Interior of our tiny van we hired for New Zealand trip
New Zealand - Some highlights of our trip
According to New Zealand Government statistics one in ten of the population is involved with the tourism business directly or indirectly. It produces over 16% of the country's foreign earnings each year. Not surprisingly then if you very quickly realise is that you are a cash cow and it is a kiwi's duty to devise lots of ways to make you spend your money and they do this very well.
We were away seven weeks, six and half in New Zealand, we had no great preference on where we were going save that we wanted to do both islands.
What follows on this page are some highlights of our trip. Details of where we stayed are on the map at the bottom of the page.
More photos on our New Zealand trip if you click on the button below.
If you are thinking of doing something similar there are some pointers
then click on the button below.
We were away seven weeks, six and half in New Zealand, we had no great preference on where we were going save that we wanted to do both islands.
What follows on this page are some highlights of our trip. Details of where we stayed are on the map at the bottom of the page.
More photos on our New Zealand trip if you click on the button below.
If you are thinking of doing something similar there are some pointers
then click on the button below.
Auckland
We flew into Auckland with Air New Zealand and spent three nights at Rydges Hotel which was right in the centre of D. This gave us a chance to get over the 25 hour flight and to have a look around this city.
The picture shows the Sky Tower and was taken from the hotel window. This complex itself is given over to entertainment - casinos bars etc but you can also jump off the tower for a price. We decided we would save our jumping until we got to the South Island.
New Zealanders like the sea and like sailing, so lots of boats to admire and lots of ferries to the nearby islands. The area around the sea front and the marina was a very pleasant place for a stroll as was the attractive Albert Park.
We planned our journey with arrival and departure in Auckland but with the benefit of hindsight we think we should have flown into Auckland and out of Christchurch which is on the South Island.
After three nights in Auckland we took a taxi to the Backpacker depot (the same depot for Maui & Britz) to collect our motorhome. Smooth handover of the vehicle which was disapppointingly basic but served its purpose for the next six weeks. We suspect the new vehicles are rented out under the Maui brand, when a few years old they are rebadged Britz and when they are older still they are rebranded Backpackers, ours must have been 10 years old at least and done over 200,000 kms.
The picture shows the Sky Tower and was taken from the hotel window. This complex itself is given over to entertainment - casinos bars etc but you can also jump off the tower for a price. We decided we would save our jumping until we got to the South Island.
New Zealanders like the sea and like sailing, so lots of boats to admire and lots of ferries to the nearby islands. The area around the sea front and the marina was a very pleasant place for a stroll as was the attractive Albert Park.
We planned our journey with arrival and departure in Auckland but with the benefit of hindsight we think we should have flown into Auckland and out of Christchurch which is on the South Island.
After three nights in Auckland we took a taxi to the Backpacker depot (the same depot for Maui & Britz) to collect our motorhome. Smooth handover of the vehicle which was disapppointingly basic but served its purpose for the next six weeks. We suspect the new vehicles are rented out under the Maui brand, when a few years old they are rebadged Britz and when they are older still they are rebranded Backpackers, ours must have been 10 years old at least and done over 200,000 kms.
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Rotorua
This is one of the geysers at Rotorua on North Island at a place called Te Puia. I recall that this geyser is called Prince of Wales Feathers. I think becaus the wind always catches the jets of water so that it resembles the three feathers on the Prince of Wales crest.
Te Puia was once called the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute and it still teaches traditional skills of weaving and carving. It also offers a Maori experience - dancing dinner etc for an extra cost. We came across the place by chance as we missed the turning to the
campsite. We spent a couple of hours wandering around the site which was once of
some Maori significance in the past. Plenty of geysers and sites of former geysers and boiling mud. Something rather hypnotic about watching boiling mud as the video below shows. Apparently the warlike Maori would throw their enemies into such mud, what a nasty way to go.
Te Puia was once called the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute and it still teaches traditional skills of weaving and carving. It also offers a Maori experience - dancing dinner etc for an extra cost. We came across the place by chance as we missed the turning to the
campsite. We spent a couple of hours wandering around the site which was once of
some Maori significance in the past. Plenty of geysers and sites of former geysers and boiling mud. Something rather hypnotic about watching boiling mud as the video below shows. Apparently the warlike Maori would throw their enemies into such mud, what a nasty way to go.
