Rangitoto Island
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
Rangitoto Island, as seen from Devonport.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Devonport and Rangitoto
On Tuesday (the 22nd), Rebekka and I spent the day in the Auckland suburb of Devonport, just across the harbour from the city centre. We had all day, so just took our time looking around a second-hand bookshop and climbing Mount Victoria before lunch. After that, we had a walk through Allison Park to Narrow Neck Beach, then around the headland to Cheltenham Beach and North Head. We returned to the main street for dinner and then back on the ferry to central Auckland.
We spent almost all of Wednesday on Rangitoto Island, the newest of Auckland's volcanoes. There are only three ferries a day, so we went on the 9am one and came back at 3pm, allowing ourselves time to walk to the summit via the lava caves and then back down via one of the coastal paths. It was a really beautiful day and the New Zealand Christmas Tree (or Pohutukawa) is coming out now, so it turned the island into a strange volcanic paradise.
We spent almost all of Wednesday on Rangitoto Island, the newest of Auckland's volcanoes. There are only three ferries a day, so we went on the 9am one and came back at 3pm, allowing ourselves time to walk to the summit via the lava caves and then back down via one of the coastal paths. It was a really beautiful day and the New Zealand Christmas Tree (or Pohutukawa) is coming out now, so it turned the island into a strange volcanic paradise.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Back in Auckland
On Monday (21st), Rebekka and I got up early to say goodbye to the others who had been on our Flying Kiwi bus tour for the last few weeks. The trip would head North to the Bay of Island for three days and then return to Auckland, where we would meet up with Helene, Gesche and Pascal again as they got off.
Rebekka and I hauled our stuff up Queen Street to ACB (Auckland Central Backpackers), then I went to the IEP office and back to ACB to go on the Internet. We had lunch at an Italian food court place, then went around the huge Borders book shop for an hour or so. For dinner, we met up with Jennifer who I'd met in Auckland before the Flying Kiwi tour. We didn't do a lot that day, but we definitely needed time to just relax and organise our stuff.
Rebekka and I hauled our stuff up Queen Street to ACB (Auckland Central Backpackers), then I went to the IEP office and back to ACB to go on the Internet. We had lunch at an Italian food court place, then went around the huge Borders book shop for an hour or so. For dinner, we met up with Jennifer who I'd met in Auckland before the Flying Kiwi tour. We didn't do a lot that day, but we definitely needed time to just relax and organise our stuff.
At the farm show
At the farm show
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
From right to left: Rebekka, Helene, Libby, Katie, ?, Jenn, Pascal, Grant, ?...
Flying Kiwi day twenty seven - Waitomo
Sunday (the 20th) was my last day on the Flying Kiwi tour, and one that would take me back to Auckland where I started, via Waitomo. Almost all of the day was spent driving, with the only real stop in Waitomo, famous for its caves.
There was no space on any of the caving trips, so we went for an hour long walk through a section of rainforest to see various caves, waterfalls and the like, before heading back to the bus for lunch. It was then on to a farm for a 'Kiwi culture show', the like of which I've never seen before.
The farm show turned out to be performed by one guy and his collection of animals. When he wanted a donkey or sheep on stage, he cued them by pulling a string which would then open a pen outside in the yard, sending the animal trotting down a path and into the barn where the audience were sitting. The main theme was how the pioneers of New Zealand turned the country into farmland, and it eneded up being quite interesting. All of the grassy fields, for instance, were created by hand as the trees were chopped down and replaced with grass seed. Not a task for the faint hearted!
Talking of tasks, the show was quite audience orientated, even with only about a dozen of us. He got Jenn to light a fuse and then a handful of us to help sheer a sheep, which some of us found a little awkward to say the least. Anyway, it was an enjoyable show, even if it was a little eccentric.
From Waitomo, we continued on to Auckland, where we checked in to Base Backpackers. Helene, Pascal, Rebekka, Jenn, Gesche and I then went out for a meal and a drink before heading back to the hostel after an exhausting day.
There was no space on any of the caving trips, so we went for an hour long walk through a section of rainforest to see various caves, waterfalls and the like, before heading back to the bus for lunch. It was then on to a farm for a 'Kiwi culture show', the like of which I've never seen before.
The farm show turned out to be performed by one guy and his collection of animals. When he wanted a donkey or sheep on stage, he cued them by pulling a string which would then open a pen outside in the yard, sending the animal trotting down a path and into the barn where the audience were sitting. The main theme was how the pioneers of New Zealand turned the country into farmland, and it eneded up being quite interesting. All of the grassy fields, for instance, were created by hand as the trees were chopped down and replaced with grass seed. Not a task for the faint hearted!
Talking of tasks, the show was quite audience orientated, even with only about a dozen of us. He got Jenn to light a fuse and then a handful of us to help sheer a sheep, which some of us found a little awkward to say the least. Anyway, it was an enjoyable show, even if it was a little eccentric.
From Waitomo, we continued on to Auckland, where we checked in to Base Backpackers. Helene, Pascal, Rebekka, Jenn, Gesche and I then went out for a meal and a drink before heading back to the hostel after an exhausting day.
Mount Taranaki
Mount Taranaki
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
You can just about see Mount Taranaki in the background. The sun was shining right towards me, so I had little option but to hide it behind this tree.
Flying Kiwi day twenty six - Wellington
We only had until 1pm in Wellington on Saturday, but because Rebekka and I had already been to the city the last time the tour came through the North Island, we had a more relaxed morning while the others went to Te Papa, the national museum. After breakfast, we went for a look around the shops, the parliament buildings and Old St Paul's Catherdral, before getting on the bus at the train station.
Flying Kiwi keep their buses on the repective islands, so Rebekka, Pascal and I who had joined at Auckland got on our old bus, except now with a new driver. Grant and his assistant Libby would be heading around both islands, but they'd only take a few of us for the two days back to Auckland.
The last two days probably contain the longest drives of the whole tour, and as a result we only got off to get a takeaway dinner near Mt. Taranaki before arriving at Onaero for the night.
Flying Kiwi keep their buses on the repective islands, so Rebekka, Pascal and I who had joined at Auckland got on our old bus, except now with a new driver. Grant and his assistant Libby would be heading around both islands, but they'd only take a few of us for the two days back to Auckland.
The last two days probably contain the longest drives of the whole tour, and as a result we only got off to get a takeaway dinner near Mt. Taranaki before arriving at Onaero for the night.
Sunday, November 27, 2005
The Marlborough Sounds
The Marlborough Sounds
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
The view as you head out of Picton on the ferry.
Flying Kiwi day twenty five - Nelson
On Friday (the 18th), we left Abel Tasman and set off for Nelson, one of the oldest settlements in New Zealand. It was a sunny day, but one with a lot of driving and few stops. When we got to Nelson, we had three hours to do whatever we wanted, so Rebekka, Matteo, Helene, Kerstin, Pascal, John, Katie, Gesche and I went for lunch at one of the town's many cafes. After a quick stop at the supermarket, we went for a walk in one of the parks, before heading back to the bus.
It was then on to Picton for our ferry and where we would drop of those who wouldn't be staying with us on the trip back to the North Island. Laura, Catrina, Ilisa and Kerstin left us in Nelson, while Matteo, John and Yvonne got off in Picton.
We also had to leave our guide, Lisa, at Picton as she'd then have a nine day holiday before starting a whole new trip around both islands. She was an awesome driver and guide, really enthusiastic and always there to help us. It's a very intense job with few breaks, and given that it's her first solo trip, I thought she did superbly.
