499 bodies was sent on the SS Ventnor. Tragically the boat was wrecked on the Northland coast and all the bodies were lost at sea. The Garden is a peaceful little paradise in the middle of city.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After the Chinese Garden we took a short 1 hour bus trip to see a couple of Dunedin sights. Our first stop was Baldwin Street, the steepest street in the World. I had read that a town in Wales had disputed this, but our guide said it was San Francisco. Whichever Baldwin Street is now the Guinness Book of Records steepest street at 1:2.86. Our second stop was Signal Hill, a 1289 foot hill, where everyone took photos!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Back in Dunedin we decided to find somewhere for lunch and wandered back towards the Octagon where, we had been reliably informed, we would find all sorts of restaurants. I can only think that the guy from the tourist information point was a stranger in town as there are hardly any restaurants in that area and those that were there were closed as it was Sunday. Eventually I asked Google to find me a restaurant and it found Amigos, a rather quirky Mexican restaurant down a side street which we would never have looked down. We had a very nice lunch.</span></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">We took an Uber back to the campsite and collapsed!</span></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oh, and by the way, we never did find the water front and we aren’t too sure if there is one as we know them.</span></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWihys9j6c-St6x_CaxYNViaOVGteNUS_lCwtvStdQDP1aC1GUCe5yL4fFsr0oOdLxGYJh9z9MNyDqaCFa1cTLEnmFh1ykSx8fJWfYiSc9ocGnIQ3PkZ_aKkv0EAYLgSVytENcEIlA3MPUJDi-IjlW7ACX4xfb_EgledarBS5rZ6hzFdeq1sGw3G__pdc/s4032/IMG_1636.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-b94aab22-3b02-9955-37d0-51fcfcaca2cc" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Monday 11th March - Omarama</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We set off to Oamaru but stopped at Moeraki Boulders Beach to see the spherical boulders. These are really strange, just a few half ball-like boulders sticking out of the sand. The way they have weathered they look a bit like giant tortoises! Scientists explain the boulders as calcite concretions formed about 65 million years ago! Fossilised clay and mud are found in the centre, around which sediments such as calcite have accumulated. One layer at a time the boulders grew larger over the years.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We drove on to Oamaru. It was a very grey day and not the most inspiring of landscapes along the way. There was plenty of parking so we had lunch and then went to the steampunk exhibition. We had no idea what we were going to see and all I can describe it as is abstract, largely nonsense but fascinating! I think you will see from the photos what I mean. I found on the internet that an author back in 1987 created the term to describe a style of fantasy fiction that featured Victorian technology, especially technology powered by steam. The exhibits were certainly weird but the best one was a light show all done by using mirrors.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oamaru is also well know for it’s Victorian precinct so we walked down it and it has been kept nicely. I didn’t take any photos as there were modern day cars parked along the street which rather spoilt the effect. Also coming from the UK it wasn’t very special for me.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We drove to Omarama passing the Waitaki Dam which was the last dam to be built by pick, shovel and wheelbarrow back in 1928. At its peak 1200 men laboured in often dangerous and freezing conditions. 350 houses and 700 huts sheltered them from the extremes of the North Otago winters. The dam is 48 metres high and 542 metres long. We noticed that there were another two dams and I’ve discovered that they are Benmore and Aviemore Dams. The Waitaki River runs through the three lakes which have been formed by the dams.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When we got to Omarama the sun was shining and once we had made camp we were able to sit out with a glass (or two) or wine.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm9FJpOPmfl-KseAU8bX5Pzdq4w4MB7ZNErabJTNxaa5pWafh5jbj78f8_tesbOe9ummwI14JOg1LoU4FieCncDEubFuB54LQKr8qijBBn2UnELcBna_uCkS8m72q-Bc6fQ0VmqRBCQFianMlroVLdlA6j7cstQsz6EfF87mg-d65WHwdAOZ0O6u5BEfI/w400-h300/IMG_1712.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></span><p></p>Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-7523426371480221362024-03-19T07:36:00.000+00:002024-03-19T07:36:05.427+00:00The BIG One - New Zealand - Days 35, 36 and 37<p> <span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wednesday 6th March - Curio Bay</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We managed to get a bit of a lie in this morning but it was very cold, 11 degrees and I reckon it had been lower than that!</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The site we were on was unusual as the motel rooms are all little chalets mostly done in a different designs. You can see one in the photos at the end of today.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our first port of call was Gemstone Beach where, if you are lucky enough, you can find some pretty gemstones. We found some which, when polished up, might just look nice. The beach was lovely with the snow capped mountains in the background.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We were driving the scenic route which I was worried might be a bit twisty but, in fact, they were mostly long straight roads.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We drove passed Invercargill which is the southernmost and westernmost city in NZ and one of the southernmost cities in the world.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We wanted to go to Slope Point which is the southernmost point in NZ. We have now done both the northernmost and southernmost points in NZ. We walked out to what looked a bit like a modern lighthouse where we found the obligatory sign.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our campsite was only about 10km from Slope Point and was almost on the beach. Each pitch is divided off by some tall plants, I’ve no idea what they are, but it does give privacy though no view. The site is right on the sea though it is rocky but we could see a lovely Sandy beach.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We drove through all kinds of different landscapes today, but the mountains seem to always be there. This area is the Catlins and must be home to about 90% of the sheep in NZ! I have never seen so many along with an abundance of cattle.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaiHazjazEoOD9vDZKH2gUTvDmV7Fn2aAVzhS6VwcumnMMWkSz-M1-wsYuwSgVFLKGbDYHOi7MkbfXpXP5ZOwm2yBmcT2QqGqSYA3PEyCvz7GyBtJV2YCE2nzXxDTstUjgFEo5H5i1QmlJ4cvaJEkYbhtKz7ggSsxK64wDaESgpYe282WtxKvQgBRStXk/s5712/IMG_1422.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaiHazjazEoOD9vDZKH2gUTvDmV7Fn2aAVzhS6VwcumnMMWkSz-M1-wsYuwSgVFLKGbDYHOi7MkbfXpXP5ZOwm2yBmcT2QqGqSYA3PEyCvz7GyBtJV2YCE2nzXxDTstUjgFEo5H5i1QmlJ4cvaJEkYbhtKz7ggSsxK64wDaESgpYe282WtxKvQgBRStXk/w400-h300/IMG_1422.JPG" width="400" /></a>N</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-75e45508-1bfe-ae63-8721-4e1009817d4d" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thursday 7th March - Purakaunui Bay</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We couldn’t decide where to stop tonight and ended up choosing a DOC site at Purakaunui Beach.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had on the list three waterfalls to visit today. We ruled out the first as there was hardly any parking and the entrance to the path was very steep. The second falls was the McLean Falls, named after Alexander McLean, an </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Invercargill farmer who made visitors welcome to the area in times before easy access.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The path started out nice and level but soon got rough and stoney. We had our walking poles with us so strode out to start with but soon slowed down. There were lots of steps which weren’t easy. We finally got to the falls and it was certainly worth the effort of getting there. The return walk didn’t seem to be as hard as all the steps were going down!</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Richard is suffering with his left knee so the one waterfall was enough for today. My new knee is holding up well, but getting in and out of the van is the hardest and hurts a bit.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We pulled in at a scenic point which looked over Tautuku Beach. It was amazing, the loveliest of beaches but no way down! I found a sign with a few facts on it which I will impart with you. The Catlins is sea, coast, forest and farmland. If it is calm, the fierce southwest wind of the “Roaring Forties” will soon blow in from the sea, but if it wet or stormy, the sun will soon come out and everything will become mild again. Here are some weather comparisons. Temperature averages 11 degrees - London is 12 degrees. Average rainfall is 1200mm - London is 615mm. Average sunshine is 4.4 hours - London is 4.1.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The phone signal today has been the worst we have had which doesn’t help for finding our way. I had a rough idea of where Purakaunui Beach was but I got signal just in time for us to turn off the main road and travel 6kms down an unsealed road - it was a bit rough at times. We found the camping area and parked up looking directly at the beach.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-045c8538-1c01-950b-88a3-062acde9995e" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While we were having dinner we watched a seal making its way down the beach, not sure where it had been, and it kept tripping over its flippers and would then roll on his back in the sand. He appeared to be enjoying himself! He was too far away to take a photo of sadly.</span></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-045c8538-1c01-950b-88a3-062acde9995e" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-045c8538-1c01-950b-88a3-062acde9995e" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ag-Ho8AG3ZBA862ICOqNp5iLTT-7BMeJ3SDZPLXgdlKUScRa0FbZVKuB_sL7GxoweA6HYaCmaikqdKG8WHv9O8_pLzLetyqSLYJyqxkQL9JtdJE9vEcOS5h8KVvlO57-t8_lKrZfMKKD8vIOm-h8HmsExjtdYGndLs-SBSbFqglf_nOlFSiPZUVf-9k/s5712/IMG_1469.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; 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font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-94ba6730-1c29-7202-b1a8-cf2fc6a2b1aa" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Friday 8th March - Dunedin</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We were off grid last night and once again I had a disturbed night! This time it was heavy rain and quite strong wind which kept coming in, I think it woke me up about 5 times. There were a few hardy campers in small tents and I was worried about them, however they were all still there in the morning.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We set off for Nugget Point Lighthouse but it was up a steep hill and Richard was worried about his knee and coming down it. </span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We did discover that there had been a school at Nugget Point in 1906 for the children of the lighthouse keepers. Before this they either had to walk 5 miles or be taught at home. As more fishing and farming families settled their children walked up to the Nugget school and in 1922 there were 17 children on the roll. The school closed in 1936 due to concerns about it’s safety, in gale force winds class was held in the keeper’s house in case the building blew away completely!</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We drove to Kaka Point as I thought it was an old port but I had got it wrong and it was Molyneux Bay next door that was. The bay was named by Captain Cook in 1774 after his sailing master, Robert Molyneux, who died on the voyage. In 1838 it became the site of a station with the first permanent European settlers, George Willsher and Thomas Russell who arrived in 1840. Coal and gold mining led to an increase of the necessity for shipping and the harbour was built about 10 miles up the River Clutha. The town thrived until a major flood in 1878 carried silt down the river and changed the river’s course. Less than 6 months later a second disaster happened, there was an explosion at the Kaitangata coal mine which killed 34 miners.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We have been amazed at the beaches on the Catlins. They have been huge and gorgeous.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We stopped at Waihola Lake for lunch and watched the seagulls huddled down in the wind.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We had been seeing a lot of Triumph sports cars on the roads and discovered today that 15 of them had left Cape Reinga at the top of North Island to drive down to Bluff at the bottom of South Island - I think we must have seen all 15 of them.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We found our campsite for the next three days in Dunedin. It’s not a bad site - we have stayed at worse!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9gPH0gV32Mdix6OMr0kmpPRIXolkERCtrRcIL2rF-B-y_c4gD3Cg-wwXF69KZwRLEr7KtBmTiYYKvePNjvOgkXGml9aRuu2hAo3jeLXIy4jFeiQM3DA2QRljIajzR0zAwlXRYIIhEGTVL0Z2rMAYYEiVuw542Dm1jiK30TrTGlTKsI40eYga02YJTzg/s4032/IMG_1482.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9gPH0gV32Mdix6OMr0kmpPRIXolkERCtrRcIL2rF-B-y_c4gD3Cg-wwXF69KZwRLEr7KtBmTiYYKvePNjvOgkXGml9aRuu2hAo3jeLXIy4jFeiQM3DA2QRljIajzR0zAwlXRYIIhEGTVL0Z2rMAYYEiVuw542Dm1jiK30TrTGlTKsI40eYga02YJTzg/w400-h300/IMG_1482.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><br /><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p>Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-2722014272686188542024-03-16T07:15:00.000+00:002024-03-16T07:15:24.991+00:00The BIG One - New Zealand - Days 31, 32 and 33<p> <span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sunday 3rd March - Cascade Creek Historic Campsite</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We were up and away just after 9am. First stop was the supermarket and the second was for fuel.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We were heading for Milford Sound for another boat trip. Our journey took us through a glaciated valley and the scenery was awesome, as the New Zealanders would say. We found the campsite where we were to stay that night and had a coffee before heading off. The road got quite windy and the mountains became higher and closer! When we got to Homer Tunnel the traffic light was on green so we were able to go straight through. The Homer Tunnel was opened in 1953 after taking 19 years to build. Before it opened there was no road access to Milford Sound.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We arrived at Milford Sound and had our lunch before checking in for our boat. I was surprised at how many different companies operated boats on the Sound and we got a bit muddled up as there were so many people queuing for boats. It is a great place for coach trips so you can imagine half a dozen coaches coming in all at one time and disgorging their passengers. We were lucky as we didn’t have a coach load on our boat, in fact there were only about 25 people so there was no scrabbling for photo opportunities. We went out as far as the Tasman Sea where it began to get a bit choppy and I began to get worried about sea sickness but we turned and headed back along the Sound. We stopped by some rocks where a few New Zealand Fur Seals were dozing. It is an area where the juvenile males hang out so they don’t get bullied by the adults. Apparently they hunt and eat all night and sleep all day - perfect for sightseers. Of course we had to do the traditional getting wet under a waterfall! The skipper did warn us that unless we went down below we might get wet and wet we got!! We turned into a small cove which is called Harrison Cove after John Harrison who invented the marine chronometer - it was great for us as Richard is a descendant of John Harrison. The last waterfall was the best I thought. As the weather has been so dry a lot of the waterfalls were a bit puny, but I think I would rather have dry weather than lots of waterfalls. We have been lucky with the weather so far 😃 </span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Back on terra firma we drove back to our camp site for the night. It was a Department of Conservation site. It’s a big area and you have to pay so it’s not freedom camping but there is no electricity though there are toilets! We chose a spot just as we drove in right beside Cascade Creek. It was a bit windy and the rest of the area looked to be a bit exposed so we thought we were in the best place - we will know during the night! Third time lucky for camping off grid.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDAfWm10FAbdlhdBNCHBDp-6SBfc8LPqKZNi50-lyr0JMgDe08CNUDSuoDXzPhmnfnM3ZrvrptnidRSNXafhVjkYNnd49kj5g612zXICijXzLL6G52z42csQwODuh3CCZnecGx0GiebuR6vpY85vgDsomTfBIm1_y8J3u1OIEeGaIM5auRnvnXYyv6Ds/s5712/IMG_1201.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDAfWm10FAbdlhdBNCHBDp-6SBfc8LPqKZNi50-lyr0JMgDe08CNUDSuoDXzPhmnfnM3ZrvrptnidRSNXafhVjkYNnd49kj5g612zXICijXzLL6G52z42csQwODuh3CCZnecGx0GiebuR6vpY85vgDsomTfBIm1_y8J3u1OIEeGaIM5auRnvnXYyv6Ds/w400-h300/IMG_1201.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Monday 4th March - Manapouri</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ha, ha, ha!! Third time lucky my foot! We had just got to bed when the rain started and boy did it pour, it seems to make a different noise on the motor home than it does on the caravan and I just couldn’t get to sleep. I eventually nodded off but kept waking up all the time. I still don’t know if it was the rain or the lack of my sleep machine that caused my insomnia, of course Richard slept through it all. </span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We had decided to have a leisurely morning but when Richard woke up about 7am he heard the rain and rushed to the front of the motorhome to see what was happening with our lovely gentle creek and yelled out that it was a raging torrent and that we needed to moved quickly. Now I’m not a morning person and those were not words that I wanted to hear! Somehow I pulled my clothes on and got myself ready only to find that the creek was, in fact, at least 18 inches below the bank! Talk about being over cautious!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5V4-HMxqI8SmCxeWMJ6DwEaD2z6ZIbE-ooF8frPvkCAj0NTBlA_1TzNEsbUYaqGOF4dL-wDULgKTaEAAi-oFPS6e6QMXNhvqolxphovcKEIhWig8E1UKikRZ2PJ8zqcHDX-td0AFAcLcWB8EAQ4jYsAsm7OFNqfjurxB5L99V8-_39bn8Ylws-aLxbpY/s4032/IMG_1304.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5V4-HMxqI8SmCxeWMJ6DwEaD2z6ZIbE-ooF8frPvkCAj0NTBlA_1TzNEsbUYaqGOF4dL-wDULgKTaEAAi-oFPS6e6QMXNhvqolxphovcKEIhWig8E1UKikRZ2PJ8zqcHDX-td0AFAcLcWB8EAQ4jYsAsm7OFNqfjurxB5L99V8-_39bn8Ylws-aLxbpY/w400-h300/IMG_1304.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtQapo7dwYvCSppGm7wqTi0Limx2RqEFrfD0IBvmYwJRUcQxoY7CRUJYFIz4ViFr1cxiIJT9-U3AgWHFEESNEOOVPCfQI7eTOgaJ-_2KvReiVbndSVkMqiT-QZueGA4o4HKPpOJYjqqiwuT-EqFC_NYfBwFeO6qkID_5H32YrPQa53awdpwka_PGu9_9c/s5712/IMG_1303.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtQapo7dwYvCSppGm7wqTi0Limx2RqEFrfD0IBvmYwJRUcQxoY7CRUJYFIz4ViFr1cxiIJT9-U3AgWHFEESNEOOVPCfQI7eTOgaJ-_2KvReiVbndSVkMqiT-QZueGA4o4HKPpOJYjqqiwuT-EqFC_NYfBwFeO6qkID_5H32YrPQa53awdpwka_PGu9_9c/w400-h300/IMG_1303.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p>We drove towards Te Anau looking for somewhere that was above water level, finally finding somewhere where we could continue getting on with our morning.</span><p></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We hung around in Te Anau until it was a decent time to have an early lunch. We found a little pizza place and had really crispy pizzas.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We then moved on to Manapouri where we were to stay for two nights while we took a trip to Doubtful Sound. Our pitch was a “scenic” one and we certainly had a lovely view over Lake Manapouri but the rain just kept on coming down and the clouds were so low that it was rather difficult to see the view!</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Every little stream in New Zealand has a name which is displayed on a board as it goes under the road. These are very frequent. I saw two names today which made me smile, Dismal Creek followed by Dizzy Creek! Then you come across a boring one called Creek Number 128!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUS6M0yux54w2XBYZ9bYU8sTAQrL3MLA-Fc3NWM7CiDVcqapu7VhT4axBSjTJJ-qlBb48ONhmZQjlLntHcekEr6ZWLLQW68hNo4HHaoJKHloBK05L_QyjEA25pEBbjb0DTpsMZKz_iRJgOBwVanKftHTmsCaqphhhZQENTqg21lZBQYUYCPvDksHLqio0/s4032/IMG_1306.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUS6M0yux54w2XBYZ9bYU8sTAQrL3MLA-Fc3NWM7CiDVcqapu7VhT4axBSjTJJ-qlBb48ONhmZQjlLntHcekEr6ZWLLQW68hNo4HHaoJKHloBK05L_QyjEA25pEBbjb0DTpsMZKz_iRJgOBwVanKftHTmsCaqphhhZQENTqg21lZBQYUYCPvDksHLqio0/w400-h300/IMG_1306.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-w7ij4DzO-NLuCcYNXMhWOdjfhfungHHVTb489RMBA2Lu5UtLJXGQKKE_5kGtJUf1sI5XnCSmYNzyMVExlXKkQV18EAREfdLnuBayA4uyv_06wTDSPJ10qziwI8lD7jRiLwQAgQr48xzWIC0w1ZuW3GaWw5J56rhXJamxUZRMpriDsGvFs0WnXaxOjc/s4032/IMG_1307.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-w7ij4DzO-NLuCcYNXMhWOdjfhfungHHVTb489RMBA2Lu5UtLJXGQKKE_5kGtJUf1sI5XnCSmYNzyMVExlXKkQV18EAREfdLnuBayA4uyv_06wTDSPJ10qziwI8lD7jRiLwQAgQr48xzWIC0w1ZuW3GaWw5J56rhXJamxUZRMpriDsGvFs0WnXaxOjc/w400-h300/IMG_1307.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-20788c36-1bf1-162c-5776-08d2bddeebfd" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tuesday 5th March - Manapouri</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well if our helicopter flight was a WOW then today’s trip was a WOW AWESOME! We were up at 6.15 to catch a boat at 7.30 which took us across Lake Manapouri - this was before sun rise! The journey took 45 minutes. From the other side we took a coach across Wilmot Pass to Deep Cove, this also took 45 minutes. We then boarded our boat for the 3 hour cruise to the sea and back, going into smaller fjords on our way. We were so lucky with the weather after all the rain yesterday and actually saw blue sky at times. Yesterday’s rain had made lots of temporary waterfalls - I have never seen so many waterfalls before. We have got quite used to mountains disappearing into lakes but the pure scale of Doubtful was just mind blowing and these mountains were all snow capped thanks to yesterday’s rain. Even our guide was awestruck at the snow at the beginning of March. The sea outside the Sound was rough and we didn’t venture out there thank goodness. On our way back we were joined by some dolphins who wanted to play (dolphins are very difficult to photograph!). Today’s trip was more than I could ever have expected, the magnificence of it was just breathtaking. </span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Not long before we got back to Deep Cove the skipper said that he was going to stop and turn everything off. He asked passengers not to take photos or use their phones, just listen to the sound of silence. It was a wonderful few minutes.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The trip to Doubtful Sound is courtesy of the Manapouri Power Station. This is an underground hydroelectric power station, the largest hydroelectric power station in New Zealand and the second largest power station. Construction began in February 1964 and it opened in September 1971. Everything needed to build the power station had to be taken over the lake by boat, but when it came to the 7 turbines they were too big, so a road was built from the power station across Wilmot Pass to Deep Cove and the turbines were taken by ship through Doubtful Sound. The electricity is created by a 750 foot drop between the lake and Deep Cove and when the water has done its job it is released into Doubtful Sound.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some of the power station workers live by the station, but the RealNZ (the company who run the trips) workers go over daily. Everything that is needed to run trips, especially diesel, is taken across the lake by barge once a week.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuHJfw6HOun2YfDaXBrVF4QbWvEQkl3OzUhjLkn4N2eeGsfKnDgX8GUhdodDxsXhUInwgUy9ZRiJ-ZXbI_YYV7HzvMGbzABvvv9kHskgUlBZxE18GUvhk9tijVUVfSwoSAqyUrkkxuG9jNq97R3tjGbmrhwCEIadXOgB2_931GFVRzx-338rLyIuEpT58/s4032/IMG_1312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuHJfw6HOun2YfDaXBrVF4QbWvEQkl3OzUhjLkn4N2eeGsfKnDgX8GUhdodDxsXhUInwgUy9ZRiJ-ZXbI_YYV7HzvMGbzABvvv9kHskgUlBZxE18GUvhk9tijVUVfSwoSAqyUrkkxuG9jNq97R3tjGbmrhwCEIadXOgB2_931GFVRzx-338rLyIuEpT58/w400-h300/IMG_1312.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p>Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-73407886764872039532024-03-14T04:17:00.002+00:002024-03-24T23:51:41.931+00:00The BIG One - New Zealand - Days 41, 42 and 43<p> <span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tuesday 12th March - White Horse Pass Campsite</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We had got a glacier expedition booked for the afternoon so headed up towards Mount Cook or Aoraki as it is now known. We had a brilliant drive up the side of Lake Pukaki watching Aoraki getting nearer and nearer and watching the cloud formation change.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is a village at the top of Lake Pukaki but it is only for people who work in the National Park. In the summer there are about 300 people but in the winter there are only about 100. There is a school with three students and 3 bars - one for each of them!! The hotel at the very top is called The Hermitage and that is where our tour was going to start. We took a coach to a car park near to the Tasman Lake and then had to walk 1.5km to the lake itself. We had been told that we needed to do the walk in 20/25 minutes and the group set off at a cracking pace - needless to say Richard and I found it hard especially as the path was made of chippings. We made it only a few minutes after the main group arrived. We were divided into two groups and put into RIBS. Our guide was Izzy, who had studied Marine Geology at Southampton University. She was very knowledgable and we learnt such a lot though I can’t remember much now! In the early 1970s there were several small meltwater ponds on the Tasman Glacier but by 1990 these ponds had merged into Tasman Lake. The lake has hastened the retreat of the Tasman Glacier and because more of the glacier is now in contact with the water, its rate of retreat has increased. By 2008 the lake was about 7km long and 2km wide having almost doubled since 2000. It is expected to grow to a maximum length of 16km within the next couple of decades. The glacier calves small icebergs into the lake periodically and they gradually melt depending on the time of the year. We saw a small iceberg and were very lucky that while we were watching it part of it fell off. I was always told that 10% of the iceberg is above the water and the other 90% is under it. Because part of the iceberg had fallen off the iceberg had to turn itself over and over until it was happy that is was 10% - 90%. Amazing. All too soon our trip on the water was over and we had to face the walk back to the coach. We were a bit slow but were only last by a short margin!</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We drove up to White Horse Pass Campsite which was very busy and managed to find a spot though we were slightly over to one side!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; 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text-align: center;"><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-02a81feb-3b0e-5241-01de-a01d138a0140" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wednesday 13th March - Lake Tekapo</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had a dreadful night, guess who slept through it all?! To start with we were on a slight slope so I felt as if I was rolling out of bed then the wind started (not mine I hasten to add). It howled down a gulley and I could hear it coming, there were a few times that I thought that we would get blown over and I was quite frightened. To add to the wind, oh and the rain, my new knee started to hurt. This was yet another off grid night! Also our last one in New Zealand. Our neighbours decided that enough was enough and left at 4am! </span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We drove down the side of Lake Pukaki and the water was so blue, it was amazing. We stopped at the bottom of the lake and had a coffee and just stared at the lake. </span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We arrived at Tekapo and went straight to the Church of the Good Shepherd, the most photographed building in NZ! It was built in 1935 as a memorial church to commemorate early settlers. Just next to the church is a sheepdog statue. It was built in 1968 by local farmers to symbolise the local residents gratitude to the loyal collie dogs who came over from Scotland and worked alongside the settlers.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was lunchtime as we wandered through Tekapo and we found a pie shop and had our first NZ pie which everyone raves about - they were good. </span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our pitch for tonight is right on the edge of Lake Tekapo overlooking mountains and watching the clouds coming down a gulley, it is a sight to behold.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I did a load of washing and came across a family of 6 identical kittens. There is a mother apparently but she is feral and won’t come out in people are around.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On Monday I mentioned about 3 dams which were part of the Waitaki power scheme now I’ve found out that there are 8 power stations in the scheme, the first one being here in Tekapo.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; 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font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thursday 14th March - Christchurch</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was quite noticeable this morning that we are usually one of the first to leave the site in the morning but then we are usually one of the first to get to the next site! </span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our first stop was a quirky place called <a href="https://threecreeks.co.nz/" target="_blank">Three Creeks at Burke’s Pass</a>. It was a fascinating place and I was amazed as there was a sewing machine exactly the same as one my mother had when I was a child!</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Next was a small town called Fairlie where there are the best pies in NZ, so they say! We actually enjoyed yesterday’s more.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our last port of call was another small town called Geraldine, not much there except a hardware store where Richard got some screws he needed.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We had a first for us today as we saw two pig farms! It hadn’t dawned on us before that we hadn’t seen any pigs! </span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are now at our halfway to Kaikoura site just outside Christchurch and at the end of the runway! We come back here on Sunday night which will be useful as the hire depot is close too. Keep fingers crossed for a peaceful night. Quite a stark contrast to last night’s site overlooking a peaceful lake 🤪</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As we were driving earlier we were told to pull over as there was a VERY wide load coming. The vehicle in front of the wide load said “beware house approaching”!! 😮</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4y5_E88SHF0B_t6hQ93vxMI9MTRYpgiBRnJPkmnzIwJNc9TqrJmTv5n9bD96RBj9BCxEJvb3f4o_ScOvYhxQlNcZWHr06_8bOt6XFIGJKnV21vkjpiKJRK6ex5uwNpWVWe7R2Rt3OYFcoj3s4HbYFaHuy2VasO5X4yZvInoIICoGcsShBdqRLVRtK8Xg/s5712/IMG_1857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p></div><br /><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p>Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-23907026192282858852024-03-13T01:41:00.000+00:002024-03-13T01:41:04.340+00:00The BIG One - New Zealand - Days 29, 30 and 31<p> <span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thursday 29th February - Queenstown</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We started our day with a trip to the supermarket. We have decided that we like New World best mainly as it has superb layouts for its fruit and veg!</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We then went to Cromwell, which was a town established by gold miners. However it was decided to dam the Clutha River which meant that the town would be at the bottom of the new Lake Dunston. Fortunately before this happened some of the properties were rescued and rebuilt on the lake shore. A lovely spot.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The area is known for fruit growing with lots of stalls along the road side. There are also lots of grape vines too.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our next stop was Roaring Meg a hydro power station with waterfalls. Again the river had the lovely colour of glacial water. According to the internet, two saloon girls, Annie and Meg asked some miners to help them cross the river. Annie was calm but Meg was loud and boisterous. As a result two sections of the river were nicknamed Gentle Annie and Roaring Meg!</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Next was Arrowtown. We weren’t too sure what was there but it seemed to us to be shops built to look old and filled with expensive things! We were rather disappointed to say the least. However according to Wikipedia it goes back to 1862 when Māori Jack found gold in the Arrow River and a township of over 1,000 miners sprung up, so maybe the shops were genuine.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our site for tonight (and tomorrow) was in Queenstown. I had booked it ages ago as Queenstown is a very popular place. The campground is very central but oh boy have they jammed everyone in! We are lucky as we were on an end with a hedge so had our own little enclave.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We walked down in the town for dinner. I wanted to try a Fergburger! In the 20 years since it began, Fergburger has become an institution. It has a wide range of burgers going from 3/4lb burger to tofu. We had Bulls Eyes which were rib eye steaks. I think we must have queued for about 20 minutes then had to wait another 20 minutes while our burgers were prepared. We took them down to the lakeside and sat and ate them. They were delicious but very messy, our shorts and T-shirts were covered in dribbles!</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We took an Uber back to the site as my back is playing up again.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Friday 1st March - Queenstown</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I didn’t sleep well worrying about the washing! I wanted to get the sheets washed and was worried that I wouldn’t get a space on the washing lines - honestly how ridiculous can you get!</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We had a quiet morning and did some housework.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We walked to the Kiwi Park to, hopefully, see a kiwi. They had lots of birds there but we went straight to the Kiwi house. As Kiwis are nocturnal the house was more or less in pitch blackness and it took a while for our eyes to get adjusted. We walked around and were just about to give up when I saw one, right in front of me! It was a lot bigger that I thought it would be. I was really pleased that I have been able to see a real Kiwi.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">From the Kiwis we walked to the cable car and took a ride to the top of Bob’s Peak (who was Bob I wondered!). The view from the top was stunning but there is also a luge from another cable car higher up and we enjoyed watching them hurtling down. I was most impressed, though, with the way the participants were able to jump out of the sledges - those days have gone for me!</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We walked down into the town ready to catch our boat. We had a while to kill so had a drink on the boardwalk. We were going on TSS Earnslaw (TSS standing for Twin Screw Steamship) down the lake to Walter Peak farm where we were having a BBQ. The boat was pretty full but the organisation in the restaurant at the farm was first class. We were amongst the first group of diners to go for our food and there was masses of it, from salads to hot veggies and plates piled high with about 6 different meats and fish. There was a good array of desserts too.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After dinner we watched a guy shearing a sheep and then watched his dog bring some sheep down to where we were. It was a very good presentation.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Back to Queenstown on the Earnslaw and then an Uber back to the site.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; 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font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Saturday 2nd March - Te Anau</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We got away from Queenstown quite early for our drive to Te Anau. It was a lovely drive all down the side Lake Wakatipu, lots of mountains going right down into the water.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We stopped at the bottom of the lake for coffee finding ourselves in the middle of a freedom camping area. What a spot to camp, the view up the lake was stunning. The spots right by the lake were mostly taken but there were still plenty of other spots. We sat on a tree stump and had our coffee.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There was plenty of parking alongside Lake Te Anau as we drove by so stopped for our lunch. The lake is the second largest in New Zealand, Lake Wakatipu is the third largest. We found our campsite which was very central to the town though the town isn’t very big!</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As we checked in to the campsite we decided to book a trip to see the glow worms. We had missed two free trips and I really wanted to do it. We set up camp and walked down to the lake where a catamaran was to take us down the lake to the glow worm caves. It was a lovely trip down the lake though it was a bit rough but the catamaran made short work of it! We walked into the cave and then got into a boat and looked up, the GWs were like stars in the roof. It’s strange how they seem to live in small enclaves.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After the trip we had a presentation on the GWs. They only switch their lights on when they are hungry and as soon as they are replete they switch their lights off! A moth can take a couple of weeks to eat but they go for the eyes first as they are juicy 😒 The lifecycle of the GW is about 12 months. 3 weeks as an egg and 6 months as a glow worm before turning into a pupae and becoming a fly type creature so that they can procreate. They only last a few days as a fly type creature so they have to mate and lay their eggs quickly.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Back down Lake Te Anau and to Kiwi where I cooked a meal - first one for ages.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; 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font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p></div><br /><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p>Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-57662132893783442512024-03-10T06:19:00.000+00:002024-03-10T06:19:21.796+00:00The BIG One - New Zealand - Days 26, 27 and 28<p> <span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Monday 26th February - Hokitika</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am so behind with the blog that today is a haze to both of us. I write a brief diary to the family every night which has been a great help in jogging my memory but even that is a bit scant for today!</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I do know that we went to Shantytown Heritage Park first which is a recreated 19th century mining town. There was lots to see and we had a brief ride on what should have been a steam train but turned out to be a diesel ☹️. The short line is called the Infants Creek Tram line and was originally used for hauling logs to the saw mill. Shantytown opened in 1971 after a community effort of 10,367 hours and lots of donations. We really enjoyed our visit.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We then dove to Lake Kaniere but didn’t stop which was a shame. We carried on passed the lake on an unmade road to Dorothy Falls. The Falls were lovely until we realised there was a top bit too which made it even lovelier!</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hokitika Gorge was our last stop of the day. We walked to the look out point and were a little disappointed though we are both in love with the lovely colour of the glacial water.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our site in Hokitka was quite a small one and had alpacas and goats. We were close to the beach and could hear the waves crashing on the shore. It was the nicest site we have been to.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55jpeCroK7ylp5q5kF1AdeVJdtnHUZve5aO1sv4B0yOumVrcjq203EpQhUR5vEaPFqZVAl-Wb2Um79iotr3S7mrssfskC-gH_cVftiBwD_83JSLalv3W4H-We5Dv4ZjYWtmZ8hnrAKf4PfVA1zDCKPsg7qA1gUWKPcjR475EW3i5YnjtMLFajyTiNSB8/s4032/IMG_0938.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55jpeCroK7ylp5q5kF1AdeVJdtnHUZve5aO1sv4B0yOumVrcjq203EpQhUR5vEaPFqZVAl-Wb2Um79iotr3S7mrssfskC-gH_cVftiBwD_83JSLalv3W4H-We5Dv4ZjYWtmZ8hnrAKf4PfVA1zDCKPsg7qA1gUWKPcjR475EW3i5YnjtMLFajyTiNSB8/w400-h300/IMG_0938.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-5157138b-f702-a99d-e4b7-f34f2d5dd50d" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-5157138b-f702-a99d-e4b7-f34f2d5dd50d" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-5157138b-f702-a99d-e4b7-f34f2d5dd50d" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tuesday 27th February - Fox Glacier</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A real wow day! I certainly won’t forget this day in a hurry. I had booked a helicopter flight up to the Franz Josef Glacier. Franz Josef is a small town spread along one street. I had booked with Glacier Country Helicopters and they were the last office along the strip! There were 7 of us, including our pilot, Poppie (and CEO of the company). There was a fair bit of cloud around but once we got through that it was AMAZING. We touched down on Shackleton’s Glacier and spent about 10 minutes there. Poppie took photos of us with our own phones and one with hers. She then disappeared around the back of the helicopter, opened a locker and came over to us with a souvenir presentation folder with our photo in it. How cool to have a printer in the boot of your helicopter!! Our trip was 35 minutes and sadly all too soon we were back on the ground.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We had lunch in Franz Josef. We both had burgers but Richard sustained an injury! The burger was held together with a large cocktail stick, but he didn’t see it and poked the end into his chin! It bled for quite some time!!</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We drove on to Fox Glacier for our site for the night. The site wasn’t brilliant, we were sloping which didn’t matter for sleeping but the water wouldn’t drain away in the bowls. However we did have a lovely view.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRHE0hW9I-K_f9z7mpNgFhuzCIq2UvledCDsgZBFFD6n2Baw6nULFaVyjxl7pX7EREt-ajRUwZwHg8Y70qSSAHW-j_BluZZJ2MxaxHEyyFTk6Fd2CCTRNuohAe85fV-EDFrn7WIjnqy-s0XfyTbYEBffOBmPxzy_PxGCayQ_NjGLMDzHzDVeK_9a-JpL8/s4032/IMG_0969.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRHE0hW9I-K_f9z7mpNgFhuzCIq2UvledCDsgZBFFD6n2Baw6nULFaVyjxl7pX7EREt-ajRUwZwHg8Y70qSSAHW-j_BluZZJ2MxaxHEyyFTk6Fd2CCTRNuohAe85fV-EDFrn7WIjnqy-s0XfyTbYEBffOBmPxzy_PxGCayQ_NjGLMDzHzDVeK_9a-JpL8/w400-h300/IMG_0969.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wednesday 28th February - Wanaka</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was a day of driving and stopping. I finally got to drive for about 70kms - I must have been feeling better!</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our first stop was Knights Point Lookout. Two teams of workers had started building the road from opposite ends. They met in the middle and decided to call the spot something to celebrate. Knight was the name of the surveyor’s dog, so it became Knights Point Lookout!</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The next stop was Ship Creek. There was a view point but there were also two short walks which took you from windswept sand dunes to swamp forest. It was enjoyable walk.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our third stop was Thunder Creek Falls which are 315 feet high. There were certainly stunning.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We couldn’t park at our fourth stop so we missed out on some blue pools again.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wanaka was our final destination and the main thing for me was to find That Wanaka Tree. We parked up and walked to Wanaka Lake which is beautiful. It has a sandy shore and there were people sunbathing and swimming in the lake. The back drop of the mountains finished off the gorgeous picture. The Wanaka Tree sits alone in the water and has been there for 80 years. The tree has been damaged both intentionally and unintentionally on several occasions. A branch came off in late 2017 due to tourists climbing it, and it was vandalised in March 2020 with multiple branches being sawn off.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We went off to find the Wanaka Top 10 campground but there were full! I had been phoning ahead every morning to book a pitch only to be told that they had plenty of room and to just rock up. Today I didn’t bother to phone - that will teach me! The receptionist gave us the address of another local site which had plenty of room and we had a lovely pitch.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSddPPiGzYnVnQcUXSRlfcdmpPnoqu99LY829dnMMzst5Lq72D3eHmk0q0bsA9Vdh1fgYdDHNh-Sxbj89zYg9QccQwaWCjupOPfI7A8fWgY3FpbL6tSH1NBxqlF_6PF4HYXyKC9SogAMwA2hSjtmuElaTnKIPqnf5mFwxbDyiiSlGxBmAk1Aa3zHyg_o/s4032/IMG_1028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSddPPiGzYnVnQcUXSRlfcdmpPnoqu99LY829dnMMzst5Lq72D3eHmk0q0bsA9Vdh1fgYdDHNh-Sxbj89zYg9QccQwaWCjupOPfI7A8fWgY3FpbL6tSH1NBxqlF_6PF4HYXyKC9SogAMwA2hSjtmuElaTnKIPqnf5mFwxbDyiiSlGxBmAk1Aa3zHyg_o/w400-h300/IMG_1028.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><br /><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><br /><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p>Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-45674367414485397942024-03-08T02:30:00.000+00:002024-03-08T02:32:10.338+00:00The BIG One - New Zealand - Days 23, 24 and 25<p> <span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Friday 23rd February - Kaiteriteri</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We left Blenheim for Nelson but stopped in a town called Renwick for a photo. I was a Renwick before I married Richard and Robert and his family are Renwicks.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Next it was Peanut Butter World in Nelson, a free tour! It was very interesting learning how peanut butter is made. One grind for crunchy, two grinds for smooth and 1.5 grinds for smoochie! As much as Victoria loves peanut butter a jar weighs far too much!</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We stopped at Rabbit Island for lunch, an idyllic spot though we kept being attacked by some strange flightless birds with a nasty looking beak. We have since discovered that they are Wekas. All they wanted was our lunch, but then so did we! We had a short walk on the beach and watched people swimming.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our site for the night was at Kaiteriteri which is right on a lovely beach. I had asked for a pitch near the beach but that was a mistake! These pitches seemed to be full of seasonal campers who took up every available inch of their pitch and we felt very hemmed in. Later we went for a walk and discovered that the pitches away from the beach we much nicer. We walked along the beach and had an ice cream before settling down for the evening</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukvbJfM9Bm7XHdCX2rON1dcnQZZbntRZeOAzaBm3xWDaJtikIRC19WuYKVS0uCRlw8Sj0b_f9xRtxUvt6kHhJ0xEyV3oWvgjj-bVWrFEWEFX79mp-dGyKWhojySQFpfQkeazdBR3EDwoGR3BXP2cSn4rzQj9kqAM8n7WNEUqRNOrbj6wxJGqKIacXO5Y/s4032/IMG_0804.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukvbJfM9Bm7XHdCX2rON1dcnQZZbntRZeOAzaBm3xWDaJtikIRC19WuYKVS0uCRlw8Sj0b_f9xRtxUvt6kHhJ0xEyV3oWvgjj-bVWrFEWEFX79mp-dGyKWhojySQFpfQkeazdBR3EDwoGR3BXP2cSn4rzQj9kqAM8n7WNEUqRNOrbj6wxJGqKIacXO5Y/w400-h300/IMG_0804.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-d9d84900-f6f3-c68e-d4b1-0df821d92a0d" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Saturday 24th February - St. Arnuad</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We were up early as we had a boat trip booked which took us up the beaches of the Abel Tasman National Park. We had to move Kiwi into a car park otherwise we would have to have paid for another night on the site. However, the car park was free! Can you imagine a beach side car park being free in the UK?!