Dolphins and sea birds
Gannet
Once on South Island we went on a wildlife cruise from Picton on the Queen Charlotte Sound and had a splendid time. We were quickly amongst frolicking Bottle-Nosed Dolphins, then watched Gannets diving, saw Spotted Shags, Fluttering Shearwaters and – a rare treat –a King Shag. We had a quick look at some Fur Seals hanging round a salmon farm. We landed on the bird reserve of Motuara Island and had another rare treat – a couple of Okarito Brown Kiwi sleeping in a Penguin nest box. Kate the guide said that she had only seen these twice in three years. Rather than rush up the hill with the others we hung around the (only) fresh water and saw a fine Fantail, the back end of a Rifleman (he refused to turn), a South Island Robin,
and a Saddleback. There was a Little Blue Penguin near the landing stage and as we left the island another rare feller – the NZ Falcon – flew straight overhead. We saw more Dolphins on the way back.
This trip did cost $230 for the two of us but we were out for hours, the guide was very helpful and we felt it good value for money. I would recommend Dolphin Watch Eco Tours. When booked we indicated that we were bird watchers and so a special little booklet was prepared just for us to tell us what birds to expect on Motuara Island.
It was also nice weather - unusual on this visit to New Zealand so far.
and a Saddleback. There was a Little Blue Penguin near the landing stage and as we left the island another rare feller – the NZ Falcon – flew straight overhead. We saw more Dolphins on the way back.
This trip did cost $230 for the two of us but we were out for hours, the guide was very helpful and we felt it good value for money. I would recommend Dolphin Watch Eco Tours. When booked we indicated that we were bird watchers and so a special little booklet was prepared just for us to tell us what birds to expect on Motuara Island.
It was also nice weather - unusual on this visit to New Zealand so far.
Fantail
Bottle nosed dolphin
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Sailing in Queen Charlotte Sound
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Franz Josef, Tasman & Fox Glaciers but no mints
While we were at Franz Josef (west coast, South Island) we took a plane trip with Air Safaris on what they called the Grand Traverse of Mount Cook. This area of South Island is called Westland and is dominated by Mount Cook which is 3764 metres.
We opted for the longer of the two trips on offer and which took us all over the area. It was $299 each (and this was with a discount for our Top 10 card).The plane trip was excellent, a beautiful clear day and wonderful views of the coast line, the glacial rivers, glaciers and
mountains and just the occasional bumpiness to frighten one of the other lady
passengers (there were six of us, which was near enough full capacity on the
little plane).
In 50 minutes we saw far more than we ever could from the ground, and became aware of just how extensive the Southern Alps are, and how much snow remains throughout the year – with another 30metres to fall this coming winter.
We opted for the longer of the two trips on offer and which took us all over the area. It was $299 each (and this was with a discount for our Top 10 card).The plane trip was excellent, a beautiful clear day and wonderful views of the coast line, the glacial rivers, glaciers and
mountains and just the occasional bumpiness to frighten one of the other lady
passengers (there were six of us, which was near enough full capacity on the
little plane).
In 50 minutes we saw far more than we ever could from the ground, and became aware of just how extensive the Southern Alps are, and how much snow remains throughout the year – with another 30metres to fall this coming winter.
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Lake Matheson
After Franz Josef we went down the road to Fox Glacier and first did a two-hour walk around Lake Matheson.Lake Matheson is a short drive from Fox and there is a rather nice café there g with plenty of motorhome parkinwhere we had a reasonably priced brunch with spectacular views of Mounts Cook and Tasman.
The bumf said that on a clear windless day you get a perfect reflection of Mount Cook on the waters of the lake. It was clear but unfortunately not windless enough -we got an excellent view of Mt Cook but not much of a reflection. But we saw some wonderful blue fungi and some excellent mosses and generally it was a walk to be recommended.
From Lake Matheson we went to see the Fox Glacier – shorter access than
Franz Josef Glacier but not so easy as there were a number of stepping stones
to cross en route. This area did not seem as stable as Franz Josef as there was
lots of evidence of rock falls.
In all in all three hours of tramping (kiwi speak for hiking) on this day.
The bumf said that on a clear windless day you get a perfect reflection of Mount Cook on the waters of the lake. It was clear but unfortunately not windless enough -we got an excellent view of Mt Cook but not much of a reflection. But we saw some wonderful blue fungi and some excellent mosses and generally it was a walk to be recommended.
From Lake Matheson we went to see the Fox Glacier – shorter access than
Franz Josef Glacier but not so easy as there were a number of stepping stones
to cross en route. This area did not seem as stable as Franz Josef as there was
lots of evidence of rock falls.
In all in all three hours of tramping (kiwi speak for hiking) on this day.
