Songdoc's LONG New Zealand Trip Report
Jun 22nd, 2008, 03:18 PM
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Songdoc's LONG New Zealand Trip Report
I could hardly wait to visit New Zealand — but dreaded the travel; 4 flights and a total of more than 28 hours sounded like torture. But it really wasn’t bad. Why? The long leg from Los Angeles to Auckland was at least one-third empty—and DP and I were both able to stretch out across three seats and fall blissfully asleep for almost nine hours—with a little help from Ambien, ear plugs, and an eye mask ;-)
Qantas was excellent. During the brief time we were actually awake, we loved the enormous selection of “On-Demand” movies and music. The food was above average and the crew was exceptionally considerate of those sleeping—tip-toeing around with flashlights.
I’d been so busy planning the logistics and business aspects of this month-long combined business/pleasure trip that I hadn’t given a moment’s thought to Wellington. I was simply going there for business and figured I’d be exhausted and brain dead. Well, thanks to getting so much sleep on the flight, I wasn’t all that jet-lagged and was blown away by the unexpected delights of Wellington.
It combines the best features of San Francisco and Vancouver—stunning bay and hillside views; fantastic Victorian and modern architecture; museums, and lots of Asian food!
We stayed at the Comfort Hotel with an unbeatable deal--$85/night U.S – INCLUDING breakfast. It’s a basic, compact, budget hotel room; nothing fancy -- ala Motel 6 – but in an excellent location on funky, vibrant Cuba Street, which is reminiscent of Greenwich Village, with its buskers, trendy shops, skateboarders, and restaurants. Cuba Street would probably not appeal to everyone, but we loved it. The hotel staff was excellent; and the room was very quiet; the bed acceptable (not “great”); and the shower weak. The TV was small, but had lots of cable channels (which I never watched). But if I were looking for a low-cost, convenient place to stay, I would stay there again.
Gorgeous, bright blue skies made the city look its best. We enjoyed a long walk along the wharf that was filled with joggers and walkers enjoying the sunshine. I read that Wellington has more restaurants per capita than NYC—and I believe it. Turkish kebabs stuffed into pita bread at the Sultan Café, one of the countless little restaurants on Cuba Street, made for a delicious, inexpensive lunch ($10 NZ per person).
The Lido Café on Victoria had been recommended by a friend and was an excellent choice for dinner. The warm potato salad/bratwurst/vegetable and the Thai lime chicken entrées were fantastic. With one bowl of soup, the total for two was $42 NZ. Overall, food was a little more expensive than I’m used to, but not terribly overpriced—and it was offset by the very low hotel prices.
Dinner at Caffe Italiano (a few doors down from the hotel) was fine—but nothing special; and if it had not been “2 pastas for the price of one’ night (Mondays and Tuesday) it would have seemed very expensive. We shared one appetizer (fantastic stuffed mushrooms) and each ordered a pasta dish (which was not very large) and the bill (without drinks, salads, bread, or desserts) was $35 NZ.
We took the cable car to the Botanic Gardens and Cable Car museum and were treated to stunning views of the city and harbor sparkling below. It was very relaxing to walk through the gardens on such a beautiful day, and we especially enjoyed the begonia house. Only spent a few minutes in the cable car museum en route to the gardens, but it was pleasant.
At the Te Papa national museum, we spent too much time at modern art exhibits that were only minimally appealing to our interests, before finding the ones we preferred. (There was a twenty-something woman walking through the modern art exhibits loudly proclaiming, “BORING. BORING. THIS MUSEUM IS BORING!!!” She could have been a modern art exhibit herself.) We especially enjoyed “Passports,” the exhibit about immigration, and the re-created Maori meeting hall.
We found Wellington to be a wonderful surprise. Compact; clean, stylish and cosmopolitan; easy to navigate on foot (we walked everywhere); and a very pleasant way to spend two days. Flying out of Wellington, I was shocked that there was no security check; no long lines; no taking off of shoes; no limited liquids; taking out laptops, etc. It was a nice reminder of days when travel wasn’t so intertwined with reminders of the state of much of the world.