</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The boat came up almost onto the beach then dropped a gangplank to get the passengers onboard. We were at the front of the queue but I still managed to choose the wrong side to sit on. We had chosen a “there and back” ticket but lots of people got off on different beaches and, I assume, would have walked back to Kaiteriteri. The beaches were beautiful with lovely gold sand, I’m not going to say golden as the sand really was gold! We saw some fur seals but they didn’t really show up on a photo. Sadly a nasty bank of cloud came over us and it got a bit chilly but once back on Kaiteriteri beach it was lovely again.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our stop for the night was St. Arnaud. We were going to have another go at freedom camping only is wasn’t free! It was a POP (Park Over Property) area and we had to leave $10 in an envelope! There were some nasty looking bees flying around so we sat inside. Later we discovered that our bees were big sandflies and that St. Arnaud is renowned for them!</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIqMEh88Z0s_IFhyphenhyphenRKrQdG7bAM2lCCZMWh7FdeBDsVzUqvDdhkxv1CggnIkNQicyi4w4e9kUpwtA9K602VLXTWwPGsoHr37vIvXx4l3E29buI8yoUH9gmVaZoGw-dmJkTouQAQG5KK2GM0ATBhzaIuKCUKWE-JbPRh6EIhQHuazozyZD8YEze-p5QlXs4/s4032/IMG_0876.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIqMEh88Z0s_IFhyphenhyphenRKrQdG7bAM2lCCZMWh7FdeBDsVzUqvDdhkxv1CggnIkNQicyi4w4e9kUpwtA9K602VLXTWwPGsoHr37vIvXx4l3E29buI8yoUH9gmVaZoGw-dmJkTouQAQG5KK2GM0ATBhzaIuKCUKWE-JbPRh6EIhQHuazozyZD8YEze-p5QlXs4/w400-h300/IMG_0876.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-2e6c8c3b-f6f8-72a5-2b70-c7da502d87d6" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sunday 25th February - Greymouth</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We had quite a storm during the night with the thunder rattling around the mountains. It seemed to go on for ever and Richard slept right through it! Our second night of freedom camping which didn’t really work out!</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our first stop was the swing bridge at Buller Gorge. We didn’t want to cross it, just look at it but you had to pay, however the lady must have taken pity on me and said that if we walked along the path a bit we could see it! The bridge is the longest swing bridge in New Zealand though I got the distinct feeling that it had been built as a tourist attraction as there was a zip wire working on the other side.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We followed the River Buller almost to the sea, watching it get wider and wider.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We stopped for lunch at Cape Foulwind and had wanted to walk to the lighthouse but we just didn’t have time.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The road hugged the beach all the way to Greymouth and we kept stopping to look at the waves crashing onto the beach. The sea is the Tasman Sea and is known as being a bit vicious.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our last stop was Pancake Rocks which were fascinating. They were formed 30 million years ago from minute fragments of dead marine creatures and plants on the seabed about 2km below the surface. Immense water pressure caused the fragments to solidify in hard and soft layers. Now you know!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuS_ydQujGAxp751Yem5jBtnNxruowtarZ3sIX9lRbsRzM3WZjnhTsQFwi-J6sd6zv6zVkGoKiDTeZOiyjnjExmYQKXTyf0YLPYAgqkvjjnMXK3iuFYJtCdtjnGDwZGsd71jHeAThtfPoUwRWE_2VD6qCZazygPGkhGYbK8pZO5i_I9n8kqONlrcba5Vw/s4032/IMG_0880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuS_ydQujGAxp751Yem5jBtnNxruowtarZ3sIX9lRbsRzM3WZjnhTsQFwi-J6sd6zv6zVkGoKiDTeZOiyjnjExmYQKXTyf0YLPYAgqkvjjnMXK3iuFYJtCdtjnGDwZGsd71jHeAThtfPoUwRWE_2VD6qCZazygPGkhGYbK8pZO5i_I9n8kqONlrcba5Vw/w400-h300/IMG_0880.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: start;" /></div><br /><br />Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-64344394669586884482024-03-04T02:20:00.002+00:002024-03-08T02:30:09.263+00:00The BIG One - New Zealand - Days 20, 21 and 22<p> <span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tuesday 20th February - Wellington</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The wind died down through the night and it had rained. I had the best night’s sleep I’d had for a while, but didn’t feel much better for it ☹️</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We drove to the garage to get the water pump fixed. They were convinced it was a fuse and spent a couple of hours trying to find the fuses which were in about five different places! Eventually they found the right one and discovered it was fine and, in fact, the pump had packed up - don’t forget it was only 2 weeks old! The garage sourced a new pump and had to go off and collect it so we went into Wellington so we could at least say we had been! </span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We found a car park full of motorhomes so parked up and walked. We stopped for coffee which turned into lunch! The main thing we wanted to do was find the cable car and go up to the top. It was a lovely view from the top. The cable car was originally opened on February 22nd 1902 (almost her 122nd birthday). After 76 years the original cable car service came to an end in September 1978 with new cars opening October 1979. The journey length is 609 metres with an elevation of 119 metres.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All too soon we had to head back to Kiwi and drive back to the garage where we finally got the pump fixed. </span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I seemed to turn the corner as we got back to the site and felt so much better. I was still coughing but felt about 60% back to normal 😃.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghtZ5aGRAWorP30Pl01pC_ui7zhwzpEE-_9nT990xrzbV2fX8RsO764n8P1gl0NLwL66suxX4yRE3o4qKGFHy2iThWGLMc8mfuh94VPTujzo0dktpvTiyhbAW3Po5bGzuxZfI8aHR9esd_cqLz5WhyNOMLBDIAfnNdnTs-q-W2NOiOY477DKu-cXTmbn8/s5712/IMG_0749.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghtZ5aGRAWorP30Pl01pC_ui7zhwzpEE-_9nT990xrzbV2fX8RsO764n8P1gl0NLwL66suxX4yRE3o4qKGFHy2iThWGLMc8mfuh94VPTujzo0dktpvTiyhbAW3Po5bGzuxZfI8aHR9esd_cqLz5WhyNOMLBDIAfnNdnTs-q-W2NOiOY477DKu-cXTmbn8/w400-h300/IMG_0749.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0JAU9VAjk1SdORqU-f50W8fYmcd42S1tAIiLf0fTt-3QJxvH8qXXNuWzHVBL5DgHAz3q8oVvKPDvsIR6bPsz_3QeZohKlyp1mpiqtdrAyUW0Bji6_oyrvDRzfv7SSnhkV3YJLQW-6_nrZdYrODdBwTzV3sbuuhkdTL1sdSFAFacuzQgKwGBHYVa8QvE/w400-h300/IMG_0755.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PfvMMo28F4kEOl1aKhQBYXQ9HKMxFO2y7QIooKLVZyKM7g5v8a5TrQ6JMMxW5PxiqRe0aev7QenN2m6a38u24FBaarxh1gfbBg2FmCrS8cwN0cr0Y854qcRdMU27USeRAD7-LP6ywNEgsomqBoA2dwd9P1ixUnWAc9-3kGQwIhR0IqICBeAyfGvfpfg/s5712/IMG_0757.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PfvMMo28F4kEOl1aKhQBYXQ9HKMxFO2y7QIooKLVZyKM7g5v8a5TrQ6JMMxW5PxiqRe0aev7QenN2m6a38u24FBaarxh1gfbBg2FmCrS8cwN0cr0Y854qcRdMU27USeRAD7-LP6ywNEgsomqBoA2dwd9P1ixUnWAc9-3kGQwIhR0IqICBeAyfGvfpfg/w400-h300/IMG_0757.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJueq1YHo8xB51sWOfiJ7JvRSPMnTJx3Qsi6YbnKOmhxdRYzojL8bbPn11BKn5qoZMKm84LeEqgROVI5kNj81IAoHfO5iXaRgkdX3s-UCLZPZ_mkHleOgZ-o-4PcEBMrpVNM6gFCt7Py4gXgoDTtfWHMWw8qs96rE81FrodAjCju6BEbBQzDefMr89BA/s4032/IMG_0773.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJueq1YHo8xB51sWOfiJ7JvRSPMnTJx3Qsi6YbnKOmhxdRYzojL8bbPn11BKn5qoZMKm84LeEqgROVI5kNj81IAoHfO5iXaRgkdX3s-UCLZPZ_mkHleOgZ-o-4PcEBMrpVNM6gFCt7Py4gXgoDTtfWHMWw8qs96rE81FrodAjCju6BEbBQzDefMr89BA/w400-h300/IMG_0773.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-33e15b2e-f6e4-7288-5c81-650d5236912d" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wednesday 21st February - Blenheim</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Up and away ready to get the ferry across to South Island. We were very early checking in, but then so were lots of other people! I took the opportunity to sweep and wash the floor, the men at the garage had been tramping over the floor with their dirty hob nail boots on!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had booked the Premium Lounge on the ferry, mainly as it is mid-ships and that is the best place to be if you feel sea sick! I had heard all sorts of horror stories about the Cook Straights and how rough it could get. In the end it was very smooth but we did enjoy our complimentary 3 course meal and drinks though it was only Coke for us!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We drove down to Blenheim - a journey of about 25 minutes. The site wasn’t very nice - rather tatty really, but it was in the right location!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5JOe9Unmq_uAhUQWRsleupClXdrYYPIXo8DdrFKm4a5iOwdeRmoV3mHmqaWscIuxBK_Zjn8p6n-wrHy87uSYj_ABNqw4WvVASH5xXzDkRP_uiEFd_br0zJOnInY4x97gdRw0qPaNR4tBcclDZZWpN-qtR0t6UWLR5bgyHnDL3uJ9N4QehNLN7u86PVp4/s4032/IMG_0777.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5JOe9Unmq_uAhUQWRsleupClXdrYYPIXo8DdrFKm4a5iOwdeRmoV3mHmqaWscIuxBK_Zjn8p6n-wrHy87uSYj_ABNqw4WvVASH5xXzDkRP_uiEFd_br0zJOnInY4x97gdRw0qPaNR4tBcclDZZWpN-qtR0t6UWLR5bgyHnDL3uJ9N4QehNLN7u86PVp4/w400-h300/IMG_0777.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0mJfDeiFQfFGLnTZU7htGW1ZJUeyIfzmFlzMZYU6DvH5zTsnW1vGgG5okYNJjTgLP32lYj7sJ05QLuFgNAOqWwYuI20S9Yb08aawl4PNujo0v9HHsDYC90KZGtiMtqwYPOkihbN20TGgyU0PIDO8vFlRGVWZnH60Atcpg7JNPO3AAy4Y8lbCRGNAwJY/s5712/IMG_0778.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0mJfDeiFQfFGLnTZU7htGW1ZJUeyIfzmFlzMZYU6DvH5zTsnW1vGgG5okYNJjTgLP32lYj7sJ05QLuFgNAOqWwYuI20S9Yb08aawl4PNujo0v9HHsDYC90KZGtiMtqwYPOkihbN20TGgyU0PIDO8vFlRGVWZnH60Atcpg7JNPO3AAy4Y8lbCRGNAwJY/w400-h300/IMG_0778.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ccUWQ_DXD5oL7rha5EwagVs0GvapVyqO7eZvz8QP_p2afJI4MCxf99USvJp8b9zEg4QpfGEMlBLbmwJUKzUnXfm0JUQn-Et7G64L1u9t8VUA_SQLJntP5iUgeQrsdDLoTJLRa5m6WzMQgY14MaABZwvXpwDF3r3IDDnwLwEx_B-Y1VS0V34Vo2ctWTA/s5712/IMG_0779.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ccUWQ_DXD5oL7rha5EwagVs0GvapVyqO7eZvz8QP_p2afJI4MCxf99USvJp8b9zEg4QpfGEMlBLbmwJUKzUnXfm0JUQn-Et7G64L1u9t8VUA_SQLJntP5iUgeQrsdDLoTJLRa5m6WzMQgY14MaABZwvXpwDF3r3IDDnwLwEx_B-Y1VS0V34Vo2ctWTA/w400-h300/IMG_0779.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thursday 22nd February - Blenheim</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We were hopping on and hopping off today, but first we had to walk up to the iSite office (tourist information) to the bus stop. I had booked the bus in advance and it seemed a good way of visiting wineries without having to drive, but before leaving the site I needed to do a load of washing and get it on the line to dry.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our first port of call wasn’t a winerie, but an aviation museum. It was fascinating and had planes hanging from the ceiling to make them look as if they were flying. I focused on the British planes though there were plenty of German ones there. There were also some interesting stories of New Zealanders who had gone over to Europe during WWII. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We picked the bus up again and drove to St Clair winery where we had lunch booked in. Our table was in a courtyard though there were a couple in amongst the vines. Our waiter was French and explained the wines and we ended up with a Pinot Gris, not our first choice as we love Sauvignon Blanc, but we decided to try something different. Let’s put it this way, we now have a new second favourite! The food was excellent and we really enjoyed it.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our third and final stop was Cloudy Bay winery where we had a tasting. We tried three different Sauvignon Blancs and decided we liked last year’s vintage the best. We learnt a lot about the grapes, the growing and the blending, but we didn’t buy any wine which I felt rather guilty about.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the iSite office we got off the bus and walked back to the site where all we needed to eat was some toast, oh and yes the washing was all dry.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A nice day out with no driving for Richard.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj74t2_dk-lvRLgBVUEbECr66uiwckOFhftHDjDfc21la_-RiA3fuQKT_fW4oaQWLMpe9PL0P0ZXvGc4mE9VPQ2224x3Xg_dImpiOjE4dABuVmpLjsg290S0jWSjDUtBD3Wc6PNyPZW1U0BeKT5mFzPgc5KURrYqUlmGipGZAHEclNIAYDugq1Fs0y-rv0/s5712/IMG_0792.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj74t2_dk-lvRLgBVUEbECr66uiwckOFhftHDjDfc21la_-RiA3fuQKT_fW4oaQWLMpe9PL0P0ZXvGc4mE9VPQ2224x3Xg_dImpiOjE4dABuVmpLjsg290S0jWSjDUtBD3Wc6PNyPZW1U0BeKT5mFzPgc5KURrYqUlmGipGZAHEclNIAYDugq1Fs0y-rv0/w400-h300/IMG_0792.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /></span></p>Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-54501009690712999142024-02-29T23:04:00.001+00:002024-03-08T02:29:50.796+00:00The BIG One - New Zealand - Days 17, 18 and 19<p> <span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Saturday 17th February - Taupo</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A leisurely start to the morning before setting off to Huka Falls, which are just outside of Taupo. The falls are a phenomenon of natural hydro power with more than 220,000 litres of water per second barrelling over an 11 metre waterfall. It is pretty spectacular and the water is a beautiful colour.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We were booked on a river cruise in the afternoon so went off in search of somewhere to park up for lunch and wait. We found the most amazing spot beside the river and sat out for a couple of hours, it was really lovely. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After lunch we set off for the </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aratiatia Rapids which is one of the most popular natural attractions in New Zealand’s North Island. At three times during the day thousands of litres of water rush from the dam gates to transform the peaceful gully into raging rapids. It was amazing. The skipper of our boat trip said that the water is only let through for the tourists! </span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was then onto our trip boat where we cruised up the river to the base of the Huka Falls. Sadly it was a bit of a scramble to try and get photos from the front of the boat</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Back to the site for a quiet evening.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXk7enC2iX9sEqiu4OAph9mB0TqL8mQjlYawyvQUz2NDDhZarRUndiPcC81A4zbkVJBgVuORrWiFQ9ktfYZE975R5BI385n1y1wTQ5zWH3-d8lt_2dXrS9A9vgWWfGKvPzCxSP6X1jyS6FYiGD8AJ0J06K1DvJ5JYoIJ7LcLI1qKHwPj8ukVkIyJ9MLI/s4032/IMG_0734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXk7enC2iX9sEqiu4OAph9mB0TqL8mQjlYawyvQUz2NDDhZarRUndiPcC81A4zbkVJBgVuORrWiFQ9ktfYZE975R5BI385n1y1wTQ5zWH3-d8lt_2dXrS9A9vgWWfGKvPzCxSP6X1jyS6FYiGD8AJ0J06K1DvJ5JYoIJ7LcLI1qKHwPj8ukVkIyJ9MLI/w400-h300/IMG_0734.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sunday 18th February - Hastings</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the places I have wanted to visit was Napier - the Art Deco capital of the world. On February 3rd 1931 the town was razed to the ground by a huge earthquake. A fascinating fact is that some 4000 hectares of today’s Napier were under the sea before the earthquake raised it above sea level. Napier was rebuilt in the Art Deco style of the 1930s. In 2007 Napier was nominated as a World Heritage Site with UNESCO. As we drove into Napier we began to realise that something was going on as parking was backed up a long way from the centre. Marine Parade, the main street, was blocked off and there were people everywhere. We gave up at that stage and took a turning to Bluff Look Out. We climbed up then saw a sign which said no campervans beyond this point, so parked up and started to walk. It was at this point that I realised that I really wasn’t very well as the walking was making my chest hurt. We eventually made it to the top but sadly it wasn’t a particularly good view - just one of the docks. I completely forgot to take any photos. Back at Kiwi we headed off to Hastings where we were staying. The lady at the campsite said that today was the culmination of Art Deco week in Napier. What a shame.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Monday 19th February - Wellington</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After yesterday I knew that I had to do something about my cough. The lady in the campsite office sent us off to the local health centre which was more like a small walk in hospital. I checked in, paid $150 (£75) and was directed to the red seats. I waited and waited and waited until I realised that people who had arrived after me were going to see the triage nurse. I was just about to ask if I had dropped off the radar when I was called in to see an English guy. I asked him where he was from and he said Keighley in Yorkshire. I said I had gone to school in Skipton and it turns out he went to the boys grammar school where I went to the girls high school!! Anyway he did all the obs plus a Covid test. I then had to wait on the blue chairs. I soon got called to see a clinician but got turfed out of his room as he had to see someone else! My old school friend saw me sitting there and said that he would see me as he was, in fact, a clinician. He checked my chest but it is clear but said I had obviously got a chest infection and went off to get some amoxicillin and paracetamol - for which I didn’t have to pay! Poor Richard had been sitting in the van all that time.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wind back to before we left the campsite when I noticed that we had no water - the pump had given up. I phoned the rescue service and the lady said she would phone me back. While I was waiting in the health centre she called me to say that she had found somewhere in Wellington that would try and help us tomorrow.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The day got worse as the sky clouded over and the wind got up. It was a 4 hour drive down to Wellington and it was a tough one for Richard with the wind getting stronger. I kept nodding off and would be woken up by Kiwi being buffeted about.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When we arrived at the site the wind was really strong and we were rocked to sleep!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYwVtS-MTbiBW7kDX57FytKW7oQ_cESuGmdZBHVqRP_m5b3DRuaikm7iGRNlCKAB9BLItBqknwPo-LcMd7N-I-VVFhrOi0lMeqkKfwdg6QodmiTcmVdRtpn_tswRaMHgvVUNxJrvavBlUWQJV_sqGq82gA6Y1qXJxZfSx4k9xGUy1eJQ7Wnr4E1W1v6hM/s4032/IMG_0746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYwVtS-MTbiBW7kDX57FytKW7oQ_cESuGmdZBHVqRP_m5b3DRuaikm7iGRNlCKAB9BLItBqknwPo-LcMd7N-I-VVFhrOi0lMeqkKfwdg6QodmiTcmVdRtpn_tswRaMHgvVUNxJrvavBlUWQJV_sqGq82gA6Y1qXJxZfSx4k9xGUy1eJQ7Wnr4E1W1v6hM/w400-h300/IMG_0746.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" />Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-27708814019470121002024-02-17T04:36:00.001+00:002024-03-08T02:29:29.496+00:00The BIG One 2024 - New Zealand - Days 14, 15 and 16<div class="separator"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700;">Wednesday 14th February - Rotarua</span></div><div class="separator"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An easy day today.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We set off to the McLaren Falls, no problems with parking today! We had a lovely coffee in a cafe and walked to the falls which were only a 20 minute round trip. This fall is a tall skinny one. On our way out we found a second fall which was wider and tumbled down rocks - I can imagine that it would be pretty spectacular after heavy rain. We saw a guy swimming in one of the pools.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVkP1sxYSYiKFdQ6ecYr654HrBBHzj_C_UtR5giK0o52o1Zk5Xf_FbuaQHyvLgDdWOOwp6cF4FNktSjOIVBpNqoP7iUPYb2knhJkz9ZoJZAcJ50yfFgjv3-CtMF-oAc-53Fw6aihpyEYWCxGDus_K9KM5wptkn5bzPDq9BY6nAo4aAsiuhHLGcvDP-2Q/s5712/IMG_0587.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVkP1sxYSYiKFdQ6ecYr654HrBBHzj_C_UtR5giK0o52o1Zk5Xf_FbuaQHyvLgDdWOOwp6cF4FNktSjOIVBpNqoP7iUPYb2knhJkz9ZoJZAcJ50yfFgjv3-CtMF-oAc-53Fw6aihpyEYWCxGDus_K9KM5wptkn5bzPDq9BY6nAo4aAsiuhHLGcvDP-2Q/w300-h400/IMG_0587.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRw-777ysdqvqDnTY9362DSXi6CoXH-4MMWsN6qbLqEIbNo8LDKKZnBJXcmKQC8TZEOIDzRsiklyx29JnZuzteCy5nanTsFKstKqPWlgL40vQ0F8eAvOAnxZvs_gKb_5wikgaXbal683JEcetdqdQ3v_R1VdK0-YYPFRL9zaLphpdJYUq5ZtNU2PowE8/s5712/IMG_0593.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRw-777ysdqvqDnTY9362DSXi6CoXH-4MMWsN6qbLqEIbNo8LDKKZnBJXcmKQC8TZEOIDzRsiklyx29JnZuzteCy5nanTsFKstKqPWlgL40vQ0F8eAvOAnxZvs_gKb_5wikgaXbal683JEcetdqdQ3v_R1VdK0-YYPFRL9zaLphpdJYUq5ZtNU2PowE8/w400-h300/IMG_0593.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxeOWLK3xmJ5MOq8G70WamOTViSxNedZBtUqXEDjk-nKjfBxUlSqpfdWzxyUqjgma7ZrQ2bK5ysgVb0H-hZN8eYUgmtjLKwAQM5avILSyEpgEfYol80ePqb3IZ_0PZp2gFMvhHX3yPrbWE-hkwB2J9hyphenhyphenT55Y3P_3OzkAXmWxt2Jkv7kEVT-zt9R6wL2E/s4032/IMG_0596.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxeOWLK3xmJ5MOq8G70WamOTViSxNedZBtUqXEDjk-nKjfBxUlSqpfdWzxyUqjgma7ZrQ2bK5ysgVb0H-hZN8eYUgmtjLKwAQM5avILSyEpgEfYol80ePqb3IZ_0PZp2gFMvhHX3yPrbWE-hkwB2J9hyphenhyphenT55Y3P_3OzkAXmWxt2Jkv7kEVT-zt9R6wL2E/w400-h300/IMG_0596.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">A local couple we had met at the falls asked us where we were going next and when I said the Blue Spring at Putaruru, she said that the car park had been closed but there was another way only the locals know about. We set off only to find we were scuppered by a large log across the track!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We stopped for lunch beside a large stream and ate our sandwich on a picnic bench. The stream was obviously popular with the local youngsters as cars kept arriving and disgorging its occupants who disappeared to a pool to swim. Some were braver and jumped off an obliging log across the stream.</span></p><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjBFaRJ6iXSQ1uKfadarjKbOlM01OTDXPbbPScnnBlBZOzzYj_oCrMx91F7fIbTVxgpTDwrfrBWLh8Rkm75Woj1tv_bNHZuKWEDHXjAwBDblL_EzgnyWUC90uO7VQUleCSrAv_9yGJ8tzbUEmTXMIauQWF3O9-orwbt3gSszhhCr11B5ehTtX6OsE9OY/s4032/IMG_0597.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjBFaRJ6iXSQ1uKfadarjKbOlM01OTDXPbbPScnnBlBZOzzYj_oCrMx91F7fIbTVxgpTDwrfrBWLh8Rkm75Woj1tv_bNHZuKWEDHXjAwBDblL_EzgnyWUC90uO7VQUleCSrAv_9yGJ8tzbUEmTXMIauQWF3O9-orwbt3gSszhhCr11B5ehTtX6OsE9OY/w400-h300/IMG_0597.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We should have been freedom camping in Rotarua but as I was still not feeling well we booked into a camp site for two nights so I could use my sleep machine. I wasn’t ready for two nights of no machine.</span></div><div><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thursday 15th February - Rotarua</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We were booked in for a visit to Hell’s Gate this morning, a geothermal spa. It says on their website “the healing properties of the geothermal mud and sulphur mineral water have been used by local Māori for over 800 years. Open and clean your skin by lathering it in our unique mud before exfoliating with a soak in the sulphur spa. Your body and soul will feel revitalised after this soothing experience “. Needless to say we didn’t do that though we did see people partaking of the “waters”. The smell of sulphur hit us as we got out on the van and it wasn’t very pleasant. We started off on a guided tour but the guides voice was so monotonous we gave up after about half an hour. It is quite fascinating watching the earth bubble and the steam coming off the water. One of pools was 98 degrees centrigrade and had a ph balance of 1, now that didn’t mean much to me but when the guide said that if you put your hand in the water it would strip the skin off it straight away!! We followed the guide as far as the hot water falls which is the largest hot water fall in the southern hemisphere. Apparently the Maori warriors would, when coming back from fighting, cleanse themselves in the mud then shower off under the waterfall.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadEYdBWChLc50EiuI4a61CWaKLMtMPjzdwFMMOxuNCXqvgFHcPjrW3g2raXZqMFA_4DKO4cUlZls3DPDAdklWUbVFEYK5fDZyc6Rz7c00HYs7sXsv99dcOU3XZQbwtFCCQYpRyPa3hwuAzUH8Mmot8t34AWZ3V7sR-QRFsMdrivFEri1XRgeaSGYBdzY/s5712/IMG_0602.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadEYdBWChLc50EiuI4a61CWaKLMtMPjzdwFMMOxuNCXqvgFHcPjrW3g2raXZqMFA_4DKO4cUlZls3DPDAdklWUbVFEYK5fDZyc6Rz7c00HYs7sXsv99dcOU3XZQbwtFCCQYpRyPa3hwuAzUH8Mmot8t34AWZ3V7sR-QRFsMdrivFEri1XRgeaSGYBdzY/w400-h300/IMG_0602.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Mc0QPLAA71nz0im3pc1x0XAiV8F_Ex4kbXiWqGFMgnR4gQlL1F4Cyon0zUbulQaA-sNyi3R2v_i5n6b5ia0llTskeCwlWEVDOMj6omxXeem1cUCXCqa5qfVntqxXfjCja7P0CWHWuP5JkJOE2QHRQj7FF9NH-BbBBPqew3ovBSQYj26y7c2ooWZdsD0/s5712/IMG_0603.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Mc0QPLAA71nz0im3pc1x0XAiV8F_Ex4kbXiWqGFMgnR4gQlL1F4Cyon0zUbulQaA-sNyi3R2v_i5n6b5ia0llTskeCwlWEVDOMj6omxXeem1cUCXCqa5qfVntqxXfjCja7P0CWHWuP5JkJOE2QHRQj7FF9NH-BbBBPqew3ovBSQYj26y7c2ooWZdsD0/w400-h300/IMG_0603.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwjLbBr92gLNLCS3a0XzHXAijwm_LHXTOs8RgB_sLzPEEnMZSjOdIl0RVJsrSeNDY1ujCX8VIXyGbk7CXhMEFPabsqj6C9qoct1oAspcBd6FZURB-VhKymldmmqQ_FYRkZkb-fN4zJxJ9zNd3LduR5Ohl_kLsDmtC8gRhTuZQlqigYhh4D0dlsKd5m7A/s4032/IMG_0606.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwjLbBr92gLNLCS3a0XzHXAijwm_LHXTOs8RgB_sLzPEEnMZSjOdIl0RVJsrSeNDY1ujCX8VIXyGbk7CXhMEFPabsqj6C9qoct1oAspcBd6FZURB-VhKymldmmqQ_FYRkZkb-fN4zJxJ9zNd3LduR5Ohl_kLsDmtC8gRhTuZQlqigYhh4D0dlsKd5m7A/w400-h300/IMG_0606.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiT6buIJT0g6Bp3YlYzBmHaDsusuGA7i_AFXTiGJGIQwTb9jaasI00Hphb_num030Yy8cxk3Z294D79fLVv-6p4S1oGNVg-hi2AgKDPOClGLxofwSX5ttTNe8hZDsbE6gApIHG9Vnt1cMqFfbH3oG3Os7Twvbge2mow9UZWoYLe8YGPtdCD2zSYqqvPUk/s4032/IMG_0610.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiT6buIJT0g6Bp3YlYzBmHaDsusuGA7i_AFXTiGJGIQwTb9jaasI00Hphb_num030Yy8cxk3Z294D79fLVv-6p4S1oGNVg-hi2AgKDPOClGLxofwSX5ttTNe8hZDsbE6gApIHG9Vnt1cMqFfbH3oG3Os7Twvbge2mow9UZWoYLe8YGPtdCD2zSYqqvPUk/w400-h300/IMG_0610.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7zmFC5NrEPXraf9lU4p2WsFJhyTpaSl5QiNVqDVsDHfK-TIFWLmqLhPf2wmNq0nbUItOmT9vDsr8va8YyctSk4T2cDB_wL3lKuI5BIE7lJm4YviTPR9asGePiCmcJM84gJpX8KY0oN4cqD64jhe5G_4l18-W3245dySTZo9xR49CD2TGyDJinsXF70f4/s5712/IMG_0613.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7zmFC5NrEPXraf9lU4p2WsFJhyTpaSl5QiNVqDVsDHfK-TIFWLmqLhPf2wmNq0nbUItOmT9vDsr8va8YyctSk4T2cDB_wL3lKuI5BIE7lJm4YviTPR9asGePiCmcJM84gJpX8KY0oN4cqD64jhe5G_4l18-W3245dySTZo9xR49CD2TGyDJinsXF70f4/w400-h300/IMG_0613.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p>In the </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">afternoon domestic duties needed to be attended to, the washing doesn’t do itself. We used the tumble drier for the undies but hung the rest out to dry which didn’t take long.</span><p></p><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE1F4295HUXHPIehxSxWV67JRmgD-5bD3I5YpxLuIYx0d4QV9CjV6yyt8cN1V4HgI9980-fsgFVom1rkWBcVo-ng6tPIP89qpihCC1HNJUo4vd6ZTOFTTrJ8XSc_hI5Hn-5MIKKS6TEfhhVb0czbBEplyeIfr64CWMc8sk-oSFQHpvlt-QjeYtb3hpED4/s5712/IMG_0614.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE1F4295HUXHPIehxSxWV67JRmgD-5bD3I5YpxLuIYx0d4QV9CjV6yyt8cN1V4HgI9980-fsgFVom1rkWBcVo-ng6tPIP89qpihCC1HNJUo4vd6ZTOFTTrJ8XSc_hI5Hn-5MIKKS6TEfhhVb0czbBEplyeIfr64CWMc8sk-oSFQHpvlt-QjeYtb3hpED4/w400-h300/IMG_0614.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div></div><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4pm saw us shut the van up and walk to meet a coach which would take us to Te Pa Tu, a reconstructed Māori village. The meeting point was a bit further than we thought but they very kindly held the coach for us. When we arrived at Te Pa Tu we had the traditional welcoming ceremony with the warrior throwing down a welcome gift and daring our chief to pick it up. I guess once upon a time a stranger would have been petrified at the sight of a Māori warrior with his eyes bulging, tongue hanging out and making an extraordinary noise!</span></p><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIctLQj5zBohASRCw0hnhs4PwPOO-vx5WcxHDMqJ6tMVwa2VxxaXttZbnjiDIbm33wj6JmXW2EKydktKyQqLF3BqLFgrMFzeQ0ngNgD5qoi1HOQM5rGIFimE_uwQ2-uUGwZWTzhaszjohB-xyYMwzjd87b_fC_mVZ2spDK76Y44STuC41oPOm4j7V1MUs/s4032/IMG_0615.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIctLQj5zBohASRCw0hnhs4PwPOO-vx5WcxHDMqJ6tMVwa2VxxaXttZbnjiDIbm33wj6JmXW2EKydktKyQqLF3BqLFgrMFzeQ0ngNgD5qoi1HOQM5rGIFimE_uwQ2-uUGwZWTzhaszjohB-xyYMwzjd87b_fC_mVZ2spDK76Y44STuC41oPOm4j7V1MUs/w400-h300/IMG_0615.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlxJXdUzyo_NgaUq_3vVGSeYufuXxqx_LFjuRjlcUJLYLhDuId81QJ7IZiyuQe3U8yK8rZN5jf9wqklyhgmD0tLJ3_hAbmVAh_iM3OvjVoQH__3cFbpbrNwK8sLtUWr2JnFc3frzIS0CCpr7pCXng4pRHx_EFm-bwfB3RP7ByfW7oh5a8FBypzZo4cBo/s4032/IMG_0616.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlxJXdUzyo_NgaUq_3vVGSeYufuXxqx_LFjuRjlcUJLYLhDuId81QJ7IZiyuQe3U8yK8rZN5jf9wqklyhgmD0tLJ3_hAbmVAh_iM3OvjVoQH__3cFbpbrNwK8sLtUWr2JnFc3frzIS0CCpr7pCXng4pRHx_EFm-bwfB3RP7ByfW7oh5a8FBypzZo4cBo/w400-h300/IMG_0616.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div></div><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We then three lessons on Māori culture high we found very interesting, at each station we were given an hors d’oevres which I don’t think were strictly Māori as one had feta cheese on it! It was then time for the entertainment, singing and dancing and finishing off with a traditional Hakka. Dinner was included in our evening and we shared our table with two US couples who were very interesting. One couple seemed to do almost back to back cruises! The food was a fusion of varying cuisines but it really wasn’t to my taste though the pudding was lovely!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbeWJ6Q4X5bhfsPygM5btoRcyaooZDile5MebOsl7qAb0qGLwFxpDilDl0GtrA6a6AEbP-HmkrbI1Tve61v51ls75LdMxJFR1P4ZRPx3zk1f6Eg__dGRKwBAHcot95tVnHbiEhu-bpO45bsoavgRY0Wrn-Lfx-Nq9aZrB0jOAYmdE4Uj4Dmn0r8-HAJQ8/s5712/IMG_0620.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbeWJ6Q4X5bhfsPygM5btoRcyaooZDile5MebOsl7qAb0qGLwFxpDilDl0GtrA6a6AEbP-HmkrbI1Tve61v51ls75LdMxJFR1P4ZRPx3zk1f6Eg__dGRKwBAHcot95tVnHbiEhu-bpO45bsoavgRY0Wrn-Lfx-Nq9aZrB0jOAYmdE4Uj4Dmn0r8-HAJQ8/w400-h300/IMG_0620.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2w-BBUX-J3DB9u1YVfXCrTn36CpvYLKWRiqBqaYmUM9c39mlN9eTTx0EM8zmDBzS0gXlObz8MDimnVNsFodlCxgabyBlbMMvGu9klJ_vd43nH7ocpGuw0HqUIjw794b0rr6FCE2xC5YdhDCuX2eF53EFrX87Fsr7tOTwu3n550JxFZjDpUIF9RzhVMM/s4032/IMG_0623.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2w-BBUX-J3DB9u1YVfXCrTn36CpvYLKWRiqBqaYmUM9c39mlN9eTTx0EM8zmDBzS0gXlObz8MDimnVNsFodlCxgabyBlbMMvGu9klJ_vd43nH7ocpGuw0HqUIjw794b0rr6FCE2xC5YdhDCuX2eF53EFrX87Fsr7tOTwu3n550JxFZjDpUIF9RzhVMM/w400-h300/IMG_0623.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_g_tbhT3qe_q5tqXiu9AQ2Io_ExfSaYEJ7z8s1BJhfdgAQAC5gUSnvbiLUdq4oEmZESV99rfU3wgM_6516KYx7fBUbvYi7KFNsedl5aFcVZMsQwD2Ndu7iOkuDE8PdvCifm_8Ob00aFPd2i5PH03ManmqroBvGFlilsND_wYo4G9CIEq7eDP2lkfpBac/s5712/IMG_0625.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_g_tbhT3qe_q5tqXiu9AQ2Io_ExfSaYEJ7z8s1BJhfdgAQAC5gUSnvbiLUdq4oEmZESV99rfU3wgM_6516KYx7fBUbvYi7KFNsedl5aFcVZMsQwD2Ndu7iOkuDE8PdvCifm_8Ob00aFPd2i5PH03ManmqroBvGFlilsND_wYo4G9CIEq7eDP2lkfpBac/w400-h300/IMG_0625.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p>The coach driver very kindly dropped us off at the site which made our lives a lot easier.</span></div><div><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Friday 16th February - Taupo</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We needed to go to the pharmacy this morning to get me something for my cough, I was given some natural jollop - I only hope it works.</span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We drove out to Okere Falls where we watched white water rafters. The first boat did it perfectly, the second lost two crew but the third overturned and lost all its crew - terrifying but they were all screaming with pleasure! If you look closely at the photos you will be able to see two legs in the air!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Mq3j5f5-EmLNWt8dysG38C0uD548UShzJTO0SXBpMkcPtUQiyIYYjRHvIqeVffbRZnVfPU2xFUxamdDIfpWsHapKUxkiRfEQIZJf0ZSjJ1DvddnGTimBPjdgt7ERrxtznVcZMgC-WMmvPeuZnePJy7r1oOfW-F1PofxSPsvBpai0xp6mXpkzflKTqhc/s4032/IMG_0633.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Mq3j5f5-EmLNWt8dysG38C0uD548UShzJTO0SXBpMkcPtUQiyIYYjRHvIqeVffbRZnVfPU2xFUxamdDIfpWsHapKUxkiRfEQIZJf0ZSjJ1DvddnGTimBPjdgt7ERrxtznVcZMgC-WMmvPeuZnePJy7r1oOfW-F1PofxSPsvBpai0xp6mXpkzflKTqhc/w400-h300/IMG_0633.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA9IQ4CgVtJWWzVl0BeGI7YiZdUq8OfyCScNsd8AReVpOO2pHDOS6vspPIH207I8uOS6LvJuuF1D8X2_nLSig3WmwmLAOpvQ-S9EJ2cOPtoXcrK85ofhlUdgRrjQfHKzt18OVB0Qi4B0K3q9yQ8TqodBRWBieZjTd8U_QYZZ71xLvjelNYQwiCJvRgM6I/s4032/IMG_0637.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA9IQ4CgVtJWWzVl0BeGI7YiZdUq8OfyCScNsd8AReVpOO2pHDOS6vspPIH207I8uOS6LvJuuF1D8X2_nLSig3WmwmLAOpvQ-S9EJ2cOPtoXcrK85ofhlUdgRrjQfHKzt18OVB0Qi4B0K3q9yQ8TqodBRWBieZjTd8U_QYZZ71xLvjelNYQwiCJvRgM6I/w400-h300/IMG_0637.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIWqR5urv6xm48IrxHVK2Igh7lI8eY9TcKCnjBtks1qgMg6EtSoOIk_LZBB3c6SGBhXcKT3wmztmCrV3EfCDJ8JxG9hyAu4hhO7pKKHyLj9Z6ZyiPhu5Drkm0wyeo9xto9xn1vXKBtbT6B8YV3MIGCbeKn3hsMmA0BRfI9CTDBvz623CQyTMlFkgE99V8/s4032/IMG_0647.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIWqR5urv6xm48IrxHVK2Igh7lI8eY9TcKCnjBtks1qgMg6EtSoOIk_LZBB3c6SGBhXcKT3wmztmCrV3EfCDJ8JxG9hyAu4hhO7pKKHyLj9Z6ZyiPhu5Drkm0wyeo9xto9xn1vXKBtbT6B8YV3MIGCbeKn3hsMmA0BRfI9CTDBvz623CQyTMlFkgE99V8/w400-h300/IMG_0647.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-nSs7olnqAQV_gPGJmuerb9Nhh7SW6LYcy9tYaEM_OTU91jKCwFFB7IxydjaYbbCWB4QTwn5VcdsRN8cAI7bJ2_IqkO78a5AspRssI05jZ3qB5iHRmnraUmmzQK2yQi_OTk2I6NE8wsdPwqdsoFWgLX8-cL_-WJENB2fwkekB1EW5_wY-SsO3Kfwc4DY/s4032/IMG_0650.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-nSs7olnqAQV_gPGJmuerb9Nhh7SW6LYcy9tYaEM_OTU91jKCwFFB7IxydjaYbbCWB4QTwn5VcdsRN8cAI7bJ2_IqkO78a5AspRssI05jZ3qB5iHRmnraUmmzQK2yQi_OTk2I6NE8wsdPwqdsoFWgLX8-cL_-WJENB2fwkekB1EW5_wY-SsO3Kfwc4DY/w400-h300/IMG_0650.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Wv9DIOwZax-5eQkd7agvRNlTxd62mMhMZ7ajYXXjB0CxdQk7G-8fzDv3pwaEXN_SPnZn_XJKC_HIadePy3K2-fzSK5NxWPxIvJvZUKkF4aPeoOUovNB2VyFYMhcJRhZKKRaGXyxKriATKaRswV28f9U6w038i-npfFs-tEX7OksflX4xFK_iTh3WaWA/s4032/IMG_0655.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Wv9DIOwZax-5eQkd7agvRNlTxd62mMhMZ7ajYXXjB0CxdQk7G-8fzDv3pwaEXN_SPnZn_XJKC_HIadePy3K2-fzSK5NxWPxIvJvZUKkF4aPeoOUovNB2VyFYMhcJRhZKKRaGXyxKriATKaRswV28f9U6w038i-npfFs-tEX7OksflX4xFK_iTh3WaWA/w400-h300/IMG_0655.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYM7zeCl2ir5127FHv5paiDrBOIL6H6bXPjTF6RZLtu2TEMH85ALEJlFL37cF-LzGgXinhdHmGxHWardalkoirEf6rDqZKCoh7DWpvbDKqrtH30-SbBYcUeF_RFRM4MoeLVpoB1TYv-V2jT5M6fHJEBuVCVQMKTizuviJjtS2z748wigAb8ETEaRA3KYU/s4032/IMG_0657.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYM7zeCl2ir5127FHv5paiDrBOIL6H6bXPjTF6RZLtu2TEMH85ALEJlFL37cF-LzGgXinhdHmGxHWardalkoirEf6rDqZKCoh7DWpvbDKqrtH30-SbBYcUeF_RFRM4MoeLVpoB1TYv-V2jT5M6fHJEBuVCVQMKTizuviJjtS2z748wigAb8ETEaRA3KYU/w400-h300/IMG_0657.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p>We were going on a duck ride in the afternoon so we drove back into Rotarua and tried to find a parking place. Government Gardens had been suggested to us and we got right to the end with nowhere to park when suddenly out of the corner of my eye I saw a young chap put his thumb up and went to remove a couple of cones. Richard backed up and in we went - it was free too!</span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We had decided to have lunch out and found a place close to the duck depot. It was called Mekong Buffalo but we weren’t sure if the food was strictly Vietnamese. Richard had a curry and I had a wonderful sizzling dish of rib eye steak and vegetables. I’m not really into spicy foods but this was seasoned to perfection for me. </span></p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We went over to the duck depot only to be told that we would be the only two on the trip! They did ask if we could move it until tomorrow but I explained that we would be out of town. So off we set. The duck is an original 1944 WWII amphibious landing craft and was very noisy on land and, sadly, we could hardly hear any of the commentary. Once we got onto the water it was a different story and it was very peaceful and we could hear the commentary - I will call it a commentary but it was really the driver just chatting to us! We went into three lovely lakes before back into town and, once again, being dropped off at Kiwi.</span></p><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0PRCyAQHbMUGzRL8ZAiC7jYHa6yhdDmUfovsEPJuzWpD_Gt8tyICQdB6cK8sO6F5oBu3f9gx3veGAS69Wp59ciCE2bUHGBkDhNGGuqGwuwqf15GWQqjL61AMNZGaMqAuRs6cAlWViwFVio2P9p5QQC1BguF5aPZZxjlZ4fHY31mNGtJuE2ZIu5azqR90/s4032/IMG_0675.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0PRCyAQHbMUGzRL8ZAiC7jYHa6yhdDmUfovsEPJuzWpD_Gt8tyICQdB6cK8sO6F5oBu3f9gx3veGAS69Wp59ciCE2bUHGBkDhNGGuqGwuwqf15GWQqjL61AMNZGaMqAuRs6cAlWViwFVio2P9p5QQC1BguF5aPZZxjlZ4fHY31mNGtJuE2ZIu5azqR90/w400-h300/IMG_0675.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlSTp5UObd1QWYnHeWhM2iecThwPbtWQSTd7bOdpQ1xkpy2Bhk3kJ9TWYdWk3qr-CGNJzIa0NObGaieDhSLsmfgadR2Yl9kxKkNirMtO8c3sWlHUjTKhFKbsmappzNiHHvV2qt37mo8y4W2Dc8yY8LPiIGMpsH5w9XR6EZylDzvbj4McuYD2L01r75vs/s5712/IMG_0674.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlSTp5UObd1QWYnHeWhM2iecThwPbtWQSTd7bOdpQ1xkpy2Bhk3kJ9TWYdWk3qr-CGNJzIa0NObGaieDhSLsmfgadR2Yl9kxKkNirMtO8c3sWlHUjTKhFKbsmappzNiHHvV2qt37mo8y4W2Dc8yY8LPiIGMpsH5w9XR6EZylDzvbj4McuYD2L01r75vs/w400-h300/IMG_0674.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY8W0KwJ9T30XcyEmcn3VY53dcv_TEvDf_77izEsa8YJlA-sJ-3iVQIfX_2CxVd0VJuRWt7mDOP7exxtbWSXQPv0QyynT9LXNVs467pl1-Y8U8Sk1hFH7VM16_MEpQsUQId0gAhc5SVMo6yZtBaMqoI9-ICD6wxpLSNvXfLT_a3xehPIjcb9WLscg8je0/s4032/IMG_0670.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY8W0KwJ9T30XcyEmcn3VY53dcv_TEvDf_77izEsa8YJlA-sJ-3iVQIfX_2CxVd0VJuRWt7mDOP7exxtbWSXQPv0QyynT9LXNVs467pl1-Y8U8Sk1hFH7VM16_MEpQsUQId0gAhc5SVMo6yZtBaMqoI9-ICD6wxpLSNvXfLT_a3xehPIjcb9WLscg8je0/w400-h300/IMG_0670.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO6j8GlSJlB0MEOxapEatX71rgD3gD2Bs-gG3z-g8vN_EPTcYksRbwXWqzck0qsuRg69ps7V3lupiUwX8kHb9Ty_SCrFU-iu38PLk0LbjZD7DaJJa-sPsemvUoSB-yR4TVSzzQ7Y8o_dvx_GbUfpdN45GgvzCSncGu7sCpaKEO1pVr_87Arp5FzKvheCw/w400-h300/IMG_0667.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShpHnpxoPNiChtkQyStG1-NfmjddfGMWMWXGVYwGl8oa0JXtuu5ioTJuG1XWG-Yz4YvCtO9zMBQEw0UrIRyTEgn3NfqTngXnSbyVD1y3jADhp9100TKOJYPDjgtOaRtZVe7MAoYuaXN5kjk7hBnZgSvY8RV3toEPnPWSZPhIBt_g6eBGVSnuLsv9mC6o/s4032/IMG_0665.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShpHnpxoPNiChtkQyStG1-NfmjddfGMWMWXGVYwGl8oa0JXtuu5ioTJuG1XWG-Yz4YvCtO9zMBQEw0UrIRyTEgn3NfqTngXnSbyVD1y3jADhp9100TKOJYPDjgtOaRtZVe7MAoYuaXN5kjk7hBnZgSvY8RV3toEPnPWSZPhIBt_g6eBGVSnuLsv9mC6o/w400-h300/IMG_0665.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We then drove the 50 miles to Taupo<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-64921915911662162122024-02-16T20:46:00.001+00:002024-03-08T02:27:59.450+00:00The BIG One 2024 - New Zealand - Days 5, 6 and 7<p> <b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">NEW ZEALAND – NORTH ISLAND</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Monday 5th February - Auckland</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">We landed in Auckland about 1pm. Neither of us had slept well, but I guess the adrenaline saw us through. The flight had been fine but we so glad to get off. My feet had swollen up even though I had compression socks on. There is a long customs declaration form that you have to complete before entering NZ and I had heard real horror stories on Facebook about people being stopped and fined or having their goods taken away from them. One of the things was that all medication had to in its original packaging and that each item had to be listed on the form - it didn’t unless there was over 90 days worth. Pills for 2 people for 6 weeks in their original packaging took up a lot of space in the suitcase! Anyway we went through the red channel as we had walking poles which I was worried about but all they were concerned about was the $7k of goods that I was bringing into the country, oops a tick in the wrong box, methinks!!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">In the arrivals hall I bought a NZ SIM card to go into my old phone so we have free calls within NZ, we used it immediately to phone the hotel to arrange for the shuttle bus to pick us up.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Once in our hotel room we crashed out for an hour on the bed - we needed a quick recharge! The hotel was out in the sticks a bit so we ate in the restauant, we both had steaks (Scottish of course!) which were excellent.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">An early night was called for.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><b style="font-size: 11pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><b style="font-size: 11pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><b style="font-size: 11pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Tuesday 6th February - Auckland</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">We both slept well and felt quite refreshed. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Today was Waitanga Day which is a public holiday. It is to celebrate the day when the Māori Chiefs signed over NZ to the British in 1840.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">After breakfast we took an Uber into Auckland. We had been warned not to take a taxi as they are very expensive. The concierge at the hotel had suggested that we go to the Quay as we said we like water. It was lovely there and very hot. We walked around for a bit then I saw an empty table in a restaurant overlooking the marina so we grabbed it. The food was OK, I don’t think our stomachs knew what meal they were having just as our brains didn’t know what time it really was!! We then walked round the marina and the photos below were all taken from our walk.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">We took an Uber back to the hotel, and crashed out on the bed again! As we had had a meal at lunchtime we shared a pizza for dinner in the restaurant. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUL_HhOFkMeecpjgIV4utA18LG4hCtLYRLVHD4VfW61o9Sj_gpXbl5YydCg74mY68SQiiXo5GVExlR5UWTNGiJe-6d5CAcPZlt_pNQ1ctG8UCFCkYhDLAEsFb83_IA1gQawkdv9G3S6gOENL0Yw32IPJqI33zKOKC5qNgMDb9nM9MG8D-oJex9ePPfqA/s5712/IMG_0297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUL_HhOFkMeecpjgIV4utA18LG4hCtLYRLVHD4VfW61o9Sj_gpXbl5YydCg74mY68SQiiXo5GVExlR5UWTNGiJe-6d5CAcPZlt_pNQ1ctG8UCFCkYhDLAEsFb83_IA1gQawkdv9G3S6gOENL0Yw32IPJqI33zKOKC5qNgMDb9nM9MG8D-oJex9ePPfqA/w400-h300/IMG_0297.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpi4m64pXD91gHnbdslGc5nN4meh8WhqTgA-0vuXqAi8Tnxa1JTSAq_IUBixWsgU0Oe7p6RkVu7SpmUJWol1eJRNahGyN7FvST62Uuhyphenhyphen-fNFh0XwMZL2jHTDWJswoBB88G-exUo8mlGA17hJ6YooT60l_l3HFgXaoslRmKQKp0xNhP3c0f4aL8fSJ8ic4/s5712/IMG_0296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpi4m64pXD91gHnbdslGc5nN4meh8WhqTgA-0vuXqAi8Tnxa1JTSAq_IUBixWsgU0Oe7p6RkVu7SpmUJWol1eJRNahGyN7FvST62Uuhyphenhyphen-fNFh0XwMZL2jHTDWJswoBB88G-exUo8mlGA17hJ6YooT60l_l3HFgXaoslRmKQKp0xNhP3c0f4aL8fSJ8ic4/w400-h300/IMG_0296.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznPsF8dvNWeD0R0wqtJiKr0xWCRfq8VadQt2bfTjyMGZOFnppE0Pjg7_8UFI4iq5EBkacjVDT4mpmAhes8w8o-xZnirGSAKwim-I6L42Jgnafv9IJRw38HLRhYqPijiNKEFPMT8qHqqF4oGIAfMG1oOfC_q-Y9YteeqGHU9U7W9APr-4O5eKGn-xUj-E/s5712/IMG_0294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXt_aahzDBI3LJaJsxlei78CqNTdMsHPwuU57EbhMkp4pTKYJwlb5JQxIw5swRutXHV3FsDC2m5kjfIVCKc4LxVME895OLCu-y7ARPYbMdyQnXt_PVWMEGSCC_cNzr4JQfRSGSe-M8m_DjLEeEAUMouhk8aHvpZ_kS1iCvYo7KH4-sdhT1uEf46dcoVk/s5712/IMG_0290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXt_aahzDBI3LJaJsxlei78CqNTdMsHPwuU57EbhMkp4pTKYJwlb5JQxIw5swRutXHV3FsDC2m5kjfIVCKc4LxVME895OLCu-y7ARPYbMdyQnXt_PVWMEGSCC_cNzr4JQfRSGSe-M8m_DjLEeEAUMouhk8aHvpZ_kS1iCvYo7KH4-sdhT1uEf46dcoVk/w400-h300/IMG_0290.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Wednesday 7th Frebruary - Paihia</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Today is what the whole trip is about, driving a motor home round NZ. The rental company sent a complimentary taxi for us which was very helpful. We did the paperwork for the van, had a look round the outside then we went inside and I just said, I’m sorry but this van won’t work for us! The two layouts shown on the website for the class of van we had booked were either an island bed or two singles. This van had a French bed which meant that I couldn’t use my CPAP machine for my sleep apnea. It was suggested that it was my fault for not telling them my requirements but I explained that the two types of bed on their website were not what we were being offered. Off they went into a huddle and came back saying that they had a brand new van which we could have but not until Friday as it needed checks doing on it. We could take the original van and then swap it over when we passed back near the depot on Friday, but we weren’t passing on Friday it would be Sunday, but jthey don’t open on a Sunday! Another huddle and they came back and said it could be ready by 3.30pm in the afternoon!! We jumped at it, they even lent us a car to go and get our shopping. 3.30pm saw us loading up the van and starting our adventure </span><span style="font-family: "Apple Color Emoji"; font-size: 12pt;">😃</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">The journey up to Paihia wasn’t too bad except that is was getting near the rush hour and the motorway kept getting jammed up. We finally arrived at our site at about 8pm. I had phoned the site to tell them we would be late so they said we were on pitch 6, but when we got there the pitch was occupied so we had to go onto 7.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-74042588449825478182024-02-15T02:36:00.004+00:002024-03-08T02:29:07.400+00:00The BIG One 2024 - New Zealand - Days 11, 12 and 13<p> <b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Sunday 11th February - Thames</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I woke up with a chesty cough, goodness knows where it had sprung from.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">We had a long drive from Paihia in the north to Thames south of Auckland - 5 hours. It was very pleasant, Richard drove and I coughed!!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">When we got to Thames we started looking for a freedom camping spot. Using one of the apps we found the most idyllic place, right by the sea overlooking islands. We couldn’t believe our luck. I sat down to get some blogging done but I couldn’t publish anything as the signal was too poor - there had to be one downside! Richard cooked a BBQ and I made the chips! We then settled down with the rest of the wine and watched the sunset - the first sunset I have seen for ages.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jl-grhHLh-Bxrabb9v6jHrgMTFrgVf4xZaUuMuWmvkYnE7-sLZFRby3_AGVoaxmXuhiaj0R1oKuyEs5_N7_OjjB8kW_RjwO6U7HS24_dp4lN2CIokOjVaCCOFC_ZK8kdxvFzxwVk7Y1OcmWhpS-Y5BqIsILxzETkr48XaS5mgsGde2un8yGw5MXTRzw/s5712/IMG_0502.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jl-grhHLh-Bxrabb9v6jHrgMTFrgVf4xZaUuMuWmvkYnE7-sLZFRby3_AGVoaxmXuhiaj0R1oKuyEs5_N7_OjjB8kW_RjwO6U7HS24_dp4lN2CIokOjVaCCOFC_ZK8kdxvFzxwVk7Y1OcmWhpS-Y5BqIsILxzETkr48XaS5mgsGde2un8yGw5MXTRzw/w400-h300/IMG_0502.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3l9qNd8OqOxdn06wDv-CPjKOPiTzHO_h3Z0wKun5-XO69bkX37f8Ckmx4-e2fUfvWCxUY32DT2knzUfCNtfeDUahn6uR23FzTvMo5a379m43ilyFNWnLpRwXXhZwRv7-G-DLck9WIxKVaSII9C8VyvQgrvKAKzH-npX_VYppdHINX8aLlWKTVNACyGu4/s4032/IMG_0519.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3l9qNd8OqOxdn06wDv-CPjKOPiTzHO_h3Z0wKun5-XO69bkX37f8Ckmx4-e2fUfvWCxUY32DT2knzUfCNtfeDUahn6uR23FzTvMo5a379m43ilyFNWnLpRwXXhZwRv7-G-DLck9WIxKVaSII9C8VyvQgrvKAKzH-npX_VYppdHINX8aLlWKTVNACyGu4/w400-h300/IMG_0519.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><b style="font-size: 11pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Monday 12th February - Whitianga</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Our freedom camping didn’t work out very well </span><span style="font-family: "Apple Color Emoji"; font-size: 12pt;">🙁</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> We happily plugged my sleep machine into the cigarette lighter with its nice long lead only to find that the 12v went off about 10 mins! So I had to discard the machine however things got worse as I couldn’t sleep for coughing, a real smokers cough! I think I finally got to sleep, exhausted, about 4am only to be woken up by a knock as the door at 6.30am by a man from the council asking if we had been freedom camping all night, Richard said that we had only to be told that we weren’t in the right spot!! Apparently we had driven straight through the signs telling us all about freedom camping there and that we should have been between two arrows! The fact that we were one of three vans, the other two being New Zealanders, made us realised that it wasn’t just us that was stupid! The chap gave us an hour to move but it was two hours in the end.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">We drove up the Coromandel Peninsula to the town of Coromandel where we stopped to get me some cough medicine. It was a very pretty town. Just to the north of the town was the Driving Creek Railway, an amazing little railway. A guy called Barry Brickell bought the land in 1973. Barry constructed the narrow-gauge railway to be all-weather, environmentally benign, aesthetically pleasing and economically sound. The property had originally been mainly farmland with scattered scrub and wild pines. Barry wanted to restore the land to pre-colonial times which led to over 27,000 native trees being planted over a 30 years period. A nursery was built to grow the thousands of native seedlings needed. The railway was opened as a tourist attraction in 1990. Eventually in 2003 the railway was completed to the top of the property and the Eyefull Tower was built giving wonderful views to the intrepid tourists! We really enjoyed our trip on a very unique railway.