People have been telling us for years that
we should go to New Zealand – we finally got fed up of listening to them waxing
lyrical about how wonderful it is, booked some flights and set off to find out
for ourselves. Obviously I’m writing
this having been and come back, and have to confess the place more than
deserves the hype. As you know we’ve had
some unbelievable holidays over the years but New Zealand goes straight into
the top 5. Okay everyone – you were
right!
My literary and descriptive skills fall way
short of being able to conjure up for you just how beautiful this country
is. In my journal I wrote that no
country has the right to be so stunning at every step. To describe New Zealand’s South Island as;
beautiful, stunning, amazing, fantastic, gorgeous, wonderful, pretty, fabulous,
striking, attractive, lovely, picturesque, scenic, delightful, charming,
exquisite, pleasing, superb, magnificent, dramatic, eye-catching, dazzling,
spectacular, astonishing, remarkable, unbelievable, incredible, extraordinary,
excellent, terrific, marvellous, tremendous, brilliant, breathtaking,
appealing, sensational, arresting, astounding & phenomenal would be
fair. I won’t bore you with superlatives
every other sentence and assume you’ll use randomly and liberally from the list
above when reading the travel tale below.
We thought that while we were still living
in South East Asia it made sense to pop over to New Zealand. Little did we realise that no one just pops
over – it really is in the middle of nowhere with the flight from KL to
Christchurch taking 11 hours! On landing
you don’t zip through immigration etc either as the authorities are rightly
concerned about alien species. As we
were waiting for the bags to arrive the eager sniffer dog liked the smell of my
bag but we’d already eaten the apples so no problem there. Then our boots, tent and trek poles had to be
inspected but again these passed muster without much to-do. All the while the staff were very friendly
and efficient and at least they didn’t make you feel like you were doing
anything wrong / illegal. The next step
was to pick up the car where the paperwork took longer than we’d expected but
again everyone was just being thorough.
We were all signed up, keys in hand, bags
in boot and ready to set off. With
travelling all night we didn’t want to drive too far, but wanted to get out of
the built up area around Christchurch, so drove 3 hours south to Timaru. The only negative thing I can say so far is
that it was overcast and actually raining.
However, we’d expected rain for at least 50% of the time we were going
to be there and we weren’t going to let it get in the way of our plans.
Timaru
Unfortunately for Timaru, we didn’t see it
at its best – grey, miserable weather and we were only there over night. By the time we’d checked into Anchor Motel
Backpackers (okay but a little pricey) and sorted ourselves out it was time to
find somewhere to eat. Now Timaru is a
popular seaside town and it was summer so we expected it to be quite busy. Not only was it spookily quiet but nearly
everywhere was shut and it was only 9pm!
The first place we tried had great views over-looking the bay but it was
a little on the expensive side. So we
supped up and wandered into town.
Obviously all the cafes were closed but we started to take it personally
when take-away shops swung round the closed sign on our approach! We eventually found a locals’ pub, The Sail
& Anchor, it might not have been the most salubrious place for our first
meal in New Zealand but a basket of chips washed down with a pint fit the
bill. Following a good night’s sleep we
were up bright and early, like 5am with sunrise and chirruping birds, ready to
start our latest adventure. Hang on –
first stop the supermarket to stock up on supplies for camping. Self catering turned out to be the best way
forward; the supermarkets had great offers on for Christmas and our limited
experience of the country so far, showed us that eating out all the time would
soon exhaust the budget.
Lake Tekapo & Glentanner
We soon left the flat farmlands behind and
spent a couple of hours driving through a hilly landscape – this was more like
it. Unfortunately it was still grey and
drizzling so you don’t need many of the words from the superlatives list! Considering how grim the weather was it was
amazing that we found the place as picturesque as we did. Steve kept reminding me that it was summer
but since I was wearing a fleece and a gortex coat just to have a peak at this
lake I was finding it hard to believe.
Lake Tekapo is a brilliant, bright, glacial pale blue - the colour is
caused by rock flour particles suspended in the water that then reflects
light. Apparently the lake is ringed by
mountains but I can’t verify that fact. We
were in the area at the right time of year to see the lupins in bloom which
added great swathes of colour to the currently dull scene. The plan had been to take in a 3 hour amble
up Mount John to the observatory to take in the views but it was way too
miserable. We had no ambition of getting
soaked on our first outing and we hadn’t reached our final destination for the
day. Luckily you can drive up, so we did
– fancy us using a vehicle instead of shanks pony! We didn’t hang around as it was blowing a
gale and beginning to rain more heavily.
We carried on to Glentanner Campsite on the
edge of Lake Pukaki; another of those fabulous pale blue lakes surrounded by
mountains. In fact we should have been
able to see Mount Cook (or Aoraki in the Maori language) from the campsite but
it was so cloudy we couldn’t even work out in which direction it lay! The campsite was excellent and very quiet so
we had plenty of space to choose from to pitch the tent. Fortunately the rain had abated to a drizzle
so getting the tent up wasn’t the soggy experience I’d been dreading. That evening we braved the cold in the al
fresco Bar-b-que area and thanked our
lucky stars that we’d not pre-booked and forked out for a helicopter ride. In fact the weather was so bad that all the
copters and the little planes used for scenic flights were grounded. There was no way we were parting with that
kind of money unless the weather was perfect!
Despite the weather being a bit grim we’d
had an excellent day and had thoroughly enjoyed the freedom of going where we
wanted when we wanted. All we could hope
for was an improvement in the weather for the next day’s gadding about.
Mount
Cook National Park
The day dawned with grey skies but only a
slight drizzle so there was no way we were going to change our plans. We donned our waterproofs, including
trousers, and set off to explore the park which is home to New Zealand’s
highest peak – yep, that Cook one at 3754m!
By the time we reached the park entrance 25kms up the road the weather
had noticeably improved. There are loads
of walks to do in the park to suit all levels of fitness, ability and
interest. In fact the whole of South
Island is geared towards encouraging people to get out there and see for
themselves just how wondrous the scenery is.
Everywhere we went there were paths, tracks and duck boards to follow
for walks that could last a matter of minutes, several hours or a number of
days. Each of these is clearly marked
out, well maintained and there are information boards everywhere. Happy days.
In Mount Cook National Park we decided on 4
short walks that would give us the greatest variety in terms of flora and
geographical scenery as possible. We
began with the 1 hour Governors’ Bush Walk to experience the stunted growth of
the native alpine trees and shrubs. Many
of the plants were labelled and I tried my best to extend my knowledge but fear
only a couple of new plant names have stuck.
The park prides itself on being home to the world’s biggest buttercup,
confusingly called the Mount Cook Lily, and a plethora of ferns. We eventually worked out that the silver fern
is the one on the All Blacks’ shirts but don’t ask me if we actually saw one or
not!