A last bit of info that might help; we took a Co-Op Shuttle from the airport directly to the hotel. It was $15 pp; $20 for two. We had not booked in advance, but did call to schedule a pickup. They arrived fifteen minutes late and that caused a bit of stress getting to the airport, but it’s a short ride (about 10 minutes) and we’d allotted 30 minutes, so we were fine—especially since there was no security to go through.
There were several spectacular views of a snow capped mountain during the one-hour flight from Wellington to Rotorua. By the way, we booked our internal flights online through a NZ company called House of Travel and saved 15-20%. We arrived in Rotorua and were surprised to be greeted at the gate by an attendant from Ezi-Rent car rental where we had pre-booked. Our car (a Nissan March) looked like a teensy, little toy. We got a quick lesson in using the GPS system and drove the ten minutes to our pre-booked Sudima Lakeview Hotel. At 11 am our room wasn’t ready, so we followed the “lake walk” path, for a wonderful forty minute walk, highlighted by lots of geo-thermal activity and lake views.
We picked up chicken, salads, scones, and fruit from the “Pak and Save” supermarket across the street and picnicked on a bench in front of the lake. It was the best roast chicken I’ve ever tasted—and we repeated this routine for several meals.
When we checked in, our room—with its view over the lake, far exceeded expectations. At only $95/nt (NZ), it seemed like a steal.
Our first stop was the “Sheep Show” at the Agrodome ($24 pp). The show was fun—but for me, the best part was getting to play with the sheep before and after the show. They were surprisingly affectionate—I guess from regularly being petted and photographed with tourists.
That evening, we attended the Tamaki Tours hangi ($95 pp). I feared it would feel like a fake, Disney-esque tourist rip-off—and there was an element of that, but we enjoyed the evening. Our bus driver was hilarious and thoroughly entertaining. Both the meal and the show were surprisingly good and I’m glad to have done it and gotten a taste of Maori culture.
The next day’s visit to Waimangu Volcanic Valley was a definite highlight of the trip. It would have only been about a twenty minute drive—if our GPS system had not “steered” us wrong. But that led to a fun experience. We got stuck in a Rotorua traffic jam: a herd of cows simply refusing to moo-ve off the road. We got out of the car and helped the farmer herd them to the side of the road—and took lots of good pictures. (For a city boy, cows and sheep are exciting.) The scenery was very pretty and we were in no rush, so we didn’t mind the detour.
When we arrived at Waimangu, our first stop was the café; we were very hungry. We ordered surprisingly delicious paninis. Once again, it seemed a little expensive to us—$36 with one dessert, one piece of fruit, and coffee. But the view from our outdoor table was priceless. It will surely be among the most beautiful locations where I’ll ever eat.
Our decision whether to take the boat ride in addition to the self-guided walking tour was solved when we learned that the boat was out of service. But after hiking to the lake, my sense is that we didn’t miss much. It was lovely—but not as interesting or spectacular as the scenery we saw on our walk. But I will say that the lake would have been a bird watcher’s dream.
We paid the fee of $30 pp and spent the next several hours practically speechless from the views—and the extraordinary geothermal features. I’m sure the crystal clear blue skies and sunshine added to the experience. Parts of the landscape looked mystical, or as if we’d landed in a distant galaxy; other parts were pristine, primeval forest with brilliantly colored steaming, bubbling lakes. We were blown away and took picture after picture.
I spent the next morning soaking in the mineral pools at the Polynesian Spa. I enjoyed it and felt great afterwards—but it didn’t live up to my very high expectations. Conde Nast named it one of the top ten spas in the world—so I was expecting WOW! But it couldn’t compare with my favorite spa—Glen Ivy, in Corona, California. The problem for me was that except for the big swimming pool, all the pools are outdoors, overlooking the lake. Sounds great, but … it was too cold to stay outdoors, unless I was submerged in the water – and I was boiled after 10 – 15 minutes. Plus, without my glasses (that steamed up), I couldn’t see the lake!
