New Zealand South Island Adventure
Trip Start
Aug 08, 2008
1
6
13
Trip End
Aug 31, 2008
Wellington,
North Island,
New Zealand
Friday, January 23, 2009
MONDAY 05 January 2009 DESTINATION NEW ZEALAND - We flew from Caracas
to Santiago via Lima and arrived in Santiago at 3.10am on Saturday
03.01.09. Our flight to Auckland was not until 11pm, so we tried to
book into a hotel at the airport, but they were charging US$150. We
decided instead to have our own little bush camping adventure in the
airport! We left our rucksacks in 'left luggage' and found an ideal
spot - a bench table in a cafe, which was close to the toilets. It was
a quiet area and we slept quite well. In the morning we freshened up in
the toilets and walked a few yards to the cafe and had a slap up
breakfast. We still had lots of time to kill, so we
caught a bus to downtown Santiago. We were familiar with the city after
having visited there with Dragoman, although on this occasion it was
much quieter.
On 03.01.09 we flew from Santiago to Auckland and got there on Monday
05.0.01.09 - WOW! WHERE DID SUNDAY 04.01.09 GO? We flew over the
dateline!
We got stopped by Customs at Auckland airport
because our shoes were too dirty (we hadn't cleaned them since our
mountain-biking on Christmas Eve). The customs officer was very kind
though. We stood there in our socks whilst he went away and cleaned
them for us! Done and dusted we flew from Auckland to Christchurch in
the South Island. We treated ourselves to two nights of luxury in the
Ibis Hotel before hitting the road again (the hot power shower was
heaven!). Christchurch is a lovely place. It is the largest city on the
South Island with a population of over 300,000. We were based near
Cathedral Square on which Christchurch is centred and spent a pleasant
day exploring. As the guidebook says it has a slight feel of a
traditional English university town. You can even punt along the River
Avon. Our evening was rather mundane - we did our laundry!
We awoke the next day to a glorious morning - the mountains were
illuminated by the early morning sun. We had a date with those
mountains - we were going to cycle up them! After a hearty and healthy
breakfast in a vegetarian cafe (a soothing and calming place run by
Buddhists) we hired some mountain bikes and set off for the beach and
the hills. After 13km of pedalling on flat road we arrived at Sumner
beach - a beautiful sweeping sandy beach fronted with craftshops and
restaurants. We sat mesmerised by the waves and watched the surfers do
their stuff. We then headed up the headland to Taylor's Mistake - a
narrow beach and apparently the best in the area for surfing. From
there we rode along the Summit Road, which was underlating to say the
least and it tested our strength and fitness. Also, it was very windy
and in some parts we struggled to stay on the bikes. The views,
however, were tremendous, swathes of sandy beach hugged by a rugged
coastline and green sloping hills.
WEDNESDAY 07.01.09 - HIPPIE CAPMER VAN HERE WE COME!
We picked up our camper van - white with
purple and yellow flowers emblazoned on it! It is very compact and cosy
- not a problem because our 5 month overlanding adventure in South
America has stood us in good stead. In fact it is a miniature version
of a Dragoman truck - we have some green boxes (for food and pots and
pans), a fridge, a portable cooker and a safe (aka 'Trevor'). The only
thing that's missing is a back locker and our fellow Dragoman
travellers! Judith has called it Frodo.
After sorting out our kitty and getting some supplies we made the
long drive (500km) South to Queenstown. It was a very pleasant drive
and the scenery just fantastic. We booked into a campsite situtated on
the base of 'Bob's Peak'. It was a well equppied site and had
facilities of a high standard as well as the added bonus of fabulous
views, including Lake Wakatipu and the craggy Remarkables range.
After a good night's sleep in the campervan we spent the following day mooching round
Queenstown. It is a pretty place and has a very alpine feel. It is used
as a base from which to plan days in the surrounding coutryside or to
sample the many outdoor activities on offer. Also, it and the
surrounding area boast the country's highest concentration of Lord of
the Rings film locations. At Steamer Wharf we saw a group of people
embarking on a thrilling jetboat ride down the river, and people
clambering up the gangplank of the coal-fired TSS Earnshaw (the last of
the lake steamers). The top of Bob's Peak towered above us and can be
reached by the Skyline Gondola. We, however, were too tired to partake
in any of the activities and were just happy to watch everyone else! In
the afternoon we stumbled on a British Lolly shop that sold sweets and
foodstuffs imported from the UK (e.g. Blackpool rock, mushy peas and
heinz soup!). The owners are from 'Oop North', i.e. Rochdale and know
'Bacup' (the town where Judith was born and bred). It's a small world
isn't it?
DESTINATION MILFORD SOUND - One of the highlights of
New Zealand's Fiordland region. We set off early for the 600km round
trip. It was raining heavily, but not that heavy to dampen our spirits.