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">We then drove across the Coromandel to Whitianga but as we drove I began to feel poorly - I think a combination of coughing and no CPAP machine was all too much for me. We booked into a site in Whitianga so we could have electricity and I took to my bed and stayed there. I didn’t eat or drink a thing - just slept. We had booked a boat trip to Cathedral Cove but I could not have done that than fly and Richard didn’t want to go on his own.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bPFd6rTmRjqCcJfdZgUyLWvHqMDed1PXE4dhICJdN19esY3q5vIb_UsUABaWa404IWWFgtvEITMkXKzjekBaFR4wCF825BpBD_AoB9K1xhCEvA0IXDGoJLQSBJRd-wMmi93ogPir0SFFOSL_htEr8TXhYBtcwD-BllQ9GOqDbDEZnsnlHnnBVnjF4YI/s4032/IMG_0533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bPFd6rTmRjqCcJfdZgUyLWvHqMDed1PXE4dhICJdN19esY3q5vIb_UsUABaWa404IWWFgtvEITMkXKzjekBaFR4wCF825BpBD_AoB9K1xhCEvA0IXDGoJLQSBJRd-wMmi93ogPir0SFFOSL_htEr8TXhYBtcwD-BllQ9GOqDbDEZnsnlHnnBVnjF4YI/w400-h300/IMG_0533.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Tuesday 13th February - Tauranga</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I slept right through until 7am from about 2pm yesterday! I wondered if what I have is flu, it’s not Covid as I did a test. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">We set off and saw a sign to Hot Pools Beach so did a detour. There were three car parks with the third being for the pools but at the second it said no motorhomes at the third car park so we turned round and stopped at the first car park and went for a walk on the beach and I paddled in the South Pacific Ocean!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">We drove south to see a gorge but the car park was rammed so we gave that up as a bad job!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">We carried on to Tauranga to visit Mount Maunangui however the parking there was crazy too. We eventually found a space a long way down and pulled in. Richard was worried that the rear corner was hanging over the cycle path but we set off to walk along the boardwalk, however I tripped over the kerb stone and fell, fortunately, onto sand. Two ladies came over to help Richard get me up as, with having two replacement knees, it is very painful to kneel. We treated ourselves to an ice cream. We ordered two scoops each as we would do in England but one scoop was like an English two scoops!! We found a bench to sit on but it wasn’t in the shade and the ice cream melted very fast all down my clean trousers! The ice cream was amazing though!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">We had fun and games driving to our campsite. The sat nav told us that she had found a quicker route and did I want to accept it - I said yes so we turned round and headed back the way we had come. She then said she had found yet another quicker route so I clicked yes, and we turned round and went down the same road again - that was three times!! At the third time of telling us about her marvellous quicker route I said no thank you and we continued on to the site. We could have been going like that all night!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I cooked dinner but just felt so exhausted that I couldn’t eat much at all. I went to bed about 8pm but didn’t sleep that well as Richard was coughing! He’d obviously picked up my germs </span><span style="font-family: "Apple Color Emoji"; font-size: 12pt;">😷</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Apple Color Emoji"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYWaAGo4BaB8fStHg5roE-ghoAUJ0M7XWa_sQUvZstvQQ9HnxgjScvxSWc53T5BHJSmuVVYZdpeltDToOgaNHjhWtcSTxyJ3LvPmGowQr2uQMRe3f4i0fAN_5_j2fKmQo8x86xVsYKhNkDYJgsjttAOg4XWeZPRZy33t-wfhAp4e8ctG0eds-3w_SSUI/s4032/IMG_0568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYWaAGo4BaB8fStHg5roE-ghoAUJ0M7XWa_sQUvZstvQQ9HnxgjScvxSWc53T5BHJSmuVVYZdpeltDToOgaNHjhWtcSTxyJ3LvPmGowQr2uQMRe3f4i0fAN_5_j2fKmQo8x86xVsYKhNkDYJgsjttAOg4XWeZPRZy33t-wfhAp4e8ctG0eds-3w_SSUI/w400-h300/IMG_0568.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGquMH9KfvqsyIiL6El4KF3XHp7Juw-V9LbUxZdG2OvJzg_N2dYXdLKXNw4YEUqdCbOmCMBxPb-Lj2bQbdeYN_lS_GrzvYmXAvlWnqs5lZVdxYcS_o03LZ2ysrPV7oFCYWxdyH0cPR8PQmbiPiqlkcS258EV3iX0t5YQMdrjA2HrVk9GsGcHcVlYvMyI/s4032/IMG_0576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGquMH9KfvqsyIiL6El4KF3XHp7Juw-V9LbUxZdG2OvJzg_N2dYXdLKXNw4YEUqdCbOmCMBxPb-Lj2bQbdeYN_lS_GrzvYmXAvlWnqs5lZVdxYcS_o03LZ2ysrPV7oFCYWxdyH0cPR8PQmbiPiqlkcS258EV3iX0t5YQMdrjA2HrVk9GsGcHcVlYvMyI/w400-h300/IMG_0576.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx14BpeA3jhiUFEh5YsWzSwJwi6yqDGX9wNIKlKnm8r4GRw2k9wtJE7mUeg4k5WKeL1see1x2pkB4O3upi2cwtKcG9OOWe40bvlPnglgsoUdHut3kun0OW94SISmz1cW44v7pC66YFOFFUdt6ouxpXVENRGyRcHaWZDAp8DYuBFxPN_piYtn_WDjn78Wk/s5712/IMG_0578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx14BpeA3jhiUFEh5YsWzSwJwi6yqDGX9wNIKlKnm8r4GRw2k9wtJE7mUeg4k5WKeL1see1x2pkB4O3upi2cwtKcG9OOWe40bvlPnglgsoUdHut3kun0OW94SISmz1cW44v7pC66YFOFFUdt6ouxpXVENRGyRcHaWZDAp8DYuBFxPN_piYtn_WDjn78Wk/w400-h300/IMG_0578.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Apple Color Emoji"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Apple Color Emoji"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p>Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-87733986456746099922024-02-15T02:19:00.007+00:002024-03-08T02:28:42.203+00:00The BIG One 2024 - New Zealand - Days 8, 9 and 10<p> <b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Thursday 8th February - Paihia</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">We were up at 6.15am ready to be picked up for a coach trip up to the most northerly point of NZ - Cape Reinga. The coach was 20 minutes late and when we got on there was a rousing round of applause! It then dawned on me that before we got on the coach the driver had been talking to the passengers and he must have been planning this! I gave a big bow and we took our seats at the back of the bus.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">We had a very entertaining trip. Our driver, Willie, was a Māori and an entertainer. He told us he had been a clown and he kept us amused on our journey. Silly stories and interesting facts - I don’t think he stopped talking all the way up to the Cape which took us 2.5 hours. There is a lighthouse on the Cape, so we set off to walk down the hill towards it, but Richard’s knees couldn’t take it. It was then that I realised that my knee wasn’t hurting at all - success!! Even on the way up the hill I had no pain. We did, however, see where the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea met.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">From the Cape we headed to our lunch stop. We had pre booked and had ordered fish and chips which were lovely. The cafe is in a beautiful spot. It was then onto 90 Mile Beach (which isn’t 90 miles long but 55 miles). It is an amazing beach as you can probably imagine. The tide was out so it looked even bigger. We drove along until Willie found his favourite spot for sand dune boarding, this entailed going to the top of the dune and then flinging yourself down onto a surf board and sliding down! It looked fun but wasn’t for Richard and I! Can you imagine that being allowed in the UK? Richard and I went for a paddle in the ocean - it was so warm. There was a large group of young people on the tour and they were encouraged to form a human pyramid before getting back onto the coach! It was a very quiet trip back to Paihia, I think a lot of people fell asleep - I didn’t but I had dropped off on the way up. It was a very long but fun and interesting day.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">As we had had fish and chips for lunch we just had crackers and cheese for dinner.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji7QHkN3kJ71zK5IpQ7DlPAld-eTqBpuTFwUiZGx4heXDfVch46nCR-rcj1tL92Adja-IZvNcVDRpCJZ3ggbCXh3zN5yqzyVyLCfP1MKb9m_tz-pGdwP5I7ztJH2HnyLQtFuE9dE6DmtvD6utNdb7nEOc8y1x8E4tGx2Wrkf4RV37YeTz4_tTr_5jxsrg/s4032/IMG_0321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>Friday 9th February - Paihia</b></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">We needed to get some wire and electrical connectors this morning to extend the 12v lead for my sleep machine. The only cigarette lighter socket is in the front of the van and we sleep at the back. The lady in the office was very helpful and asked her electrician if he could sell us some wire which he did </span><span style="font-family: "Apple Color Emoji"; font-size: 12pt;">😃</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">. We also needed a few things for the van. As we are out for 6 weeks we decided to get 2 single sheets (we only given a bottom sheet and a duvet type of thing with no cover and I didn’t fancy having to wash those every couple of weeks). We also wanted a hand towel, a bath mat and two side plates - these were all purchased from the op shop (charity shop).</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Back at the site Richard extended my sleep machine cable and I did some washing. There were three washing lines so in the heat (28 degrees) it was all dry in no time.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">In the afternoon we went to the Waitangi Treaty Ground and saw where the treaty between the Captain William Hobson and the Māori chiefs was signed in 1840. We also saw some amazing wakas (canoes) one of which is the world’s largest ceremonial waka. Everyone was busy studying the canoes when I realised that Richard was busy examining the trailers for the smaller ones! We were then entertained by a group of Māoris who sang and showed us ceremonial moves of may taiaha (stick fighting). The whole visit was excellent.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Back to the site and dinner on board!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxcI-uopKhtuwbySTqcb1JleRVj8dtXZV_NZm6H4h6_etEe9HpHre35iM0FBPP18ELuC0nOf-YVyj_-drnLxrVtG4Fl16ug2jqvL2Ev7WRFq2l6-DFjgfXZVC6NGqJE_NcDAOoSd4kOIChs1PaNU4Lex4fabId-uV6zZfaR7puhg8NqHZwpOs8rArNVk/s5712/IMG_0376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Saturday 10th February - Paihia</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">As we had made a change to our itinerary due to the sleep machine drama we decided to go on a boat trip round the Bay of Islands. We got a $100 discount as we been on the Cape Reinga trip with the same company. Our boat was a speedy catamaran which whizzed us over the tops of the waves. We stopped at varying islands for a look and chance to take some photos. We then went through a very narrow passage and out into some rougher water. The boat was lacking in seating and we had to perch on a shelf (Richard says it was the gunnel but I don’t think it was whichever it was not very comfortable on the rougher sea). We went out to the Hole in the Rock which we never thought we get through but somehow we did. The skipper took his time and eventually said we are going through! The sea had suddenly calmed right down from being two lots of water angrily joining each other and looking very nasty indeed. It was a bit bumpy but we did it, I’m sure the skipper hyped it all up! At Otehei Bay on Urupukapuka Island we have 90 mins on land and we took ourselves off to the cafe as did most people and had a drink, then decided we would have an early dinner overlooking the bay and its islands - it was blissfull! Back on the boat, we got on early and got seats, then went back to Paihia. It had been a beautiful and wonderful afternoon.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">We got back to Kiwi and I actually drove her back to the site! We had already had dinner so a nice quiet evening.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaDRXxyPEMLn6gQ6ka7l48yThvWEWbMYRLZPrQBYugO6Q5jpYXdEZaWGd9weZCtKI6UTulu_iTPHJv8BZIDqkGNhnfeid-_YJB06wBj4bioDsZVih5PyMYSwxlle3TMGFDOIkxcS9XuephGy7f3b-nZGvQ4LD0qpb-gBKAV45g6lV4UE632UScEM0agFc/s4032/IMG_0496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaDRXxyPEMLn6gQ6ka7l48yThvWEWbMYRLZPrQBYugO6Q5jpYXdEZaWGd9weZCtKI6UTulu_iTPHJv8BZIDqkGNhnfeid-_YJB06wBj4bioDsZVih5PyMYSwxlle3TMGFDOIkxcS9XuephGy7f3b-nZGvQ4LD0qpb-gBKAV45g6lV4UE632UScEM0agFc/w400-h300/IMG_0496.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmXcJtWCtcYM3eVG-050NGJmtoLzEN-AFShcgPDuy3GLjQAl4Jr221aOvpGSd4JkNQnfNYssx8vulGXMI2tnniJkm5pxH0uojR6XMEEs-nX1Clpn2mdUQO4SJLJYRyTcii7JqVwdM1Ko1DcaNrtX3blbSHlbt778B0GNV_oOTrHQF4Y0pqaihVqG72os/s5712/IMG_0454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmXcJtWCtcYM3eVG-050NGJmtoLzEN-AFShcgPDuy3GLjQAl4Jr221aOvpGSd4JkNQnfNYssx8vulGXMI2tnniJkm5pxH0uojR6XMEEs-nX1Clpn2mdUQO4SJLJYRyTcii7JqVwdM1Ko1DcaNrtX3blbSHlbt778B0GNV_oOTrHQF4Y0pqaihVqG72os/w400-h300/IMG_0454.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7eZfQTs9l3WH6yIZ3heJoaeQEF8e7jK8uWl4mCx8_CSu-F0iyqc9LM0kCt6yIouTpf_paxSm4jCPpsT3vxyqr_9y588fOMO7fv68LGkfc0fODVJCczic1m92ob_8O49__gWv_2PjE3YrxZ4bF00WBtnK9_mAoFyHLsYww94aXQ19z2rLItzeNy0FY3o/s4032/IMG_0444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7eZfQTs9l3WH6yIZ3heJoaeQEF8e7jK8uWl4mCx8_CSu-F0iyqc9LM0kCt6yIouTpf_paxSm4jCPpsT3vxyqr_9y588fOMO7fv68LGkfc0fODVJCczic1m92ob_8O49__gWv_2PjE3YrxZ4bF00WBtnK9_mAoFyHLsYww94aXQ19z2rLItzeNy0FY3o/w400-h300/IMG_0444.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><br /><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9SMXhmrsc_G2LwD9mIw8FCymzMPQJgD9R0Tw-cCexdbX8Lgrz3ZDbkNxpQCetX9HKgwzEw_MYLhTHpDqxoPaGyBSBuNTR_t7VDexqwkFHhB12gN_T8fiaB1xVhjW8WLSNjh_I3BvOwNx4nhx-N_wjes7-Y4G7MbHnpSGmSh176Cn6z_MjDJsBLGCM8bw/s5712/IMG_0489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9SMXhmrsc_G2LwD9mIw8FCymzMPQJgD9R0Tw-cCexdbX8Lgrz3ZDbkNxpQCetX9HKgwzEw_MYLhTHpDqxoPaGyBSBuNTR_t7VDexqwkFHhB12gN_T8fiaB1xVhjW8WLSNjh_I3BvOwNx4nhx-N_wjes7-Y4G7MbHnpSGmSh176Cn6z_MjDJsBLGCM8bw/w400-h300/IMG_0489.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-69335155806486639492024-02-15T01:29:00.003+00:002024-03-08T02:27:28.824+00:00The BIG One 2024 - Munich and Singapore - Days 1, 2, 3 and 4<div class="separator"><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">MUNICH & SINGAPORE</b></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">Back in 2019 we talked about a trip to New Zealand and found that if we went “round the world” it was cheaper than a return to NZ! We planned our trip for 2022 but then Covid struck and NZ closed its borders. As 2022 came around the borders were still closed so we went to Canada instead. Wind forward to the end of 2022 when we decided to try our down under trip again. Flights were booked and motorhomes reserved and we sat back and waited and waited but finally the count down came into single figures and the anxiety set in - I’m always the same!!</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">To make my life easier as I am using my iPad, I am going to put all the photos at the end of each day.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><b>Thursday February 1st - Munich<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">The morning of February 1st dawned and our taxi arrived on time at 9am (a good omen I hoped). I had gone upmarket with a car and had a very nice Mercedes estate car.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">Our first leg of the journey was to Munich (our round the World ticket is with Lufthansa). I had been offered an upgrade to Business Class at a good rate so we were able to use the Business Class lounge which, as it happened, was right next to our gate.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">The flight was an hour and a half and we were soon in a wet and dark Munich. I had had the choice of flying on to Singapore that evening or staying over, which is what we chose.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">The Novotel was fine and dinner was acceptable though the bed was hard!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUrENCLuK141xSCfmG7vl02orRgNkye1LM8Lfyrc-F8R48bPkieU_hFpTtR2nhuIQxkASnwBI99aGMNaMF1GyZcUgGZubfNnMHzsvQ8IZGoP2Zgt5YSFdSmecXVHufxWpLllc7bLcJKdzhE1paW7k67S7nWUz6HN1aVqhIhRX4pY17rwVf50zCqMHCpM/s5712/IMG_0144.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUrENCLuK141xSCfmG7vl02orRgNkye1LM8Lfyrc-F8R48bPkieU_hFpTtR2nhuIQxkASnwBI99aGMNaMF1GyZcUgGZubfNnMHzsvQ8IZGoP2Zgt5YSFdSmecXVHufxWpLllc7bLcJKdzhE1paW7k67S7nWUz6HN1aVqhIhRX4pY17rwVf50zCqMHCpM/w400-h300/IMG_0144.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><b>Friday February 2nd - Singapore</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">Back to the airport on a very busy shuttle bus. For those who know me well will know that I don’t travel light and we had 2 large roller bags (checked-in), 2 small roller bags (hand luggage), my CPAP machine (allowed as extra hand luggage) and an oversized handbag!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">Our second leg was to Singapore where we had chosen to have a layover. We were due to land at 07.00 and leave at 22.30 the next day.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">Munich is a strange airport as the only seating is at the gate so that is where we headed with a €9 salmon and avocado roll to eat for our breakfast.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">We seemed to be waiting for ages to board but we were finally sitting in our Premium Economy seats (all 4 long legs of the journey are in Premium Economy). The flight was 11.5 hours which seemed to be made up of food/water, Audible books and sleep (not much of that 🙁). For dinner I had a prawn tagliatelle with brown butter sauce, it was the best airline food I had ever eaten.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><b>Saturday 3rd February - Singapore <o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">The heat in Singapore hit us as we got off the plane, but then it would as Singapore is only 1.5 degrees north of the Equator.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">We had to wait for about an hour for our room but it was only about 9am, time for a second breakfast! Our room was on the 22nd floor (top floor) and had an amazing view.</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">A quick shower where I so nearly slipped over, I shook for quite a while afterwards. I had booked 48 hour tickets for the hop on hop off bus which stopped just across the road from the hotel which was very handy, it was also the only stop where the red and yellow routes crossed. We took the first bus which was on the red route. The top deck of the bus had a canopy so we sat under that and enjoyed the breeze. Our first impression of Singapore was that it is so green, not just with trees but also with grass. Everywhere is so clean - smoking and chewing gum are not allowed on the streets and it shows. Even the white buildings are white and not a dirty colour. We drove through China Town where they were getting ready for Chinese New Year in a week’s time, it was so pretty. Then through Little India, sadly Indian food and I don’t get on, it comes back up the way it went down quite rapidly and I started to feel sick from the smell of the food ☹️. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">We went back to our room and slept for about an hour before heading out and trying the yellow route, but it rained and I mean RAINED!! The sun canopy became a rain canopy but we still got wet, Richard was sitting by the “window” and his shorts were drenched on his right side. I don’t remember much about the trip other than getting wet!</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">Richard had another shower then we decided not to go out again as it was still raining, so ate in the hotel which was very uninspiring ☹️. Back in our room we waited for the light show across the harbour but were a little disappointed - I’m not sure what I was expecting but it was more than we saw!</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_9aoYwZaGTCn2EikkRXcN3Jvl5PRIbS9vrRc2rO9a6YrhnEqvypnxqEAftCVjQ_WFlGeWzLZGliDQoKQcR9tnVS3lj1MMwFYsTyTNUrnCqb0EcjgA_gL4vWE1RdPon7KA3VyaXHTuI9I-tcHEJTj_VUngVZ3EW78y6wKVSnupeHiLQ1b2_Q01vVK4-qc/s5712/IMG_0158.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_9aoYwZaGTCn2EikkRXcN3Jvl5PRIbS9vrRc2rO9a6YrhnEqvypnxqEAftCVjQ_WFlGeWzLZGliDQoKQcR9tnVS3lj1MMwFYsTyTNUrnCqb0EcjgA_gL4vWE1RdPon7KA3VyaXHTuI9I-tcHEJTj_VUngVZ3EW78y6wKVSnupeHiLQ1b2_Q01vVK4-qc/w400-h300/IMG_0158.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><b>Sunday 4th February - Singapore</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">We both slept very well and could probably have slept for longer but forced ourselves out of bed! <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">Our first stop was St. Andrew’s Cathedral which we could see from our bedroom window. A service was about to start so we didn’t hang around.</p><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">We then walked to the Fullerton Hotel which <span style="background: repeat white; color: #202122;">is a </span><span style="color: #202122;">five star luxury hotel<span style="background: repeat white;">. It was originally known as the </span>Fullerton Building<span style="background: repeat white;">, and also as the </span>General Post Office Building and<span style="background: repeat white;"> was named after </span>Robert Fullerton, <span style="background: repeat white;">the first Governor of the Straits Settlements. It was fantastic inside and again was decorated for the Chinese New Year. Over our iced lattes we made a plan to go on a boat trip, I checked the map and we set off. I should point out here that EE does not count Singapore in its list of countries covered by their roaming package so I had been using the hotel’s Wi-Fi. We walked and walked! My knee hurt, my back ached and I had a blister on my little toe - I was hot and grumpy - the temperature was 34 degrees and the humidity high. Eventually I gave in and logged on to the internet and discovered that we had turned right out of the hotel when we should have turned left! I reckon we covered 3 miles instead of about half a mile!!! Hey ho.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202122;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202122;">We really enjoyed our boat trip round the harbour. The River Singapore has been dammed forming a fresh water harbour and most of the tap water in Singapore comes from it, after being cleaned of course!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202122;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202122;">There </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">was a ho-ho bus stop not far from the boat trip so we got on a yellow route bus and were able to appreciate the trip after yesterday’s rain. It took us up to the Botanic Gardens, it looked lovely from the outside and it would have been nice to walk around but we had done enough walking for the day!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202122;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202122;">Here are a few of many facts about Singapore learnt from our bus trips. More people speak English than any other language with Malay second. Singapore had the first congestion charge (ERP) in the world. The Singaporeans are the fastest walkers in the world! The Marina Bay Sands cost 5.7 billion US Dollars to build. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202122;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202122;">Back at the hotel it was a quick wash and change of clothes and out to the airport for our 22.25 flight. In my holiday planning i had booked lounges at Singapore, Sydney and San Francisco airports so we went off in search of the Ambassador Lounge and made good use of it. Dinner and non-alchohlic drinks were included. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202122;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202122;">Our plane looked like a Dreamliner but I think it was an A380-800. Business and First class were upstairs so Premium Economy was the posh class downstairs! After Fridays exceptional dinner tonight’s was very poor with overcooked orzo rice and dry chicken, just as well we had some food in the lounge.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202122;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxd4htyXstUofmXfEpWOvF8szSFnN3DUBS0zLwhrqe4lxQEtWsqrcyCX-MLHVMDAjY3dGf63OldSYh79dCm9f9zRvcq6vDvvpBek_Wvz6esX17o2X-GqHwF_E6yAXLOU2Ib6AI4Z9ath0gIfppBzqxtAFZCM-Esl5jg9s5IydVZJPzYpj_F3O26G6rxzQ/s5712/IMG_0220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxd4htyXstUofmXfEpWOvF8szSFnN3DUBS0zLwhrqe4lxQEtWsqrcyCX-MLHVMDAjY3dGf63OldSYh79dCm9f9zRvcq6vDvvpBek_Wvz6esX17o2X-GqHwF_E6yAXLOU2Ib6AI4Z9ath0gIfppBzqxtAFZCM-Esl5jg9s5IydVZJPzYpj_F3O26G6rxzQ/w300-h400/IMG_0220.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfdXW8kG98WBdBeFtmqLdrXa5oEsDQ0HYFMRkwpuiYEsP88MIg694_1uyu9DSArqpfQYl7nGSdyGlP4G2oPvbVaUtWdhNRjghlBJM_pwnFdgMO2BqB2iijaJa4aUuWxFfIjvpT1M3uY4KJESaVTOexVWjPogW7IqGDvIU6ACHbtA49H70wens3hRtS3Y/s4032/IMG_0274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfdXW8kG98WBdBeFtmqLdrXa5oEsDQ0HYFMRkwpuiYEsP88MIg694_1uyu9DSArqpfQYl7nGSdyGlP4G2oPvbVaUtWdhNRjghlBJM_pwnFdgMO2BqB2iijaJa4aUuWxFfIjvpT1M3uY4KJESaVTOexVWjPogW7IqGDvIU6ACHbtA49H70wens3hRtS3Y/w400-h300/IMG_0274.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202122;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202122;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202122;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p></div><br />Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-18654625818250529902023-07-23T11:32:00.000+01:002023-07-23T11:32:16.421+01:00July 2023 - The Last Few Days<p><b>Below Wood Lock No. 19 (Grand Union Canal) – Tuesday 18th
July</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Today was a very quiet day.
We didn’t have that far to go and only 6 locks to negotiate. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We did the 2 Cape Locks then moored up just outside Tesco in
Leamington, just for a top up of fresh stuff. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-DaTuKyWPszqfKImtERkADhr1Un-59WHizG0zrZz6nP3JsVJgZF9pQK2QPDGBX367tQOMBsrZc3brnJPVfowTuImxYPYkzZRLACqT0FMt_WfoywKo1l69DcKbqi_sQpPnT0-PlvobKVQgoPO96hWlZaP7uc5qnGOSOuqWACWZt7p7Uh6YfnJO6w442Y/s3990/IMG_4616.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2966" data-original-width="3990" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-DaTuKyWPszqfKImtERkADhr1Un-59WHizG0zrZz6nP3JsVJgZF9pQK2QPDGBX367tQOMBsrZc3brnJPVfowTuImxYPYkzZRLACqT0FMt_WfoywKo1l69DcKbqi_sQpPnT0-PlvobKVQgoPO96hWlZaP7uc5qnGOSOuqWACWZt7p7Uh6YfnJO6w442Y/w400-h297/IMG_4616.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">4 more locks and then that was us for the day!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m not too sure about these short days. I seem to spend the afternoons listening to
my talking book and missing half of it as I have gone to sleep! I never sleep in the afternoons, but maybe as
I’m now 70, I am allowed to! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGWKcDCrzFBGlEq0AZXbrIS4mSlJgqql0pCNXiGawuJ7qJ7RUZtPdVxYtYxd3vvwjuetH__GNvvWP_FpV23ApbJmha3lhgdrqEzbueoyuUUzXqUhTlJKCDsuqEIIbqSvZUYXvRlnwk8Er_uw6dkSs9qyRQNpXQqDWOm4ytemWl02yuItr7Qcr_widJaI/s4032/IMG_4615.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGWKcDCrzFBGlEq0AZXbrIS4mSlJgqql0pCNXiGawuJ7qJ7RUZtPdVxYtYxd3vvwjuetH__GNvvWP_FpV23ApbJmha3lhgdrqEzbueoyuUUzXqUhTlJKCDsuqEIIbqSvZUYXvRlnwk8Er_uw6dkSs9qyRQNpXQqDWOm4ytemWl02yuItr7Qcr_widJaI/w400-h300/IMG_4615.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Here is a potted history of Royal Leamington Spa and how it
got its name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Originally a small village
called Leamington Priors it was first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as
Lamintone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it grew into a spa town in
the 18th century following the popularisation of its water which was reputed to
have medicinal qualities. In the 19th century, the town experienced one of the
most rapid expansions in England.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Leamington became a popular spa resort attracting the wealthy and
famous, with numerous Georgian townhouses built to accommodate visitors. In
1838 Queen Victoria granted the town a 'Royal' prefix, and 'Leamington Priors'
was renamed 'Royal Leamington Spa'. Queen Victoria had visited the town as a
Princess in 1830 and as Queen in 1858. The growth of Leamington was rapid; at
the time of the first national census in 1801, Leamington had a population of
just 315, by 1851 this had grown to 15,724, and by 1901, the population had
reached 26,888.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the popularity of spa
resorts declined towards the end of the 19th century, the focus of Leamington's
economy shifted towards becoming a popular place of residence for retired
people and for members of the middle class, many of whom relocated from
Coventry and Birmingham.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Earlier this
year The Sunday Times named Leamington as the best place to live in the
Midlands.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Today’s photos are some left over from Stratford-upon-Avon
as we left on Friday.<br /><br />6.69 miles<br />6 locks<br /><br /><br /><b>Daventry Road Bridge No 19 (Grand Union Canal) – Wednesday
19th July</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We set off with our destination being the Blue Lias. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEircOiH7BhSuSUBPlU2Gm2d39XoveFiSKf1CEu9UaQHp0iwyL-L--rxGYvhazVgQGM26TMAulNrKQnlyx6LBv3Gk0vyOvFV8EuGxE8ZbW-XdVuoiXbwMSsC2I0to4r5NYqzwlp30AkpjueCkLN_TarFKZ_BuJH5dTy4-vMqcWm8XFkoVnKJgj6CnMTx2V0/s3940/IMG_4701.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2898" data-original-width="3940" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEircOiH7BhSuSUBPlU2Gm2d39XoveFiSKf1CEu9UaQHp0iwyL-L--rxGYvhazVgQGM26TMAulNrKQnlyx6LBv3Gk0vyOvFV8EuGxE8ZbW-XdVuoiXbwMSsC2I0to4r5NYqzwlp30AkpjueCkLN_TarFKZ_BuJH5dTy4-vMqcWm8XFkoVnKJgj6CnMTx2V0/w400-h294/IMG_4701.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Just after Wood Lock we came across where HS 2 will be
going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It really is a big scar on the
landscape, but I guess it will go back to green and pleasant fields one day,
though there will be trains speeding through it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7oasuYDU84-V1w_FJ2TCixsDjXb54aJP26rQ34CnTvSOhckxHosU8dC95kBj_iSwASXWFJnuSSzafU5ayqaJG56kICMghbZpOI7NsREyYJLItEfdt6LwjYzf3XyRLbyZI-NBWYpd_MDUmEai6KowXj6coaYiVLPZnuhqr2kCrzx1qtlvkNgYuSeNpOo/s4020/IMG_4699.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3008" data-original-width="4020" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7oasuYDU84-V1w_FJ2TCixsDjXb54aJP26rQ34CnTvSOhckxHosU8dC95kBj_iSwASXWFJnuSSzafU5ayqaJG56kICMghbZpOI7NsREyYJLItEfdt6LwjYzf3XyRLbyZI-NBWYpd_MDUmEai6KowXj6coaYiVLPZnuhqr2kCrzx1qtlvkNgYuSeNpOo/w400-h299/IMG_4699.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlCZru857Th4U-rqxRM4nIK_uIDMcDl-HI6PhykEvlBLxhzpsafNRP3v2-BeofXEluv684fiyjNQEqq79ALWmAioTqaB8QpxwwDDsXX1rbzGug830Ybhdw9X5J5D5xhEfjQObl2WGIyG7EOfytKKORsblY6Rnfegxw4JILrKVvXY2hG6ggavALu1BO8M/s3966/IMG_4694.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2934" data-original-width="3966" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlCZru857Th4U-rqxRM4nIK_uIDMcDl-HI6PhykEvlBLxhzpsafNRP3v2-BeofXEluv684fiyjNQEqq79ALWmAioTqaB8QpxwwDDsXX1rbzGug830Ybhdw9X5J5D5xhEfjQObl2WGIyG7EOfytKKORsblY6Rnfegxw4JILrKVvXY2hG6ggavALu1BO8M/w400-h296/IMG_4694.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJWmVXXt50_XbSRVpd9-QZAuRRpzIucRVyvLcB8cHJ6_zMvXPxVrkcmRGrEFamAgo2bycU-G-_P2ud9V38YjqXbmyFoBjxOf-bE5Pdqwn0J9HXIiLeVzqFBVVXHPZ_F5aD9THo4JBqq0-lZrqZ-LyT7Yzwn0xQS7mkRlhkQZ1ysusDX2NMfof-RSJBEQ/s3920/IMG_4695.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2870" data-original-width="3920" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJWmVXXt50_XbSRVpd9-QZAuRRpzIucRVyvLcB8cHJ6_zMvXPxVrkcmRGrEFamAgo2bycU-G-_P2ud9V38YjqXbmyFoBjxOf-bE5Pdqwn0J9HXIiLeVzqFBVVXHPZ_F5aD9THo4JBqq0-lZrqZ-LyT7Yzwn0xQS7mkRlhkQZ1ysusDX2NMfof-RSJBEQ/w400-h293/IMG_4695.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The next lock was Welsh Road Lock and I love the history of
the Welsh road which goes over the adjoining bridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The road is so called because it was the
route of the old drovers’ that dates from way back before the Elizabethan era.
There was a time when men spent all summer on the roads driving cattle from
Wales to the Midlands and to the cities of Southern England for fattening and
for butchering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As more people left the
countryside to work in towns, the demand for fresh meat increased and drovers
from Wales brought herds as large as 300 to fulfil these demands. With six to
twelve men per herd, and only the foreman on horseback, they herded animals
with the help of corgi dogs. They covered about ten miles a day, taking up to
three weeks to reach London. Then there was the long walk back home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Drovers were paid a couple of shillings a
day. In October 1836, David Johnathon’s drovers spent 18 shillings in the
Southam taverns, Southam being one of nineteen overnight stops on their way.
Some drovers never made it home again. In Southam churchyard there are the
graves of several Welsh drovers, including Robert Lloyd of Dduallt who was
buried there on August 31st 1773. He is recorded as having died through
‘drinking small beer when hot’ at the King’s Head (Craven Arms) when on his way
to London.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Next were the three Bascote locks. 1 single and a staircase of 2 locks.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhPY4hOpZElSWFipPT7_0vRvfbR5_ecX5IqgdrZrMa_4w9IVb2jVPLQ4N5Ykz0J0As8EUS6Gr-ig5sshrnPrMRYEFPV4lCdPXjJeh9NIvcT3glBW0si_TSpPrTRX39l5T_IgAhZKC71oauMvX6Sq2e_WTikWJEMz50WLXvTv6jXua-RM8H_ZTyUr2Fv8/s3882/IMG_4702.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2814" data-original-width="3882" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhPY4hOpZElSWFipPT7_0vRvfbR5_ecX5IqgdrZrMa_4w9IVb2jVPLQ4N5Ykz0J0As8EUS6Gr-ig5sshrnPrMRYEFPV4lCdPXjJeh9NIvcT3glBW0si_TSpPrTRX39l5T_IgAhZKC71oauMvX6Sq2e_WTikWJEMz50WLXvTv6jXua-RM8H_ZTyUr2Fv8/w400-h290/IMG_4702.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqatbCw_c6ji-ScidfBoc4ES-wVUdc88rSXNS2QnnFAqFlcz1uw1w7qy8gujYR-DA5Vi2uMaaWtysl9inP1o99BvCO7sJCnQk_MwSUfBhs22xbImOiqG0YOj3i5ccER0-KIS1yWdA1YSnbwap06ILb4C3lUtqb-RxdRIdCmj_827t6Q1jTeMnPQp9_h30/s4032/IMG_4707.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqatbCw_c6ji-ScidfBoc4ES-wVUdc88rSXNS2QnnFAqFlcz1uw1w7qy8gujYR-DA5Vi2uMaaWtysl9inP1o99BvCO7sJCnQk_MwSUfBhs22xbImOiqG0YOj3i5ccER0-KIS1yWdA1YSnbwap06ILb4C3lUtqb-RxdRIdCmj_827t6Q1jTeMnPQp9_h30/w400-h300/IMG_4707.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We picked up a single hander at Itchington Bottom lock (I
often wonder where the top lock is).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
guy had only had his boat for 2 weeks and seemed more than happy to let Richard
do all the work!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We pulled over at the
Blue Lias as planned, moored up, went and had a drink and thought, the sun is
shining and a boat has just come down the Stockton flight so why don’t we just
go for it??<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back to the boat, cast off
and up the locks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were all in our
favour and we did the 8 locks in just under an hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We cruised on until we found a nice spot to
moor up for the rest of the day.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Blue Lias is a riot of colour. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGLqhTakKAHHSA-W1lm8pAXHRcgOHMQKfB2FPfUkg96qD4da5Fi6PRZTCnsyxBw6MdWmAAsAo9zE9AiUWbBeOOpXv4Q9hxTtiOAp30btjgX_JNVB33WSBBQo54P5Cr0Dou5GsXUDD1Lj1Wz9aFX3e1CA8HI-NTwNDBBz0My2ronKBMSd_lcgwhy02LBY/s3908/IMG_4709.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2850" data-original-width="3908" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGLqhTakKAHHSA-W1lm8pAXHRcgOHMQKfB2FPfUkg96qD4da5Fi6PRZTCnsyxBw6MdWmAAsAo9zE9AiUWbBeOOpXv4Q9hxTtiOAp30btjgX_JNVB33WSBBQo54P5Cr0Dou5GsXUDD1Lj1Wz9aFX3e1CA8HI-NTwNDBBz0My2ronKBMSd_lcgwhy02LBY/w400-h291/IMG_4709.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGBuIqAxXDcRaV6WQhisQx2Weks6AB1OErVWhGJH-PKBrUFPhE4B2i0SgvcB8uBY_Aj6E1hkSJ_UJF2YV6RFqHZe3W3jFaUARZtTMZtOuVVhbCRRMeLkm-uI-Kz5WcxrCHXL5fK6pEwSHvXhpeetic9Ff5Mf51LxFeLSgKzlHmhdSvGzciVKqqWtS7ig/s3966/IMG_4715.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2932" data-original-width="3966" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGBuIqAxXDcRaV6WQhisQx2Weks6AB1OErVWhGJH-PKBrUFPhE4B2i0SgvcB8uBY_Aj6E1hkSJ_UJF2YV6RFqHZe3W3jFaUARZtTMZtOuVVhbCRRMeLkm-uI-Kz5WcxrCHXL5fK6pEwSHvXhpeetic9Ff5Mf51LxFeLSgKzlHmhdSvGzciVKqqWtS7ig/w400-h296/IMG_4715.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We will go to the marina tomorrow and then drive home on
Friday instead of Saturday.<br /><br />5.2 miles<br />15 locks<br /><br /><br /><b>Dunchurch Pools Marina (Grand Union/Oxford Canals) – Thursday
20th July</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We didn’t have far to go today. The three Calcutt Locks
weren’t far away, and they were all in our favour. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Calcutt Marina</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQdkiwODObmSGCrhLA498zSunTRgd6XefOCklU4upAY95QEG8bEe5OIM2Z-Mw0hJYruNEkb_NLGlzC1nbgZzBc2nT799XORxnioxikBzPpG5coVOJBITjWrkZs6hwxmYS3P4z-RVTvtdZupNqgugk5WgIak-aIp_vRjFD5KaeKwu_Oka2hGj3grnR0O8/s4032/IMG_4720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQdkiwODObmSGCrhLA498zSunTRgd6XefOCklU4upAY95QEG8bEe5OIM2Z-Mw0hJYruNEkb_NLGlzC1nbgZzBc2nT799XORxnioxikBzPpG5coVOJBITjWrkZs6hwxmYS3P4z-RVTvtdZupNqgugk5WgIak-aIp_vRjFD5KaeKwu_Oka2hGj3grnR0O8/w400-h300/IMG_4720.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">I found this little fellow while I was waiting for Richard
to open the gate at Calcutt Locks. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLmG_DwrDU5GK7-X0vzSTmU4vkkJtAeg__UHo3d4WUJs_u9PdCQyBFk9UFY0t5Qgh80A96hgg3zxCvFBMAPisgg98bpxAF5BtgbMiTa3d16ir1fQkQLzSJCYhaCYTHZsC_tel64qEvBj7DQqE9_5hN0a5Kc2vvyheBZvuM0Iswb1Xi6l-kYeOrOG5jWS4/s2691/IMG_4704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2691" data-original-width="2019" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLmG_DwrDU5GK7-X0vzSTmU4vkkJtAeg__UHo3d4WUJs_u9PdCQyBFk9UFY0t5Qgh80A96hgg3zxCvFBMAPisgg98bpxAF5BtgbMiTa3d16ir1fQkQLzSJCYhaCYTHZsC_tel64qEvBj7DQqE9_5hN0a5Kc2vvyheBZvuM0Iswb1Xi6l-kYeOrOG5jWS4/w300-h400/IMG_4704.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Richard already had the gate open for the second lock. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxRe3ovgqmF7jmanvAHQLKrcrcEeXcPzxIc0KQdGqcZk_OBBt5_FbHwvRX_W2R1RRkrsDTTPa5bqtCZN4JDb__AjIWDpg8MwvJsbFyUfI2rgRPaiHfrFuPgIFexTIeFyIZC2Kq5MawZlKRPumkLFVo1eSp2PYoajLQyLsClAKJgil4-MDUu75br2M7HOI/s3882/IMG_4722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2814" data-original-width="3882" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxRe3ovgqmF7jmanvAHQLKrcrcEeXcPzxIc0KQdGqcZk_OBBt5_FbHwvRX_W2R1RRkrsDTTPa5bqtCZN4JDb__AjIWDpg8MwvJsbFyUfI2rgRPaiHfrFuPgIFexTIeFyIZC2Kq5MawZlKRPumkLFVo1eSp2PYoajLQyLsClAKJgil4-MDUu75br2M7HOI/w400-h290/IMG_4722.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Down to the junction with the Oxford Canal and along one of
our favourite stretches of canal though it is getting very overgrown now. While we were cruising along, I made a
chicken dish for dinner and the freezer.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Dunchurch didn’t have the flags and banners out for our
return – huh!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We spent the afternoon sorting out and getting ready for
leaving in the morning. Poor Muffin was
exhausted! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMpRHp7-PiDMm9O4C4zzwk-V5WT27pgRj-2dc1ESWa5D0DYkLWcOb22lcR_SWH2exp5LlVNAWcfAZke2t4l1Ed1-0z30L7jgyDl9YcY0UYCiuUOldu9NEPWypGEkJTHKbZpjaPonbEHoyWJaWhoTk2fnhqmlSN-5REYmR4uqUZ3d4F2HyP5eV8WKAzIDI/s4032/IMG_4726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMpRHp7-PiDMm9O4C4zzwk-V5WT27pgRj-2dc1ESWa5D0DYkLWcOb22lcR_SWH2exp5LlVNAWcfAZke2t4l1Ed1-0z30L7jgyDl9YcY0UYCiuUOldu9NEPWypGEkJTHKbZpjaPonbEHoyWJaWhoTk2fnhqmlSN-5REYmR4uqUZ3d4F2HyP5eV8WKAzIDI/w400-h300/IMG_4726.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Braunston is at the very heart of the English canal system –
a key point between North and South. Braunston captures the imagination of
waterway writers, artists and photographers, and, with its unique environment,
is a living historical monument. In 1768
the Oxford Canal was formed to link the Coventry Canal at Longford, via Banbury
to Oxford, then to London via the Thames.
Ease of construction was crucial to avoid unnecessary locks, embankments
and so on, so by 1774 it followed the contours via Rugby and Hillmorton, to
Braunston. The canal came to where the entrance to Braunston Marina is now,
turned sharp right and continued to Napton.
Soon a shorter, faster route to London was needed, resulting in the
Grand Junction Canal Company Act of 1793. The canal joined the Oxford Canal at
the present marina entrance, up the 6 locks, through the tunnel and south to
Brentford via Tring and Hemel Hempstead. All the locks are double width, and
the canal is straighter and wider than the contour Oxford Canal. Between 1829 and 1833 the Oxford Canal was
shortened to avoid some of the twisting route from Braunston to Napton. This
resulted in a new junction at Braunston, the ‘Braunston Turn’ and the original
Oxford Canal being terminated to form an arm at the wharf.<br /><br />9.82 miles<br />3 locks<br /><br /><br /><b>Hayling Island – Friday 21st July</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It didn’t take long to pack up as we have it down to a fine
art now. We soon said goodbye to Mary H
and set off on our journey home. It was
a relatively good journey home bearing in mind it was a Friday and the fact
that a huge lorry stacked high with enormous straw bales had broken down on a
roundabout and caused a long tail back.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">To sum up our summer cruise.
We were aboard for 7 weeks in total, 2½ weeks back in May and 4½ weeks
this time. Richard had a bad back in
April which meant that he and his son didn’t get to the boat and take it up to
Stone, which curtailed where our original plan.
However, we joined the Staffs and Worcs going via Leicester (as you do!)
and enjoyed the River Soar as always.
Having left Mary H at Otherton Boat Haven at the end of May we returned
in mid-June. We were dubious about
joining the BCN Explorer Cruise, but decided to go for it and I’m glad we
did. The BCN canals were interesting, to
say the least. We were surprised at how
rural about 95% of it was but the canals were very weedy with Richard spending
a lot of the time down the weed hatch.
The people we were with were interesting as they all came from different
parts of the country. We were able to
cruise with old friends Steve and Diane, which was lovely, and we made new
friends in Steve and Tracey with their dogs Maggie and Ted. We cruised the River Severn and the River
Avon (my favourite river) and then returned to Dunchurch Pools. We have been surprised at how quiet the
waterways have been. There was mooring
available at practically all the mooring places on the River Avon, usually it
can be a bit of a struggle to find somewhere.
Most schools break up today so maybe that will change.<br /><br />Total miles 298<br />Total locks 293</p><p class="MsoNormal">I’m going to finish the blog with this lovely photo of Ted
from Over the Moon. His mother was a
Westie and his father a Bichon Frise. He
really is the most adorable dog.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8wBcYFYlJI3dvOxek_TwpFUFyFbteUDLjyeTgKpANaIkYc8_uXS80--rdbsBqTRHhkajjv2zqMjZ6p1H4wsPkg-oGfbi5_qNy39XHd-ZcEuo3i3alnWnDQj-1ShzLeRh450XfssuOBYM3-BgSi6Xv8uEEtDzTCd-D8CI4Dk4LUnsXjD61zpuHRS2mNdA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="593" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8wBcYFYlJI3dvOxek_TwpFUFyFbteUDLjyeTgKpANaIkYc8_uXS80--rdbsBqTRHhkajjv2zqMjZ6p1H4wsPkg-oGfbi5_qNy39XHd-ZcEuo3i3alnWnDQj-1ShzLeRh450XfssuOBYM3-BgSi6Xv8uEEtDzTCd-D8CI4Dk4LUnsXjD61zpuHRS2mNdA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-80892508931527200272023-07-18T14:42:00.002+01:002023-07-19T11:34:03.290+01:00July 2023 - South Stratford Canal and the Hatton Flight<p><b>Lowsonford (South Stratford Canal) – Saturday 15th July</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We wanted to get away before the rain and the wind came in
and we were actually away at 7.50am!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The sun was shining though there were some threatening
clouds around.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We went over Edstone Aqueduct which is one of three
aqueducts on a 4 miles length of the canal.
At 475 feet Edstone is the longest cast iron aqueduct in England, (the
Pontcysyllte is in Wales!) It crosses a minor
road, a stream, a field and a railway line.
The aqueduct was completed in 1816 and its cast iron trough is formed of
35 separate sections bolted together, which sits on thirteen brick piers,
creating 14 spans. The trough is 8.9 ft wide, and 4.9 ft deep. The towpath is
set level with the base of the trough, which is a somewhat unusual design
feature.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmk81fUtoUAJnx9HtuVMwtOs0VZRJTotBnKvTN5tGYGvptZ2Q9EyWHObeM7tvurXU-KF9pvzmg28uA9kAbk-86YUI1NSJoJYAWNn2wl-HKH-mjqch3hy_BiSklwqa2ZmcNfPVvb41pw6GTcAZ5ddA4Jh_LAoZ-wO67E7cXxJTUd2aT1u0rEtaa1ViPwao/s4032/IMG_4639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmk81fUtoUAJnx9HtuVMwtOs0VZRJTotBnKvTN5tGYGvptZ2Q9EyWHObeM7tvurXU-KF9pvzmg28uA9kAbk-86YUI1NSJoJYAWNn2wl-HKH-mjqch3hy_BiSklwqa2ZmcNfPVvb41pw6GTcAZ5ddA4Jh_LAoZ-wO67E7cXxJTUd2aT1u0rEtaa1ViPwao/w400-h300/IMG_4639.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HXBSG6ef-b1jEKCMjd9CZPZArGIsyIMUDDn6PJJKqIf5JYF-lwVI_P57ZbtGZgdT6WOhR1WlGM8hqh0sR67Isz9Of1IHD0laEwtTJmZ2BRxavnSD-fztogI2_HfJ9dBt5nK-ctH5KnUJ6GsulQJZmIrk09IAp8RYN_K6JDVWoW8rFi6ZHFp_nRYaMCs/s4032/IMG_4641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HXBSG6ef-b1jEKCMjd9CZPZArGIsyIMUDDn6PJJKqIf5JYF-lwVI_P57ZbtGZgdT6WOhR1WlGM8hqh0sR67Isz9Of1IHD0laEwtTJmZ2BRxavnSD-fztogI2_HfJ9dBt5nK-ctH5KnUJ6GsulQJZmIrk09IAp8RYN_K6JDVWoW8rFi6ZHFp_nRYaMCs/w400-h300/IMG_4641.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">We came up to Hill Farm Marina where Over the Moon is
moored. We couldn’t see her. I took the first photo on the 16th July 2017
when the marina had just been started, it opened in October 2017, they must
have worked really hard in that time!
The second was taken today. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjicfrkRsuwDs0jd9bQvFriqRW2YuyteqWOtRW0bwfWkO0Hdkps3vUIY3SYCSjGZcPPNr-eKESHv5uXCeZZbKW2gXfeUykPWh5F4kl6RKsLeIxNnE6ievmPGNPL0aFb3uZAIjGZuI94HxN-kWFvAWFft7rCCRF-zET8EvCJ7p9RQ5DiQZIv_FRmGwzGJFI/s4608/20170716_104846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjicfrkRsuwDs0jd9bQvFriqRW2YuyteqWOtRW0bwfWkO0Hdkps3vUIY3SYCSjGZcPPNr-eKESHv5uXCeZZbKW2gXfeUykPWh5F4kl6RKsLeIxNnE6ievmPGNPL0aFb3uZAIjGZuI94HxN-kWFvAWFft7rCCRF-zET8EvCJ7p9RQ5DiQZIv_FRmGwzGJFI/w400-h300/20170716_104846.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPgoP3XsJOM-d2QY7nmFQTGZoGBkP2q2M3jkycOxB_BJbNucaeBdIqzs2M0C9ej-sBZHbyGbzvt8nBTjHmBDoVeQYmEhT5DdDigz02VFAAJ0lzc8sLSrkYmJ1NB69zSKK9LwSb82dc6ayB-qHrThw6pRg4apQvKFRxHUxCcWES3sJF0ZOEEAKo9AN0bA/s4032/IMG_4649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPgoP3XsJOM-d2QY7nmFQTGZoGBkP2q2M3jkycOxB_BJbNucaeBdIqzs2M0C9ej-sBZHbyGbzvt8nBTjHmBDoVeQYmEhT5DdDigz02VFAAJ0lzc8sLSrkYmJ1NB69zSKK9LwSb82dc6ayB-qHrThw6pRg4apQvKFRxHUxCcWES3sJF0ZOEEAKo9AN0bA/w400-h300/IMG_4649.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We had one short shower which really wasn’t anything, but
the wind was getting stronger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What with
the wind and the strong bywashes, it was very difficult to get into locks
without banging the sides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is a
bywash?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, an overflow is formed by
diverting surplus water over a weir instead of allowing it to flow over the
lock gates. It then flows via a small tunnel or behind the lock into the lower
pound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the rain on Friday has added
lots of water to the canal so the bywashes are strong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3AKlNmz5N1cfiF5GAgdMO8JIFfdOGd_65-OumPM0EV-aKqtElB4Mh-7h9qrD4dWkDxaCLb_-iqGSkHhy-1wg1jcTL-svWi9q7Xdzmxuq8urvIPGuUuX7Ssou3wij4XanAa475QCzLLH4YfINCQg5ZtKgwqEyINOF9977yY3rurbJSnzFMqBJXGEimCI/s4032/IMG_4653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3AKlNmz5N1cfiF5GAgdMO8JIFfdOGd_65-OumPM0EV-aKqtElB4Mh-7h9qrD4dWkDxaCLb_-iqGSkHhy-1wg1jcTL-svWi9q7Xdzmxuq8urvIPGuUuX7Ssou3wij4XanAa475QCzLLH4YfINCQg5ZtKgwqEyINOF9977yY3rurbJSnzFMqBJXGEimCI/w400-h300/IMG_4653.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We got to Lowsonford and had the last mooring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hadn’t felt well all day and slept for 2
hours in the afternoon which is most unlike me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I felt somewhat better after it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the evening we went to the Fleur de Lys pub which is a
short walk away. We have always had a
good meal there but today sadly mine wasn’t.