The eleven of us who were travelling North then got on the ferry, which took about three hours to reach Wellington, where we stayed at Base Backpackers.
It was then on to Picton for our ferry and where we would drop of those who wouldn't be staying with us on the trip back to the North Island. Laura, Catrina, Ilisa and Kerstin left us in Nelson, while Matteo, John and Yvonne got off in Picton.
We also had to leave our guide, Lisa, at Picton as she'd then have a nine day holiday before starting a whole new trip around both islands. She was an awesome driver and guide, really enthusiastic and always there to help us. It's a very intense job with few breaks, and given that it's her first solo trip, I thought she did superbly.
The eleven of us who were travelling North then got on the ferry, which took about three hours to reach Wellington, where we stayed at Base Backpackers.
Dolphins at Abel Tasman
Dolphins at Abel Tasman
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
Bottle-nosed dolphins playing at Abel Tasman National Park.
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Flying Kiwi day twenty four - Abel Tasman National Park
Thursday was a free day, allowing us to do whatever we wanted to in Abel Tasman National Park, which was a walk away from us in Marahau (on a side note, our campsite was called Old MacDonald's Farm, the same as in the childrens' song).
Most people on the bus did a kayaking trip, but as I'd already done kayaking at Coromandel, I chose to go on a seven hour sailing trip around the various bays and islands of the national park instead. The wind was ironically absent, so the captain just cruised around the coast using the ship's engine.
After a look at Split Apple Rock and trip up a river, amongst other things, we stopped at Anchorage Beach for lunch. Although the weather wasn't ideal with overcast skies, the scenery made up for it. The sand was probably the best I've seen since I've been in New Zealand; soft and golden like you see in postcards of paradise islands.
Once we got back into the bay, a pod of bottle-nosed dolphins appeared and followed us around for about half an hour, playing around in the sea before us. It was especially cool because on a ship like ours, there are no walls or windows to get in the way, so you can stand on the front corners and take pictures from a great viewpoint. Most of the others on the boat seemed to give up taking pictures after a while because their cameras weren't fast enough, so I managed to get an excellent set of photos from the trip. That evening we went out to a local cafe for a meal, and while the food wasn't quite up to standard, there were a bunch of cool local artists providing the music.
Most people on the bus did a kayaking trip, but as I'd already done kayaking at Coromandel, I chose to go on a seven hour sailing trip around the various bays and islands of the national park instead. The wind was ironically absent, so the captain just cruised around the coast using the ship's engine.
After a look at Split Apple Rock and trip up a river, amongst other things, we stopped at Anchorage Beach for lunch. Although the weather wasn't ideal with overcast skies, the scenery made up for it. The sand was probably the best I've seen since I've been in New Zealand; soft and golden like you see in postcards of paradise islands.
Once we got back into the bay, a pod of bottle-nosed dolphins appeared and followed us around for about half an hour, playing around in the sea before us. It was especially cool because on a ship like ours, there are no walls or windows to get in the way, so you can stand on the front corners and take pictures from a great viewpoint. Most of the others on the boat seemed to give up taking pictures after a while because their cameras weren't fast enough, so I managed to get an excellent set of photos from the trip. That evening we went out to a local cafe for a meal, and while the food wasn't quite up to standard, there were a bunch of cool local artists providing the music.
Flying Kiwi day twenty three - Punakaiki to Abel Tasman
On Wednesday (the 16th), we packed up and moved off from Punakaiki, heading towards Abel Tasman National Park. Incidentally, Abel Tasman was the Dutch explorer who was the first European to discover New Zealand and subsequently name it, although he never set foot on the land after a run-in with a local Maori tribe.
Most of the day was spent on the bus travelling through Buller Gorge, with a stop for a walk to a seal colony and then a further break in Murchison for lunch. Most days we only drive for maybe three hours, but today was much longer in terms of time on the road, although we would spend two nights at Abel Tasman National Park to make up for it.
Most of the day was spent on the bus travelling through Buller Gorge, with a stop for a walk to a seal colony and then a further break in Murchison for lunch. Most days we only drive for maybe three hours, but today was much longer in terms of time on the road, although we would spend two nights at Abel Tasman National Park to make up for it.
Flying Kiwi day twenty two - Punakaiki
On the Tuesday, we had the whole day at Punakaiki to do whatever we pleased, so after breakfast Helene, Rebekka and I set off for the Pancake Rocks just up the hill, the main tourist attraction in the area. As far as I understand, no-one quite knows why the rocks there form in a way that makes them appear to be like a stack of pancakes, but they're equally interesting and scenic nonetheless.
After our walk to the rocks, we came back down the hill and had a drink in the local pub's nice garden, before heading off for the Truman Track up the road, which ultimately leads to a beach. The great weather, the presence of the rainforest and absence of cars made it feel more like a Caribbean island than New Zealand. You won't see this part of the country and this type of landscape in The Lord Of The Rings, so it doesn't always feature prominently in tourist material, but it should really be promoted more.
After a 20 minute walk through the rainforest of the Truman Track, you're rewarded with a narrow and secluded beach set in along the coastline. There only about six other people there and we had almost as long as we wanted, so Helene, Rebekka and I just spent an hour or two relaxing at the beach, taking a welcome break from our usually packed Flying Kiwi schedule.
We walked back for lunch at the pub, then went back to the campsite and helped to clean the bus. After another hour at the more immediate of the beaches, we had dinner and then went off to see a glow-worm cave, although the three luminous animals that we could find weren't that amazing.
Every now and then you need a day off, even from a bus tour, and that day was ours. It was just nice not to have to sit in the bus for hours or put up tents, things like that. The weather and company were great, so all in all, a very enjoyable day.
After our walk to the rocks, we came back down the hill and had a drink in the local pub's nice garden, before heading off for the Truman Track up the road, which ultimately leads to a beach. The great weather, the presence of the rainforest and absence of cars made it feel more like a Caribbean island than New Zealand. You won't see this part of the country and this type of landscape in The Lord Of The Rings, so it doesn't always feature prominently in tourist material, but it should really be promoted more.
After a 20 minute walk through the rainforest of the Truman Track, you're rewarded with a narrow and secluded beach set in along the coastline. There only about six other people there and we had almost as long as we wanted, so Helene, Rebekka and I just spent an hour or two relaxing at the beach, taking a welcome break from our usually packed Flying Kiwi schedule.
We walked back for lunch at the pub, then went back to the campsite and helped to clean the bus. After another hour at the more immediate of the beaches, we had dinner and then went off to see a glow-worm cave, although the three luminous animals that we could find weren't that amazing.
Every now and then you need a day off, even from a bus tour, and that day was ours. It was just nice not to have to sit in the bus for hours or put up tents, things like that. The weather and company were great, so all in all, a very enjoyable day.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Flying Kiwi day twenty one - up the West coast
On Monday (the 14th), the weather cleared up and we headed off North up the West coast. It was a long day of driving, dotted with stops at various points of interest along the way.
Our first port of call was a greenstone factory-shop, displaying some of the awesome Maori carvings which you can find all across New Zealand. From there, it was on to Ross, a village known for its huge untapped gold reserves, which can't be exploited unless all of its residents back a mining project. Ross is typical small town New Zealand; wide empty roads bordered by sporadic houses and the odd shop, with a vague claim to fame for some reason or another.
