After a trip like what we have just completed it is worthwhile reviewing some of the highlights and lowlights, so I have compiled a list:
Liked
1) Traffic circles and the general lack of stop signs and traffic lights. In this day and age where energy conservation is very important one of the most wasteful is stop and go traffic. The use of traffic circles and yield (Give Way) signs, to me, is much more civilized!
2) As mentioned previously the inclusion of taxes (specifically GST as there are no Provincial taxes) in all prices makes things so much easier when determining what the final cost is going to be!
3) The scenery. What’s not to like when you can view the ocean on one side and snow capped mountains on the other with rain forest in between!
4) The general availability of public toilets, which without exception were always very clean and well maintained!
5) The many tourist information bureau’s (i-Sites) where one could get information on local attractions and facilities as well as information on other near-by areas.
6) Tourist Radio! At times it was frustrating in that the signal would be lost due to interference from a local station but it was still great to have.
7) How clean the whole country is! Seldom did we see any litter, other than dead opossums, on the highways and even on local streets for that matter. Canada pales in comparison and it is the opposite of Indonesia.
Didn’t Like
Not too much here as New Zealand is a very clean and friendly country but like anywhere there is always room for improvement.
1) Drivers who tail gate in dangerous areas, such as tight corners along the side of a mountain!
2) The general lack of a usable shoulder where one can pull over to let tail-gaters by or to stop and examine the rocks/scenery more closely.
3) Frivolous warning signs (i.e. “100 kph is Not a Target” – of course it is, that’s why the speed limit sign even looks like a target!).
4) And speaking of speed limits they should be set to the local driving conditions. Most of the roads we drove on should have had the speed limit set at 80 and not 100!
And finally our most favourite sights!
Alan’s top 10 favourites:
1) The New Zealand Wine Centre in Napier.
2) The hot springs and mud pools at Waiotapu.
3) The Yellow-eyed Penguins at Oamaru.
4) The snow capped mountains of the Southern Alps.
5) The Kauri Museum at Matakohe.
6) The Kauri Trees north of Dargaville.
7) The Fur Seals at Kaikoura.
8) Celebrating our anniversary in the Thai restaurant overlooking the Queenstown Harbour with the snow capped mountains in the background.
9) The Auckland sky line, including the harbour bridge.
10) The turquoise waters of the Waitaki River.
Janice’s top 10 favourites:
1) The Blowholes and Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki, north of Hokitika.
2) The Yellow-eyed Penguins at Oamaru.
3) The Beach Boulders at Moeraki.
4) Mount Cook.
5) The Kauri Trees north of Dargaville.
6) The city of Napier.
7) The Kiwi’s at the Otorohanga Kiwi House.
8) The many sand beaches, especially on the North Island.
9) The Palm trees!
10) The greenery and the many colourful flowers!!
And in closing I need to make an observation of the local New Zealand accent. While very easy to understand, unlike some I have come across, it does have its peculiarities the most obvious of which is how vowels are pronounced. Where in North America we would use a hard vowel (like “eh” as is glacier [glay –sure]) in New Zealand, and Australia for that matter, they use a soft vowel (for example [glah-sure] for the word glacier).
And thankfully in New Zealand they do not use a lot of slang (like “biskie” for a biscuit, “Mossie” for a mosquito, etc., etc.). When I had been in Australia that was the one thing I quickly found annoying and I really appreciated not being subjected to the same here!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Part 7
Day 17
When we left Wanganui it was overcast and very windy. While the forecast I had seen a couple days earlier had predicted rain I thought we may end up lucky and not have any. It turned out the forecast was right and I was wrong! We drove northwest on Highway 3 and by the time we got to Hawera it was raining off and on. At an overlook near the town of Opunake the wind was blowing so hard from the east that it was blowing the tops off the breaking waves creating what looked like rooster tails! Since I missed the turn we ended up on Highway 45 which was okay as that kept us close to the coast and hopefully still would give us a reasonable view of Mount Taranaki. Turns out that all we could get was just a brief look through the clouds of the volcano.
By the time we got to New Plymouth it was raining steady so that knocked out any thought of walking around and seeing the place. So we headed back down Highway 3 to Egmont village and took the road up to one of the viewing sites on the flank of the mountain thinking that there was a chance we could go up enough in elevation (the peak is over 2900 metres high above sea level) that we might pop up through the top of the clouds but again I was wrong. So we turned around and drove back to Highway 3, went to Inglewood and then took the road north.
At Mokau we stopped for lunch. While we had originally planned to just pull into a wayside stop for sandwiches the rain convinced us to do otherwise. So we had Hawaiian burgers (hamburger with a slice of ham and a slice of fried pineapple, along with most of the usual fixings) instead. After lunch we then stopped at the local beach where it is all black sands. On close examination it appears the sand is either just fine magnetite (I don’t have my magnet with me so I couldn’t confirm) or some other dark silvery gray metallic mineral. Regardless it is fine grained and definitely black!
It was still raining by the time we got to Otorohanga so we thought we might check out the limestone caves at Waitomo. With all the sheep around I know that there is a lot of fleece in New Zealand but here they take it a step further in that they charge a minimum of $45 per person for a 45 to 75 minute tour! As I wanted no part of that kind of fleecing we went instead and saw the Otorohanga Kiwi House. Here they have an indoor enclosure that mimics, during the day, the nocturnal conditions when kiwi’s come out to play, and this time we were not disappointed! We got to see two live kiwi’s; a male by the name of Ewan who is 14 years old and a small female, about a year old and which neither of can remember her name. After watching them up close and personal for a while we then went outside where they have other indigenous birds and reptiles including Weka’s and Pekeko’s which we have seen in the wiid fairly frequently. We also got to see a Kea as well New Zealand parakeets. Even though it started raining again we walked around under our umbrella marvelling at all the birds on display.
As it was late afternoon we decided to call it quits for the day and found a motel in Otorohanga eventually ending up at the Otorohanga and Waitomo Motels. The room we ended up in is the nicest we have had so far during our stay here in New Zealand. It is a suite with a separate bedroom, kitchen and a dining area. So rather than eating out we went to the local Woolworth’s grocery store and bought the makings for a very fine meal: lamb leg steak, rice, fresh carrots and salad. Janice just fried the lamb in butter with a little bit of salt and pepper and was it ever good! Much better than the lamb chops I had at the Barrelhouse Restaurant back in Dannevirke which, while tender were relatively tasteless.
Day 18
Since we were not too far from Rotarua we decided to try again at finding the main geothermal site, Waiotapu. It is host to the Lady Knox geyser that erupts at 10:15 every morning. To make sure we got there in time to see the geyser erupt we left Otorotanga at 7:30 am. I had programmed the GPS to take us there and relied on it to guide us. It turns out it had us taking some back roads until we were on Highway 5, rather than taking Highway 1 which is what we would have tried on our own. We made it there with plenty of time to spare. On the road into the site we stopped at the mud pools where we took some pictures, including a short video.
It turns out that the reason the geyser erupts so regularly is that a little bit of soap dropped down its vent guarantees an eruption. So a park attendant did just that and pretty soon water was shooting up into the air!
After watching the gushing water for a while we then went and toured the rest of the facility. There are numerous sink holes with fumerolic activity as well as hot springs. The latter result in such world famous features such as champagne pool where carbon dioxide bubbles make it look like sparkling wine and terraced sinter (amorphous quartz) that has precipitated from the hot water as it cools. All in all it was definitely worth making the trip!
We then stopped off at a picnic area at the car park and had lunch. After that we took Highway 5 down to Highway 1 and then headed northwest to Hamilton arriving there around 4 pm. We stopped and looked around the Hamilton Botanical Gardens for a while and then found a motel in which to spend the night.
