The North Island.
New Zealand is amazing. It is beautiful. It is friendly. It is cheap. It is definitely a favourite of ours amongst all of the places that we have been to on our trip. We tried to cram far too much in as there was just so much to do but we still had a brilliant time. We started off by flying into Wellington and hiring a car for a few days on the North Island. The flight from Oz is only about three hours so it's a doddle. As we are leaving Oz going through the security checks I get pulled out of the queue to see if I'm a terrorist. Luckily I don't have anything on me so I'm allowed on my way. We visit the Te Papa museum in Welly but unfortunately don't get to see much else there as we are shooting off up North to the Tongariro National Park. What we saw of Welly though, was quite a laid back trendy place very picturesque and affluent might not be a bad place to hang out for a couple of days. On the way out of town we eat 'scoop n' chips', which is pronounced in a very strange way that at first we cannot understand. The NZ accent is very different to Oz and we like it. So anyway we have a long drive up to Tongariro and it's funny as the major roads are oftentimes just a single road with a passing place every few miles. One has to be quick in the passing lanes as otherwise may well end up stuck behind a big lorry or camper van for a good stretch. For the first couple of hours we see lots of hills and mountains and sheep. Then it gets dark and there are lots of dead things at the side of the road like rabbits, hedgehogs and squirrels. We arrive at the motel rather late - it has taken about 5 hours in total. So it's straight to bed in a decent one bed place called Adventure Motel, as we plan to do the famous Tongariro crossing the next day. Unfortunately when we wake we are informed that the weather forecast is dire, and not suitable for doing the crossing. We are gutted as we have picked this walk out of the LP specially. However there are plenty of other walks and we do a 5 hour walk to the Tama Lakes, which are huge turquoise things set amongst a mad volcanic landscape, that is completely other wordly. Scenes from The Lord of the Rings were filmed around here, apparently. As a result the number of visitors to this area have increased manyfold. On the walk we encountered a fair few other hikers (or trampers, as they say in NZ). Still it is dead compared to Landan on any day so we appreciate the scenery and peace when we can. Ah. Back to the Adventure Lodge for a well earned shower and dinner. It is a nice family run place with good home cooked food however woe betide you if you are late for dinner or breakfast as you will be talked about!
The next morning we TO BE UPDATED...
The South Island.
On Sunday we drive back down to Wellington to catch the ferry across to the South Island. It is a drive with fabulous scenery so it is not a chore at all. We have heard so much about the South Island so we are very excited. There is a ridiculous amount to do there and we are going to have to be very strict in terms of what we decide to actually do as otherwise we will not get a moment of peace! The ferry is at 1825hrs so we do not get into Picton until about 2230. The journey across is rather slow and we are very tired so the chattering, dippy woman sat behind us drives us potty. Not to mention every time her and her family get up they grip heavily onto the back of our seats so we just can’t relax. Bloody eejits.
We have pre-booked a hostel in Picton and there wasn’t much on offer so we went for cheap and cheerful. And it certainly is. We are rather hungry so drive around the tiny picturesque town centre but everything is closing so we can’t get anything to eat. So we give up and drive to the hostel and are met by an English lady who is very friendly and nice. She is apologising for the room before she has even showed it us ha ha I think she can see that we are a bit older and better dressed than the average backpacker. It is perfectly adequate though for those who want somewhere decent for a very cheap price. There is a communal area where a bunch of yanks are playing cards but we do not feel like being sociable so we turn in. We are only charged £20 for a 4 bunk room and it reminds me of the kind of place one went to with church groups or the like in the summer holidays. This is the first time that we have stayed in a bunk room and it is very basic and shock horror we do not even have our own bathroom. Eek. So we fill up on energy bars and go straight to bed, hoping to get an early start as we are off to the wineries tomorrow – woo hoo!
Marlborough Wineries.
We have a leisurely start with breakfast at a cool cafe recommended by LP overlooking the picturesque Picton Bay. Then it’s a 1hour drive to the Marlborough Wine Region, where we are staying in a motel in Renwick, which is a tiny town about 3 miles from Blenheim, which is a bit closer to the main wineries and consequently this is where most people stay. However, D and I being as we are, we are looking to go to the smaller less well known places and therefore Renwick is perfect for us. We stay in a cottage that is attached to a pub on the main drag – the cottages are great - very snazzy and spotless, unlike the pub. However we are not here for the pub when there is free wine tasting to be had, so we hire some bikes from a place down the road and set off .