The town of Hokitika was our destination for lunch, where a number of us went off to a cool restaurant to sample the local favourite; white bait. I had an omlette filled with the tiny fish, and while it looked a bit odd, it tasted nice nonetheless.
Greymouth was our next stop, where Guy, James and Mel, who joined us in Auckland, got off to board the Trans-Alpine train that would take them across the waist of the South Island to Christchurch. Our final drive of the day was to Punakaiki, where we would camp for the next two nights.
Our first port of call was a greenstone factory-shop, displaying some of the awesome Maori carvings which you can find all across New Zealand. From there, it was on to Ross, a village known for its huge untapped gold reserves, which can't be exploited unless all of its residents back a mining project. Ross is typical small town New Zealand; wide empty roads bordered by sporadic houses and the odd shop, with a vague claim to fame for some reason or another.
The town of Hokitika was our destination for lunch, where a number of us went off to a cool restaurant to sample the local favourite; white bait. I had an omlette filled with the tiny fish, and while it looked a bit odd, it tasted nice nonetheless.
Greymouth was our next stop, where Guy, James and Mel, who joined us in Auckland, got off to board the Trans-Alpine train that would take them across the waist of the South Island to Christchurch. Our final drive of the day was to Punakaiki, where we would camp for the next two nights.
Flying Kiwi day twenty - Fox Glacier
New Zealand gets all its weather from the West and when the clouds hit the Southern Alps, they have to rise and so it rains. The West Coast is one of the wettest places in the world, with over 10 metres of rain falling per year in some areas. When we drove into Fox Glacier, the service village of the glacier of the same name, the West Coast was certainly living up to its reputation!
Guy and I had wanted to do a heli-hike up the glacier, but due to the weather it was cancelled and instead we decided to go on a four hour guided walk with a dozen others from the trip. We were suited up with waterproof gear, boots, socks and crampons (which stop you slipping on ice), before being driven to the foot of the glacier to start our ascent.
It continued to rain as we made our way up the valley to the glacier's snout, but after 40 minutes it cleared off and it became a really enjoyable hike. Our guide let us up the glacier through a pre-cut route which while well defined, was still pretty tough going.
I've studied glaciers at school before, but I'd never seen one in action, let alone walked around on top of one, so it was great to be able to go and experience something that you've only ever read about. On our way back down, we heard several loud groans from the glacier, followed by a huge chunk of ice the size of a small car falling off the front of it. Fox is one of the fastest moving glaciers in the world at an advance of a metre a day, but I never expected to actually see it change quite so suddenly! Our guide had only ever seen a piece of ice fall of in such a way once before, so I guess we were very lucky in that respect.
Just as we got back on the Flying Kiwi bus, the heavens opened again and we drove through the rain to neighbouring Franz Josef, the sister glacier to Fox, where we stayed the night at a hostel.
Guy and I had wanted to do a heli-hike up the glacier, but due to the weather it was cancelled and instead we decided to go on a four hour guided walk with a dozen others from the trip. We were suited up with waterproof gear, boots, socks and crampons (which stop you slipping on ice), before being driven to the foot of the glacier to start our ascent.
It continued to rain as we made our way up the valley to the glacier's snout, but after 40 minutes it cleared off and it became a really enjoyable hike. Our guide let us up the glacier through a pre-cut route which while well defined, was still pretty tough going.
I've studied glaciers at school before, but I'd never seen one in action, let alone walked around on top of one, so it was great to be able to go and experience something that you've only ever read about. On our way back down, we heard several loud groans from the glacier, followed by a huge chunk of ice the size of a small car falling off the front of it. Fox is one of the fastest moving glaciers in the world at an advance of a metre a day, but I never expected to actually see it change quite so suddenly! Our guide had only ever seen a piece of ice fall of in such a way once before, so I guess we were very lucky in that respect.
Just as we got back on the Flying Kiwi bus, the heavens opened again and we drove through the rain to neighbouring Franz Josef, the sister glacier to Fox, where we stayed the night at a hostel.
Flying Kiwi day nineteen - Haast Pass
On the Saturday (12th), we left Lake Hawea and travelled on to Haast Pass, the lowest point through the Southern Alps, the mountain range that spans almost all of the South Island. The weather was overcast and hardly inspiring, but the scenery was nonetheless spectacular.
When we got to the top of the Pass, Lisa let us get off and cycle down the other side for about 10km. It was by no means as easy as the Milford Sound cycle, but the steep and winding road at the end was excellent and I arrived at the same time as the bus, which demonstrates either how quick I was or how slow the bus had to go!
After a walk to the Blue Pools, we continued on to Okuru for the night, where we had a BBQ dinner before the rain started to fall again; typical for the West Coast.
When we got to the top of the Pass, Lisa let us get off and cycle down the other side for about 10km. It was by no means as easy as the Milford Sound cycle, but the steep and winding road at the end was excellent and I arrived at the same time as the bus, which demonstrates either how quick I was or how slow the bus had to go!
After a walk to the Blue Pools, we continued on to Okuru for the night, where we had a BBQ dinner before the rain started to fall again; typical for the West Coast.
Flying Kiwi day eighteen - Lake Hawea
I haven't had much Internet access recently, so bear with me as I update this to the present!
So on Friday (the 11th), we were in Queenstown and I had a late start before heading down into town to update this. I then returned to the campsite where Lisa - our guide - asked for my help with the shopping and I duly obliged. We went off to the supermarket, where we had to get food for 20 people for a few days, not a small amount I can assure you! Three trollies and $800 later, we drove back to the campsite and packed up everything ready to drive out at 3pm.
Four of our group left us at Queenstown;Andie and Alice who joined us in Auckland, followed by Anna and Marta who got on at Picton. We gained eight new people though, seven German exchange students and Katie from the UK. In total, we were now 22, of which only 7 were guys...
So on we went towards Lake Hawea, heading North and West to the coast. As we passed through the countryside, a rear tire on the bus blew, but fortunately outside of a pub, so we had to spend an hour or so relaxing in their beer garden. Back on the road again, we passed through Cromwell, New Zealand's fruit capital (with giant fruit in the centre of town!), before ending up at a rainy Lake Hawea for the night.
So on Friday (the 11th), we were in Queenstown and I had a late start before heading down into town to update this. I then returned to the campsite where Lisa - our guide - asked for my help with the shopping and I duly obliged. We went off to the supermarket, where we had to get food for 20 people for a few days, not a small amount I can assure you! Three trollies and $800 later, we drove back to the campsite and packed up everything ready to drive out at 3pm.
Four of our group left us at Queenstown;Andie and Alice who joined us in Auckland, followed by Anna and Marta who got on at Picton. We gained eight new people though, seven German exchange students and Katie from the UK. In total, we were now 22, of which only 7 were guys...
So on we went towards Lake Hawea, heading North and West to the coast. As we passed through the countryside, a rear tire on the bus blew, but fortunately outside of a pub, so we had to spend an hour or so relaxing in their beer garden. Back on the road again, we passed through Cromwell, New Zealand's fruit capital (with giant fruit in the centre of town!), before ending up at a rainy Lake Hawea for the night.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Flying Kiwi day seventeen - still in Queenstown
Thursday was a completely free day for us, which was a bit weird since we usually have such a packed schedule. After a late wake up, I went down into town to update this and then had lunch with a few of the others on the Flying Kiwi tour. After that, I went to 'The Station', a booking office where my afternoon's activities were checking in.
