NEW ZEALAND

Here's my second trip report, this one on my 3-week holiday to New Zealand in December 2010.

Like my Australia page, you should be able to click on the links below and photos will pop up.

As an overview, I will say that it was another incredible trip. The sightseeing is just unparalleled, and the people were warm and friendly. My only big disappointment was with the beer (a bit weak, imo - although I did find an exception in Invercargill, as you'll see below). Comparitively, Australia might have an edge with its urban culture, whereas the NZ strengths truly lie in its natural beauty.

For my routing, I started in Christchurch for a couple days. Then rented a car and headed down the eastern coast to the Caitlins, over to Milford Sound, and then to Queenstown. Headed back to Christchurch via Franz Josef glacier and Alpine pass, then to wine country at the top of the South Island. Ferried over to Wellington, and continued up the eastern seaboard before flying out of Aukland. I was very happy with my itinerary, with two weeks on the South Island and one up on the North Island. I did have to skip a few things, but overall I think I got a good taste of the culture and country.

Wednesday, Dec. 8th - Christchurch
After traveling for 28 hours (BOS-LAX-AUK-CHC), I arrive in Christchurch around 3pm. Check into my hotel (Hotel So), and take a short nap. Then went for a walk around the downtown area, just to orient myself, and stay awake long enough to try to adapt to local time. Ended up at the Botanical Gardens, which really was the high point of my time in Christchurch. There were some nice peaceful spots to sit, and you could watch the people go by in punting boats. On my return to the hotel, I did see reminders of the earthquake that had occured a few months previous; sadly, a second earthquake which struck a few months later was much more devastating. 

Thursday, Dec. 9th - Christchurch
Started out a bit chilly, but the weather got nicer as the day went on and the sun came out. Went to Canterbury Museum, the Arts Centre, and the Christchurch Art Museum, all of which were decent but not overly special. I did enjoy the Paua Shell House that as located in the Art Museum - kitchsy fun! Walked around downtown for shopping/browsing. Visited Christchurch Cathedral. Had really good pizza for lunch at Winnie Begos. Went back and took a nap before heading out to Botanical Gardens again, then caught a movie at Canterbury Museum ('Race To The Pole'). Finished off the day with an entertaining comedy play ('Have a Merrry Scriptless') at the Arts Centre.

My overall impression of Christchurch was the it was a pleasant, attractive city. But there wasn't all that much there for me; the Art Museum was okay, but the best part about that was the building itself. There wasn't much in the way of arts/theater/music. It was a perfect jumping-off point, but if you have to skip it on your itinerary, don't fret too much.

Friday, Dec. 10th - Drive to Dunedin
Picked up by the shuttle for Apex Rental at 10am, and started out of town (slowly remembering how to drive on the left side of the road). Was pleasantly surprised to see that my Garmin GPS worked quite well with the NZ maps loaded up, and it ended up being a great help along the whole trip. (What did we do before the GPS? I'm so glad I didn't have a car full of maps that I keep folding and losing out the window!) Stopped at Omarua for lunch (meat pie) and walking around for a bit. Then continued down the coast to Moeraki Boulders, which were quite a sight located a nice beach.

This was the start of my fascination and amazement at the scope and breadth of the natural beauty of NZ. As I drove down the coast, I started running into these incredible views and beaches, most of them without a soul on them. It would almost become commonplace, and I'm sure you'll be bored shortly of all the photos I took, but these first few days I wasn't yet jaded to it all. (And to be honest, I never truly got bored with it; the photos are nice, but they really don't compare in the least to actually being there.)

Arrived in Dunedin around 5pm. Wandered around downtown a bit and had dinner at the food court downstairs in the mall. Back to the room and read for a couple hours (I was tired, my first day without a nap! 8^).

Saturday, Dec. 11th - Dunedin/Otago Peninsula
Started out by going to the Otago Farmers Market at the stunning Railroad Station. Had a crepe for breakfast, then on the spur of the moment decided to take the 4-hour scenic train ride up through the Taieri Gorge. Glad I did, it was a nice ride with great views along the way. Upon return, briefly ran into a parade downtown for graduates of Otago University (complete with Scottish marching band).