I had a chicken burger which was very overcooked, and I really couldn’t
eat it. The manager took it off the bill
and gave us two ice creams free of charge.
That’s the second time in three days that I have had overcooked
chicken. I know it is better than it
being undercooked, but when you can’t get your knife through it ….. !! <br /><br />7.43 miles<br />8 locks<br /><br /><br /><b>White Bridge No 61 (South Stratford/Grand Union Canals) –
Sunday 16th July</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We left at 9.45am – a lie in today!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I said yesterday about the bywashes, well today they were
just as bad. However, our third lock was a dream! It was empty and there was no bywash, I got
straight in with no banging!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The peace and tranquillity of the canals was shattered at
our fourth lock as the M40 goes over the top. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkoWz6N2kE8kvFYA7CQsW1a0oTvwolqvudatmnBPd_CfQqf2TMzjWkLXcy307ARnUCl5wNGm-vSnOLe-cE0YSGy57ygZxJJ0Kw9HuJ5q2GTa9bGv8XF4-F-Vt3bBkA_MgUOt5hAMRLuAdtz_gL_unXpfGrsANM9iMdQI2usubd1tutke7S4CKkEHUGvfk/s4032/IMG_4658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkoWz6N2kE8kvFYA7CQsW1a0oTvwolqvudatmnBPd_CfQqf2TMzjWkLXcy307ARnUCl5wNGm-vSnOLe-cE0YSGy57ygZxJJ0Kw9HuJ5q2GTa9bGv8XF4-F-Vt3bBkA_MgUOt5hAMRLuAdtz_gL_unXpfGrsANM9iMdQI2usubd1tutke7S4CKkEHUGvfk/w400-h300/IMG_4658.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I took this photo as the sun was shining and all was well
with the world <span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nksracwC8T0jtIqi1bZy9RZyOEIe3CpRz52_8uZuVC2nZ3N3bHeY4UDmiWVFYWFqNfjSW3uCRqnUS92qRN1boax-J6fk6-wie9jG5rsJ1QjDJsDUscSi0vka2rT7KOA3WR5k5sPgrmkBPLE7XyiK_alT7uG2nLbhXUTUp0sqxK4YIHNHFTNakTSP84g/s4032/IMG_4664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nksracwC8T0jtIqi1bZy9RZyOEIe3CpRz52_8uZuVC2nZ3N3bHeY4UDmiWVFYWFqNfjSW3uCRqnUS92qRN1boax-J6fk6-wie9jG5rsJ1QjDJsDUscSi0vka2rT7KOA3WR5k5sPgrmkBPLE7XyiK_alT7uG2nLbhXUTUp0sqxK4YIHNHFTNakTSP84g/w400-h300/IMG_4664.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Along the South Stratford Canal are some barrel roof shaped
cottages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These were built for
lengthsmen and were that shape as craftsmen who built the house were so used to
constructing barrel-vaulted bridges that they used the same technique for the
cottage roof.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of them have been
extended and the cottage at Lowsonford can be hired through the Landmark Trust. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeoTvH7YJeHRl1psOzCJ4vQeaUowF-HxUqdJz7xN9ArXZRjvq15-2b0lJV7Wg5GtSgK0q2mQdeKaho-T46rkixpZYC4g_j-hO02iZysgY-BP49xVVYG6XOIxBFXlRAAdt93r0quT3_y09NTTtpqKeHP-hEeqQV7lU8HjO6Y2ZYncs1tCZ1CjiNVCshRMk/s4032/IMG_4665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeoTvH7YJeHRl1psOzCJ4vQeaUowF-HxUqdJz7xN9ArXZRjvq15-2b0lJV7Wg5GtSgK0q2mQdeKaho-T46rkixpZYC4g_j-hO02iZysgY-BP49xVVYG6XOIxBFXlRAAdt93r0quT3_y09NTTtpqKeHP-hEeqQV7lU8HjO6Y2ZYncs1tCZ1CjiNVCshRMk/w400-h300/IMG_4665.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Just before the last lock were these heifers and bullocks
enjoying a paddle. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpQrGjOxRhAWxj2b6G6iXvOEFakQyQYfamyopZg7v0nc-NoIKx9wTA5AAwvf3kyIJhYvpo84LwLNweXx0phakOvXN-NqLEEDFQ0msiBA5JVR2gpZ45nRTAoETK35fSHh4YYfuKWLdc32k9GoxFQ_-9w7pHbL3KHJzhX6ZGqU2-qCtglbrAMoOTWr0b_Zg/s4032/IMG_4670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpQrGjOxRhAWxj2b6G6iXvOEFakQyQYfamyopZg7v0nc-NoIKx9wTA5AAwvf3kyIJhYvpo84LwLNweXx0phakOvXN-NqLEEDFQ0msiBA5JVR2gpZ45nRTAoETK35fSHh4YYfuKWLdc32k9GoxFQ_-9w7pHbL3KHJzhX6ZGqU2-qCtglbrAMoOTWr0b_Zg/w400-h300/IMG_4670.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We completed the 9 locks in 2¼ hours which we felt was a
good time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the locks were
against us but most of them were in our favour.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We filled up with water in Lapworth Basin and then continued
onto the Grand Union Canal, where we moored up.<br /><br />4.53 miles<br />9 locks<br /><br /><br /><b>Cape of Good Hope (Grand Union Canal) – Monday 17th July</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As we had stopped short of Hatton Top Lock last night, we
had to make an early start. It is much
better to do the Hatton flight earlier in the day when it is usually
quieter. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We left our mooring at 8.50am! I’ll let you into a secret – I was still in
bed!! It didn’t take us long to get to
the top of the flight where we met The Laird, a long term hire boat with its
Aussie crew.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At lock 2 we picked up a volockie who stayed with us for
about 10 of the locks. It makes such a
difference having that one extra person as it means that someone can go on
ahead to set the next lock. It was
strange as some locks were with us, and some weren’t, and we didn’t see anyone
in front of us.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I would like to boost this post with all sorts of horror
stories about our trip down the flight, but there weren’t any!! Everything went really well, and we completed
the 21 locks and dropped down 142 feet in 3¼ hours.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">These are just a few of the photos I took today. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU15TfP5pJZGINQcHPACKpZvJPYkrIokRughHtcrFPLiDby7dNS-i_Ops1yU93PRYEB_EXRwcedNTf2W6itDRm0vCV1ZVeLHsSpaxYkvgdxKNsRb8Oho6mAIJr_KAxkTXlGO2zfuSZ_d7kRwOfJC6LrJL8b8sIt9rrT8dl1C9AUIK5D3TfJDVu_h0SuTE/s4032/IMG_4687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU15TfP5pJZGINQcHPACKpZvJPYkrIokRughHtcrFPLiDby7dNS-i_Ops1yU93PRYEB_EXRwcedNTf2W6itDRm0vCV1ZVeLHsSpaxYkvgdxKNsRb8Oho6mAIJr_KAxkTXlGO2zfuSZ_d7kRwOfJC6LrJL8b8sIt9rrT8dl1C9AUIK5D3TfJDVu_h0SuTE/w400-h300/IMG_4687.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW9eSMfCj34QpXhXcqmAe5aNm2omlr6fPptQTVOisgGhklJsiH5j_IGgys8P_ZGUuLnyo4ST3yCSbn2DBMxlcUZDxVMcY0VwC6fDEEG_u68IlOU3E4j-bsLOaFkcgrMOVwJ7oLfTKbEtHhBR4wmbgZSozTUEVjyexd9BvOXZkuRoYNOHJgx8QnC65dMQM/s4026/IMG_4683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3018" data-original-width="4026" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW9eSMfCj34QpXhXcqmAe5aNm2omlr6fPptQTVOisgGhklJsiH5j_IGgys8P_ZGUuLnyo4ST3yCSbn2DBMxlcUZDxVMcY0VwC6fDEEG_u68IlOU3E4j-bsLOaFkcgrMOVwJ7oLfTKbEtHhBR4wmbgZSozTUEVjyexd9BvOXZkuRoYNOHJgx8QnC65dMQM/w400-h300/IMG_4683.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYyAPu7DGTcEklJd4OLpGQd3M9BxxOtE_PXnMp_mdYj3HLDRh35UmYOlZysH0-CDDOCpVHd7smIVdAgK-MfDO8ax1NnFFrdne96BbhlMiJpsK1OWb_BMBb386iaHct3oIo_Bg9wMggdOmKjXmR7liL171al8ryHz8dnxmHCeQKb3s6c5sDHM2s66Tftk/s4032/IMG_4678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYyAPu7DGTcEklJd4OLpGQd3M9BxxOtE_PXnMp_mdYj3HLDRh35UmYOlZysH0-CDDOCpVHd7smIVdAgK-MfDO8ax1NnFFrdne96BbhlMiJpsK1OWb_BMBb386iaHct3oIo_Bg9wMggdOmKjXmR7liL171al8ryHz8dnxmHCeQKb3s6c5sDHM2s66Tftk/w400-h300/IMG_4678.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj89HkM1TqbOunhPNQADZouAWtWFSGtra2gP9GZCO-gUXFeEjyTCJVqFRNGJkx6LmWYPGsJcH6_-FC4damLZXgoTrefr-EgoazQjFvENkduBDiHYdzs_riB76aaz_A2uetmfTTzKxQOZieW5algkjrt48vxsr0LQbD2GU8TwUy-L5pxrimDHCyIuQ2g6S0/s4032/IMG_4676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj89HkM1TqbOunhPNQADZouAWtWFSGtra2gP9GZCO-gUXFeEjyTCJVqFRNGJkx6LmWYPGsJcH6_-FC4damLZXgoTrefr-EgoazQjFvENkduBDiHYdzs_riB76aaz_A2uetmfTTzKxQOZieW5algkjrt48vxsr0LQbD2GU8TwUy-L5pxrimDHCyIuQ2g6S0/w400-h300/IMG_4676.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9OYjaJ4NxpESfWQPF-QxZFJvkWYRlCGUjj62FYVxTWCEpPQAr_SNraW87iS3q_1IWn4X5SxtxEaHbFHqBqX7xxO6fv60tLWN6zWV8K8IHh3ILhRhtJFBujG6K9ZW5VLoIwKN15npWgu2udvZ145kYpIFyvUbfHvcrDO4SvWroSqu5UjlF6AhDRq0FqHM/s4032/IMG_4674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9OYjaJ4NxpESfWQPF-QxZFJvkWYRlCGUjj62FYVxTWCEpPQAr_SNraW87iS3q_1IWn4X5SxtxEaHbFHqBqX7xxO6fv60tLWN6zWV8K8IHh3ILhRhtJFBujG6K9ZW5VLoIwKN15npWgu2udvZ145kYpIFyvUbfHvcrDO4SvWroSqu5UjlF6AhDRq0FqHM/w400-h300/IMG_4674.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1AZMWDyGkwO_58Ah9ZvZdO3AAbi_1G9zIx56YBof4LswNa0JhdpIf6QZPrSO7liZTCVpMJza4KQBWJdLvnx3hgtfLZnaxAvm-rQAj2QXi_CxVnlR2ZCXomm-EmXhZZycb60MndmD5t9ytI1RUKwRWKF8aFsW1ENkVKkTcx3NEUIbi9I5BjhokYSzTorw/s4032/IMG_4673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1AZMWDyGkwO_58Ah9ZvZdO3AAbi_1G9zIx56YBof4LswNa0JhdpIf6QZPrSO7liZTCVpMJza4KQBWJdLvnx3hgtfLZnaxAvm-rQAj2QXi_CxVnlR2ZCXomm-EmXhZZycb60MndmD5t9ytI1RUKwRWKF8aFsW1ENkVKkTcx3NEUIbi9I5BjhokYSzTorw/w400-h300/IMG_4673.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLSnLZFZiZlbmAYGOhDvSf08XEVKkCkeYhyvVBFeKuelM7yYUuMQy98ZBcOv8YzeQwcB93OBP94N-CdQ_Ce1UFxrV2TKOb69P_ajPi8Owid1QDvBnn2ObiZaWbJoTkMgdYezvhtj2O-7XYrcCQngEBrV9rQPLlb_YmhNNLT24XpYmbO9FoNUkvm9btOY/s4032/IMG_4679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLSnLZFZiZlbmAYGOhDvSf08XEVKkCkeYhyvVBFeKuelM7yYUuMQy98ZBcOv8YzeQwcB93OBP94N-CdQ_Ce1UFxrV2TKOb69P_ajPi8Owid1QDvBnn2ObiZaWbJoTkMgdYezvhtj2O-7XYrcCQngEBrV9rQPLlb_YmhNNLT24XpYmbO9FoNUkvm9btOY/w400-h300/IMG_4679.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We said goodbye to our Aussie lock buddies at Budbrooke
junction as they were going into the Saltersford Arm for a couple of days while
we were going down towards the Cape of Good Hope and mooring up there.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A little bit of history on the Hatton Locks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The flight was opened in December 1799 on the
Warwick and Birmingham Canal. In 1929, the canal was renamed as the Grand Union
Canal and the decision was made to widen the Hatton stretch. In order to
accommodate traders with heavy cargos of coal, sugar, tea and spices up the
flight, the locks were widened to 14 feet – allowing navigation by industrial
boats or two single narrowboats. The widening was completed in the mid-1930s
using a workforce of 1,000, and the revolutionary concrete lock system was
opened by Prince George, Duke of Kent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The flight was known as the "stairway to heaven" due to the
difficulty of the flight and the subsequent easier journey to Camp Hill where
the workmen would receive their wages.<br /><br />5.52 miles<br />21 locks</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-89446970806491346302023-07-15T09:40:00.003+01:002023-07-16T12:21:31.459+01:00July 2023 - Goodbye River Avon and goodbye to our new friends, Steve and Tracey<p><b>Stratford-upon-Avon (River Avon) – Wednesday 12th July</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This lovely house was across the river from us. I wouldn’t say
no to it! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH6ltyWocloZqIx3ATvewJHkE-s1XTBojmidBUZ4ujCWKNPerLiZ6_iruw2cds8GgGcbjyKmr8lJGcWkJev9B-nbk6cs6WNwbMU0SlTKhU_WZNzaA53ScxAX2phTVlBGCvb_MTJgtaVeoIm-WFSPODVndnrfGRBvJMGqfWUu4p3CRWZoQHp4Jav9qT7XE/s4004/IMG_4540.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2986" data-original-width="4004" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH6ltyWocloZqIx3ATvewJHkE-s1XTBojmidBUZ4ujCWKNPerLiZ6_iruw2cds8GgGcbjyKmr8lJGcWkJev9B-nbk6cs6WNwbMU0SlTKhU_WZNzaA53ScxAX2phTVlBGCvb_MTJgtaVeoIm-WFSPODVndnrfGRBvJMGqfWUu4p3CRWZoQHp4Jav9qT7XE/w400-h299/IMG_4540.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We pulled away from the moorings and went under Bidford
Bridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bridge is a scheduled
monument and is Grade I listed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It dates
from the early 15th century but has been repaired many times; in the 16th
century stone from Alcester's demolished priory was used. In 1644, supporters
of Charles I demolished the bridge to cover his retreat from Worcester to
Oxford - this was repaired in 1650.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
June 2015, a farm vehicle passing over the bridge struck the parapet, resulting
in "significant damage to the... stone parapet, spandrel wall and central
pier" and the bridge's closure to all but cyclists and pedestrians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, I found this bit interesting<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>The temporary access scaffold required to complete the works
had to consider the ancient monument status of the bridge so could not be tied
into the structure. Suspending a scaffold from the carriageway was also
unsuitable because the bridge could not withstand the kentledge weight
required. The chosen solution was for the scaffold to be founded on the river
bed with tubes secured around piers providing anchorage.</i> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRRMe_wphMFAhw-XFEk5ZbLltJiAQ_hvMFtVN0m4sna-0qWbAur-F_EunHEUEZ0R93-aqiaP940F5HjDE55imxIuR3TsvI0BQpfOFA6mLnwxQLe0dhHq54fT-bL9IGMFMV7O4-aiT6AvcgxT6dBxjLtWe7G8pasSstqX0jmqpco1cC6uPGKl5NRKmTFkw/s3864/IMG_4546.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2786" data-original-width="3864" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRRMe_wphMFAhw-XFEk5ZbLltJiAQ_hvMFtVN0m4sna-0qWbAur-F_EunHEUEZ0R93-aqiaP940F5HjDE55imxIuR3TsvI0BQpfOFA6mLnwxQLe0dhHq54fT-bL9IGMFMV7O4-aiT6AvcgxT6dBxjLtWe7G8pasSstqX0jmqpco1cC6uPGKl5NRKmTFkw/w400-h289/IMG_4546.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We found what is left of the tree that had fallen across the
river yesterday.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjujChh7Sj-MNxKaBN3EmNAN_HaGm6DAQvwT35fkm6wUSyg_C--0CxgJsmQ2aNHq5Jfuwy_pauHCSsF_KMnCXksoKTOZKnGPs7VVPZYbwc4ViezlfpzpXsgVRHQ9ysxCB12i4sr9-5pvTSg92GM7hvdnSPXf5qOz7Zpo4WhXcfkd3zsFyp4RlH0fvqHMa4/s4032/IMG_4552.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjujChh7Sj-MNxKaBN3EmNAN_HaGm6DAQvwT35fkm6wUSyg_C--0CxgJsmQ2aNHq5Jfuwy_pauHCSsF_KMnCXksoKTOZKnGPs7VVPZYbwc4ViezlfpzpXsgVRHQ9ysxCB12i4sr9-5pvTSg92GM7hvdnSPXf5qOz7Zpo4WhXcfkd3zsFyp4RlH0fvqHMa4/w400-h300/IMG_4552.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Ted joined Muffin on lock keeper duty at Bidford Grange
Lock, though they both look as if they want to be back on board. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3ypemFH6X__RAodNRAVyFtFnjuth33rXzyAHOvckpGg1g4pF2qNdSGSb6VA0Ef3hWPJbdK0E3JovZhhAepllimKOri9dCYJPl5gyqPlNwFCF72UxDJfYEbLCOACbJQKjG4yBCML5gCx9TX4f6I0ITkzwKqhgu1gC17NQM9TFYxmz0Fe6yDzYJNR3Je0/s2690/IMG_4558.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="2690" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3ypemFH6X__RAodNRAVyFtFnjuth33rXzyAHOvckpGg1g4pF2qNdSGSb6VA0Ef3hWPJbdK0E3JovZhhAepllimKOri9dCYJPl5gyqPlNwFCF72UxDJfYEbLCOACbJQKjG4yBCML5gCx9TX4f6I0ITkzwKqhgu1gC17NQM9TFYxmz0Fe6yDzYJNR3Je0/w400-h300/IMG_4558.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I just love this house which is below Welford Lock. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioz5ShW3ssfYAl3CRHVXjDzxmp5fXr13F6nz0RasiW5qDNTXi3RMiba6UUmwsUm-GR9GSmB6NTnfparp38yS30tdaQzRdCL5aQGwkyv-_HWcEDmv3IniFC9BWii31F-uQEb-NQqzzPlNkK8-qoAVxyG4ut8P95Pwq1VDXgxw6ivIuoY9-08vlewOBWnew/s4032/IMG_4563.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioz5ShW3ssfYAl3CRHVXjDzxmp5fXr13F6nz0RasiW5qDNTXi3RMiba6UUmwsUm-GR9GSmB6NTnfparp38yS30tdaQzRdCL5aQGwkyv-_HWcEDmv3IniFC9BWii31F-uQEb-NQqzzPlNkK8-qoAVxyG4ut8P95Pwq1VDXgxw6ivIuoY9-08vlewOBWnew/w400-h300/IMG_4563.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Welford Lock always look nice with the flower troughs on the
bridge. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMhgSrvSatwdX5Orqu4n-9ExopWAKpj0Y0v6TVlCswZ9_xHaOnibqEbBMto32a3d7W5QvAWzI-mrS94JgH_7-VYScMR6j_dHAegLlWivWVGTEe0_d72C6194GZ2Wk2jsjtG2r_90fx-_2rHWJ8iHPbg_cpAbKbDoAZX8-qyUzxcZ-cN9v5WZ8nXxeTo4/s3894/IMG_4573.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2830" data-original-width="3894" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMhgSrvSatwdX5Orqu4n-9ExopWAKpj0Y0v6TVlCswZ9_xHaOnibqEbBMto32a3d7W5QvAWzI-mrS94JgH_7-VYScMR6j_dHAegLlWivWVGTEe0_d72C6194GZ2Wk2jsjtG2r_90fx-_2rHWJ8iHPbg_cpAbKbDoAZX8-qyUzxcZ-cN9v5WZ8nXxeTo4/w400-h291/IMG_4573.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This is the new Shakespeare Marina which is just by Weir
Brake Lock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been open just over a
year and there still seem to be quite a few spaces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2W-i-BRM_9e1YuEbssDkSBru55s4UgQ_oGPgCc8d6zkukNB4TPhxSP-apDo84ZzXn5VBllnTtj7maronzhFjRh7IPSIeDpPOzJ-9EsK-R6uC8hVuFfH_yayJTX4eBOT_wEqR0W83mfmPKqC6wNTQc1kc5MzqmP2PHPTNado5e0Y6v_SbKpRBNozyGtjs/s3852/IMG_4582.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2766" data-original-width="3852" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2W-i-BRM_9e1YuEbssDkSBru55s4UgQ_oGPgCc8d6zkukNB4TPhxSP-apDo84ZzXn5VBllnTtj7maronzhFjRh7IPSIeDpPOzJ-9EsK-R6uC8hVuFfH_yayJTX4eBOT_wEqR0W83mfmPKqC6wNTQc1kc5MzqmP2PHPTNado5e0Y6v_SbKpRBNozyGtjs/w400-h288/IMG_4582.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As we approached Stratford the sky looked really
threatening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have had a lot of these
which come to nothing, this was no different. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7vaxq73o5S_pRAAMWrLZuM9ZjfSDcPsEalcmVhEL-9KOyPGGZ9FTHDNNr-XdundGMmdu9dIJqeRwmFDOnym_EJCeYw5wOLYdiJplJ2_cKEsoKp69k94VRQWPBKnBaJOx4s2ZFO653xE1YNPtvsy0OZjsFFP1MMgYAslwwJ6cygB_XF-XYhn9_NSEj9g/s3936/IMG_4584.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2892" data-original-width="3936" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7vaxq73o5S_pRAAMWrLZuM9ZjfSDcPsEalcmVhEL-9KOyPGGZ9FTHDNNr-XdundGMmdu9dIJqeRwmFDOnym_EJCeYw5wOLYdiJplJ2_cKEsoKp69k94VRQWPBKnBaJOx4s2ZFO653xE1YNPtvsy0OZjsFFP1MMgYAslwwJ6cygB_XF-XYhn9_NSEj9g/w400-h294/IMG_4584.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I always love this view. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA44srA3TwoLpO5fabw5BMsI_TwhcItdrg5pct7TbmAPlirPOV0lAj9_q7Fjh6ZL9b3fK1DccTYhL5sB6lyfzaa_ioYtRJiXakzalLjwQ_jqyXWpdd6w9Ac-elMp0wXwk5awjA8IHAdy_Wgvko-GtT020VBAhmDZRKkX8UtSmNPbSupf0PLPfSKgaEbls/s4032/IMG_4588.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA44srA3TwoLpO5fabw5BMsI_TwhcItdrg5pct7TbmAPlirPOV0lAj9_q7Fjh6ZL9b3fK1DccTYhL5sB6lyfzaa_ioYtRJiXakzalLjwQ_jqyXWpdd6w9Ac-elMp0wXwk5awjA8IHAdy_Wgvko-GtT020VBAhmDZRKkX8UtSmNPbSupf0PLPfSKgaEbls/w400-h300/IMG_4588.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The final lock on the River Avon is the Colin P. Witter
Lock, also known as the Stratford Trinity Lock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This lock, because of its unusual depth and the unstable nature of the
ground (silt pit) was the most difficult to build, which accounts for the
unusual girders used to stabilise the structure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The work was done by men from Gloucester Gaol
and other volunteers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to smile at
this comment “Once famously described by a lady councillor as "Mr
Hutchings' monstrous erection in the park."” </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmz7PBKfe7M2MTAZIEA9Dbp3kCKVDnEJAlmZoxC8wtYG29gcF4jL_AYFNUEEtIoEYwqDUGClY4hhR52E4-2Pq0INMaPOA6c_sqr9DQgWPYeEG_QwWiQNJV-MQH2aXBYoafWYAUw3OlBKjT2ctRlRxnmr_bbvXYIVJfLVKUSoV1aY3Dt0JBuhumXLk9gyk/s4018/IMG_4590.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3004" data-original-width="4018" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmz7PBKfe7M2MTAZIEA9Dbp3kCKVDnEJAlmZoxC8wtYG29gcF4jL_AYFNUEEtIoEYwqDUGClY4hhR52E4-2Pq0INMaPOA6c_sqr9DQgWPYeEG_QwWiQNJV-MQH2aXBYoafWYAUw3OlBKjT2ctRlRxnmr_bbvXYIVJfLVKUSoV1aY3Dt0JBuhumXLk9gyk/w400-h299/IMG_4590.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">There is less and less mooring on the park at Stratford as
the geese are taking in over and leaving a dreadful mess, however we managed to
get two spaces outside the Avon Bowling Club.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We sat out in the evening and only had to shelter under a
tree once when a heavy shower came. It’s
strange as the sky turns black, and we think it is going to pour, but there are
only a few drops.<br /><br />9.56 miles<br />6 locks<br /><br /><br /><b>Stratford-upon-Avon (River Avon) – Thursday 13th July</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">A day off today.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We caught the little chain ferry across the river to the
“main land” and wandered up to the basin.
We decided to have an early lunch as the place was really busy but
really pretty with lots of very colourful hanging baskets. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZm29u9PrwDE6nItZrhPG-cWwFYTBfiaEzMykGRHrNREfhNqyLAy46O138KU2DZtcwX99EGyf_t10TdEoTA01Hk6NkG0afB6Cd1nH8Np7sPYo4xWhb8qZZ0vuNpym4n2NJ8mKN6Tm8vCyfl1j8jYEGe6rjySKy59E_0sXGE_OXwcuMa9UM9zT-Q9eZk3E/s3944/IMG_4605.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2904" data-original-width="3944" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZm29u9PrwDE6nItZrhPG-cWwFYTBfiaEzMykGRHrNREfhNqyLAy46O138KU2DZtcwX99EGyf_t10TdEoTA01Hk6NkG0afB6Cd1nH8Np7sPYo4xWhb8qZZ0vuNpym4n2NJ8mKN6Tm8vCyfl1j8jYEGe6rjySKy59E_0sXGE_OXwcuMa9UM9zT-Q9eZk3E/w400-h295/IMG_4605.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We chose Carluccio’s as they had a spare outside table. The service was very slow and then it started
to rain, gently at first. There were
three tables under a sun umbrella but they were all taken but luck was on our
side and one became free so we jumped under it.
The only trouble was that only 2 chairs were under the umbrella!! As Richard and I had rain jackets with us we
sat out in the rain – by this time it was pouring!! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguh7iQPPPrdFnTCzAQMxBMJlKM9y6dqxuJGod0q3E4C7AIWgi_pTgHtepZsOele2y6r8MiQwL-hFEPuF6qbMn1WUJfVWHlyHRypPAXvkB03hd58UxFxcPRJOtnE_xhGHDZYzsIoGV4l-M_fXMmDJh2oOfzrBGStfC2U-MqZc8xOBepOHmNwmvYuzu9_Do/s4032/IMG_4607.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguh7iQPPPrdFnTCzAQMxBMJlKM9y6dqxuJGod0q3E4C7AIWgi_pTgHtepZsOele2y6r8MiQwL-hFEPuF6qbMn1WUJfVWHlyHRypPAXvkB03hd58UxFxcPRJOtnE_xhGHDZYzsIoGV4l-M_fXMmDJh2oOfzrBGStfC2U-MqZc8xOBepOHmNwmvYuzu9_Do/w400-h300/IMG_4607.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We shuffled around and managed to get Richard and my food
under the umbrella but I was still sat out in the rain <span face=""Segoe UI Symbol",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol";">☹</span> Finally another table came free and we will
able to sit in the dry. I had Chicken
Milanaise which was very dry and unpalatable.
The rain finally stopped and we popped into M & S for milk and fruit
and walked back to the boat. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We came back on the chain ferry too. It opened in 1937, and was the last of its
kind to be built in Britain. By 2006, the ferry was carrying 100,000 people a
year, and it was proposed that it be moved to make way for a new bridge.
However, in 2010, the ferry vessel resumed service at its original location
after an overhaul and restoration work. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOPZbJxMOfkhVQ0YbMnQgDK3oN-HKz4RKhmn4bgi3GFvDw2nkyKu5_Tw_rEzsywrk4teHiMfCmsY3FcIT_rbuZKebhz5xQbv3oZA7sjirHCgQOnpwZ_LdGiReAYlosk76E88fQGo35-mlBvsS4iWj8_wxxjivxN4w7qXtPhUy5vRtzuNdt06ukjWxu5ns/s4032/IMG_4610.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOPZbJxMOfkhVQ0YbMnQgDK3oN-HKz4RKhmn4bgi3GFvDw2nkyKu5_Tw_rEzsywrk4teHiMfCmsY3FcIT_rbuZKebhz5xQbv3oZA7sjirHCgQOnpwZ_LdGiReAYlosk76E88fQGo35-mlBvsS4iWj8_wxxjivxN4w7qXtPhUy5vRtzuNdt06ukjWxu5ns/w400-h300/IMG_4610.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We sat out in the evening for our last evening together and
Steve even popped a bottle of champagne (the proper stuff!). </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjcGayZXEGQWHULIiCKp4BapfAgy0HrzXmweMk0WOFIWgeijbB3hgMvpdpsB_aaWiptCe959kzhG2DWk2gA0BmkY7CFizgCTJz47ykrNHPfSbAq4GvhIACS7QztBhW10jxmrOxNd73dhJsNkg87sP0kRmOL5xPtWg_uojwQye8i3mJkjO9bPEKIbZOX8/s4032/IMG_4596.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjcGayZXEGQWHULIiCKp4BapfAgy0HrzXmweMk0WOFIWgeijbB3hgMvpdpsB_aaWiptCe959kzhG2DWk2gA0BmkY7CFizgCTJz47ykrNHPfSbAq4GvhIACS7QztBhW10jxmrOxNd73dhJsNkg87sP0kRmOL5xPtWg_uojwQye8i3mJkjO9bPEKIbZOX8/w400-h300/IMG_4596.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The River Avon we are on is also known as the Warwickshire
Avon or Shakespeare's Avon, to distinguish it from several other rivers of the
same name. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beginning in Northamptonshire, the river flows through the
counties of Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and
Gloucestershire, near the Cotswold Hills area. It has traditionally been
divided since 1719 into the Lower Avon, below Evesham, and the Upper Avon, from
Evesham to above Stratford-upon-Avon.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Improvements to aid navigation began in 1635, and a series
of locks and weirs made it possible to reach Stratford, and to within 4 miles
of Warwick. The Upper Avon was tortuous and prone to flooding and was abandoned
as a means of navigation in 1877. The Lower Avon struggled on, and never really
closed, although by 1945 it was only navigable below Pershore. Restoration of
the lower river as a navigable waterway began in 1950 and was completed in
1962. The upper river was a more daunting task, as most of the locks and weirs
no longer existed. Work began in 1965 on the construction of nine new locks and
17 miles of river, using mainly volunteer labour, and was completed in 1974
when it was opened by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.<br /><br /><br /><b>Featherbed Lane Bridge No 59 (River Avon/South Stratford
Canal) – Friday 14th July</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Oh dear – what a day!!!
We knew it was going to be wet but none of us knew how wet. I walked up to the lock to set it, but it was
ready anyway. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxfIPYKSYdsGkdmWrlPCnJ-HMXbbivsGm10dp2ntxtYUHZIe3HHP28nyGj7C8QJgsqCXUU1oo_mF-a37e81a3tW3R0VffFafauz5zYdim9owPt7GCsdxkn58I12GumsTGF0BMo3UxQXwecP6QEdx57ZkLkrh309KIgW3KlpEU5LZ96i_TySgQFmAm8mRo/s3924/IMG_4622.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2876" data-original-width="3924" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxfIPYKSYdsGkdmWrlPCnJ-HMXbbivsGm10dp2ntxtYUHZIe3HHP28nyGj7C8QJgsqCXUU1oo_mF-a37e81a3tW3R0VffFafauz5zYdim9owPt7GCsdxkn58I12GumsTGF0BMo3UxQXwecP6QEdx57ZkLkrh309KIgW3KlpEU5LZ96i_TySgQFmAm8mRo/w400-h294/IMG_4622.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It was even too wet for the ducks who were sheltering on the
lock gate! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNp7Rv8vKbDbRhU_E2nV1hxrT6YCXXlVke2IvpZGxvvRBWg-qHyKr7X5Xho6oHOsNpgrtB2RdenOoooU4tH6EGYxW91IvzFVLfTpzIa0iqwlScwbY22zqfL7rNl_fo51zBP7ZVW_37hBb7xo9YvZN3QcVAcMZ0KtKCUdAhA_P8H52wXP_WqK6tbHdrbQ/s4032/IMG_4619.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNp7Rv8vKbDbRhU_E2nV1hxrT6YCXXlVke2IvpZGxvvRBWg-qHyKr7X5Xho6oHOsNpgrtB2RdenOoooU4tH6EGYxW91IvzFVLfTpzIa0iqwlScwbY22zqfL7rNl_fo51zBP7ZVW_37hBb7xo9YvZN3QcVAcMZ0KtKCUdAhA_P8H52wXP_WqK6tbHdrbQ/w400-h300/IMG_4619.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Through the lock, through the basin and onto the first
proper lock on the South Stratford. The
rest of the journey is really a blur of locks and rain. We had 16 locks to do, 11 of which were the
Wilmcote flight. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We had help from some volockies on the middle of the
Wilmcote flight and their help was very much appreciated, but as we were
probably the only people using the locks today, they were probably grateful for
something to do!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Somewhere around the middle of the flight, opposite the
volockies office is this lovely garden, it really helped cheer me up. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigdEbiuRCBD9PaoQggOEwbg9hCLyeCjZlfIakI2aap5-JJ8fudqEjXoqaDSDSY2LdJzQ97h-UFH-VUNM2VvV3jnMYevLo0wALl42V0JogffzMaOrLEUXtrOVu_aw-7Ftjnb_4PoOMJYhMWNPPXk8_J4UTODXLfOHjZHSNllWaZY213OB9L5u9b4U_G0do/s4032/IMG_4636.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigdEbiuRCBD9PaoQggOEwbg9hCLyeCjZlfIakI2aap5-JJ8fudqEjXoqaDSDSY2LdJzQ97h-UFH-VUNM2VvV3jnMYevLo0wALl42V0JogffzMaOrLEUXtrOVu_aw-7Ftjnb_4PoOMJYhMWNPPXk8_J4UTODXLfOHjZHSNllWaZY213OB9L5u9b4U_G0do/w400-h300/IMG_4636.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We pulled over not far from the top lock, but Over the Moon
had another hour to go before they reached their marina.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I had been standing at the helm for 4 hours in the pouring
rain and was so cold and my back hurt.
The rain had gone through my sailing jacket and trousers and when I
stripped off only my knickers were dry!
Even my socks were wet, and I had had my wellies on. Muffin had had his rain jacket on and had
been shivering as the rain had gone through that too. He would get off occasionally and run between
the locks and at other times he was down below.
I took his jacket off, grabbed the hair drier and he just stood there
loving every minute of its hot air.
Richard was just as wet but at least he had been moving. We both had hot showers and did absolutely
nothing all afternoon.</p><p class="MsoNormal">We didn't have chance to say goodbye to Steve, Tracey, Maggie and Ted which was a great shame. We have so enjoyed their company this last couple of weeks. I hope we can catch up with them next year.</p><p class="MsoNormal">3.66 miles<br />17 locks</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-87536733593352033782023-07-13T09:49:00.005+01:002023-07-13T09:51:57.040+01:00July 2023 - The lovely River Avon<p><b>Pershore (River Avon) – Sunday 9th July</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We weren’t moving today so we were able to have a
lie-in. A luxury we haven’t been able to
have for two weeks! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYfYT1LH5q28HvnjxB8cFTRziFad9j99cTqyd9asHWITRASNRF6ps2RYNQSVhkNAfUkXG31ZF6h40iZX02zTh6hWMqiKZdqIJvxdjvlSbUDuus5xh68MO4ZENE6nxFKyy914wqhrUXorrlzjpOyHbl7yMXWWjzhJ7lJcGQg8VyjuseTsSErrlIeWY-tI/s3682/IMG_4508.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2721" data-original-width="3682" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYfYT1LH5q28HvnjxB8cFTRziFad9j99cTqyd9asHWITRASNRF6ps2RYNQSVhkNAfUkXG31ZF6h40iZX02zTh6hWMqiKZdqIJvxdjvlSbUDuus5xh68MO4ZENE6nxFKyy914wqhrUXorrlzjpOyHbl7yMXWWjzhJ7lJcGQg8VyjuseTsSErrlIeWY-tI/w400-h295/IMG_4508.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">There is an Asda across the park, so Steve and I set off to
fill up the fridges and freezers.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Though we didn’t go into the town on this visit we have been
before, and it is a lovely town which has lots of elegant Georgian
architecture. In 1964 the Council for British Archaeology included Pershore in
its list of 51 British "Gem Towns" worthy of special consideration
for historic preservation, and it has been listed as an outstanding
conservation area. These are a couple of
photos I took in 2017. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpEf0SKf-hW5YL33p0zlO1OPV9KMb70d5sr0TAYngOEEMgKi0hWNkowPlaWh6jzA98DDKpU55PSUQT6U5W6evoeFB_ERPXCGZj9Dus04DGmSZtcyrwhxyhOKcRghTLyjPDemamCeGfSEA7VcJaaQ3qbjY3ODAdjgptwVHwgMvQqKjfmDJ8nULVVmoA_8/s708/Picture3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="708" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpEf0SKf-hW5YL33p0zlO1OPV9KMb70d5sr0TAYngOEEMgKi0hWNkowPlaWh6jzA98DDKpU55PSUQT6U5W6evoeFB_ERPXCGZj9Dus04DGmSZtcyrwhxyhOKcRghTLyjPDemamCeGfSEA7VcJaaQ3qbjY3ODAdjgptwVHwgMvQqKjfmDJ8nULVVmoA_8/w400-h300/Picture3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFwsUeSkjf78iFTBP2jwmE6V4zl88ylFgA4dnYnn36uV-TSASNWv3YhYmWR-ROqjiE7f3gMKjXfG0GgGpXg-J_O5qwfd6JPaf03JPSWVRQ-iDJGnbXfg325wSK9q2a5za0zTm7_bFtlrkVh6diA5NGtnsL-peQHEWE17CaycLkZ_WWLBSMuo8k_zd4Tk/s708/Picture2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="708" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFwsUeSkjf78iFTBP2jwmE6V4zl88ylFgA4dnYnn36uV-TSASNWv3YhYmWR-ROqjiE7f3gMKjXfG0GgGpXg-J_O5qwfd6JPaf03JPSWVRQ-iDJGnbXfg325wSK9q2a5za0zTm7_bFtlrkVh6diA5NGtnsL-peQHEWE17CaycLkZ_WWLBSMuo8k_zd4Tk/w400-h300/Picture2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Pershore is known as the capital of plum growing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its association with the plum is not a new
thing, the area has been famous for its fruit growing since medieval times.
Early in the 19th century the Pershore Yellow Egg Plum was found growing wild
in Tiddesley Wood and by 1870 records show that over 900 tons of the fruit were
being sent to market during harvest time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To celebrate this famous fruit, Pershore holds a Plum Festival
throughout the month of August, when the town turns “plum crazy” and the grand
finale of this festival is the Plum Fayre and Farmers Market on August Bank
Holiday Monday. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-nZiBuLpF3l6m9MbRsfMc7Bz13P5Abs4twCRnNBywh9ynzf9GihWhCpwtjQYgwzfaJeZEhyPTMUCqr0qe2evx8vHXNaPkwcbeZvf_M71kxl6VUps62Z4mAFbBBIx78UGd-FZb9Ludo_TmyQkVoZgee5XHvsSAru32jsCfb6jBi_OMVrrgbcInHbhgdI/s184/plum-festival-logo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="149" data-original-width="184" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-nZiBuLpF3l6m9MbRsfMc7Bz13P5Abs4twCRnNBywh9ynzf9GihWhCpwtjQYgwzfaJeZEhyPTMUCqr0qe2evx8vHXNaPkwcbeZvf_M71kxl6VUps62Z4mAFbBBIx78UGd-FZb9Ludo_TmyQkVoZgee5XHvsSAru32jsCfb6jBi_OMVrrgbcInHbhgdI/w400-h324/plum-festival-logo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It was a strange afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We started by sitting out until the rain came, so we all packed up our
chairs and moved back inside our respective boats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A bit later we were outside again, jackets on
as the sun went in, jackets off as the sun came out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Under a big tree as it rained, out in the
sun, back under the tree until it really did pour and we all gave up and went
inside.<br /><br /><br /><b>Evesham (River Avon) – Monday 10th July</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The forecast wasn’t good again for today, so we made an
early start to try and get into Evesham before it rained too hard.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first lock was Wyre Lock, which is a diamond shaped
one. From my research I discovered that
once it was turf sided. It is thought
that was once six turf sided locks on the River Avon. It is an ancient
navigation, and it is thought that the diamond turf locks were built in an
effort to reduce erosion of their earth sides by water from the top paddles
when they were opened. A diamond lock might have made it easier for unpowered
barges to enter (at an angle) as the weir stream below can be tricky. Also the
"modern" walled lock was once larger too. The retaining walls were
crumbling so a new wall was built against the old one.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We had some left over bread, so I fed the ducks. I know I shouldn’t give them bread but there
wasn’t much of it. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjku_-rAP4yEDdeJoVeRB0e5gofsUo11W8DreLZKn3ywMEhWNQ2_m-CqtQb3NLq_Txe6pW4EQHR4ELzwgeRUGYcMFege21YH8qrV7afrD8q0qii3amic-6oXTRYpr9arCgW-LlTXL72GQrpWk9sR4Kyr2Y0x8qPVSg4GRjFtABFx7Cggs235kxCfwl0F-0/s4032/IMG_4510.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjku_-rAP4yEDdeJoVeRB0e5gofsUo11W8DreLZKn3ywMEhWNQ2_m-CqtQb3NLq_Txe6pW4EQHR4ELzwgeRUGYcMFege21YH8qrV7afrD8q0qii3amic-6oXTRYpr9arCgW-LlTXL72GQrpWk9sR4Kyr2Y0x8qPVSg4GRjFtABFx7Cggs235kxCfwl0F-0/w400-h300/IMG_4510.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Fladbury Lock has to be, not only my favourite lock on the
Avon, but on the whole canal system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
is so pretty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back in 2021 I discovered
that the building in the photo is not Fladbury Mill, that is situated on the
other side of the weir, this is Cropthorne Mill which was built in the later
18th Century or early 19th Century.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
is Grade II listed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fladbury Mill was
first mentioned in the Domesday Book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
1086 the Bishop of Worcester held the mill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was worth 10S a year and the yearly rent was 20 sticks of eels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eels were usually counted in units called
sticks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>25 eels – this is likely from
the number of eels you could smoke on a stick at one time. 10 sticks of eels
were called a bind.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTbk6ptJts9nNDyDIAWLzWRnmHCs7G-yCLLSmNSr9iW_FRJbPXVi62WNI8YH1Z3_vtP8v3P6KQ5iaQxxoWbTu89nKxwn46brdd8cERTrunE6HmrzMtrDpq-oOH8b3M-6CzafNMZbfEVSRZ2vfVBsW5RBTi0FBIL8VodsmBIdForWrWtlVdgA5PvbdR8EU/s4032/IMG_4521.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTbk6ptJts9nNDyDIAWLzWRnmHCs7G-yCLLSmNSr9iW_FRJbPXVi62WNI8YH1Z3_vtP8v3P6KQ5iaQxxoWbTu89nKxwn46brdd8cERTrunE6HmrzMtrDpq-oOH8b3M-6CzafNMZbfEVSRZ2vfVBsW5RBTi0FBIL8VodsmBIdForWrWtlVdgA5PvbdR8EU/w400-h300/IMG_4521.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Also looking over the weir is this lovely house.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9UPY8CMhiLKMZBE8vlcI1-s63CSCkY5zfj1S5kpLCgH6PV8fcH8FV2G5RdJIH2w97o84KFOgtDbGaXRtHyQzlr4AWsc4_S9fjVSb-U1aX3bKtddxxaFz5RvYxBjPRZCSJ9IplficsQZIq-c9MZPwNXPWsPXZ3r6smHj-KiMUd3YppzIGFA7HDVwogcw/s2952/IMG_4524.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2397" data-original-width="2952" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9UPY8CMhiLKMZBE8vlcI1-s63CSCkY5zfj1S5kpLCgH6PV8fcH8FV2G5RdJIH2w97o84KFOgtDbGaXRtHyQzlr4AWsc4_S9fjVSb-U1aX3bKtddxxaFz5RvYxBjPRZCSJ9IplficsQZIq-c9MZPwNXPWsPXZ3r6smHj-KiMUd3YppzIGFA7HDVwogcw/w400-h325/IMG_4524.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Richard and Steve taking care to
let the water into the lock very slowly.
The locks on the Avon are very violent and the paddles have to be lifted
very slowly. You have to rope on at the
front and back, none of this centre line business! This is something which, I think, nearly all
boaters do and if they don’t they soon decide it’s a good thing to do.<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgftWAw01eY2vem7I1rrGWGfDfYoT7gWtWw9fizqiduFluqf4sfnEXOiUTfWC6ORkOssoN779vS3m7ttPRY0Ps_vLJivpDhkLwu8k9WfaoNE3ZY1GUIUC8Wr-vCHdkvkOdzwlM3hTp7LXDBGHJxNqCA0NoUK1vn7WP25CO6ZUTb5wtEiz0lK1v4Cu1ipik/s3958/IMG_4526.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2924" data-original-width="3958" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgftWAw01eY2vem7I1rrGWGfDfYoT7gWtWw9fizqiduFluqf4sfnEXOiUTfWC6ORkOssoN779vS3m7ttPRY0Ps_vLJivpDhkLwu8k9WfaoNE3ZY1GUIUC8Wr-vCHdkvkOdzwlM3hTp7LXDBGHJxNqCA0NoUK1vn7WP25CO6ZUTb5wtEiz0lK1v4Cu1ipik/w400-h295/IMG_4526.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Chadbury Lock is a special lock for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Friends, Mike Rayne and his partner Jenny,
lived in Evesham until both of them sadly died, both too early. Mike was a
volunteer for ANT (Avon Navigation Trust).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All the locks on the Avon have a nominated Trust member to look after
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mike and Jenny’s lock was
Chadbury.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mike and Jenny put plants on a
lock beam that had been placed on the lock side along with a watering can and a
sign asking people to water them if they looked thirsty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new lock carer has obviously carried on
the tradition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I checked on them today
and they were well watered with the rain, but I noticed that the watering can
has now gone so I’m not sure how anyone could water them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We arrived in Evesham and moored up. That’s us for today. Richard and I wandered up to Waitrose as we
needed milk. This is the last shopping
place before Stratford. We got caught in
a real drizzle shower on the way back which wasn’t very pleasant. We had a Chinese take away for dinner, there
are numerous take-away places just a few 100 yards away from us, including
three Chinese. Sadly, we chose the wrong
Chinese as it really wasn’t very good <span face="Segoe UI Symbol, sans-serif">☹ <br /><br /></span>10.03 miles<br />3 locks<br /><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Bidford-on-Avon (River Avon) – Tuesday 11th July</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We weren’t too sure how far we would get today as there was
a tree across the river between Bidford and Barton Lock, our destination. ANT thought it would be clear by lunch time.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">There were these very odd “dragon” boats under the old lock
keepers house at Evesham Lock. I think
they are some sort of pedalos. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt75v4aVaeg_t1AZmb0_O30H47MzUq1o8M0_dAiYhE8lAzoJvEvHtJg5hZDcCpJUi-7EUCn4AjpVHTj3VAvlzwkMmFNTi41uLwCqnrF5Ud3yJPpGKWgxyJ2qiuPE53V1B_yRDtGu5Zm82PonlTXD_2tKLJ67k31g_nxv5a1pZHcHfymz3cHG0iHe4wpVY/s4032/IMG_4531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt75v4aVaeg_t1AZmb0_O30H47MzUq1o8M0_dAiYhE8lAzoJvEvHtJg5hZDcCpJUi-7EUCn4AjpVHTj3VAvlzwkMmFNTi41uLwCqnrF5Ud3yJPpGKWgxyJ2qiuPE53V1B_yRDtGu5Zm82PonlTXD_2tKLJ67k31g_nxv5a1pZHcHfymz3cHG0iHe4wpVY/w400-h300/IMG_4531.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The lock house is having a lot of work done to it. I don’t think it has been lived in for a long
time, it’s a real shame. It was built in
1972 for £8,000 and used as a toll station and lock keepers cottage. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIXlYVFLDmQbYVeAUIzSLAYdQadg_mchYFROUwpLNSjssnzoIscnupAW42ZdAIaOFogg1zX1H0-w5vT9g-5IAYs88TJArH1ph1Vn0ZeEN_xWMgqH_JJSgRZShTMy0RVMCaPO8E3Rillgvv-fXRT1F3tby2rf8eSZXJeTH36s8m7aAWZymd2_WDR8OHTZ0/s4032/IMG_4532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIXlYVFLDmQbYVeAUIzSLAYdQadg_mchYFROUwpLNSjssnzoIscnupAW42ZdAIaOFogg1zX1H0-w5vT9g-5IAYs88TJArH1ph1Vn0ZeEN_xWMgqH_JJSgRZShTMy0RVMCaPO8E3Rillgvv-fXRT1F3tby2rf8eSZXJeTH36s8m7aAWZymd2_WDR8OHTZ0/w400-h300/IMG_4532.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The cottage was damaged and rendered unusable by two floods. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimePM-rLAN9LUlhjFNUZd23Kq10e2sPztQ2xbBlkqKWT3EFB2Gull2g-HMt8A8QAwI07lvbqzhQPr41Za5jmGIDRMrr-Zj_AgqzkGcpsZKiOpKbHutKfZKHgocHSuhNEFwqj6B0Yp0NbLxzeMb_1fG0r9ImSWejj2TebPwTZtcmCrEphCwsBSdjyj1nIE/s400/EveshamLockHouseFlood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="400" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimePM-rLAN9LUlhjFNUZd23Kq10e2sPztQ2xbBlkqKWT3EFB2Gull2g-HMt8A8QAwI07lvbqzhQPr41Za5jmGIDRMrr-Zj_AgqzkGcpsZKiOpKbHutKfZKHgocHSuhNEFwqj6B0Yp0NbLxzeMb_1fG0r9ImSWejj2TebPwTZtcmCrEphCwsBSdjyj1nIE/w400-h251/EveshamLockHouseFlood.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">What I have discovered in that in 2021 the Avon Navigation
Trust (ANT) wanted to bring boat hire back to the park alongside a nature
trail, paddle sport tuition and boat handling courses for all ages. The lock house will be used as an outdoor
education area. Back in 2021 Evesham
Town Council had endorsed The Evesham Lock House Volunteer Activity Centre
scheme, which it put forward for funding from Wychavon District Council’s
Community Legacy Grant scheme. I can’t
seem to find any more on the scheme, but as I said the house is being renovated
and I wonder if the “dragon” boats moored below the lock are all part of the
scheme.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">At Offenham Lock we stopped for a while, emptied the elsan
and filled with water. It seemed a good
idea to stay there as we still didn’t know what was happening with the
tree. All three dogs loved and mooched
for ages. Muffin and Ted even did
zoomies until both were exhausted! (Ted
is the same age as Muffin.)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As we approached Bidford a boat was pulling away from the
moorings, so Richard did a quick turn and moored up. Over the Moon breasted up with us.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Maggie, from Over the Moon, is an elderly retired
greyhound. She really is lovely but is
struggling with arthritic hips. Today
Steve and Tracey realised that she probably had cystitis. Dog + cystitis + on a boat = accidents! As Steve and Tracey don’t live far away their
daughter came and picked them up and took Maggie to the vet. It is cystitis and she now has some
anti-biotics. She did very well but
there was rather a lot of washing. Steve
made a washing line between the mooring poles which worked really well. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxx46Tkgd7VJf86oouck5WWLfigvdrTVKLaJSpO8FrbTMfEWwGZz37gHwQl3be5nGLVT-hnL_p1AjtWsaoTZP7PITijSs0HEs1edLUJqR_-oB_t0H6iCu47TOfdbubLVfWk64KGIl9q8l9L4xAUtbiBMYZo9vHfMEeFOerL8yJ-CwvekSpAp2UooI_gPM/s4032/IMG_4536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxx46Tkgd7VJf86oouck5WWLfigvdrTVKLaJSpO8FrbTMfEWwGZz37gHwQl3be5nGLVT-hnL_p1AjtWsaoTZP7PITijSs0HEs1edLUJqR_-oB_t0H6iCu47TOfdbubLVfWk64KGIl9q8l9L4xAUtbiBMYZo9vHfMEeFOerL8yJ-CwvekSpAp2UooI_gPM/w400-h300/IMG_4536.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We finally got to have our BBQ. We’ve been talking about it for days, but the
evenings have been wet, but today was the day!