It is a very hot sunny day and we feel like a scene out of an old Renault Clio advert, cycling about with our helmets on the dusty road in amongst the vines it’s brilliant. We start off at Mahi, where we meet a rather snooty English lady, who is very knowledgeable about the products. The place is empty and it’s a little off the beaten track but worth going to, although we are not that impressed with the wines themselves. We then head off to Grove Hill, which is a more commercial winery that sells stuff in Sainsbury’s, but they have good ethics in terms of their production and waste disposal. Additionally some of the wines are fantastic, most notably the sticky, which is an amazingly gluggable Gewurztraminer. The hostess was great, telling us all about the place along with some of her own history. We vow to return and make a purchase the following day. Next it’s off to Te Whare Rae (sp?), a place that we are very impressed by. The guy who owns it is incredibly amenable and chatty and the wines are absolutely gorgeous. We are in love with the Riesling, and a very unusual Pinot Blanc, as well as a Pinot Noir. We also plan to come back here the next day and purchase some, as although we have saddle bags on our bikes we just don’t want to risk breaking the bottles! By this time we are feeling rather merry and want to fit one more winery in before we head back. So we wobble off on our bikes and head to some organic winery that is due to close imminently and we just make it by the skin of our teeth. The wines here are decent but we have been bowled over by the previous place, so it’s time to call it a day. We cycle back to the hire place, drop off the bikes and then head back to the motel to freshen up. We are going to meet Jo and Brett in order to spend the evening with them, so they meet us in some pub around the corner and we polish off some revolting shooters, beers, cider and wine. We are pretty drunk. Then we get a cab back to theirs, which is a lot more quality but also more expensive than ours. Pretty pointless really as we are all very drunk and Jo and D are having another heated debate, which seems to happen a lot as D likes to wind Jo up and she is even easier to wind up than I am. So we get a cab back to our motel as tomorrow we are driving to a town called Kaikoura, where we are hoping to see some whale fish.
Kaikoura.
We wake up with hangovers but kick out is not too early so we take our time then set off for the whale town, which is not too far away anyhow. We are booked into Kaikoura Cottage Motels and they are completely fabulous. They have thought of everything in the design of them. They are very compact and an absolute bargain for what you get. There is a lounge, small kitchen, double sleeping area, and separate bedroom. Everything is modern and spotless and the owners are absolutely lovely. Jo and Brett have booked into the same place and from our cottage we can see the mountains. We are still hung over from the day before so we opt to go to the supermarket and stay in for food that night, as the next day we have booked onto a whale watching trip. The town is tiny, and very touristy but in a very relaxed and friendly way. That night it is very windy and rainy there is a right storm blowing and it’s pretty scary. This does not bode well for whale watching the next day as the boats do not sail if the weather is bad. We head to the office anyway, crossing our fingers. All boats are off (they go approximately once every half hour) and there are gale force winds and high seas, so there is no whale watching today. Boo hoo. We decide to stay in Kaikoura another night as that is the main reason we have come here, although as it stands we are having a good time.
