I just clicked off of the International Rugby Boards World Cup website and the countdown to kick-off for the first match was 15 days, 15 hours, and 15 minutes. The excitement is building!! Certainly part of every conversation I have these days includes some discussion of the upcoming rugby world cup and our trip to New Zealand for the event.
Although the first 7 weeks we will be on the North Island, we are also looking forward to a 2 week visit to the South Island after the final world cup match on Oct. 23rd.
Below are some New Zealand travel tips from Karri. Karri is a New Zealand Christchurch native. We know Karri from a decade ago when we worked in London. We recently spent an afternoon sipping cider and ale and chatting with Karri and her partner Gary outside the Porcupine Pub across from Leicester Square in London. Amazing how with some people a decade of no commmunication except the occasional email fades away as hours pass catching up and rambling through dreams and peeves and memories.
Karri's Not to Be Missed List
A few NZ buddies have e mailed recently to say that RUGBY FEVER has hit NZ and the country is all fired up for the World Cup!
I don't know the NORTH ISLAND very well but have the following recommendations of MUST-SEE places:
- Coromandel peninsular
- Tongariro Crossing
- Rotorua (on the Volcanic Plateau, has one of the world’s most lively fields of geothermal activity with skyrocketing geysers, hot springs and boiling mud pools)
- wine regions near Masterton (just North of Wellington)
SOUTH ISLAND
- in and around the Marlborough Sounds is stunning
- Blenheim is a little town where I grew up but it's surrounded by fantastic wineries
- Nelson - Able Tasman National Park
- Fox Glacier and Franz Joseph Glacier on the West Coast.
- Kaikoura - popular for whale watching and great crayfish/lobster
- Hanmer Springs - thermal pools and spa. It's between Kaikoura and ChCh and worth a night or two if possible.
- Mount Cook/Lake Tekapo
- Wanaka - I taught here for my first 2 years and it's a beautiful town overlooking a lake. I have friends who run Oak Tree Bed & Breakfast, 4 Little Oak Common, Wanaka. I'll give you their e mail address: r.s.mulqueen@xtra.co.nz, Phone: 64 3 443 9106. Fax: 64 3 443 9109.
- Queenstown is about an hours drive away and worth seeing. Again it's a town around a lake with pretty views and a lot of adventure activities to do, eg. jet boating, bungy jumping, skiing....
- Lake Taupo
It's really easy to drive around New Zealand. The West Coast of the South Island is very picturesque.
I have cousins and relatives in Christchurch and friends in Blenheim and Dunedin if you need anything. I can mail you addresses and contact numbers.
'KIWI' food to try:
- hokey pokey ice cream
- pavlova
- fish and chips
- seafood eg. green lipped mussels, paua....
- wine!
- various NZ beers, eg. Steinlager, Canterbury draught....
- if there is a chance to try a Maori hangi you should!
Have FUN!! Keep in touch,
Safe travels,
love Karri and Gary xx