FYI, the only difference between the “Adult Pools” ($20 entry) and the “Lake Spa” ($40) packages is that the more expensive one includes a locker, and use of toiletries and a towel. If you bring your own toiletries and towel, there’s no need to spend the extra money.
Our last Rotorua activity was to walk in the other direction on the lake path—past the Polynesian Spa. The views and geothermal activity in this direction were quite different—but also very enjoyable. Highly recommended.
From other trip reports, I’d gotten the impression that Rotorua wasn’t “pretty” or scenic –- but was “interesting” because of the geothermal activity. My sense was that the town itself is neither attractive, charming, nor interesting; just overpriced souvenir shops and restaurants. But walking around the lake afforded some beautiful views—and Waimangu Valley was one of the most beautiful –and fascinating --places I’ll ever see. So for me, Rotorua is a “must-see” experience. Next time, I’d visit some of the other geothermal sights—but it’ll be tough to beat Waimangu.
The drive to Auckland was a very pleasant, easy three hours. The scenery was pretty and at times seemed like a painted fairytale backdrop. FYI, compared to Ireland, I found the roads and the driving to be a pure pleasure. Auckland was all work for me and the only sights I saw were during one early morning walk to the wharf, when revelers were still partying at 8 AM in the bars – from the night before!
Our accommodation was at the Auckland City Hotel on Hobson Street. The “studio apartment” I’d rented for $99/night at wotif.com seemed like a one-bedroom apartment; we had a living room; galley kitchenette; and a separate bedroom—and it was quite nice. When I asked at the desk, I was told that the corner studios are all separated that way. The bed and shower were very good—and that was a nice treat.
As I’d read in reviews, the hotel was situated near the Sky Tower, almost directly across from the mission and the bus terminal—and there were several homeless people outside. No one approached us and we felt perfectly safe. But when I went for my walk, I realized that a few blocks away was a much more upscale area. Considering that we overlooked a busy street, the room was very quiet and we liked it, but if budget were no consideration, I’d stay a few blocks away—closer to the wharf and Queen Street, next time.
We had four days until we needed to arrive to work in Christchurch and decided to spend it in Queenstown. (Good decision!!!) During the two-hour flight from Auckland to Queenstown, the mountain and lake views, crowned with snow, were breathtaking. WOW! Long stretches of mountains, including Mt. Cook, seemed to go on endlessly and were soooo beautiful they almost made me cry. Note: facing the front of the plane, the views were only off the right side (seats D, E, and F).
It had snowed in the mountains several days before we arrived in Queenstown—and the view from our room at the Oaks Shore, of the lake and mountains, was indescribably beautiful. Our hotel, was quite nice—and again, exceptionally inexpensive ($99 NZ through wotif.com). But there were some odd things about the hotel—and I would not stay there again.
We had a hotel room with fridge, electric teapot, and toaster--but the vast majority of the units are apartments with full kitchenettes. We were provided mugs, glasses, instant coffee, tea, and little containers of milk. There were placemats—but no dinner sized plates. Small plates, wineglasses, and silverware were provided. The unit was not serviced—and there was no dishwashing soap provided, nor were there dishtowels. So I had to wash our dishes and coffee cups in the bathroom sink—using hand soap. I learned after checkout that a fresh towel would have been provided for $2.00—or we could have washed our own.
We couldn’t get the broadband Internet connection in our room to work—and the very nice person at the reception desk had no idea what to do about it. We used a computer in the lobby for $5.00/hour.
The shower was fantastic—very futuristic looking, like a wand—but apparently in the future there will be no need to set down your soap or shampoo. So, when you weren’t using the soap, you had to put it on the floor. The way it was designed, there was no way to avoid soaking the bathroom floor.
We learned on the final day that the message system on our phone had not been working—and people thought they were leaving us messages—but we weren’t getting them. But none of these problems really mattered.