Then hopped into the car and headed out to Otago Peninsula. Didn't do any of the main attractions (penguins, albatross, castle). but instead just drove around for hours on all the dirt roads and out-of-the-way places that most people never see. Stops along the way included Sandfly Bay, Victory Beach, and Cape Saunders (with its wind effect quite visible on the trees). Enjoyed this immensely, and the scenery was spectacular!! I did see some albatross, and drove near the castle, but I don't feel like I missed out on anything.

Back in town for dinner at the Speigal Brewery. Dinner was good - bangers and mashed. But the beer was very disappointing; I tried the sampler of six different brews, and there isn't one of them that I would want to try again.

Saturday, Dec. 12th - Drive to Invercargill/Catlins
LOTS of exploring today, starting with Tunnel Beach Walkway. It was quite a hike back up that hill, but still totally worthwhile. From there, started the drive down the coast, making numerous stops along the way. Cannibal Bay (where I saw a sea lion on the beach), Surat Bay, Parakaunui Falls, Tautuku Beach, Cathederal Caverns (only accessible at low tide), Curio Bay (which contained a petrified forest, and where I saw a rare yellow-eyed penguin).

It was after this string of attractions that I truly started to realize the scope of the awesomeness of NZ. And this was only four days in; I still had two more weeks to go!

Checked into the LivingSpace hotel in Invercargill for two nights, with included a small kitchen and a nice downtown location.

Sunday, Dec. 13 - Invercargill
Took a ride to Bluff and explored the Stirling Point area - the end of Highway 1 and the southern-most point in NZ. Walked the Glory Trail and Foveaux Walkway to Lookout Point. Saw an interesting example of pest control, and was also surprised to run into a gun turret, built during World War II. Drove to the top of Bluff Hill for a nice view. Walked around downtown Invercargill for a few hour. Imagine my shock as I was walking down the street, and saw a sign in the window of a local hardware store advertising the original World's Fastest Indian racing bike. I didn't really believe it, but it turned out to be true! If you aren't familiar with the story, its worth checking out the very charming film starring Anthony Hopkins.

After relaxing a bit, I drove to Oreti Beach for a walk. I thought it would be nice to walk the length of the beach, but gave up after a couple miles - it just kept going! This beach actually had a few poeple on it, unlike most of the other spots I had visited. There were some para-sailers, but more amusing are the people that would excercise their dogs by letting them out of the car, then driving on the beach while their puppies ran behind them.

Had some takeaway Thai food back in the hotel. Then checked out the theater room that was built into the basement of the hotel - turned out to be quite cool, and I ended up watching 'Despicable Me' with a couple other folks there.


Monday, Dec. 14 - Drive to Fiordland/Milford Sound
Had a nice drive from Invercargill to Te Anua, and then it got spectacular from there on. First up was yet another stunning beach, this one called Te Wae Wae Bay. Note that despite the perfect weather, there's not a single person to be found for miles. Incredible! Stopped next at Clifden to see the suspension bridge. Besides stopping in Te Anua briefly to grab some lunch, I drove pretty much straight through to Milford Sound, stopping on many occassions to take photos of the beautiful landscape. While my Milford Sound overnight cruise was one of the absolute highlights of the trip, I have to mention that just the ride up there makes the trip worthwhile. Vistas that stagger the mind, and every corner you turn shows another facet that leaves you speechless. These photos will never do it justice, but you can take a quick peek at what I saw along the way. (photo 1) (photo 2) (photo 3) (photo 4) (photo 5) (photo 6) 

Getting close to Milford Sound, there was a long one-way tunnel that you had to wait for 15 minutes to get through (although there was a nice waterfall next to it for scenery). After another short drive, arrived at Milford Sound for my overnight cruise on The Wanderer.

Overall, I think this was my favorite part of the entire trip. Perfect weather, meeting lots of great people, kayaking in the fjord, a nice dinner after anchoring in a cove for the night, and star-gazing later that evening.