Next we took in the Kea Point Walk which
was a 2 hour stroll that took us closer to the mountain ranges. At the end of the track there is a lookout
point affording fantastic views of the glaciers hugging the sides of Mount
Sefton. By this point the clouds were
gradually lifting and although we didn’t get to see the ridge clear in its
entirety we got some great views of the peaks.
Sitting on a rock surrounded by summer flowers in a dramatic valley that
had been crafted by glacial activity seemed like a good spot to enjoy a picnic. By the time we were ready to explore the park
further the sun was seriously winning the weather battle with the clouds. Just as we were about to move on we heard
rumblings from the mountains and looked up in time to see a huge chunk on ice
crashing down into the valley below. See? I told you it was a dramatic spot!
On returning to the car park we set off in
the opposite direction to enjoy the park’s most popular track the 3 hour trail
up Hooker Valley to the glacier of the same name. To enable as many people as possible to enjoy
the park but to limit environmental damage to a minimum the Department of
Conservation (DOC) have put a duck board path over the sensitive bog area. Everywhere we went people were encouraged to
stick to the set paths; and in all the time we spent in New Zealand we only
ever saw people respecting nature, following the DOC’s polite requests and regarding
suggestions. Although the weather was
now in our favour the tops were still thick with cloud and we were beginning to
think we’d never set eyes on Mount Cook.
The Hooker Glacier has receded so much in recent years that we couldn’t
get as close to it as anticipated but it was interesting to see mini icebergs
floating down the river sporting a pale blue hue.
We were almost back at the car when we
happened to turn round to take in one last view of the park to discover the tip
of Mount Cook was finally out of the cloud.
In fact from that point onwards the weather was glorious but we knew we
couldn’t rely on it being like that for the duration of our trip. A few more photos were taken then we drove round
to the unsealed Tasman Valley Road to achieve our last potter of the day. This is a very short walk up a hillock to
look down on the Tasman Glacier which turned out to be a disappointing grey as
it was covered in about a meter of scree and other glacial rubble. However, it was great to see a different area
of the park as this valley was much wider than the steeply sided valleys we’d
been walking in and towards earlier.
By the time we returned to the campsite the
skies were blue and we sat at a picnic bench enjoying the views of Mount Cook –
we knew which way to look now! It was
lovely to pack the waterproofs away dry but as soon as the sun started its slow
descent the temperature dropped. We were
still mentally on Malaysian sunset time and kept thinking we had to have all
our activities done and dusted by 7 bells.
It was such a treat to have daylight past 9pm and with us being up by
6am every morning that gave us lots of time to pack in as much as possible. Here endeth our first foray into New Zealand’s
mountainous regions and a fantastic day we’d had too.
Long drive day
A tent doesn’t provide much in the way of
sound proofing so once the birds started chattering and bouncing around outside
our door we got up. It was such a joy to
awake to thin, wispy clouds and the promise of another day of good
weather. Today would see us covering
almost 500kms from Glentanner down to Curio Bay on the very south coast. The internet advised us that this would take
6 ½ hours however, that doesn’t take into account all the times you have to
stop to gawp at the scenery. Not to
mention finding somewhere so the driver (Steve) can get a much needed brew and
pop into one or two interesting sounding places along the way that the
navigator (Emma) has discovered.
First stop was Cromwell or more
specifically Old Cromwell which is set on another of those attractive
lakes. In fact the lake was formed
following the installation of a hydro-electric scheme in the area and the old
village was due to be submerged. Instead
of letting that happen the old buildings were painstakingly rescued and then
rebuilt to form a tourist attraction. It
sounds like it should be tacky but it isn’t and in fact has been very nicely
done although none of the buildings function as they would have done
originally.
Back on the road we took a slight detour
through Clyde which looked like a nice enough little place. We didn’t stop as really we just wanted to
find out if the Clutha River really was emerald green and yes it was. I have to hand it to the New Zealander’s they
say it as it is and don’t try to over egg the pudding as it were. We needed another strategic brew and loo stop
and I’d spotted a place called Alexandra and declared we just had to have a
look. For those of you who don’t know
one of my nieces goes by the very same name so how could I not pop in? Following way too many distractions it was
time to eat up some kilometres and get ourselves down to the Catlins coast.
There was still one more detour before we
would reach Curio Bay and that was down a narrow, twisting road to Nugget
Point. Here the land comes to an abrupt
and dramatic end – the vertical cliffs plummet into the sea and the waves crash
against the rock formations in the ocean.
The short walk up to the lighthouse was somewhat blustery and it
certainly invigorated us after a long drive.
We weren’t just here for the breathtaking views – oh no! My information had promised wildlife
too. On carefully peering over the edge
we looked down upon large colonies of various seabirds. Oh how we wished we’d remembered to pack the
binoculars but we are sure that we saw a roost of spoonbills. One thing’s for certain sure there were New
Zealand fur seals down there basking on the rocks. Another track led us down a not quite so
vertical cliff face to a viewing hide.
From here we had the chance to spot one of the world’s rarest birds –
according to the information boards there are only 18 pairs nesting in the
area. Really it was the wrong time of
day but luck was on our side as a yellow-eyed penguin put in a very timely
appearance.
Time was now pressing so we headed on to
Curio Bay without allowing ourselves any further distractions. Easier said than done I can tell you!
Curio
Bay
This basically consists of a row of houses
and cottages facing out to see with a caravan park on the headland. It took seconds to locate Lazy Dolphin
Backpackers where we were warmly greeted and given a tour of our room and the
shared facilities. To be honest it felt
much more like a holiday chalet and we instantly felt very at home there and
regretted that we’d only be there that night.
Since we were at the seaside fish and chips (or fush and chups as the
locals amusingly say) supper seemed to be in order – in fact it was that or
nothing. There are no restaurants or
cafes in the area but one enterprisingly lady has converted a caravan into a
chippy. There’s something special about
facing out to sea following a long yet spectacular day’s drive tucking into a
bag of chips.
Once sated, we toddled off down the road to
see if we could spot another local inhabitant.
I’m sure you’ll have already guessed that this port of call carries on
with the wildlife theme. In fact this
whole detour was my suggestion as Steve had originally planned a night in
Dunedin and pay for a tour round the Otago Peninsular. I’d spotted this area where the animals come
out for free. We’re certainly not averse
to paying for tours and the like but the cost of the trip was steadily rising
and this gave us the perfect excuse to see more of the coastline.
On reaching Curio Bay’s headland we weren’t
the first to take up position on the viewing platform. Again there were information boards and again
people were following the suggestions and giving the wildlife the space they
need and the respect they deserve. We
went down a little earlier than the suggested time as we wanted to see the
fossilised forest too. You have to look
carefully but in among the rocks are fossilised tree trunks and stumps. Back up on the platform we waited to see if
any more yellow-eyed penguins would show themselves that day. Sure enough one sprang out of the ocean and
began the long hop and waddle over the rocky shore to its nest. We were there when the adults were feeding
the chicks so there was quite a lot of activity. In the end we saw 6 penguins and counted
ourselves very fortunate on finding out there are only 8 pairs in the
area. Figures like that make you realise
just how rare and vulnerable many of the world’s creatures are.