Richard had to finish off under an umbrella but at least we got our
food. We sat out under our pram covers
until nearly 10pm!<br /><br />9.02 miles<br />4 locks</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-46163448285445242952023-07-10T10:19:00.004+01:002023-07-10T10:19:54.587+01:00July 2023 - River Severn and onto to the River Avon<p> <b>Worcester Racecourse (Staffs & Worcs Canal/River Severn)
– Thursday 6th July</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We decided last night to set off at 9am. I woke up at 6.45 with cramp in my leg so
decided to make the tea and get the day going!
Sadly, there was no TV signal so we missed BBC Breakfast.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_Ta-dr1Eh1nqZZuPvySkRzpkz7zeL9QAwZATyrfYniuyJMhhLpW7cNkYSThA9yfXCurnJA_bWohK3iS5VO3rWiaW493j1DwTRM0Dllb2ctI8S9M7F3n1Ym0Vhuda0Q2u00bSHy7mZ0YgetXisVfRlV6Gz8ngidN1Q74yOmdskdWMIQ0mDs4FFyqLOpI/s4010/IMG_4436.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2994" data-original-width="4010" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_Ta-dr1Eh1nqZZuPvySkRzpkz7zeL9QAwZATyrfYniuyJMhhLpW7cNkYSThA9yfXCurnJA_bWohK3iS5VO3rWiaW493j1DwTRM0Dllb2ctI8S9M7F3n1Ym0Vhuda0Q2u00bSHy7mZ0YgetXisVfRlV6Gz8ngidN1Q74yOmdskdWMIQ0mDs4FFyqLOpI/w400-h299/IMG_4436.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We left our mooring and went down to the lock which leads
into Stourport Basin. It was pretty
windy, and the wind just caught the bow and into the trees I went! Once upon a time I would have panicked, but I
got out of the trees quite easily <span face=""Segoe UI Emoji", sans-serif">😊</span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxvs_POqNSjn78FTatrYziFKJmKH1FC1BniEBA90WqiVqPBNCoZy7BJPNCDliJvNbNsiCS4kP0qg-b3ZoejQZZYQFTdUhHAzCfBkh-Zo006_1W29x9VVfqKX8cx_nbftYeViBXPls9IjHmV9GSaKXfjBxDYwpwJlzwb18fEDxTda-8upLnZe3Z1FQjoE/s3896/IMG_4449.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2836" data-original-width="3896" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxvs_POqNSjn78FTatrYziFKJmKH1FC1BniEBA90WqiVqPBNCoZy7BJPNCDliJvNbNsiCS4kP0qg-b3ZoejQZZYQFTdUhHAzCfBkh-Zo006_1W29x9VVfqKX8cx_nbftYeViBXPls9IjHmV9GSaKXfjBxDYwpwJlzwb18fEDxTda-8upLnZe3Z1FQjoE/w400-h291/IMG_4449.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKGagiKmF0BMtrcG2Tnx4IZE19knbVwpAbORa-tP9jvp43ozdTnul7QzR8fSDCB03PwB5V4j0Nl82SXnLaK8ErD9IUqo6JQ6rcOEPccJzNfhnGqg_Skoq-oRX6GMHbXkxPHc7J57e_7LpBzV_ZJyBktO3HcL80cN-3f9SkwyvD1i3a-L9DHpXr63YDuE/s3952/IMG_4448.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2916" data-original-width="3952" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKGagiKmF0BMtrcG2Tnx4IZE19knbVwpAbORa-tP9jvp43ozdTnul7QzR8fSDCB03PwB5V4j0Nl82SXnLaK8ErD9IUqo6JQ6rcOEPccJzNfhnGqg_Skoq-oRX6GMHbXkxPHc7J57e_7LpBzV_ZJyBktO3HcL80cN-3f9SkwyvD1i3a-L9DHpXr63YDuE/w400-h295/IMG_4448.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTrgyjzWTkYSRzEA_e_elqLIwgI4pQH2FYUTaUaP7UoGz7GIRos3OMI4o-oCEvlwqK4eK9NKKVhcALg_80nrVUF9UaVs-NVWUGoWF6j_Bbr30Ykpn-3vesXQ5ul7UEQRA-fmOvnzI2jf0EXXKPMBHKPnOh8gozZ0sEO8-4XtsXNI8ksoi3VXsjHgAtHE/s4030/IMG_4446.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3022" data-original-width="4030" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTrgyjzWTkYSRzEA_e_elqLIwgI4pQH2FYUTaUaP7UoGz7GIRos3OMI4o-oCEvlwqK4eK9NKKVhcALg_80nrVUF9UaVs-NVWUGoWF6j_Bbr30Ykpn-3vesXQ5ul7UEQRA-fmOvnzI2jf0EXXKPMBHKPnOh8gozZ0sEO8-4XtsXNI8ksoi3VXsjHgAtHE/w400-h300/IMG_4446.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">We</span> used the services then swapped sides for diesel. The chap doing the diesel had the most
adorable puppy. Ted is a 8 week old Jack
Russell who only left his mother yesterday.
He is unusual as he is chocolate. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1HnKY505brCY-eFCxU6h2EB6Mqgntv6wJ_grsX07xKEXB_1iQSm6VQWzCG5DdwCAtujhiLGFuT208Nt-Y7FxMJ3Jn3dyu6mY0V2BE_K8R1kP5vm6EGDiaPXzywDcxYIcGPxYmuCqAU_PkWZZGYsU3ByKN8OAwVDT_PumkEjIABGscJBQyLGAv6mdexU/s4032/IMG_4452.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1HnKY505brCY-eFCxU6h2EB6Mqgntv6wJ_grsX07xKEXB_1iQSm6VQWzCG5DdwCAtujhiLGFuT208Nt-Y7FxMJ3Jn3dyu6mY0V2BE_K8R1kP5vm6EGDiaPXzywDcxYIcGPxYmuCqAU_PkWZZGYsU3ByKN8OAwVDT_PumkEjIABGscJBQyLGAv6mdexU/w400-h300/IMG_4452.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The locks leading down to the River Severn are two sets of
staircase locks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first two are fine,
but then there is a nasty dog leg to get to the second set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got in but it was a bit of a mish mash!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m glad there wasn’t anyone watching
me!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An interesting overflow from one of
the staircase locks. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0iDnKHDcBZ6Ww9FjwNQk_AncFRqtbmwJM7pkXIWLGJ45bQLU6b_XfRULoxGawdqLTZ16jl9YOhJbI2sBIZta1KWXDVSkT30GX4gQ1rSs1yqyE8PQPMjPcQGi2gFuKKUZbxL0MEggPuKU2teOXuK2v9-SGbiG8T95keOmARAEFfYvv2zCBiLMTg9YQQ4/s4032/IMG_4456.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0iDnKHDcBZ6Ww9FjwNQk_AncFRqtbmwJM7pkXIWLGJ45bQLU6b_XfRULoxGawdqLTZ16jl9YOhJbI2sBIZta1KWXDVSkT30GX4gQ1rSs1yqyE8PQPMjPcQGi2gFuKKUZbxL0MEggPuKU2teOXuK2v9-SGbiG8T95keOmARAEFfYvv2zCBiLMTg9YQQ4/w400-h300/IMG_4456.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Out onto the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
just love Rivers, especially the big wide ones like the Severn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>C&RT are short of volunteer lockies, so
Bevere and Holt locks have some odd opening hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To get to Bevere for 2pm we pulled over on a
mooring pontoon and had some lunch. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicK7O9BsDoCTShWjRQrbyAUMSfheHuIuL1niGkZ4WJ954dQoZgzo1fS_HhOBCwqty04sIuIJ4PCsSbOgNqCdtEA4btmRmmaXdEPf9KOI-_D-0GO3C6xX3LxqBqY2zpHFRzV4_WcFSIKoespyG0QddS0v0y9uz-e30hkuo3XjDq1PJ6sFgslaYEAp6ySGA/s4032/IMG_4458.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicK7O9BsDoCTShWjRQrbyAUMSfheHuIuL1niGkZ4WJ954dQoZgzo1fS_HhOBCwqty04sIuIJ4PCsSbOgNqCdtEA4btmRmmaXdEPf9KOI-_D-0GO3C6xX3LxqBqY2zpHFRzV4_WcFSIKoespyG0QddS0v0y9uz-e30hkuo3XjDq1PJ6sFgslaYEAp6ySGA/w400-h300/IMG_4458.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Tracey took this video as we came out of the bottom lock.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/D1IbkS6cmHo" width="320" youtube-src-id="D1IbkS6cmHo"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We passed the junction with the Droitwich Barge Canal, and
then everything went wrong. We got to
Bevere lock with us in the lead. Richard
got confused with the signs and ended up heading towards the weir. He quickly realised his mistake and turned
round. Then it got even worse. He cut the corner at the top of the lock
island and we ended up firmly wedged on a sandbank. He tried desperately to get the boat off by
reversing and then in forward, me clinging to the side, but he had to give
in. I had already messaged Steve who
then told the lockie. He suggested a
salvage (!) guy who had a RIB and a BIG outboard! I rang him and he said he could come down,
but that it would be about 2 hours. We
settled down at an angle of about a 5° list.
The only good side was that we had good phone reception and 5G, I had a
number of phone calls to make and was able to do them all. Steve took this photo. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pogLydjIchwlL4abaYpPa811M3fwb55p5mbn9trZYUUTQbzAwX3s-2udMYcFqdx3uYI7MzxXrPcj1-QFgViW-6ey-guYjPDtzjg5R5jgOyC5wDIwJRVm7cmujEyL1WG9Q4C7VZyDKLR9K03ktpNn33V2tIjbjLuZY-q784h30Ke0XAzF1oxn749qRGk/s1068/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-07-06%20at%2020.31.31.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1068" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pogLydjIchwlL4abaYpPa811M3fwb55p5mbn9trZYUUTQbzAwX3s-2udMYcFqdx3uYI7MzxXrPcj1-QFgViW-6ey-guYjPDtzjg5R5jgOyC5wDIwJRVm7cmujEyL1WG9Q4C7VZyDKLR9K03ktpNn33V2tIjbjLuZY-q784h30Ke0XAzF1oxn749qRGk/w400-h300/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-07-06%20at%2020.31.31.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">After about 1½ hours we could hear our knights in shining
armour – well three men and a dog in a RIB – coming down the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had had to come all the way from
Stourport and had to argue with the lockie at Bevere Lock that they needed to
get through even though it was just about to close.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One guy got on Mary H while we were instructed
to stay below just in case the rope broke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I managed to pop my head up and take a photo though!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They pulled us off with no real problem and
took us to the lock and tied us up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
were told that we were the second boat this week to get stuck there!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They agreed that the signage to the lock is
misleading and that they have complained to C&RT on several occasions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were lucky that they got us off as with
some boats they have to set up a vehicle in the field opposite and winch the
boat off from there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How lucky were
we.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were a real nice bunch of
blokes especially as they had missed the last locking at Holt Fleet and had to
leave the RIB at Bevere overnight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
cost us £600, but apparently we won’t have to pay VAT as it is put down as
salvage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How horrible that word is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We counted our blessings though as the repair
to Clarence’s bow thruster is going to be £3,000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwptM0EVLrNqhar6_xoilKA3uhxV1xP3Jl28y0S7uPbaN6u2iAdycO_utPNPpI7Q9eiGTmNaaAQCqKmR8yueUKrf-8_n3xiMF8ofr28uN_WEcsIRsC4N1pI82h1AR0S6-1ryYsonrKjpBYxaoUnIVUEI84kHlFLFEFuTk-ty62D8BLiy6fkxtRBiargs/s4032/IMG_4463.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwptM0EVLrNqhar6_xoilKA3uhxV1xP3Jl28y0S7uPbaN6u2iAdycO_utPNPpI7Q9eiGTmNaaAQCqKmR8yueUKrf-8_n3xiMF8ofr28uN_WEcsIRsC4N1pI82h1AR0S6-1ryYsonrKjpBYxaoUnIVUEI84kHlFLFEFuTk-ty62D8BLiy6fkxtRBiargs/w400-h300/IMG_4463.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The dog out of three men and a dog!<o:p></o:p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIIXenOxqJNN9nb3aRaOK3Evl5_EFy8kQorI9ng3L-eiYKzXKeZajPFUQtbbve8nb8Dv6EGcmZwQG7YMsG7FjDRR5qVjXAPrzGrgeyA3hqpQni2r5dxzXwCHvMauUolHnrjT5qwtMA37bWl6dhet_Cby0EYOLcUPC1nida8PI2IezYhc9pmRPdyMP3cPM/s4032/IMG_4466.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIIXenOxqJNN9nb3aRaOK3Evl5_EFy8kQorI9ng3L-eiYKzXKeZajPFUQtbbve8nb8Dv6EGcmZwQG7YMsG7FjDRR5qVjXAPrzGrgeyA3hqpQni2r5dxzXwCHvMauUolHnrjT5qwtMA37bWl6dhet_Cby0EYOLcUPC1nida8PI2IezYhc9pmRPdyMP3cPM/w400-h300/IMG_4466.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">We were ready to go through the lock at 5pm, the next
opening time and then headed off down to catch up with Over the Moon who was
moored at Worcester Racecourse. We
arrived, got the chairs out and sat down with a large G & T!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mary H feeling safe if the company of Over the Moon. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0DvzZoLm6QudizNOzXUYVoRqdIqGGfvbEviLL9m2581GZ3UyX2I-4LuGmmgUNizEEme4F7nr9uLVvyRRSFwo61DAZ1UMQAqCtll7T0bFBRcj60_j6D28C-PtlOpRPydhK0XcUCR8Xk2MekfLdfTecFL3taYlTlhSWb_1sHLf1tTxhnBdqe515DeW6x-M/s4032/IMG_4470.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0DvzZoLm6QudizNOzXUYVoRqdIqGGfvbEviLL9m2581GZ3UyX2I-4LuGmmgUNizEEme4F7nr9uLVvyRRSFwo61DAZ1UMQAqCtll7T0bFBRcj60_j6D28C-PtlOpRPydhK0XcUCR8Xk2MekfLdfTecFL3taYlTlhSWb_1sHLf1tTxhnBdqe515DeW6x-M/w400-h300/IMG_4470.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">A thought crossed my mind in the evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Clarence had damaged her bow thruster
and Over the Moon had had her cratch damaged, I said that things always come in
threes so it must be our turn next!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
least it has happened now.<br /><br />12.45 miles<br />6 locks<br /><br /><br /><b>Tewkesbury Marina (River Severn/River Avon) – Friday 7th
July</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I was so tired last night that I actually fell asleep
listening to my book – most unlike me.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We had planned for a 9am start as we had been told that
there is a Medieval Festival taking place in Tewkesbury, so we wanted to get
there as early as possible to try and get some moorings. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyn_y-9WGXYW6gpiSZDJkRrHfXbPwQMAJtCNpRIEgiTNtrRLS585xyIECWdTrY1yJxOI08LUi2mx1CQSzmoVvUSTnQZU22AdZfCXwBU8bQ1v3FfUzKCkPagR66k6GMWok26o1gRjqDrNTlKenSVlMaIQlQI2OG_3Jtk2JBHfMQfn5WXMOalUnfMdkhaWM/s3962/IMG_4478.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2928" data-original-width="3962" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyn_y-9WGXYW6gpiSZDJkRrHfXbPwQMAJtCNpRIEgiTNtrRLS585xyIECWdTrY1yJxOI08LUi2mx1CQSzmoVvUSTnQZU22AdZfCXwBU8bQ1v3FfUzKCkPagR66k6GMWok26o1gRjqDrNTlKenSVlMaIQlQI2OG_3Jtk2JBHfMQfn5WXMOalUnfMdkhaWM/w400-h295/IMG_4478.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZe_vwBFnufbaKiV8zVMau4iDPJSqTMkfyh3jg5YiRZiocl4UWhRcrgB2IA3tB8sgiSunQ_X3cwBEG6vHRFXEL02jm-x1hipCI3Kqc1WThMEE5f1osJUDOrhTYa6kMTwOJgRmnRhoY56yfoGrhe173XCYCzeBRfRtKfUg-HXxPTTsXdfnI7fV1C-Y4-Q/s4032/IMG_4476.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZe_vwBFnufbaKiV8zVMau4iDPJSqTMkfyh3jg5YiRZiocl4UWhRcrgB2IA3tB8sgiSunQ_X3cwBEG6vHRFXEL02jm-x1hipCI3Kqc1WThMEE5f1osJUDOrhTYa6kMTwOJgRmnRhoY56yfoGrhe173XCYCzeBRfRtKfUg-HXxPTTsXdfnI7fV1C-Y4-Q/w400-h300/IMG_4476.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfz9XnlHEMJIpHuJUItE1tpLirSLOhpTN0k1r4dKyxBmYz943JqnyHqT4NvcPuctX3kXvCRoib7YMEi-QaQG1q9Qbip30Ln8pdvGeoSydxs-WqP01RsZbkDUl_5eNhVR1ZiDGayzpXrBUi9qiHC4i3d6a4sPTs8hkpYhq9-FMdVU23XTCIFeJG_R_qe2k/s3908/IMG_4474.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2852" data-original-width="3908" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfz9XnlHEMJIpHuJUItE1tpLirSLOhpTN0k1r4dKyxBmYz943JqnyHqT4NvcPuctX3kXvCRoib7YMEi-QaQG1q9Qbip30Ln8pdvGeoSydxs-WqP01RsZbkDUl_5eNhVR1ZiDGayzpXrBUi9qiHC4i3d6a4sPTs8hkpYhq9-FMdVU23XTCIFeJG_R_qe2k/w400-h293/IMG_4474.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It was down to Worcester, where we both have happy
memories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back in 2011 we met up with my
sister, Penny and her husband, Jim in Worcester on the boat they had at the
time, and did the Worcester Ring with them, but before that we had a very happy
day with my Mother and Stepfather (both now gone) on the boats with both boats
tied together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a beautiful day,
and it was so lovely to think back on it. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAYXOnIsr4dRSIH1tXXK7wcGgw9k89Agxe7OCxIK3nGBvX5TTmIAP22ph1_bCVjt0ZqyLn1qBhjlD7NdrOnf3rdUHzqCjrrbdCKGZWUEV-RsohBjeW5E9FoKffF5vieeY_gO3_OsfZZu3Nw_qaIviIdaHCGCDu0SuW4On5mHBB-WZiOp4lgJvg4T0dZqI/s2592/IMAG0030.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1952" data-original-width="2592" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAYXOnIsr4dRSIH1tXXK7wcGgw9k89Agxe7OCxIK3nGBvX5TTmIAP22ph1_bCVjt0ZqyLn1qBhjlD7NdrOnf3rdUHzqCjrrbdCKGZWUEV-RsohBjeW5E9FoKffF5vieeY_gO3_OsfZZu3Nw_qaIviIdaHCGCDu0SuW4On5mHBB-WZiOp4lgJvg4T0dZqI/w400-h301/IMAG0030.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjacOc3iBdegqZf2behhHyII9LoMITMAg_D2YmOTmkwTA3gMaRRYqIJRIXCekLLIiPXlXr6h4sIsqQ_Mnpzv1o9SNzpwv0jKZqLlX1HaFgEwsN6dWudvAI4vsSQxTeoNkKviI86SP-FeUiShJKU_gJ6R24lGBCdSL-T5A3W84UgpJsywynaOMDQZjNvhNc/s2848/DSCF9542.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2136" data-original-width="2848" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjacOc3iBdegqZf2behhHyII9LoMITMAg_D2YmOTmkwTA3gMaRRYqIJRIXCekLLIiPXlXr6h4sIsqQ_Mnpzv1o9SNzpwv0jKZqLlX1HaFgEwsN6dWudvAI4vsSQxTeoNkKviI86SP-FeUiShJKU_gJ6R24lGBCdSL-T5A3W84UgpJsywynaOMDQZjNvhNc/w400-h300/DSCF9542.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It also reminded me of a card that I altered to send to my
Mother as a reminder of the lovely day.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Cdht_mPcb_lRyzkkoK-HA9U5CepJaUQ15-ihIDtfOt6UcoOn7gMPzGJyZ0Ud2BqJLGGcl2bbDoQYsnfQr3sFmz8oNTuOr1CZS07upNyPKguu3DGYzBwcoJHHA6jRXdWSx84-ZVsJAuPTpPawM_6CFgBtqkzeRg0grVB1Vpc3tEXzGNV76bqCku-rJvU/s1551/Funny%20card%20001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1069" data-original-width="1551" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Cdht_mPcb_lRyzkkoK-HA9U5CepJaUQ15-ihIDtfOt6UcoOn7gMPzGJyZ0Ud2BqJLGGcl2bbDoQYsnfQr3sFmz8oNTuOr1CZS07upNyPKguu3DGYzBwcoJHHA6jRXdWSx84-ZVsJAuPTpPawM_6CFgBtqkzeRg0grVB1Vpc3tEXzGNV76bqCku-rJvU/w400-h276/Funny%20card%20001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We had one more River lock to go through, then we had the
long slog down to Tewkesbury, but it is a really lovely slog and, for the first
day in ages, we had a beautiful day.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While we were travelling down the Severn, I thought I would
do some research. Here are a few points. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The Severn was formed 15,000 years ago when ice melt over
the North Shropshire plain creating a new route from the River Dee and this
became the River Severn as we know it today.</li><li>The River's drainage basin on the Bristol Channel covers an
area of three hundred and forty six square miles. </li><li>The River is known by two names, the Afon Hefren in Welsh
and the River Severn in English, before these names become common place, the
Romans had named the river Sabrina after a mythical, water nymph.</li><li>The River Severn length is 220 miles long and is the longest
river in the United Kingdom.</li><li>Historians say a band of Vikings sailed up the River Severn
and fought against the Anglo-Saxons in 894 AD.</li><li>The River Severn linked the coal and iron fields of the
Midlands with the Bristol Channel, by the end of the 17th century, the river
had become the 2nd busiest in Europe.</li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We turned off the Severn and up the Avon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We arrived at the lock at 12.51 but the
lockie said that it would 14.00 now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lunch is clearly marked as 13.00 to 14.00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>14.00 on the dot the lock gates started to
open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had to get our licences at the
lock which took for ages as you have to do it yourself online and then give the
lockie your number.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess the system
works however Over the Moon and Mary H have the same licence number!! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8NbTSWuL4YRlP4GmoIcoUkncXTXmOV5KGsXlK5W9k9aB0VX4wu2DS4MhcWXVeGUWMU9Imxe8cG0GpOFvXJHcKeMIh6QdXc1rije8eTCv4bMJZ8FFnT722c-F3Od7TWYkxtCQGjJ5HPNH-dVeQkE850OCTq5qeF1qHcHoJe45R1UZ2QT1slu0iwgcjGEE/s3986/IMG_4502.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2962" data-original-width="3986" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8NbTSWuL4YRlP4GmoIcoUkncXTXmOV5KGsXlK5W9k9aB0VX4wu2DS4MhcWXVeGUWMU9Imxe8cG0GpOFvXJHcKeMIh6QdXc1rije8eTCv4bMJZ8FFnT722c-F3Od7TWYkxtCQGjJ5HPNH-dVeQkE850OCTq5qeF1qHcHoJe45R1UZ2QT1slu0iwgcjGEE/w400-h297/IMG_4502.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">There was no mooring on the river as expected so I phoned
the marina and booked us both in there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>£20 a night which includes electricity which we didn’t think was too
bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5ThFps8StD0fNQHi1RB1NViwPyINpx33DnsT7pGsUM-PoHeNShOGf5Ybrih1GyFYBKLQTg71aFQigTu31a61UQmCC-c4aujUjkSe4TYhLPSPoWJYd1o1Cxvq-nSqQtsdkG0aV4QkUZ75DXIZQM49AZKCfv7LPGHXBh_WnWVQLsl6cbXfRR-OWcmJ6xg/s4020/IMG_4503.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3008" data-original-width="4020" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5ThFps8StD0fNQHi1RB1NViwPyINpx33DnsT7pGsUM-PoHeNShOGf5Ybrih1GyFYBKLQTg71aFQigTu31a61UQmCC-c4aujUjkSe4TYhLPSPoWJYd1o1Cxvq-nSqQtsdkG0aV4QkUZ75DXIZQM49AZKCfv7LPGHXBh_WnWVQLsl6cbXfRR-OWcmJ6xg/w400-h299/IMG_4503.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It was very hot in the marine but there was also a nice
breeze which helped cool us down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We sat
out and chatted.<br /><br />17.70 miles<br />2 locks<br /><br /><br /><b>Pershore (River Avon) – Saturday 8th July</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">What a night. I woke
up after an hour’s sleep to Muffin doing little yelps. I woke Richard up and he took Muffin to terra
firma and some grass. We are moored
about as far as we could be away from the land.
Richard went back to sleep, but I couldn’t. About an hour later he started again and this
time I took him, just in my nightie and bare feet! I still couldn’t get back to sleep and, lo
and behold, he did it again. I woke
Richard up and said that it was his turn, he told Muffin to get back on his bed
and promptly turned over and started snoring!
So, I made my second trip down the pontoon. And, yes, there was a third time (for
me). This time I didn’t even try to wake
Richard. Fortunately, it was a warm
night, it could have been pouring with rain.
This time, when I got back to the boat, I made a slice of toast and a
cup of tea and sat and waited, but there was no more – I finally got back to
sleep at 4am. Muffin started again at
6.30am, but this time Richard took him as I really couldn’t wake up.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I felt really rough all day and struggled. I can survive on 6 hours sleep, but I’m
usually a 7 hour person - 3½ hours is just not enough.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Strensham lock was quite straightforward, as was
Nafford. However, I had told Tracey to
look out for a sunken boat just after Nafford Lock and she told Steve who was
desperately searching for it in the lock channel in case he ran over it! It is just before the weir and has been there
for years. I have to admit that this is
an old photo I took, now all the paint has gone and it is looking a real
sight. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQGhsA4wNrBoA6WNGCL5-G8hgasFq1z_GN4bXkeyNFr29FWTjrjr0jyGNiuuy9iXsgRSdLhGSrsNi27uTG-UZiIy0BMbCj7NwY-8vLOAYbsgA4JJeoqueNX1lgsj-2pVBVb_DEYC6baUxZwXa1pWFRe5wmYXtdFXqA3Eb_Hh-yjeBhr2-G_pEg7dqJu0/s4608/20170725_102317.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQGhsA4wNrBoA6WNGCL5-G8hgasFq1z_GN4bXkeyNFr29FWTjrjr0jyGNiuuy9iXsgRSdLhGSrsNi27uTG-UZiIy0BMbCj7NwY-8vLOAYbsgA4JJeoqueNX1lgsj-2pVBVb_DEYC6baUxZwXa1pWFRe5wmYXtdFXqA3Eb_Hh-yjeBhr2-G_pEg7dqJu0/w400-h300/20170725_102317.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We stopped at Comberton Quay for lunch but decided not to
stay the night there and to go on to Pershore.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As we approached Pershore Lock there was a hire boat on the
waiting pontoon. There was a hire boat
in the lock and they seemed to be in there for ages but eventually got out and
then we turned the lock for us. It is a
rather complicated lock as it has a ground paddle on the lock side. The instructions are quite explicit but when
you approach it for the first time you have to read it and then re-read
it. We went into the lock with the hire
boat as, by this time, there was a queue of boats behind us! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8f3dvO45C1hDyhPt7SUt7DTMGdmPjdD31ez8sxCxOIYM0XO1ui9T6XMfOlvUKt-ld5efvhMJTBIzGDrZ6uwRbQ8DqwRMJwlaD70qCI3MF-sokI3tgCgTghXVB8Q82cw6sivhjlTtJ73HTXTLrTUgBb4seGz93aBdrUEEXYCGMxeKKNX-qYkPDP1llfR0/s3070/20170725_090808.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3070" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8f3dvO45C1hDyhPt7SUt7DTMGdmPjdD31ez8sxCxOIYM0XO1ui9T6XMfOlvUKt-ld5efvhMJTBIzGDrZ6uwRbQ8DqwRMJwlaD70qCI3MF-sokI3tgCgTghXVB8Q82cw6sivhjlTtJ73HTXTLrTUgBb4seGz93aBdrUEEXYCGMxeKKNX-qYkPDP1llfR0/w400-h300/20170725_090808.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We got to the recreation ground at Pershore and moored
up. The sun was shining so out came the
chairs for about an hour before the rain came.
It poured with rain plus thunder (which Muffin is terrified of) for most
of the evening.<br /><br />13.77 miles<br />3 locks<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-771072381502103192023-07-07T08:50:00.000+01:002023-07-07T08:50:09.657+01:00July 2023 - Down to Stourport<div class="separator"><b>Stourton Junction (Stourbridge/Staffs & Worcs Canals) –
Monday 3rd July</b></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We had 20 locks to do today and some of them in the rain,
well heavy drizzle is probably a better word. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first 16 locks were the Stourbridge flight which dropped
us down 145 feet. At lock 10 the top
gate was miraculously open! The miracle
continued as all the rest of the locks were set and the gates open. We never actually saw anyone, but I knew
there was a man ahead of us as he kept peering round corners and bushes! Eventually at the bottom lock I saw him walking
back up the flight, of course I gave him a BIG thank you.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dadford's Shed was a transhipment shed built between 1884
and 1903 is named after Thomas Dadford Junior who supervised the building of
the canal between 1776 and 1779. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLYyZgeP1iUlDrYVy-JyDwI5s88Z5ktatKSx4v1v_XO5RsbDC_s80AFVQ0iX1hB8ze6wdU6oKVDmpWzw9xqCdg4NT_-iNe7JcjjRdP6W1BWmwMGZfRykpbiXQvvqDFciLm0DTiHjGvOSW5wJUnImg2CmtXXB95uddRd7x7tUwdW-y881pZv4pSJTzOuQ/s4032/IMG_4350.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLYyZgeP1iUlDrYVy-JyDwI5s88Z5ktatKSx4v1v_XO5RsbDC_s80AFVQ0iX1hB8ze6wdU6oKVDmpWzw9xqCdg4NT_-iNe7JcjjRdP6W1BWmwMGZfRykpbiXQvvqDFciLm0DTiHjGvOSW5wJUnImg2CmtXXB95uddRd7x7tUwdW-y881pZv4pSJTzOuQ/w400-h300/IMG_4350.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Back in 2011 we stopped at the Red House Cone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wrote then “It was built at the end of the
18th Century and was used for the manufacture of glass until 1936 and is now
one of only four cones left in the United Kingdom. Reaching 100 feet into the
sky, the Cone enclosed a furnace around which men made glass for 140 years.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is pretty much the same now but there may
be less cones left standing. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVONBAbvN2wQL3Neabiqr4pzt8m4AsaUvNC04vL-A_YPXOELPor5brJS3YkY3O-AbDM7vG2gRMf7H76wcHPH42SceJowN2KQ4jm-dXF2n4iHwY0Sk3KCs94M3SW-ZztzxnC21l6u2e09NKKyfcm_F-Ai7jfopuc1GAJHe5vsy92VXxell7PUJ_v2BV6g/s4028/IMG_4353.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3018" data-original-width="4028" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVONBAbvN2wQL3Neabiqr4pzt8m4AsaUvNC04vL-A_YPXOELPor5brJS3YkY3O-AbDM7vG2gRMf7H76wcHPH42SceJowN2KQ4jm-dXF2n4iHwY0Sk3KCs94M3SW-ZztzxnC21l6u2e09NKKyfcm_F-Ai7jfopuc1GAJHe5vsy92VXxell7PUJ_v2BV6g/w400-h300/IMG_4353.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">At the bottom of the Stourbridge locks is the junction to
Stourbridge itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did not want to
go up there!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t have good memories
of it <span face=""Segoe UI Symbol",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol";">☹</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back in 2011
we had Millie, the cat, with us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Muffin
wasn’t on the scene then. Richard had made her a special cat flap door so that
she could go in and out at night, when it was safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We let her out at Stourbridge, but she wasn’t
on the boat in the morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wrote “We
had a real panic in the morning as we lost Millie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were just about to leave at 10am when I
realised that she wasn’t on board, so I went and called her but nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I must have gone out and called her half a
dozen times and Richard went looking for her but nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a spiky fence between us and some
scrub land, but we couldn’t get through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We had a very sombre lunch and as Richard got up, he saw her appearing
through the fence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She sauntered to the
front of the boat and climbed on as if nothing was wrong.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the only time she went missing though!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Our luck didn’t continue as got tot the bottom of the Stourbridge Arm, we had to call our River and
Canal Rescue (RCR) as we had something round our prop which Richard just
couldn’t shift. The guy came out and had
the right tool and removed it in minutes! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzM_grW-7xPSx5S14f4drsVwyZ5XZEKnEFmDlGaPUTpQbX6IRZRyELcPQ_z6pqIfWJrKsEYg3hvkK3w8w2jai2KcI9bkDVQCszCSzKPrWn-CG9r0Z5xpq5bPqfj1HiwEMdgq3QpGtr8gkU8QeMS2qRjWYkSsD_jpLtyaCbD4hVqV-9PkqT1lzhPEc8z_U/s2848/DSCF9441.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2136" data-original-width="2848" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzM_grW-7xPSx5S14f4drsVwyZ5XZEKnEFmDlGaPUTpQbX6IRZRyELcPQ_z6pqIfWJrKsEYg3hvkK3w8w2jai2KcI9bkDVQCszCSzKPrWn-CG9r0Z5xpq5bPqfj1HiwEMdgq3QpGtr8gkU8QeMS2qRjWYkSsD_jpLtyaCbD4hVqV-9PkqT1lzhPEc8z_U/w400-h300/DSCF9441.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">After the Stourbridge flight there are a couple of miles
before the 4 locks of the Stourton flight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These were nice and easy and a joy to go through as the houses on the
canal bank had really lovely gardens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here are a few.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first two are
more traditional, but the third is a modern take. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-wuHRlVnMIcaw_w3r49gQ-HbZoFEIeIj42B_bhWXFpVe_8bJVd64FI1QR7ADzGxQxJ5ajZ7rEdudDNTR9qbjyykET1pRxMzYhCFEJEAjEwdAK7SCTi0CzoisCHAI7DeMNSFw1Ts34ZTKz18W7_r7MUi9wIXrN4f7GSncWwDC_fxm86dk4KmCZpRLFfAA/s4032/IMG_4359.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-wuHRlVnMIcaw_w3r49gQ-HbZoFEIeIj42B_bhWXFpVe_8bJVd64FI1QR7ADzGxQxJ5ajZ7rEdudDNTR9qbjyykET1pRxMzYhCFEJEAjEwdAK7SCTi0CzoisCHAI7DeMNSFw1Ts34ZTKz18W7_r7MUi9wIXrN4f7GSncWwDC_fxm86dk4KmCZpRLFfAA/w400-h300/IMG_4359.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8aomJ_oFdR0-AIA9vCc7iJOfqxraACwvnGj9uFN6ePnhEJ28BoCV3ikAvMmJwHjk385li_ZVYrMIM0xwzTOXg-OkmOJPhSwusF9sSL35xKucSWnTHJqlQ4HjEUMS85vb70-hrzR6XeaW88HKGMJK7LxnuYLfwJ8kUVuwMHW3Kd1KMrDdJxh1-VyfqJ4/s4032/IMG_4346.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8aomJ_oFdR0-AIA9vCc7iJOfqxraACwvnGj9uFN6ePnhEJ28BoCV3ikAvMmJwHjk385li_ZVYrMIM0xwzTOXg-OkmOJPhSwusF9sSL35xKucSWnTHJqlQ4HjEUMS85vb70-hrzR6XeaW88HKGMJK7LxnuYLfwJ8kUVuwMHW3Kd1KMrDdJxh1-VyfqJ4/w400-h300/IMG_4346.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI2oHyU7Bn0CQcKbUZIZBPwFlYk3HHLb2WT7ldJDO09jLaNdBDkKi3YTfbtwVE7psm3NG_fWeT1X9ejgflfMom32EV7mhrvZSEYeD4SBb6fGy-GTTErYgEabCMAb5gRRS8zjeSzhyxPB00x4fa_1UkCPdIgH3K9sCCICQvNF5GyiqXaM2j0F0PUSUINuc/s4032/IMG_4344.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI2oHyU7Bn0CQcKbUZIZBPwFlYk3HHLb2WT7ldJDO09jLaNdBDkKi3YTfbtwVE7psm3NG_fWeT1X9ejgflfMom32EV7mhrvZSEYeD4SBb6fGy-GTTErYgEabCMAb5gRRS8zjeSzhyxPB00x4fa_1UkCPdIgH3K9sCCICQvNF5GyiqXaM2j0F0PUSUINuc/w400-h300/IMG_4344.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This duck house made me smile! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMtJB2Que8ViFHBdtNOGJQ5d1Og0y5j5XAOsUrnlE729I-fAt-W_KKJANTAEkc76tHbirqGgDhiCh_jgPxPMkfOSNgeOaQ05Az-2pHvCv3gYo3KkDb87vyPTOLDpxICNDzehlzOcOTJDCYReQExdNOEymLnq9oG8zgQxdt1naRycgZ8EIzlBrq0jOLLxQ/s3958/IMG_4366.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2922" data-original-width="3958" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMtJB2Que8ViFHBdtNOGJQ5d1Og0y5j5XAOsUrnlE729I-fAt-W_KKJANTAEkc76tHbirqGgDhiCh_jgPxPMkfOSNgeOaQ05Az-2pHvCv3gYo3KkDb87vyPTOLDpxICNDzehlzOcOTJDCYReQExdNOEymLnq9oG8zgQxdt1naRycgZ8EIzlBrq0jOLLxQ/w400-h295/IMG_4366.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">At Stourton Junction Over the Moon and Mary H reversed back
onto the moorings while Clarence when in nose first – Clarence will leave us
tomorrow to return to their marina as Diane has to go back to work.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Steve (Clarence) had been having problems with his bow
thruster, you could hear it working but nothing was happening. Most boats have a gas locker fitted in the
bow but Clarence’s gas locker is in a different place, so Steve got in
there. He found that there was about 2
feet of water in there! He had to empty
everything out – coal, wood bricks, chairs and goodness knows what else and
then start bucketing the water out. At
the bottom was wood pulp from the wood bricks which took ages to get out. Eventually he found that there was a hole in
the bow thruster tube. A phone call to
RCR and a chap brought out a bilge pump, but it didn’t work properly, so Steve
had to get up every couple of hours to bail water out <span face="Segoe UI Symbol, sans-serif">☹<br /><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_k8RVGJd66zjyMH3fY3Jd_1yTVkFNQdymvnDGtycHPwT78DebADJJyt1NGtbWGBbzu4LQq9_hYEoAvhn9a5xTBVD7FhE2_6qnOXMDg09MNn9f-FCZ5UE7-3satoeMX2en8xE_AGPOtTJ15ONozt0hWYFoUT0POZKSAXxDBU5iZUhNA0XKe2moTH8A-24/s4032/IMG_4373.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_k8RVGJd66zjyMH3fY3Jd_1yTVkFNQdymvnDGtycHPwT78DebADJJyt1NGtbWGBbzu4LQq9_hYEoAvhn9a5xTBVD7FhE2_6qnOXMDg09MNn9f-FCZ5UE7-3satoeMX2en8xE_AGPOtTJ15ONozt0hWYFoUT0POZKSAXxDBU5iZUhNA0XKe2moTH8A-24/w400-h300/IMG_4373.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9f_rlTxNJv-5ie7pNZxW2_r1m-VkqXX_FJVEK0kDTI8VEznf8E4ZfMHA8Cg1ugOxGN6cJpXcUZEg5_4R-FIe0dwFajtndSbwPEiPA9Q_ORL9DzB5NgESdSsyoK1wkmMNtZMMkd9A-z63TYk7hZv3Ugm0kK5naOqQTsCV7xsrUu3-dqH1thjlbpcpgdyw/s4032/IMG_4372.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9f_rlTxNJv-5ie7pNZxW2_r1m-VkqXX_FJVEK0kDTI8VEznf8E4ZfMHA8Cg1ugOxGN6cJpXcUZEg5_4R-FIe0dwFajtndSbwPEiPA9Q_ORL9DzB5NgESdSsyoK1wkmMNtZMMkd9A-z63TYk7hZv3Ugm0kK5naOqQTsCV7xsrUu3-dqH1thjlbpcpgdyw/w400-h300/IMG_4372.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />3.3 miles<br />20 locks<br /><br /><br /><b>Wolverley Lock (Staffs & Worcs Canal) – Tuesday 4th July</b><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We said goodbye to Steve and Diane, and we just hope that
they can find a boatyard that can take Clarence out of the water to repair
their bow thruster.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I went to set the first lock and just had to take this photo
of the bottom lock of the Stourton flight.
It looks so pretty. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOHKid7tWWHtcNeBFfLQftT-88U5GtHNSzLtcS4LRH1IdhDE1pWrTHKIiL7PRZI42RpghuFasjf8iwWENQkm8zP5Mf9-aL6Ywe6uQkD0DXYNlQZbh8tsD_nRiNWNAOkFPKgsKgZ1U1faTR9yPyBO7LdVq-vzx8cJ1HnYLlCaubqFnC-7YdXlOQcXgH6s/s4032/IMG_4375.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOHKid7tWWHtcNeBFfLQftT-88U5GtHNSzLtcS4LRH1IdhDE1pWrTHKIiL7PRZI42RpghuFasjf8iwWENQkm8zP5Mf9-aL6Ywe6uQkD0DXYNlQZbh8tsD_nRiNWNAOkFPKgsKgZ1U1faTR9yPyBO7LdVq-vzx8cJ1HnYLlCaubqFnC-7YdXlOQcXgH6s/w400-h300/IMG_4375.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Stewponey Lock was our first. Me being me, had to research where a strange
name like Stewponey came from! It
appears that the area and lock are named after a tavern. Wikipedia says “The origin of the name
"Stewponey Inn" remains uncertain. Rev. Sabine Baring Gould claimed
that Stewponey was said to have been a local pronunciation of
"Estepona" and that the Estepona Tavern was so named because the
founder of the tavern had been a soldier quartered in Estepona in Spain and his
wife had come from there. Other suggestions include it being a corruption of
Stouri pons (Latin for "bridge of Stour").”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yesterday we passed a 5* Duck Hotel, today it was a duck
picnic table! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkMd7PTih1uNdEfOXeJWLp4dauXBb9SikCzGXCqklqUEyNjzrmVnfHOALrb_AYI0fWOKd2Nkfj-2bJBXDZzIKgRmsKW_ALXJLR1VGCIpOX0QgRDmWIUlJR0qW2aI_Gcaaq7O3t83RsHimv1HnWDyLulXGwWFF1Y8-kwxYk66Izc0L_tDMXoFim5ksB1g/s4032/IMG_4380.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkMd7PTih1uNdEfOXeJWLp4dauXBb9SikCzGXCqklqUEyNjzrmVnfHOALrb_AYI0fWOKd2Nkfj-2bJBXDZzIKgRmsKW_ALXJLR1VGCIpOX0QgRDmWIUlJR0qW2aI_Gcaaq7O3t83RsHimv1HnWDyLulXGwWFF1Y8-kwxYk66Izc0L_tDMXoFim5ksB1g/w400-h300/IMG_4380.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We stopped to offload rubbish and take on water at Kinver
and while we were there, I got an email from C&RT saying that the canal was
blocked up ahead by a fallen tree.
Great!! As we went along, we
asked a couple of boats coming towards us if they have got through the
blockage, oh yes, not a problem. We
cruised on and found the tree and we could get through. Somone had been out with a saw or sharp
secateurs and cut quite a bit back. We got through with no problems.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwqzbPzrO4D299MIXbOP2uF594Mped44iIyCzsCfX90ltoks6DTEPmNdYVuhkeK9oPxyMtw_HIshDRRdLoyJQTeBsiBf3Ezxh1OYAJFn1OLki0oHlsY0L6XyClZn3HK0V-EECEKzkyXqwgdFxMJVcL8iHdTwn8zt2MED8desdjc_DMPb-UtuTZBhDUSo/s4032/IMG_4389.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwqzbPzrO4D299MIXbOP2uF594Mped44iIyCzsCfX90ltoks6DTEPmNdYVuhkeK9oPxyMtw_HIshDRRdLoyJQTeBsiBf3Ezxh1OYAJFn1OLki0oHlsY0L6XyClZn3HK0V-EECEKzkyXqwgdFxMJVcL8iHdTwn8zt2MED8desdjc_DMPb-UtuTZBhDUSo/s320/IMG_4389.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvGYKiP9S-JoQ9AObyLocAZQ5bVO1eMS7hnNx1jGcLIQr2dZ-tmAfvaP6zMypzt5YCEESQssup4QBapVhUDFuIy6ejJXkxGrp4O7ypIycuo77YGHmcRKzOow6_6HXCNo1HvGHvbKTMSeXiVd-jr8hGCm-Mq6jL3ZiJ_Kx4BZw75Ci3vgNxFGRV-2r-BU/s4032/IMG_4391.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvGYKiP9S-JoQ9AObyLocAZQ5bVO1eMS7hnNx1jGcLIQr2dZ-tmAfvaP6zMypzt5YCEESQssup4QBapVhUDFuIy6ejJXkxGrp4O7ypIycuo77YGHmcRKzOow6_6HXCNo1HvGHvbKTMSeXiVd-jr8hGCm-Mq6jL3ZiJ_Kx4BZw75Ci3vgNxFGRV-2r-BU/s320/IMG_4391.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">I got a message from Over the Moon to say that they had just
been rammed by a hire boat, which had damaged their cratch. The boat had been in the middle of the canal
as it rounded a corner and was going much too fast. The skipper then denied
that she had hit them. Quite how they
were supposed to get damage if they hadn’t been hit, I don’t know. I should point out that Over the Moon is
only 6 months old. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrg8QWIGMBUpGUJ_9Bk2-TZVxPZdCcjSwkBPd0wmyhWo6tgq24aegzVy_8wDUcGSa2hepQOdP7SWgGuXeTv38m5_-FcWvx77oWhnlZ8DHkYdDfynpz0vq5ateqARoXR1EztEhvo-L-vTsksHb3aJGhzDGPp1JvzRmqtyPqr9t2alU_dwXWM-Ihl9tBCY/s1448/ad7a120a-4dcf-4d92-9069-d4c81aa0809e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="944" data-original-width="1448" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrg8QWIGMBUpGUJ_9Bk2-TZVxPZdCcjSwkBPd0wmyhWo6tgq24aegzVy_8wDUcGSa2hepQOdP7SWgGuXeTv38m5_-FcWvx77oWhnlZ8DHkYdDfynpz0vq5ateqARoXR1EztEhvo-L-vTsksHb3aJGhzDGPp1JvzRmqtyPqr9t2alU_dwXWM-Ihl9tBCY/w400-h261/ad7a120a-4dcf-4d92-9069-d4c81aa0809e.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Debdale Lock has a cave house cut into the rock. With the lock ladder there I thought it
looked a bit like it has its own swimming pool!
