20/11/08 - Continued
On arrival to Picton we decided not to follow the crowd but blaze our own trail ,so we turned right at a roundabout and headed along a lovely winding gravel road that gave us some truly amazing views but took a little longer than expected. The trip was made doubly difficult because of the low sun in Joy's eyes - fortunately we didn't meet much traffic coming the other way though! However, we now had to change our plans as we were running low on petrol, so we decided to head to a nearer campsite at Elaine Bay (instead of French Pass) It was a very pretty little village and we quickly settled in for the night.
21/11/08
No milk this morning so it was our first cereal-less breakfast in NZ! Luckily Joy had bought us a treat on the boat (a ginger cake slice) and we scoffed it before heading on a couple of walks, stopping for a swing on the way. At about midday we headed for Nelson and arriving in the city on just fumes made a bee line for the nearest garage! We had a wander around the town and did a supermarket shop before checking out the kite surfers on the beach and checking into our campsite in Richmond.
22/11/08
We had a lazy morning before heading off on a tour of the local vineyards. We picked the campsite at Richmond so that we would be within walking distance of them (a good excuse to get trollied!) Little did we know what was actually in store for us as we headed off. The first road was a major highway with no pavement so already we weren't looking forward to the return journey! We made the first winery 'Waimea' safely and had a whistlestop tour of the local wines - about 8 or 9 of them in total in what felt like 5 minutes! We promised to go back and buy a bottle or two to get out of paying for the tastings and then hopped across the street to the 'Grape Escape', only to be told that the grapes had literally escaped and there were no longer wine tastings. A bit dejected we polished off a lot of bread with some delicious olive oil and made our way to the next nearest winery. We were told that it was a 15 minute drive so we braced ourselves and headed out into the rain..... After about 40 minutes we were soaking and tired, we spotted a pub so we ducked in for a quick pint, to dry off and rest our feet. Half an hour walk later down the road we finally made the next vineyard which was to be our last. It was called 'Seifried' and it was a very nice place. The woman was very helpful and we worked our way through the list and ended up buying a Sauvignon Blanc which we thought would compliment our cous cous dinner later. We couldn't face the walk so we called a taxi and headed back to Richmond where we polished off another pint in a local pub and headed back to the van.
23/11/08
Torrential rain awoke us so we headed to an indoor swimming pool which was fun. After lunch we headed up towards the Abel Tasman National Park, stopping at Rabbit Island en route. In Motueka we asked whether it was worth continuing to Abel Tasman due to the appalling weather and the girl assured us we should, so at around 4pm we arrived at Totoranui and low and behold the clouds disappeared. We grabbed the opportunity to take a walk and headed South. As we were returning to the campsite the clouds reappeared and we just managed to avoid the next downpour.
24/11/08
Continuous rain through the night brought the local DOC man to knock on our door in the morning. He told us the road out was closed so we were effectively 'stuck'! We were planning on spending 2 nights anyway so it didn't initially bother us. We donned our waterproofs with a picnic lunch and headed on our planned walk to Mutton Cove. With very wet feet we soldiered on for about an hour until a fallen tree blocked our path, so were turned back and returned to the campsite at around 1pm. There was a gathering of people waiting for news on whether they could leave. As we had nothing to do we waited with them until around 3pm but there had still been no news so we decided to bed in for the night. At 3.45 however, the ranger returned and told us the road was to be opened and a bulldozer would escort us out. We debated whether to stay and decided that we may as well get out of the trap! We followed the bulldozer out in the pouring rain, watching him clearing trees and mudslides and we got as far as Takaka before a policeman told us to turn back as the only road out was flooded. The rain worsened and driving was pretty tortuous so we doubled back on ourselves (no change there) and headed to Pohara Beach about 25km back in the other direction where we had our dinner and prayed that the rain would stop!
25/11/08
Awoke to SUNSHINE - Hooray! Poached eggs on toast to celebrate before hitting the road (which was now clear) We decided while we were up North we would have a look at Collingwood (what a waste of time!) on the way back we did visit the wonderfully named Pupu Springs though. We also visited Marahau and Kaiteriteri beaches to the south of Abel Tasman as we had been deprived of good scenery the previous few days. Then we missed our turning to Murchison so we ended up seeing the wineries and Richmond again! We arrived at the next planned campsite at 4pm only to find that it was rubbish and littered with sandflies so we continued on to a different one.