It had been a long, long day but extremely
enjoyable. The next morning we went for
a stroll along the beach and up to the headland in the bracing wind. The locals kept asking us if we were going
for a dip in the ocean – it was freezing.
We had fleeces, coats, hats and gloves on – did we look like we were set
for a swim?! Steve was disappointed as
he’d packed his swimming shorts especially for such an occasion – to swim in
the ocean at the most southerly point we’d possibly ever visit. It didn’t happen and the dolphins didn’t swim
by as promised either. There was no way
the lack of dip or dolphins marred our enjoyment and in fact we were still
regretting the fact that we were set to move on so soon.
Curio Bay to Te Anau
From Curio Bay we followed the Southern
Scenic route again around the coast and then up and inland past the massive
Fiordland National Park. Once again it
wasn’t a case of going from A to B with the first detour leading us to Waipapa
Point lighthouse; a rugged headland with a brisk breeze blowing across it. We’d hoped to spy something interesting on
the rocks or beach below and were thrilled to see a round head bobbing about in
the waves. Before long the rest of the creature
was in full view laboriously hauling its blubberous body ashore. Our first sighting of a sea lion and one that
was happy to share the beach with humans.
Again people had obviously read the information boards and were happy to
give the animal the space advised. This
still allowed us to get close enough for a good peer at him and of course take
that all important photo. A couple of
clowns edged nearer than Mr C Lion was happy with but he soon made his feelings
known and they wisely retreated. Not a
bad start to the day hey?
We pootled along until we found ourselves
on the edge of Invercargill – the biggest town we’d been near since leaving the
airport. There were chores to be done;
well fill up with petrol and fill the boot with more provisions. We didn’t hang around as we were here for the
mountains, lakes, cliffs and all those other natural features not shops. My travel literature had suggested that
picnicking at Mc Krackens Point would be a shrewd move so we decided
to follow their advice. This was indeed
a most scenic spot with tremendous views up and down the impressive
coastline. We were atop a blustery bluff
and the wind was so powerful we had to eat our butties in the car!
Soon afterwards the road left the coast and
turned north where we followed the edge of the Fiordlands. A third of New Zealand is protected with
reserve and national park status with this one being the biggest at 1.2 million
hectares. Now I can’t really envisage
something, that’s just numbers to me, but I can tell you it was proper
big! Much of it is inaccessible but the
small area that is reachable consists of mountains, lakes, tarns, waterfalls, forests,
fiords and heaps of trekking; or tramping as they like to call it in this part
of the world. Even though the highest
peaks were under 2000m they still had pockets of snow clinging on. See – I told you it wasn’t summer!
Te Anau
Although we’d managed to make the 3hr 40min
drive take double that time we still had a couple of hours of daylight to pitch
the tent and enjoy our first foray into shorts and sandals. Yes the summer sun was finally shining and
giving off warm rays. Steve, still
disappointed that he’d not had a holiday swim yet, popped his swimming shorts
on and we wandered down to the lakeshore.
Oh I forgot to tell you; Te Anau is another of New Zealand’s pretty
little towns set on the banks of a fine-looking, peak and crag lined lake. We’d set up camp in Te Anau Lake View Holiday
Park that was busier than other places but there was still plenty of room and
very good facilities. In fact the
fridges were so efficient that they froze my lettuce and cucumber but at least
that evening’s well earned beer cooled down a treat!
Meanwhile back on the lake shore – Steve
gingerly entered the clear, clean shallows and ventured as far as his
ankles. It was very shallow for quite a
long way so he’d have to pick his way over the pebbles for some time before he
could take a plunge. He sensibly
returned to our picnic bench and stuck his feet in a patch of sun to warm up. I did point out the folly of packing his
beach gear back in KL but I was overruled!
Fiordland National Park
In theory, the drive from Te Anau to
Milford Sound takes 3 hours but you already know that it took us much longer
than that! In fact this was a researched
and planned day of distractions but we did have to keep in mind an appointment
with a boat at 3.45pm. We were up with
the tui (a noisy indigenous bird that lends its name to one of New Zealand’s
tastiest beers) and on the road well ahead of the bus, van and car load of
tourists that visit this area on a day trip from Queenstown. Our first stop was Mirror Lakes; a small
sheltered body of water that actually does as it says. The surface of the water was so smooth that
the mountain and plant reflections were almost perfect. The only ripples were caused by the local
scaup ducks dabbling for their breakfast.
A wow moment so early in the morning bode well for the rest of the
day. Next, we stopped at The Divide and
parked up so we could take in the 3 hour return walk to Key Summit. It was chilly when we set off but we soon
warmed up as we sauntered our way up the zig zag path. About two thirds of the way up we left the
tall beech tree forests and entered a world of stunted alpine forests. These are actually the same species but the
winter conditions are so harsh, even at relatively low elevations, that the
plants grow substantially more slowly.
Key Summit only stands at around 1300m but the 360o views of
mountain range after mountain range are outstanding.
At the top there is a 30min self-guided
alpine walk with a slight detour to a lookout point – although the views were
stunning from every angle. The
self-guided walk comprises of grabbing yourself a laminated, double-sided A4
information card and reading each of the 8 sections as you come across the
number post. It was a great way to find
out more about how glaciers had carved out the landscape, and also gave us an
insight into the historical use of the area along with information about the
special plants. It was just enough
information to make it interesting without being technical or too detailed. I thought it was an inspired idea and loved
the fact that you popped the card back into the box for the next person to
enjoy.
Back at the car park we could hear loud
squawking and were determined to find out which feathered friend was
responsible. It turned out to be the
indigenous kaka that I later learned had only recently been reintroduced to the
area. I’ve made a point of naming
specific birds as the country has a huge problem with invasive species killing
off the native wildlife. Many of the birds
were introduced from Europe in the 1860’s and don’t appear to cause to much
upset to the natural balance. However,
the mammals that have been introduced over the years have wreaked havoc; with
the European stoat and Australian possum being enemy number 1 to wildlife and
trees respectively.
Back on the road we continued on to Homer’s
Tunnel which is over a kilometre long and cuts directly through an ice-clad
mountain range. The tunnel is only
single carriage-way and the lights had just changed to red as we
approached. So, knowing that we had
15mins before the green would be illuminated, we parked up and went to play in
the snow. It felt like we’d stumbled
into a black and white photograph as all we could see were rocks, crags, scree,
snow, ice and waterfalls. Shortly after
emerging from the tunnel into Cleddau Valley we stopped at The Chasm for our
picnic. However, and unusually, there
were no picnic benches and it dawned on us that we’d not seen any picnic sites
all day. Anyway, we strolled down the
short track to have a look at this powerful waterfall that has carved some
manmade looking features into the narrow gorge over the years, got back in the
car and carried on.