A break in the cloud gave a glimpse of the glacier
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In the mist ahead is the Franz Josef glacier
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Fox Glacier
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On the way to Fox Glacier
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Jet boats, blow up canoes & soggy feet
After spending a few restful days at the beautiful Lake Wanaka we drove the scenic road to Queenstown, complete with a million hairpin bends. We strolled round the very pretty town during the afternoon and signed up for a couple of activities. The first of these was the following day (with a start time of 7.25am) and involved a one-hour scenic bus to the Funyaks base at Glenorchy at the south end of Lake Wakitipu, changing into wetsuits, rubber boots, shower macs and life jackets (with cameras in a roll-up waterproof bag) and then a thrashing one-hour trip up the Dart River on a jet-boat, complete with 360 degree spins (which sprayed us all nicely) and squeezing between rocks at 75kph. In the freezing water (it comes straight from a glacier) a nice feature of the boat was that the grab rail was heated. Once we reached the limit of navigation we switched into inflatable canoes for trip back. Which is where it got interesting because not only is the river running very fast in places, it is also very shallow in places and – to add a touch of spice – it was blowing half a gale and these canoes represented a large and light target. The scenery was breathtaking and we were seeing places that you cannot reach by road although in the canoe we spent more time looking ahead rather than around.
We were a large group and divided into four canoes per group leader and we had a briefing from Hayley – our group leader – who warned us about not going sideways on in shallow water due the danger of capsizing. This warning proved prescient because ten minutes later we were both in the water (but we were not the first) and conditions were so bad that Hayley required that we all hitch our boats together for greater stability as we got through a particularly difficult patch. The only other oldies on the trip stayed hitched for pretty well the whole trip but once conditions improved (marginally) we unhitched and managed to manoeuvre ourselves through some tricky bits, though we did have to push ourselves out of several shallow bits (which means less than about four inches).
We were a large group and divided into four canoes per group leader and we had a briefing from Hayley – our group leader – who warned us about not going sideways on in shallow water due the danger of capsizing. This warning proved prescient because ten minutes later we were both in the water (but we were not the first) and conditions were so bad that Hayley required that we all hitch our boats together for greater stability as we got through a particularly difficult patch. The only other oldies on the trip stayed hitched for pretty well the whole trip but once conditions improved (marginally) we unhitched and managed to manoeuvre ourselves through some tricky bits, though we did have to push ourselves out of several shallow bits (which means less than about four inches).
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We stopped for lunch (rolls and various fillings, juice, hot chocolate) in a sheltered spot, though we were joined by sandflies who had also come for sustenance, and then took the canoes up a short gorge which had the only gentle bit of water on the whole trip. Then it was back to the maelstrom, sometimes in near sandstorm conditions. Gilroy was helmsman (so
sat at the back) and Sheila had to be main oarsperson. This was a bit of a blow
in more than one sense because Sheila had to do a lot of the work while Gilroy desperately tried to keep the boat more-or-less straight, out of the shallows, and on the correct
side of the channel. The helmsman was not always successful in this so we did a
good number of 360 degree turns and grounded ourselves on several occasions,
but we did manage the tricky ‘merging with a bigger channel’ operations. The
second bit of a blow was when Sheila’s hand slipped on the oar and she bashed
her sunglasses on to her face. The result was a very considerable black eye, and
blood to match that from my finger following an earlier accident. Hayley clearly
began to be worried that we would not make it, but we managed the rest of the
trip with plenty more excitement but without further drama.
sat at the back) and Sheila had to be main oarsperson. This was a bit of a blow
in more than one sense because Sheila had to do a lot of the work while Gilroy desperately tried to keep the boat more-or-less straight, out of the shallows, and on the correct
side of the channel. The helmsman was not always successful in this so we did a
good number of 360 degree turns and grounded ourselves on several occasions,
but we did manage the tricky ‘merging with a bigger channel’ operations. The
second bit of a blow was when Sheila’s hand slipped on the oar and she bashed
her sunglasses on to her face. The result was a very considerable black eye, and
blood to match that from my finger following an earlier accident. Hayley clearly
began to be worried that we would not make it, but we managed the rest of the
trip with plenty more excitement but without further drama.
The trip back from the disembarkation point, changing back into our nicely dry
clothes (the wetsuits are not intended to be entirely waterproof, as we found out) and the trip back to Queenstown meant that we didn’t get back until about 5.30. We were completely knackered, and in bed and snoring by 9.30. $590 for two, and we weren’t too shocked. Must be getting used to the place and its prices. We were very impressed with the professionalism of the organisation that took us out and would recommend them.
clothes (the wetsuits are not intended to be entirely waterproof, as we found out) and the trip back to Queenstown meant that we didn’t get back until about 5.30. We were completely knackered, and in bed and snoring by 9.30. $590 for two, and we weren’t too shocked. Must be getting used to the place and its prices. We were very impressed with the professionalism of the organisation that took us out and would recommend them.