The first thing I had booked was the Shotover Jet, a jet boat on the Shotover River. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the activity, but then it was recommended by Lisa (our guide) who used to work there. Essentially, you're sat in a powerful jet boat as the driver speeds down the narrow river valley for 25 minutes. They purposefully made sure to drive as close to the rocks as possible and the driver took each bend in the river like a rally driver; sideways. I didn't quite know what to expect from the Shotover Jet, but it turned out to be a lot of fun and good value for money. It was even better since I got the front seat in the boat next to the driver!
From there it was on to a helicopter ride, which took five of us up to The Remarkables, a series of mountains above Queenstown. The views were spectacular as you'd expect and the pilot even landed on top of a mountain to allow us to get off and take photos, which was great. From The Remarkables, we then flew back down to the airport and got a shuttle back into Queenstown.
Queenstown itself is an off place, a pure tourist resort which seems to be growing at a rapid pace. It's only got 10,000 people, but that doubles seasonally and there are plenty of contruction sites wherever you go. Its pedestrian-friendly downtown area almost feels European with cafes having room to put tables out in the streets. Auckland and a lot of other towns have much less of an emphasis on pedestrians. On top of all the adventure activities there are, the scenery is spectacular and it makes a great setting for overpriced bungy jumps and the like.
Anyway, we're off out of Queenstown and up the West Coast today (the 11th), so expect more sporadic updates for the next 10 days or so.
The first thing I had booked was the Shotover Jet, a jet boat on the Shotover River. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the activity, but then it was recommended by Lisa (our guide) who used to work there. Essentially, you're sat in a powerful jet boat as the driver speeds down the narrow river valley for 25 minutes. They purposefully made sure to drive as close to the rocks as possible and the driver took each bend in the river like a rally driver; sideways. I didn't quite know what to expect from the Shotover Jet, but it turned out to be a lot of fun and good value for money. It was even better since I got the front seat in the boat next to the driver!
From there it was on to a helicopter ride, which took five of us up to The Remarkables, a series of mountains above Queenstown. The views were spectacular as you'd expect and the pilot even landed on top of a mountain to allow us to get off and take photos, which was great. From The Remarkables, we then flew back down to the airport and got a shuttle back into Queenstown.
Queenstown itself is an off place, a pure tourist resort which seems to be growing at a rapid pace. It's only got 10,000 people, but that doubles seasonally and there are plenty of contruction sites wherever you go. Its pedestrian-friendly downtown area almost feels European with cafes having room to put tables out in the streets. Auckland and a lot of other towns have much less of an emphasis on pedestrians. On top of all the adventure activities there are, the scenery is spectacular and it makes a great setting for overpriced bungy jumps and the like.
Anyway, we're off out of Queenstown and up the West Coast today (the 11th), so expect more sporadic updates for the next 10 days or so.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Lake Wakatipu
Lake Wakatipu
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
This is the lake that Queenstown is on, although the town is around the corner, not on this section of the water.
After my stunt plane flight
After my stunt plane flight
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
The Pitts Special is like a Grand Prix car; it's designed for speed and agility, having only enough fuel for 30 mins!
Flying Kiwi day sixteen - Queenstown
On Wednesday (yesterday, I'm catching up!), we travelled to Queenstown a day early, instead of spending longer in Te Anau. Queenstown is the self-proclaimed adventure sports capital of the world and the resort town certainly seems to live up to it. I don't know of anywhere else with a population of only 10,000 that has an international airport and a Louis Vuitton store.
On the way, we stopped at a viewpoint over the 'S' shaped Lake Wakatipu and it was probably one of the best views I've seen in New Zealand yet, and that's saying something. As I stood upon a rocky outcrop, I could see the mountains, lake and forests before me. It was almost like The Lord of the Rings theme music was going to come on any second.
We had the whole afternoon in Queenstown to do whatever we wanted, so after lunch I went up in a Pitts Special Red Bull stunt plane for 20 minutes, which was so good it was beyond words. The weather was great and the team there were so laid back almost to the point of being worrying. It turned out to be so much better than my already high expectations, as we did numerous turns, loops, rolls and the like. The scenery wasn't bad either!
We've got another day and a half here, so I'll save some other observations for then.
On the way, we stopped at a viewpoint over the 'S' shaped Lake Wakatipu and it was probably one of the best views I've seen in New Zealand yet, and that's saying something. As I stood upon a rocky outcrop, I could see the mountains, lake and forests before me. It was almost like The Lord of the Rings theme music was going to come on any second.
We had the whole afternoon in Queenstown to do whatever we wanted, so after lunch I went up in a Pitts Special Red Bull stunt plane for 20 minutes, which was so good it was beyond words. The weather was great and the team there were so laid back almost to the point of being worrying. It turned out to be so much better than my already high expectations, as we did numerous turns, loops, rolls and the like. The scenery wasn't bad either!
We've got another day and a half here, so I'll save some other observations for then.
Dolphins in Milford Sound
Dolphins in Milford Sound
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
Spectacular scenery and wildlife; what more could you want?
Flying Kiwi day fifteen - Milford Sound
On Tuesday we set off from Te Anau for Milford Sound, the most accessible of Fiordland's fjords. Incidentally, a 'fjord' is a valley carved by a glacier and subsequently filled by the sea, and a 'fiord' is the New Zealand English spelling of hte same thing.
There's only one road from Te Anau to Milford Sound and it runs through more scenic highlights than you'll ever see in many countries. The road climbs up through the glacial valleys to the 1270m Homer Tunnel, a project that took 18 years to complete. Once we were on the other side, we had the oppurtunity to cycle 18km downhill through the valley to The Chasm.
Being such an easy ride through such a spectacular landscape, I didn't hesitate to get on a bike and down the hill. It turned out to be the most enjoyable bike ride I've ever done, with no traffic and a sky without a cloud in sight.
We arrived at The Chasm in a matter of minutes, far quicker than I expected, and we had a chance to have a walk to the waterfall it's named after. The views around and down the valley were so good that it was almost unbelieveable. Pictures can't even do many of the places I've visited in New Zealand justice.
We got back on to the bus and drove the remaining distance downhill towards Milford Sound itself. With such clear waters, towering peaks and perfect weather, it certainly lived up to the hype that is basked upon it.
A small boat cruise at noon took us out into and around the fjord for two hours, and proved to be one of the best things I've done in New Zealand so far. The luck we had was quite amazing. Fiordland is one of the wettest places in the world, with 7m of rainfall annually, yet there were no clouds. I also chose to stand at the very front of the boat, outside, which as you'll read in a minute was an unbelivably good choice. What happened in the next couple of hours was so good that you wondered 'when the dice would stop rolling sixes', as it were.
We sailed out towards the side of the fjord, admiring the towering sides and the immense Mitre Peak, one of the highest mountains in the world to rise directly out of the sea. Waterfalls tumble down from hanging valleys and the vegetation on the fjord's sides are essentially tropical rainforest. There were even a seal and a couple of penguins waddling around on the rocks.
When we got out into the open ocean, something happened which I never expected; a pod of dolphins appeared. You may or may not know, but dolphins don't just sit alongside a ship and swim away; they come over and play, racing alongside almost within touching distance. They especially like swimming at the front of a ship, exactly where I was standing. The next few minutes was awesome, as I took photo after photo and got to see dolphins for the third time in a fortnight. The pod came back again twice, so I got a ton of shots, partly due to the motor drive on my camera allowing me to take photos one after another, like a machine gun. As you'll see, I think I got some stunning images.