The biggest issue with Oaks Shores was that it was inconvenient. First thing we did was walk the lake walkway into town. The walk was at least thirty minutes, but the views were OMG. (Hmm…maybe it took so long because I kept stopping to take pictures.) I’m running out of superlatives—but it really was that amazing. The restaurant at the hotel was closed until the following week. If we’d had a car it wouldn’t have mattered. (The restaurant closure was not mentioned on their website.) So to get any kind of food or services required a thirty minute walk each way—or a taxi or bus into town.
Before I describe our stay in Queenstown, I’ll take a detour and mention that I’d obsessed for hours online, seeking the “perfect” hotel in each of our stops. I chose Oaks Shore partly because it seemed to be away from the hustle and bustle of town and offered beautiful views. But it would have been a much better choice to stay in town and we could have found beautiful views in countless other places. But the point is that it was no big deal, and all my stress about this hotel or that one, really didn’t matter all that much.
So, back to Queenstown … we both had the lunch special at Tatler—a chicken breast and mash w/beverages ($28 NZ total). Very tasty! Strolled among the shops and bought some gloves; it was getting COLD, but we didn’t mind because we were so grateful for our eighth consecutive day of gorgeous, sunny skies. Walked back in awe of the views from the wharf, then through the very pleasant gardens, and back to our hotel where we ate dinner, looking at that hard-to-believe view as the sunset, cradled the snow-crowned mountains in a soft pink glow.
With another day of perfect weather forecast, we were picked up at 7 AM to begin our journey to Milford Sound with “Real Journeys.” It was still mostly dark by 8 AM, so we didn’t have much scenery until we reached Lake Wakatipo. The views would have been better had we sat on the “right” side (facing front). But later on, other views were better on the left. Parts of the drive were utterly spectacular. We stopped for a photo op at Mirror Lakes and it was incredible, reflecting snow covered mountain peaks on the surface of the water. A few minutes later we stopped at a much larger lake where (hard to believe) the views went to a whole next level. There were several additional photo stops including a stop at the “swinging bridge”—each one practically evoking gasps from the sheer awe inspiring beauty.
At a stop in Te Anau, we bought scarves—and were grateful to have them during the next few days. But because the cruise went quite slowly, it wasn’t as windy or cold as I’d feared.
To be honest … we both felt the cruise itself was very nice and the scenery was beautiful—but not as impressive as the scenery en route. If I were not comparing it to some of the majestic scenery imaginable, I’d probably be raving about Milford Sound. In addition to the views, we saw one little fur seal lounging on a rock, and numerous bottlenose dolphins, who put on quite a show, leaping from the water to the delight of those on our boat. There was also an up close and personal visit to a lovely waterfall. The buffet lunch ($29 per person—but included as part of the “winter special” price” of $219 for the coach and boat tour) was adequate, but nothing special. Coffee and tea were available at no charge throughout the cruise.
FYI, there’s NO way I’d want to drive to Milford Sound on my own. Much of the way, the roads were narrow, constantly twisting mountain passes, with no guard rails—and I wanted to concentrate on the magnificent scenery—not on keeping my rental car on the road. There were several slick icy areas that would have made me very nervous. I’d say this trip should not be missed—but it wasn’t for the reasons I expected!
Taking the coach to Milford; cruising; and then returning by coach with Real Journeys was $219 (NZ) pp. To fly back would have added an additional $270 pp. The majority of those on our bus did indeed fly back and I’m sure the views must have been spectacular—but we opted for the coach, because we’d already seen similar views from the air when we flew in—and because $978 (for two) for a one-day tour would have unnecessarily burdened our budget.
One of the best unexpected treats came as the sun set on that beautiful landscape, when the sky overflowed with more stars than I’d ever seen in my life. It was utterly mesmerizing to see hundreds of bright stars stretched from the very bottom of the horizon, across virtually every inch of that black backdrop. By the time we pulled back into Queenstown, the lights of the city had erased most of those stars, but I felt very fortunate to have experienced that bit of magic.