Adrenaline fuelled oldies
After our action packed canoeing day including a (self inflicted ) black eye for Sheila we next tried a gentler activity – six big zipwires starting from the top of the mountain above Queenstown ($238 for two from Ziptrek, including an oldie discount for Gilroy). In addition there is the $25 each for the trip up the mountain in a gondola, we felt a bit cheated as we zip wired down to thbottom but you could only buy return tickets.
The zip wires take you through the Douglas Firs and the total length of the zip wires is 490metres with the longest being 240 metres. You can reach speeds of up to 70kmh. What was horrifying though was there was a mountain bike track down the mountain - now that did look dangerous.
You also get a great view of Queenstown from the top. We were encouraged to take up more fun positions on the wire–hanging upside-down was a favourite . The guides at Ziptrek
are very knowledgeable and not only do they make you feel very safe as you are doing all of this, they also give you a bit of an educational lecture on the way. We think Go Ape in UK may seem a bit tame after this
The zip wires take you through the Douglas Firs and the total length of the zip wires is 490metres with the longest being 240 metres. You can reach speeds of up to 70kmh. What was horrifying though was there was a mountain bike track down the mountain - now that did look dangerous.
You also get a great view of Queenstown from the top. We were encouraged to take up more fun positions on the wire–hanging upside-down was a favourite . The guides at Ziptrek
are very knowledgeable and not only do they make you feel very safe as you are doing all of this, they also give you a bit of an educational lecture on the way. We think Go Ape in UK may seem a bit tame after this
Queenstown from the top of the cable car
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Vanu Atu buskers in Queenstown
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Bungy
In Queenstown there is so much choice as to which activity to do next that it is only the size of your wallet or your nerve that acts as a stop. The skydiving from the top of Ben Lomond was tempting but we chose bungy jumps.
Sheila had intended to do the 134m gondola jump (the highest) but if I was going to be there to take photos it was another $50 for me on top of the $260 jump fee so we settled for the original 43m bridge jump for both of us. $180 each and the lady pointed out that it was
non-refundable, i.e. you don’t get your money back if you chicken out. Someone later told us that the length of elastic remains the same whichever jump you choose to take, just the view down gets more scary the bigger the jump. We did the bungy jumps on Monday afternoon and the AJ Hackett coach takes all the victims up to the various jump off points, we found
ourselves the oldest on that coach by a long long way.
We jumped from the original bungy jump site at Kawarau Bridge where the lads in charge insisted on ladies first so Sheila stepped up and into her harness and with ankles tied together shuffled to the edge of the wooden platform and did a fearless and elegant swallow dive. I was being prepped for my jump and was expecting Sheila to be hauled back to the
top so it was a bit of a shock when the rope came back empty. You get unhitched
from the rope by fellers on a boat once you have finished bouncing up and down
like a yoyo.
I went second and continue to be amazed that I was daft enough to do something so terrifying – you are plunging to your doom at about a thousand miles per hour. Fortunately it only lasts about five seconds before the rope tries to rip your feet off (I thought there would be a shoulder harness, not just an old towel and a belt to hold your ankles
together). The feller who lets you go shook my hand before I jumped. Makes it
seem sort of final.
If you are 75 you can jump for free, if only it weren't so expensive to get here but we thnk AJ Hackett may have bungy jumps in europe - must investigate...
Sheila had intended to do the 134m gondola jump (the highest) but if I was going to be there to take photos it was another $50 for me on top of the $260 jump fee so we settled for the original 43m bridge jump for both of us. $180 each and the lady pointed out that it was
non-refundable, i.e. you don’t get your money back if you chicken out. Someone later told us that the length of elastic remains the same whichever jump you choose to take, just the view down gets more scary the bigger the jump. We did the bungy jumps on Monday afternoon and the AJ Hackett coach takes all the victims up to the various jump off points, we found
ourselves the oldest on that coach by a long long way.
We jumped from the original bungy jump site at Kawarau Bridge where the lads in charge insisted on ladies first so Sheila stepped up and into her harness and with ankles tied together shuffled to the edge of the wooden platform and did a fearless and elegant swallow dive. I was being prepped for my jump and was expecting Sheila to be hauled back to the
top so it was a bit of a shock when the rope came back empty. You get unhitched
from the rope by fellers on a boat once you have finished bouncing up and down
like a yoyo.