Tuesday, Dec. 15 - Drive to Queenstown
Woke up early that morning, in time to see some penguins playing near the boat. After breakfast, we cruised went back out to the open sea for more sightseeing. On the way back in, stopped to check out Seal Rock and the Bridal Falls. There's also that magic spot where the sun rises up over the mountains, and makes for the perfect postcard moment.

After docking, I headed back toward the Doubtful Sound area (picking up a stranded German student along the way, who had a broken fan belt). There I walked the 3.5 hour, 10-km Circle Track. I thought this was going to be a nice relaxing hike along the lake. I was wrong. It was a fairly intense hike, which at some points was almost vertical (like climbing a ladder). Although the final view at the top was almost worth it. And I did feel good afterward that I completed it, but it also showed just how out-of-shape I really was. Yikes! After, I finished off the drive to Queenstown, arriving around 8pm. Dinner in the room and an early night. The Kingsgate Hotel Terraces was impressive - I was on the top floor with a killer view of the lake, and a nice big room and balcony.

(Its worth noting that at this point, I was only one week into my vacation! Holy crap!)

Wednesday, Dec. 16 - Queenstown
As proven by the video, I did a bungy jump, at the Kawarau Bridge where the bungy was originally invented. Almost backed off, I was petrified when I walked to that edge. But I was talked into it by the guide, and jumped, and survived. But never again, let me tell you! After that I needed to slow things down a bit; walked around town for a while, then took the Skyline Gondola up to the Luge track, which I did a couple times. Also walked the 30-min. nature trail up there with some nice views of the lake. Took the 8pm TSS Earnslaw cruise - and I WAS THE ONLY PERSON ON THE BOAT! (And the nice thing about being the only passenger - you get to be captain!) The boat itself is a lovely old steamship with great wooden railings and furnishings. We did pick up 40 more on the return trip, but for 40 minutes I had my own private yacht. While waiting to pick up the return passengers, I joined in watching a sheep shearing demonstration. After getting back - and witnessing a stunning sunset along the way - I grabbed a late bite to eat at Fergburger, which actually turned out to be a great burger!


Thursday, Dec. 17 - Glaciers/Franz Josef
Raced up to Franz Josef - not many stops along the way, as I was afraid of arriving late for the glacier hike. But I did check out the Thunder Creek Falls; and because it was a bit rainy, it made for some other nice random waterfalls along the way. There's one point where I crossed the Haast River, which has to be one of the longest one-way bridges I've seen. Also stopped by the Knight's Point lookout, and yet another random beach along the way.

Ended up making it to Franz Josef well in time, and did the hike even though it was pouring rain out. Turned out to be one of the best things of the entire trip, it was amazing. After passing the Bridal Falls, we climbed right up into the glacier, using crampons and ropes, way more hands-on and involved than I had expected. Unfortunately, my camera got quite wet along the way (travel tip - bring a sealable plastic bag!), so I don't have many photos of the hike itself, only the path leading up to it. Over the next couple days, I had to use my crappy cell phone camera until I bought a new camera in Wellington. (My little Canon camera did eventually recover, but it took quite a while for all the moisture to get out of it.)


Friday, Dec. 18 - Drive to Christchurch (via Arthur's Pass)
Enjoyable drive that took up most of the day, from Franz Josef back to Christchurch. Great scenery through Arthur's Pass, and some short stops/hikes along the way.


Saturday, Dec. 19 - Christchurch to Blenheim
Nice drive up the east coast, Started with some basic rolling hills, but got really going once I moved towards the coast. First stop was a side-step to Gore Bay and Cathedral Cove, a nice little nook along the coast. Ran into another one of those fun street signs that I enjoy so much. Then headed up into the Kiakoura area, which two different guide books described as "stunning". Since I've already overused most of the superlatives I know, I'm gonna go with stunning as well - sculptured coastlines, wide beaches, mountainsides that plunge into the sea, high cliff walls - you name it, this place had it! After parking in the lot at the end of the peninsula (and almost stepping on this guy!), I did the 2-hour Cliff Walk from Seal Harbor, with great views of the bays and the seal colony.