Last stop – Milford Sound were we bagged a
picnic bench on the water’s edge and hungrily tucked in whilst looking up at
the imposing mountains. Against the odds
we were ahead of schedule so had time to take in the lakeshore walk before
heading down to the jetty. By 3.45pm we
were aboard one of Southern Discoveries vessels and cruising into the sound or
fiord as it technically should be called.
Another geography lesson ensued and I couldn’t help thinking that if
only lessons at school had been so interesting I might not have scored an
unclassified for O level geography! As
interesting and educational as the commentary was we didn’t hang to every word
as we too busy being amazed by the wonderful scenery around us. The mountain sides literally plunged straight
into the water and we saw natural landslides and tree-slides, remarkable rock
formations and impressive waterfalls.
Dotted here and there were fur seals resting in any accessible space;
they may be graceful in the water but are very cumbersome on land. The cliff sides are so sheer that there
weren’t very many places that were suitable for them to haul out of the water. We’d not been going long when I spotted a
small pod of dolphins in our wake but since no-one else saw them I’m not sure
which species they were. The cruise
hugged one side of the fiord on the way out and didn’t turn round until we’d
reach the mouth of the sound and was about to enter the Tasman Sea. The next chunk of land reached would be
Tasmania. We returned along the other
side of the water where there was a clump of rocks for a sizeable colony of fur
seals to have congregated. Even then
some of them didn’t look particularly comfortable!
The waterfalls on this side of the fiord
were more impressive and in fact we got close enough to one to get wet. Usually I would have been indoors keeping dry
but I had my coat on so enjoyed the spray.
We were almost back to dock when a largish pod of dusky dolphins started
putting on a display for us. They were
leaping and spinning about, playing in our wake and generally have great
fun. Apparently they are pretty rare and
the crew reckon they only see them in the area a couple of times a year. What a brilliant end to what had been another
incredible day.
Obviously the day wasn’t quite over as we
had to drive all the way back to Te Anau but it was such a spectacular drive
that we certainly weren’t complaining.
On approaching Te Anau we encountered a few showers so had a slightly
soggy evening in the campsite. We could
only hope the weather wouldn’t deteriorate over night as we were starting the
3-day Kepler Track the following morning.
The Kepler Track
Day 1
We woke up to clouds and the temperature
had dropped noticeably again but at least it was dry. Mind you we weren’t taking any chances so put
our waterproofs on – we’d read that you had to expect at least 1 day of rain
when doing any of the longer treks. With
everything we needed for the trek sorted out, the tent packed away and the car
stored in the campsites’ car park it was time to get to the visitors centre and
register for the trek. As with
everything we’d pre-booked our details were quickly found on the computer and
we were good to go. Hang on – the
service is so good that before we went any further the lady gave us extra
information that we might need and a handy map.
That meant that we knew where to find the start of the trail which is
often the first stumbling block in Asia(!) and were told that the long term
forecast was good. Last but by no means
least we were given a plastic rubbish sack each and were told – you pack it in,
you pack it out. Now obviously we would
have done this anyway but I love the way they not only request this of you but
provide the means to do so too.
Anyway, let’s get trekking. It took us about 45mins to reach the control
gate and the start of the trek proper.
We’d both read this and expected a check point but it turned out to be
the sluice gate for the dam! It then
took just over an hour walking through beech forest along the lakeshore to
reach Brod Bay camp. Along with asking
you to not litter you’re requested not to toilet wherever the fancy takes you. To encourage compliance with this facilities
are provided at regular intervals and significant places; with all of them
better than most Malaysian restaurants.
Despite having kept the amount we were carrying down to a minimum the
packs were heavy. We’re not used to
having to carry our own gear which included; clothes for wet and cold
conditions, sleeping bags, all our food for 3 days, pots, pans and other
cooking utensils. We predicted we’d be
slow to reach the first hut.
Our leaflet said we would find a limestone
bluff about 2hrs into the walk and suggested this would be a good place to take
a break and have lunch. From there it
was to be another hour to the top of the tree line and only 45mins across the
ridge to the hut. So we plodded on up
through the beech forest knowing that once we were out of the trees we’d
ascended about 1000m. Steve gave a call
when 2 hours were up but we carried on for a few minutes more as we could see
the edge of the forest. Hmm – so that big
rock thing that we passed way back was the lunch stop bluff then? More like elevenses! Anyway it was a joy to realise that despite
not being particularly fit and carrying the heavy bags we were making great progress. The sun was shining, the skies were blue so
we found a rock and perched on it looking down into the valley we’d left only a
couple of hours ago.
We weren’t the only ones to find ourselves
up there sooner than expected so we got to meet some of our fellow hutters
before ever clapping eyes on the establishment.
The sign said we only had another 45mins to go so we hung around
enjoying the sunshine and vistas. The
walk along the ridge was wonderful as there were fabulous views both sides of
us. On one side we could see back down
to Lake Te Anau and on the other we were peering at the Murchison
Mountains. Just to round it all off we
had the Kepler Mountains ahead of us that slope off into Lake Manapouri.
Luxemore Hut turned out to be fabulous and
for us it really was luxury trekking – the facilities were better than many
backpackers places we’ve been in. There
were flush toilets with loo roll provided – we’ve been on treks where there
hasn’t even been a loo! It wasn’t the
cheapest accommodation of the trip at NZ$50 a night per person but we were in
by far and away the best trekking hut we’d ever seen. In total the trek worked out at about RM600
so very good value compared to other activities in New Zealand and what
activities can cost in Asia.
It was warm enough to sit out on the decking
and enjoy the peace and quiet whilst sucking in clean, fresh air. It was interesting finding out how long other
people were taking to do the trek and since you have to pre-book the
accommodation it’s very difficult to change your plans en route. The trek is billed as a 4-dayer but on
looking at it in more detail we knew we’d be able to do it in 3. A few people were more pushed for time so
were haring around in 2 days. This is
very doable if you’re prepared to walk 30kms a day, not have time to take in
the views and hope the weather goes in your favour.
Day 2
Although we were sleeping at the highest
elevation of the trip at 1047m we were the warmest through the night than we’d
been all holiday! It resulted in a
pretty good night’s sleep but our full bladders and loud snoring had us up
early. The good news was we caught a
beautiful sunrise looking down on the clouds enveloping the lake below. There were still stars twinkling and it
looked like the day would bright and sunny – it certainly was, with the good
weather lasting all day.
We were in no rush as we knew we had more
than enough to time to reach the next hut before nightfall. In fact starting breakfast was waylaid by the
appearance of a kea. In our hut talk the
previous evening we’d been told that these cheeky alpine parrots love to
investigate what humans bring into their territory. This curiosity then leads on to theft and
many a sock or boot has gone walkabout in the night! They really are the macaque of the bird world
– or the mountain clown as they’re affectionately referred to here. This fella was just as inquisitive and
potentially destructive as we’d been led to believe. They’re quite big with strong claws and a
very powerful beak – this one thought nothing of trying to tuck into the picnic
bench! He was very curious and came
within feet of us for a closer look but we never felt he would attack. In the end I went into the kitchen to start
breakfast leaving Steve taking photos.