I went second and continue to be amazed that I was daft enough to do something so terrifying – you are plunging to your doom at about a thousand miles per hour. Fortunately it only lasts about five seconds before the rope tries to rip your feet off (I thought there would be a shoulder harness, not just an old towel and a belt to hold your ankles
together). The feller who lets you go shook my hand before I jumped. Makes it
seem sort of final.
If you are 75 you can jump for free, if only it weren't so expensive to get here but we thnk AJ Hackett may have bungy jumps in europe - must investigate...
Milford Sound
Having had three fairly active days – and with Sheila nursing a spectacular self inflicted black eye and an increasingly dodgy knee – we left Queenstown and went down to Te Anau, another small town on the edge if a pretty lake, and offering rather gentler activities such as the coach/cruise to Milford Sound ($330 for the pair of us, including Top10 discount). In contrast with Queenstown bungy jumping – where we were by far the oldest of a young group – the coach/cruise was like an OAP day out where we amongst the youngest.
It was good not to be driving so I could look out at the countryside. We set off
from the campsite at 8.15 in thickish mist and there were some fine views of cloud-filled valleys and misty fields. And some excellent mirror-lake places. We were soon into the mountains where Dave the driver provided a running commentary on the rigours of building the road in the 1930’s with shovels, pick-axes and dynamite, and pointed out the recent landslides. We also stopped to see a nicely worn stream chasm, and had to wait a while at the traffic lights to get through the 1200m Homer Tunnel.
It was good not to be driving so I could look out at the countryside. We set off
from the campsite at 8.15 in thickish mist and there were some fine views of cloud-filled valleys and misty fields. And some excellent mirror-lake places. We were soon into the mountains where Dave the driver provided a running commentary on the rigours of building the road in the 1930’s with shovels, pick-axes and dynamite, and pointed out the recent landslides. We also stopped to see a nicely worn stream chasm, and had to wait a while at the traffic lights to get through the 1200m Homer Tunnel.
Milford Sound contd.
The Homer Tunnel
We got on to our cruiser at about midday and immediately set about the lunch – hamburgers, sausages (not to Sheila’s taste), chicken legs, veg, salads – before going on deck to admire the towering fjord sides. Milford Sound isn’t very long so we were into the Tasman Sea within an hour. The weather was bright and sunny and the sea almost flat calm – very rare conditions in these parts according to the commentary. They get 9m of rain a year with 180 rainy days and the Tasman is notoriously rough, so a clear, calm day is something to be savoured.
Mirror Lake en route to Milford Sound
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Milford Sound contd.
There were some fine examples of ‘tree avalanches’ where one tree falling down on the thin-soil slopes brings down more trees because the roots are all entangled, eventually stripping the fall area to bare rock. There were also a few excellent permanent waterfalls (and many more which occur just after rainfall) coming from hanging valleys created by the glacier. The waterfall on the left featured in X-Men Origins: Wolverine which we watched that night – we recognised it immediately – not only the location but the unusual lattice pattern on the left when the fall hits the water. We passed the place where the barn was blown up in the same film when we came back from the canoeing last week.
There are often dolphins around the Sound but we only saw a few fur seals on this
trip.This was a full day, but very relaxing after the hectic few days in Queenstown, as the title of this entry says we were acting our age today.
There are often dolphins around the Sound but we only saw a few fur seals on this
trip.This was a full day, but very relaxing after the hectic few days in Queenstown, as the title of this entry says we were acting our age today.
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Curio Bay
Petrified trees
The campsite at Curio Bay is fairly basic but only $27 a night and it has a fantastic location on the relatively narrow neck between two bays. We initially parked at the top of the cliff where we were almost surrounded by water, and we were able to watch a bunch of Hector’s Dolphins played in one of the bays. The other bay is famous for the petrified trees – dating from the Jurassic period - which were clearly visible at low tide. As the waves came in they made a tremendous booming noise against the cliffs and created huge spumes of spray.