Tomorrow we will make the trip to Auckland and then depart New Zealand the next day. As a result this is going to be the last entry, or at least until after we get back. It has been a real blast with many ups and downs, literally! While there are parts of the country we never got to, such as the northeast corner of the North Island or the south end of the South Island we still saw a lot of what New Zealand has to offer. And we can now draw some comparisons with what we are used to back in Canada, but I will save that for a later date. Bye for now!
When we left Wanganui it was overcast and very windy. While the forecast I had seen a couple days earlier had predicted rain I thought we may end up lucky and not have any. It turned out the forecast was right and I was wrong! We drove northwest on Highway 3 and by the time we got to Hawera it was raining off and on. At an overlook near the town of Opunake the wind was blowing so hard from the east that it was blowing the tops off the breaking waves creating what looked like rooster tails! Since I missed the turn we ended up on Highway 45 which was okay as that kept us close to the coast and hopefully still would give us a reasonable view of Mount Taranaki. Turns out that all we could get was just a brief look through the clouds of the volcano.
At Mokau we stopped for lunch. While we had originally planned to just pull into a wayside stop for sandwiches the rain convinced us to do otherwise. So we had Hawaiian burgers (hamburger with a slice of ham and a slice of fried pineapple, along with most of the usual fixings) instead. After lunch we then stopped at the local beach where it is all black sands. On close examination it appears the sand is either just fine magnetite (I don’t have my magnet with me so I couldn’t confirm) or some other dark silvery gray metallic mineral. Regardless it is fine grained and definitely black!
As it was late afternoon we decided to call it quits for the day and found a motel in Otorohanga eventually ending up at the Otorohanga and Waitomo Motels. The room we ended up in is the nicest we have had so far during our stay here in New Zealand. It is a suite with a separate bedroom, kitchen and a dining area. So rather than eating out we went to the local Woolworth’s grocery store and bought the makings for a very fine meal: lamb leg steak, rice, fresh carrots and salad. Janice just fried the lamb in butter with a little bit of salt and pepper and was it ever good! Much better than the lamb chops I had at the Barrelhouse Restaurant back in Dannevirke which, while tender were relatively tasteless.
Day 18
Since we were not too far from Rotarua we decided to try again at finding the main geothermal site, Waiotapu. It is host to the Lady Knox geyser that erupts at 10:15 every morning. To make sure we got there in time to see the geyser erupt we left Otorotanga at 7:30 am. I had programmed the GPS to take us there and relied on it to guide us. It turns out it had us taking some back roads until we were on Highway 5, rather than taking Highway 1 which is what we would have tried on our own. We made it there with plenty of time to spare. On the road into the site we stopped at the mud pools where we took some pictures, including a short video.
It turns out that the reason the geyser erupts so regularly is that a little bit of soap dropped down its vent guarantees an eruption. So a park attendant did just that and pretty soon water was shooting up into the air!
After watching the gushing water for a while we then went and toured the rest of the facility. There are numerous sink holes with fumerolic activity as well as hot springs. The latter result in such world famous features such as champagne pool where carbon dioxide bubbles make it look like sparkling wine and terraced sinter (amorphous quartz) that has precipitated from the hot water as it cools. All in all it was definitely worth making the trip!
We then stopped off at a picnic area at the car park and had lunch. After that we took Highway 5 down to Highway 1 and then headed northwest to Hamilton arriving there around 4 pm. We stopped and looked around the Hamilton Botanical Gardens for a while and then found a motel in which to spend the night.
Tomorrow we will make the trip to Auckland and then depart New Zealand the next day. As a result this is going to be the last entry, or at least until after we get back. It has been a real blast with many ups and downs, literally! While there are parts of the country we never got to, such as the northeast corner of the North Island or the south end of the South Island we still saw a lot of what New Zealand has to offer. And we can now draw some comparisons with what we are used to back in Canada, but I will save that for a later date. Bye for now!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Part 6
Day 14
Today was a rather short one, in comparison to most of our other days here, with only two significant stops along the way. We left Ashburton and continued north eventually turning off Highway 1 onto a side road that took us through the town of Lincoln and eventually up the south rim of the extinct volcano that is now home to Lyttelton Harbour, down into the basin that was the volcanic caldera and then up and through the north-west rim, through a traffic tunnel into Christchurch. While we could have taken the drive further east on Banks Peninsula to Akaroa, another extinct volcano, we both have pretty much had our fill of driving up and down twisting and narrow roads. Especially since it is I who wanted to see rocks rather than needing to focus my full attention on the road ahead! While the road taken did have its share of twists and turns I still saw enough to appreciate that it was likely the product of explosive volcanism as the central crater (caldera) is rather large, although nowhere on the same scale as Lake Taupo, on the North island, probably the largest volcanic explosion in recorded history.
Once we got to Christchurch we drove downtown and looked around a bit but didn’t linger too long. We were surprised at how little visible damage there is considering that it was close to the epi-centre of a magnitude 7.1 earthquake on the Richter scale in early September, and numerous aftershocks since. The buildings where we did see damage were all pretty old Victorian style buildings.
We then returned to Highway 1 and continued our drive north. Except for a stop to take a picture of the low lying clouds hugging the local hills (the Maori name for New Zealand is Aotearoa - "land of the long white cloud") and a stop for lunch we drove right through to Kaikoura, the whale watching capital of New Zealand, or so they claim. Apparently sperm whales frequent the area. While we watched for a while no whales did we see. But we took a drive to see the local Fur Seal colony and there we were not disappointed! We were able to get up quite close to the seals as they were basking on the rocks. In fact I almost walked into one while walking along examining the rocks and the sea creatures exposed by the low tide! And I took a short video showing two seals as they went back to the water, too tired of all the attention from the paparazzi (including us).
Day 15
As we were only about an hour and an half from Picton we decided to take it easy today. We drove to Blenheim and just wandered around downtown for a while. For the first hour or so out of Kaikoura we had light rain so that put a damper on the sight-seeing along the way too. While in Blenheim we went to the local i-Site (tourist information bureau) and browsed the brochures. There Janice found one for a place just outside of town with a quilt store so we took a drive there.
At Vine Village, besides the quilt store they also had stores where one can buy olive oil, wine, fudge as well as clothing made from wool and opossum fur which is very soft and warm (the Australian Opossum that was introduced to the islands many years ago and are now a real nuisance- we saw many dead possums on the roads as it is considered a “civic duty” to run them over whenever you have the chance!). The quilt store has a lot of New Zealand themed fabrics and even had a quilt featuring many of them on display. Motif’s included kiwi’s, saddle-back birds (another endemic species) as well as Kiwi fruit. Janice bought a few fat quarters for her collection.
From there we then drove the 25 or so km on to Picton where we checked into a hotel practically next door to the B&B we stayed at the last time we were in Picton. For supper we went to a restaurant inside an old sailing scow that is now dry docked as its sailing days are now long over. Tomorrow morning we will drop off the car and then catch the ferry back to Wellington and pick up, probably, our first car and work our way back to Auckland.
I must say that while I have enjoyed our time here I am getting rather tired of the driving. It is not that the twisting roads without any discernable shoulders are a problem. It is just that too often, once we entered a twisted section, somebody would end up right on our tail even though I felt we were still going at a reasonable pace considering the conditions. It is this prevalence of tail-gaters in hazardous areas that ultimately resulted in our accident!