The kea spotted me busying about so came over to the window ledge to see
what I was up to. At one point we were
face to face only inches apart and with merely a layer of glass separating
us. It’s not every day you have a
one-to-one with a wild creature! He soon
got tired of his antics and flew off to find a new game to play.
Following a leisurely breakfast we packed
up and started day 2 of the trek. We
dispensed with the waterproofs feeling confident that we’d made the right
choice. As I have said the weather was
glorious all day and it was great to know we had plenty of time to take as many
photos as we felt like. The trek timings
proved to be more accurate today so we think that they assume everyone will be
slow going up but find the potter along the ridge easy going. This first section of the track gradually
climbed up to Luxemore Mountain and in fact we’d virtually circumnavigated the
peak before finding the side track that would lead us to the top. It’s only a half hour detour and who are we
to refuse a mountain summit. Granted
it’s not the highest we’ve conquered at a mere 1478m but the 360o
views of mountains, valleys and lakes were exceptional. Blue skies, patches of
pristine snow and the summer plants in full bloom added to the colourful scene.
The next section of the track undulated
along the ridge to Forest Burn Shelter (1270m) and from there we crossed what
they call The Saddle. Basically the path
goes along the top edge of an arête with amazing views looking down the steeply
sided valleys on both sides. This
section of the path climbed and descended more than we’d anticipated but
nothing too strenuous. By the time we
reached the Hanging Valley emergency shelter we were back up to 1390m. Both of these shelters had toilet facilities
and we just couldn’t decide which won the loo with a view prize! In fact the views were so splendid that we
decided to take a break – it didn’t last long as the sand flies were most
maddening. They proved to be the first
thing we’d found to moan about in New Zealand!
From here we could see the route continued
following the ridge until it struck off down to the tree line and into the
valley 1000m below. Before leaving the
crest of the mountain side we took advantage of a 5min detour to another
lookout point. Finally it was time to
say goodbye to the mountain peaks and re-enter the world of moss and lichen-
clad beech trees. The path descended
steeply down through the forest in a zig zag fashion making it a reasonably
gentle on the legs. We’d been going a
while when we happened upon a stream so thought we must be nearing the bottom;
however, the view from the bridge told us otherwise. Even though we’d lost those sublime views the
walk through the forest was most enjoyable and we had the compensation of bird
song all around us. We realised it had
been almost eerily still and quiet on the tops so it was good to see some
feathered friends flitting about. In fact
a couple of them perched long enough for us to get a fighting chance of
identifying them and even the odd photo.
It wasn’t long before we reached Iris Burn
Hut and it turned out we were the first to arrive so had the pick of the
bunks. This hut is smaller than Luxemore
and hasn’t been extended and modernized as yet but it was still excellent. The warden proved to be very informative and
she told us about the kiwis that live in the area. Being very, very shy and nocturnal not many
people have actually seen this strange bird.
However, she let us listen to a recording of their calls should we hear one
through the night and want to know if it was worth getting up to investigate or
not. Unfortunately there were none
around when we were there. Throughout
the day we’d only passed a couple of people and had relished enjoying the
summit and rest stops in peace. We made
and brew and sat out on the porch to enjoy the peace and quiet before other
trekkers appeared. We quickly retreated
indoors on being ravaged by a swarm of those pesky sand flies. We soon worked out that indoors or staying on
the move is the only way to get rid of them.
So first we went for a wander across the clearing to look at the river
where yet again people seemed to think that no one could possibly resist a dip. Yes it’s crisp, clear water did look inviting
but dipping one’s finger in soon revealed just how foolish a move getting any
wetter would be! We then sauntered along
a river track going upstream towards a waterfall. This was an easy 20min plod ending near some
pretty little falls but as soon as we stopped to take a photo the buzzing
buggers moved in for a munch!
We were first to crawl into our sleeping
bags that night as we were going to be first up the following morning. We knew we had a long walk ahead so and needed
to be on our way by 6am.
Day 3
For some reason we both slept poorly even
though the hut was just as comfy as the previous one. Never mind we were up at 5am and on the track
again by 6 bells just as we’d promised ourselves. The sun was rising and casting wonderful
colours on the snow capped peaks but we only got a glance as the track plunged
straight into the forest. We knew we had plenty of daylight hours for this
longest section of the trek but hoped to get back to town in plenty of time to
check out the local hostelry. We had
35kms, therefore, just over half the 60km trek to complete that day so for once
I was allowed to go in front. In fact
Steve requested that I set the pace; so I did – 5kms/hr! That might not sound too swift but believe me
it’s fast enough while lugging all your goods and chattels around.
The path meandered its way through the
forest roughly following the course of the river until it reached Moturau Hut
on the shore of Lake Manapouri. We
reached there in good time so only took a short break then pressed on. The path then hugged the edge of the lake to
Rainbow Reach which is a place where you can leave the track and catch the
shuttle bus back to Te Anau. However,
we’d made such good progress that we knew we could walk back to town before the
bus ever put in an appearance. From the
reach we followed the river back down to the control gate. By this point we were feeling quite weary and
the last couple of kilometres back to the campsite seemed exhausting.
Still, we did it and in fact got back to
the campsite 2 hours ahead of our already ambitious schedule. That gave us plenty of time to sort ourselves
out and grab a well earned beer from the fridge. We’d upgraded ourselves and had a little
cabin for the night so got to sleep in a proper bed for the first time in a
number of nights. As soon as we were
rested and refreshed we creaked our way along Lake Te Anau’s shoreline to the
Moose Pub. The food might have been a
little on the pricey side but it was worth every cent. A pleasant end to one of the best treks we’ve
ever done. Now we know we were extremely
lucky with the weather making the views dazzling but more than anything we
loved the fact that we didn’t need a guide.
Another drive and sight-seeing day
We were once again up with the tuis despite
having supped a couple of his liquid cousins the night before and ready to move
on. It was Christmas Eve so the first
stop was to fill the tank, stock up on tasty treats and raid the offy! With that duly done we headed off towards
Queenstown – the adrenalin capital of the world. We had thought about spending Christmas here
as we knew there’d be loads happening but then remembered that we’re much
better at being anti-social! To be fair
it’s a nice town, set on a lake with mountains in the background. You’ve got it – the norm for this part of the
world! To be honest it was a bit too
touristy for our liking and way too busy with people wearing santa hats and all
that nonsense. We hung around long
enough to relieve the outdoor shops of any merino wool trekking products they
had in the sale and carried on.
The next port of call was Arrowtown - a
very twee, picturesque little place. I
have to say that to us it all felt a bit too contrived and that we’d entered
into a stage set. Very pleasant though
and we were glad we’d popped in to have a look.
