1st March 08: - This morning is miserable so we are so happy when we get into the spas @ Hamner Springs, it is like getting into a lovely bath with fantastic views in front of you. Only down side is the strong smell of sulphar, but you kind of get use to it. After a couple of hours we start to get wrinkly & decide to leave the comfort of the spas.
This evening we travel towards Hokitika & stay @ a DOC site called Goldsborough, well known for finding gold. However once there, we have to put up our tent in the rain & head to the shelter where we stay talking to another couple traveling.
2nd March 08: - Wake up to more rain, but luckily it is not in the tent this time! We leave Goldsborough behind us & head south towards Franz Josef, where we book our Glacier climb for 4.3.08. On our way there however we come across a gold panning village called Ross. Yes we do buy a gold pan & go looking for gold, there is gold in there them hills but only a very small amount was found by us.
Our campsite for tonight is @ Gillespies beach (Free DOC Site). A stunning place with such amazing views, whilst standing on the beach you had views of Fox Glacier in land & a sky which looked like it was on fire @ sunset.
3rd March 08: - Late start this morning, we do not get out of the campsite until 10.00am. From here we take an hour’s walk around Lake Matterson. Reflections in the lake are just as good as a mirror & show the stunning mountains sitting in front of us.
We spend the night sitting on the beach by a cozy fire, looking @ the stars, drinking & chatting with Pete & Maureen our friends from the other night.
4th March 08: - Franz Josef has been cancelled, so we will have to make an extra effort to come back this way, later on in our trip. Had a really awful nights sleep as possums were having a ball with all the food that had been left outside someone’s tent last night.
On the way to Haast we stop @ Knights point to have lunch, along with all the tour buses. Sometimes you can see whales from here, but not today.
Treated ourselves to a hostel tonight, it is called the Wilderness in Haast & it is fab, nice & clean & has everything.
5th March 08: - Today we got up & really did not know where we were going, we just took kept on driving along the road heading south. Wanaka was the first town we stopped in, just basically to stock up on some supplies & sit by the lake to have lunch. Then we went on the hunt for flight of the ford, a scene out of LOTR & I think we may have found it! Next stop was Cromwell where we stocked up on some fruit (not as good as last time) & treated ourselves to a frozen yogurt, which was great. Today we also stopped in Arrowtown as it was suppose to be a good place to go panning; however we could not find a place! Passed through a very busy Queenstown to end up @ a DOC site called Twelve Mile Delta, which again is excellent. We can not fault these DOC sites. Temp tonight was 17 degrees & we found ourselves freezing, either the thermometer is incorrect or we are becoming extremely sensitive.
6th March 08: - We move further on along the Glenorchy road to a place called Paradise. Beuatifull views all the way, took quite a few pics as well, as this was the base for the Issenguard scene in LOTR. Also just so happens that we were limited to where we could go today in the Paradise area as they are filming a sequel to X-men. Now if you just so happen to see a pink Toyota Vitz in this movie, it was us eating our cheese & pickle sandwiches. We then moved onto a very peaceful DOC site called Kinloch, situated on the side of Lake Wakatipu.
7th March 08: - By 10am we were back on the road & stopped @ Queenstown to stock up on supplies. We really splashed out today & purchased some huge Green Lipped Mussels. After stocking up we move onto Te Anu, the nearest town to Milford Sounds. We book our trip for a Milford Nature cruise for 9th March & a trip to the glow worm caves for tom morning.
We set up camp @ a DOC site called Henry’s Creek & we have just snuggled into our tent after what was I must say were the best mussels we have ever had, they were massive. The only down side was, eating them in the rain, but the mopping up of the garlic & white wine sauce with a crusty baguette made it all worth while.
8th March 08: - Today we wake early for our trip to Te Anu glow worm caves. For us the caves were a joy to see & it was well organized. However I would suggest that if you are strapped for cash, to give it a miss. Also it does help if people within your group would be quiet as requested. See glow worms do not like noise & as soon as they hear a voice they will disappear.
Anyway after our trip we walked into Te Anu to the Olive Tree Café where we had the Lamb Shank & Mash special, I just wanted to lift up the plate & lick it!
9th March 08: - On the road again by 8.20am & heading to Milford sounds for our cruise. Our journey there was magical; it seemed that we were the only people on the road. Mist was descending & mountains towered over us, making us feel so small.
Once on board the Real Journeys boat called the Milford Marina we receive free tea & coffee & head straight to the front of the boat where we get the perfect panoramic view. It was an excellent day with the weather being ideal. On the way out of the Fiord, mist was lingering to create such mysterious & in-depth photos. On the way back the sun had burnt through to disperse the mist to create rainbows in waterfalls & clear concise pictures. We both really enjoyed this trip & would recommend it, the commentary was really informative & it was well worth paying that little bit extra for the Nature Cruise.