Day 16
The place we stayed at is pretty much the same as a B&B in that we had a bedroom, with ensuite bathroom, and we got a continental breakfast in the morning. That gave us a chance to chat with the proprietor, BJ, a Scot originally from Edinburgh. He doesn’t own the place but, along with his wife operates the place for a couple from Christchurch but is hoping he can lease the place and take over operation and run it how he sees fit.
After breakfast we drove over to the Omega Rental Car depot to arrange to drop off the car and catch the ferry. In my haste I forgot to take a photo of the AS Echo where we had supper last night. Instead I took a picture of Picton Harbour from the ferry terminal. A very nice community.
The ferry left pretty much on schedule at 10:15 am for the 3 hour crossing to Wellington. Janice spent the first hour or so outside taking in the sights of Queen Charlotte Sound as we moved out toward the Cook Straights. Just as she came in the ship met a pod of dolphins going the other way. Unfortunately by the time she got back out (there were a number of people ahead of her trying to scramble out on deck) she really only got to see one of them. Oh well.
We debarked from the ship at 1:15 pm and were met by Peter, from the Wellington office of the car rental company. We now have our fourth car of the trip. Again it is a Nissan Sunny but somewhat newer than all of the others (a 2001 model) and is Silver in colour. Unlike the previous car we had, which was pretty gut less this one has some spunk! As neither of us had any desire to go downtown we just headed north away from Wellington. In doing so we discussed what route to follow and opted to take Highway 1 north to Bulls and then continue on Highway 3 to the Northwest with the ultimate objective of seeing, at least from a distance, Mount Taranaki, a large extinct volcano.
Along the way we stopped briefly in Foxton to look at their operating Dutch Wind Mill. They even grind flour that you can then be purchased! Very impressive!
We made it as far as Wanganui where we found a motel to hole up for the night. Rather than eating out we bought a roasted chicken, microwave rice and salad from a local grocery store and had supper in our room. And that reminds me. It is common practice here to be provided by the motel operators with a 300 ml container of milk on checking in! Plus the standard room is a “studio” which at minimum has a fridge, microwave and a basic set of dishes but usually also includes a hot plate stove and sink. Obviously it is New Zealand practice to eat in the motel room, and based on the restaurant prices we have experienced I am not surprised! Anyway, enough for today!
Today was a rather short one, in comparison to most of our other days here, with only two significant stops along the way. We left Ashburton and continued north eventually turning off Highway 1 onto a side road that took us through the town of Lincoln and eventually up the south rim of the extinct volcano that is now home to Lyttelton Harbour, down into the basin that was the volcanic caldera and then up and through the north-west rim, through a traffic tunnel into Christchurch. While we could have taken the drive further east on Banks Peninsula to Akaroa, another extinct volcano, we both have pretty much had our fill of driving up and down twisting and narrow roads. Especially since it is I who wanted to see rocks rather than needing to focus my full attention on the road ahead! While the road taken did have its share of twists and turns I still saw enough to appreciate that it was likely the product of explosive volcanism as the central crater (caldera) is rather large, although nowhere on the same scale as Lake Taupo, on the North island, probably the largest volcanic explosion in recorded history.
Once we got to Christchurch we drove downtown and looked around a bit but didn’t linger too long. We were surprised at how little visible damage there is considering that it was close to the epi-centre of a magnitude 7.1 earthquake on the Richter scale in early September, and numerous aftershocks since. The buildings where we did see damage were all pretty old Victorian style buildings.
We then returned to Highway 1 and continued our drive north. Except for a stop to take a picture of the low lying clouds hugging the local hills (the Maori name for New Zealand is Aotearoa - "land of the long white cloud") and a stop for lunch we drove right through to Kaikoura, the whale watching capital of New Zealand, or so they claim. Apparently sperm whales frequent the area. While we watched for a while no whales did we see. But we took a drive to see the local Fur Seal colony and there we were not disappointed! We were able to get up quite close to the seals as they were basking on the rocks. In fact I almost walked into one while walking along examining the rocks and the sea creatures exposed by the low tide! And I took a short video showing two seals as they went back to the water, too tired of all the attention from the paparazzi (including us).
Day 15
As we were only about an hour and an half from Picton we decided to take it easy today. We drove to Blenheim and just wandered around downtown for a while. For the first hour or so out of Kaikoura we had light rain so that put a damper on the sight-seeing along the way too. While in Blenheim we went to the local i-Site (tourist information bureau) and browsed the brochures. There Janice found one for a place just outside of town with a quilt store so we took a drive there.
At Vine Village, besides the quilt store they also had stores where one can buy olive oil, wine, fudge as well as clothing made from wool and opossum fur which is very soft and warm (the Australian Opossum that was introduced to the islands many years ago and are now a real nuisance- we saw many dead possums on the roads as it is considered a “civic duty” to run them over whenever you have the chance!). The quilt store has a lot of New Zealand themed fabrics and even had a quilt featuring many of them on display. Motif’s included kiwi’s, saddle-back birds (another endemic species) as well as Kiwi fruit. Janice bought a few fat quarters for her collection.
I must say that while I have enjoyed our time here I am getting rather tired of the driving. It is not that the twisting roads without any discernable shoulders are a problem. It is just that too often, once we entered a twisted section, somebody would end up right on our tail even though I felt we were still going at a reasonable pace considering the conditions. It is this prevalence of tail-gaters in hazardous areas that ultimately resulted in our accident!
Day 16
The place we stayed at is pretty much the same as a B&B in that we had a bedroom, with ensuite bathroom, and we got a continental breakfast in the morning. That gave us a chance to chat with the proprietor, BJ, a Scot originally from Edinburgh. He doesn’t own the place but, along with his wife operates the place for a couple from Christchurch but is hoping he can lease the place and take over operation and run it how he sees fit.
After breakfast we drove over to the Omega Rental Car depot to arrange to drop off the car and catch the ferry. In my haste I forgot to take a photo of the AS Echo where we had supper last night. Instead I took a picture of Picton Harbour from the ferry terminal. A very nice community.
We debarked from the ship at 1:15 pm and were met by Peter, from the Wellington office of the car rental company. We now have our fourth car of the trip. Again it is a Nissan Sunny but somewhat newer than all of the others (a 2001 model) and is Silver in colour. Unlike the previous car we had, which was pretty gut less this one has some spunk! As neither of us had any desire to go downtown we just headed north away from Wellington. In doing so we discussed what route to follow and opted to take Highway 1 north to Bulls and then continue on Highway 3 to the Northwest with the ultimate objective of seeing, at least from a distance, Mount Taranaki, a large extinct volcano.
Along the way we stopped briefly in Foxton to look at their operating Dutch Wind Mill. They even grind flour that you can then be purchased! Very impressive!
We made it as far as Wanganui where we found a motel to hole up for the night. Rather than eating out we bought a roasted chicken, microwave rice and salad from a local grocery store and had supper in our room. And that reminds me. It is common practice here to be provided by the motel operators with a 300 ml container of milk on checking in! Plus the standard room is a “studio” which at minimum has a fridge, microwave and a basic set of dishes but usually also includes a hot plate stove and sink. Obviously it is New Zealand practice to eat in the motel room, and based on the restaurant prices we have experienced I am not surprised! Anyway, enough for today!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Part 5
Day 11
Today is our 35th anniversary! And what a day it turned out to be.
We left Hokitika and continued driving south. We got to Franz Josef but the Tourist Radio said it would be a 4km walk into the glacier so we just kept driving and instead went in to see the Fox Glacier. As a glacier it’s okay but pales in comparison to the Columbia ice fields. I may be jaded too in that once you’ve seen one glacier you’ve seen them all. But it was still a stop worth making.