We go to the tourist information office trying to find something to do that we all fancy. We are all a bit sick of drinking but it would be so easy to just go into a pub and start. We are told that there is a lovely walk to do around the cliff edges that takes about 4 hours, so we opt to do that. It is a busy walk to start with, but soon quietens down, and is very picturesque and enjoyable. Until the last bloody hour when we are knackered and it is just walking along the road to get back to the car. Grrr. We finally arrive back and start a game of golf at a course that is far inferior to the one we played at in Sydney. This time we have the added bonus of a bottle of wine though, and no-one else on the course. But then it starts pissing down and we have to abandon our game. Later on we are going to go to one of the places in town to eat. Jo and Brett went there the night before and were impressed however when we go it is ok but nothing spectacular. The next day Jo and Brett want to set off early as they are driving all the way across to Franz Josef Glacier. However D and I are desperate to see whales and so we have booked onto another boat and we turn up and yes we are going! At first we watch a short film about the history of whales and their awful persecuted past. They are fascinating creatures absolutely stunning and we really hope that we get to see one. We spot a group of certain people and ask to check their rucksacks in case they have brought their harpoons along accidentally on purpose – ha ha not really. Then we all set off on a huge catamaran, it is a very bumpy ride and reminds us of the Archipel II in the Galapagos. Every seat is full it is a popular thing to do. We sail out for about 50 minutes, and on the way we are given a talk by the crew, who are very amenable. Nice job! We can also hear the little planes flying overhead that are also spotting whales – we did consider taking a plane as it is supposed to be better for seeing the whole whale but they do not get as close and we did fancy a boat trip anyway. At the first stop nothing is spotted so we go a bit further out and then hear the cry of “ there she blows”! So we all rush up on deck and sure enough there are two whales on the surface, taking a spot of air together, as we break into song...whale fish whale fish whale fish, and the whale was in full view. Well maybe not completely in full view but we could see the blow hole, a big dark shape, a big fat head, and then, the ultimate, the big flip and the disappearing of the tail as the whale dives back into the depths below. It was a sight to behold and we are awed by it. So pleased to have seen them. Apparently their heads are so big as they are full of oil, which changes consistency when they dive back down. Whales also send out some sonar that can cause serious damage to any creature nearby in the water. Truly remarkable creatures. Anyhow after that bit of excitement the boat goes on a bit further and we see another one. We manage to get some footage of this one but unfortunately he doesn’t do the amazing tail flip when he goes back down. In the meantime there is a dolphin playing around the boat and he is brilliant doing back flips and racing along at the side they are so cute. The guides inform us that we are very lucky as the two boats that went out this morning did not see any whales at all. Lucky us it was worth waiting for and we head back to land properly satisfied. Next we have a rather long drive to Mount Cook so it’s quick smart grab a coffee and on the road.
Mount Cook.
The drive to Mt. Cook takes longer than we thought it would, what with the limiting A roads and traffic and kamikaze small furries along the way. We have pre-booked a hotel in the village and it’s a good job as we don’t arrive there until around 2130hrs and it’s very dark and we are shattered. On the way we drive around mad winding roads in and out up and down, which makes the journey a lot longer. We see two huge beautiful lakes that are an insane turquoise colour. We stop for pizza on the way. The view from the lounge is spectacular we are right in front of the mountain and it’s huge and imposing and beautiful. However we are disappointed with the room it is quite pricey and very basic and we can only just see the mountain from our room. Ah well it’s just a place to sleep anyhow and we get up bright and early as we want to make the most of the day and go on a walk before it gets too hot. We opt for a walk that goes up a mountain where there should be spectacular views of Mt Cook. It’s pretty steep and rocky and involves a lot of climbing as well as walking. Memories of the Inca Trail come flooding back and I am struggling somewhat but eventually we arrive at the viewpoint. It is great but rather crowded, as was the walk, considering it is out of season we are surprised. NZ is clearly country of the year right now to visit but it is so vast and spread out that it seems to be working ok. We finish the walk in about 5 hours and we have certainly earned our lunch but there is no time to hang around we are off to Queenstown. We have heard so much about Queenstown from different sources it has a good reputation so we are excited, especially as we will be hooking up with Jo and Brett whilst we are there.