Also, had a great meal at the Copthorne Marlborough hotel - fried scollops with caesar salad, and a great chocolate mousse cake & vanilla ice cream desert. Yummy!!


Sunday, Dec. 20 - Wineries/Picton
After a nice breakfast at the hotel once again (eggs benedict), head off for a meandering drive to Picton, via Renwick and Havelock. Probably a great drive normally, but lousy weather made it seem too much like work, and not very scenic. Decided instead to cut the drive short and head to Picton to watch the New England Patriots (American football) game, which I did at the Flying Haggis. Met a couple there from Silver Lake, NH, and we watched the game together. Afterward, took another drive into the Marlborough Sound area, but it started getting dark early because of the weather, so I was back at the hotel by 9pm. It was interesting to see the logging in the area, and I also saw the Best Mailbox In The World (at least, it gets my vote!).


Monday, Dec. 21 - Ferry to Wellington
This was a REALLY crappy weather day, with heavy rain and gale-force winds. Stayed in until it was time to board the ferry. Luckily it cleared up after we hit the sea, and stayed clear the rest of the way (although still very windy). Arrived in Wellington about 5pm, and walked around for a couple hours. Had dinner at Macs Brewpub, the first really decent beer I've had since I've gotten here (other than the Invercargill Brewery, which I also enjoyed). Had the 6-beer sampler, and enjoyed the Hop Rocker pilser and Mac's Black stout the most; add in the tasty lamb burger, and the place gets a big thumbs up!


Tuesday, Dec. 22 - Wellington
Marine Drive in the AM, and really nice coastal drive that starts in downtown Wellington and Scorching Bay, but quickly becomes peaceful and isolated. Lots of opportunities to stop and admire the rock formations, and a nice little 30-minute coastal walk at about the halfway point. Got to see another one of those amusing road signs that I love so much - this one about Penguin Crossing. Got back around 11am and walked around town a bit more, now that all the stores were open. Then made my way to the Te Papa National Museum. I know this got good reviews, but I was still really impressed with it. I expected to spend a couple hours there, then make my way to the City Museum for more modern art. Except I never made it to the second museum, because I spend so much time at the Te Papa, There were great interactive displays, interesting movies to watch, and a wealth of various arts to enjoy (painting, crafts, science, geology, pottery, and much more). Most stunning was the Maori Meeting House, and I also liked the war canoe, the totems (totem 1, totem 2), and the giant squid (the photo does not do it justice!).

Oh, and no visit to Wellington would be complete without a picture of the silver ball that hangs in mid-air over the City Gallery Square!

That evening went to the Circa Theater to see a pantomime (farce) version of 'Robin Hood'. Really enjoyable, and I guess going to pantomime plays is a big tradition at Christmas every year, like Americans going to see 'The Nutcracker' or 'A Christmas Carol'. Ended the night with takeaway Malaysian food, I think the first time I've ever had it. Not overly different from other asian foods, but very good - spicy without being hot, and tasted great.



Wednesday, Dec. 23 - drive to Rotorua
Today was the longest driving day of the trip, about 7 hours. Still managed to take in some sights along the way, of course. First part of the drive was up the western coast with some nice views of the sea. Drove through Otaki, which looked like a great little town to explore, but I wasn't sure how long the drive was gonna take, so I kept going. I then headed inland, across the island, to Hastings and Napier. Landscape became rolling hills of green farmland, kinda like... The Shire! Hastings and Napier were nice little coastal towns, both with likeable downtown shopping areas. Napier had been flattened by an earthquake in 1931, so all the buildings were redone in Art Deco style, which makes the town look really cool and retro. It reminded me very much of a southern California seacoast town, like it should be near La Jolla, After meandering for a few hours in this area, headed up towards Rotorua. As I headed inland and north, I could see the land change from grassland to scrub brush and eventually to full forest. Arriving in Rotorua, you could smell the acrid sulphur even as you drove into the town; reminded me of when I visited Yellowstone a few years ago. Downtown Rotorua was also really cool - they blocked off the street to cars, and the whole square is basically a large outdoor cafe, with lots of seating and dozens of restaurants and cafes serving the public. There was also a small carnival in the park near the lake, with quaint old-time rides that I grew up with.