We carried along the Crown Range scenic route and it was as truly
splendid as all the other roads we’d been on.
It wasn’t long before we reached Wanaka and our base for Christmas.
Wanaka
Wanaka is set on the shores of Lake Wanaka
and ......................... – you know the rest of the sentence! Steve had done us proud and found an
affordable treat for Christmas. We
checked into Wanaka Bakpaka’s best room – a private, en-suite double with
balcony and garden area over-looking the lake with a mountainous backdrop. Wanaka is a lovely little place with just
enough on offer without too much and everywhere is within easy walking
distance. Obviously most of the shops
had shut up early (24th Dec) and wouldn’t be open for the next
couple of days. Although we were self
sufficient in terms of food and booze we just had to go and check out the pub (
The Wanaka Ale House) we’d seen as we drove through town. It was as welcoming as we’d hoped and it was
great to sit and watch the world go by, set in amongst fabulous scenery.
In the end we wished we’d eaten out that
night too as the food being served up looked superb. On returning to the backpackers we were dismayed
to find a frantically busy kitchen. Most
of the people staying there were European so were preparing their festive fayre
that evening. We eventually found a
shelf in the oven for our pizza but became impatient and didn’t cook it
properly. Not the best way to end
another great day but at least we knew the kitchen would be quieter the
following day when we would want more space.
The following morning we were virtually
first up so had no problem preparing our bacon butties and eating them in peace
on OUR balcony under bright blue skies!
Smashing and a great start to Christmas Day.
Rob Roy
Glacier
We drove to Mount Aspiring National Park
along a road that was unsealed for most of the way. It only took an hour even though we were
being very careful in our little Getz.
The bigger cars negotiated the cattle grids and fords easily but we had
to gently crawl over these obstacles. Even
on this short journey we made a stop! We
happened upon a lovely little pond and the weather was perfectly still so we
got some great pictures of the mountains reflected on the water’s surface. At the end of the road is a little car park
and the start of the 3hr return track to Rob Roy Glacier. We were surprised how many cars were already
there. Actually not that surprised to
find that lots of other people had thought this was a good activity for
Christmas Day too. We were all proved to
have made a top choice as the walk was fantastic all the way with the added
bonus of a glacier at the end. We
weren’t anywhere near close enough to be able to touch the said lump of ice but
we’d expected it to be much higher up the mountain and the mountain side itself
more distant. We’d had such a great day
that I ended up getting all poetic –here’s what I came up with to describe the
day:
- Rolling
flower studded meadows
- Perfect
reflections with frog chorus acoustics
- Glistening
glacial roaring river
- Fern and
moss carpeted wooded glades
- Precarious
precipices with the risk of rock-fall
- Cascading
waterfalls evaporating in mid-flow
- Gleaming
ice blue glaciers
- Jagged
jutting granite peaks
- With the
lower ridges swathed in autumnal oranges and browns dotted with sheep,
cows and deer
Aren’t you glad I don’t usually gush on in
this fashion?! One last phrase to round
off – wonderful Wanaka with its luscious lakeside setting. My prose isn’t good enough to explain to you
just how smitten we were with the area and the list above is factual not
flowery. I told you we’d enjoyed our day
and we were both very taken with Wanaka.
To the point where we had a little peep in the estate agents but it was
all way beyond our means.
We spent the afternoon tucking into our Christmas
snacks whilst sipping a bottle of fizz.
We then decided it would be prudent to walk off some of that lot before
preparing the evening meal. We took the
lakeside path, going away from town, and passed many a group tucking into a
posh picnics accompanied by an ice-box full of beer and wine. If you’re going to have Christmas al fresco
you’d be hard pushed to find a better spot.
On returning to our digs it was our turn to rustle up some tasty scran
and enjoy the New Zealand beer and wine that we’d treated ourselves to. As night fell the stars came out and there
were literally millions of them twinkling away.
What can I say? Another outstanding
day.
Unfortunately we’d only booked the room for
2 nights so the next morning saw us reluctantly packing up and moving on. Mind you we soon cheered up on remembering
that this wasn’t the end of the holiday and we still had a couple of activities
lined up. Today was a relatively short
driving day but of course we got distracted along the way. There was no way we were going to get from A
to B in only 4 hours! As we neared Mount
Cook National Park once again (but this time we were the other side of the
mountains) we stopped to look at Lake Matheson.
As with all places of interest in New
Zealand there were lots of information boards and a track for you to
follow. This was only a short 1hr potter
to see Mount Cook reflected in the surface of this lake – or so the postcards
reckoned. Mount Cook was proving to be
illusive again and there were wisps of clouds hovering over the highest
peaks. Luckily there was enough of a
breeze to clear the tops but that same breeze was rippling the surface of the
lake so we never got that perfect picture postcard reflection image. Still it was a lovely spot and well worth an
extra hour on our journey.
Franz
Joseph
A mere 25kms later and we were pulling into
the Top 10 Campsite just the other side of Franz Joseph. We bagged a picnic bench by pitching the tent
right next to it(!) and were delighted to find we had mountain views too. The weather was still superb with barely a
cloud in the sky so we wandered into town to enquire about helicopter
rides. Within 5mins of being in town
we’d booked and paid for a 7pm, 30min flight that included a snow landing. So the walk to a glacier we had pencilled in
had to be knocked on the head. Not that
we cared as we were going to get much closer this way at the same time as
fulfilling one of our lifelong ambitions.
The helicopters turned out to be not much
more than an over-grown toy and can only fit 4 people plus the pilot at a
squeeze. We hadn’t expected to be right
in the front – I was sandwiched between Steve and the pilot with the control
panel directly in front of me. I managed
to resist the overwhelming urge to fiddle with dials and flick switches! The helicopter design was excellent as it was
basically a bubble with a tail, skies and rotor blades giving us fantastic
views including being able to look out between your feet. Steve was a little apprehensive with the
sudden, direct and tipping take-off but I was in my element. As we climbed and the views became
increasingly more dramatic I could feel Steve relax into the experience and
begin to enjoy it.
Following take off we glanced over the tree
tops towards the town of Fox Glacier where we got a bonus landing and take-off
as we had to pick up another couple.
Once we were all buckled in with head-sets on it was time for the real
fun to begin and get into those marvellous mountains. The pilot was incredibly knowledgeable of the
area and told us all about what we were looking at and some of its recent history. It was interesting to learn how the glaciers
and grown and retreated and being up there gave us a good sense of scale and
just how dramatically active Mother Nature can be. My favourite story was hearing that Mount
Cook used to be 30m higher but one day a huge chunk fell off the top. Fortunately no one was hurt but some climbers
staying in a hut high up on a nearby ridge witnessed the whole thing. Incredible.
The first part of the flight saw us weaving
our way up the valley containing Fox Glacier where we got so close that you
could clearly see the cracks and crevasses.