26/11/08
Unfortunately the campsite was past where we had planned to visit in the morning so we travelled back to the Swingbridge at Buller Gorge and had a walk across. It was quite scary and Indiana Jones did cross our minds! We had a walk around the other side before recrossing the gorge, this time though on a comet line. It was basically a seat on a wire and we were pushed off together admiring the view as we went! We continued on South down the West coast and had our lunch in Punakaiki where we saw some pancake rocks and blowholes. We carried on down the road until we got to Hokitika where we looked for a place called Westland's Waterworld. We thought it would be a huge swimming complex with slides and stuff but it was in fact an aquarium where you could view eels and it wasn't even open anymore! We headed to our next campsite and had a walk near a nice mirror lake, which had some gorgeous reflections ;-) Shame the walks didn't actually go to the lake though!
27/11/08
Headed back into Hokitika for a swim but some schoolkids were using the pool so we had to wait. When they finally left we changed in what was basically a building site. It was very random but at least nobody else was using the pool! Feeling good about doing some exercise we headed towards Franz Josef Glacier, stopping at a random lagoon for a sandwich. We arrived at Franz Josef at about 2pm and found a campsite. We wandered around the village and then did a spot of laundry and sunbathing in the afternoon.
28/11/08
We were up at 7.30 to get to the Tour Guides shop to be decked out in our walking gear. We made it out of the bus at about 9.45 and made our way on foot to the base of the glacier. After some pretty tough terrain we donned our crampons and hit the ice around 11.00. It wasn't the easiest of routes and we climbed steep slopes, over deep crevasses and through narrow corridors of ice until we reached our destination, where we enjoyed Greg's lovingly prepared egg mayonnaise sandwiches. We then headed back down and got back to the bus at around 2pm. It was like a sauna so we waited outside for the rest of the group, we were absolutely shattered so we treated ourselves to a large bottle of Sprite before heading to Lake Matheson. It was a bit disappointing as the water wasn't still so we didn't get the reflection of the Alps but it was pretty anyway. We then headed to our next campsite at Lake Paringa.
29/11/08
Left Paringa at about 10am and headed towards Wanaka. On the way we stopped at Thunder Creek Falls, got road rage from slow vans not pulling over and ripped off by a garage trying to sell fuel 30 cents dearer than anywhere else around! Got to the campsite after a quick stop and chose a different spot to the crappy one we were allocated! Did some washing and went on the internet before heading into town for a walk. Stiff from walking on the glacier it was quite a struggle! Another quick shop before returning and saving our washing from the oncoming rain. Cheese and biscuits for tea tonight.
30/11/08
Puzzling World to stimulate our brains in the morning. We enjoyed the maze and the illusion rooms before heading South towards Queenstown. We arrived in time for lunch which we wolfed down before having a look around town. Joy did some Christmas shopping and we booked some activities for the following day. We then headed up to the Gondola (cable car) for some great panoramic views and a go on the luge. It was ace and Greg trounced Joy in a race! We headed back down the gondola and hit the road towards Paradise (Eisengard in Lord of the Rings) but it was further than expected and the gravel road was never ending! the view on the way to Glenorchy was worth the drive though. We returned and found our campsite at 6pm. It was almost as tricky finding a decent spot as it was getting out of the maze! We then had a minor upset as we couldn't find the lighter, which would have meant no hot dinner, so Greg headed into town in the van on his own to try and find one. It was extremely hard to find a parking place but he finally did and headed back with a lighter and some matches for good measure!
1/12/08
After making the bed we found the missing lighter - d'oh! We then headed back into Queenstown to check into our next campsite, we did this and then completed our Xmas shopping before heading to Skippers Canyon for a jet boat ride. The coach journey was almost as scary as the boat as we travelled on a very narrow road along some very steep cliffs. We raced down the river at about 80 kph narrowly avoiding rocks and cliffs and in the process being spun 360 degrees. We got back to our campsite and prepared to hit the town for a session - the first in quite a while.