Research shows that the cave was dug out as stabling for horses in the
age of horse drawn boats. I saw
somewhere else that it was used by the Navvies when building the canal, but it
could probably have been used for horses later on.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6zplWb-Lh_ckn5VKGEf69xgyziDbcamzpIG6mfLij0xBKeWl1wQ0rto-kkdRMAw23KSnWn2dJkhoUbaow0mVyAwpFLqEn6JxWeulY7tVm5YTee-ea2NgGrq3yQVQXw2qlmln28DxkEVSDQEpZyJ2yaSCYEHXLjNNONg5T5MMRqkCmKhiCjQeqm9Wz1xw/s4032/IMG_4396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6zplWb-Lh_ckn5VKGEf69xgyziDbcamzpIG6mfLij0xBKeWl1wQ0rto-kkdRMAw23KSnWn2dJkhoUbaow0mVyAwpFLqEn6JxWeulY7tVm5YTee-ea2NgGrq3yQVQXw2qlmln28DxkEVSDQEpZyJ2yaSCYEHXLjNNONg5T5MMRqkCmKhiCjQeqm9Wz1xw/w400-h300/IMG_4396.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">James Brindley, and his assistants were experimenting with
weir design along this stretch of canal and this type were known as Brindley
Lobster Pot Weirs. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3q8083uMHPfx-Kw3ZBKFKHR9kS9jsfuvZMNUrZVLnZV1_w23uF862QuiIFtHqgooi2-MNMtkvi9-KXj3KGMy86-cY6SpzzL72M1UWHNcPWq2nDxMTQihBbQW1TgrnwHKHTFlf9HQRP5W1r-eDCnOEVeaQxwlbsdJgTsqeEHvHoIDRjPDP7ytAEZjz5xE/s4032/IMG_4397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3q8083uMHPfx-Kw3ZBKFKHR9kS9jsfuvZMNUrZVLnZV1_w23uF862QuiIFtHqgooi2-MNMtkvi9-KXj3KGMy86-cY6SpzzL72M1UWHNcPWq2nDxMTQihBbQW1TgrnwHKHTFlf9HQRP5W1r-eDCnOEVeaQxwlbsdJgTsqeEHvHoIDRjPDP7ytAEZjz5xE/s320/IMG_4397.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Our last lock of the day was Wolverley where it is
overlooked by a pub garden. It is one of
those locks where gongoozlers congregate and if something is going to go wrong
it will happen here!! Fortunately,
everything went according to plan and I heaved a sigh of relief. I looked back and took this photo as Richard
was shutting the gates.<o:p></o:p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73eN8AQcxJPFJ8nEEI0I1rOmWlXQgFW-R0PzGKmBAXhjLpLABiNeb5S8nDfJAqLjq2VrocpHhtBy7BrAcXf-wo4Cii0MiN93iaxZev9rH-26-FybW7wzSBuFDU5MiQU2WCujXQ1MKXPBMguTPnxy39Dunvapvx2HMCzICS4XlM_e1JdlqF9zRxYIOpLA/s4032/IMG_4399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73eN8AQcxJPFJ8nEEI0I1rOmWlXQgFW-R0PzGKmBAXhjLpLABiNeb5S8nDfJAqLjq2VrocpHhtBy7BrAcXf-wo4Cii0MiN93iaxZev9rH-26-FybW7wzSBuFDU5MiQU2WCujXQ1MKXPBMguTPnxy39Dunvapvx2HMCzICS4XlM_e1JdlqF9zRxYIOpLA/w400-h300/IMG_4399.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>We pulled over after the lock and moored up for the
day. It was still quite early, so I
settled down for a quiet afternoon, however Steve and Tracey had other ideas,
so we all trooped up to the pub as Steve wanted some Wi-Fi – sadly they didn’t
have any!! We got talking to a Geordie
couple who were visiting in their motorhome, and they told us about a medieval
re-enactment taking place in Tewkesbury at the weekend. It sounds an interesting place to visit but
the chances of getting any mooring around Tewkesbury when we arrive on Friday
could well be very limited. After a
couple or three bevvies we decided to have a meal in the pub, it was good pub
grub though nothing special. Back at the
boat there was no TV signal, and the internet was very iffy so we couldn’t
stream anything. Just goes to show how
much we rely on the internet. <br /><br />6.20 miles<br />6 locks<br /><br /><br /><b>The Bird in Hand, Stourport (Staffs & Worcs Canal) –
Wednesday 5th July</b></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrgXmhAvuCGYuwJdvD__XwUdXCqANCwHnnJYhG2zTrZwNEzpPrVmuZIaS_qfzNFlm76fqi9qa1VQydaJGwGjZWy3A54Xu_DDoo_gPmV4TpppzC751Y03KIwOYV3jh48TmWg7rBXSXG-Po3IAlFdFhRHlwx8NIT7gBBJQsKrtzTnZuRzX0JIHqv1WXlEs/s4032/IMG_4402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrgXmhAvuCGYuwJdvD__XwUdXCqANCwHnnJYhG2zTrZwNEzpPrVmuZIaS_qfzNFlm76fqi9qa1VQydaJGwGjZWy3A54Xu_DDoo_gPmV4TpppzC751Y03KIwOYV3jh48TmWg7rBXSXG-Po3IAlFdFhRHlwx8NIT7gBBJQsKrtzTnZuRzX0JIHqv1WXlEs/w400-h300/IMG_4402.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />We were away at 9am and our first stop was Sainsburys in
Kidderminster. It is brilliant when you
find a supermarket right by the canal and has moorings. It means I could get some heavy things and
wheel the trolley back to the boat. <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9FsbcQ92jHnp4ydthlgsmvBVt9MD7YUogreExeUaFHL2X7DsNzw6lQaJ5r8HGm4d9TqgyX4XCSXbSrr_oybzBlDgtn3p7hTHsfk_4XzHBFnhBkMy64u2-VQQad-w_26Fx3J6ebLcquavFAEoq6OpnBgkzGx1GjXCVr9RbhMm5qVqAV_L5JuXHQeQ1wWU/s4006/IMG_4404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2990" data-original-width="4006" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9FsbcQ92jHnp4ydthlgsmvBVt9MD7YUogreExeUaFHL2X7DsNzw6lQaJ5r8HGm4d9TqgyX4XCSXbSrr_oybzBlDgtn3p7hTHsfk_4XzHBFnhBkMy64u2-VQQad-w_26Fx3J6ebLcquavFAEoq6OpnBgkzGx1GjXCVr9RbhMm5qVqAV_L5JuXHQeQ1wWU/w400-h299/IMG_4404.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">St. Mary’s and All Saints’ Church looks over Kidderminster
Lock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is Grade I listed which is not
surprising as the foundation existed at the time of the Domesday book. Records
of a consecration in 1315 probably refer to the chancel. The current church
building dates mostly from the 15th and 16th centuries. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDp1UBN_PCyytfU0u5kzu4NnpnN_Ng023yDjArt5334Iu-hMZjhMsyv_gx9qYmbHWk-S-Wwx0gHqSWFRBvJlrnQk85bvz-QO-6S_zSTTAKDKpugyvW0dhukX4-71KEYHE901O8npm6s60AHQdQdaDAar82qP4X3kshalSEYzKp-wCgBiu17yXUW5aRpo/s3936/IMG_4405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2890" data-original-width="3936" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDp1UBN_PCyytfU0u5kzu4NnpnN_Ng023yDjArt5334Iu-hMZjhMsyv_gx9qYmbHWk-S-Wwx0gHqSWFRBvJlrnQk85bvz-QO-6S_zSTTAKDKpugyvW0dhukX4-71KEYHE901O8npm6s60AHQdQdaDAar82qP4X3kshalSEYzKp-wCgBiu17yXUW5aRpo/w400-h294/IMG_4405.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This is a statue of Richard Baxter (1615 – 1691), who was a
famous English Puritan cleric.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He lived
and worked in Kidderminster between 1641 and 1661. During the Civil War, he was
a chaplain in the Parliamentary army and after the Restoration he became a
royal chaplain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is another statue
in the town of Rowland Hill, the founder of the first postal service in the
world, stands in front of the big Head Post Office building - he was born in
Kidderminster in 1793. The service was known as the Penny Post, and it was
copied all around the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hill made
the case that if letters were cheaper to send, people, including the poorer
classes, would send more of them, thus eventually profits would go up.
Proposing an adhesive stamp to indicate pre-payment of postage – with the first
being the Penny Black – in 1840, the first year of Penny Post, the number of
letters sent in the UK more than doubled. Within 10 years, it had doubled
again. Within three years postage stamps were introduced in Switzerland and
Brazil, a little later in the US, and by 1860, they were used in 90 countries.</p><p class="MsoNormal">From the ancient to the modern. From Kidderminster Lock you have your choice of McDonalds or Pizza Hut!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1GGXS8xPthrpcpYfnvtPb1jys-c7nFxw7iBF87oF1FiNMNmG945xpgakbi6bq5EG2WKmVmYqrUxT9AMWFSs3t7g_gmhSwBET8yazP3gFg6llsv-KTxGrb9kwFAttGN-3-xNaBiADJds3y5m_Sl7slVzVD82iy-jbziNt5TiqIttCWHHW956FbjF18L0/s4032/IMG_4410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1GGXS8xPthrpcpYfnvtPb1jys-c7nFxw7iBF87oF1FiNMNmG945xpgakbi6bq5EG2WKmVmYqrUxT9AMWFSs3t7g_gmhSwBET8yazP3gFg6llsv-KTxGrb9kwFAttGN-3-xNaBiADJds3y5m_Sl7slVzVD82iy-jbziNt5TiqIttCWHHW956FbjF18L0/w400-h300/IMG_4410.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Ah! McDonalds has a drive-thru – that wins!!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8CC-91I9Vp4aig1gkKbkZNPUOYFHQGD1QwGr1TaEgtsdXIxAm3Kok-Cd97XKgDdNqqyhknf4raE612H7JmFbrjBB1hNatiJidk4c_3b-498x3ME8l9kr13wDeZveJvdUEiVTc7BboaUc5YCzt-yRAg7bZAV2OHLIAuoFQZIywIJswrCaXQCZagEK4f1U/s3956/IMG_4414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2922" data-original-width="3956" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8CC-91I9Vp4aig1gkKbkZNPUOYFHQGD1QwGr1TaEgtsdXIxAm3Kok-Cd97XKgDdNqqyhknf4raE612H7JmFbrjBB1hNatiJidk4c_3b-498x3ME8l9kr13wDeZveJvdUEiVTc7BboaUc5YCzt-yRAg7bZAV2OHLIAuoFQZIywIJswrCaXQCZagEK4f1U/w400-h295/IMG_4414.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the lock is a shopping area (with Tesco) with good
moorings. Very helpful if you are a
shopaholic!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Caldwell Lock with its lovely sandstone rock. I’ve discovered that there used to be a
castle close by called, strangely enough, Caldwell Castle. There is now only one tower left which Grade
II* listed. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBXVuAWiBy3L4QDCVZrsJf9U_rzwjOtqZzqiiYzY7EFxj9GCDMVAKc_5HhILR6JUfj0KFOpxnjb-AVzUQRDtVNBUxVg4fxb8cEJCTKI0aBSo0e-qZZosO0mDqzrdubpKJpKeMIdrzzrB_6jhfCOQuuo2Uu8yhREHtQDo5d_3vYiOyLIbf5IWZVamR1xc/s4032/IMG_4421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBXVuAWiBy3L4QDCVZrsJf9U_rzwjOtqZzqiiYzY7EFxj9GCDMVAKc_5HhILR6JUfj0KFOpxnjb-AVzUQRDtVNBUxVg4fxb8cEJCTKI0aBSo0e-qZZosO0mDqzrdubpKJpKeMIdrzzrB_6jhfCOQuuo2Uu8yhREHtQDo5d_3vYiOyLIbf5IWZVamR1xc/w400-h300/IMG_4421.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">High up is a viaduct which carries the Severn Railway which
goes from Kidderminster to Bridgenorth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was just about to take a photo of the viaduct when this steam train
came across.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have been on the
Railway. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5p4eay0KWntYh1wnUt8Df2xcSz3pcHYvE_rTMqb488-Geeb6xeDOrfJHUuKoB0SvpO2XNSxaTSaVC2rcvsbpg6tF7W25x3xeD-2pA2B2UZCQULa49uhylOCnzfaIwQGc2g6Fjg6zSGk8ONqb4HaY_3fj-NCSx3k_o8jZV3bOypz-uBpudQ7j9J-5Wjnc/s3848/IMG_4426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2762" data-original-width="3848" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5p4eay0KWntYh1wnUt8Df2xcSz3pcHYvE_rTMqb488-Geeb6xeDOrfJHUuKoB0SvpO2XNSxaTSaVC2rcvsbpg6tF7W25x3xeD-2pA2B2UZCQULa49uhylOCnzfaIwQGc2g6Fjg6zSGk8ONqb4HaY_3fj-NCSx3k_o8jZV3bOypz-uBpudQ7j9J-5Wjnc/w400-h288/IMG_4426.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Falling Sands Lock is one of my favourites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is so peaceful and beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My research shows that there was a cottage
there which was sadly demolished some 60+ years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are interested, you can find a very
interesting article on the cottage <a href="https://www.grannybuttons.com/Falling%20Sands%20Lock%20Cottage%20memoir%20by%20David%20Godson.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is courtesy of a blog written by Granny Buttons.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhge4K9K_ts0J8FIN4ovFxy2f0-jKFtHgKBrFvL0TopEOwWWOeyK844VH3rRlEzF7PzO2eOh_lhGnP6B1s-Qb4BwG13BUtU7oh--iesoThvhm-7q7Fy8tQ_ZzrhDhTpjgr_SXproWFktdk1UFfNyfuHT-XjplaxgQZyqZRgvdqxXcaX9jVsz6QHkuMX-UQ/s4032/IMG_4431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhge4K9K_ts0J8FIN4ovFxy2f0-jKFtHgKBrFvL0TopEOwWWOeyK844VH3rRlEzF7PzO2eOh_lhGnP6B1s-Qb4BwG13BUtU7oh--iesoThvhm-7q7Fy8tQ_ZzrhDhTpjgr_SXproWFktdk1UFfNyfuHT-XjplaxgQZyqZRgvdqxXcaX9jVsz6QHkuMX-UQ/w400-h300/IMG_4431.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVSM2KE97HY10AsuLQU77BUqI1pruASGYS42q8y92Mf38AU1P7GPpTn3f20xIwKlKhhhgomDCKrN5FIpKMtWX9TIZcR8ibN0JOi2UKIXi6kGV8TFwirhiD3goAYHPdR_mKQaAa39aun4hCIb95zjaKpb8Kkti3kTt-ynAFmDfREAuVejkvt_6bR7iegf8/s257/download.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="257" data-original-width="196" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVSM2KE97HY10AsuLQU77BUqI1pruASGYS42q8y92Mf38AU1P7GPpTn3f20xIwKlKhhhgomDCKrN5FIpKMtWX9TIZcR8ibN0JOi2UKIXi6kGV8TFwirhiD3goAYHPdR_mKQaAa39aun4hCIb95zjaKpb8Kkti3kTt-ynAFmDfREAuVejkvt_6bR7iegf8/w305-h400/download.jpeg" width="305" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stopped for the night at the Bird in Hand moorings in
Stourport. We had to breast up with Over
the Moon, so we all got chairs out on our rear decks and sat, had a glass of
wine and chatted.<br /><br />5.40 miles<br />4 Locks</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><br /></div></div>Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-17487629393982645462023-07-04T10:35:00.002+01:002023-07-04T10:35:49.626+01:00June/July 2023 - A sad farewell to new friends and onwards<p><b>Titford Pump House (Old Main Line/Titford Canal) – Friday
30th June</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Before we left this morning, I found this anchor. There is a plaque which says that it was
erected in 2000 to commemorate the chain and anchor industry which existed in
Tipton Green from the 1859s to the 1940s. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqaVcQGtlJeBI7M7-BEVRaZX27HUoalfMuA5-KVT5wPloBSSfUobWHJG1oh0qcj4JFepJTg5XaZwy9djkmBfBEp9kO1IpZj8hxBBUnag3vRbk8GG05bq3_uGKhcfqBTBMpK52anfJ1CQo_cLQcYxg994UrORbNSZM1-U_2SKpFNEsbvgNPW2gj7HoPS8Y/s4032/IMG_4270.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqaVcQGtlJeBI7M7-BEVRaZX27HUoalfMuA5-KVT5wPloBSSfUobWHJG1oh0qcj4JFepJTg5XaZwy9djkmBfBEp9kO1IpZj8hxBBUnag3vRbk8GG05bq3_uGKhcfqBTBMpK52anfJ1CQo_cLQcYxg994UrORbNSZM1-U_2SKpFNEsbvgNPW2gj7HoPS8Y/w400-h300/IMG_4270.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Neptune Forge, Chain, Anchor, and Engine Works was founded
in 1862 by Joseph Wright and Thomas Tinsley, a well known Dudley nail
factor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Neptune Works was a great
success, becoming one of the largest chain and anchor works in the country. Its
products were sold throughout the UK and abroad, to countries including
Germany, Russia, and Turkey, where they were well appreciated. Only the finest
iron was used. It came from Bloomfield Iron Works (B.B.H. iron) and from the
Earl of Dudley’s ironworks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Neptune
Works used to be on the site of where we had moored over night.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It didn’t take long until we turned off the Old Main Line
and onto the Titford Canal. The 6 six
locks are just as you turn in. The
flight is called The Crow as originally they were adjacent to a chemical works
owned by Jim Crow. The BCN had provided
us with lock wheelers again and on two locks, there were two of them! We went up the flight in super quick
time. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDzw40_s8Xf4X5W704RvjJnRm6A_rLeZFhAlw-USQtSl7yuQpH70uTZH8Q_-VOkqii5evRaXJ619MjfPkwGAIEDsS6OZc2p--zL9pHZtUO32doD5j6fsTyHYWMWaiqwO7JlRcAzzmtF9K81RLVJCK9oNe2Nxaj3mI5BGkSk80olwvuHaAEs9L2Wf-Gko/s4032/IMG_4272.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDzw40_s8Xf4X5W704RvjJnRm6A_rLeZFhAlw-USQtSl7yuQpH70uTZH8Q_-VOkqii5evRaXJ619MjfPkwGAIEDsS6OZc2p--zL9pHZtUO32doD5j6fsTyHYWMWaiqwO7JlRcAzzmtF9K81RLVJCK9oNe2Nxaj3mI5BGkSk80olwvuHaAEs9L2Wf-Gko/w400-h300/IMG_4272.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">At the top we had to wind above and reverse back to the next
mooring place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were now on the
highest navigable level of the BCN at 511 feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Richard had a look down the weed hatch and found this, we think it was a
boiler suit in its time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsxi62FwM3rzzlTH4VcJmqaGAfWmlc2kZH1UdHbjMnZpU0-RcJGQcWCIMcI-skn3foD8CNre-1vUW2-5Q9AReT26sXEWfkhS0-JI0hN2f5KLeqYZ7pbVfiTCGvUKLqOKklRgHAYHsqzbixxqvECnOQtdt8n6N1adMQjutdpFzWgcsuB9zunsDKFAGWWpI/s4032/IMG_4280.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsxi62FwM3rzzlTH4VcJmqaGAfWmlc2kZH1UdHbjMnZpU0-RcJGQcWCIMcI-skn3foD8CNre-1vUW2-5Q9AReT26sXEWfkhS0-JI0hN2f5KLeqYZ7pbVfiTCGvUKLqOKklRgHAYHsqzbixxqvECnOQtdt8n6N1adMQjutdpFzWgcsuB9zunsDKFAGWWpI/w300-h400/IMG_4280.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">At the top lock stands the grade II listed Titford Engine
House which was built to pump water back up the six locks of the Crow flight,
but later more often used to supply the feeders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is now the headquarters of the Birmingham
Canal Navigations Society, who have so kindly supplied us with lock wheelers
and who organised the Explorer Cruise.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Also at the top lock is the junction with the Tat Bank
Branch (or Spon Lane Branch), no longer navigable, which was the original
feeder to the Smethwick Summit, and is now a feeder (made by Thomas Telford,
1830) to Edgbaston Reservoir (Rotton Park Reservoir) which itself feeds the
Birmingham and Wolverhampton Levels of the BCN.
Yes, you have read that right, the pump house pumps water into the
reservoir not the other way around.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We had a quiet afternoon – we needed it! It was our last evening with the others and
Deb had organised a Chinese to be delivered.
It had been pre-ordered and was a very good meal. Then was then a quiz which our team won! I don’t think I have ever won a quiz
before! It was then time to say our
goodbyes. Some I doubt we will see again
as they live up north but a couple of down our way and of course, Clarence and
Over the Moon are cruising with us for a while.
I felt a bit sad but we will have fun with the others I’m sure <span face=""Segoe UI Emoji", sans-serif">😊</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I took this photo as we walked back to the boat. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEjVhGXr1Hm9iamXK3kYsqtUxQn8DIpu3Fb7dSy1RiDRGRkzSIGn9bEIwQdNTCnkhCYlYHh8rLH99_ivLXBD_azoBGLr4uxXSZI5IUnLMfJIx_KcvN-CEr5qr3rLrUuYD6Asw11SJ6W2QXm4rYUtZA0Vrfohln4yHz4hEYJiIQb3kAKp7HrssttQ4K3g/s4032/IMG_4283.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEjVhGXr1Hm9iamXK3kYsqtUxQn8DIpu3Fb7dSy1RiDRGRkzSIGn9bEIwQdNTCnkhCYlYHh8rLH99_ivLXBD_azoBGLr4uxXSZI5IUnLMfJIx_KcvN-CEr5qr3rLrUuYD6Asw11SJ6W2QXm4rYUtZA0Vrfohln4yHz4hEYJiIQb3kAKp7HrssttQ4K3g/w400-h300/IMG_4283.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The Titford Canal was opened on 4th November 1837 and was
built to serve the coal mines of the Titford Valley. Also, from Titford Pool
was the Causeway Green Branch which opened in 1858 and abandoned, in parts, in
1954 and September 1960.<br /><br />4.21 miles<br />6 locks<br /><br /><br /><b>Merry Hill (Titford Canal - Tat Bank Branch/Titford Canal -
Main Line/Old Main Line/Gower Branch/New Main Line/Netherton Tunnel
Branch/Dudley No 2 Canal/Dudley No 1 Canal) – Saturday 1st July</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">8 different canals in one day! Crazy!
I have to admit that the Gower Branch is only ½ mile long! I shall have to add up all the canals we have
been on at the end of our summer cruise.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Muffin reckoned it was much too early to get up! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-EnA8pI0rK5QiY1_18K-9yxs0xnLzPnhNsZoe0DTnQa2qZZWNP1wur-IAqhb7G46HvvJoHu0_Not12HiTMVfp_NwMSGNLvgHMk_IT8Pd0aT5DOAL1F1x9sTetUBUb5V2TJntuKHQAxY2zzq915PbvBrci5sWt69LvNHheSpELUI6tyRAWgdlGCL0Oq1o/s4032/IMG_4284.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-EnA8pI0rK5QiY1_18K-9yxs0xnLzPnhNsZoe0DTnQa2qZZWNP1wur-IAqhb7G46HvvJoHu0_Not12HiTMVfp_NwMSGNLvgHMk_IT8Pd0aT5DOAL1F1x9sTetUBUb5V2TJntuKHQAxY2zzq915PbvBrci5sWt69LvNHheSpELUI6tyRAWgdlGCL0Oq1o/w400-h300/IMG_4284.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We wanted to get away early as I was worried that all the
other boats would want to go down the locks at the same time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end we left about 8.10am with Clarence
in the lead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Down the locks in double
quick time as Diane was lifting the top paddle each time and Richard and I were
both opening the bottom paddles. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DLeGIEHvxDBbSalPsdQ-yWaww780ihUkcFD_VH85xb0_KdHdJX_Z10HftX-YajtjNA9sSZzQ6bGVwmvSbuqQahAIcwkeKtE_EfIurdDJAZeqm3efc5OJ2aOFIC41OVDTaAzMfQ3ef8mlzqd5oT6Sb9wHMGZXi0BF4Xy8MSZZbfVngTVJYFJK14BPeMU/s4032/IMG_4287.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DLeGIEHvxDBbSalPsdQ-yWaww780ihUkcFD_VH85xb0_KdHdJX_Z10HftX-YajtjNA9sSZzQ6bGVwmvSbuqQahAIcwkeKtE_EfIurdDJAZeqm3efc5OJ2aOFIC41OVDTaAzMfQ3ef8mlzqd5oT6Sb9wHMGZXi0BF4Xy8MSZZbfVngTVJYFJK14BPeMU/w400-h300/IMG_4287.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_lHLaIeZYCswxQLu0mknGqUIKfnKqVwpSLwTFjXWDUydnRPs5Je4cBVqC9bgzXbROv2j59MCF6pHPVVYgjmyIjuo1VF-iZ8Y9BKHCCmT81NJV1nojZRNAy3pbvSkdntofrV_uNfEQ6K8RlwP1jH10EAPycZdGObluB87lxRRggJ3ADO8toYIhFH_QNPk/s3960/IMG_4286.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2926" data-original-width="3960" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_lHLaIeZYCswxQLu0mknGqUIKfnKqVwpSLwTFjXWDUydnRPs5Je4cBVqC9bgzXbROv2j59MCF6pHPVVYgjmyIjuo1VF-iZ8Y9BKHCCmT81NJV1nojZRNAy3pbvSkdntofrV_uNfEQ6K8RlwP1jH10EAPycZdGObluB87lxRRggJ3ADO8toYIhFH_QNPk/w400-h295/IMG_4286.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Left at the junction onto the Old Main Line until Brades
Hall Junction where we turned onto the Gower Branch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clarence was filling the lock and very kindly
said we could go straight in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first
two locks are a staircase which worked easily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, on our way to the third lock something got wrapped round the
prop, which turned out to be a length of wire and plastic bags. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8pgAijsOgRgWlOUtMBQK9TxYV36XsuAJa13_SGstnr6g3ydlIruWdzmQqWqTUcFHd9RsouvvE6R8yAHKoXVS_tSZ9IZJWX95XMBzLAw_2TuQzctX8tsf3RMD1Xnlimr22rvKVnXYVbL5Fv2i9ipCMoUdIY5IEldLdrW4hGlioycgwlotjHmuaqOo_95g/s3840/EA92FFC2-E960-4882-9870-CCCE2C674494.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8pgAijsOgRgWlOUtMBQK9TxYV36XsuAJa13_SGstnr6g3ydlIruWdzmQqWqTUcFHd9RsouvvE6R8yAHKoXVS_tSZ9IZJWX95XMBzLAw_2TuQzctX8tsf3RMD1Xnlimr22rvKVnXYVbL5Fv2i9ipCMoUdIY5IEldLdrW4hGlioycgwlotjHmuaqOo_95g/w400-h225/EA92FFC2-E960-4882-9870-CCCE2C674494.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">At the third lock is this amazing Hindu Temple. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHue4Yu_Kl1Hk6HVG3hmstJ93B5PF_hGLlqwqpt4MA7LcVsfRVCsGv_L33ezObc7nk-dms8KmLHXJkUQfMOX4T0FfRhMc1mVvTde9u95i48i-CT_y2s2H9m3FC8k7g0tnhErJBPd-io6afuOrhX709SWHnlJrtTH3a4-iI3Qev_qpyvaBDRQWHEGHx0T4/s3910/IMG_4293.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2854" data-original-width="3910" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHue4Yu_Kl1Hk6HVG3hmstJ93B5PF_hGLlqwqpt4MA7LcVsfRVCsGv_L33ezObc7nk-dms8KmLHXJkUQfMOX4T0FfRhMc1mVvTde9u95i48i-CT_y2s2H9m3FC8k7g0tnhErJBPd-io6afuOrhX709SWHnlJrtTH3a4-iI3Qev_qpyvaBDRQWHEGHx0T4/w400-h293/IMG_4293.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">At the end of the Gower Branch, it was a left turn onto the
New Main Line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a short distance it
was another left onto the Netherton Tunnel Branch and through the tunnel.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Onto the Dudley No 2 Canal where we actually saw other
boats! We watered up at Parkhead
Junction. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxnY9l7kG8xqTYJqkIS7dHQwRGIPIkbyiiOxff8-bsKlHWfDX2OK6HZdU0jruT590FXZeN8hs05C8tB23xz8mGotBbC27VyR3dxeWgQ2as_3veRtkfm51kjGFX5pUBiInsE_07_7CsxYI9xtuOnyVYcmJZDE6QggwmyVi23yKUY5stRPhQlqPLzMLrDY/s4032/IMG_4295.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxnY9l7kG8xqTYJqkIS7dHQwRGIPIkbyiiOxff8-bsKlHWfDX2OK6HZdU0jruT590FXZeN8hs05C8tB23xz8mGotBbC27VyR3dxeWgQ2as_3veRtkfm51kjGFX5pUBiInsE_07_7CsxYI9xtuOnyVYcmJZDE6QggwmyVi23yKUY5stRPhQlqPLzMLrDY/w400-h300/IMG_4295.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We went down the last lock of the Parkhead Locks which was
deep at 11ft 6ins, then on to Merry Hill where we moored up. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9dhTvMIGpgNkYyqCcsiRHFWIEPoBkX4JVYgHHrPcEOI6evugQOeMYctZFCYsdxMdP3obXCTspUD_RtAA4iOrmbmKuE5X-M47MRAKkB0d-dA_hviAYs0ROsEuOUQaKJ0-9W0k5r9m803MozfVWplTQDxZsTTSO6YIV7NoPD2KWUqrzXuFPLhDWZwGr1c/s4032/IMG_4298.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9dhTvMIGpgNkYyqCcsiRHFWIEPoBkX4JVYgHHrPcEOI6evugQOeMYctZFCYsdxMdP3obXCTspUD_RtAA4iOrmbmKuE5X-M47MRAKkB0d-dA_hviAYs0ROsEuOUQaKJ0-9W0k5r9m803MozfVWplTQDxZsTTSO6YIV7NoPD2KWUqrzXuFPLhDWZwGr1c/w400-h300/IMG_4298.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Merry Hill is on an embankment and as such it was very
windy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, it looks over a huge
shopping centre which was very handy as I needed fresh food so Diane and I went
off in search of Asda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found it at
the far end of the centre and split up in the shop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did my shopping, loaded it back into the
trolley and set off round the outside of the centre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was quite a hike pushing the trolley up
hill and down dale!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I dumped my trolley
in the M & S trolley park and walked back with the shopping to the
boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well not exactly I rang Richard
for help!!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I took this photo in 2011 when we were last here – I forgot
to take one this time. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHP6mTWK1chBpOpOQRTF9fkPv4x-7bM9hDMeJK9SkEvm9ecXIZo3E7fph8v35mgZvet0k6lGogbKTQBayIwPrKWL11BPNFFdcDahTE7EcI_Az9hTVh1nQZOvTnVP3qpIeDBRhOlFQSwkLkvqZaCIUErnIKj6ObSfDC8awBrVVPngDuDswwQaOR79LMxsc/s2848/DSCF9379.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2136" data-original-width="2848" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHP6mTWK1chBpOpOQRTF9fkPv4x-7bM9hDMeJK9SkEvm9ecXIZo3E7fph8v35mgZvet0k6lGogbKTQBayIwPrKWL11BPNFFdcDahTE7EcI_Az9hTVh1nQZOvTnVP3qpIeDBRhOlFQSwkLkvqZaCIUErnIKj6ObSfDC8awBrVVPngDuDswwQaOR79LMxsc/w400-h300/DSCF9379.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As we have now completed the Explorer Cruise, we are
entitled to have one of these plaques <span face=""Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHblMvBovkAddDtrXnmRi68VWX5AfJGC6USQlwmnxu-uixMNffh5lPQbA3EGSu1xv_vRTa6FZxJ6Yd2ul4t0qDE05mCA7rQb_mWgAh1O8iOxg88An1FCHHUDOd6x9WWx4Ns4_kXTLtq7HgA2BHmzDjF566qjma-6h-VhI34iN11jrJUUSuYjE5t9f49Q/s2991/IMG_4279.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="2991" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHblMvBovkAddDtrXnmRi68VWX5AfJGC6USQlwmnxu-uixMNffh5lPQbA3EGSu1xv_vRTa6FZxJ6Yd2ul4t0qDE05mCA7rQb_mWgAh1O8iOxg88An1FCHHUDOd6x9WWx4Ns4_kXTLtq7HgA2BHmzDjF566qjma-6h-VhI34iN11jrJUUSuYjE5t9f49Q/w400-h371/IMG_4279.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Richard and I have really enjoyed the cruise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve met new people, visited new canals and
places and had a good time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Richard has
made numerous trips down the weed hatch but then so have all the others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The BCN was on my list of places that we
still had to visit – not quite a bucket list!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It wasn’t on Richard’s, so doing the canals with other people has been
great and even Richard enjoyed it in the end!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s not goodbye to everyone as we are continuing on with Steve &
Diane (Clarence) and Steve & Tracey (Over the Moon).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clarence will leave us Stourton Junction when
they will head up the Staffs & Worcs and on to Otherton Boat Haven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will continue with Over the Moon until
they stop at their marina on the South Stratford Canal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our BIG thanks go out to Deb and Eric for
leading the cruise, Brenda Ward for organising it and the BCN Society for
providing lock wheelers.<br /><br />9.85 miles<br />10 locks<br /><br /><br /><b>Fens Branch (Dudley No 1 Canal/Stourbridge Canal/Fens Branch) –
Sunday 2nd July</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We left our mooring at 10am, a much more acceptable time!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">While we were waiting at the top of the Delph Locks, we
discovered that Over the Moon is in love with Mary H!!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibHrTBb0LgsMRYfzeleirKX_zClsHeATgVvW8GnkCFjf51Hoc9EzJk0w5L19GocVyA79PERRBisnnp6ca2232R43MKCN2-EevFC5jQv8ijEtj7f77H3nnJ8N0CF8O1YLf6vt2F6exf0bAxV5eF8-SEhcXWk10S75AS1xrJtLgWw25xvIWelROJIgdGqtM/s4032/IMG_4304.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibHrTBb0LgsMRYfzeleirKX_zClsHeATgVvW8GnkCFjf51Hoc9EzJk0w5L19GocVyA79PERRBisnnp6ca2232R43MKCN2-EevFC5jQv8ijEtj7f77H3nnJ8N0CF8O1YLf6vt2F6exf0bAxV5eF8-SEhcXWk10S75AS1xrJtLgWw25xvIWelROJIgdGqtM/w400-h300/IMG_4304.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />There are 8 locks on the Delph flight to do. Richard and I managed to get into a good
system with some help, now and again, from Steve (Over the Moon).<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Just below the top lock is this junction. Straight on doesn’t go anywhere now but is
where the original Delph Locks would have been.
There were 9 locks but the middle 7 of the original 1779 locks were
rebuilt in 1858 as 6 new locks, reducing the flight to 8. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeaExyNrQVf32eTImfCM7mS-QzXoIZhaU7B0FeFhA8qFgCRAqKBjf8laerbE_gkKctPDO3SG6QgIQuORIy5p2JGg7UbFcvOZlh53fpIY3S_Iz-lRh482DEStLxRZiAA5MIjpFyXCP-yJVABFX29_eycMpCrQX-PT9AN5i8sHa2sq_OpcVO8tlR5SY_Dd0/s3848/IMG_4308.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2762" data-original-width="3848" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeaExyNrQVf32eTImfCM7mS-QzXoIZhaU7B0FeFhA8qFgCRAqKBjf8laerbE_gkKctPDO3SG6QgIQuORIy5p2JGg7UbFcvOZlh53fpIY3S_Iz-lRh482DEStLxRZiAA5MIjpFyXCP-yJVABFX29_eycMpCrQX-PT9AN5i8sHa2sq_OpcVO8tlR5SY_Dd0/w400-h288/IMG_4308.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This is the view from the second lock. I think it is one of the best views from the
top of a flight of locks. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4W13vX7hyNSk_UiqEDnKcjxnO1ye9ysr_mZTnsc2IBF_hYaO2Ls-Ts7z9M2lRVzKMFzE4r-RQs36CQoeSzp-SkxBQi7IB5PzlVMJr5qbtmPN45KXzy8EwvMV7vnoy61ZjQPs46PIKz6zBHG0hDU1hURT7b5DIzM952SC3aaAnzb6w2wPJLmgydHFmS-Q/s4006/IMG_4310.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2990" data-original-width="4006" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4W13vX7hyNSk_UiqEDnKcjxnO1ye9ysr_mZTnsc2IBF_hYaO2Ls-Ts7z9M2lRVzKMFzE4r-RQs36CQoeSzp-SkxBQi7IB5PzlVMJr5qbtmPN45KXzy8EwvMV7vnoy61ZjQPs46PIKz6zBHG0hDU1hURT7b5DIzM952SC3aaAnzb6w2wPJLmgydHFmS-Q/w400-h299/IMG_4310.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">These are old stables where horses would have been changed
when narrowboats were drawn by horses.
They are Grade II listed. Shame about the graffiti. <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SP1UcwSU6UupzHKyfBlg9ZmNuajr7rGkAM6YDMoJj2P-IEtk7aGVIn2VfxMYFfY_LE4k5RNa1Wg-fL2pIfXvgTvYNSDypMBasQGQYcXxgWFBEoGMq3ctRJ8A-Repro1VNAISBhfdsoHLPYc1hKZl8uQqdYhfgnAjrphc_NJEwqHXVIdjbhe0kXUVzdU/s3958/IMG_4311.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2922" data-original-width="3958" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SP1UcwSU6UupzHKyfBlg9ZmNuajr7rGkAM6YDMoJj2P-IEtk7aGVIn2VfxMYFfY_LE4k5RNa1Wg-fL2pIfXvgTvYNSDypMBasQGQYcXxgWFBEoGMq3ctRJ8A-Repro1VNAISBhfdsoHLPYc1hKZl8uQqdYhfgnAjrphc_NJEwqHXVIdjbhe0kXUVzdU/w400-h295/IMG_4311.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>The flight has distinctive waterfall overflow weirs. </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1UMc-aGFrLcR5u8-nVjcHIz99r3c51_osQ_dFdmuQHt_yAj3jnRSE8ujwx2UGTFh2wAgC6XQRlttdRgrDkOl5UzjbnQ-nYqjqAYdRsccgqCWyo-pn3CfQY96ITnjH81FpoLFVfEQjcH3EcPITAZ7esfzpA0RcxyJ4kDdUnwiVy8XlwwVphcic7C_b9Gc/s4022/IMG_4312.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3010" data-original-width="4022" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1UMc-aGFrLcR5u8-nVjcHIz99r3c51_osQ_dFdmuQHt_yAj3jnRSE8ujwx2UGTFh2wAgC6XQRlttdRgrDkOl5UzjbnQ-nYqjqAYdRsccgqCWyo-pn3CfQY96ITnjH81FpoLFVfEQjcH3EcPITAZ7esfzpA0RcxyJ4kDdUnwiVy8XlwwVphcic7C_b9Gc/w400-h299/IMG_4312.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Was it a high tide or a tornado? </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiE3crLPip6mzv1IQsY6rXCKCnUpCwebLQQOJu8hTb8mpxOT0F4wrToGTdZuLtIWdQc8mcaM-A0TLQSHJ9KRSOo_CorZVrng7c90nx_PtYrDtvGVr9XD_c_jBRgThlLCluITQF66-MIQy3rIiNmYJ8_jk1G696mAnZT-We4p_518SR5wgBLeLLKM5JZfg/s3866/IMG_4317.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2790" data-original-width="3866" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiE3crLPip6mzv1IQsY6rXCKCnUpCwebLQQOJu8hTb8mpxOT0F4wrToGTdZuLtIWdQc8mcaM-A0TLQSHJ9KRSOo_CorZVrng7c90nx_PtYrDtvGVr9XD_c_jBRgThlLCluITQF66-MIQy3rIiNmYJ8_jk1G696mAnZT-We4p_518SR5wgBLeLLKM5JZfg/w400-h289/IMG_4317.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Brettell Lane Bridge is very low, we weren’t sure if we were
going to get under it without taking the top box off. In the end all was fine – phew! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRNt3M9t6AHZyB2s03H4nDwvmKtR6Qhjjj4KMvj5zyAo0vLnjnNOVPWO6nP2nzXBDjpsHLav4dcA_ejwYv5A6bWv02Mv0M5dJ_nyLriIZnim44Pha8Vt5iT-wvwnLbjw6yFq_BVS5fopBZDy-7Yc_Sl7Ppa62CiP55j0x-vySPzOlLpQfZ0dg4jq5oOAM/s4020/IMG_4322.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3008" data-original-width="4020" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRNt3M9t6AHZyB2s03H4nDwvmKtR6Qhjjj4KMvj5zyAo0vLnjnNOVPWO6nP2nzXBDjpsHLav4dcA_ejwYv5A6bWv02Mv0M5dJ_nyLriIZnim44Pha8Vt5iT-wvwnLbjw6yFq_BVS5fopBZDy-7Yc_Sl7Ppa62CiP55j0x-vySPzOlLpQfZ0dg4jq5oOAM/w400-h299/IMG_4322.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">At
Leys Junction the Stourbridge Canal is joined by the Fens Branch. We all reversed down and moored up in time
for a late lunch and ready for a BBQ.<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMOpQieEqWnL6FAcCv4TqOqPlt_aLoNomjoWqA1ZM_QA4cbo2TVkTI268x0lAcsxTUP7_nIBuvCSNnOvp1exiDPqgVAb6pR99xjzDvrXpJNwnBySsnuFQw9-pXAmM5VI4mTt2xh26PfO5IBSkdVyz9m4Jb26zQ6snl1cXo7WbWeVh_Mjk9bTuLkPRlk8k/s3962/IMG_4326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2930" data-original-width="3962" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMOpQieEqWnL6FAcCv4TqOqPlt_aLoNomjoWqA1ZM_QA4cbo2TVkTI268x0lAcsxTUP7_nIBuvCSNnOvp1exiDPqgVAb6pR99xjzDvrXpJNwnBySsnuFQw9-pXAmM5VI4mTt2xh26PfO5IBSkdVyz9m4Jb26zQ6snl1cXo7WbWeVh_Mjk9bTuLkPRlk8k/w400-h296/IMG_4326.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br />Steve
and Tracey didn’t have barbecue and the dogs thought that Tracey’s food looked
really good!!</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLMhmLIWY1Vnx2EyiRk5Wp_bp5vBQIkrW6XVQqtf_fbVgQUjfphep8gqBsiHRxjSo83WpJGpK4euKEaN4Ne3QZ6bkeoNzGdFPJF3913cxtwy1wme-8EhS_-8iFHhtna0nIT2w6FM0qtCmkVoUlFtcK2kKdOSKsvv-dvBY06PZnADAIX1e942Y1WqIS9XQ/s4032/IMG_4340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLMhmLIWY1Vnx2EyiRk5Wp_bp5vBQIkrW6XVQqtf_fbVgQUjfphep8gqBsiHRxjSo83WpJGpK4euKEaN4Ne3QZ6bkeoNzGdFPJF3913cxtwy1wme-8EhS_-8iFHhtna0nIT2w6FM0qtCmkVoUlFtcK2kKdOSKsvv-dvBY06PZnADAIX1e942Y1WqIS9XQ/s320/IMG_4340.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">The Fens Branch is a short arm just above the Stourbridge 16
locks which we will do tomorrow. I can’t
find any information on the Fens Branch which is strange, and it didn’t really
seem to go anywhere but it did have a use as a connection from the Stourbridge
Extension Canal to the Stourbridge Canal.
The SEC opened in 1840 and was abandoned in 1935. It was built to take coal from the mines
around the Kingswinford area, and had two arms, the Bromley (0.3 mile) and the
Sandhills (0.6 mile), it also had 2 inclined planes. The canal was a success, with good amounts of
iron ore and limestone being carried to blast furnaces, and finished iron and
coal being exported to the wider region.</p><p class="MsoNormal">3.97 miles<br />8 locks</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-48784276296400644902023-07-01T09:20:00.000+01:002023-07-01T09:20:17.923+01:00June 2023 - Three more days on our cruise<p><b>Old Bentley Arm (Walsall/Wyrley & Essington Canals) –
Tuesday 26th June</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We left about 8.45am and headed to the 8 locks of the
Walsall Flight. At the junction of the
basin arm and the canal is this amazing mural. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGL9WADBjzh4fhga5Nq2vvej-pD6nPZuUmgq1Ups6KpcnWHoOmAZ1dj4nhiOKTY-kpxKN7v9w6ogtq2Sma_QMTS2_tt0hov3aQ16c3YQukdZu5y7gRaQvFdCn6UcnCo8pXIgl1CJRyeZdvq9I1pe1d41N4In6UV1Q4k-EMutuRWT_Iv-PHXMMtjxZetU/s4032/IMG_4173.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGL9WADBjzh4fhga5Nq2vvej-pD6nPZuUmgq1Ups6KpcnWHoOmAZ1dj4nhiOKTY-kpxKN7v9w6ogtq2Sma_QMTS2_tt0hov3aQ16c3YQukdZu5y7gRaQvFdCn6UcnCo8pXIgl1CJRyeZdvq9I1pe1d41N4In6UV1Q4k-EMutuRWT_Iv-PHXMMtjxZetU/w400-h300/IMG_4173.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I wanted to put the above photo in first as it will show up
on Facebook, but this one should have been first!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This lot had obviously been fished out of the
basin. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiEuOhRsFYEZbcjZ-9iOdu2rNFo9S6fS9HNijEP-csdEN78WK2l3bInG7Y4RrrUl0H-GQ7eqqyoOEJiHHhe2hQWfq6zYK6WikmVVC_QzZ_s6y1xcwN_op3L9j3MZJGs5VXoBH004OX3NdBHEZGWtq7kOwSb3mfvkh4yRdvgi5nRrtF0EvdCEPG7BBejfQ/s4032/IMG_4171.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiEuOhRsFYEZbcjZ-9iOdu2rNFo9S6fS9HNijEP-csdEN78WK2l3bInG7Y4RrrUl0H-GQ7eqqyoOEJiHHhe2hQWfq6zYK6WikmVVC_QzZ_s6y1xcwN_op3L9j3MZJGs5VXoBH004OX3NdBHEZGWtq7kOwSb3mfvkh4yRdvgi5nRrtF0EvdCEPG7BBejfQ/w400-h300/IMG_4171.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Just after joining the main canal, we had 8 locks to
do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again, we had very kind BCN
lock wheelers which meant we would get up the locks quicker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, no one envisaged that Richard would
have to go down the weed hatch 3 times on the flight which caused a hold-up!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first time it was a bicycle tyre and some
parcel tape. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdS6AK27yI5qNYIEmmD1xuu7dgZZrC0YaOS24t6m2P1dJwgur-T4APHuLrFpX8ozTt0YgHkbZ09HMwK_I19d0aFPAddbirIaHX2SSTNo6ZF-dI76ncUFT11_S6GTccvQbBUbzQAOCQyZl1H4EcTw64mvH4WxfT-ZEtBIP-VUwwaJj3uaWg-330KeD5Kpk/s3840/0C2542D6-A454-4B3D-BEF0-572293FD19FD.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdS6AK27yI5qNYIEmmD1xuu7dgZZrC0YaOS24t6m2P1dJwgur-T4APHuLrFpX8ozTt0YgHkbZ09HMwK_I19d0aFPAddbirIaHX2SSTNo6ZF-dI76ncUFT11_S6GTccvQbBUbzQAOCQyZl1H4EcTw64mvH4WxfT-ZEtBIP-VUwwaJj3uaWg-330KeD5Kpk/w400-h225/0C2542D6-A454-4B3D-BEF0-572293FD19FD.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">At the top of the flight are some interesting
buildings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One is the old toll house,
which has recently been sold and is undergoing restoration inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other is the building that was the
Boatman’s Mission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plaque on the
building says, “Boatmans Rest built in 1900 - 19011 by the Incorporated Seamen
and Boatmens' Friend Society one of only two such boaters' missions surviving
in the Black Country”. This Boatmans Rest was one of three in the West Midland
canals operated by the Incorporated Seamen and Boatman's Friend Society. The
other two have since been demolished. At the time of its opening the locks were
used by 200 barges a day bringing coal and goods from the Wyrley &
Essington Canal to the north into the wharves in Walsall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfxN-NxzjIgOKt01T7PjL5WaSi4TkpDglRGOgV6hNfpkRr2RVqTQmgmODM7GVBAFsFlmzs1VK7IZpdWoSoyfutNSOkmlqlLsdAIp4sRrdUnR-5DpMTfpByrz6cunNuPiuItClTEv_ggV_-FEuanVeZHp6S2G4VXZZzbk1myfMHxUZpCs0WjWXMe-vCXGQ/s1200/Walsall_Locks_toll_office_and_Boaters_Mission.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfxN-NxzjIgOKt01T7PjL5WaSi4TkpDglRGOgV6hNfpkRr2RVqTQmgmODM7GVBAFsFlmzs1VK7IZpdWoSoyfutNSOkmlqlLsdAIp4sRrdUnR-5DpMTfpByrz6cunNuPiuItClTEv_ggV_-FEuanVeZHp6S2G4VXZZzbk1myfMHxUZpCs0WjWXMe-vCXGQ/w400-h300/Walsall_Locks_toll_office_and_Boaters_Mission.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZFDrqtMPkr_9fbokngZf12fRcIl1vnMopX-Bg141r6RF2Nb6nsTDsLPppu5tsRt1MtpgyyvX2-Dmk6oBCRHL2YmouvGBGQwzA1AW6ncXMsCgelDz5qxy6-V083gEXKQXzt8zCPzizZBtWD_SSEiqLbMOpcZLLliM1qH-0tzjqVZoVpcsUS0ngFqKiWg/s4032/IMG_4180.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZFDrqtMPkr_9fbokngZf12fRcIl1vnMopX-Bg141r6RF2Nb6nsTDsLPppu5tsRt1MtpgyyvX2-Dmk6oBCRHL2YmouvGBGQwzA1AW6ncXMsCgelDz5qxy6-V083gEXKQXzt8zCPzizZBtWD_SSEiqLbMOpcZLLliM1qH-0tzjqVZoVpcsUS0ngFqKiWg/w400-h300/IMG_4180.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As a horsey person I love this bit of wall with the rings to
tie the horses up to.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgom7oDnxOjOk3ysCsBQv8pvOfjG4mVXIBVws6UzXwAXsTMOUP6se1vn91kzOu0d7NAEvvUoVXZ19OfgXr3N5PsEZ3F5jIFHhvsVYoSxmHk7L2nkYWxzQESUtIHlnwlBcS63cjSIdMUbIk7ivs0fXvRytT6wjLF1ux2cozZh1qXzbCv1J0_6qBbHX0O0zY/s4032/IMG_4179.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgom7oDnxOjOk3ysCsBQv8pvOfjG4mVXIBVws6UzXwAXsTMOUP6se1vn91kzOu0d7NAEvvUoVXZ19OfgXr3N5PsEZ3F5jIFHhvsVYoSxmHk7L2nkYWxzQESUtIHlnwlBcS63cjSIdMUbIk7ivs0fXvRytT6wjLF1ux2cozZh1qXzbCv1J0_6qBbHX0O0zY/w400-h300/IMG_4179.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We rejoined the Wyrley & Essington Canal at Birchills
Junction and had a pretty uneventful cruise down to the old Bentley Canal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We came across a man magnet fishing who asked
us if we had come across any obstacles in the canal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing strange there, but he had told one
boater that he had found a sword and a revolver in the canal and another boater
that he had found a machete!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The good
news was that Richard was only down the weed hatch twice.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Our destination today was the old Bentley Canal, well what
is left of it. The canal used to head southeast through Willenhall and Walsall
and connected with the Anson Branch and thus the Walsall Canal. The main line
opened in 1843, with the Neachell Hall Branch following two years later. The
branch closed in 1953 and the main line in the early 1960’s.</p><p class="MsoNormal">We
were moored outside the Wednesfield Leisure Park. It was mainly shops, but also has a cinema. I walked to Sainsburys as this was our last
chance to stock up before the end of the cruise on Saturday.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">About
half the boats were moored on the canal and the other half were in the
arm. I wandered up to take some photos.<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip0PH_1Tz5Om_cKiHk5R1Is0bW6ginhIEQG7N8B5r_TCe4XRIWFDqAm2J6eFrkU8ECrwgElKC_bmXaDm4a9tbnXf9i273Y1vFRW8y7oRKsc23BSkuRXNLw_WuY6bvDBW6p_2ruB8vbXBIWHMIg7V1zRWBZgYUq3L2TYC_JQVg50FwHy2nkSf2-lqmgB4c/s4032/IMG_4187.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip0PH_1Tz5Om_cKiHk5R1Is0bW6ginhIEQG7N8B5r_TCe4XRIWFDqAm2J6eFrkU8ECrwgElKC_bmXaDm4a9tbnXf9i273Y1vFRW8y7oRKsc23BSkuRXNLw_WuY6bvDBW6p_2ruB8vbXBIWHMIg7V1zRWBZgYUq3L2TYC_JQVg50FwHy2nkSf2-lqmgB4c/w400-h300/IMG_4187.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />It was a very grey and drizzly start to the evening, so we
made the decision not to join the others in the Nickelodeon pub as dogs aren’t
allowed in and it wasn’t an evening to be sitting outside. There was a talk planned and so that doggy
people could attend the patio doors were supposed to be opened. However as it was such an inclement evening
we assumed they would be closed.