After departing the Fox glacier we continued south stopping for lunch at “Knight’s Point” where there is a nice over look of the rugged coast made all the more impressive by the continued high surf.
Next stop was Haast where we stopped for fuel knowing that there was little in between here and Wanaka. When we pulled out we quickly caught up to another car that was just putting along but soon started to speed up. Since I thought they were dawdlers, as it turned out, I made the mistake of passing them. For the next 20 km they stayed right on our tail. Then we came to one of the many one lane bridges, this time with a vehicle coming from the other direction just entering the bridge when we got there. I stopped to let them by and bang! The car behind us rammed us as they didn’t stop in time! The driver of the vehicle, a young Japanese woman, rushed up to make sure we were okay and apologised profusely. Fortunately, other than bent metal and broken glass no one in either car was hurt (note the broken glass in front of their car as that was where the end of our car was before impact- it was pushed to the position you see by the impact!). We exchanged driver and insurance information and, after discovering there was no cell service with which to call the police we both then drove back to Haast as neither vehicle was damaged to the point of being incapacitated. After making a police report over the phone and re-confirming we had all of the required information I called the rental company to find out what to do. The representative said they had a depot in Queenstown so we continued our journey but now much more cognizant of anyone behind us as we no longer had cushioning left in our rear bumper.
We got to Wanaka, and looking at the map saw that there was a much shorter route to Queenstown than if we stayed on Highway 6. So we took this road through the Cardrona Valley. For ¾ of the way we slowly kept climbing in elevation yet wondered why this was not a favoured route as the road was just as good as any other we had been on to date. Then we reached the height of land and suddenly realised why! It was a steep and twisty decline back down to Highway 6 with one part consisting of at least half a dozen hairpin corners as it wound its way down the slope.
We finally made it into Queenstown and then found a motel that turned out to be about 2 short blocks from the car rental agency. We walked down town and found a very nice Thai restaurant overlooking the harbour with snow capped peaks in the background. What a view! And that is how we spent our anniversary!
Day 12
I went down to the car rental agency and filled out an accident report. While the other persons insurance should pay for it all we still had to pay the deductible for the Collision Damage Insurance ($1500). I then called the insurance provider that provides the equivalent insurance through our Platinum Credit card and filed a case in case the deductible is not refunded.
As a result we got off to a late start and because of our “incident” the day before we decided to forgo the drive into Milford Sound. Both of us have has enough driving through these narrow and twisting roads through the mountains, including the one lane bridges! So we drove down Highway 6 along Wakatipu (spectacularly clear water surrounded by snow topped mountains – fantastic!).
And then down to Highway 94 where we cut across to the east coast arriving eventually at Dunedin. There we went downtown to the “Octagon” and walked around there for a while including having a look at the statue of Robbie Burns (too bad the birds showed no respect for him) and the Anglican Church, seat of the New Zealand branch of the church.
We then continued the drive north on Highway 1 making a stop at Moeraki to see the “Moeraki Boulders” that my brother Stephen had told me about (he had seen them when he and his wife, Jo-Anne, had been to New Zealand several years ago). They are rather unique as they are almost perfectly spherical. Based on a number of them that have been broken down by wave and other forces it appears they are the result of quartz filling fractures and permeating the surrounding clay forming what are called concretions. As the waves wore away the soft clay around them it exposed these round balls.
We finished the day by driving to Oamaru. This is home to two pelican colonies; one of Blue Penguins and the other Yellow-eyed Penguins. After checking in to a motel we took a drive to find the viewing area for the Yellow-eyed penguins (the other has been too commercialised so we didn’t go there. It took some doing thanks to the fact that the highway signs are designed for traffic coming from the south and this time we were coming from the north and thus missed the turn-off. But we eventually got there and in the end were not disappointed! The penguins come back after spending all day out at sea feeding in the late afternoon-early dusk. They then land and work their way up into the scrub covered slopes to their nests. At this site there is a walk-way along the top edge of the slope with several viewing platforms. From here we saw several penguins in the scrub and at least half a dozen as they came in on the surf and waddles their way across the beach to the bank. Plus we got to see a fur seal work his way up the beach to be above the surf and then laid down to have a nap. Janice was especially thrilled by all of this as she had wanted to see both seals and penguins in the wild and she was not disappointed!
Day 13
For today’s entry I’m going to start with some general comments/trivia. The first is that I wish to expound upon our Tourist Radio. I know I have mentioned it previously but I feel I should add a bit more. While not perfect (the song play list, while to our tastes is rather limited in that after only 12 days we have gone through the selection list at least 3 times, and they do advertise their service a bit too much) it has been a real help. It is as if we were on a bus tour with frequent commentary about local sights but with us determining where we stop and for how long! We both really like it and make sure it is playing pretty much all the time we are on the road. I have learned though that we have to be very attentive in that when they mention that we are near sights of interest we may only have about 30 seconds before the local sign appears and the decision to turn must be made. I know, we easily could turn around when we miss a turn-off but that assumes wide shoulders or other facilities to allow such a turn and I must say that here those are luxuries that are few and far between!
The other item is about the currency. I first experienced not having pennies when I went to Australia a few years ago and liked the idea immensely. Here they have taken it one step further and have got rid of the 5 cent piece too! As a result all they have are the following coins: 10₵, 20₵, 50₵, $1 and $2, with the former looking like a large penny as it is copper based. Even though prices may be in cents they round up or down as required. Another related item is that GST is always included in the price, although it is itemised on the receipt. No shock when you get the final bill because it is now whatever percentage higher than what the price sticker showed! I love it!
Anyway, we reviewed what we wanted to do for the day and decided to make the trip back west to Mount Cook. But, as we also try to do, we took an irregular route trying to follow what is locally called the Vanished World Trail which is supposed to have some fossil locations along it. Since the trail was designed to be traveled in the opposite direction to the one we took we missed the proper road and instead took the next one that did eventually meet up with the one we wanted. As a result in only saw two notable sites: the Anatini Fossil Whale Site and the Elephant Rocks site. The former apparently was a location used for the filming a scene for the movie The Lion and the Wardrobe. We located the fossils, protected under a plastic protective cover. The other location is nearby and just consists of some erosional structures of the same limestone as at the fossil site.
From there we connected with Highway 83. This took us by the Waitaki and Aviemore hydroelectric dam facilities on the Waitaki River. There are apparently 8 such facilities on this river system and produce a significant proportion of New Zealand’s power. A unique feature of the river is its turquoise blue colour.
Just past Twizel we took the turn and headed north to Mount Cook. Soon we came to the shore of Lake Putaki and what a view! The turquoise water with the Mount Cook range in all their glory in the background! Upon arriving at the small village servicing the park we enjoyed the information centre and then had lunch at the cafe.
After lunch we took a drive to the see the Tasman Glacier, the largest of all of New Zealand’s mountain glaciers. A gravel road took us to the base of the terminal moraine. We made the mistake of taking the trail that said “View of Glacier”, which goes up to the top of the series of terminal moraines instead of the one that would have taken us to the shore of the glacier lake at the base of the glacier. This choice resulted in trying to climb the very steep and long trail. Janice wasn’t able to make it to the top, especially since it was quite rough near the top. But since I am part mountain goat I did and quickly realised our folly. But I got several good pictures of the glacier, the lake and numerous ice burgs that had calved off of the glacier.
Once we made it back to the car we then drove back toward the east coast finally settling down for the night in the town of Ashburton.
Today is our 35th anniversary! And what a day it turned out to be.