We feel we managed to get some decent photos even though we were
shooting through glass. The colours were
all in sharp contrast to each other with dark grey crags, pristine white snow
and deep blue skies – just the weather we’d been hoping to get to make forking
out NZ$550 worthwhile. Our little copter
then scooted around the uppermost razor sharp edges to give us sensational
views of Mount Cook and his friend Mount Tasman. Our pilot was excellent at holding the
vehicle in a hover so we could admire and take photos to our hearts
content. Next he banked round and found
a suitable patch of snow to land on.
We’d been told that we could have about
5-10mins on the snow but in actual fact we were out there for more like
20mins. Unbeknownst to us we’d booked
the last flight of the day and our pilot was feeling talkative and was more
than happy to share in our bewilderment and exhilaration of the experience. We were probably standing at about 3000m, now
obviously we’ve been much higher, but the thrill of zipping up there barely
missing the needle sharp peaks takes some beating. It usually takes us days to reach these
heights but on this occasion we’d been whisked up there in a matter of minutes. We’d chosen, quite by accident, a perfect
time to go up as the sun was beginning its slow descent towards the Tasman Sea
casting shadows and giving the snow a warm glow. After about 20mins we were all starting to
feel a tad chilly, well we were only in t-shirts, so climbed aboard ready for
the descent.
This time we were in the back of the
helicopter but that didn’t mean the views were diminished. It was now time to get up close and personal
with the even more impressive Franz Joseph Glacier. We swooped down over the ridge and hovered
around particularly photogenic spots with the pilot doing pirouettes so we
could all try and get that perfect shot.
I couldn’t stop grinning and wanted to stay up there for hours but it
was time to get back down to the valley floor.
Our little machine buzzed back down the remainder of the glacier,
skimmed over the forests, followed the river and gently plonked itself down on
the landing pad. It may have been an
incredibly expensive way to spend half an hour of your life but we felt it was
worth every dollar. In actual fact the
trip lasted a total of 50mins so we thought we got very good value for money
and the experience lived up to all the advertising hype and then some. How can you put a price on such an elating,
dazzling, spectacular experience? The
ultimate holiday highlight.
Fox Glacier
I woke up still marvelling over the
helicopter ride but slightly worried that other activities simply would fail in
comparison. We told ourselves that it
had been such a unique experience that it wouldn’t be fair to even try to
compare other things with it. So we
hopped in the car and drove back down to Fox Glacier (town) for our full day
guided walk on Fox Glacier (icy thing).
We were given our ‘boarding passes’ and were asked to move through to
the boot room for gear and a team talk.
Obviously our boots etc were up to scratch but we enjoyed watching
others trying to find something comfy.
One girl had clearly never worn boots in her life and there was me
worried that I’d make a fool of myself when it came to the crampon wearing
section. So, feeling very relaxed we
allowed ourselves to be herded onto the shuttle bus and were ready to go with
the flow.
A mere 10mins later, we were split into 2
groups of 12 and were finally ready to get walking. You are only allowed to walk on the glacier
as part of a guided tour and we’d booked ourselves onto the full day walk to
ensure we got as much out of the day as possible. The walk started in the vegetation running
along the edge of the valley where we steadily climbed up and over a
bluff. As with all the paths we’d been
on this was very well maintained and for us the safety talks seemed a little
over the top. If they really think that
is potentially dangerous then they want to try a tamer mountain setting in Asia
where absolutely no safety precautions are taken! As we dropped down off the bluff we reached
the rocky edge of the glacier and into crampon wearing territory. These were mini affairs that fit snugly in
the middle of the soul of your boot and were very user friendly.
This was it – we were finally on the
glacier where we steadily walked up it.
Throughout the walk we were provided with lots of information about glaciation
and facts that were specific to the glacier of the area and of course the one
we were standing on. Along the way
specific features were pointed out and they allowed plenty of time for everyone
to take those all important photos. We
climbed much further up the glacier than we could ever have hoped for and it was
wonderful sitting on a rock looking back down tucking into our picnic. By this point we were about half way up the
lower section and were delighted to hear we were going to be going higher. In fact we reached the foot of the ice falls
section that marks the beginning of the middle section of the glacier. Above that, and out of sight, is the third
and final section where the mass of snow accumulates and is gradually
compressed to form the glacier. We were
amazed to hear that the glacier moves at a rate of 3m per day and that several
meters below where we were standing the ice is viscous and very mobile. The crevasses and ice walls are obviously
substantially bigger in this section and in fact some people were using them to
learn how to use ice climbing equipment.
We obviously weren’t allowed to go any
higher and in fact it was time to retrace our steps. There hadn’t been enough walking for our
liking but we’d thoroughly enjoyed our day and feel very lucky to have had yet
another fantastic experience. We spent
that evening supping a couple of pints gazing at the mountains as the following
morning we were on the move again and coastward bound.
Drive Day 500kms coast to coast
By the time we were ready to set off for
the final leg of our journey the weather had turned – we woke to grey skies and
a hint of drizzle in the air. To be
honest we’d expected grey skies and rain every other day so the weather
breaking at this late stage couldn’t dampen our spirits. We knew we had a long drive ahead of us but
of course had researched some suitable stopping off points along the way. The first stop was my request as I’d heard
that Hokitika had lots of good jewellery shops.
Steve was relieved to discover that the items on offer weren’t to my
taste, not just what I was after or way too expensive! We also popped in to have a little gander at
Reefton which turned out to be a nice little place that has avoided the
twee-ness of Arrowtown.
Our route took us over the inconsequential
Lewis Pass but as we dropped down the other side we spotted a cracking place to
take a break. One of New Zealand’s
numerous treks starts from here but there are also shorter walks in the
area. Obviously we weren’t in the market
for those but we did enjoy the 20min potter along a walkway surrounded by
alpine vegetation. There was also a
pretty little lake near the car park so once again we enjoyed our butties in
the great outdoors. By the time we
dropped down towards Kaikoura the sun was peeping through.
Kaikoura
Unfortunately this turned out to be our
least favourite place – to be fair it wasn’t the town’s fault that the campsite
wasn’t the best or that the weather made a turn for the worse. Alpine Pacific Campsite turned out to be the
first place to allocate us a spot for our tent.
We soon understood why on finding out just how many tents, caravans and
motorhomes they were trying to squeeze in.
The motorised vehicles looked like they were stationed in a car park not
there for family fun and excursions. It
was way too family orientated for us but I suppose that goes with the territory
when in a seaside town during peak holiday season. So why were we there? Animals of course!