We were now officially in love with this part of New Zealand, but there was more to cinch the deal. I was in NZ to present a series of songwriting seminars, and to promote the events on TV and radio shows. Well, as luck would have it, the organizer’s sister (Fran) is a professional tour guide with Nomad Safaris, one of the leading tour companies. She insisted on giving us her best tour on her day off. She borrowed one of the company’s land rovers and proceeded to show us scenery that was nothing short of incredible. There’s too much to even begin to describe—and I don’t know all the names of the places she took us.
Skippers Canyon (where some Lord of the Rings scenes had been filmed) would have to be a highlight among highlights. I don’t know what it would look like in summer, but with the mountains covered in snow, we were gasping at the views. FYI, I would NOT recommend driving these roads in a rental car (or any other car, for that matter!) —even if they had not been icy or muddy. They were extremely narrow winding, and when a grader needed to pass, I surely would have had a heart attack, backing up a long distance—with no guard rails. Knowing that Fran has been doing this safely, every day for years, I was relaxed and trusted we’d be fine.
Views of the Shotover River were “WOW,” and she brought us down to a beach where our camera got quite a workout. She’d brought thermoses filled with hot coffee, tea, and hot chocolate, as well as an array of goodies—and it was an astoundingly beautiful spot to picnic. In addition to the scenic views, we enjoyed the interesting, colored smooth rocks along the shore.
We made a stop at a lookout near the Chard Winery that afforded amazing views of the bungee bridge; another bridge and more of that scenery (that’s beginning to require new superlatives—maybe “super-superlatives”!)
We lunched on delicious meat pies and roast vegetables at Café Mondo ($64 for three) in charming Arrowtown. It was nice strolling down the main street and browsing in the shops, as a break from gawking at scenery. But then we continued on to yet another lookout, high above the city where I took picture after picture of the lake, with those gorgeous snow-capped mountains behind it. By the end of the day, I’d taken more than a hundred pictures! Some of them came out great—but it was hard to capture the grandeur of the scenery, without the inclusion of people or cars, to give perspective. The “Remarkables” were well named .
I’d strongly urge taking the Nomad tour. It was the highlight of our trip. We could never have seen these places on our own—and Fran was the consummate tour guide; intuitively knowing every time I even thought about stopping to take a picture—and we appreciated that her commentary was loud, clear, and easy to understand.
Our final day in Queenstown, we walked the lake trail back to town and it seemed that this time, the views were even more beautiful; it must have been the light. Lunch was at a little juice bar that had been recommended. It’s on the wharf directly across from the Earnshaw Steamship wharf. We had fantastic soups and sandwiches.
We strolled the pleasant Botanical gardens (nothing very special) to the gondola. I thought I’d have been immune to views by now, but the views from the lookout were simply incredible. We took a thirty minute walk along the “loop trail” which we enjoyed, but it was mostly within heavily forested areas, not affording many views. At one point, paragliders were flying so close to us, we could talk to them as they flew by! I wished I’d had time to do the luge—but by the time I’d decided that it looked like safe fun, we needed to be going. Maybe next time, I’ll try both of those activities.
We bid a sad farewell to one of the most beautiful places on earth, as we took the forty minute flight to Christchurch, where I’d be teaching a two-day workshop. Arriving in Christchurch, we took Royal shuttle service ($25 for both of us) to the Hotel Grand Chancellor. We’d booked a special deal through their website for $119/nt (NZ) including a very good continental breakfast. The hotel was excellent—and well located, and we’d definitely recommend it.
Christchurch was mainly about work for us, so our only activities were wandering around the CBD and Cathedral Square area, and buying lots of Puau shell jewelry for Christmas gifts. We enjoyed the shops and architecture.
Meals included Topkapi, a Turkish restaurant where we were seated in an alcove that felt like a private dining room. We had delicious lamb kebabs stuffed into a huge pita. The appetizers (fried carrots and fried zucchini) were beautifully served, resembling a pizza, artistically decorated with ribbons of sauce—but they were way too greasy for my stomach. But the service, Turkish music, and kebabs made this a place I’d return to.