We left Hokitika and continued driving south. We got to Franz Josef but the Tourist Radio said it would be a 4km walk into the glacier so we just kept driving and instead went in to see the Fox Glacier. As a glacier it’s okay but pales in comparison to the Columbia ice fields. I may be jaded too in that once you’ve seen one glacier you’ve seen them all. But it was still a stop worth making.
After departing the Fox glacier we continued south stopping for lunch at “Knight’s Point” where there is a nice over look of the rugged coast made all the more impressive by the continued high surf.
Next stop was Haast where we stopped for fuel knowing that there was little in between here and Wanaka. When we pulled out we quickly caught up to another car that was just putting along but soon started to speed up. Since I thought they were dawdlers, as it turned out, I made the mistake of passing them. For the next 20 km they stayed right on our tail. Then we came to one of the many one lane bridges, this time with a vehicle coming from the other direction just entering the bridge when we got there. I stopped to let them by and bang! The car behind us rammed us as they didn’t stop in time! The driver of the vehicle, a young Japanese woman, rushed up to make sure we were okay and apologised profusely. Fortunately, other than bent metal and broken glass no one in either car was hurt (note the broken glass in front of their car as that was where the end of our car was before impact- it was pushed to the position you see by the impact!). We exchanged driver and insurance information and, after discovering there was no cell service with which to call the police we both then drove back to Haast as neither vehicle was damaged to the point of being incapacitated. After making a police report over the phone and re-confirming we had all of the required information I called the rental company to find out what to do. The representative said they had a depot in Queenstown so we continued our journey but now much more cognizant of anyone behind us as we no longer had cushioning left in our rear bumper.
We got to Wanaka, and looking at the map saw that there was a much shorter route to Queenstown than if we stayed on Highway 6. So we took this road through the Cardrona Valley. For ¾ of the way we slowly kept climbing in elevation yet wondered why this was not a favoured route as the road was just as good as any other we had been on to date. Then we reached the height of land and suddenly realised why! It was a steep and twisty decline back down to Highway 6 with one part consisting of at least half a dozen hairpin corners as it wound its way down the slope.
We finally made it into Queenstown and then found a motel that turned out to be about 2 short blocks from the car rental agency. We walked down town and found a very nice Thai restaurant overlooking the harbour with snow capped peaks in the background. What a view! And that is how we spent our anniversary!
Day 12
I went down to the car rental agency and filled out an accident report. While the other persons insurance should pay for it all we still had to pay the deductible for the Collision Damage Insurance ($1500). I then called the insurance provider that provides the equivalent insurance through our Platinum Credit card and filed a case in case the deductible is not refunded.
As a result we got off to a late start and because of our “incident” the day before we decided to forgo the drive into Milford Sound. Both of us have has enough driving through these narrow and twisting roads through the mountains, including the one lane bridges! So we drove down Highway 6 along Wakatipu (spectacularly clear water surrounded by snow topped mountains – fantastic!).
And then down to Highway 94 where we cut across to the east coast arriving eventually at Dunedin. There we went downtown to the “Octagon” and walked around there for a while including having a look at the statue of Robbie Burns (too bad the birds showed no respect for him) and the Anglican Church, seat of the New Zealand branch of the church.
We then continued the drive north on Highway 1 making a stop at Moeraki to see the “Moeraki Boulders” that my brother Stephen had told me about (he had seen them when he and his wife, Jo-Anne, had been to New Zealand several years ago). They are rather unique as they are almost perfectly spherical. Based on a number of them that have been broken down by wave and other forces it appears they are the result of quartz filling fractures and permeating the surrounding clay forming what are called concretions. As the waves wore away the soft clay around them it exposed these round balls.
We finished the day by driving to Oamaru. This is home to two pelican colonies; one of Blue Penguins and the other Yellow-eyed Penguins. After checking in to a motel we took a drive to find the viewing area for the Yellow-eyed penguins (the other has been too commercialised so we didn’t go there. It took some doing thanks to the fact that the highway signs are designed for traffic coming from the south and this time we were coming from the north and thus missed the turn-off. But we eventually got there and in the end were not disappointed! The penguins come back after spending all day out at sea feeding in the late afternoon-early dusk. They then land and work their way up into the scrub covered slopes to their nests. At this site there is a walk-way along the top edge of the slope with several viewing platforms. From here we saw several penguins in the scrub and at least half a dozen as they came in on the surf and waddles their way across the beach to the bank. Plus we got to see a fur seal work his way up the beach to be above the surf and then laid down to have a nap. Janice was especially thrilled by all of this as she had wanted to see both seals and penguins in the wild and she was not disappointed!
Day 13
For today’s entry I’m going to start with some general comments/trivia. The first is that I wish to expound upon our Tourist Radio. I know I have mentioned it previously but I feel I should add a bit more. While not perfect (the song play list, while to our tastes is rather limited in that after only 12 days we have gone through the selection list at least 3 times, and they do advertise their service a bit too much) it has been a real help. It is as if we were on a bus tour with frequent commentary about local sights but with us determining where we stop and for how long! We both really like it and make sure it is playing pretty much all the time we are on the road. I have learned though that we have to be very attentive in that when they mention that we are near sights of interest we may only have about 30 seconds before the local sign appears and the decision to turn must be made. I know, we easily could turn around when we miss a turn-off but that assumes wide shoulders or other facilities to allow such a turn and I must say that here those are luxuries that are few and far between!
The other item is about the currency. I first experienced not having pennies when I went to Australia a few years ago and liked the idea immensely. Here they have taken it one step further and have got rid of the 5 cent piece too! As a result all they have are the following coins: 10₵, 20₵, 50₵, $1 and $2, with the former looking like a large penny as it is copper based. Even though prices may be in cents they round up or down as required. Another related item is that GST is always included in the price, although it is itemised on the receipt. No shock when you get the final bill because it is now whatever percentage higher than what the price sticker showed! I love it!
Anyway, we reviewed what we wanted to do for the day and decided to make the trip back west to Mount Cook. But, as we also try to do, we took an irregular route trying to follow what is locally called the Vanished World Trail which is supposed to have some fossil locations along it. Since the trail was designed to be traveled in the opposite direction to the one we took we missed the proper road and instead took the next one that did eventually meet up with the one we wanted. As a result in only saw two notable sites: the Anatini Fossil Whale Site and the Elephant Rocks site. The former apparently was a location used for the filming a scene for the movie The Lion and the Wardrobe. We located the fossils, protected under a plastic protective cover. The other location is nearby and just consists of some erosional structures of the same limestone as at the fossil site.
Just past Twizel we took the turn and headed north to Mount Cook. Soon we came to the shore of Lake Putaki and what a view! The turquoise water with the Mount Cook range in all their glory in the background! Upon arriving at the small village servicing the park we enjoyed the information centre and then had lunch at the cafe.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Part 4
Note: I have added some extra items to previous entries so I recommend you review before continuing.
Day 8
After having a leisurely breakfast of muffins washed down with tea we departed Taupo and headed east via State Highway 2 for Napier, New Zealand’s wine capital. During the first hour or so we made good progress due to the relatively flat terrain with numerous cultivated pine forests. As an aside one of their main timber sources now, since they have virtually wiped out the large indigenous trees are these fast growing pines, apparently originally from California. While, once mature they make a lovely looking forest it is quite obvious they have been planted due to their regular rows. It takes about 25 years for them to have a diameter of about 16 to 18”. Some where I got a close look at to a cut surface have growth rings about ½” wide! So when it comes time to harvest they clear cut as since all of the trees are the same kind and age. This way they are managing a sustainable harvest although at a cost: they displace the indigenous trees and the fast growth rate results in lumber with less strength thus requiring larger timber dimensions when building.