We drove past the remarkable Remarkables - windswept and rainswept
making them even more brooding and looming. In Lord of the Rings, part
of the Remarkables became Dimrill Dale. The road to Milford Sound is
very scenic and there are some quaint and quirky name places (e.g.
Bakehouse Creek, Knobs Flat, Lake Mistletoe). We arrived at Milford
Sound at 11.15am and booked on a 2 hour trip to cruise the world-famous
waters. Milford Sound is the most northerly and most celebrated of
Fiordland's fifteen fiords. It is a drowned glacial valley and Maori
know it as 'Piopiotahi' (the single thrush) and attribute its creation
to the god Tu-to-Rakiwhanoa, who was called away before he could carve
a route into the interior, leaving high rock walls. As we boarded our
boat the rain stopped and the sun came out - it was perfect. The cruise
was awesome. We were surrounded by steep forested slopes on one side
and formidable mountains on the other, out of which spewed brilliant
white waterfalls. We sailed under one waterfall and the boat was
engulfed. The captain placed some coffee cups on the front of the boat,
which filled up instantly! As we cruised through the sound the scenery
contiuned to amaze us. One of the steep green slopes was wrapped in
swirls of cloud and looked like a green and white striped bobbled hat!
The swell of the Tasman sea kept us on our toes (literally), and our
stomachs were in our mouths a few times! All in all it was a brilliant
trip and well worth the drive - rather like going to an away game of
football to watch 90 minutes of action! In fact we nearly went into
extra time because on the way back Frodo was running dangerously low on
fuel and was gasping. Thankfully, we found a campsite with "emergency
petrol". It was an antiquated pump, but it did the trick. Further along
we got delayed by a flock of sheep who were being shepherded down the
middle of the road. It gave us a chance to admire the stunning scenery.
The mountains in the distance reminded us of a team photograph, i.e.
the tall, dark rugged ones lurking at the back and the small, light
elegant ones at the front.
DESTINATION WANAKA - The next day we found ourselves in Wanaka, a
relatively small town, but (as per our guidebook) one which commands a
wonderful spot on the slopes of the willow-girt Lake Wanaka, with the
jagged summits of the Southern Alps as often as not mirrored in its
waters. We sunbathed beside the lake and gazed at the snow-capped
mountains in the distance. It was a peaceful afternoon, although
speedboats, pedal boats and kayaks broke the silence somewhat
as they traversed the lake. That evening we went to "Cinema Paradiso"
to watch "Australia"! It is a cinema with a difference - very cool and
groovy. It is attached to a small cafe which serves good wholesome
meals as well as popcorn, freshly baked cookies and home-made
ice-cream. The cinema itself is very comfortable - you sit on squashy
sofas and if you are lucky you can sit in a Morris Minor! People
settled down, the film came on and some people even ate 'tv meals" and
drank wine, i.e. from trays on their laps! All cinemas should be like
this. Oh yes, "Australia" is a good movie. The following day we hired
bikes and cycled in the blazing heat round Lake Wanaka and stumbled on
Dublin Bay - a very picturesque place to spend a Sunday afternoon.
DESTINATION FOX GLACIER - Another sunny day, but we didn't get up until
10am (shame on us) and we had a long drive day ahead. We drove
for five hours through stunning scenery and reached Fox Glacier
mid-afternoon. We wasted no time and booked ourselves on all-day
glacier walk (aptly named "the nimble fox") for the following day. The
walk was quite expensive, so we decided to camp "cheaply" and found a
Department of Conservation (DOC) campsite beside Gillespies Beach (some
6km from Fox Glacier). Our guidebook states that Gillespies Beach is a
former gold-mining settlement with a small cemetery and a primitive DOC
campsite! It was basic, in fact it was more of a car park, but we were
happy and ate and slept well. We ate our dinner sat on a log in front
of Frodo (campervan), but the view from behind was better - the snow-capped peak of
Mount Cook gleamed in the evening sun - it looked magnificent. The
following morning we made a hasty getaway because the sand flies were
ravenous and biting. We had breakfast from the van in another car park
further down the road! We reported to "Fox Glacier Guides" at 10.15am
and got kitted out with woolly socks, leather boots and rain jackets.
There were four other people on the trip plus "Passang" our guide from
Nepal. The weather was perfect as we trekked to the ice. After climbing
700 steps we filled up our water bottles from a waterfall. When we
reached the ice we armed ourselves with walking poles and strapped
crampons to our boots. We crunched our way over the glacier - it was
like treading on a giant meringue. Passang cut fresh ice steps to help
us navigate our way. Apparently the terrain moves up to two metres per
day, and at 13kms, Fox Glacier is the longest of the awe-inspiring New
Zealand West Coast glaciers. At one point we heard a "boom-boom" like
the sound of a drum - it was water running underneath the ice. At one
point Judith and another girl melted the ice - they were bursting! We
spent around four hours on the ice and the views were superb - it was
well worth the money. That evening we drove to Franz Josef (another
glacier village and slightly larger than Fox Glacier) and camped at
another DOC site - basic, but adequate.