Wrong! I got a message from Steve
to say that the doors were open and another crew had their dog inside. As I didn’t see the message until 20 minutes
after the talk started, I didn’t think it was worth going along. Shame but that’s how things go. We had a KFC, as we could see the restaurant
from the boat – haven’t had one of those for years. We also caught up on Eastenders! <br /><br />7.26 miles<br />8 locks</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Bradley Workshops (Wyrley & Essington Canal/Main
Line/Wednesbury Oak Loop) – Wednesday 28th June</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We left at 9.30am but got stuck behind Mugwump, who had
moored in the arm, and had picked up weed from there.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is the bridge that goes over the arm. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajNMsOui34NZDIIXuytqtyjjSw25ky8fKF3_5x0Hg5tpMJxgDPdslqz0I78cxxBkUPCgB1WnOQByNjeFWNCxx0fLk7sY4Yom5UHovxSxErrWsut2GZiyVAMlrj3ILgswiqFHrkLu11NH7JSaDeT5u4FRyriUBDAuqvFHJ8l3_g9a8QpQgX0qqbFpa9y8/s4032/IMG_4185.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajNMsOui34NZDIIXuytqtyjjSw25ky8fKF3_5x0Hg5tpMJxgDPdslqz0I78cxxBkUPCgB1WnOQByNjeFWNCxx0fLk7sY4Yom5UHovxSxErrWsut2GZiyVAMlrj3ILgswiqFHrkLu11NH7JSaDeT5u4FRyriUBDAuqvFHJ8l3_g9a8QpQgX0qqbFpa9y8/w400-h300/IMG_4185.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Once again, an uneventful cruise to the Bradley Work
Shops. The canal started off in this
colour</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VaIe9RxNb1XOcAGjsRn5T4_OlUxoziGnLnVYMT4JQfmNIkd9P45i-ztOP3aKR6LzZNf9kpUckyuPwPO-m3SyB8Q2J0yv2CGoKoaLAmvrzXg_-Xfa38hqMk5wSr0FBW4NOSu6Mu5aqwMY4BvLz-b6o8oPGCboN34cop9MdhEcX5xGYG2RCfJxp8VYIa4/s4032/IMG_4188.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VaIe9RxNb1XOcAGjsRn5T4_OlUxoziGnLnVYMT4JQfmNIkd9P45i-ztOP3aKR6LzZNf9kpUckyuPwPO-m3SyB8Q2J0yv2CGoKoaLAmvrzXg_-Xfa38hqMk5wSr0FBW4NOSu6Mu5aqwMY4BvLz-b6o8oPGCboN34cop9MdhEcX5xGYG2RCfJxp8VYIa4/w400-h300/IMG_4188.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">And ended up this colour! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7y19x7XLrcMJwsda4kDju4vlmRDnPT1d5KFLlij91yUY8PJKhSrFR3_4ItStsXwgAfrgsCUPdhXM66spPg2bNesG5hcNOV3Zwpg1L2hWd856PMlulu900zFBUhOqDMACMYG3FD8S-81lKwrnSgJqwQ8vbIAuPsodJvT9o9UGMQFTt7LnTP1-jfSvTyc/s3840/E054CA3C-42B3-41A5-A33D-D702258ECAF0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7y19x7XLrcMJwsda4kDju4vlmRDnPT1d5KFLlij91yUY8PJKhSrFR3_4ItStsXwgAfrgsCUPdhXM66spPg2bNesG5hcNOV3Zwpg1L2hWd856PMlulu900zFBUhOqDMACMYG3FD8S-81lKwrnSgJqwQ8vbIAuPsodJvT9o9UGMQFTt7LnTP1-jfSvTyc/w400-h225/E054CA3C-42B3-41A5-A33D-D702258ECAF0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We were first to arrive at the Bradley Workshop. We were told to look out for a black and
white bridge, but the black and white bridge doesn’t exist anymore! We had to reverse in and moor up against the
side only we had to moor against an old barge.
Steve, from Over the Moon found a piece of wood that was light enough to
move which made a really good step. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVbQ3XnRTCJwPagm0Nzg9Ua4GoGixKIJoeWTQjc2lqBRhJK1aASeNyP77vf4_7pducQhkvRY6ojY_NZnyh7-jAKwvzAUKGke9On2a_KS-MSWTMo3OxeY_LsolDvJJcYJCc_1aSgSLFV_yfGaRuTVSp_heABpl04BFmJ3lH9Vi2vqpT8VFUJahf4Ugc5mA/s4032/IMG_4213.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVbQ3XnRTCJwPagm0Nzg9Ua4GoGixKIJoeWTQjc2lqBRhJK1aASeNyP77vf4_7pducQhkvRY6ojY_NZnyh7-jAKwvzAUKGke9On2a_KS-MSWTMo3OxeY_LsolDvJJcYJCc_1aSgSLFV_yfGaRuTVSp_heABpl04BFmJ3lH9Vi2vqpT8VFUJahf4Ugc5mA/w400-h300/IMG_4213.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Slowly the other boats arrived and most reversed into the
basin but two opted to stay out on the canal.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxEQUqcqHpaaXU59hXNZ-sl80WahlIycpjAHG3HocLVKOwiJUOa0btjpvq7MTYt8Z_VgKv8ZnvvVC6rQUqc7Hdvz61RKNWcoknpy4hvoFlIDZ-sqf_BJnag0WbOKBVgaeSjI8sTqZYTIRZ4xUnZ2zSYnHaNvj3vGUbED6MpGwAYii3waKsLle1jRQfsY/s4032/IMG_4216.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxEQUqcqHpaaXU59hXNZ-sl80WahlIycpjAHG3HocLVKOwiJUOa0btjpvq7MTYt8Z_VgKv8ZnvvVC6rQUqc7Hdvz61RKNWcoknpy4hvoFlIDZ-sqf_BJnag0WbOKBVgaeSjI8sTqZYTIRZ4xUnZ2zSYnHaNvj3vGUbED6MpGwAYii3waKsLle1jRQfsY/w400-h300/IMG_4216.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGKNl-Xyppzfib5lJcOTotrpAN4O1gFxxxo94DQM9rEUuKRCqyylKMBfFX3FgvYRodk9f6JaZcIdXYvdzsytv-b8axM7CbaYAlhdJmqMV4F6rL3XwZAeZQL0rIQfgb7EeWYwYhbcWb0EVQezjq77JyuSYlDCbsh9Mr8c-vfOstrM2Vae4i7EATerek3Q/s4032/IMG_4208.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGKNl-Xyppzfib5lJcOTotrpAN4O1gFxxxo94DQM9rEUuKRCqyylKMBfFX3FgvYRodk9f6JaZcIdXYvdzsytv-b8axM7CbaYAlhdJmqMV4F6rL3XwZAeZQL0rIQfgb7EeWYwYhbcWb0EVQezjq77JyuSYlDCbsh9Mr8c-vfOstrM2Vae4i7EATerek3Q/w400-h300/IMG_4208.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">As the last boat arrived it started to rain. Tonight, was the only night that the weather
mattered as we were having a BBQ. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Eric was having trouble with his umbrella/sunshade! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQm6sKSkSoKkyws6vBAL34fhqnU3uGCAN_OZv6xFsXXs1tcuAS6_Y4HNV0EEg0_7P21vyEFZADr2CoI44V17tDAwdb5FICVntAr7zEIjz_B1_cfbwbdbMt9bGN05n67lWgGdwBcbCRZjPf5KLpRoalT_KqHN49HkDbOnWPOIS-wl83YXuMiclbk3X96o/s4032/IMG_4205.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQm6sKSkSoKkyws6vBAL34fhqnU3uGCAN_OZv6xFsXXs1tcuAS6_Y4HNV0EEg0_7P21vyEFZADr2CoI44V17tDAwdb5FICVntAr7zEIjz_B1_cfbwbdbMt9bGN05n67lWgGdwBcbCRZjPf5KLpRoalT_KqHN49HkDbOnWPOIS-wl83YXuMiclbk3X96o/w400-h300/IMG_4205.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It was decided to start the BBQs about 5pm which was fine
but then it started to rain and quite heavily too. Out came the umbrellas and some people
sheltered under a tree. Needless to say,
we didn’t stay out for long which was a shame. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZ_GxpyYEIEnXMn8qUTIfhnZBsMIZxgOs-gwdRam8pc90VZ4Hn2FGZmRd8VcbpaQFz7dFVRwGAFqgAbaBYWrRU6xIYgLQ8mhlLDYC5gG8MKK7G-7Q5WGQ0F5B0KssuP768SsPP7fGk6JRWxmTTxNjY8KlEqhJdkZ8AuyNIz_-Uuh84aMRm0x8G8Mj3CE/s4032/IMG_4224.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZ_GxpyYEIEnXMn8qUTIfhnZBsMIZxgOs-gwdRam8pc90VZ4Hn2FGZmRd8VcbpaQFz7dFVRwGAFqgAbaBYWrRU6xIYgLQ8mhlLDYC5gG8MKK7G-7Q5WGQ0F5B0KssuP768SsPP7fGk6JRWxmTTxNjY8KlEqhJdkZ8AuyNIz_-Uuh84aMRm0x8G8Mj3CE/w400-h300/IMG_4224.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">When we come up the canal, just before the basin we saw all
this water pouring out into the canal. I
found a notice which said that were numerous old coal mines around and one of
the mines was where the Workshop is now situated. The mines were very wet as they were close to
a subterranean aquafer and required round the clock de-watering to prevent
flooding. The pumps would have been
steam powered in their day but were probably removed in the early 20th
Century. I had to smile when I saw that
the canal company charged the mines for accepting their water, which of course,
helped to fill their canals. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeiMkR8JIhDhgi9ksSy1KYJNN_n7gLKIxvQGsnfIKIMGrwPD_yuj2qZS02ehijqm8Z5JaPmKwWeDHMA-UPWwV67mkGKLgT8jWXguYVyaEE3jC9fVcfFimk3r5OhbXUKhnOO5p02HhfOi8TPtJ9W1cXAbF7KzSODRjd8Uvh4AbJT_zqASol_-fqMcUnNo/s2690/IMG_4248.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="2690" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeiMkR8JIhDhgi9ksSy1KYJNN_n7gLKIxvQGsnfIKIMGrwPD_yuj2qZS02ehijqm8Z5JaPmKwWeDHMA-UPWwV67mkGKLgT8jWXguYVyaEE3jC9fVcfFimk3r5OhbXUKhnOO5p02HhfOi8TPtJ9W1cXAbF7KzSODRjd8Uvh4AbJT_zqASol_-fqMcUnNo/w400-h300/IMG_4248.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">6.84 miles<br />0 locks<br /><b><br /><br />John the Lock Moorings (Wednesbury Oak Loop/Old Main Line) –
Thursday 29th June</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We had a very interesting trip round the C&RT lock gate
workshop. It was fascinating to see how
a gate is made. The average life of a
lock gate is 25 years, when they get to about 23 years old they are visited and
checked to see how much longer they can last for.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It all looked very quiet but the men had all gone for
lunch! The gates are all made from green
English Oak which comes from Hereford.
Each gate takes between 10 and 21 days to make and Bradley produces
about 140 to 180 gates a year. There is
another workshop at Stanley Ferry, in Wakefield, which makes slightly larger
gates. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5A0rGWsZ8CrliHD9YoMwPd1U2j7o0P4atzLuX-i6045A1qYg52vo2im0KCfqboDudMJBxX9HY8_wcdTPSePlmcorFrbZczrWnFSQRGGAwSwS9qVIkYivr8VNJrHzeZpaOuQRo0LpyulI1lgDee8UQbk7Gkl-QHkV4skhumWmm52uk50LrFGSaDtbYIY/s4032/IMG_4225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5A0rGWsZ8CrliHD9YoMwPd1U2j7o0P4atzLuX-i6045A1qYg52vo2im0KCfqboDudMJBxX9HY8_wcdTPSePlmcorFrbZczrWnFSQRGGAwSwS9qVIkYivr8VNJrHzeZpaOuQRo0LpyulI1lgDee8UQbk7Gkl-QHkV4skhumWmm52uk50LrFGSaDtbYIY/w400-h300/IMG_4225.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This gate is almost ready for to go to the Peak Forest
Canal. The gate it is replacing is Grade
II listed so they have had to work with the authorities to make sure it all
conforms. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUoulTKaBJdSkWznGVDCGSAjOqx52MAvxIAx6SsX5wDqe4X03Ou2DDiX3mmhNPqhKiigjfYk8GNgpWb3JPlDB1zeQVfePmaV4miZCEyWWo7BNZiBupgJryA1hEFqncqsPF1rdjnp6YRlF51eLZ4u-vn5h0Chu2mNGfGRizqtuvp9GODFQEPYg4tH0xAyQ/s4032/IMG_4226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUoulTKaBJdSkWznGVDCGSAjOqx52MAvxIAx6SsX5wDqe4X03Ou2DDiX3mmhNPqhKiigjfYk8GNgpWb3JPlDB1zeQVfePmaV4miZCEyWWo7BNZiBupgJryA1hEFqncqsPF1rdjnp6YRlF51eLZ4u-vn5h0Chu2mNGfGRizqtuvp9GODFQEPYg4tH0xAyQ/w400-h300/IMG_4226.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This is a banjo mechanism which is sitting on 1 of 4 gates
bound for Oxford. Not many places use
the banjos winding mechanisms. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqhr6pRey4jrlyVkHQQwUsgfC8cC2FgWpW2h7fNOy5LvdjBvOLr4JrVTxFPslaMmyod1n9fPXdgW6XwbSujh3RTHifV1r5I2q7b1KeYvwpse6NL6XG19H6tClahm9VsoG2OnCLb6gj-ik2iFklIOp_xfGs5qWrnVPMerY0Qxe3REF20gPvqiV4kidZ0k/s4032/IMG_4227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqhr6pRey4jrlyVkHQQwUsgfC8cC2FgWpW2h7fNOy5LvdjBvOLr4JrVTxFPslaMmyod1n9fPXdgW6XwbSujh3RTHifV1r5I2q7b1KeYvwpse6NL6XG19H6tClahm9VsoG2OnCLb6gj-ik2iFklIOp_xfGs5qWrnVPMerY0Qxe3REF20gPvqiV4kidZ0k/w400-h300/IMG_4227.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">More mechanisms!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbi26Ry8xMpofKseKLvMVSdY1a5_y1gYAhSyj4MYRv4Dtd-IAMoq65v5TwC9gw-unBnAbfBC_VDUnPoAdoiCwSrsPhxWlWYMW-DetpP9fUh_jDZNei31G7qc1dE8Bdm6qKKorhtelbYRTkw6VFgXqJzWJSmt7JrCs4-2akeOovBc_v_gocGhzsp30zo1Q/s4032/IMG_4228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbi26Ry8xMpofKseKLvMVSdY1a5_y1gYAhSyj4MYRv4Dtd-IAMoq65v5TwC9gw-unBnAbfBC_VDUnPoAdoiCwSrsPhxWlWYMW-DetpP9fUh_jDZNei31G7qc1dE8Bdm6qKKorhtelbYRTkw6VFgXqJzWJSmt7JrCs4-2akeOovBc_v_gocGhzsp30zo1Q/w400-h300/IMG_4228.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The wood is all planed using a planning machine (I didn’t
get a photo of it). The gates are then
put together using the tenon and mortise system using a large drill like
machine which makes holes in the wood and then they change the drill to a
chisel like one which chisels out all the wood to make the mortice. The tenons are also made using the same
machine. These 2 machines are 50 years
old, and the planing machine is 70 years old.
Apparently, it is quite difficult to get spare parts for machines of this
age – tell me about it!!! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxie9_E6WVxC9pyVdpbOiY78JnMYLKrqhvfSPB_zoSNEZhzDOnInjr2J97j7qM2s5MyIUiwOM3xEVXYoUh_pjKNCIou8_7XtCv3g7I7CqFeUWqh8LRneOfc0v00n4jtSmbzHYaAQOAagdEEFuAipNcUG77RJczIM4Y68xkbgPTatEKiNMkhMm8KnSpNTo/s3952/IMG_4231%20-%20Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2914" data-original-width="3952" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxie9_E6WVxC9pyVdpbOiY78JnMYLKrqhvfSPB_zoSNEZhzDOnInjr2J97j7qM2s5MyIUiwOM3xEVXYoUh_pjKNCIou8_7XtCv3g7I7CqFeUWqh8LRneOfc0v00n4jtSmbzHYaAQOAagdEEFuAipNcUG77RJczIM4Y68xkbgPTatEKiNMkhMm8KnSpNTo/w400-h295/IMG_4231%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfukcJdzOdA2znP52JdtC_-I0DRk9SQmz-RauW8M69GREiqhCUUayfL3GIPPDixBg_nTVxKAk6jSCobgGNACxk1cXA5TH9prKXfRoCIV_tvHHrN3_AH47AdHfjySYTKyjOVIRk2H_hBLDYI2fww1aen0aitcvQsFQbZktYAMvkZiCmfiIZuuYwxpl2NfY/s4032/IMG_4230%20-%20Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfukcJdzOdA2znP52JdtC_-I0DRk9SQmz-RauW8M69GREiqhCUUayfL3GIPPDixBg_nTVxKAk6jSCobgGNACxk1cXA5TH9prKXfRoCIV_tvHHrN3_AH47AdHfjySYTKyjOVIRk2H_hBLDYI2fww1aen0aitcvQsFQbZktYAMvkZiCmfiIZuuYwxpl2NfY/w400-h300/IMG_4230%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">These are all bits needed to make one gate. The paddles are made of a composite material.
<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbyanDrqjqW70RTAFeAfzyBepvSyUCz7XzJ_Stg2vXuR2xYxmwThsudU_g8JIjLbXD9wNzLtr5IbMqm3uEZvf4vXxI9bT6uf1xfAe6rrGZAxmWA6FJ2ZewsQfW64b6oT3grXF1cXDrBDJ2RC4eRMqJPWc6ec2VG8cNi06gkdWtqo8aH1m0P1PfHlYy2Y/s4032/IMG_4238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbyanDrqjqW70RTAFeAfzyBepvSyUCz7XzJ_Stg2vXuR2xYxmwThsudU_g8JIjLbXD9wNzLtr5IbMqm3uEZvf4vXxI9bT6uf1xfAe6rrGZAxmWA6FJ2ZewsQfW64b6oT3grXF1cXDrBDJ2RC4eRMqJPWc6ec2VG8cNi06gkdWtqo8aH1m0P1PfHlYy2Y/w400-h300/IMG_4238.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">A plaque waiting to go on a new gate. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX0XpHFtdriWNFgq5YyeojOcIZkAeb85T2Xxfc_A6-IL7Glh9J1ISUHHstNzUpoGpKFwqUZiA8KPEUosMAtE239bRSrLmGa-Qd4kEIIGxcVXAYVvnvbLixw8y16Fm0pMqYvUbSifJL62ddslXqwVCGMvEqBxjdwjcWYABkZGRNH89JJfv09Uz3YxHW0jI/s3946/IMG_4240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2904" data-original-width="3946" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX0XpHFtdriWNFgq5YyeojOcIZkAeb85T2Xxfc_A6-IL7Glh9J1ISUHHstNzUpoGpKFwqUZiA8KPEUosMAtE239bRSrLmGa-Qd4kEIIGxcVXAYVvnvbLixw8y16Fm0pMqYvUbSifJL62ddslXqwVCGMvEqBxjdwjcWYABkZGRNH89JJfv09Uz3YxHW0jI/w400-h294/IMG_4240.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The workshop has two dry docks, neither of which are used
for that purpose now. This one is a
store!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15uw6waobUr5tZf-PgcoysIb0lr1WZS6KzYroJct3ddHkUOXwBF60u6nmiMQcCpOWPDjTpowqJjYxQUMSDCXwFVvhpLfPbzuZJbHHmlKRAcnRn9MOytUCfBKctJXjs47d5GbepvCw-8lDhzeX_vMazIpf59bOIVPpXK8JsxlLCBZzr3Jk05ZGHC8ohtg/s3708/IMG_4241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2514" data-original-width="3708" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15uw6waobUr5tZf-PgcoysIb0lr1WZS6KzYroJct3ddHkUOXwBF60u6nmiMQcCpOWPDjTpowqJjYxQUMSDCXwFVvhpLfPbzuZJbHHmlKRAcnRn9MOytUCfBKctJXjs47d5GbepvCw-8lDhzeX_vMazIpf59bOIVPpXK8JsxlLCBZzr3Jk05ZGHC8ohtg/w400-h271/IMG_4241.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This one is mainly covered over but they have left a very
interesting piece of machinery there.
This contraption was used to turn over an old wooden working boat so
that it could be repaired. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGBVhU8UwYzbIyOfJJcagbULHKTxwMTai9m971BhSglQvxN6iB78apzq8fU4zHnQZb9uf5i9xTflozgCTGi1UtJIJcbLPVnDo-6iv2Y04oQJwRDKD1qWWEAvLX9QVBHaPPc28S_iDFkADedxDKKYTjOMAZYQdCHqARaGsQIMP45kMEtNxz0SqT-ey3e-Q/s4032/IMG_4242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGBVhU8UwYzbIyOfJJcagbULHKTxwMTai9m971BhSglQvxN6iB78apzq8fU4zHnQZb9uf5i9xTflozgCTGi1UtJIJcbLPVnDo-6iv2Y04oQJwRDKD1qWWEAvLX9QVBHaPPc28S_iDFkADedxDKKYTjOMAZYQdCHqARaGsQIMP45kMEtNxz0SqT-ey3e-Q/w400-h300/IMG_4242.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">These two doors are Grade II listed and come off a building
by a lock somewhere (Ian did say but I have forgotten!) The workshop has got to restore them the best
they can, so they still conform to Grade II rules. The reason they are listed is because they
are original Thomas Telford doors.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVKz-mkHgfuzeuF1WpxxxxjX6Fs3siW3_c--tf44nXVUV2vDVbYU_BxsVxtgI1X56jLaUuYSyJcY0YzVonLx9fUzSmdwW-KaFulWbwsBSvZXZHJ9RRCWKcGc4PCIrx3sksMGbhCjaqxbAQMwFQ6yI6hsDW99btvLMnhGiiNc2XQXCuEGQZod4qMVFpCk/s4032/IMG_4234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVKz-mkHgfuzeuF1WpxxxxjX6Fs3siW3_c--tf44nXVUV2vDVbYU_BxsVxtgI1X56jLaUuYSyJcY0YzVonLx9fUzSmdwW-KaFulWbwsBSvZXZHJ9RRCWKcGc4PCIrx3sksMGbhCjaqxbAQMwFQ6yI6hsDW99btvLMnhGiiNc2XQXCuEGQZod4qMVFpCk/w400-h300/IMG_4234.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">Outside were gates that were ready to go off to new homes. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNubBZ7-fvDudsnYg3LAqcOEzeAnVuOGmsflpCSOzG7TOH1tIiyENz3-yumzCvSA0ktYgEQ7gSOkHS7XjHFYNAy8-Bll2P_Ktp7v3WJCbohtzGWx6S59ZIT83m-8Ih5sWu9Z2AImepEsgmrA2YDvuakaNkzp_xDVbXqmjlbcCjMJ9WNqE3R7VxGetGw4/s4032/IMG_4243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNubBZ7-fvDudsnYg3LAqcOEzeAnVuOGmsflpCSOzG7TOH1tIiyENz3-yumzCvSA0ktYgEQ7gSOkHS7XjHFYNAy8-Bll2P_Ktp7v3WJCbohtzGWx6S59ZIT83m-8Ih5sWu9Z2AImepEsgmrA2YDvuakaNkzp_xDVbXqmjlbcCjMJ9WNqE3R7VxGetGw4/w400-h300/IMG_4243.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNuX1F3a1iJhwvN6qlrZbJGljcn08eTG2XO2A7VK74Pd9IiHVCrNkHPuA1cqpcPDWO-A9_Rs9sibZR2QkKvtoLCzjZZNhELfJEjqCFyWyKszj506x_P3xLJQZF8KrCwhCBZHH7tZDoCv_sQUpmG2a65V0lpLuOhjm1Q9K4Ovhaq7oXrveDtSiJ4aRq43M/s4032/IMG_4244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNuX1F3a1iJhwvN6qlrZbJGljcn08eTG2XO2A7VK74Pd9IiHVCrNkHPuA1cqpcPDWO-A9_Rs9sibZR2QkKvtoLCzjZZNhELfJEjqCFyWyKszj506x_P3xLJQZF8KrCwhCBZHH7tZDoCv_sQUpmG2a65V0lpLuOhjm1Q9K4Ovhaq7oXrveDtSiJ4aRq43M/w400-h300/IMG_4244.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">There was a walk up to the old locks, but we declined
deciding to make a move. Over the Moon
was going and as they were beside us, it seemed to make sense. As each boat had to leave the basin and then
wind, it was going to take time to get all the boats out and facing the correct
way!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Yesterday I missed this coot sitting on her nest in the
middle of the canal. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgzNEnD9gZxoReBfiTpfAil2XCElhgcwzEBEvmM-zm9p4dt8F88XQMrhODk_sDtjH314hOmPExJBXf5WxgwRIdnGUvwlMXE9kvLOp8_-SBkGEbJuQeIjyMUTX8m6ViK5IW8kK8xytOsaDP80yhyjbN951Y0G12AlTAFk_IJKDG71oC-Kuh4csAAK0EjI/s4032/IMG_4198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgzNEnD9gZxoReBfiTpfAil2XCElhgcwzEBEvmM-zm9p4dt8F88XQMrhODk_sDtjH314hOmPExJBXf5WxgwRIdnGUvwlMXE9kvLOp8_-SBkGEbJuQeIjyMUTX8m6ViK5IW8kK8xytOsaDP80yhyjbN951Y0G12AlTAFk_IJKDG71oC-Kuh4csAAK0EjI/w400-h300/IMG_4198.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Onto the Main Line, through Coseley Tunnel and we were soon
at the junction where the Main Line becomes the Old Main Line and the New Main
Line. Our direction was the Old Main
Line. Half a mile on and we moored up on
the John the Lock Visitor Moorings. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjznPCMa9_9KJ_AGpHyLfBur1gZYZFv2dgPn32WaezD9aREJ_feMHoRhQS8aYcieOL6mejiq6m7nuTP9vgsmKg-EQFKkp2Emwzbf4HXiWRM0QmpEdMeKDH-4fQVlcxXuTCQ6KCXPxNiGvWe6jd9QPHyhUJMV5cds_RR_xJvMMF25ZggdFw2xzcxWtQjjQY/s4032/IMG_4259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjznPCMa9_9KJ_AGpHyLfBur1gZYZFv2dgPn32WaezD9aREJ_feMHoRhQS8aYcieOL6mejiq6m7nuTP9vgsmKg-EQFKkp2Emwzbf4HXiWRM0QmpEdMeKDH-4fQVlcxXuTCQ6KCXPxNiGvWe6jd9QPHyhUJMV5cds_RR_xJvMMF25ZggdFw2xzcxWtQjjQY/w400-h300/IMG_4259.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The water was very clear compared with some we have been
through! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0AD-I6Lr-QEp8DB9r9O2Z4PZAmafk0KEuI1Sn06AnnRFrkkWOmdvfq2nSuzV9yoeqnPyHwVdZ6sis4a0PUQDE3DMdV8aN2SIQNYMP36W_CgiRbXhHLsZ9NlsCVGHu_6ZXRv_FMJVee5y_iEdhRzXlRzmRi8ZtF021rEA5IVXMlAKsQUr48op-G3NEHbw/s4032/IMG_4256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0AD-I6Lr-QEp8DB9r9O2Z4PZAmafk0KEuI1Sn06AnnRFrkkWOmdvfq2nSuzV9yoeqnPyHwVdZ6sis4a0PUQDE3DMdV8aN2SIQNYMP36W_CgiRbXhHLsZ9NlsCVGHu_6ZXRv_FMJVee5y_iEdhRzXlRzmRi8ZtF021rEA5IVXMlAKsQUr48op-G3NEHbw/w400-h300/IMG_4256.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In the evening we walked to Mad O’Rourke’s Pie Factory for
dinner. We sat in the garden with Steve,
Tracey, Ted (the dog) and their son, Richard.
We had pre-ordered, and the food was excellent. The pub is a fascinating place as you can see
from these photos. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Uwt4rNNH6SM7r4ZAmQkj-t34bMpVc_0L-UHgiD-9aQ5eGoNIHEmGCBaxcF51I7A1BiJW-zwabS7SAIAGj5I63wwfI6NXxuvyMMoM49e5zmYSKCW8z_eFJL6fe37ekPpoPmNfbtR4L25gZgNjVjKMk1FPVmsFpX1CXCOpHKxnUPAzOr0Nvi3BQH8NMis/s4032/IMG_4267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Uwt4rNNH6SM7r4ZAmQkj-t34bMpVc_0L-UHgiD-9aQ5eGoNIHEmGCBaxcF51I7A1BiJW-zwabS7SAIAGj5I63wwfI6NXxuvyMMoM49e5zmYSKCW8z_eFJL6fe37ekPpoPmNfbtR4L25gZgNjVjKMk1FPVmsFpX1CXCOpHKxnUPAzOr0Nvi3BQH8NMis/w400-h300/IMG_4267.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldKCAHjSeuLOKx98VB5OQS__WAmVGieDIpwkLK_FreV58Z-Bt_SNjJx28pQs3MfZWnDkKJcxG7hpv07kEvwZpoU3HkjZ11cQeg_BQcOleJm7XE3L0Tnafo21bizC3c83FeBp9gtL3bk3C1jGuvqFJCQW45smrFoZIPWR_FnUgN6mG-iWfEMSUQULdACg/s4032/IMG_4262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldKCAHjSeuLOKx98VB5OQS__WAmVGieDIpwkLK_FreV58Z-Bt_SNjJx28pQs3MfZWnDkKJcxG7hpv07kEvwZpoU3HkjZ11cQeg_BQcOleJm7XE3L0Tnafo21bizC3c83FeBp9gtL3bk3C1jGuvqFJCQW45smrFoZIPWR_FnUgN6mG-iWfEMSUQULdACg/w400-h300/IMG_4262.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Ym3t6SnPA32xA10XVb9b2juM1Z6T10cMJnCKWyH30Cn1ir4XWFh0grf8xB81D039DtNc1XTSXYRgKxq2YjXK-6TWNHwRK2kqg8yZpyERlGhnMLCKuOhsqo4QK8duTYT7vthPpHNwDWskPlv-0hrwb10hKVMUca5OS_xPpRFfUrZpdP999oAW52Pnmz0/s4032/IMG_4260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Ym3t6SnPA32xA10XVb9b2juM1Z6T10cMJnCKWyH30Cn1ir4XWFh0grf8xB81D039DtNc1XTSXYRgKxq2YjXK-6TWNHwRK2kqg8yZpyERlGhnMLCKuOhsqo4QK8duTYT7vthPpHNwDWskPlv-0hrwb10hKVMUca5OS_xPpRFfUrZpdP999oAW52Pnmz0/w400-h300/IMG_4260.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx5YwqJkJCJVKUgWsHRidHZnIKEBSvxtsGIYGXOrq8Bed2NQrS4kVDU2pEU-UD_c5ACJQLLyrrA7Uvxqe8ZHqsfJxXl9FBb1enVQsHbJo8UGnDzgqLrjpHF_hGQ0ZmnCQevAVklQ4tE_0WB7gPDEkZPrq1FT8XdlV_0EP-Lr3EAhBYqWlrfNNQ2hq056c/s4032/IMG_4263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx5YwqJkJCJVKUgWsHRidHZnIKEBSvxtsGIYGXOrq8Bed2NQrS4kVDU2pEU-UD_c5ACJQLLyrrA7Uvxqe8ZHqsfJxXl9FBb1enVQsHbJo8UGnDzgqLrjpHF_hGQ0ZmnCQevAVklQ4tE_0WB7gPDEkZPrq1FT8XdlV_0EP-Lr3EAhBYqWlrfNNQ2hq056c/w400-h300/IMG_4263.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">These bits were copied from the Pie Factory’s website. Mad O' Rourke's Pie factory was originally
built in 1856 and was equipped with shell die presses from the Royal Ordinance
works at Bilston. Queen Victoria was a
frequent visitor to the Pie Factory. It
was rumoured that she was having an affair with Mad O'Rourke. The factory was extensively re-built in 1923
after an explosion caused by a loud Bang!
It was re-designed by 'Le Courbossier' and has the only Art Deco cow trap
in Europe. The factory produces 17500
pies per day plus VAT and they are all prepared to a unique set of recipes,
known only to three people, the parish priest and a cat. <br /><br />3.62 miles<br />0 locks</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-83911224006883221252023-06-27T12:21:00.000+01:002023-06-28T09:36:27.899+01:00June 2023 - The first few days of the BCN Explorer Cruise<p><b> Norton Canes – (Birmingham Mainline/Wyrley &
Essington/Cannock Extension Canals) – Saturday 24th June</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The plan of action was to leave around 9.30am. The first boats went passed us much earlier
than that and we were ready to leave at 9.35am.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We turned onto the Wyrley & Essington Canal, which is
nicknamed the Curly Wurly and it is quite curly! What hit me were the beautiful water lilies,
they really were amazing. We were made
most welcome by the users of the towpath, asking where we were going and why
there were so many boats. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTpP0h7OeeS8pgW0NMZUt_SfwO9TuYwUuOgTV9UQLXXmpZ3za5-aSla4m8MUYLnJCkHR-aUE3k8DsG1trZaXFwgwxid4Bup5siNKDoUWwv0gxvtbkJRwsoRm7Xo02c0iU-ARMDV_KN4X4RCm47qRO9chl84FN8W1Fn8IOrUUQnK_hn2onlA6CNb4nVy8/s4032/IMG_4093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTpP0h7OeeS8pgW0NMZUt_SfwO9TuYwUuOgTV9UQLXXmpZ3za5-aSla4m8MUYLnJCkHR-aUE3k8DsG1trZaXFwgwxid4Bup5siNKDoUWwv0gxvtbkJRwsoRm7Xo02c0iU-ARMDV_KN4X4RCm47qRO9chl84FN8W1Fn8IOrUUQnK_hn2onlA6CNb4nVy8/w400-h300/IMG_4093.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCbdHhSJVTwx7BhvM3LHTKsdw8UenpObyU0WCDlSOMmxzSZkTpFqTysW2uDP4KcQBR6dUarG5I8pFVyvqh4AwcciybljbqzZwJHcyY481KhEYCmuatJyOvqvficrFLyTHz77h1x_k4DxxgmOZbDA-dJTpbMxh2SzKrO6d0xP05f5fGo7iFo0jaenptj5o/s4032/IMG_4080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCbdHhSJVTwx7BhvM3LHTKsdw8UenpObyU0WCDlSOMmxzSZkTpFqTysW2uDP4KcQBR6dUarG5I8pFVyvqh4AwcciybljbqzZwJHcyY481KhEYCmuatJyOvqvficrFLyTHz77h1x_k4DxxgmOZbDA-dJTpbMxh2SzKrO6d0xP05f5fGo7iFo0jaenptj5o/w400-h300/IMG_4080.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The only trouble was the weed and other things that get
thrown into the canal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Richard was down
the weed hatch five times with the fifth time bring out an anorak!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This photo was taken before the anorak joined
the heap! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQtLWwT0p4lvgo4BLqr7_j7xfOzJbSgyUmCOr_FFd1EHj6QntxQk38mzdV3JQ1naW2TdG0xXYTCoiweoBkhMNPyOn2snyMOAa6qbbmmjcHB49Qt_QRdQMxmsKInYemPE6ocFuWZh0vtBy60RQYHlaSora1UfKvzop-MXN8rjFFhzgM47Y3NBDBk-1Z-U/s4032/IMG_4099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQtLWwT0p4lvgo4BLqr7_j7xfOzJbSgyUmCOr_FFd1EHj6QntxQk38mzdV3JQ1naW2TdG0xXYTCoiweoBkhMNPyOn2snyMOAa6qbbmmjcHB49Qt_QRdQMxmsKInYemPE6ocFuWZh0vtBy60RQYHlaSora1UfKvzop-MXN8rjFFhzgM47Y3NBDBk-1Z-U/w400-h300/IMG_4099.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">Just before we turn off the Curly Wurly we went through a
lovely area which is called Pelsall Common.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s history goes back to 1794 when the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wyrley and Essington was built. The canal provided a vital link between
local coal fields and the Black Country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Between 1832 and 1888 a large area of the common was taken up by a huge
iron works which was of great importance to the people of Pelsall village,
providing over 100 jobs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the
Cannock Extension Canal was built in 1863, the iron works thrived. However, a
sudden slump in iron prices forced the Pelsall Coal and Iron Company into
liquidation. Towards the end of the 1920's the buildings and chimneys were
demolished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A huge machine called 'the
cracker' was used to break up mounds of foundry waste known as cinder and tap.