Curio Bay is also famous for the rare Yellow-Eyed Penguins. During the day at this time of the year the parents are at sea collecting fish and the chicks are hiding in burrows. The parents come back at dusk – about 7pm – and were out there with our camera to record the event. The Yellow-Eyed Penguins did emerge on that night but there were more tourists than birds – we only saw about five Penguins before the cold and the wet and the wind drove us back into the motorhome. This is presumably the same wind which was responsible for the leaning-over trees on the road here. Some of them were almost horizontal
Curio Bay is also famous for the rare Yellow-Eyed Penguins. During the day at this time of the year the parents are at sea collecting fish and the chicks are hiding in burrows. The parents come back at dusk – about 7pm – and were out there with our camera to record the event. The Yellow-Eyed Penguins did emerge on that night but there were more tourists than birds – we only saw about five Penguins before the cold and the wet and the wind drove us back into the motorhome. This is presumably the same wind which was responsible for the leaning-over trees on the road here. Some of them were almost horizontal
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More pictures from Curio Bay
A sign that some bad weather was coming our way
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Petrified tree trunk
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weather beaten cedars
Otago Penninsula
The view towards Dunedin from the Albatross Centre
From Curio Bay we drove to Portobello on the Otago Peninsula near Dunedin.We stopped to look at a picturesque waterfall but perhaps more interesting were the local trees which appeared to be shedding their skins snake-fashion. We also stopped at the Sinclair Wetlands and walked around.here wasn’t much about but we did see a Yellowhammer and Sheila spotted a Redpoll lurking among the young Goldfinches. The guidebooks suggest that you should see all of the penninsula by going one way by the inland route and the other by the shore route, we did do that but the inland route is very very bendy in places, we preferred the shore route as it felt safer when you could see what traffic was coming towards you rather than meeting it on a hair pin bend.
We stayed at Portobello Motor Camp which is small but nicely located at the foot of the 1,000 foot Cone and within easy reach of the Royal Albatross colony which was the reason for our visit. We did the conducted tour ($40 a head) which is the only which was the purpose of this visit to to see the chicks, now two months old and already weighing 4kg. There are 50 breeding pairs of albatross on the penninsula, the others breed 1000 miles away on a remote island. As well as the albatross there is a secondary tour at the Centre which takes you to visit a very large gun which was put here in the 19th Century as there was a perceived threat of a Russian invasion.
After seeing the albatross chicks we then lurked about for a couple of hours– including a decent lunch of fish and chips ($18 a head) – and were rewarded by several sightings of adult Albatrosses returning to feed their chicks. They are unmistakeable due to their massive size – their wingspan is about twice Sheila’s height. We also saw the odd-looking nesting sites of Stewart Island Shags, and several of the (almost totally black) Shags themselves.
On the road back to the campsite we got some excellent views of Dunedin harbour, and some White-Faced Herons, Royal Spoonbills and Pukeka, plus a bizarre collection of driftwood around a couple of garages.
The Spoonbills were interesting because one flew in as we watched and another – presumably a child of the arrival – immediately chased it and demanded food. The begging motion – lifting one wing over the parent – can be seen below. Eventually the adult (literally) coughed up the goodies. Bloody kids – always hungry.
We stayed at Portobello Motor Camp which is small but nicely located at the foot of the 1,000 foot Cone and within easy reach of the Royal Albatross colony which was the reason for our visit. We did the conducted tour ($40 a head) which is the only which was the purpose of this visit to to see the chicks, now two months old and already weighing 4kg. There are 50 breeding pairs of albatross on the penninsula, the others breed 1000 miles away on a remote island. As well as the albatross there is a secondary tour at the Centre which takes you to visit a very large gun which was put here in the 19th Century as there was a perceived threat of a Russian invasion.
After seeing the albatross chicks we then lurked about for a couple of hours– including a decent lunch of fish and chips ($18 a head) – and were rewarded by several sightings of adult Albatrosses returning to feed their chicks. They are unmistakeable due to their massive size – their wingspan is about twice Sheila’s height. We also saw the odd-looking nesting sites of Stewart Island Shags, and several of the (almost totally black) Shags themselves.
On the road back to the campsite we got some excellent views of Dunedin harbour, and some White-Faced Herons, Royal Spoonbills and Pukeka, plus a bizarre collection of driftwood around a couple of garages.
The Spoonbills were interesting because one flew in as we watched and another – presumably a child of the arrival – immediately chased it and demanded food. The begging motion – lifting one wing over the parent – can be seen below. Eventually the adult (literally) coughed up the goodies. Bloody kids – always hungry.
Feeding time at the spoonbill pond
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Driftwood decorated garages
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Young albatross stretching its wings
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Cheese tasting in Oamaru
Moeraki boulders
From Otago we headed for Oamaru and on the way we stopped the famous Moeraki Boulders very odd spherical rocks on the beach , with even odder interiors. At Oamaru we stayed at the Top 10 site $37.60 – usual big kitchen but rather old equipment, and more memorably the earth shook when the night train went past) and spent the afternoon in town
admiring the many pale limestone buildings put up in the late 19th century when Oamaru was experiencing a commodities boom (hence its Opera House). When the boom went bust there was no money to replace the buildings so they are still there for us to admire, in more recent times many of these buildings have been restored to their former glory but of course its bust time again so perhaps the rest of the buildings will have to wait a little longer to be restored.
