crellston

8 months into our trip around Asia, we decided that a change of direction/culture/food would be nice. We had just spent the last month in Indonesia during Ramadan and being woken in the early hours by the calls to prayer had lost its novelty appeal after the first week. So, on a whim, we changed our plans and decided to fly out to New Zealand as we were en route to see our son and his wife in Sydney.

This wasn't our first trip as we had spent two months in a Campervan in the depths of winter in 2008. Then, it felt like we, and a handful of other couples, were the only ones on the roads and in the campsites. We loved it some much the first time we decided to repeat the Campervan experience on this trip. Always dangerous going back, would we like it's much? Yes! Would it be the same? In essence, no. It seemed a lot busier in some places, although in others, still very quiet. The biggest difference we noticed was in the number of Chinese tourists visiting. Most things, including the stunning scenery around ever corner, the amazingly friendly and welcoming kiwis and the ever changing weather were just the s

Anyway, we have finally got around to post details and photos of our trip on our blog @
http://accidentalnomads.com/category/new-zealand/

The site also covers the rest of our Far Eastern Oddysey only a couple of post on NZ at the moment but we will continue to add to this over the coming weeks. In the meantime this was our routing, some places planned, some purely by accident, all fantastic.

Arrive Christchurch - stay @ Breakfree on Cashel
Akaroa Top 10
DOC Waika Gorge (Geraldine)
Lake Tepako - Tepako Top 10/Freedom Camp
Freedom camp by beach outside of Omaru
Dunedin Top 10
Balclutha freedom camp
Lake Pounawea - Private Campsite
Riverton - Freedom Camp @ Golf Club
Te Anau Top 10
Cascade Creek DOC site
Queenstown - Freedom Camp lakeside
Cromwell Top 10
Mount Cook DOC site & Kiwi
DOC Lake Paringa
DOC Lake Mattheson
Greymouth Top 10
DOC Deer Valley
Kaikora Top 10
Bethany Camp Kaiteri
Freedom camp Takaka
Freedom Pahara
Blenheim Top 10
Wellington Top 10
Martinborough Top10
Napier Freecamp
Taupo Freecamp/De Brett's
DOC Lake Oreka
Freecamp Papamoa
Hot Waterbay - Top 10
Mercury Bay Winery
Coromandel Town Free-camp
Orewa Top 10
DOC Uretiti
Whanganei Top 10
Auckland airport hotel

Bokhara2

Thanks Crelleston
Looking forward to the next chapter & enjoying your blog.

thursdaysd

Signing on.

aprillilacs

Thanks for posting the link to your blog. It will be fun to peruse and remember places we've also enjoyed in NZ and around the world.

mlgb

great crellston, I didn't realize you had been to NZ. It was my favorite travel spot before I discovered South America.

I am trying to find your old blog to see where you stayed around Valparaiso.