Author: Peter Meggyesy

Prior to 1980, Martinborough, 90 minutes northeast of Wellington was a sleepy little place surrounded by sheep farms, unsurprisingly in a country where there are more sheep than humans to this day. Then a government commissioned report identifed this area as highly suitable climactically and terrainwise for viticulture. Farewell to the sheep and now this flat dry valley sports vineyards.

This is a perfect area for wine tasting as the wineries are all within easy walk of each other  and we spend a great couple of days on this kiwi winery walkabout. Tasting and gourmet winery lunches were the order of the day. Chardonnay and pinot noir do best here. Standouts were the iconic Ata Rangi, Nga Waka and Margrain.

New Years Eve sees us driving to the southernmost point of NZ north island which, geographically, is further south than the south island cities of Blenheim and Picton. Along the southernmost portion of the road the driving becomes adventurous with landslides and sections of road washed away by the sea. Cape Palliser is our destination and we know that we are there when the road ends. Two hundred steps takes us up to the picturesque lighthouse. On the rocky beach below laze sleepy fur seals.

A rugged mountainous spine runs through the centre of the island. Thick jungle cascades off the ridges and numerous pretty waterfalls.

The coast is fringed with pristine beaches as well as numerous blowholes and rock pools perfect for swimming.

Around our resort and the snorkeling is pretty good here too.

Sunday, Christmas Eve and no one can tell us if the giant clam beach is open to the public. It is a public beach but as in most Pacific Island “belongs” to the local village. A one hour drive gets us there to be confronted with a sign that says it is closed on Sundays. Now I would have turned back and returned but the next two days are Christmas and Boxing Day and I suspect the closure would have extended to then. Across the road from the beach is the village but the place is deserted so I don my snorkelling gear and go for it. Despite my entreaties Suzanne does not join me and spends an anxious hour ashore. In the meanwhile I enjoy some of the best snorkelling I have ever done, swimming with turtles and snorkelling over a spectacular giant clam bed.

The opera finishes just before Christmas. The surgery is closed so right after the last Ring cycle opera I hustle back to our hotel and jump into a cab straight to the airport for a “red eye” flight to Samoa via Fiji. We are met at the airport and have a 1 hour drive to the Seabreeze resort on the other side of the main Samoan Island, Upolu. We have the Honeymoon suite perched upon cliffs over our own private palm fringed beach in this idyllic piece of paradise.

Coming here a step back in time. Samoa is a typical Pacific destination but seemingly a step back in time. Everything closes midday Saturday and similarly after the weekend on Christmas and Boxing day which means that we have to be agile and creative with our itinerary. This is a deeply Christian and conservative society where family comes first and then the village.

The capitol Apia is a typically sleepy little town but has enough to see for a pleasant stroll. It was also the home and resting place of famous author Robert Louis Stevenson. Diagnosed with TB he was advised to move to a warmer climate as part of his treatment so he left his native Scotland for Samoa. He lived the last few of his life onn the outskirts of Apia and became a loved and respected spokesman for Samoa. His house is now a museum (which was closed on the Saturday morning we were there). He was buried a steep walk up a hill from the museum which I planned to come back to but sadly never made it

Parliament

This is not my first time in Brisbane but it is my first time over a number of days allowing us to explore and immerse ourselves in the northernmost state capitol of Australia. Hot and humid in December it is nonetheless a pleasant little city.

One of the days had us renting a car and driving back down to Movie World on the Gold Coast.

Another day had us on a boat to Moreton Island, snorkelling the Tangalooma wrecks. Three decades ago the then state government scuttled a number of ships off Moreton Island to protect it from tides washing over the island. It is now evolving into a reef for marine life. The snorkelling is marred by milkiness of the water but is interesting nonetheless. Moreton Island is fringed by beautiful beaches great to swim and walk on and quirkily they are also roads for 4 WD vehicles complete with speed signs.

I remember 2019 “BC” (before COVID) well. Those were the halcyon days when only surgeons wore masks, the word COVID did not exist and lockdowns only occured in prisons. As an opera subscriber and a certifiable Wagner fanatic the mid year brochure advertising the Ring cycle for 2020 had me online pronto, securing top seats for the princely sum of $2000! For those who do not follow opera the Ring cycle is sometimes described as the “Game of Thrones” of opera. An epic story of Norse gods, heros, underworld villians and dragons it spans 4 operas and 18 hours of performance time. Typically it is performed over 1 week with an opera every second day.

Scheduled for November 2020 in Brisbane, the world went to hell in an handbasket a few short months later and repeated postponements meant that it is December 2023 before I finally receive the return on my investment. So 3 weeks after our return from the Balkans its off to Brisbane for the opera. My life partner finds a luxurious hotel a 20 minute walk from the art centre. This is my third Ring cycle and easily the best. The singing is sublime and the CGI backdrops are a perfect foil for the larger than life Wagnerian storyline.