DESTINATION PANCAKE ROCKS - We had a fitful night fighting off the
pesky sand flies, but undeterred drove to Pancake Rocks. We walked the
twenty-minute paved loop track leading to the rocks. Layers of
limestone have weathered to resemble giant stacks of pancakes. This is
the result of stylobedding - a chemical process in which the pressure
of overlying sediments creates alternating, durable and weaker bands.
We also saw huge sea caverns where, at high tide, the surf surges in
sending water spouting up through big blowholes. We spent the night
"freecamping' beside Constant Bay (as recommended by our guidebook). It
was a nice spot and even had toilets and water. We had a Lancashire
'nite', i.e. corned-beef hash, it was 'reet good' as well!
DESTINATION NELSON - Yet another sunny day as we drove through Lower
Butler Gorge reserve and the town of Murchison. We even found time to
wash Frodo (well his windscreen). We arrived in Nelson at 1pm and
booked into a campsite with hot showers and a laundry! We explored the
small city of Nelson, which is set on the coast and has become one of
the most popular visitor destinations in New Zealand. We found Jens
Hansen jewellers, famous for the creation of THE ONE RING for the LORD
OF THE RINGS TRILOGY. Replicas of this ring and those worn by Gandalf
and others were on display. The original ring is on display at a museum
in Nelson. Our evening was a chore - food shopping and laundry!
We spent the next day relaxing on Kaiteriteri beach (45 mins drive from
Nelson and just south of the Abel Tasman National Park)). It was
idyllic - clear blue water with a couple of small forested islands
sticking out of it like broccoli florets. Judith went for a paddle (the
water was cold), Dan was more brave and swam!
DESTINATION PICTON
- En route we strolled round the lively Saturday market in Nelson. It
was very different from the one in Otovalo (Ecuador). Judith bought
some trousers for "best". In the distance we
could hear (but not see) bagpipes playing - it reminded us of Lesley
and Kim (part of the scottish clan on the Dragoman trip). We had lunch
at Havelock, a small town nesteled in the heart of Queen Charlotte
Sound (a series of drowned valleys which enclose picturesque bays and
deserted sandy beaches and islands). Apparently Havelock is the world
capital for green-lipped mussels, so as recommended by the guidebook,
Judith tucked into a plateful, which had been steamed in a thai curry
sauce and coconut milk - slippery, but delicious! We then hit the 35km
Queen Charlotte Drive between Havelock and Picton, and weaved our way
round the winding roads to Picton. The scenery was spectacular round
each and every corner.
It was pouring with rain at 4am on Sunday
morning when Dan got up to watch Blackburn Rovers v
Newcastle on TV! Judith dragged herself out of bed for the second half! The rain was still lashing after the
game, so we did more chores (washing again). Later in the afternoon we
went to Blenheim (27km south of Picton). We drove through Marlborough
wine country and past many most prized vineyards. Neither of us is
drinking alcohol in January 09, otherwise we might have drunk one (or
two) dry! On the way back we sunbathed at Rarangi beach. It was quiet
and beautiful.
Time for some exercise - the following day we hired mountain bikes to bike a
section of the Queen Charlotte Track. The Track is 71km long with a
clay soil surface and is primarily for hikers. We opted to do the
section from Punga Cove to Torea Saddle (24.5km). We took a water taxi
and sailed through the calm waters of Queen Charlotte Sound to Punga
Cove. The history books tell us that Captain Cook stopped at Ship Cove
in Queen Charlote Sound on five occasions and made it his New Zealand
base. At Punga Cove we made our way to the track, but took a wrong
turning and got lost. Whilst coming down a steep path and pushing her
bike, Judith slipped, but was unscathed. Eventually we found the right
track. It was technical and challenging because of age-old tree roots
and loose rocks on the track. It was worth it for the views especially
those from the exposed skyline ridgeline. We had lunch on the ridgeline
and watched the sun dancing on the clear waters of the sound. A Weka
bird and her chicks gatecrashed our party looking for food. Refreshed
and refuelled we cycled on and could hear more birds, which were
singing and whistling in the hedgerows. After five hours of pedalling
we reached the finishing line and clambered aboard a water taxi to
Picton.
That night we showered at the campsite that we had stayed in
previously - we had to go there undercover because we weren't booked in
that night! Instead we bush camped in Frodo on a council run car park 5
minutes from the ferry terminal. Why? Because we were on the 5.45am
ferry to the North Island the following day!
SEE YOU IN WELLINGTON