Words and pictures can't really describe how good the morning was. I got such a buzz from seeing dolphins so close up and being able to take photos from such a great position. It was even better in the context of the weather and the spectacular scenery. I don't think I've ever been so lucky.
After the cruise, we headed back up the valley to The Devide, where those who were going on the Routeburn Track got off. I didn't opt to go on the three day hike because I would have to buy all of the gear for an alpine walk and don't have anywhere to put it all once I've finished. The remaining seven of us returned to Te Anau, where another great sunset greeted us at an end to an outstanding day.
There's only one road from Te Anau to Milford Sound and it runs through more scenic highlights than you'll ever see in many countries. The road climbs up through the glacial valleys to the 1270m Homer Tunnel, a project that took 18 years to complete. Once we were on the other side, we had the oppurtunity to cycle 18km downhill through the valley to The Chasm.
Being such an easy ride through such a spectacular landscape, I didn't hesitate to get on a bike and down the hill. It turned out to be the most enjoyable bike ride I've ever done, with no traffic and a sky without a cloud in sight.
We arrived at The Chasm in a matter of minutes, far quicker than I expected, and we had a chance to have a walk to the waterfall it's named after. The views around and down the valley were so good that it was almost unbelieveable. Pictures can't even do many of the places I've visited in New Zealand justice.
We got back on to the bus and drove the remaining distance downhill towards Milford Sound itself. With such clear waters, towering peaks and perfect weather, it certainly lived up to the hype that is basked upon it.
A small boat cruise at noon took us out into and around the fjord for two hours, and proved to be one of the best things I've done in New Zealand so far. The luck we had was quite amazing. Fiordland is one of the wettest places in the world, with 7m of rainfall annually, yet there were no clouds. I also chose to stand at the very front of the boat, outside, which as you'll read in a minute was an unbelivably good choice. What happened in the next couple of hours was so good that you wondered 'when the dice would stop rolling sixes', as it were.
We sailed out towards the side of the fjord, admiring the towering sides and the immense Mitre Peak, one of the highest mountains in the world to rise directly out of the sea. Waterfalls tumble down from hanging valleys and the vegetation on the fjord's sides are essentially tropical rainforest. There were even a seal and a couple of penguins waddling around on the rocks.
When we got out into the open ocean, something happened which I never expected; a pod of dolphins appeared. You may or may not know, but dolphins don't just sit alongside a ship and swim away; they come over and play, racing alongside almost within touching distance. They especially like swimming at the front of a ship, exactly where I was standing. The next few minutes was awesome, as I took photo after photo and got to see dolphins for the third time in a fortnight. The pod came back again twice, so I got a ton of shots, partly due to the motor drive on my camera allowing me to take photos one after another, like a machine gun. As you'll see, I think I got some stunning images.
Words and pictures can't really describe how good the morning was. I got such a buzz from seeing dolphins so close up and being able to take photos from such a great position. It was even better in the context of the weather and the spectacular scenery. I don't think I've ever been so lucky.
After the cruise, we headed back up the valley to The Devide, where those who were going on the Routeburn Track got off. I didn't opt to go on the three day hike because I would have to buy all of the gear for an alpine walk and don't have anywhere to put it all once I've finished. The remaining seven of us returned to Te Anau, where another great sunset greeted us at an end to an outstanding day.
Flying Kiwi day fourteen - into Fiordland
Monday morning saw us driving off towards Fiordland, the south-eastern part of the South Island. About two thirds of Fiordland is a national park covering 12,120 square kilometres, making it the largest national park in New Zealand and one of the largest in the world.
Our first stop was the town of Gore, which is particularly greedy when it comes to its claims to fame, for it is 'the brown trout fishing capital of the world' and 'the country music capital of New Zealand'. To mark its significance, an equally enormous and ridiculous trout about 10m high resides in the town square.
We had a picnic lunch in the tiny town of Lumsden, before heading off to Lake Manapouri, where we had an hour to walk down to and relax on Fraser's Beach. The sun was out and the scenery was outstanding, making it one of the recent highlights of the trip. There are so many beautiful spots like this around the country, but none seem to be overly busy or exploited.
Our final leg of the day was to Lake Te Anau, and the campsite on its shores where we would stay for the next two nights. As the sun went down, I went to get some pictures and the sunset couldn't have looked better if someone had painted it on.
Our first stop was the town of Gore, which is particularly greedy when it comes to its claims to fame, for it is 'the brown trout fishing capital of the world' and 'the country music capital of New Zealand'. To mark its significance, an equally enormous and ridiculous trout about 10m high resides in the town square.
We had a picnic lunch in the tiny town of Lumsden, before heading off to Lake Manapouri, where we had an hour to walk down to and relax on Fraser's Beach. The sun was out and the scenery was outstanding, making it one of the recent highlights of the trip. There are so many beautiful spots like this around the country, but none seem to be overly busy or exploited.
Our final leg of the day was to Lake Te Anau, and the campsite on its shores where we would stay for the next two nights. As the sun went down, I went to get some pictures and the sunset couldn't have looked better if someone had painted it on.
Flying Kiwi day thirteen - Dunedin
On Sunday we drove off down the East Coast to the Moeraki Boulders, a set of huge circular stones which lie on a beach 40km south of Oamaru. The weather was a bit overcast, but I think it added to the atmosphere of the place. It was only a short stop though, and so we continued on to Dunedin.
Dunedin is the second largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, with a population of about 115,000. It was founded by Scottish settlers and its name comes from the Gaelic translation of Edinburgh. We only had about three or four hours in the city, so I only managed to have lunch, visit the Cadbury chocolate factory and update this on the Internet. Unfortunately the Cadbury factory wasn't working as usual because it was a Sunday, so there was a more restricted tour which wasn't as good as I had maybe expected. Nevertheless, I got some chocolate at factory prices and we all met up again to proceed to our next novelty stop.
Baldwin Street in Dunedin is the world's steepest street, and we stopped for five minutes to admire its magnificence. From top to bottom, its angle is 19 degrees, but because it's curved, the steepest point is more like 40. It's fairly discrete, with only a small sign pointing out its record breaking credentials, but its novelty is entertaining nonetheless.
From there it was on to Kaka Point on the Catlins Coast, where we camped for the night. Before bed, we let off some fireworks on the beach left over from the previous day. I found it maybe a little ironic that they celebrate Bonfire Night, when Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament, even when the even predates New Zealand being discovered by Europeans by about 50 years.
Dunedin is the second largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, with a population of about 115,000. It was founded by Scottish settlers and its name comes from the Gaelic translation of Edinburgh. We only had about three or four hours in the city, so I only managed to have lunch, visit the Cadbury chocolate factory and update this on the Internet. Unfortunately the Cadbury factory wasn't working as usual because it was a Sunday, so there was a more restricted tour which wasn't as good as I had maybe expected. Nevertheless, I got some chocolate at factory prices and we all met up again to proceed to our next novelty stop.
Baldwin Street in Dunedin is the world's steepest street, and we stopped for five minutes to admire its magnificence. From top to bottom, its angle is 19 degrees, but because it's curved, the steepest point is more like 40. It's fairly discrete, with only a small sign pointing out its record breaking credentials, but its novelty is entertaining nonetheless.
From there it was on to Kaka Point on the Catlins Coast, where we camped for the night. Before bed, we let off some fireworks on the beach left over from the previous day. I found it maybe a little ironic that they celebrate Bonfire Night, when Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament, even when the even predates New Zealand being discovered by Europeans by about 50 years.