Thursday, Dec. 24 - drive to Auckland
Walked around downtown Rotorua again for a bit; there's definitely a bit of sameness to all these mid-size towns. Not that they aren't charming individually, but collectively they all have the same sushi/thai/indian restaurants, the same $2 stores, hair salons, travel agencies, etc. Decided not to do the geothermal areas, having seen them in the past at Yellowstone. Instead headed west to the Glowworm Caves in Waitoma, an activity I kept hearing about but didn't think I'd go to, because of my routing. But the country is small enough that to get to the other side was only 2 hours away, so I went for it. (And I ran into yet another charming piece of sculpture along the way.) The tour wasn't all that great (it's essential 10 minutes of seeing the glow worms stretched into a 45 minute talk), and the cave itself is pretty boring. However, I was still glad I did it; those little glow worms are really cool, and its one of the only places in the world to see them, so overall it was okay.

The 2-1/2 drive from Waitoma to Aukland was pretty unremarkable; I think it's the first drive of my trip where I didn't pull over and take a photo of something. Arrived around 6pm, and everything was just closing up because it was Christmas Eve. walked around for a bit just to get a feel for things, will explore more tommorrow.


Friday, Dec. 25 - Auckland
Definitely a Christmas to remember! Started out by driving south on the Pacific Coast Highway (yes, there is a PCH on the other side of the water as well!). This was great - with it's one-way bridges, sharp turns and coastal views, it reminded me of the South Island and why I love that area so much (view 1, view 2, view 3, view 4). Along the way, there was a bit of wildlife (road hog, wild turkey), and some more fun sculpture. Then headed into Coromandel Peninsula, where the great scenery continued throughout the day. Took State Road 309 across, which was unpaved and windy and a lot of fun. Once on the other side, headed for Hot Water Beach.

When first planning my trip, Hot Water Beach was one of the top places on my list of things to do,. Its a beach that has hot springs underneath it, and if you get there within a small window at low tide, you can dig a pit and it fills up with water, creating your own little hot tub. But I had no idea what to really expect; in my mind, I sort of pictured a quiet beach (it was Christmas Day!), where I could dig a pit and relax and maybe read a book. Hah! When I arrived, I saw that it was actually a very small area where the hot water rises, and it was already quite crowded. But while it wasn't the experience that I expected, it was still turned out to be wonderful. I spend 3-4 hours there, digging a hot spa for myself, meeting lots of people, and just taking in the bizarre sight of it all (view 1, view 2, view 3).

Before heading back, an Austrian guy I was talking to mentioned that I absolutely had to check out Cathedral Cove, which was only 4km away. He was dead-on - the place was incredible, the best view I'd seen on the North Island! It was getting late and the tide was coming in, so I didn't get to the beach itself, but the view of the bay and all the islands were well worth the visit. Took a roundabout way home through the countryside, getting back into the city about 11pm. (This was my favorite day up on the North Island.)


Saturday, Dec. 26th - Auckland
Returned the rental car (4400km!). Met up with my friends Steve and Rachel Brown and their son Brian, who were just arriving to start their 3-week vacation (with a similar itinerary as mine, except backwards). We walked around Queen Street, the waterfront area and Albert Park. Back to the room for midday naps (they had just arrived that morning). Then took ferry over to Devonport, where we explored for a bit and had food (appetizers at one place, dinner at a second). Ferry back at 9:30pm, and an early night.


Sunday, Dec. 27th - Auckland
Spent the morning and early afternoon at the Auckland Zoo. Very good zoo, one of the better ones I've been to in a while. Finally got to see my kiwi bird (just barely). And lots of zoo mainstays - lions, elephants, tigers, hippos, etc. It was nice to see that it was fairly open, with lots of chances to interact up close with the animals. The rest of the day/evening was mostly relaxing, as the trip winds down. Did go out for some good pizza down near the waterfront (next to Countdown supermarket). But the another early night, as the Browns were still adjusting to the time changes.


Monday, Dec. 28 - fly home

Time to head home. So sad.