Once we hit the mountains we once again experienced tight turns and numerous switch-backs, but nowhere as severe as we have experienced elsewhere. Near the summit of the pass we came across Waipunga Falls. While we did not linger long they still are a beautiful sight to see.
Late in the morning we made it to Napier. There we first went for a walk on the beach. Here it is vastly different than all the other beaches we have seen in that it is made up of basalt pebbles and granules, all coarser than sand. So they have a dark, almost black colour from the basalt, and is hard to walk on because they are too course to pack, even when wet.
Our next stop in Napier was the New Zealand Wine Centre. Since this area is home to about 40 different wineries, many of which offer tours and wine tasting we decided to give the Wine Centre a try as they allow you to compare 6 different wines from different vineyards in the area. Our hosts were Karl and Janine. While this was Janine’s first day on the job Karl is very knowledgeable on everything to do with wine in the area. They started us off, after a summary of wine making and comments on characteristics of different varieties, in the “Aroma Room” where you get to smell different aromas so that you are better prepared to detect some of the subtle flavours (since taste is closely tied to smell) that are distinctive of each wine. Then they took us to an auditorium where we watched a film which provided an overview of the vineyards in the area followed by a presentation from each of six wine makers describing a specific wine. And in front of us was a holder with 6 glasses each with about an ounce and a half of the wine being described for us to taste as well as a “score sheet” so that we could rate and compare. The six red wines we sampled were: Paritua Stonepaddock Scarlet, Alpha Domus Navigator (our least favourite), CJ Pask Cabernet (our favourite – Janice and I actually share very similar tastes for wine), Unison Merlot, Stonecroft Serine Syrah and Gunn Estate Silistria Syrah.
After we finished our sampling of the reds we also had the opportunity to try several whites and roses. From the latter we chose a bottle of Sileni Cabernet Franc Rose to take with us and share as a treat. All are expensive, even once you allow for the exchange rate. For example the 6 reds we tried varied from NZ$24.90 all the way up to NZ$32.00. Our favourite, the CJ Pask, was a middle of the road NZ$24.90 so obviously price doesn’t always mean better taste but then we knew that already! To me this was a real highlight of our trip to date.
After touring the Wine Centre we went for a walk in the downtown area and then found a cafe where we had lunch. While wandering around we located a Sewing Machine shop where Janice asked about where she could find any local quilt shops. The proprietor gave us the location of two which we then proceeded to visit. While Janice found some fabric at the first it was the second that had the best selection of New Zealand centric fabrics with some really neat patterns and colour combinations.
From there we then started the journey to Wellington where we plan to drop off the car tomorrow and then take the ferry to Picton and the South Island. We got as far as Dannevirke where we stopped for the night.
Day 9
It had rained during the night and was quite windy when we continued our journey. For the most part it was a pleasant trip through rolling hills. Just to the west of the town of Woodville the tops of the hills are capped by a massive wind turbine farm with likely over a hundred turbines. From there we continued south on State Highway 2 that soon brought us to Mangatainoka, home of the Tui Brewery. Under different circumstances maybe would have stopped to sample the wares but we continued on. Besides, with supper the two previous evening I have had a glass of Tui ale and must say it is quite good! For the next while we drove along with a beautifully intense rainbow just off to our right to the west as there were rain showers between us and the mountain range further to the west. Unfortunately by the time we made it to the Pukaha Mount Bruce Wildlife Centre, home to a number of rare New Zealand species in their natural environment, including Kiwi’s, we were right under one of those rain clouds. Since it involved a 30 minute hike and it did not look like the rain was going to stop, after getting some more souvenirs, we continued driving south. Ironically it wasn’t long and we were out of the rain!
From Featherstone to Hutt we crossed over the mountains once again. Boy, sure good exercise for the arms turning back and forth as we followed the twisting road up the side of the pass! Just past the top they are constructing a cut to bypass a couple of the sharpest curves. Here the posted speed limit is 50 kph. At the end of the construction there was a sign saying the speed limit was once again 100. I laughed in that there was no way I was going to go any faster than 50 due to the nature of the road and that is the speed I had been lucky to get up to at best for the previous 15 minutes or so!
Once over the crest of the pass we descended into The Hutt River valley and followed the river right down to the Wellington harbour. We found the car rental place just around lunch time and pulled in as we needed to drop off the car there and catch the ferry to Picton. Even though I had called Auckland two days prior to say we would be arriving today the attendant didn’t have any record of our arrival. It took him a while to straighten things out, but that was not a problem as the next ferry was not scheduled to leave until 2 pm. Once the paper work was done we were given a ride to the nearby ferry terminal. There we found out that the ferry was delayed about an hour so we had lunch at the canteen. Over lunch I checked a guide book we had for possible accommodation in Picton and located a Bed and Breakfast that looked interesting, the Marineland. I called their toll free number and booked a room for the night. After lunch we then went for a walk.
The ferry finally left the terminal at about 3:15 pm. We got a good view of Wellington from the harbour as well as the incoming ferry, a twin to the one we were on, as it was arriving from Picton.
We arrived in Picton at 6:15. Upon disembarking we picked up our luggage, located our new rental car, another white Nissan Sunny identical to the one we left in Wellington and then drove to the Marineland B&B. Once we settled our overnight bags in our room we then walked the short distance down to the harbour and found a restaurant for supper.
Day 10
After enjoying a simple continental breakfast of cereal and toast at the B&B we departed Picton. We had planned on driving down to near Christchurch and then taking Highway 73 across the island to the west coast but instead opted, at the last minute, on taking Highway 63 from Blenheim to where it joined with Highway 6 and then staying on that highway to Hokitika. And we are glad we did! The first hour was through kilometre after kilometre of large vineyards made all the more surreal with the sight of snow capped mountains as a backdrop. I had thought the Napier district was impressive for its vineyards but it pales in comparison to this area!
Soon before reaching the west coast we were in rain almost continuously until we reached Hokitika. But that did not stop us from appreciating the scenery. The surf was pretty wild thanks to the high winds from the west that were still blowing from yesterday. At one overlook we had a fantastic view of the waves crashing in. And when we went back to the car a Weka (forest hen – see http://www.nzbirds.com/birds/weka.html) came out to greet us!
Our next stop was at the Punakaiki National Park and more specifically the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes road side park. Here the limestone forms thin layers that when weathered take on the look of stacked pancakes. And in places this rock formation is weathered such that there are holes through which ocean waves crash into and then blow air and water out the top. Very impressive!
Upon arriving in Hokitika we checked into the BellaVista motel and then drove downtown and had an excellent meal at an Indian restaurant, after taking a walk down to the shore.
Tomorrow we continue south in Highway 6 and plan to see the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers and either stopping for the day at Queenstown or Te Anau (assuming that we decide to go to Milford Sound).
Day 8
After having a leisurely breakfast of muffins washed down with tea we departed Taupo and headed east via State Highway 2 for Napier, New Zealand’s wine capital. During the first hour or so we made good progress due to the relatively flat terrain with numerous cultivated pine forests. As an aside one of their main timber sources now, since they have virtually wiped out the large indigenous trees are these fast growing pines, apparently originally from California. While, once mature they make a lovely looking forest it is quite obvious they have been planted due to their regular rows. It takes about 25 years for them to have a diameter of about 16 to 18”. Some where I got a close look at to a cut surface have growth rings about ½” wide! So when it comes time to harvest they clear cut as since all of the trees are the same kind and age. This way they are managing a sustainable harvest although at a cost: they displace the indigenous trees and the fast growth rate results in lumber with less strength thus requiring larger timber dimensions when building.