Aoraki Mount Cook
Aoraki Mount Cook
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
This is about 100m away from where we camped. Aoraki Mount Cook is the furthest and highest peak, slightly covered in cloud.
Flying Kiwi day twelve - Aoraki Mount Cook and Oamaru
The night at the Aoraki Mount Cook campsite turned out to be the first really bad weather we've come across. Gale force winds funneled down the valley by the mountains combined with rain to give us a rough night to say the least! I was woken up at 2am by water dripping inside my tent and had to prompty cover everything with my raincoat. The tents have two layers, but the wind was so strong that it pushed the two sheets of fabric together, letting the rain seep through. Coupled with the increasing dampness was the flexibility of the tents themselves. While they're very sturdy and well built, there's no way they can stand up to winds that strong and even when roped down, they flexed about and were practically crushed down on top of us by the wind. One couple went inside to sleep and found their tent in a tree the following morning! It was certainly 'an experience' to say the least, and our tired faces on Saturday showed how little sleep we'd all gotten.
The gales were still blowing too strong for Lisa to safely drive the bus, so we hung out in the kitchen and lounge at the campsite, waiting for the wind to die down. When it did so and the sun came out, I went for a walk down to the lake and got some great photos of Aoraki Mount Cook, before joining everyone else back at the camp to head off at around 11am. We drove to Aoraki Mount Cook village and its information centre (where I had the tastiest muffin of my trip yet!), before continuing to the town of Oamaru.
Back on the East Coast, we had a walk around Oamaru for an hour, before heading to camp, where I propmtly got a room to ensure that I didn't have to sleep anywhere that had moving walls!
Now that I've mentioned Oamaru, I think it's time to give some observations on the South Island's small towns. First of all, it's almost impossible to get run over by a car, due to the lack of traffic and the courtesy of the drivers. You're equally unlikely to find a shop open when you want it to be, even if it's Saturday afternoon or lunchtime during the week (I don't know what sort of opening hours system they operate, but it's certainly an odd one). What we know as newsagents or cornershops are called dairies here. Such shops only stock one paper, usually a local one with two pages of international news, so you're preactically cut off from the goings on of the world. Such towns are always famous for something, as you've already found out and will do later on.
The gales were still blowing too strong for Lisa to safely drive the bus, so we hung out in the kitchen and lounge at the campsite, waiting for the wind to die down. When it did so and the sun came out, I went for a walk down to the lake and got some great photos of Aoraki Mount Cook, before joining everyone else back at the camp to head off at around 11am. We drove to Aoraki Mount Cook village and its information centre (where I had the tastiest muffin of my trip yet!), before continuing to the town of Oamaru.
Back on the East Coast, we had a walk around Oamaru for an hour, before heading to camp, where I propmtly got a room to ensure that I didn't have to sleep anywhere that had moving walls!
Now that I've mentioned Oamaru, I think it's time to give some observations on the South Island's small towns. First of all, it's almost impossible to get run over by a car, due to the lack of traffic and the courtesy of the drivers. You're equally unlikely to find a shop open when you want it to be, even if it's Saturday afternoon or lunchtime during the week (I don't know what sort of opening hours system they operate, but it's certainly an odd one). What we know as newsagents or cornershops are called dairies here. Such shops only stock one paper, usually a local one with two pages of international news, so you're preactically cut off from the goings on of the world. Such towns are always famous for something, as you've already found out and will do later on.
Flying Kiwi day eleven - Rangitata and Aoraki Mount Cook National Park
We had a laid back start to Friday, with those who wanted to going white water rafting and the rest relaxing at the Rangitata lodge where we had slept the night before. I chose not to do the rafting, since I would have to take my glasses off and therefore wouldn't fully appreciate the experience. After a wander around the surrounding countryside with a couple of the German girls, we all headed off on the bus inland towards the centre of the South Island.
We passed through and stopped at a town called Geraldine for 20 minutes, home to a piece of knitwear of novelty proportions. Every small town in New Zealand seems to love being famous for something, and Geraldine is the residence of the World's Largest Jumper.
Of course, I couldn't resist going to have a look at it, so I went into the Giant Jersey shop in which it's housed. Hanging on the wall alongside its Guiness Book of Records certificate, the enormous jumper is patterned with lots of different squares, featuring sheep and the like. I asked the guy behind the counter who made the jumper, to which he replied "me". Wanting to know more about the intruiging world of record-breaking textile contruction, I asked if anyone had tried it on and why it was made in the first place. Apparently it's too large for anyone, but a family could fit inside, and it was made to give the store an identity, not the break the record. There you go.
Feeling satisfied with Geraldine after speaking to the maker of the World's Largest Jumper, I got back on the bus as we headed to the Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. Lisa (our guide, remember) dropped us off for a walk down to Lake Tekapo, which ended at the Church of the Good Shepherd. A tiny stone building perched on the edge of the lake surrounded by mountains, it certainly gave a real sense of scale to the place. The lake itself was beautiful, but superlatives like that lose their sense of scale when you're somewhere like New Zealand where everything is at such a high standard.
After our walk, we continued on to our campsite at Lake Pukaki, the glacial lake at the foot of Aoraki Mount Cook. Aoraki Mount Cook is New Zealand's highest mountain at 3754m and is called that to combine its Maori and European names. Our campsite sat on the shore of the lake in the floor of the glacial valley, completely surrounded by mountains, with Aoraki Mount Cook as the furthest of the peaks about five miles away. Combined with the beautiful (if windy) weather, it was ludicrously picturesque.
We passed through and stopped at a town called Geraldine for 20 minutes, home to a piece of knitwear of novelty proportions. Every small town in New Zealand seems to love being famous for something, and Geraldine is the residence of the World's Largest Jumper.
Of course, I couldn't resist going to have a look at it, so I went into the Giant Jersey shop in which it's housed. Hanging on the wall alongside its Guiness Book of Records certificate, the enormous jumper is patterned with lots of different squares, featuring sheep and the like. I asked the guy behind the counter who made the jumper, to which he replied "me". Wanting to know more about the intruiging world of record-breaking textile contruction, I asked if anyone had tried it on and why it was made in the first place. Apparently it's too large for anyone, but a family could fit inside, and it was made to give the store an identity, not the break the record. There you go.
Feeling satisfied with Geraldine after speaking to the maker of the World's Largest Jumper, I got back on the bus as we headed to the Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. Lisa (our guide, remember) dropped us off for a walk down to Lake Tekapo, which ended at the Church of the Good Shepherd. A tiny stone building perched on the edge of the lake surrounded by mountains, it certainly gave a real sense of scale to the place. The lake itself was beautiful, but superlatives like that lose their sense of scale when you're somewhere like New Zealand where everything is at such a high standard.
After our walk, we continued on to our campsite at Lake Pukaki, the glacial lake at the foot of Aoraki Mount Cook. Aoraki Mount Cook is New Zealand's highest mountain at 3754m and is called that to combine its Maori and European names. Our campsite sat on the shore of the lake in the floor of the glacial valley, completely surrounded by mountains, with Aoraki Mount Cook as the furthest of the peaks about five miles away. Combined with the beautiful (if windy) weather, it was ludicrously picturesque.
Flying Kiwi day ten - whales and Christchurch
It was a 4:30am wake up on Thursday for whale watching, which came as a distinct shock to the system even for those of us who are now used to getting up at 6! After getting a picture of the sunrise and grabbing some breakfast, I went off to the whale watching office with the two Italian girls who had joined the trip the day before.