We had a good night with some happy hour drinks and a 2 for 1 deal on rib eye steaks. Greg's rare steak was barely cooked but it almost melted in the mouth. A nice ice cream and some free fudge on the way home for dessert.
2/12/08
Slept badly due to hangover, but headed off to play crazy golf. We then wrapped some presents and shipped them home before heading to Southlands and Te Anau. We arrived at about 3pm and visited the information centre where a nice woman kindly helped us choose our tours to Milford and Doubtful Sound (fjords) We then headed up towards Milford Sound and chose a campsite near Lake Gunn (lots of sandflies again - they are 100 times worse than mosquitoes!)
3/12/08
A lazy morning and a slow drive to Milford Sound. It was pouring with rain and the visibility was very poor so it didn't look promising for our boat trip. However, we boarded at 12.45 and helped ourselves to the free coffee before we set off. We ventured out into the rain to get a better view and the weather swiftly improved. the rain had caused some spectacular waterfalls and the mountain views were awe inspiring. Some dolphins came to join us and they swum playfully under our bow for 10 minutes or so, we also saw some seals and penguins before getting back into the car at about 3.30pm. We headed back towards Te Anau, stopping to see some sights before camping for the night.
4/12/08
Headed into Te Anau in the morning and had a quick look at the trout observatory. Joy's money didn't register so we squeezed into one turnstile together and fortunately didn't get stuck as there was nobody else in sight to help! It was average at best so we sped through and checked into our next campsite and had a lazy afternoon. We had a walk around and went to Redcliffs Cafe for a drink and a game of petanque before dinner.
5/12/08
Early start for our pick up to Doubtful Sound. A short trip to Manopouri before a 45 min journey across the lake to the west arm, Here we stopped to look at a power station and were almost eaten alive by sand flies! Another short coach trip over Wilmot Pass took us down to Deep Cove and our catamaran for the 3 hour cruise through Doubful Sound. It was pretty dreary weather and the visibility was poor which made us appreciate the fjords perhaps less than we should have. We got back to the camper around 6pm and made a quick bowl of soup before a 90 minute journey to our next campsite by Houroko Lake.
06/12/08
Arrived in Tuatapere around 10.30am and went for a farm tour. We fed lambs and even sheared a sheep - wouldn't want to do it for a living though. We then carried on towards Invercargill and stopped for lunch at a small beach called Cosy Nook. Arrived in town at 2.30pm. Went to the Bluff - the southernmost part of New Zealand, had a look at Stewart Island in the distance and a 90 minute walk. Headed back into town to find a campsite and I think we chose the most random one ever!
07/12/08
Glad to escape our bizarre but handily located campsite we headed to a farmers market where we resisted temptation to buy everything and came out with only a bag of cherries! A quick supermarket shop and fill up of petrol before heading to the swimming pool. Unfortunately there was a gala on and the main pool was closed for an hour or so but we enjoyed the steam room and swirl pool before a few laps and, after queuing up with the kids, a trip down the slide! After lunch we headed to the Caitlin Coast and visited the Purakanui Falls before having a paddle in the sea at our campsite.
08/12/08
Miserable weather - Rained non stop all day. Headed to Dunedin and had to quickly rush due to parking restrictions. Visited Larnarch Castle - a scottish castle.(which isn't really a castle - more like a big house). The views are supposed to be spectacular but it was misty and cloudy so we couldn't see a thing. All the way to New Zealand to see a Scottish castle in the mist?!! Headed back into town and walked up what was once the world's steepest street. Then headed up the coast, past Shag Point - tee hee. Went to go and see the Moreaki Boulders but it was too wet, we did spot some rocks in the distance - guess they wouldn't have looked too different up close anyway! We couldn't find our DOC site (again) so we headed onto Oamaru. Luckily for us the Penguin Colony here has viewings at night that we would have missed otherwise so we braved the weather and watched the blue penguins (the world's smallest) swim in rafts, climb the ramp and waddle across to their nests to mate or feed their chicks. We saw about 170 of them make this journey.