Another evening, we decided to eat at the Main Street Café, based on the recommendations in our Fodor’s book. It was about a twenty minute walk, but we enjoyed strolling through the downtown. When we reached our destination, it was nothing but a bull-dozed lot. By now, we were really hungry and stopped at a carvery we’d passed, named “Oxford on Avon.” It clearly catered to locals and we had a terrific, tender lamb roast, with several vegetables at a very reasonable price—under $20 pp. It was a good choice, and we got to chat with some charming locals—and felt like we got a meal that was quintessential Kiwi.
The next night, we decided on a vegetarian restaurant/pub--Dux de Lux, which had come highly recommended. Delicious—but as we typically found, portions were a bit small and prices were a bit high by U.S. standards ($50 for two), but we enjoyed it and would recommend it.
Our flight didn’t leave Christchurch until 2:30 PM, so we decided to go early and visit the International Antarctic Center, right next to the airport. We checked our bags (for $15) at the airport and took a free shuttle to the center. (It’s a short walk, but it was raining; our first rain after fourteen consecutive days of gorgeous, bright blue, sunny skies.
The Antarctic Center was an interesting way to spend a couple of hours and we enjoyed it—especially the penguins—but I wouldn’t call it a highlight. We left for Sydney, filled with memories of such incredible scenery from Rotorua and Queenstown, that we knew Sydney would have a tough act to follow. We loved New Zealand and are looking forward to returning.
Here's a link to my NZ and OZ pix:
share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=2QctG7hu0ZOXA
Thanks to all who answered my questions -- and posted your own reports.
Qantas was excellent. During the brief time we were actually awake, we loved the enormous selection of “On-Demand” movies and music. The food was above average and the crew was exceptionally considerate of those sleeping—tip-toeing around with flashlights.
I’d been so busy planning the logistics and business aspects of this month-long combined business/pleasure trip that I hadn’t given a moment’s thought to Wellington. I was simply going there for business and figured I’d be exhausted and brain dead. Well, thanks to getting so much sleep on the flight, I wasn’t all that jet-lagged and was blown away by the unexpected delights of Wellington.
It combines the best features of San Francisco and Vancouver—stunning bay and hillside views; fantastic Victorian and modern architecture; museums, and lots of Asian food!
We stayed at the Comfort Hotel with an unbeatable deal--$85/night U.S – INCLUDING breakfast. It’s a basic, compact, budget hotel room; nothing fancy -- ala Motel 6 – but in an excellent location on funky, vibrant Cuba Street, which is reminiscent of Greenwich Village, with its buskers, trendy shops, skateboarders, and restaurants. Cuba Street would probably not appeal to everyone, but we loved it. The hotel staff was excellent; and the room was very quiet; the bed acceptable (not “great”); and the shower weak. The TV was small, but had lots of cable channels (which I never watched). But if I were looking for a low-cost, convenient place to stay, I would stay there again.
Gorgeous, bright blue skies made the city look its best. We enjoyed a long walk along the wharf that was filled with joggers and walkers enjoying the sunshine. I read that Wellington has more restaurants per capita than NYC—and I believe it. Turkish kebabs stuffed into pita bread at the Sultan Café, one of the countless little restaurants on Cuba Street, made for a delicious, inexpensive lunch ($10 NZ per person).
The Lido Café on Victoria had been recommended by a friend and was an excellent choice for dinner. The warm potato salad/bratwurst/vegetable and the Thai lime chicken entrées were fantastic. With one bowl of soup, the total for two was $42 NZ. Overall, food was a little more expensive than I’m used to, but not terribly overpriced—and it was offset by the very low hotel prices.
