BandwagonRaps is away

We're just about to leave Portage, which has been a lovely place to chill out for a couple of days. Portage is on Kenepara Sound (or similar - not confident of my spelling) - one of the many that make up the Marlborough Sounds. It is named for its history as the place where Maoris picked up their boats and carried them over the saddle - 1 day's portage, rather than 3 days' paddling round - to reach the fishful Kenepara. It is spectacular whether it's raining or shining, although the sunshine does cause the luminous green sea to sparkle and glow most fetchingly. We've done a bit of ambling along the shore road and picnicking on the beach, but mostly just wallowed in the peace and quiet. Something about the gentle slope of the heavily-treed shores is a bit Dart-ish, so I'm feeling quite at home.

We arrived via Singapore, which was very hot and far too humid but we nonetheless managed to do a bit of sightseeing - seeking out anything more than 18 months old, which was some challenge. We had a wander in Fort Canning Park, and marvelled at the orchids in the National Botanic Gardens. And, of course, the obligatory Singapore Slings at Rapples (sic) Hotel - more tasty than I'd expected, and we stayed a little longer and drank a little more than expected. Top tips for Singapore: DON'T go to the crappy, overrated Fountain of Wealth (not sure by which metric it's the "largest fountain in the world", but it's pretty unimpressive) but DO stay at the enormously good value Furama Riverfront. We followed Geoffrey's simple advice (thanks Geoffrey) of asking for a room with a view, and boy did we get one. Once we manage to get to a decent bit of wireless access, we'll upload some photos.

Do I do Singapore an injustice by saying our three days was more than enough .. probably; I was just sorry how overly shiny and new it all was. I had hoped to see more that might have been around when my dad lived there as a child, but everything (including his house and most of his street) had been swept away and replaced by shiny air-conditioned malls. Eeep. I do not know how sooo many shops can be supported, but they all seem to thrive. Well, we were glad to move on.

To NZ, which is wonderfully different - nature abounds, and there ain't much need for air-con so far (a blessed relief). P's dad picked us up from Christchurch airport and in a mercifully short amount of time we were indulging in a siesta at the delightful Orari B&B (highly recommended). Whilst in XC we managed to cover quite a lot of the Arts Centre, including Rutherford's Den, a small cloakroom beneath a lecture theatre where the great man began to get his head round those pesky atoms. He purloined this unprepossessing space for his works of genius because it was the only spot with a concrete floor, thus avoiding vibrations which might upset his experiments. A fascinating little exhibit, interactive and well-curated. We also checked out the Cathedral and were lucky enough to catch the Wizard in action outside. Most amusing. And we took a cable car up into the Port Hills, where the views were somewhat obscured by the overcast skies, and the cafe wasn't open, and the exhibition was closed for refurbishment .. but the cable car bit was fun anyway.

And then it was a winding coast road journey through ever changing landscape and weather up here to Portage. ("Four seasons in one day", says our usually-trustworthy Fodor's guidebook, "by the New Zealand band Split Enz..." - shurely shome mishtake, Mr Fodor? James?!) In a few minutes our water taxi will arrive to whisk us back to Picton, from where we shall backtrack to Blenheim to visit a few wineries, and then head on up to Abel Tasman for the next couple of days. After which it's down the west coast, some time on the glaciers (wooo!), Christmas in Dunedin, and then an overnight boat trip on Doubtful Sound (yay! - looking forward to "watching doubtful drown"...). With luck we might squeeze in a visit to the Catlins and perhaps if we're feeling flush a helicopter trip over the iceberg which has popped in for a few months down there. Hopefully will manage to post some pics on Flickr and do a bit more blogging in a few days. Till then ... <insert Maori for goodbye, which I haven't learned yet>.