New Years In Nowhere

Trip Start Jun 05, 2007
1
28
82
Trip End Jan 06, 2009


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow

Flag of New Zealand  ,
Sunday, December 30, 2007

After our great visit to the beautiful sounds we headed for Central Otago.  Queenstown, famous for being the center of EXTREME in New Zealand was our next brief stop.  We drove into town to find it mobed with tourists, making it feel a bit like the NJ shore in summer time.  Not one place to stay available and a bunch of springbreakers looking for the New Years party, blah!  We were feeling a little less extreme than others so we moved on and spent the night in Arrowtown.  A small old mining town, which was also packed but less so, we stayed in a camp ground littered with people but at least there was a spot for us.
The next morning we went directly to Puzzling World, a must see on everyones list!  The place has many tricks for your eyes, namely a room that makes it look like one side has giants and the other has mini people.  Great laughs! and a gigantic maze that we raced through. 
2 hours later we headed for the desolate West coast to ignore the rat race and bring in the New Year without a bang for once Illusion
Illusion
 .  We found a place on Haast Beach that is known for being the most out of the way place in New Zealand.  With a bit of bubbly in hand and the sand flies retiring with the sunset, they are horrible evil creatures that do not cease to annoy (maybe one of the reasons no one lives on the west coast), we celebrated while looking at  millions of stars.
Our next stop was the Fox glacier.  My first ever experience with a wall of ice.  Pretty massive but all in all we decided it needed a power wash, very dirty.
We continued out into the bush and walked to Welcome Flat the following day.  7 hours of gorgeous views and waterfalls everywhere, with natural hot springs to sooth our aching muscles at the hut. One of the most rewarding two day journeys I have ever taken, although the way out was rain, rain and more rain.  We were soaked to the bone and attacked by sandflies in the parking lot, giving us no time to recoupe but only drive like the wind away from the untamed beauty of a lost coast.
We were lucky.  The west is known for rain and sandflies.  We had a few spectacularly clear days and were able to esape with only a few bites.
We drove through Aurthurs Pass to Christchurch content with our adventure into the deep south.
Slideshow Print this entry Wanaka hotels

Comments

lzk
lzk on Feb 4, 2008 at 12:25AM

Happy Birthday
Hi Tom,

Happy B-day. Sure hope you enjoyed your Pizza!!! Go Giants!!!. Glad you get to see the game. I sent you a gift make sure you check your account so I know you recvd it. Keep up the writing and pictures.

Love ya both
Mom

Add Comment