10th March 08: - Stayed @ a DOC site just outside Manapain last night situated on a lake, of which I can not remember @ the moment. This morning we wake & take a short walk to the viewpoint where we capture a very calm & subdued lake. Just the two of us watching the occasional ripple caused by a surfacing fish. After our stroll we then head out further South East towards the stretch of coast called the Catlins. Because we have had a long drive we do not stop anywhere & eventually find a caravan park called Macleans just outside of Chaslands. Lovely facilities but our tent is getting blown around all over the place.
11th March 08: - Ok so I got about 4 hrs sleep last night, felt like the tent was going to take off the majority of the night. Then of course @ 6 the rain started hammering down. After taking the tent down successfully we head to the Petrified Forest @ Curio bay. This forest is over 160 million year old & has been fossilized on what is now bed rock & beach. We both find this fact startling & can not believe we are able to stand on these ancient trees. Now Drew & I had a bit of a funny moment & tried out our petrified tree looks, could not stop laughing, brought tears to our eyes. Have picture proof, so will attempt to post them shortly.
Rain stopped the rest of play today so we head on towards Dunedin. Here we hide from the rain in Cadbury World; yes I know it was amazing all that chocolate. We could not come away empty handed, so we didn’t, purchased a few bars of chocolate to keep us company on our long journeys.
12th March 08: - We though this morning that we would go & check out the Otago settlers museum, seeing as it was free. It was not disappointing; we both found it very informative with brilliant display & intermit stories of early settlers. Spent 2 hours in there & still felt we could have stayed longer, it was only because we had limited parking that we decided to leave. For our lunch we thought it would be good to go the Otago Penninsula. However it was very blustery & there were plenty of sandwich stealing seagulls around so we sat in our car with our cheese & pickle sandwiches.
We leave Dunedin & arrive @ our next campsite called Glencoe (DOC), not as scenic as Scotland but ice & quiet & seeing as we have to get up early this will be perfect.
13th March 2008: - Woke early to go and watch the sunrise over the Meriaki Boulders. It is said that the view is amazing, however we got a morning with a lot of cloud around & the sunrise was not that good. The Boulders are famous for being perfectly round; they look like they are emerging from the sea like an alien life form!
One good thing about this morning is that we spotted our first penguin; it was sitting on the beach all on its own, looking a bit sad. At first it ran away from us to hide in some drift wood, once there it as still as an ornament & was keeping a close eye on us humans.
After our penguin encounter we carried onto our next DOC site @ Ottau/Temples. At one point we thought that we had taken the wrong turn but after about an hour on this gravel road we eventually came to our site for the night. We decided to go for a short walk around the campsite & Drew became mesmerized by these little birds called fantails. They are so cute, fast, colorful & clever, due to the fact that they wait for walkers to go by & then they swoop down from the trees to feast on the insects you have disturbed on the path.
Only three other people joined us for the evening amongst the sand fly haven.
14th March 2008: - After the long drive on the gravel road it was lovely to get back onto tarmac road again & not have to worry about the flying dust clouds from passing vehicles. We reach Mt Cook visitor centre around 13.00 in glorious sunshine. Because the weather is so good we waste no time & head onto the Hooker valley trek. As the sky is clear we get incredible views of Mt Cook (largest Mt in NZ) with its snow capped peak. Whilst walking along Hooker Valley you can not help hear the noises of the ice cracking from the Glaciers around you. We look up but see nothing tumbling down the sides of the mountains. Reaching the lake that runs off of Hooker Glacier you do not see reflections just a murky green pool, from the rocks & dirt that the Glacier has pushed down. However standing to attention in the middle of the lakes are big blokes of ice. At first you think these blocks of ice are small, but once to the waters edge you see that the depth of the field changed & they are tower over you.
15th March 2008: - We left Glentanner Park shortly after 10.00, making the most of the facilities provided. Tasman Glacier view trek has an estimated time of about 40mins. As you climb up to the viewpoint you pass the once blue lake, which now looks rather like small green puddles. Climbing over boulders & loose rubble towards the top you eventually glance up to see the viewpoint, from here you can see the moraine wall which is grey with again dirt & rocks. Again giant pieces of ice wade through the Tasman River for everyone to admire.
After our walk we then head to Wanaka again to stock up on food. Once completed we meander through the roads to our campsite for the night, a DOC site @ Kidds bush, located on the shore of Lake Hawea.
Our evening is spent talking to locals & watching people fish from the shore as the sun sets around us.
16th March 2008: - Left Kidds Bush just before 10.00 & headed out onto the twisty roads again. Stopped @ some falls along the way, which the name escapes both of us now. Took a few photos of the gushing water & then got back into the car as it was still very morning & the sun had not heated up the valley yet. Kept on going up to Lake Paringa, where we had our lunch, we were going to stay here the night, but for us it just did not look as good as Gillespies beach. So we carried on going up the west coast. First we stopped at Fox where we sorted out our Hostel for New York (Not that cheap). Once this was completed we drove to Gillespies Beach & claimed our plot for the night. Sand flies were biting like crazy again, but we sprayed & lit candles whilst we were cooking & it seemed to work for a while. Taking a walk along the pebbled beach & watching the amazing sunset once again, we were glad we had the opportunity to make a second visit, a place not to miss when in NZ.