Queenstown
We arrive in Queenstown around 6pm we are staying in a motel recommended by the LP and it overlooks Lake/River something or other sorry I’m a disgrace I cannot remember the name of the beautiful setting but then I am writing this over two months later than when we were there! The motel is basic but ok and very cheap and it is only a few minutes down the road into the town. The town centre is tiny and absolutely full of backpacker types and very young. It has an air of cool that can come across as slightly pretentious but we love it for a few days. The first night is pretty tame then the next day we go into town and book up some jet boating, white water rafting and sky diving. We walk around the bay and there is lots going on there is a very friendly atmosphere and it is nice and sunny. That night we go to a very nice restaurant that I cannot remember the name of then to a gay bar. The gay bar is hilarious there are little side rooms with red curtains and the manager does not know how to make any cocktails despite the fact that there is an extensive cocktail menu. He tells us he is going on a cocktail making course before the big opening night in a week. Good luck. Brett gets into the music and is doing sexy dancing to cheesy tunes he is so funny but Jo is not amused. The next morning we go on the jet boat down the river something it is great fun and then we go rafting. I am terrified of this I am not confident in the water and after the experience falling in on the North Island I am praying that we do not go in. It is therefore with some relief that when we meet our guide, Kyle, the most hilarious Yank I’ve met yet, he lets us know that he has no intention of going in either. Phew. We put on our highly flattering wetsuits and boots, in a communal changing room with barely enough room to swing a cat let alone a load of self conscious women vainly trying to hide their modesty whilst donning the awful gear. We are soon out in the sun and getting a brief summary of what will happen along with some instructions on how to raft. Not much health and safety going on but I don’t care as long as we don’t fall in! We get put into groups of around 8 apart from our group which is us four and a couple from the UK. They guy is nice but the woman is a right miserable cow at first I feel sorry for her as I think she is scared and this is how I feel, but after all of us making an effort with her and not getting much in return we just think she is bye. So we set off and Kyle tells us that the rocks in the river are sharp and so if we fall in we need to float on our backs and kick our legs up. The natural instinct is to put one’s feet down on anything solid but this would be extremely painful. Eek. We push off and there are about 6 rafts altogether, which look like giant inflatable dinghies. We manage to get through the first rapid with no problems, although people from the other boats have fallen in. Whenever this happens a whistle is blown and each guide sees if they are able to help or advise. So it is all very well organised and does run like clockwork. At the same time the guides are constantly bantering and smacking each other with the water it is incredibly funny. There is water in the raft and our feet are freezing, which only reinforces the thought that we really don’t want to fall in the chilly water! Then we get to the second rapid and there is a huge boulder in the middle of the river. Kyle is shouting at us to paddle to the left but it's all too late – we are being pulled to the right and end up wedged partly onto the boulder whilst the rapid is trying to suck us in and under. Kyle jumps out and tries to move the raft but it's jut not happening. Every now and then we have to jump to the left or to the right or back paddle. We are laughing but absolutely terrified at the same time I really don't want to fall in and it looks highly unlikely that we wont. Kyle keeps shouting stuff at us to do whilst he tries to get the raft off the rock without tipping us all in and after a few minutes we do it – yes! We are paddling away again and sighing and laughing with relief. Kyle says we all did brilliantly and can't believe that we didn't go in it has been most amusing for the other rafts to watch. After that major scare we are filled with optimism and head into another part of the river where it is likely that we may go in. We have to duck and get right into the boat taking care not to knock someone else in or whack them with the oar – which is harder than it appears – someone had their nose broken the day before! There is a dark tunnel and when we come out of the tunnel there is a massive rapid that we saw from the other end of the river earlier on when we were jet boating. This turns out to be not as scary as it looks and we arrive back at base elated and proud. We have hot drinks and talk about our experience – it is not something I think I will be doing again in a hurry but at least I did it. Anyway, tomorrow we are going sky diving so white water rafting is nae bother! We say our goodbyes to Jo and Brett – we will see them back in Oz. Now I am starting to feel nervous about isky diving but trying not to think about it too much - we have paid so we are going!
Sky-diving.
We are picked up from the town centre by a guy in a white van he is from Sutton Coldfield in the Midlands and is on a temporary work visa in NZ ha ha small world. We and another woman are driven for 45minutes to the place where we will be doing the dive it's called Paradise and the drive is very scary up and down windy narrow roads with lots of potholes. Great fun on a hangover whilst feeling absolutely knackered! We arrive in Paradise and are met by our instructors, who are all very friendly and amenable. First we are shown a short video and given some instructions on the different positions we need to adopt when diving. Then we are kitted up and asked if we want our experience filmed – nooooo! It all happens pretty fast and we think this is a tactic they use to stop people changing their mind. Then a cute little cesna lands and it is so cool we want to fly it ourselves. Getting onto our flight are a trainee sky diver, a camera man, the three sky diving virgins and our instructors – it's all very crammed in! I am feeling very nervous now and trying to be ok about it but I'm thinking ah what the hell am I doing? It will be over in minutes so just get on with it. At no point are we asked if we are sure about this or want to change our minds and this is a good thing as no doubt one would start contemplating it! So we get up to 15,000 feet, and the other woman is first to go, but first out goes the cameraman. I look out of the plane and see them drop away and it all happens so fast and I can see the ground and it's very far away and then D is going and I watch him fall away and I'm absolutely terrified then I'm sitting on the edge of the plane then pushing off and we are free falling and the air is rushing past us and my ears are really hurting and the view is spectacular and my mouth is open and my eyes are streaming. Then the designated seconds are gone and the guy pulls the cord and our parachutes open and we are falling a lot slower now down to land. I can see the beautiful river and the spectacular mountains and green in between. My instructor asks me if I'm ok but I'm just speechless. D is waving at me from below but I can't get it together to signal back. It is without a doubt the scariest and most cool thing I've ever done but I am in serious pain from the pressure build up in my ears and head. Landing is good fun with a sense of relief and a sense of wow let me do that again! These guys have done hundreds of jumps what a job certainly beats the 9 – 5. Just get me some earplugs and I'll be back!