While in town we did a cheese tasting at the Whitestone factory. A wooden platter with half a dozen prize winning cheeses plus some gourmet crackers the like of which we have not come across at home.They were all delicious but we limited ourselves to buying only two different sorts, Livingstone Gold and Windsor Blue and some of those delicious crackers.
We tried to find a wifi café in town but with no success and by the time we decided to have a non-wifi coffee the place we chose was shutting down for the day. NZ really isn’t very good on wifi, and free wifi is extremely rare – only Auckland and Wanaka so far.
admiring the many pale limestone buildings put up in the late 19th century when Oamaru was experiencing a commodities boom (hence its Opera House). When the boom went bust there was no money to replace the buildings so they are still there for us to admire, in more recent times many of these buildings have been restored to their former glory but of course its bust time again so perhaps the rest of the buildings will have to wait a little longer to be restored.
While in town we did a cheese tasting at the Whitestone factory. A wooden platter with half a dozen prize winning cheeses plus some gourmet crackers the like of which we have not come across at home.They were all delicious but we limited ourselves to buying only two different sorts, Livingstone Gold and Windsor Blue and some of those delicious crackers.
We tried to find a wifi café in town but with no success and by the time we decided to have a non-wifi coffee the place we chose was shutting down for the day. NZ really isn’t very good on wifi, and free wifi is extremely rare – only Auckland and Wanaka so far.
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Inside one of the boulders
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This is to give you an idea of the size of these boulders
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Steampunk
In Oamaru we also went into the rather dark and bizarre ‘Steampunk’ –not so much a museum but more a series of scary
installations, e.g. a metal skeleton hanging from a crane and a series of old portable B&W TVs each with a different fuzzy pattern. And lots of old dentist chairs which is enoughto put the frighteners on anybody. It was very dark in there and not easy to see all the installataions, maybe we were meant to put a coin in the meter to get some light. We did however put a $2 coin in the slot in the old steam engine outside which then obliged by starting its engines and puffing fire and smoke. It took us a while to find a man to pay the $10 a head entrance fee.
installations, e.g. a metal skeleton hanging from a crane and a series of old portable B&W TVs each with a different fuzzy pattern. And lots of old dentist chairs which is enoughto put the frighteners on anybody. It was very dark in there and not easy to see all the installataions, maybe we were meant to put a coin in the meter to get some light. We did however put a $2 coin in the slot in the old steam engine outside which then obliged by starting its engines and puffing fire and smoke. It took us a while to find a man to pay the $10 a head entrance fee.
Whitestone cheesetasting
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Oamaru Railway Station
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Wine Tasting
Visiting the home of the best sauvignon blanc
We stopped at Blenheim on our way back to the Picton ferry and stayed at the Top 10 site there and they booked us onto a wine tour ($65 each) the following day. This was excellent and – we do not say this often about NZ –good value for money. http://www.highlightwinetours.co.nz
Dave was our very knowledgeable driver/guide/owner and we were accompanied by three NZ ladies on a weekend away from Wellington and a young American couple based in Sydney – a reasonably lively and chatty group. We started at 11.30 at the beautifully located Brancott Estate tastery on a ridge overlooking the vines where we sampled some sparkling Sauvignon Blanc and then a sparkling Pinot Noir (which we both positively disliked and was a waste of good pinot grapes) before we got on to some decent Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. Then it was off to Cloudy Bay where we did pretty much the same but added Riesling (delicious) Gewürztraminer and some late harvest Riesling dessert wine to the list. There had been muttering in the minibus that CloudyBay was good at marketing but probably no better tasting than others but their Sauvignon Blanc was top class and we bought a bottle for $25. Third up was Wairau River for lunch but after ordering our food there was another tasting and this time we bought another bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and a bottle of Pinot Noir. We just had water at lunch (lamburger for me, salmon salad for Sheila, both excellent and good value at $23) because we had already sampled about 20 wines and even with a splash in a glass this was totting up nicely. After lunch we went to the boutique Gibson Bridge winery (only 6 hectares of vines) which specialised in some excellent Pinot Gris. At this tasting there was a Czech guy who commented on the strangeness of the New Zealand accent which led to him being called a chick from the chick republic. Then on to Bouldrvines, by which time we were beginning to lose our grip so we took a break at Makana Confectioners (where we bought some dark chocolate with macadamia, pricey at $18 for 175g but delicious) before a final raid on Allan Scott and some more excellent Sauvignon Blanc and Gewürztraminer. These final wineries didn’t get much in the way of sales to us because we had all bought up earlier – perhaps Dave varies the order to even things out.