17th March 2008: - We head to Franz Josef today & book our Glacier walk for tomorrow @ 15.00, weather is suppose to be perfect. Next stop is our accommodation for the night, another DOC site @ Ottos/McDonalds National Park @ the north end of Lake Mapourika. Setting up camp & we get talking to a couple from Canada, who give us some fantastic tips. We spend the night eating pancakes & drinking beer, will it is St Patrick’s Day!
18th March 2008: - Today we pack our bags up & head to the Rainforest Caravan Park; this is our treat for the night, a nice shower before our hike & then a soothing soak in the hot tub after. Most important event of the day was of course our half day Glacier hike. Out of this world experience & a must do if you come to NZ. Ok it was a bit tough & getting use to walking with crampons was interesting, we were told to try & walk like John Wayne on the ice, so you can just imagine 21 people trying to stagger over the ice, hilar! Franz Josef Glacier Moraine is thick with rocks from the path it has carved. Once past this grey ice you stagger over a crest to white/blue ice glinting in the afternoon sun. Because our group is quite fast we are taken further onto the glacier. Here is where we walk through crevasses of a wonderful blue colour, if you are slightly claustrophobic this is not for you as one of the crevasses is only shoulder width apart. Both Drew & I had a great time & would love to try a walk on another Glacier elsewhere.
19th March 2008: - Today our journey takes us pass the village of Ross again, so Drew got out his pan again & went searching for gold. Unfortunatly he found none, but it was still fun trying. After our little stop we then head onto Hokitika, a town that we drove past last time, however the Gillian from the other night recommended going to a glassware shop. Here we treated ourselves & bought a couple of items for back home.
Ended up @ the DOC site back in Goldsborough, Drew went panning for an hour & found a very small piece to add to his collection.
20th March 2008: - Wake up to the noise of arguing Waka’s this morning; they are large brown flightless birds. They also like to take items when your back is turned, it does not even have to be food. A lady lost a couple of bras off of her washing line once, which would make for an interesting nest!
Drew went out panning again this morning, whilst I headed back to Hokitika to get us some lunch from a recommended bakery, the sausage rolls were fab. We took an afternoon walk just outside the campsite to tunnel terrace. It was fascinating; we were able to explore the old mining tunnels that were cut out of the rock by pick axes. A few glow worms glittered in the darkness.
Our campsite for the night is Glondyke Pass again. This time there was no rain & the mountains were beautiful to watch as the sun went down. Tonight we also had our first encounter with a Kea, whilst we were packing up after dinner it tried to take items that we had left on the ground. At this very moment in time I am writing this blog in the car & alert for the Kea’s come back.
21st March 2008: - We head back to Christchurch today where we will spend the next couple of nights. On route we stop @ the side of the road to view some incredible limestone formations (I will have to let you know the name @ a later date). Great to climb & to just have a good walk around, even though there were many people it was still easy to find a bit of space to yourself. We arrived @ our campsite (nth sth Park) around 14.00. It is a nice place although low flying planes are constant as we are about 5km away from the airport. Our afternoon is spent cleaning the car & packing up stuff ready for us to have it back on Sunday. We also caught up on our washing & had a relaxing evening reading our books.
22nd March 2008: - Drove into Christchurch this morning to pick up our flight tickets from Lima to Miami. We also found out from STA that we were too late to get onto the Inca Trail 4 day trek so we will be taking part in the Laris 3 day trek instead. A bit disappointed about this, however it still has the same outcome; we still manage to see Machu Pichu.
Rest of the day we head out to Banks Peninsula to the small town of Akaroa, a lovely place set in the shelter of a bay. We just had a walk around & then head back to the the campsite for about 17.00. Here we had a Jacket potato for dinner & it went down a treat, we can not remember the last time we had one.
23rd March 2008: - Dropped off our very reliable pink Toyota @ Exploremore & then went on to pick up our relocation vehicle from Maui. A Mitsubishi Outlander a very stylish 4x4 & this time it is not a girlie pink but a nice pastel blue. Drives very well so I am told by Drew, I wonder if I will get a go! We drive up to Picton & stop off @ Nin Bins, a very rustic shack on the coast road just outside Kiakoura. Here we treat ourselves to a fresh Grayfish. It was outstanding; I do not think we will be able to beat it in NZ, there was so much flesh & the garlic butter had melted perfectly, finger licking good!
We even went ahead and bought ourselves a second for our lunch tomorrow, blew the budget a bit there!
Our crossing from Picton was @ 6.05 & we left on the Interislander ferry on the dot. We watched the south island disappear into the sunset & then went stepped back inside to keep warm. After docking @ Wellington we had a mini adventure as we did not know where we were staying for the night. The nearest free campsite was 89km away, so we headed in that direction. However Drew was getting extremely tired so we decided to stop @ a site in Greytown. Pulled into this public garden & campsite combined @ about10.30, everyone turned to stare. Drew went out & asked what the deal was here. Basically you can camp anywhere & someone will collect fees in the morning. Decided not to put the tent up & slept in the Outlander tonight.