Once we hit the mountains we once again experienced tight turns and numerous switch-backs, but nowhere as severe as we have experienced elsewhere. Near the summit of the pass we came across Waipunga Falls. While we did not linger long they still are a beautiful sight to see.
Late in the morning we made it to Napier. There we first went for a walk on the beach. Here it is vastly different than all the other beaches we have seen in that it is made up of basalt pebbles and granules, all coarser than sand. So they have a dark, almost black colour from the basalt, and is hard to walk on because they are too course to pack, even when wet.
Our next stop in Napier was the New Zealand Wine Centre. Since this area is home to about 40 different wineries, many of which offer tours and wine tasting we decided to give the Wine Centre a try as they allow you to compare 6 different wines from different vineyards in the area. Our hosts were Karl and Janine. While this was Janine’s first day on the job Karl is very knowledgeable on everything to do with wine in the area. They started us off, after a summary of wine making and comments on characteristics of different varieties, in the “Aroma Room” where you get to smell different aromas so that you are better prepared to detect some of the subtle flavours (since taste is closely tied to smell) that are distinctive of each wine. Then they took us to an auditorium where we watched a film which provided an overview of the vineyards in the area followed by a presentation from each of six wine makers describing a specific wine. And in front of us was a holder with 6 glasses each with about an ounce and a half of the wine being described for us to taste as well as a “score sheet” so that we could rate and compare. The six red wines we sampled were: Paritua Stonepaddock Scarlet, Alpha Domus Navigator (our least favourite), CJ Pask Cabernet (our favourite – Janice and I actually share very similar tastes for wine), Unison Merlot, Stonecroft Serine Syrah and Gunn Estate Silistria Syrah.
After we finished our sampling of the reds we also had the opportunity to try several whites and roses. From the latter we chose a bottle of Sileni Cabernet Franc Rose to take with us and share as a treat. All are expensive, even once you allow for the exchange rate. For example the 6 reds we tried varied from NZ$24.90 all the way up to NZ$32.00. Our favourite, the CJ Pask, was a middle of the road NZ$24.90 so obviously price doesn’t always mean better taste but then we knew that already! To me this was a real highlight of our trip to date.
After touring the Wine Centre we went for a walk in the downtown area and then found a cafe where we had lunch. While wandering around we located a Sewing Machine shop where Janice asked about where she could find any local quilt shops. The proprietor gave us the location of two which we then proceeded to visit. While Janice found some fabric at the first it was the second that had the best selection of New Zealand centric fabrics with some really neat patterns and colour combinations.
From there we then started the journey to Wellington where we plan to drop off the car tomorrow and then take the ferry to Picton and the South Island. We got as far as Dannevirke where we stopped for the night.
Day 9
It had rained during the night and was quite windy when we continued our journey. For the most part it was a pleasant trip through rolling hills. Just to the west of the town of Woodville the tops of the hills are capped by a massive wind turbine farm with likely over a hundred turbines. From there we continued south on State Highway 2 that soon brought us to Mangatainoka, home of the Tui Brewery. Under different circumstances maybe would have stopped to sample the wares but we continued on. Besides, with supper the two previous evening I have had a glass of Tui ale and must say it is quite good! For the next while we drove along with a beautifully intense rainbow just off to our right to the west as there were rain showers between us and the mountain range further to the west. Unfortunately by the time we made it to the Pukaha Mount Bruce Wildlife Centre, home to a number of rare New Zealand species in their natural environment, including Kiwi’s, we were right under one of those rain clouds. Since it involved a 30 minute hike and it did not look like the rain was going to stop, after getting some more souvenirs, we continued driving south. Ironically it wasn’t long and we were out of the rain!
From Featherstone to Hutt we crossed over the mountains once again. Boy, sure good exercise for the arms turning back and forth as we followed the twisting road up the side of the pass! Just past the top they are constructing a cut to bypass a couple of the sharpest curves. Here the posted speed limit is 50 kph. At the end of the construction there was a sign saying the speed limit was once again 100. I laughed in that there was no way I was going to go any faster than 50 due to the nature of the road and that is the speed I had been lucky to get up to at best for the previous 15 minutes or so!
Once over the crest of the pass we descended into The Hutt River valley and followed the river right down to the Wellington harbour. We found the car rental place just around lunch time and pulled in as we needed to drop off the car there and catch the ferry to Picton. Even though I had called Auckland two days prior to say we would be arriving today the attendant didn’t have any record of our arrival. It took him a while to straighten things out, but that was not a problem as the next ferry was not scheduled to leave until 2 pm. Once the paper work was done we were given a ride to the nearby ferry terminal. There we found out that the ferry was delayed about an hour so we had lunch at the canteen. Over lunch I checked a guide book we had for possible accommodation in Picton and located a Bed and Breakfast that looked interesting, the Marineland. I called their toll free number and booked a room for the night. After lunch we then went for a walk.
The ferry finally left the terminal at about 3:15 pm. We got a good view of Wellington from the harbour as well as the incoming ferry, a twin to the one we were on, as it was arriving from Picton.
We arrived in Picton at 6:15. Upon disembarking we picked up our luggage, located our new rental car, another white Nissan Sunny identical to the one we left in Wellington and then drove to the Marineland B&B. Once we settled our overnight bags in our room we then walked the short distance down to the harbour and found a restaurant for supper.
Day 10
After enjoying a simple continental breakfast of cereal and toast at the B&B we departed Picton. We had planned on driving down to near Christchurch and then taking Highway 73 across the island to the west coast but instead opted, at the last minute, on taking Highway 63 from Blenheim to where it joined with Highway 6 and then staying on that highway to Hokitika. And we are glad we did! The first hour was through kilometre after kilometre of large vineyards made all the more surreal with the sight of snow capped mountains as a backdrop. I had thought the Napier district was impressive for its vineyards but it pales in comparison to this area!
Soon before reaching the west coast we were in rain almost continuously until we reached Hokitika. But that did not stop us from appreciating the scenery. The surf was pretty wild thanks to the high winds from the west that were still blowing from yesterday. At one overlook we had a fantastic view of the waves crashing in. And when we went back to the car a Weka (forest hen – see http://www.nzbirds.com/birds/weka.html) came out to greet us!
Our next stop was at the Punakaiki National Park and more specifically the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes road side park. Here the limestone forms thin layers that when weathered take on the look of stacked pancakes. And in places this rock formation is weathered such that there are holes through which ocean waves crash into and then blow air and water out the top. Very impressive!
Upon arriving in Hokitika we checked into the BellaVista motel and then drove downtown and had an excellent meal at an Indian restaurant, after taking a walk down to the shore.
Tomorrow we continue south in Highway 6 and plan to see the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers and either stopping for the day at Queenstown or Te Anau (assuming that we decide to go to Milford Sound).
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Part 3
Day 5
This was a much more successful day for us! Instead of using local public transit we instead took the car and thanks to the GPS got to every place we wanted to in decent time.
Our first stop was to the Museum. On the first floor (they have 3) they have an excellent exhibit of Maori carvings, including a large war canoe. On the second floor there is a geology display as well as displays on the New Zealand wildlife, both past (i.e. the Moa) and present. The third is dedicated to military things such as a memorial to those who died in past conflicts as well as information on the conflicts New Zealanders have taken part in.
After the museum we drove to the harbour front to see the Kelly Tarlton Antarctic and underwater displays. There we took a ride through an area where they house two types of penguins. As we were too busy taking pictures we took the ride a second time just so we could focus on looking at them! Then we walked by a pool where they have numerous ocean fish including 3 large stingrays. After that it was through a tunnel under another aquarium where they keep a number of sharks and other ocean fish.