Te Anau – Milford Sound.
Having read the LP I decide that Milford Sound is a must see in NZ, despite us only having a very limited time left in which to fit it in. It's a rather long drive and I opt to do it as D has done most of the driving and is rather tired. So we set off to a place called Te Anau where we originally planned to do some kayaking. However by the time we got there it was getting late, so we decided to drive straight to Milford Sound instead as apparently it is the most beautiful at sunset. The drive from TA to MS reminds me of the UK as it is a tree lined route down narrow roads. Most people are coming back the other way so it works out quite well as I can put my foot down and we get there in no time. Milford Sound is an eerie huge place and was worth making the effort to get to, although we are a bit miffed that we don't have time to take a boat trip out on the water. Massive darkest green mounds that rise out of nowhere surround vast amounts of water that is deep and seemingly endless. We watch the sunset and then drive back to our motel in Te Anau, very tired and craving sleep as tomorrow there is another huge drive way up to the Glaciers. We really have packed stuff in and are feeling fatigued. The good thing about NZ is driving there is a pleasure as it's so beautiful however part of that is that one is often stuck behind a camper van going at half the speed you want to go at, and that's the ones who are not taking pictures out of the window as they are driving along! The motel is decent and we watch a scary film then get some sleep.
Franz Josef Glacier.
A full day drive gets us to Glacier country, where we have booked to go on a Franz Josef Glacier walk the following morning. There is also Franz Fox Glacier but we don't have time to go there too. We have booked into Gloworm Cottages, which are completely not what we expected form the description in LP. They are dingy and grubby and completely geared towards backpackers being very cheap. We are only going to be crashing here though so we think about the cost savings and grin. The next day we go for a fantastic breakfast in a cafe on the high street then meet our group for the walk. It is a mixed group and we are split into 3 – slow, medium and fast – we opt for medium as I am having a lazy day. We are on the ice for around an hour and it is a surreal experience. We have to wear crampons and follow our guide and it is rather treacherous. The glaciers are an interesting phenomenon but I can't remember how they are formed. Huge cave like structures formed from ice that is a dirty grey colour for the most part. The guide told us that they are affected by the change in climate and can be dangerous – a couple of years previously the town had to be evacuated as there was a massive ice avalanche! Our guide is excellent – a proper enthusiastic posh bird in the style of Mallory Towers. D is irritated but I like a bit of posh. The guide hacks away at the ice with a pick then we all have to tread in the footsteps she has marked out. We think it is a bit extra but it looks good. One can visit the glaciers without actually going on the ice but it really is madness not to go on the ice. So if you are going there then book one of the walks it is well worth the money. After the Glacier walk it is a massive drive back up north to Picton as the next day we are taking the ferry back to Wellington for our flight to Melbourne – boo hoo. [As we are going through security to catch our flight to Melbourne I am once again pulled out of the line to check that I am not a terrorist. Later on I tell Jo that it has happened twice - coincidence? Then she tells me that she was also pulled out of the line on two occasions when going to NZ to be checked! None of our partners were - is this paranoia or are a lot of Aussies stuck in a different decade when it comes to bigotry? Discuss.] We arrive late but knowing Picton will be deadsville at this time we have eaten on the road – delicious local fish and 'scoop o chips'. We stay in a fabulous apartment block in Picton called Jasmine House - it is near the harbour and beautifully kitted out with a spa bath and luxurious toiletries. It is a fitting end to an amazing time in NZ. We adore the place and want to return and spend a lot more time there as soon as possible but it's goodbye for now to the most beautiful island in the world.