It turned out that the ship was sailing, but that because it was the first of the day, they didn't know where the whales were exactly, so we would act as a scout to go and find them. After a safety briefing, we were bussed off to the launch and boarded our ship, Paikea. Incidentally, Paikea is the name of the whale rider in Maori mythology.
What really surprised me was the professionalism of Whale Watch Kaikoura. They had four very modern boats with very comfortable seating and a plasma screen display in each one, showing graphics to illustrate the position of the boat along with all of the wildlife we saw. We had full commentary along the way and you really got to understand the background to everything that was going on.
The first half an hour was spent moving from one area to the next, with the captain stopping and lowering a hydrophone to listen for the sperm whales. The whales come up for air every 45 minutes on average and only remain on the surface for 5, so we were very lucky to see two of them within a minute of each other.
You could only see their backs as the remainder of their body stayed submerged, apart from a brief yet spectacular showing of their tail when they dived back into the ocean. Whale watching isn't the most exciting of experiences, but it's certainly humbling to see one of the world's largest animals from so close up.
On our return, it was off to Christchurch, a city named after the cathedral college of Christ Church in the University of Oxford. With a population of 345,000 it's the largest city in the South Island and lies on the East coast. We only had a couple of hours in which to get a taste of the city, so after a quick lunch I went to the city centre and its cathedral. The views from the top of the spire where hardly insipiring, excuse the pun, and the building was far from spectacular, so I went back down and towards the Art Gallery.
As one of the Rough Guide's "35 things not to miss", the Christchurch Art Gallery is housed in a very modern and striking building. I only had about 15 minutes inside since I was short on time, but I got to look round a couple of the galleries, which seemed nice enough. I then headed off to the Arts Centre opposite, specifically to Rutherford's Den.
Ernest Rutherford is the guy on New Zealand's 100 dollar note and is known as the father of nuclear physics. The Den is a small tribute to him and contains several rooms where he spend some time studying, teaching and experimenting in Christchurch. I only had 10 minutes inside, but it was interesting to see a bit of his history, since I learnt about him during Physics lessons at school.
We met up outside Christchurch's museum and we headed off to Rangitata after picking up six new people; two Germans, a Scot, a Brazilian, an American and a Swede. Up til then, the group had been split exactly equally in terms of gender, but of the six, five were female, so it added an interesting dynamic to the group.
We arrived at Rangitata, inland and South of Christchurch, and ended a long day with a meal under the stars, sleeping in a lodge that was practically in the middle of nowhere.
It turned out that the ship was sailing, but that because it was the first of the day, they didn't know where the whales were exactly, so we would act as a scout to go and find them. After a safety briefing, we were bussed off to the launch and boarded our ship, Paikea. Incidentally, Paikea is the name of the whale rider in Maori mythology.
What really surprised me was the professionalism of Whale Watch Kaikoura. They had four very modern boats with very comfortable seating and a plasma screen display in each one, showing graphics to illustrate the position of the boat along with all of the wildlife we saw. We had full commentary along the way and you really got to understand the background to everything that was going on.
The first half an hour was spent moving from one area to the next, with the captain stopping and lowering a hydrophone to listen for the sperm whales. The whales come up for air every 45 minutes on average and only remain on the surface for 5, so we were very lucky to see two of them within a minute of each other.
You could only see their backs as the remainder of their body stayed submerged, apart from a brief yet spectacular showing of their tail when they dived back into the ocean. Whale watching isn't the most exciting of experiences, but it's certainly humbling to see one of the world's largest animals from so close up.
On our return, it was off to Christchurch, a city named after the cathedral college of Christ Church in the University of Oxford. With a population of 345,000 it's the largest city in the South Island and lies on the East coast. We only had a couple of hours in which to get a taste of the city, so after a quick lunch I went to the city centre and its cathedral. The views from the top of the spire where hardly insipiring, excuse the pun, and the building was far from spectacular, so I went back down and towards the Art Gallery.
As one of the Rough Guide's "35 things not to miss", the Christchurch Art Gallery is housed in a very modern and striking building. I only had about 15 minutes inside since I was short on time, but I got to look round a couple of the galleries, which seemed nice enough. I then headed off to the Arts Centre opposite, specifically to Rutherford's Den.
Ernest Rutherford is the guy on New Zealand's 100 dollar note and is known as the father of nuclear physics. The Den is a small tribute to him and contains several rooms where he spend some time studying, teaching and experimenting in Christchurch. I only had 10 minutes inside, but it was interesting to see a bit of his history, since I learnt about him during Physics lessons at school.
We met up outside Christchurch's museum and we headed off to Rangitata after picking up six new people; two Germans, a Scot, a Brazilian, an American and a Swede. Up til then, the group had been split exactly equally in terms of gender, but of the six, five were female, so it added an interesting dynamic to the group.
We arrived at Rangitata, inland and South of Christchurch, and ended a long day with a meal under the stars, sleeping in a lodge that was practically in the middle of nowhere.
Flying Kiwi day nine - Kaikoura
On Wednesday we headed off to Kaikoura on the East coast of the South Island. We picked up four new people on the way; three Italians and an American. The journey took up most of the morning and we got there in time for a whale watching trip, but it was cancelled because they had swum out of the boats' range. Nevertheless, we rebooked for the following morning (a 6:15 sailing!) and headed off down the coast.
After a stroll through the small village, we had the option of going for a walk then a short cycle, or doing a much longer cycle. Since it was such a nice day, I decided to go for the former and it must have been one of the best choices I've made since I've been here.
The walking track went up and over a headland that juts out into the Pacific, so you got a great view back over two bays and onto the land. The weather was perfect and the scenery was beyond beautiful. You could see the beaches, followed by the bright blue water, the land and then the mountains behind. It was like someone had come along and painted the scene for us; it was too good to be true. A sign at the top of the cliff summed it up, "Is this the best view in New Zealand?"
After a couple of hours walking and taking pictures, we met back up at the bus and then cycled off down the coast for 9km towards the campsite. It was a flat and easy ride, made even better by such an awesome landscape.
Our campsite was right on the beach, so we could walk along the sand at sunset with the Pacific on our right and a range of mountains on our left. I've never been anywhere quite like it.
After a stroll through the small village, we had the option of going for a walk then a short cycle, or doing a much longer cycle. Since it was such a nice day, I decided to go for the former and it must have been one of the best choices I've made since I've been here.
The walking track went up and over a headland that juts out into the Pacific, so you got a great view back over two bays and onto the land. The weather was perfect and the scenery was beyond beautiful. You could see the beaches, followed by the bright blue water, the land and then the mountains behind. It was like someone had come along and painted the scene for us; it was too good to be true. A sign at the top of the cliff summed it up, "Is this the best view in New Zealand?"
After a couple of hours walking and taking pictures, we met back up at the bus and then cycled off down the coast for 9km towards the campsite. It was a flat and easy ride, made even better by such an awesome landscape.
Our campsite was right on the beach, so we could walk along the sand at sunset with the Pacific on our right and a range of mountains on our left. I've never been anywhere quite like it.
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Flying Kiwi day eight - Wellington
Tuesday saw us travelling on to Wellington, New Zealand's captial city of about 440,000 people situated at the very southern tip of the North Island. Given an unusually long time of eight hours to spend doing whatever, we went first to the national musuem, Te Papa. Museums are typically stuffy affairs, but this one is couldn't be more different, and was even better than the one in Auckland. Everything is state of the art, with a ton of interactive displays and endless amounts of informative information. There was also such a range of topics being covered, from New Zealand's physical and natural history to its Maori culture and past immigration.