We had thought that coming to New Zealand we would be spoiled for choice with good wine at reasonable prices, not so, while there is indeed a good choice, it is probably cheaper in UK supermarkets.
Dave was our very knowledgeable driver/guide/owner and we were accompanied by three NZ ladies on a weekend away from Wellington and a young American couple based in Sydney – a reasonably lively and chatty group. We started at 11.30 at the beautifully located Brancott Estate tastery on a ridge overlooking the vines where we sampled some sparkling Sauvignon Blanc and then a sparkling Pinot Noir (which we both positively disliked and was a waste of good pinot grapes) before we got on to some decent Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. Then it was off to Cloudy Bay where we did pretty much the same but added Riesling (delicious) Gewürztraminer and some late harvest Riesling dessert wine to the list. There had been muttering in the minibus that CloudyBay was good at marketing but probably no better tasting than others but their Sauvignon Blanc was top class and we bought a bottle for $25. Third up was Wairau River for lunch but after ordering our food there was another tasting and this time we bought another bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and a bottle of Pinot Noir. We just had water at lunch (lamburger for me, salmon salad for Sheila, both excellent and good value at $23) because we had already sampled about 20 wines and even with a splash in a glass this was totting up nicely. After lunch we went to the boutique Gibson Bridge winery (only 6 hectares of vines) which specialised in some excellent Pinot Gris. At this tasting there was a Czech guy who commented on the strangeness of the New Zealand accent which led to him being called a chick from the chick republic. Then on to Bouldrvines, by which time we were beginning to lose our grip so we took a break at Makana Confectioners (where we bought some dark chocolate with macadamia, pricey at $18 for 175g but delicious) before a final raid on Allan Scott and some more excellent Sauvignon Blanc and Gewürztraminer. These final wineries didn’t get much in the way of sales to us because we had all bought up earlier – perhaps Dave varies the order to even things out.
We had thought that coming to New Zealand we would be spoiled for choice with good wine at reasonable prices, not so, while there is indeed a good choice, it is probably cheaper in UK supermarkets.
Art Deco Napier
Art Deco Centre, Napier, formerly a fire station
The weather thwarted our plans to visit the gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers so as the forecast promised no improvement we decided to move on to Napier which was badly damaged in the 1931 earthquake following which many buildings were rebuilt in the then fashionable Art Deco style.
The weather was barely better in Napier but we were lucky for a few hours when it did not rain so we were able to spend some time walking around the delightful art deco town centre, we had to be careful to avoided the traffic on what looked like pedestrianised roads but weren’t. Napier and nearby Hastings had been built with a lot of Spanish Mission style buildings of which there remained a few. Napier was one of the locations that got a good write up in our guide book and it certainly did not disappoint. At the Tourist Info place we picked up a leaflet ($10) which gave a walking route around the town centre and a brief description of the history of the buildings.
As soon as it turned murky we went down the road to the Mission wine estate and had the most expensive meal so far in NZ – half a dozen Bluff oysters in tempura batter between us for starters(delicious) and then lamb neck fillet with puy lentils for me and portobello mushroom risotto with squash and spinach for Sheila. With a glass of fine wine each and a couple of coffees it came to $108– we later saw reference to the Mission being one of the best places to eat in the Hawkes Bay area - so not bad for posh dining in a fine building. The estate had once been Marist Mission and the buildings were rather grand.
The weather was barely better in Napier but we were lucky for a few hours when it did not rain so we were able to spend some time walking around the delightful art deco town centre, we had to be careful to avoided the traffic on what looked like pedestrianised roads but weren’t. Napier and nearby Hastings had been built with a lot of Spanish Mission style buildings of which there remained a few. Napier was one of the locations that got a good write up in our guide book and it certainly did not disappoint. At the Tourist Info place we picked up a leaflet ($10) which gave a walking route around the town centre and a brief description of the history of the buildings.
As soon as it turned murky we went down the road to the Mission wine estate and had the most expensive meal so far in NZ – half a dozen Bluff oysters in tempura batter between us for starters(delicious) and then lamb neck fillet with puy lentils for me and portobello mushroom risotto with squash and spinach for Sheila. With a glass of fine wine each and a couple of coffees it came to $108– we later saw reference to the Mission being one of the best places to eat in the Hawkes Bay area - so not bad for posh dining in a fine building. The estate had once been Marist Mission and the buildings were rather grand.
Spanish Mission style hotel in Napier
Downtown Napier
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The Theatre
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Spanish Mission style Opera House in Hastings
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The Mission Winery |
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Tempura Bluff Oysters
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The map below shows where we got to, and if you click on the pins it should reveal where we stayed too.
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