This gave the common its local nickname 'the cracker'. The machine was demolished
after the Second World War. Today apart from its historical importance, Pelsall
North Common is extremely valuable as a nature reserve. Its rare plants and
varied wildlife make the common a wonderful place to visit. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZ3zMwuYSAx6Cm_mwiakVlZ22hMn98m_NkIp2_GbtHOfIXquoSlLvc3ck9hlYUYSeeBDVkudBK21hU754_Xi0xwAUBfMi-8pWpyDeenf_Bf8yY5eM3yym3XHHgzzooc_2w7IX7bPLs1_9fgTr5bUIWvDvBzGqbBg9veqZ4DgBqGA2qtLZ8prCjTljp2I/s4032/IMG_4102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZ3zMwuYSAx6Cm_mwiakVlZ22hMn98m_NkIp2_GbtHOfIXquoSlLvc3ck9hlYUYSeeBDVkudBK21hU754_Xi0xwAUBfMi-8pWpyDeenf_Bf8yY5eM3yym3XHHgzzooc_2w7IX7bPLs1_9fgTr5bUIWvDvBzGqbBg9veqZ4DgBqGA2qtLZ8prCjTljp2I/w400-h300/IMG_4102.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1crnKldepw3OH0WU-brKwaVBbZjNWvLdIDklq-uC4kShDxaUojuZGsR5z_ln-N7r0Js31XDq2CiOytyRGPR-XNXeNoEXOueLiZLh3eP254y2uq2QsGnmsg3QGM58hsDq0cpsYe1RcOGq2qDFr1JLubz39otTwgG0--5kOOoXtu7MJe4P3crl34NOuWIk/s4032/IMG_4101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1crnKldepw3OH0WU-brKwaVBbZjNWvLdIDklq-uC4kShDxaUojuZGsR5z_ln-N7r0Js31XDq2CiOytyRGPR-XNXeNoEXOueLiZLh3eP254y2uq2QsGnmsg3QGM58hsDq0cpsYe1RcOGq2qDFr1JLubz39otTwgG0--5kOOoXtu7MJe4P3crl34NOuWIk/w400-h300/IMG_4101.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We turned down the Cannock Extension Arm, which is a 1.8
mile straight line to Norton Canes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
were the fifth boat to arrive, we moored up at the end of the line and got the
chairs out and relaxed. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_uRekiZB7_YLWxYmO5X5dNNZLWE4dpfb-ogtlMd5FiM729uepUtbEYoKiNKZF86CJvHiDVUPKKJ0INZDgToQwfdoKwDx4rWMrFUhWvcPCVVxF2GH9kAPx8ixOe5mkctXbx0O2ceGURj-i83N8dlq5KlYSaSpa6iOw_ey26LqyqzMzOPmL0nhTrBpOnU/s4032/IMG_4104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_uRekiZB7_YLWxYmO5X5dNNZLWE4dpfb-ogtlMd5FiM729uepUtbEYoKiNKZF86CJvHiDVUPKKJ0INZDgToQwfdoKwDx4rWMrFUhWvcPCVVxF2GH9kAPx8ixOe5mkctXbx0O2ceGURj-i83N8dlq5KlYSaSpa6iOw_ey26LqyqzMzOPmL0nhTrBpOnU/w400-h300/IMG_4104.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlipeJ7Oe3s_uDJ8Y-h7YVVPcVJl11eu4UhhAyRdpEfhIMwmZSYNXo3S2yNVkypsHVAxc-smftBFo6lKyvsIfxqDELsTp0GReMR9VtgWUfYNimzoz2tFeH5sTLGotbP1SphGrbSJiVQ_g9VJUcqgVcjE7jcsNEmkzXfhyXAbkbhuHpqpzj35-EIfjT_iM/s4032/IMG_4103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlipeJ7Oe3s_uDJ8Y-h7YVVPcVJl11eu4UhhAyRdpEfhIMwmZSYNXo3S2yNVkypsHVAxc-smftBFo6lKyvsIfxqDELsTp0GReMR9VtgWUfYNimzoz2tFeH5sTLGotbP1SphGrbSJiVQ_g9VJUcqgVcjE7jcsNEmkzXfhyXAbkbhuHpqpzj35-EIfjT_iM/w400-h300/IMG_4103.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In the evening we went to the local Toby Carvery for
dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly, the place was far from
dog friendly – I will say no more <span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol";">☹</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We sat out in the garden with John and Hazel
from Doo Lally Ally and their dog Bridget and enjoyed our evening, no thanks to
the staff at the pub.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We wandered back
to the boat and sat out with Steve and Diane until bedtime.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It had been a long and very hot day.<br /><br />15.3 miles<br />0 locks<br /><br /><br /><b>Longwood Boat Club – (Cannock Extension/Wyrley &
Essington Canal/Daw End Branch) – Sunday 25th June</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We were away by 9.15am this morning and were only the second
boat to leave. I got a message from
Steve to say that they had only just woken up! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim2nX8eOrqZF8KvTB4J-_slEdKBWJozvuaXPFy8EQJHtwnFDmKZERdHKPUzsdh95vtE3w8M3TxBBWHSn5oxQNAW_HhLNUpt9lMhjBMP6Ueei4oADrAeriHxgZtkmF0lO3MybLuWvHSUHOemx3qdMbuVBD6bgQCRlwr474nbyOobCh9s-kwPwBYR9ajeNw/s4032/IMG_4110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim2nX8eOrqZF8KvTB4J-_slEdKBWJozvuaXPFy8EQJHtwnFDmKZERdHKPUzsdh95vtE3w8M3TxBBWHSn5oxQNAW_HhLNUpt9lMhjBMP6Ueei4oADrAeriHxgZtkmF0lO3MybLuWvHSUHOemx3qdMbuVBD6bgQCRlwr474nbyOobCh9s-kwPwBYR9ajeNw/w400-h300/IMG_4110.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Up to the junction with the Wyrley & Essington where we
turned left. We continued up to
Brownhills where we found the poshest service area I have ever seen! To be honest it is also used by a canoe club,
so I guess they have put the fake grass down! </div></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIfJlPB4YvwEp9vDCGzhFO92dD8dxznZIaI_UXKe0vCF46J6_GrKM4K1tL6hG32VOkRWaP9IZzKASvuHPnBrbpgdQyjgYuotpq8Q5D66qWMtyGZ75Se5b_Wnxqk9tXqQowBrm_uf9hrSXbKuT4-eIABUx2byPh5mOjjLmgUmWevQJNXkEOHqKTH__ih4/s4032/IMG_4115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIfJlPB4YvwEp9vDCGzhFO92dD8dxznZIaI_UXKe0vCF46J6_GrKM4K1tL6hG32VOkRWaP9IZzKASvuHPnBrbpgdQyjgYuotpq8Q5D66qWMtyGZ75Se5b_Wnxqk9tXqQowBrm_uf9hrSXbKuT4-eIABUx2byPh5mOjjLmgUmWevQJNXkEOHqKTH__ih4/w400-h300/IMG_4115.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Tesco was just across the road so off I trotted! I really only wanted fruit, coke and beer as
we are eating out this week, so I don’t have to worry about food. Back at the boat quite a few of the others
had stopped for water etc. and were also heading to Tesco.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We were the first to set off and headed up to Catshill
Junction where we turned left onto the Daw End Branch. Muffin and I jumped ship to walk for a bit,
but with the heat and my back starting to hurt I didn’t do the full walk I had
planned. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fIqpPtHZQ-niCyruARd3Fz2RDrepVf2vRis4ifRL-5LGIWh1xKw8_PpBMRzl1GUErhxrP9NeLvavM8WU4byl9hAPCTY0orVHV7AhqWkj9nE1zHP9k22dJBqx7MkXV_aGDIsN0oO-FqyUoupegZde_XWxKIbQKRqgQ4MekftbpuIZekHRiQv7gBvRWVM/s2690/IMG_4116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="2690" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fIqpPtHZQ-niCyruARd3Fz2RDrepVf2vRis4ifRL-5LGIWh1xKw8_PpBMRzl1GUErhxrP9NeLvavM8WU4byl9hAPCTY0orVHV7AhqWkj9nE1zHP9k22dJBqx7MkXV_aGDIsN0oO-FqyUoupegZde_XWxKIbQKRqgQ4MekftbpuIZekHRiQv7gBvRWVM/w400-h300/IMG_4116.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The Daw End Branch was interesting, to say the least!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Windy, very narrow in places and pretty
shallow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were first to arrive at
Longwood Boat Club and it took quite a while for the other boats to
arrive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main topic of conversation
as each boat arrived was about the last part of the journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was also this amazing mural one of the
bridges. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlRZXKNBPo9wiw3PsqIJwYJ5eZPqMplwqNyN_PxsVHZ8x4RajI2qJgOJelnm0Rszj2b6tprFSzK7maB4Bk1OBk79WhxzTt7QGdax7IB4thYpC474WW40W2_JggJYAHspF_jpyLyitoXE6gZxDeoHe3Z5ZRt1vnpNxpQ8Wbi5szXGJaFVLZ30qUG2EVwU/s683/WE-CtoH-picDR090-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="683" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlRZXKNBPo9wiw3PsqIJwYJ5eZPqMplwqNyN_PxsVHZ8x4RajI2qJgOJelnm0Rszj2b6tprFSzK7maB4Bk1OBk79WhxzTt7QGdax7IB4thYpC474WW40W2_JggJYAHspF_jpyLyitoXE6gZxDeoHe3Z5ZRt1vnpNxpQ8Wbi5szXGJaFVLZ30qUG2EVwU/w400-h195/WE-CtoH-picDR090-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Gradually all the boats arrived and moored up, well except
for Endeavour who had taken a detour up the Anglesea Arm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He found this in the canal!! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegwMUbUnNhUn1lLocfiK6nN7PuufUgcIGly2-D5QvE6JYNwJS-yvJdNnKbI7juwRMfMvnZL8L8maLgDzt41_jrkrDoTu1XQ5YvWGdLyZDKKRVCOnuCCso_QYFPYxoecCx62gqeBAaax90SSYVmCip8L80hNZAhYPKHg6jC0Jrn8RbcuTAJzaHiORcTVk/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-06-26%20at%2008.54.33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegwMUbUnNhUn1lLocfiK6nN7PuufUgcIGly2-D5QvE6JYNwJS-yvJdNnKbI7juwRMfMvnZL8L8maLgDzt41_jrkrDoTu1XQ5YvWGdLyZDKKRVCOnuCCso_QYFPYxoecCx62gqeBAaax90SSYVmCip8L80hNZAhYPKHg6jC0Jrn8RbcuTAJzaHiORcTVk/w400-h300/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-06-26%20at%2008.54.33.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The entertainment for tonight was fish and chips in the club
house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had pre-ordered, and each boat
had its own bag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had ordered one mini
cod and one large one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mini one
turned out to be the size of a regular that we have at home and Richard couldn’t
get his large one on the plate in one piece!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The portions of chips were enormous too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We try and sit with different people each night and it really is
interesting to learn about the others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However ,we still have Steve and Diane to catch up with each day, so we
always end up on the towpath for a bevvy or two before retiring for the night.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I took this photo of the boats from the top lock. Eric and Deb live on board their boat,
Georgina, and love salad, hence the greenery everywhere! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEtRas6lWU_YdnV-fuH3FrhRjWdIoakw6mveIHEJE2FEjK4LnIY-f39M6k2uqShfZn7o4_RsMpx905DOmuGUIOKJ2XrWpJr0Y7S8y1aqFj7oZBnevAn8C1awWsnbE6xTqBm5hv0bWW-4mN1f2vWaTM1SSZBv7yFFpijFvPO6_enKRe1Fv_O4PQ_2cGjx4/s4032/IMG_4117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEtRas6lWU_YdnV-fuH3FrhRjWdIoakw6mveIHEJE2FEjK4LnIY-f39M6k2uqShfZn7o4_RsMpx905DOmuGUIOKJ2XrWpJr0Y7S8y1aqFj7oZBnevAn8C1awWsnbE6xTqBm5hv0bWW-4mN1f2vWaTM1SSZBv7yFFpijFvPO6_enKRe1Fv_O4PQ_2cGjx4/w400-h300/IMG_4117.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">9.60 miles<br />0 locks<br /><br /><br /><b>Walsall Town Basin (Rushall/Tame Valley/Walsall Canals) – Monday 26th June</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yesterday we ended our trip on the Daw End Branch but today
we set off on the Rushall Canal which was built in 1844 to connect the Daw End
Branch to The Tame Valley Canal to take coal from Cannock mines to Birmingham
and the Black Country. It was specified to be 36 feet wide with towpaths on
both sides. The towpaths were to be 9 feet wide, but only one of them (on the
west side) was constructed. It was completed 1847. C&RT are working on the towpath now and
it should make a nice place to walk when they are finished. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26WihbQrC_Z61vrmdB4nUsto1xaPmZZagqBmLeY9vKlNwenI3bnl_V-ODJ8W1UGOMijzKJyi1lcDkWRKWL83gVgfMBUhhHzCcbFbr1EjHxP0aAJ645W7fZfqtc4vzdK2yIlls9As1s7cLtwLaF_2S1eiLHjmEbzhsc1l9Hgf58qUl49zfIxOSJf1xrvg/s4032/IMG_4123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26WihbQrC_Z61vrmdB4nUsto1xaPmZZagqBmLeY9vKlNwenI3bnl_V-ODJ8W1UGOMijzKJyi1lcDkWRKWL83gVgfMBUhhHzCcbFbr1EjHxP0aAJ645W7fZfqtc4vzdK2yIlls9As1s7cLtwLaF_2S1eiLHjmEbzhsc1l9Hgf58qUl49zfIxOSJf1xrvg/w400-h300/IMG_4123.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As we were moored above the first of the Rushall Locks we
all had to leave one at a time to get through the top one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed to be the first one in the row to
go each time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About 9.20am it was our
turn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Rushall flight consists of 9
locks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2 in rapid succession then there
is a gap of 1.3 miles before the next one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We had help from the BCN members and after the first two locks there was
one at each lock which meant that we raced through them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1hr 40mins to do them and it would have been
quicker if there hadn’t been that 1.3 mile gap!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27Rs4NvwcGT5dWM1kutw0oKfE4dZM-i3TisFDaGb4tXaJBi18Vp6c2DWObjV0uOZkTsBm_e9mecP71CpLgqLeid0dZdhDUYPdcZz_Ag0KsmSpsvgNyC91AjRsxpI7fEolnLlj55U6tcJ-6LNP_nDQFFhCoDsW3CC-b298C5_2TH3wekJd32mEHk0EePs/s4032/IMG_4128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27Rs4NvwcGT5dWM1kutw0oKfE4dZM-i3TisFDaGb4tXaJBi18Vp6c2DWObjV0uOZkTsBm_e9mecP71CpLgqLeid0dZdhDUYPdcZz_Ag0KsmSpsvgNyC91AjRsxpI7fEolnLlj55U6tcJ-6LNP_nDQFFhCoDsW3CC-b298C5_2TH3wekJd32mEHk0EePs/w400-h300/IMG_4128.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It wasn’t long before we turned off the Rushall and onto the
Tame Valley and we were soon going over the M5 Aqueduct.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I jumped ship to take some photos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The queue is to get off the M5 onto the M6. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1bjWhY6CkUjLBHFfgcFPhSIwwHXsM7xE9FoanDzsoWIkGihY8o0EzMA_wJdooJHxch3KvXUuttMR55418OEYQfD8S7hZnJ-568I0jC--VZ9y2lYGsN4dRjGqOiIntbLb7yWz1uwAsyAA8hV6Ly0Tudlqtgjf_wh9PdZBr-z9cvxMpzf8wkfiAgkYdiqY/s4032/IMG_4145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1bjWhY6CkUjLBHFfgcFPhSIwwHXsM7xE9FoanDzsoWIkGihY8o0EzMA_wJdooJHxch3KvXUuttMR55418OEYQfD8S7hZnJ-568I0jC--VZ9y2lYGsN4dRjGqOiIntbLb7yWz1uwAsyAA8hV6Ly0Tudlqtgjf_wh9PdZBr-z9cvxMpzf8wkfiAgkYdiqY/w400-h300/IMG_4145.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This little island used to be a toll island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are a feature of the Birmingham Canal
Navigations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the boats passed through
the narrows the toll collector would use a marked stick to check the depth of
the boat in the water to see how heavy the load was so the appropriate toll
could be collected. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnwaNj8JWfBOi99AxjxgIuQojF6ZRSy1Hh_sdw9FqJ8qbSX9MYwrYUJCahpU7MNqdt3MAkPqMQ-sVdez6CBLBrNF-epbGXDVYiNVGS_QFVjXZnLys19rvKyapScpWDX2y9h3p2TCGVOcWj_6XKD4SkBCfaJblQDgJCRMMMiAjOI_eom_5Z_bQRncJK1Y/s4032/IMG_4130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnwaNj8JWfBOi99AxjxgIuQojF6ZRSy1Hh_sdw9FqJ8qbSX9MYwrYUJCahpU7MNqdt3MAkPqMQ-sVdez6CBLBrNF-epbGXDVYiNVGS_QFVjXZnLys19rvKyapScpWDX2y9h3p2TCGVOcWj_6XKD4SkBCfaJblQDgJCRMMMiAjOI_eom_5Z_bQRncJK1Y/w400-h300/IMG_4130.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The Tame Valley was built in 1844 and has no locks on its 8½
miles, but it passes over eight aqueducts within five miles (seven of which are
original).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We turned onto the Walsall Canal and then it all went t**s
up!! The canal was covered with blanket
weed. It was dreadful. We lost count of the times that Richard went
down the weed hatch, but he filled a black refuse bag! Everyone was struggling, well except for a
couple, but they were still held up by others down their weed hatch. For those of you who are not boaters, the
weed hatch is literally just that, however you have to open the engine bay,
take the lock off the lid, take the lid off (and it’s a big old thing) put your
arm down into the water and pull out whatever is round the propeller – in 99%
of all boat crews it is a “blue”
job!! I will try and take a photo at
some stage.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This photo just shows the junction and not the blanket
weed. I forgot to take a photo of it <span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif;">☹</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEideYyXY2Ium1KRIn4L5syWNXCeY8H3pxl8CHEYC8OPMZsMuUW06yBef5Bgsv23zF9WBUNEV8IvA7uJGruYSRh4F6zXSeHo0enqh3RdaExa86on_T6uEppuc8KnWeQyKttQVYi8IJeChs6PdGamdJm4orfd4II0ZVeIhWkm2OlNp7P9O3x2AWt6smHx2YE/s4032/IMG_4152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEideYyXY2Ium1KRIn4L5syWNXCeY8H3pxl8CHEYC8OPMZsMuUW06yBef5Bgsv23zF9WBUNEV8IvA7uJGruYSRh4F6zXSeHo0enqh3RdaExa86on_T6uEppuc8KnWeQyKttQVYi8IJeChs6PdGamdJm4orfd4II0ZVeIhWkm2OlNp7P9O3x2AWt6smHx2YE/w400-h300/IMG_4152.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Eventually, after about 8 hours (it should have taken 6) we
arrived in Walsall Basin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well this one
didn’t <span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol";">☹</span> (not one of ours I hasten to add) </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6X_7qRFJezS1BqPRHFT-elNURRHZHbJ-u1Oc_pWucYnn220Vj3vkr8OTNnP0fx3iyLkpG8qSalwOBCNjbU-0iytUogPFC3iv4j7unrXzLAkokOPeB9ueBQngA8ttKbgnxmdITUjRAzxDdQwb6cxXc_zywpEZCcqulVN0_4hKmL5VPgFQ816_uuC7iBc/s4032/IMG_4156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6X_7qRFJezS1BqPRHFT-elNURRHZHbJ-u1Oc_pWucYnn220Vj3vkr8OTNnP0fx3iyLkpG8qSalwOBCNjbU-0iytUogPFC3iv4j7unrXzLAkokOPeB9ueBQngA8ttKbgnxmdITUjRAzxDdQwb6cxXc_zywpEZCcqulVN0_4hKmL5VPgFQ816_uuC7iBc/w400-h300/IMG_4156.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The basin is modern, but I doubt it will get used much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh! I forgot to mention we actually came
across a boat going the other way!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
wandered around the basin and took a couple of photos of the boats and the nice
basin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve just been doing some
research and discovered that quite a few people have fallen in the basin and
apparently the water is deep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This bit
in a newspaper tickled me “In 1999, a pensioner drove into the canal after
mistaking it for a flooded car park and had to climb out of his sunroof and in
2007, a businessman drove his BMW into the canal, escaping before it sank to
the bottom.” </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPKamj585-DRGi_-KZ0Fjq2gkEWKLz4rBRfupinuZUPTtOCTKPBLhmZQvShFycWN3SpT3r1pHuR7v5ly9LKtO0hLv4APKSIabjX-Vm0BF24T4h6nNO9zffRkTihbwrUF0I-BG4PJneUuqe00ednyYMRululkdpInsDuHcsBvAOWPMobxVyHeZMA9o94eE/s4032/IMG_4165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPKamj585-DRGi_-KZ0Fjq2gkEWKLz4rBRfupinuZUPTtOCTKPBLhmZQvShFycWN3SpT3r1pHuR7v5ly9LKtO0hLv4APKSIabjX-Vm0BF24T4h6nNO9zffRkTihbwrUF0I-BG4PJneUuqe00ednyYMRululkdpInsDuHcsBvAOWPMobxVyHeZMA9o94eE/w400-h300/IMG_4165.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZYIRtkmbg-kpsttslebhm9pfVoxzjeMsfD23_9BjFoHzjBNsh5qmyMS5y7TRbHbvcnAC_fGyot8RN4HjDB_p9NdqdE9R9YfbEOdS2xd5J4it5DUzvdIpSP7dc33iaVQBVRzwYTy9uOeKJgFaS0_-rReTuVzHLITTakVMfi-vsMJfTIzMWNkTU87T4qY/s4032/IMG_4164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZYIRtkmbg-kpsttslebhm9pfVoxzjeMsfD23_9BjFoHzjBNsh5qmyMS5y7TRbHbvcnAC_fGyot8RN4HjDB_p9NdqdE9R9YfbEOdS2xd5J4it5DUzvdIpSP7dc33iaVQBVRzwYTy9uOeKJgFaS0_-rReTuVzHLITTakVMfi-vsMJfTIzMWNkTU87T4qY/w400-h300/IMG_4164.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjJU33F6RCZj2jsuNaCn9oqgQqf52hbrWQfS5uWzaVXq_aqd6fW_Weugi4XbMX_Yf1eahJFnJ8YwWReMi-hYUsluqX4CLtdw5NXh7hxfraCxB7iXJ7laC960wDWt7WB1Jv2gJRLrF-Jggz7mhfdjD3NyXLHUKpbtbj7JCnmwKm_pkI9odPA4T-dVktnk/s4032/IMG_4163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjJU33F6RCZj2jsuNaCn9oqgQqf52hbrWQfS5uWzaVXq_aqd6fW_Weugi4XbMX_Yf1eahJFnJ8YwWReMi-hYUsluqX4CLtdw5NXh7hxfraCxB7iXJ7laC960wDWt7WB1Jv2gJRLrF-Jggz7mhfdjD3NyXLHUKpbtbj7JCnmwKm_pkI9odPA4T-dVktnk/w400-h300/IMG_4163.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Built in stages, the canal started as an extension of the
Wednesbury Canal which opened in 1785 and served collieries in Moxley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An Act was passed for the building of the
canal to Walsall Town in 1794 with this being mostly complete 6 years
later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Businesses to the north of
Walsall were keen to access the quicker route south offered by the Walsall
Canal and the short Walsall Junction Canal with 8 locks was completed in 1841
to link to the Wyrley and Essington Canal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Walsall Canal was successful with many branches and wharves but 1966
saw the end of the last regular commercial traffic to Walsall Gas Works.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>This next part was taken from the Walsall Council’s
website. It is pretty much verbatim, but
I thought it was interesting, I could almost visage the scene and hear the
noise! I hope you enjoy it.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first wharf from the Walsall Canal end was Corporation
Wharf, which supplied the town’s gasworks from 1850-1877 when it moved to Pleck
Road. From 1895-1916 this site also supplied electricity for Walsall and
district. In addition, the gasworks provided outgoing supplies of coke and
other by-products.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Between Corporation Wharf and the bottom of the canal arm
were the following wharves: Dock Wharf, Albion Wharf, Victoria Wharf,
Providence Wharf, and the Old Wharf. With all these and their basins extending
practically onto Wolverhampton Street, this street, before the coming of the
railway, must have been a hub of activity, with horse transport distributing
local goods for canal transport, and many tons of coal moved from these wharves
for domestic consumption. The other side of the arm was the towpath and was
fairly wide to accommodate the many horses awaiting turnaround, before the days
of motorised narrowboats.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">During a normal working day, the Walsall Arm would be filled
with approximately 50 to 60 narrowboats, as recalled by Len Wilson from his
first journeys on the Walsall Arm with Shropshire Union boats during the Great
War. Those were hard times, and Len remembered that by age 16 he was working a
boat of his own in company with his father, due to the great manpower shortage
during that war, and at the time food supplies were the main cargo into
Walsall, comprising grain, cocoa and sugar, as well as boxes of tinned meat and
fruit, and barrels of Guinness Stout for the local pubs.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On the towpath in the 1880s, three ironworks needed many
boatloads of coal. The Bradford Ironworks, The Iron Manufacturer and The Globe
Ironworks which was known as the British and Colonial Horse Shoe and Machine
Co. Ltd, of Charles Street. These works were still busy during around the time
of the Great War, but the nearby Waterloo works had closed in the 1890s.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Marsh Lane, leading off Marsh Street to the main Walsall Arm
canal towpath, was one of the most notorious parts of old Walsall, as many
local folk still recall. It was well known for the prostitutes who plied their
trade and took advantage of the stationary cabin boats on cold, dark winters
nights in this poorly lit area.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Dun Cow pub in Wolverhampton Street, long demolished,
was a popular meeting place from its building in 1894 until just after the
Second World War. Most boatmen also frequented the Barrel Inn, the Flitch of
Bacon, Elephant & Castle, Engine Inn, The White Horse and The Albion, all
along the Wolverhampton Road and Wolverhampton Street. With many boats getting
an early start for the Cannock collieries, many local boatmen preferred to wait
until just after midnight and being partly drunk enabled them to summon up the
courage to get going on their long, slow journey of many miles. Life on the
boats was very hard, being a cut-throat and desperate trade, with none of the
glamour or romance that some modern narrowboat owners seem to imagine.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By the 1930s, however, road transport was becoming
affordable. Although for some years the lorries complemented the remaining
boats, delivering coal and other goods from the wharves to their final
destinations, eventually the idea of using vehicles caught on, and with cheap
pre-war petrol, the days of canal transport were numbered. There was a respite
for the boats during Second World War petrol rationing, but the post-war
availability of cheap army surplus lorries was the final nail in the coffin for
‘the cut’. By 1958 the Walsall Arm was practically full of rotting and disused
boats, and most of those once employed on the canal had found better-paid jobs
in local factories.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Over many years, the Walsall Canal became filled with weeds
and rubbish, and this once thriving part of the town’s commercial life became a
foul-smelling and depressing dump. But this was not to last for ever, as in the
late 20th century the nation’s canals, once forgotten and ignored by the
majority of the population, began a revival as a resource for leisure boaters.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Today, life is returning to the Town Wharf. Walsall’s
prestigious New Art Gallery has been built on the site and attracts many
thousands of visitors each year to what was a lonely, abandoned place. The
award-winning Wharf pub is providing good beer and food in a now-attractive
setting. Already, prestigious canal side housing and retail units have been
developed in the area, and much more is hoped for in years to come. Boats are
now able to use the canal again, and narrowboat rallies have become a regular
occurrence, bringing a reincarnation of many old traditions and the creation of
many new ones as leisure has taken over from labour as the mainstay of the
canals. The Town Wharf has begun a new and exciting life as a very different
hub of activity in 21st century Walsall.<br /><br />11.20 miles<br />9 locks</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-84901998242384122352023-06-25T10:00:00.000+01:002023-06-25T10:00:28.192+01:00June 2023 - Up the 21 locks of the Wolverhampton Flight<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Slade Heath Railway Bridge No 72 (Staffs & Worcs) –
Wednesday 21st June</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Time to get time to get moving. We were both awake early so got up and got
going by 9.30am. As we pulled out of our berth I saw a mummy duck and her two
ducklings. We've been at the boat for
three days but haven't seen them before, even when I was throwing bread out of
the side hatch for all the hungry ducks in the Marina. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xLM3ReKqfqh7oitMdDYVYH--KkLZRFMPhjUb7pIMEnf_HN5xTNmciyQHO_OePIETzft01dHUoyshujFjHcfO6CRO07j4swpDLPlU89O2sd2AMGylEa8jQPPjQSGla1feT4-6ZPdGh4kSqQcRf7f7yiwZvzK1b0uVloikNE9MqEqMM5DkuzFzXNX7NMU/s4032/IMG_4023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xLM3ReKqfqh7oitMdDYVYH--KkLZRFMPhjUb7pIMEnf_HN5xTNmciyQHO_OePIETzft01dHUoyshujFjHcfO6CRO07j4swpDLPlU89O2sd2AMGylEa8jQPPjQSGla1feT4-6ZPdGh4kSqQcRf7f7yiwZvzK1b0uVloikNE9MqEqMM5DkuzFzXNX7NMU/w400-h300/IMG_4023.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Our first lock was Offerton. Just before the lock is a small
bridge which we have been over many times over the last few days as it leads to
the marina.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20ebwbIFYdwbnw4KBh-BLih0E9q5hqhbfz4gZ3nndDu88kQ7M9R1muQQFyA_GW903FNsEIyVdigH80dLRl-NQyp6mEyvWsmeYS4oX9KZnIlMvzSG4t3Vt-PcahxbhBBlOdiyAmqB0HXMNIc3NuxdGHvt7L8vg0TscD34A6sZndCrcT5810I1KUU9y85c/s4032/IMG_4031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20ebwbIFYdwbnw4KBh-BLih0E9q5hqhbfz4gZ3nndDu88kQ7M9R1muQQFyA_GW903FNsEIyVdigH80dLRl-NQyp6mEyvWsmeYS4oX9KZnIlMvzSG4t3Vt-PcahxbhBBlOdiyAmqB0HXMNIc3NuxdGHvt7L8vg0TscD34A6sZndCrcT5810I1KUU9y85c/w400-h300/IMG_4031.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Rodbaston lock was next where CR&T were busy replacing
the lock landing. <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_fNVHDw7F_6sF5NLyOU-0T0dhWCk_lo5916NgJeL8Ej2HH3xMj1828KdOsnxAvlOutqn4R7QKregidPvjS6yBYbJeMpsm8RoWbS-Cg6vdxwVG16BO_O9LPSnTGn9zHenbatXB2OqY7nQoPL62Rcsh4_w7_ZN-QKF8LmotlhwdlMpUa8WgsveauNQ5vs/s4032/IMG_4032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_fNVHDw7F_6sF5NLyOU-0T0dhWCk_lo5916NgJeL8Ej2HH3xMj1828KdOsnxAvlOutqn4R7QKregidPvjS6yBYbJeMpsm8RoWbS-Cg6vdxwVG16BO_O9LPSnTGn9zHenbatXB2OqY7nQoPL62Rcsh4_w7_ZN-QKF8LmotlhwdlMpUa8WgsveauNQ5vs/w400-h300/IMG_4032.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Gailey lock was next which has the big round building
overlooking the lock. The building used
to be a toll clerk’s office but is now a canal shop. It was built in the 18th century and is Grade
II listed. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWKf7MxinHXUdUlY8mBQOeC03oyBeHDdESYrUpJZfLQx-IANPIEF0MyaZrq3FLFWIGMqjOoOxciArCA6FfGo7lvD9PGp9O8SyKPlDU8viBEe5TGAapuscqGqlc4GPIQ5LN-0yNvLVfkGxEoBEQTdtQ1lPeLmsETPOR0qzLOc8pdbU697BYvbwrF--bwls/s4032/IMG_4037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWKf7MxinHXUdUlY8mBQOeC03oyBeHDdESYrUpJZfLQx-IANPIEF0MyaZrq3FLFWIGMqjOoOxciArCA6FfGo7lvD9PGp9O8SyKPlDU8viBEe5TGAapuscqGqlc4GPIQ5LN-0yNvLVfkGxEoBEQTdtQ1lPeLmsETPOR0qzLOc8pdbU697BYvbwrF--bwls/w400-h300/IMG_4037.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIMchZOTha5FKVq4ljK7iqe5ezEJsELfW_kSAYSLNysn4ZLyjBad3sIqQQAodILmk53ovTzQu4FxC1x0w_f5M-4ZAcTt16y3Bu4fRMS06_6u1Zb4M6pDkW0iSKc1Z6qVBcso2DRNLGKpq-BkukkHK4MCMRujBShiYOMAKjCjkRqYK0sDkGrNbrajIGEjs/s4032/IMG_4035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIMchZOTha5FKVq4ljK7iqe5ezEJsELfW_kSAYSLNysn4ZLyjBad3sIqQQAodILmk53ovTzQu4FxC1x0w_f5M-4ZAcTt16y3Bu4fRMS06_6u1Zb4M6pDkW0iSKc1Z6qVBcso2DRNLGKpq-BkukkHK4MCMRujBShiYOMAKjCjkRqYK0sDkGrNbrajIGEjs/w400-h300/IMG_4035.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8u6lw9vn_wHY96Lr8sxBaD8VGh4NsI6HhartXKBA2YJX1wo9TM9blQe8j_idvIiFMiI9TscYc5bIL9IyahG3gAA3UJhtVpqHMq3ZONKxOh3h3f1Iye3V6noMdXaQaCn4B9uc8gN74mNb_5yVxEkILuTKsZPobJvysM79IQRN5JdVGKihVXR33eCRFFs/s4032/IMG_4034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8u6lw9vn_wHY96Lr8sxBaD8VGh4NsI6HhartXKBA2YJX1wo9TM9blQe8j_idvIiFMiI9TscYc5bIL9IyahG3gAA3UJhtVpqHMq3ZONKxOh3h3f1Iye3V6noMdXaQaCn4B9uc8gN74mNb_5yVxEkILuTKsZPobJvysM79IQRN5JdVGKihVXR33eCRFFs/w400-h300/IMG_4034.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This photo is the end of the Hatherton branch. You can just
about see the lock but there is nothing beyond that. The branch was closed a couple of years after
the last load of Cannock coal came off it in 1949. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixITyXELdabv_0tR8gNiGZhscrP7UOcZ9Qdst9AzkHOc9N8EjA5kYXFU-qvViUosHfgkehNYiW0cITdvrEqExuJrkaqByMeENvX591URTJFOkaA8CXkL0S-NSbVmSyNXNi7yY_OM_XS7Jn5sg9GYEknyYkNUzzjZXIto80BNJs5HfYWEAKTL-j1KajY-w/s4032/IMG_4039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixITyXELdabv_0tR8gNiGZhscrP7UOcZ9Qdst9AzkHOc9N8EjA5kYXFU-qvViUosHfgkehNYiW0cITdvrEqExuJrkaqByMeENvX591URTJFOkaA8CXkL0S-NSbVmSyNXNi7yY_OM_XS7Jn5sg9GYEknyYkNUzzjZXIto80BNJs5HfYWEAKTL-j1KajY-w/w400-h300/IMG_4039.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">By this stage it was hot, and we wanted somewhere to moor
under a tree. We found a nice shady area, moored up and then the sun went in.
Typical. We had a quiet morning psyching ourselves up for the 21 locks we have
to do tomorrow. <br /><br />6.3 miles<br />5 locks<br /><br /><br /><b>Wolverhampton Top Lock Moorings (Staffs &
Worcs/Birmingham Mainline) – Thursday 22nd June</b></p><p class="MsoNormal">Today we were off to join our fellow Explorers for the
Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) Explorer Cruise.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We had arranged to meet Steve and Diane on Clarence around
11.15am at Aldersley Junction (the bottom of the Wolverhampton Flight). In fact, they came out of the Shropshire
Union canal just in front of us. It was
then 10 minutes to bottom of the Wolverhampton Flight. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiVW_nuCtzU5_9HkhPkHuJoUUN1eKfmYYr7yuWYR6cqTn-aNzM2wNoRB0uksw6rLB0nmSpkq0JAYwovLldi0U5svMlTRjD58m5R-ULVjEoFh04SKgvTZO3slWXnUoh_hrQyEVtdkOQGwukgWlF0Sd9S-LVLl4JQEvJqPNS-2qK3ZSvhpLTVBxtFiO5fyQ/s4032/IMG_4043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiVW_nuCtzU5_9HkhPkHuJoUUN1eKfmYYr7yuWYR6cqTn-aNzM2wNoRB0uksw6rLB0nmSpkq0JAYwovLldi0U5svMlTRjD58m5R-ULVjEoFh04SKgvTZO3slWXnUoh_hrQyEVtdkOQGwukgWlF0Sd9S-LVLl4JQEvJqPNS-2qK3ZSvhpLTVBxtFiO5fyQ/w400-h300/IMG_4043.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0zvvYXyqrRQf-nA4t5qArXXdDy5mHJ_CepRe5nZ0YkZ5j-hONjhHuUhTNxHPpGbzCa_Ab16icGeeSAiCtPn5vdcPXm56UwcVLDwGumM4eR4-W-TZlHNg4biFETfMBLaMOVXlIvRnZS4O4fU6_xDkeFKjVGLhyGn5z3uxQD1sKe-AoY94Qhv-0PczIWc/s3840/5B47E5F6-8E6D-4A57-9129-ED4C927ABE7B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0zvvYXyqrRQf-nA4t5qArXXdDy5mHJ_CepRe5nZ0YkZ5j-hONjhHuUhTNxHPpGbzCa_Ab16icGeeSAiCtPn5vdcPXm56UwcVLDwGumM4eR4-W-TZlHNg4biFETfMBLaMOVXlIvRnZS4O4fU6_xDkeFKjVGLhyGn5z3uxQD1sKe-AoY94Qhv-0PczIWc/w400-h225/5B47E5F6-8E6D-4A57-9129-ED4C927ABE7B.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">Going into the bottom lock I found no leaking gates, which I
was surprised about as I thought the flight would be in poor state and rough.
But in fact, we found 99% of the gates in excellent repair. We were surrounded
by trees for the first few locks then slowly it became a little bit more built
up but away from the canal a bit, it really was still very pleasant. Muffin had
a whale of a time rushing from one side of the lock to the other searching and
sniffing everywhere. He disappeared at one point and Richard found him rolling
on a dead rat!! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoliz7TpMRwlb_uRGoiLrhCENXvm5IQ4g9LYIsGBpcOCu_pYW7X1hFGOI1XnW5loVwNecH6jpZyPBpdHivBDrnhxsja18JHXzuYeLma3yGdvymydbNWsNDjL4xlfzvt8yX9b5NVFkWqCPxiWLTFVMabH1suMRaAqF9_kspr0Q8eBBzrMPrTSGdfPmz7pI/s4032/IMG_4050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoliz7TpMRwlb_uRGoiLrhCENXvm5IQ4g9LYIsGBpcOCu_pYW7X1hFGOI1XnW5loVwNecH6jpZyPBpdHivBDrnhxsja18JHXzuYeLma3yGdvymydbNWsNDjL4xlfzvt8yX9b5NVFkWqCPxiWLTFVMabH1suMRaAqF9_kspr0Q8eBBzrMPrTSGdfPmz7pI/w400-h300/IMG_4050.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We passed a couple of boats coming down but otherwise it was
Mary H, Clarence and Free – All Right Now. The strange part was that all the
locks were empty but suddenly we would come across a full one. Why that was we
have no idea. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXkTvV7IWkB6d5yNeNkzVM2FQ8kuLBXFPY9UbCJmihwrSxDfC-IFgH_ZLzx48Wak_7krX0cYwAx4QCmu4f0UErMQKimIpMUi6nrPODymqy3Zz3nZI9kFIeFYy9vpvz41YvyV6FGfStizT-DVf8Y6E81SBQWTM2SWamyZqRhMcyNFXuZXmQJelo79aGbY/s4032/IMG_4049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXkTvV7IWkB6d5yNeNkzVM2FQ8kuLBXFPY9UbCJmihwrSxDfC-IFgH_ZLzx48Wak_7krX0cYwAx4QCmu4f0UErMQKimIpMUi6nrPODymqy3Zz3nZI9kFIeFYy9vpvz41YvyV6FGfStizT-DVf8Y6E81SBQWTM2SWamyZqRhMcyNFXuZXmQJelo79aGbY/w400-h300/IMG_4049.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I thought it was all going too smoothly. As I approached lock 3, I lost power but
managed to limp into the lock where Richard tied me up, filled the lock, then
went down the weed hatch and came out with handfuls of weed. We were greeted at
the lock by Eric, one of our organisers.
As I left the lock, I suddenly realised that I was still tied on. It was
embarrassing as Eric was standing there and we don’t usually make silly
mistakes!! We were both to blame really
as we had forgotten that the boat was tied on!
Eric said it reminded him of Tim
West and Prue Scales who did the same thing on TV!! In fact I couldn’t get out
of the lock any way as the pound was very low. Eric had started to let water
down, so the pound was beginning to fill, but when I went to move out of the
lock I still didn’t have any propulsion, so Richard was down the weed hatch
once more. Eventually I managed to get into lock 2 but it took Clarence quite a
while to get from 3 to 2 she draws three feet (we only draw 18 inches). Richard
went down the weed hatch again at the top lock. I pulled over and waited for
Richard to help Clarence up through the top lock. We then followed Clarence
under the road bridge to a mooring for about 3 boats which was fine as
Georgina, Eric and Debs boat, was already moored there.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvoU8xzMY9Ds668jXQAOza_uZs8kqvGNU1o3lAwlgudZjzOwdM_Hr20SjTdKnhnSp5ruxIfkRbpQXJoG_Ie8qlAaBfhGn5UifnusDuxFlnjpeCnkVtvzL2uXog5w5wZ8zieUsgzxcabgtzYcKQWOzlsf2OiAH0HhUvwQcrkbAoO96UkC-fvoKq7E0Vns/s4032/IMG_4064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvoU8xzMY9Ds668jXQAOza_uZs8kqvGNU1o3lAwlgudZjzOwdM_Hr20SjTdKnhnSp5ruxIfkRbpQXJoG_Ie8qlAaBfhGn5UifnusDuxFlnjpeCnkVtvzL2uXog5w5wZ8zieUsgzxcabgtzYcKQWOzlsf2OiAH0HhUvwQcrkbAoO96UkC-fvoKq7E0Vns/w400-h300/IMG_4064.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal">By the time we had moored up I really felt exhausted, and my
back was really hurting. My back is so much better than it was last time we
were out but gets tired and starts to ache. I bought myself a back brace which
seems to help even though the pain is in my lower back, the brace makes me
stand properly which relieves the tension on the lower back. I am going to try
and use it when we are going through locks and I am steering. I think Eric and Deb realised that the crews
from the three boats were tired, so they arranged for us all to go to the Great
Western pub. We had a couple of drinks in the garden, I say that as Muffin just
lay there and fell asleep, which is most unlike him as he would normally be
looking around. He must have been exhausted
The crews of Mary H and Clarence decided to get some fish and chips
which we brought back to the boats and ate on the tow path. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJHnlSokwZhW-wp6eccN-4wWXAiFfQWJEOJwN7Ymkj9GAcJkX0e7XX6q7dMuwScbsmfm8LAb8yE5pNdHr5tgGEkK3uC-JBoOhCHO-6b4s71ozcNkcLfKjHTOX1JhC7aaTYGS_5WEL8DzcYoNnnbVL930akLHpOuK0nWYd-gj1gD8SOVY0EfIhnA-Y94I/s4032/IMG_4057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJHnlSokwZhW-wp6eccN-4wWXAiFfQWJEOJwN7Ymkj9GAcJkX0e7XX6q7dMuwScbsmfm8LAb8yE5pNdHr5tgGEkK3uC-JBoOhCHO-6b4s71ozcNkcLfKjHTOX1JhC7aaTYGS_5WEL8DzcYoNnnbVL930akLHpOuK0nWYd-gj1gD8SOVY0EfIhnA-Y94I/w400-h300/IMG_4057.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It was an early night for all of us.<br /><br />5.6 miles<br />21 locks<br /><br /><br /><b>Wolverhampton Top Lock Moorings (Staffs &
Worcs/Birmingham Mainline) – Friday 23rd June</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I didn’t sleep well, it was probably the fish and chips late
last night <span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif;">☹</span> I dragged
myself out of bed at … (I’m not going to
tell you what time it was!!) Richard was
going with the other men to help today’s boats up through the locks. I sat and caught up with the blog and watched
Incognito and Mugwump arrive from the other direction. Jem and Ivy were already in the basin above
the locks yesterday. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Richard and Muffin went back to the 21 locks with the other
men to help today’s happy campers up the flight. All went well except that one boat didn’t
make the flight as their prop shaft gave up the ghost. We will be 11 boats and 21 boaters in total. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUw2jgDh9LA4l_sL4ViyLRbF8pKLy1YMtJgFPcpTt_OqrGYLjDR6rPeiWvM4KlSNeb08XaVwEv97K5RLSyQIfsy1aDpz6gHs2rUS72pwz1GOuhDP6iVGroqUJKDDolpTu9mxZjbfef-EtfurY1w36Z8sQ15Cor3LkmIsQie2LNrS25VYM0xyYWMgtaMmo/s4032/IMG_4068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUw2jgDh9LA4l_sL4ViyLRbF8pKLy1YMtJgFPcpTt_OqrGYLjDR6rPeiWvM4KlSNeb08XaVwEv97K5RLSyQIfsy1aDpz6gHs2rUS72pwz1GOuhDP6iVGroqUJKDDolpTu9mxZjbfef-EtfurY1w36Z8sQ15Cor3LkmIsQie2LNrS25VYM0xyYWMgtaMmo/w400-h300/IMG_4068.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I broke a tooth on Monday, only a small break but as I have
Denplan I thought it was worth trying to get an emergency appointment while we
had a day off in Wolverhampton. My
appointment was in Wednesfield which is about a 10 minute drive from where we
were moored. I called a taxi which was
very prompt, and drove to the dentist. I
was seen by a very nice lady dentist who put a temporary filling in which,
hopefully, will hold until we get home.
As I lay back in the chair she had pictures of the ceiling which I
thought was a nice touch. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrTJR3pRWLkl2kjSEZjiED2YB50gS53n11Ely7xbQ-NP9Tom6U-Tit8ZvYjNXuTwTWXurZou5ya-IZr-JYvS3iRRyCSpN90I6T0_TKgEh8fGTWhqCljsax9JmWmPPj_585cKchtPFYnjguUIH5Wfs9XxKa4K2J5qyu4M96rUf9k34ZQ0AUm0XxV3wk5g/s4032/IMG_4063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrTJR3pRWLkl2kjSEZjiED2YB50gS53n11Ely7xbQ-NP9Tom6U-Tit8ZvYjNXuTwTWXurZou5ya-IZr-JYvS3iRRyCSpN90I6T0_TKgEh8fGTWhqCljsax9JmWmPPj_585cKchtPFYnjguUIH5Wfs9XxKa4K2J5qyu4M96rUf9k34ZQ0AUm0XxV3wk5g/w400-h300/IMG_4063.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">My return taxi took me to the nearest Sainsburys local
store, yes, I did ask him to take me there, he didn’t just randomly take me
there!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really only wanted milk but
managed to spend £28!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFw7m6MlLyRMyGNiHHAmWsItsY6LTlGu7s_91xMI-Fk-n2TFaayEzpNDh_jhJYGgYL4rstQ71dxVMJzYudIS68521fKJ-xg_unc-72D8T2CyrN-bcI572UtdtmRBETPdbf4WCb_F2K1b4MuLcIPoANtL0qZD1DMFoTO8e44rQUPUCbmju3_eJb0_ybbc/s4032/IMG_4070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFw7m6MlLyRMyGNiHHAmWsItsY6LTlGu7s_91xMI-Fk-n2TFaayEzpNDh_jhJYGgYL4rstQ71dxVMJzYudIS68521fKJ-xg_unc-72D8T2CyrN-bcI572UtdtmRBETPdbf4WCb_F2K1b4MuLcIPoANtL0qZD1DMFoTO8e44rQUPUCbmju3_eJb0_ybbc/w400-h300/IMG_4070.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">Back at the boat Richard and Muffin had returned and looked
exhausted, in fact later on they were both fast asleep! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV2ETy3-ldy9FdwvSFBYDaLN7Qp6Jv4Yzi8ZyXELJHE8Gi_h0lpLymYlCwT-c-oVBq51x_CAW--KmItUCe4a89IyWUd8gQ4WUJPIZjqieherEsnAFbxrQRFHKJTeIextw8oTOlwABOAlIYhd6bvRZlqf5psTo501HfB81eKLXw_ntFs9LDrrKsJpsr1Fc/s4032/IMG_4062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV2ETy3-ldy9FdwvSFBYDaLN7Qp6Jv4Yzi8ZyXELJHE8Gi_h0lpLymYlCwT-c-oVBq51x_CAW--KmItUCe4a89IyWUd8gQ4WUJPIZjqieherEsnAFbxrQRFHKJTeIextw8oTOlwABOAlIYhd6bvRZlqf5psTo501HfB81eKLXw_ntFs9LDrrKsJpsr1Fc/w400-h300/IMG_4062.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In the evening we all met up and went to the Great Western
Pub again, but this time we had food which had been prebooked. The food took ages to come and, I think,
everyone had finished before the last two people were served. We went back to Mary H along with Steve and
Diane and sat out on the towpath again until about 10pm.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663141082461614715.post-78782440558427136182023-06-23T11:20:00.003+01:002023-06-23T11:20:59.993+01:00June 2023 - Otherton Boat Haven<p><b>Otherton Boat Haven (Staffs & Worcs) – Sunday 18th June</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We finally returned to Mary H today with fear and
trepidation! Richard realised about a
week ago that, when we left the boat, he had turned the 12v off as we had
mains. The shock and horror dawned on
him in the middle of the night that the freezer runs on 12v <span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif;">☹</span> I, for one, was not looking forward to
opening the boat door.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZpzRI4Ov00Bz3iJFvs3oJwIcyHSglywoHBeT_aGjkVmYHXMfKPIU9DoMnNhyYHgXh6fG9CRTy-2nZ6jndRmA54nMtZKv_VD2i_pI4iFkwWjyJMv3dZfP9u-b0z1CYQZ9WTFPCSzBYgWb6oKkPvOF1JAOdLN2tUMZyuA5RHrZ-IP40alM8QUNqvfur9sA/s4032/IMG_3773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZpzRI4Ov00Bz3iJFvs3oJwIcyHSglywoHBeT_aGjkVmYHXMfKPIU9DoMnNhyYHgXh6fG9CRTy-2nZ6jndRmA54nMtZKv_VD2i_pI4iFkwWjyJMv3dZfP9u-b0z1CYQZ9WTFPCSzBYgWb6oKkPvOF1JAOdLN2tUMZyuA5RHrZ-IP40alM8QUNqvfur9sA/w400-h300/IMG_3773.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As it was Richard who had left the freezer on, I decided
that he should go first, so Muffin and I stayed in the car till the all clear
was given. However, as I got closer to the boat, I could smell it, it was
rancid. I hate to think what the smell
had been like when Richard opened the door. He had bagged up all the mouldy
food which included meat, chicken, fish, all our frozen veg, and the meals that
I had made last time we were here, the freezer with almost full. The smell would not go away, so in the end
Richard had to put the freezer out on the back deck. He had already cleaned the floor but later on
I realised that the shelf the freezer had been standing on was stained with
smelly juices, I suppose you could call them.
Fortunately, once the shelf was out of the boat, smells slowly
dissipated. I thought that we would have to eat out tonight but, in the end,
Richard made me a salad and he had a ready meal and we went to bed.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /><b>Otherton Boat Haven (Staffs & Worcs) – Monday 19th June</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When we woke up the smell had almost gone, however Richard
opened the freezer door, which was still on the back deck, and the smell
permeated through the boat again. It was
at this stage we decided we couldn't use the freezer again, and that we would
have to buy a new one. The price of new
12 Volt freezer was over £500 but we were able to order almost the same 240
Volt freezer from Currys for £79 pounds. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDkY5vGcER5jHs8-ZRPCTrwcB4un6nx7UVkyQubPCzLwiNDVBwdsS0aLVDOAqQ3HkGS8QyxUjzOIsmjrxgAdIacPCEgMclkJouoelx4B4kdK8v2H2cTe3UDR9Cf5_-bd0d8TlFn1hN2jOoYKBSV29XlkKQQqSpi_2hsNaKFEZIv1DnVsMrzgV7UwSxf0/s4032/IMG_3786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDkY5vGcER5jHs8-ZRPCTrwcB4un6nx7UVkyQubPCzLwiNDVBwdsS0aLVDOAqQ3HkGS8QyxUjzOIsmjrxgAdIacPCEgMclkJouoelx4B4kdK8v2H2cTe3UDR9Cf5_-bd0d8TlFn1hN2jOoYKBSV29XlkKQQqSpi_2hsNaKFEZIv1DnVsMrzgV7UwSxf0/w400-h300/IMG_3786.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Our first port of call this morning was to go to Cannock
pick up a Click and Collect food order from Sainsbury's. We also had to dump
the old freezer at the tip in Cannock and Richard needed to buy a new shelf for
the cupboard. We returned to the boat, put
the shopping away, and set off to Stafford to collect the freezer.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Richard's job in the afternoon was to install the new
freezer ready for our departure on Wednesday. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHaTNngSgxWllr1z8BDMBquYBqJIkA-RmHXjQHXPs5yEuppzqIqzUGtusIxnH62Zt-e0oD4Q7InlI3sjCCLBQu3jW6_AK4rCMd5VKx7_rtlFlWlVrLNRYIlvR6SLSS-bxwOKYnNmyiE8lj7TE6Wgl5HPbp4uQxe3mzkVVPoRtsfzbv8QvkK8Bu6aLvkYA/s4032/IMG_3797.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHaTNngSgxWllr1z8BDMBquYBqJIkA-RmHXjQHXPs5yEuppzqIqzUGtusIxnH62Zt-e0oD4Q7InlI3sjCCLBQu3jW6_AK4rCMd5VKx7_rtlFlWlVrLNRYIlvR6SLSS-bxwOKYnNmyiE8lj7TE6Wgl5HPbp4uQxe3mzkVVPoRtsfzbv8QvkK8Bu6aLvkYA/w400-h300/IMG_3797.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As we drove through Stafford in the afternoon, I thought
what a lovely little town it is. I
always used to think that Stafford was a big Midlands sprawl like so many all,
but stop it certainly isn't.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCW_Pe8FBgyAOQ-WqEEuNf3gMVTKvZBhOifIk8LhgPMh-olUjzYsgtIdarsKuCRZpyFxPtC93kBpStY47Jk3X949Q7fkG4hTd_vX3q8SXAOP5QpCpIJlYZEEPkL4xhXZBmzmNBYGbH-ymb0eS5rKC9GeAIjWDlHFsR9MQQHrPsGrV7gIDamQtxauTaS5U/s4032/IMG_3915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCW_Pe8FBgyAOQ-WqEEuNf3gMVTKvZBhOifIk8LhgPMh-olUjzYsgtIdarsKuCRZpyFxPtC93kBpStY47Jk3X949Q7fkG4hTd_vX3q8SXAOP5QpCpIJlYZEEPkL4xhXZBmzmNBYGbH-ymb0eS5rKC9GeAIjWDlHFsR9MQQHrPsGrV7gIDamQtxauTaS5U/w400-h300/IMG_3915.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In the evening we drove over to Gnosall to meet up without
friends Steve and Diane. We had a couple of drinks with them and returned to
the boat. We will see them again on
Thursday when we go up the 21 locks at Wolverhampton.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /><b>Otherton Boat Haven (Staffs & Worcs) – Tuesday 20th June</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Richard had to take the car back to Dunchurch Pools today
and I had a list of things I wanted to do.
In the end all I did was planning for our big holiday next year. We know very little about San Francisco, so
it's become quite difficult to find a hotel.
In the end I decided that we wanted to be near the water (of course!)
and near to where the trams turn round.
I think, and hope, that I have found the right hotel - anyway it's
booked, but it can be cancelled, of course!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGzoyzYN5vhObIK0M7lPkNTA9XLq_vAHLRCoKHPW9GMpA6Kp_NTwsC5TTOcrA9w6wPZzpMaeat_zO6EBDlCKoesk7di9odxFG1Qj5vZ9Hnl-maAYO29Y2pGuJjUS9CnoKIB9FLWNG8f1LPgLkhEJSZcxXj1UkwsSocJxAid7LKmWS89v-k2EiA2BFi4QI/s4032/IMG_3850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGzoyzYN5vhObIK0M7lPkNTA9XLq_vAHLRCoKHPW9GMpA6Kp_NTwsC5TTOcrA9w6wPZzpMaeat_zO6EBDlCKoesk7di9odxFG1Qj5vZ9Hnl-maAYO29Y2pGuJjUS9CnoKIB9FLWNG8f1LPgLkhEJSZcxXj1UkwsSocJxAid7LKmWS89v-k2EiA2BFi4QI/w400-h300/IMG_3850.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Vxz5422_-wgaMhYlNpTt0M74FH74O1XtvUbD7-vEZ8szbkdbogHZL6i7w1mrMjvZHTGTGN0abe3rATWpBDSYG9SdjtILT8MN8gsueQd8bTUWZlpVzbQHC3QBo2kShmAph64HU0UVjnLnnuFwaTFzBteyi7L0zC6_44X8v3Sc820uY0Bn6OwdquZ8mh8/s4032/IMG_3842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Vxz5422_-wgaMhYlNpTt0M74FH74O1XtvUbD7-vEZ8szbkdbogHZL6i7w1mrMjvZHTGTGN0abe3rATWpBDSYG9SdjtILT8MN8gsueQd8bTUWZlpVzbQHC3QBo2kShmAph64HU0UVjnLnnuFwaTFzBteyi7L0zC6_44X8v3Sc820uY0Bn6OwdquZ8mh8/w400-h300/IMG_3842.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">So, what were we doing when we were at home. We arrived home just before the Bank Holiday
weekend and had a busy time with family.
We also took our caravan to the Longleat Caravan Club site where we met
up with my son Robert and his family.
Sadly, Victoria and James were not able to come with us as they had a
prior engagement. The site is a big one however it was very nearly empty, this
was Thursday of half term week! I guess it may have been fuller over the actual
Bank Holiday, but I was surprised to see it so empty during a half term break.
Tobin and Bobby my grandsons loved it as they could hear the lions roaring and
the sea lions barking from their tent.
On the Friday I had bought tickets, with my Tesco vouchers, to go into
Longleat. Richard and I with Robert and
the boys went to Longleat while Laura had volunteered to work from the caravan
and dogsit. We set of the safari in the car but we were
going to miss out the monkeys. However,
Richard decided that we would go through.
My little grandsons absolutely adored it. There were monkeys on the roof, monkeys
hanging from the wing mirrors, from the back windscreen wiper and one decided
to actually eat one front wipers - well a small little nick out of it. Sadly
all the big cats were asleep, it was a lovely hot day plus it was midday so
really we shouldn't have expected anything else. We returned to the car to the
caravan site, turn left on foot and walked the 100 yards to the entrance to the
rest of the park. After lunch Richard
returned to the caravan while Robert and I took the boys on the boat on the
lake. A guide took us over to the sea lion area and said we have we had 5 sea
lions until today. I thought, oh no she's gonna tell me that one of them has
died, but it was far from that as they now have 6 sea lions. One Mum had given birth that morning.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On the Saturday we drove over to the East Somerset Steam
Railway where we had a lovely lunch and a ride on the steam train. It was the first time the boys had been on a
steam train, well Tobin had been on one when he was six months old, needless to
say he doesn't remember much about it! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqTq1xhEFinmnfB-p2mxuDS-hgClLj3_SZKUaDEpepxrAYJjwQ-AAij6MGJSodrAkHEWv2cgSwBwo7_W384jp1t3jGxfhjIV6MeszFTTDG_53D3Y2Ae4wKANB5ZeEOMGbS2U3i50JN_b3y0zYeaSRjghiqy1bbYaYqVDnhWO08QFspityIYOVHViRjbY/s4032/IMG_3862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqTq1xhEFinmnfB-p2mxuDS-hgClLj3_SZKUaDEpepxrAYJjwQ-AAij6MGJSodrAkHEWv2cgSwBwo7_W384jp1t3jGxfhjIV6MeszFTTDG_53D3Y2Ae4wKANB5ZeEOMGbS2U3i50JN_b3y0zYeaSRjghiqy1bbYaYqVDnhWO08QFspityIYOVHViRjbY/w400-h300/IMG_3862.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Sunday was very hot, so we drove to Warminster where Laura
had found a park with play equipment for the boys and a splash area. While the boys and Laurs were in there
Richard, Robert and I walked around a lake with the dogs and then sat and just
enjoyed the sunshine and the lovely view of the lake. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-lGugIggaaxdgk9S7GdCcbOiviOEuJvfaZNamW1ryMy97Tw0I38mT-GT5BcXtRZb1Uv3bKzl5kIqzzWdJmnucUkPRodRoj6ZtX1p0tzdLJs25C-5ThW71hfK4GW912KpuxosLWe1wlT9AQC2KLZOgrrYnPFAZJCK_Wk1A62Xhj2pxiB7RtCiGfsIQsk/s4032/IMG_3975.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-lGugIggaaxdgk9S7GdCcbOiviOEuJvfaZNamW1ryMy97Tw0I38mT-GT5BcXtRZb1Uv3bKzl5kIqzzWdJmnucUkPRodRoj6ZtX1p0tzdLJs25C-5ThW71hfK4GW912KpuxosLWe1wlT9AQC2KLZOgrrYnPFAZJCK_Wk1A62Xhj2pxiB7RtCiGfsIQsk/w400-h300/IMG_3975.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Robert and Laura went home on Sunday evening while Richard
and I went home on Monday morning. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJ_QfLNxgIOdfgrgmy0mZUgo_80FKykTSPIc_qsETlsd16skrPw6YJBwTDyHUTt7LqvDf02wkHSzwyMj1o_l44QAXu16C9hKutj8xvvq5svYXMdDWau2U4BQFmNpuUFKM2qcQKI9rClWSzX0BFV5lmQ4EMsTv_42xeUYBLXDjhmDDhbrEGeFt81emJaE/s4032/IMG_3870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJ_QfLNxgIOdfgrgmy0mZUgo_80FKykTSPIc_qsETlsd16skrPw6YJBwTDyHUTt7LqvDf02wkHSzwyMj1o_l44QAXu16C9hKutj8xvvq5svYXMdDWau2U4BQFmNpuUFKM2qcQKI9rClWSzX0BFV5lmQ4EMsTv_42xeUYBLXDjhmDDhbrEGeFt81emJaE/w400-h300/IMG_3870.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">My sister Penny and her husband Jim arrived on the Thursday,
it was Jim’s 85th birthday on the Sunday it was also my youngest grandson,
Bobby’s, fourth birthday on the Saturday. Penny and I went over to see Bobby on
his birthday and Laura and the boys came over to us for a BBQ on the Sunday
(Roberts was working). </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvoOzKe8kqpCkHvTJ-OGF_XMUSjCStGM1FYGsOt1ymqQFfTqJE9NiIOSsZ7BhqyoezVPdkFtANvwdV1T0kBipYHFpssw9fyIY4Ex4vhWUr_jO2KJlgEreCu04KKoKZnIEdM6uY0saslEs_zPVc7r232ZX6W07Nod4yxeTQEO1hID6A6BWF-sOG9CZS3Gs/s4032/IMG_3934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvoOzKe8kqpCkHvTJ-OGF_XMUSjCStGM1FYGsOt1ymqQFfTqJE9NiIOSsZ7BhqyoezVPdkFtANvwdV1T0kBipYHFpssw9fyIY4Ex4vhWUr_jO2KJlgEreCu04KKoKZnIEdM6uY0saslEs_zPVc7r232ZX6W07Nod4yxeTQEO1hID6A6BWF-sOG9CZS3Gs/w400-h300/IMG_3934.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4EdZtXXdl7xeEhLBK08T7KmLpymDGAqY1yCDBwS67BZziYbwumUQr3l3Lj_Qp2eLq7j0twJ2SJZak_GpseIm6zxaaDsgbGeDBMHSCfiQDD6i6t8HJTCpkfS3pmkqbfAoFf6MVKKg_eVFRSbxWSOLUuObynwLFi-LKht3oSEjJ73IDrxkhx6mpyWU5JEk/s4032/IMG_3930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4EdZtXXdl7xeEhLBK08T7KmLpymDGAqY1yCDBwS67BZziYbwumUQr3l3Lj_Qp2eLq7j0twJ2SJZak_GpseIm6zxaaDsgbGeDBMHSCfiQDD6i6t8HJTCpkfS3pmkqbfAoFf6MVKKg_eVFRSbxWSOLUuObynwLFi-LKht3oSEjJ73IDrxkhx6mpyWU5JEk/w400-h300/IMG_3930.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Penny and Jim left us on the Wednesday which gave us a few
days to sort ourselves out pack up drive back up to Mary H.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All the photos for this post are from our time at Longleat.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Linda Gifford-Hullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932081445330172649noreply@blogger.com0