09/12/08
Had a walk trough the public park into town and visited the Whitestone cheese factory. Bought some creamy Brie and spreadable Windsor Blue and polished them off for lunch with a savoury scone. Saw Lake Pukaki - wow - what a colour - almost illuminous blue! and then had a quick wander beside Lake Tekapo before camping for the night near Geraldine.
10/12/08
Slow driving today as we have no activites planned. Visited Lake Coleridge for lunch after passing through the Cantebury plains. Some roads were bad so we did some 4 wheel driving in our 2 wheel drive vehicle! The Rakaia Gorge looked nice but we couldn't find a path to walk to it. Camped near Oxford by Mount Thomas and had a quick walk before dinner. Could be our last DOC site.
11/12/08
A lovely day today - makes a change! Drove to Hanmer Springs and found a campsite (which was pretty much deserted). Sunbathed and had our lunch before a nice walk into town. We looked for some go-karts but the brochure was out of date as they were long gone so we headed to the Thermal Pools. They ranged in temperature from 33 -38C and were surrouned by rocks and things, it was very pretty. Did some lengths in the normal pool and enjoyed the 'Black Hole' water slide! Bottle of Rose for a treat tonight!
12/12/08
Left Hanmer Springs and headed for Kaikoura. Arrived at 12ish to pouring rain. Drove to the campsite and then to Whale Watch. Our tour was cancelled so we had the afternoon to do nothing. The weather limited our options so we watched a film. Afterwards we headed back into town for dinner of fish and chips which were really fresh and delicious. A quick trip to the seal colony and a walk on the peninsular before a dip in the hot tub and bed.
13/12/08
Our re-scheduled whale watching tour started at 9.30am - better weather today and a calmer sea apparently. Quickly into the tour we saw two sperm whales, but not for long as they only come to the surface to breathe. We saw one more before heading into a pod of dolphins which must have had over 200 in it. They were Dusky Dolphins, famous for playing about - lots of them were jumping! After the tour we headed south stopping en route for a quick sandwich. We then took a tourist route and a bit of a detour via a gravel road which prolonged our journey. When we got to Christchurch there was a lot of roadworks and the road we needed wasn't clearly sign posted which caused a bit of tension! Eventually we found the road and made our way to Akaroa, a beautiful small town on the Banks Peninsular. We had a lovely walk after dinner but the hill back up to the campsite was a killer!
14/12/08
Left Akaroa at 10ish and took a scenic road towards Lyttleton. We had a quick look at the Timeball Station before heading up the Christchurch Gondola for views of the Banks Peninsular. Headed into the city centre getting to our hostel at around 1.30pm. Cleared out Alien and gave him a quick clean before having lunch and returning him to his family. It was a sad moment and we'll miss him - he served us well! After the goodbyes we headed to the city centre to get our bearings and decide what to do over the next few days. We got back to the hostel around 6pm and had some pasta before chilling out.
15/12/08
Raining again so we lounged about in the hostel in the morning and did some washing. The weather brightened in the afternoon so we headed back into town to update the blog and then enjoyed a few beers. We started with a happy hour in the Vic and Whale before having dinner in the Tap Room, it was interesting as we cooked our own food on hot stones, we had a mixture of meats and we were definitely the best chefs in Christchurch that night! From there we went on to the Bog - an Irish bar for a 2 for 1 offer and did a wee bit of the quiz. Dux de Lux was next and Greg enjoyed a very tasty ginger beer, finally we moved on to Winnie Bagoes for our last drink before heading home.
16/12/08
Our last full day in New Zealand so we decided on taking in a bit of culture. After a lie in we walked into town along the river Avon to the Botanical Gardens where we wandered around the different flowers and enjoyed a huge slice of chocolate cake. From there we visited the museum and then took a punt along the river, which was fun. We headed back to the hostel for a quick dinner before returning to town for a Mauri experience called Ko Tane. We were told all about their history and were taught some dance moves and songs including the Haka. We then took a trip around Willowbank Wildlife Park and saw some real live kiwis which was great. Back to the hostel for about 9pm.