After Te Papa, we caught a lift on the cable car to the Botanical Gardens for a stroll through the park and to see the panoramic views of the city. We didn't have enough time to get a real feeling for Wellington, but it seems a nice enough place, compacted by its surrounding hills unlike the hugely sprawling Auckland.
At 6, we said goodbye to the North Island and boarded a ferry to Picton. The sailing took about two hours and we got to pass through the Marlborough Sounds at sunset, so it proved to be a relaxing break from such an active schedule.
On arrival at Picton, we were transferred to a hostel which was extremely comfortable, with duvets and an en suite bathroom. Camping really makes you appreciate things like electricity that you usually take for granted wihtout even thinking about it.
After Te Papa, we caught a lift on the cable car to the Botanical Gardens for a stroll through the park and to see the panoramic views of the city. We didn't have enough time to get a real feeling for Wellington, but it seems a nice enough place, compacted by its surrounding hills unlike the hugely sprawling Auckland.
At 6, we said goodbye to the North Island and boarded a ferry to Picton. The sailing took about two hours and we got to pass through the Marlborough Sounds at sunset, so it proved to be a relaxing break from such an active schedule.
On arrival at Picton, we were transferred to a hostel which was extremely comfortable, with duvets and an en suite bathroom. Camping really makes you appreciate things like electricity that you usually take for granted wihtout even thinking about it.
Flying Kiwi day seven - Tongariro National Park
On Monday we got up early and headed off to Tongariro National Park, in the centre of the North Island. This is the home of the mountain used as Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings, amongst many other things. There's a day walk there called the Tongariro Crossing which is meant to be the best day walk in New Zealand, but the weather forecast wasn't great and many of us didn't have the right gear, so all but one of us went on an equally lengthy but not so tough track.
A six hour walk took us to a waterfall and the lower lake and back, across scenery that could have been taken right out of a film or postcard. It was barren and desolate, unlike much of the agricultural North Island, and felt untouched by civilization.
After a much deserved drink, we continued on to a hostel and had an entertaining Halloween party, complete with costume. As usual, we didn't stay up too late; such are the consequences of waking up at 6 every day and doing so much. Each day seems like two or three, we always seem to be on the go.
A six hour walk took us to a waterfall and the lower lake and back, across scenery that could have been taken right out of a film or postcard. It was barren and desolate, unlike much of the agricultural North Island, and felt untouched by civilization.
After a much deserved drink, we continued on to a hostel and had an entertaining Halloween party, complete with costume. As usual, we didn't stay up too late; such are the consequences of waking up at 6 every day and doing so much. Each day seems like two or three, we always seem to be on the go.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Flying Kiwi day six - Taupo
We had our usual early start on Sunday to catch the 'volcanic wonderland' at Wai-O-Tapu. After watching a geyser erupt, we had an hour and a half to go round the thermal park which contains an almost unbeliveable number of mineral, mud and assorted pools of varying colours and sizes. The region is such a hotspot of volcanic activity, but to see so much in such a small area really brings home how active it really is.
I was booked in to go skydiving in the afternoon and the weather was ominously cloudy, but I decided to wait around and go to the airport anyway to see if it would clear up. While the others - Guy, Rebekka, Andie, James, Mel, Pascal and Alice - went on a walk to Taupo, I took the shuttle bus to the aerodrome from the town centre.
When I go there it looked very professional, if a bit commercial, with lots of staff and gear around. The three others in my load and I got suited up and briefed on our jump, but when we were ready to go, it started to rain for the first time in about a week. Typical, eh?
So we waited around for two hours until it stopped raining, then hung around looking expectantly at the tandem masters who make the call and do the jumps. We were told that they'd take us up in the plane and hanve a look, but we might not jump at all if the weather was still not good enough. After so much waiting, it was certainly reliveing to be up in the air.
We climbed up over Lake Taupo and my tandem master - the guy who you're strapped to - told me that I couldn't jump at 15,000 feet, but instead at 12,000, which I was fine with. We were the last one out of the plane and into the cloud, and what an experience it was.
Because of the weather, you couldn't see a lot for the first seconds of freefall and you tumble to begin with, so it was extremely disorientating. Once we got level and through the clouds it was much better, but still a complete assault on the senses. When the parachute opened there was a huge jolt and you could sit back and enjoy the scenery, but I found it even more frightening that the freefall part, because it feels like you're just hanging by a thread above the ground.
It's almost too hard to describe in words; skydiving is so quick and intense that it takes a while to sink in. It's definitely worth the money though!
I was booked in to go skydiving in the afternoon and the weather was ominously cloudy, but I decided to wait around and go to the airport anyway to see if it would clear up. While the others - Guy, Rebekka, Andie, James, Mel, Pascal and Alice - went on a walk to Taupo, I took the shuttle bus to the aerodrome from the town centre.
When I go there it looked very professional, if a bit commercial, with lots of staff and gear around. The three others in my load and I got suited up and briefed on our jump, but when we were ready to go, it started to rain for the first time in about a week. Typical, eh?
So we waited around for two hours until it stopped raining, then hung around looking expectantly at the tandem masters who make the call and do the jumps. We were told that they'd take us up in the plane and hanve a look, but we might not jump at all if the weather was still not good enough. After so much waiting, it was certainly reliveing to be up in the air.
We climbed up over Lake Taupo and my tandem master - the guy who you're strapped to - told me that I couldn't jump at 15,000 feet, but instead at 12,000, which I was fine with. We were the last one out of the plane and into the cloud, and what an experience it was.
Because of the weather, you couldn't see a lot for the first seconds of freefall and you tumble to begin with, so it was extremely disorientating. Once we got level and through the clouds it was much better, but still a complete assault on the senses. When the parachute opened there was a huge jolt and you could sit back and enjoy the scenery, but I found it even more frightening that the freefall part, because it feels like you're just hanging by a thread above the ground.
It's almost too hard to describe in words; skydiving is so quick and intense that it takes a while to sink in. It's definitely worth the money though!
Flying Kiwi day five - Rotorua
Saturday saw us travelling to Rotorua, a town situated by a lake of the same name. On the way into town, we stopped at a place that does zorbing, that is to say flinging people down a hill in large inflatable balls. I didn't do it personally since it didn't seem great value for money, but it was fun to watch at least.
Rotorua itself stinks. Literally. Because of the tectonic activity, there's a smell of sulphur - like rotten eggs - hanging in the air everywhere you go. You get used to it after a while, but I don't think I could stand living there.
We only had a couple of hours in the town, so most of us went to the Polynesian Spas which are styled as a Roman bath. There are hot pools there heated geothermally to about 40 degrees C, so you could sit and bake slowly, overlooking Lake Rotorua. A nice end to a good, if somewhat foul-smelling day.
Rotorua itself stinks. Literally. Because of the tectonic activity, there's a smell of sulphur - like rotten eggs - hanging in the air everywhere you go. You get used to it after a while, but I don't think I could stand living there.
We only had a couple of hours in the town, so most of us went to the Polynesian Spas which are styled as a Roman bath. There are hot pools there heated geothermally to about 40 degrees C, so you could sit and bake slowly, overlooking Lake Rotorua. A nice end to a good, if somewhat foul-smelling day.
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