We’d pre-booked ourselves onto a whale
watching tour and it was just as well we had as they were turning people away. As with the glacier tour it wasn’t simply a
case of turning up and getting on a boat – oh no! First we had to ‘check in’ well before the
tour would start – oh look, they happen to have a souvenir shop and cafe! Obviously we weren’t fooled into buying expensive
knick-knacks and wandered outside to taking in the bracing sea air. We were very glad we did as a pod of dusky
dolphins appeared on the horizon and swam and leapt across the bay in front of
us. We were mustered back inside where
we had to watch a video which to be fair was informative and included some
lovely footage of whales and other marines creatures. Then we had to board a shuttle bus to get to
the boat and finally we were on board and ready to go. Hang on a minute – we have to go through all
the elaborate safety procedures and boat rules.
Right – now can we go?! To be
honest for once we weren’t sure the trip had been worth the substantial sum of
dollars we’d parted with and it definitely wasn’t our best whale watching
experience. Marissa in Sri Lanka wins
that prize in case you’re wondering.
On the positive side the crew were
excellent and the running commentary was very informative with the staff
obviously understanding these magnificent animals keenly. Not only were they good at spotting the whale’s
water spurts from a distance they could read their behaviour incredibly
well. To the extent that they told you,
with minutes to spare, when the whale was ready to take a deep dive and give
you a fighting chance of watching the fluke disappearing below the waves. We were very lucky and got to watch 4 sperm
whales on the surface taking in more air and then plunging into their deep
feeding dive. I also saw 2 more flukes
disappearing but they were in the distance and I happened to hit lucky that I
was gazing in the right direction. It’s
great to know that the resident population is healthy there and that tours like
this will help to preserve them. As we
were bobbing along a number of birds joined us some of them were huge petrels
and others even bigger albatrosses. I’d
hoped to see that latter as they really are magnificent – best of all we saw
two different species. As we neared the
shoreline the boat took a detour to a rocky outcrop so we could admire a colony
of fur seals and spot smaller sea birds feeding too.
Our food stores were depleted and with only
one day to go it gave us the perfect opportunity to treat ourselves to a posh
lunch. We’d read about the Pier Hotel
and it sounded right up our street – however, we didn’t realise it was at the
opposite end of Kaikoura’s very long bay!
So a good hour’s walk later and we finally found the place – just in
time as they were only serving lunch for another 15mins. Unfortunately it was now raining so we had to
sit inside – there were big water front windows so we watched the rain bouncing
down. It would have been way too
tempting to have allowed ourselves to be ‘trapped in the pub’ but we still had
one more activity on our itinerary.
The Peninsular Walkway does just what it
says and on hindsight we thought walking along cliff tops ought to be a
blustery experience. Even though it was
damp and breezy we thoroughly enjoyed the walk.
Not far from the pub we spotted a seal lounging around on the manmade
sea wall. We’d seen pictures of them
flaked out in a car park but hadn’t believed until then that they really would
choose to rest so close to people. To be
fair the seals would have been hauling themselves out of the ocean along those
shores long before we humans put in an appearance. It was nice to see one up close but I
preferred another section of the path where you could look down on a colony
that had their own space. There were
numerous sea birds whirling around but without the binoculars we couldn’t begin
to name any of them – some gulls!
Another enjoyable day.
Christchurch
We awoke to the constant pitter-patter of
raindrops on the canvas – oh bother, our last morning and I was going to have
to pack a soggy tent. We knew getting
back to the airport would only take a couple of hours but our flight wasn’t
until late, late that night. Still we
knew we’d be able to find plenty of distractions along the way to fill in the
time – the only drawback with that plan was the weather. It didn’t stop raining and it seemed
senseless to get soaking wet before catching an 11-hour flight back to KL. In the end we decided to head straight to
Christchurch and see if we could find some indoor activities. We had a map of the area that was still
cordoned off since the earthquake but it looked like at least one museum / art
gallery would be accessible.
As we neared Christchurch the rain eased
and by the time we found a free parking spot near the Botanical Gardens it had
ceased. So we used this dry spell as a
chance to wander around their lovely gardens.
There were very few people around but we think that was mainly due to it
being peak holiday season and many people would have left the city. Much of the central earthquake zone is still
deemed too dangerous for people to wander round but it didn’t appear to be as devastated
as we’d been led to believe from news reports.
Many of the buildings are still structurally unstable and with there
having been a couple of severe aftershocks just that week the authorities
didn’t want people wandering around.
There was one interesting section we could walk round where businesses
have used shipping containers and converted them into shops and cafes. It looks really funky and I hope the cafes
and restaurants retain that once the area has been rebuilt.
We tried looking in some shops to fill more
time but soon bored of that so returned the car and headed to the airport. It was only 7pm and the gates weren’t even
set to open until 10 bells! Still we
found ourselves a quiet corner, spent the last of our dollars on a final round
of New Zealand larger (Steve) and wine (me).
It gave us plenty of time to work out how our budgeting had gone and we
were delighted to find out that we hadn’t exhausted the money set aside. No, we didn’t head to the cash point and
order another round! There’s always the
next trip to finance!! Instead we tried
to think of a way to sum up what a fantastic holiday we had and set ourselves
the challenge of choosing the best of in 10 categories. If you’ve been paying attention I’m sure you
could fill in the answers yourself but here goes.
1) Best Accommodation – Wanaka Bakpaka
2) Best Meal – The Moose Bar in Te Anau
3) Favourite Place – Wanaka
4) Favourite Activity – Helicopter ride
5) Best Drive – Curio Bay to Te Anau
6) Best Walk – we were forced to sub split this into Short Walk – Rob
Roy Glacier & Long Walk – The Kepler Track
7) Best Wildlife Experience – the Kea at Luxemore Hut
8) Best Pub – Wanaka Ale House
9) Best View – Key Summit
10) Most Outstanding Day – Milford Sound day with the drive, walk to Key
Summit, lakes, waterfalls, boat ride and animals.
Travel Info and Websites
Anchor Motel Timaru - http://www.anchormotel.co.nz/
Glentanner camp site near Mt. Cook national
park – an excellent choice when visiting the park. http://www.glentanner.co.nz/
Lazy Dolphin Backpackers – fantastic place
to stay in Curio Bay, great views and friendly owner but we didn’t spot any
dolphins, lazy or energetic! http://www.lazydolphinlodge.co.nz/
Te Anau Lake View Holiday Park – nice campsite
by the lake. http://www.teanauholidaypark.co.nz/
Milford Sound Boat Cruises - http://www.southerndiscoveries.co.nz/
Wanaka Bakpaka – Book yourself into the
lake view double and you will have the best room (for the money) in Wanaka! http://www.wanakabakpaka.co.nz/
Top 10 Campsite Franz Joseph - http://www.top10.co.nz/parks/franz-josef/
Fox Glacier Walk – cough up for the full
day walk if you can. http://www.foxguides.co.nz/
Whale Watching - http://www.kaikourawhalewatching.com/
NZ Department of Conservation – the place
to head to for all info on national parks and walks – including bookings for
Kepler Track. http://www.doc.govt.nz/
Car rental – we found the best deal with Go
rentals and they were fine - http://www.gorentals.co.nz/