To close out our site seeing we then went to “One Tree Hill”, the highest of the local extinct volcanoes that at one time was home to a Maori settlement and a sacred tree which was cut down by white settlers, replaced with an imported pine and that in turn was cut down by local Maori’s not too long ago. The view from here is fantastic!
As we were running out of time before rush hour was to begin we left and returned to Andrew and Valmai’s place. That evening, while reminiscing about Sorowako, he mentioned that another friend I had met there had not had his contract renewed. So I tried to look him up using the New Zealand Yellow Pages web site. I was able to find one name that appeared to be the right one and who lived on the south-east part of the Coromandel Peninsula. I noted the address and telephone number and decided that once closer I would call and see if it was the right person.
Day 6
We departed Auckland in the morning and left to tour the Coromandel Peninsula. This is an old gold mining district and site of areas of present day logging. The trip to Thames was uneventful, primarily because we were driving on some of the best highways we’ve seen so far. Once we headed north along the peninsula coast things changed quickly to a narrow 2-Lane road that hugged the shore and followed, it seemed, every little bend in the coast. As a result I spent most of my time watching the road and very little absorbing the scenery. Once we reached the town of Coromandel we took the highway over the high ridge that makes up the peninsula to Whitianga. Up at the height of land we were able to take in some great vista’s!
Once in Whitianga I took out our new cell phone and called the number I had written done the day before hoping it would be my friend Jan. As it turned out it indeed was him! He then invited us to stay the nigh. But he recommended that we first take in Hot Water Beach, which had been on our itinerary anyway.
So we drove into Hot Water Beach, where a geothermal hot spring up wells right at the shore, under beach sands. There people typically rent shovels, dig holes in the sand and then let the spring water fill them in prior to using them just like a hot tub! The only problem is that you can only do that two hours either side of lowtide. Fortunately for us we arrived about an hour after low tide. While I didn’t wade into the pools Janice took off her sandals and tried out the water which indeed was quite warm!
After we finished exploring the beach we continued the drive and headed to Whangamata where my friend Jan and his wife Jen live. They are in the process of converting their small summer house (“Bach” being the local vernacular for such a building) into their new full-time home. In doing so they have pretty much tripled the square footage. They have emphasised access to the local view by having plenty of very large windows. A virtual palace with exceptional site lines!
While Jen had to work we spent the afternoon with Jan who took us for a walk to Wharekawa beach. This one is rather unique in that there is no direct road access and thus is pretty much unspoiled by any development. It is commonly used by local surfers who walk to the beach and then paddle out into the surf.
Day 7
We stayed long enough to see and chat with Jen for a while.
Then we bid farewell and drove off to see the hydrothermal features (primarily hot springs) in the Rotarua and Taupo area. Our first stop was to Kuirau Park right in the community of Rotarua. Here there are a series of hot springs and pools, some with boiling water, others with just hot and steaming water and a few with bubbling mud. The whole town, as a result of this hot spring activity has a distinct sulphur smell.
After that we had problems finding any of the other significant geothermal areas with the result that one of the two areas I wanted to see (Champagne Pool) was missed. But at least we were able to find the Wairakei geothermal area. This one of the main areas where they produce electricity using steam generated by first pumping water underground where it is then heated by the rocks and then comes back up to the surface as steam. It is rather unique too in that dissolved minerals, including quartz and gold, precipitate out where the steam escapes.
We ended the day by checking into a motel in Tuapo.
This was a much more successful day for us! Instead of using local public transit we instead took the car and thanks to the GPS got to every place we wanted to in decent time.
Our first stop was to the Museum. On the first floor (they have 3) they have an excellent exhibit of Maori carvings, including a large war canoe. On the second floor there is a geology display as well as displays on the New Zealand wildlife, both past (i.e. the Moa) and present. The third is dedicated to military things such as a memorial to those who died in past conflicts as well as information on the conflicts New Zealanders have taken part in.
After the museum we drove to the harbour front to see the Kelly Tarlton Antarctic and underwater displays. There we took a ride through an area where they house two types of penguins. As we were too busy taking pictures we took the ride a second time just so we could focus on looking at them! Then we walked by a pool where they have numerous ocean fish including 3 large stingrays. After that it was through a tunnel under another aquarium where they keep a number of sharks and other ocean fish.
To close out our site seeing we then went to “One Tree Hill”, the highest of the local extinct volcanoes that at one time was home to a Maori settlement and a sacred tree which was cut down by white settlers, replaced with an imported pine and that in turn was cut down by local Maori’s not too long ago. The view from here is fantastic!
As we were running out of time before rush hour was to begin we left and returned to Andrew and Valmai’s place. That evening, while reminiscing about Sorowako, he mentioned that another friend I had met there had not had his contract renewed. So I tried to look him up using the New Zealand Yellow Pages web site. I was able to find one name that appeared to be the right one and who lived on the south-east part of the Coromandel Peninsula. I noted the address and telephone number and decided that once closer I would call and see if it was the right person.
Day 6
We departed Auckland in the morning and left to tour the Coromandel Peninsula. This is an old gold mining district and site of areas of present day logging. The trip to Thames was uneventful, primarily because we were driving on some of the best highways we’ve seen so far. Once we headed north along the peninsula coast things changed quickly to a narrow 2-Lane road that hugged the shore and followed, it seemed, every little bend in the coast. As a result I spent most of my time watching the road and very little absorbing the scenery. Once we reached the town of Coromandel we took the highway over the high ridge that makes up the peninsula to Whitianga. Up at the height of land we were able to take in some great vista’s!
Once in Whitianga I took out our new cell phone and called the number I had written done the day before hoping it would be my friend Jan. As it turned out it indeed was him! He then invited us to stay the nigh. But he recommended that we first take in Hot Water Beach, which had been on our itinerary anyway.
So we drove into Hot Water Beach, where a geothermal hot spring up wells right at the shore, under beach sands. There people typically rent shovels, dig holes in the sand and then let the spring water fill them in prior to using them just like a hot tub! The only problem is that you can only do that two hours either side of lowtide. Fortunately for us we arrived about an hour after low tide. While I didn’t wade into the pools Janice took off her sandals and tried out the water which indeed was quite warm!
After we finished exploring the beach we continued the drive and headed to Whangamata where my friend Jan and his wife Jen live. They are in the process of converting their small summer house (“Bach” being the local vernacular for such a building) into their new full-time home. In doing so they have pretty much tripled the square footage. They have emphasised access to the local view by having plenty of very large windows. A virtual palace with exceptional site lines!
While Jen had to work we spent the afternoon with Jan who took us for a walk to Wharekawa beach. This one is rather unique in that there is no direct road access and thus is pretty much unspoiled by any development. It is commonly used by local surfers who walk to the beach and then paddle out into the surf.
We stayed long enough to see and chat with Jen for a while.
Then we bid farewell and drove off to see the hydrothermal features (primarily hot springs) in the Rotarua and Taupo area. Our first stop was to Kuirau Park right in the community of Rotarua. Here there are a series of hot springs and pools, some with boiling water, others with just hot and steaming water and a few with bubbling mud. The whole town, as a result of this hot spring activity has a distinct sulphur smell.
After that we had problems finding any of the other significant geothermal areas with the result that one of the two areas I wanted to see (Champagne Pool) was missed. But at least we were able to find the Wairakei geothermal area. This one of the main areas where they produce electricity using steam generated by first pumping water underground where it is then heated by the rocks and then comes back up to the surface as steam. It is rather unique too in that dissolved minerals, including quartz and gold, precipitate out where the steam escapes.
We ended the day by checking into a motel in Tuapo.
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