Dinner at Caffe Italiano (a few doors down from the hotel) was fine—but nothing special; and if it had not been “2 pastas for the price of one’ night (Mondays and Tuesday) it would have seemed very expensive. We shared one appetizer (fantastic stuffed mushrooms) and each ordered a pasta dish (which was not very large) and the bill (without drinks, salads, bread, or desserts) was $35 NZ.
We took the cable car to the Botanic Gardens and Cable Car museum and were treated to stunning views of the city and harbor sparkling below. It was very relaxing to walk through the gardens on such a beautiful day, and we especially enjoyed the begonia house. Only spent a few minutes in the cable car museum en route to the gardens, but it was pleasant.
At the Te Papa national museum, we spent too much time at modern art exhibits that were only minimally appealing to our interests, before finding the ones we preferred. (There was a twenty-something woman walking through the modern art exhibits loudly proclaiming, “BORING. BORING. THIS MUSEUM IS BORING!!!” She could have been a modern art exhibit herself.) We especially enjoyed “Passports,” the exhibit about immigration, and the re-created Maori meeting hall.
We found Wellington to be a wonderful surprise. Compact; clean, stylish and cosmopolitan; easy to navigate on foot (we walked everywhere); and a very pleasant way to spend two days. Flying out of Wellington, I was shocked that there was no security check; no long lines; no taking off of shoes; no limited liquids; taking out laptops, etc. It was a nice reminder of days when travel wasn’t so intertwined with reminders of the state of much of the world.
A last bit of info that might help; we took a Co-Op Shuttle from the airport directly to the hotel. It was $15 pp; $20 for two. We had not booked in advance, but did call to schedule a pickup. They arrived fifteen minutes late and that caused a bit of stress getting to the airport, but it’s a short ride (about 10 minutes) and we’d allotted 30 minutes, so we were fine—especially since there was no security to go through.
There were several spectacular views of a snow capped mountain during the one-hour flight from Wellington to Rotorua. By the way, we booked our internal flights online through a NZ company called House of Travel and saved 15-20%. We arrived in Rotorua and were surprised to be greeted at the gate by an attendant from Ezi-Rent car rental where we had pre-booked. Our car (a Nissan March) looked like a teensy, little toy. We got a quick lesson in using the GPS system and drove the ten minutes to our pre-booked Sudima Lakeview Hotel. At 11 am our room wasn’t ready, so we followed the “lake walk” path, for a wonderful forty minute walk, highlighted by lots of geo-thermal activity and lake views.
We picked up chicken, salads, scones, and fruit from the “Pak and Save” supermarket across the street and picnicked on a bench in front of the lake. It was the best roast chicken I’ve ever tasted—and we repeated this routine for several meals.
When we checked in, our room—with its view over the lake, far exceeded expectations. At only $95/nt (NZ), it seemed like a steal.
Our first stop was the “Sheep Show” at the Agrodome ($24 pp). The show was fun—but for me, the best part was getting to play with the sheep before and after the show. They were surprisingly affectionate—I guess from regularly being petted and photographed with tourists.
That evening, we attended the Tamaki Tours hangi ($95 pp). I feared it would feel like a fake, Disney-esque tourist rip-off—and there was an element of that, but we enjoyed the evening. Our bus driver was hilarious and thoroughly entertaining. Both the meal and the show were surprisingly good and I’m glad to have done it and gotten a taste of Maori culture.
The next day’s visit to Waimangu Volcanic Valley was a definite highlight of the trip. It would have only been about a twenty minute drive—if our GPS system had not “steered” us wrong. But that led to a fun experience. We got stuck in a Rotorua traffic jam: a herd of cows simply refusing to moo-ve off the road. We got out of the car and helped the farmer herd them to the side of the road—and took lots of good pictures. (For a city boy, cows and sheep are exciting.) The scenery was very pretty and we were in no rush, so we didn’t mind the detour.
When we arrived at Waimangu, our first stop was the café; we were very hungry. We ordered surprisingly delicious paninis. Once again, it seemed a little expensive to us—$36 with one dessert, one piece of fruit, and coffee. But the view from our outdoor table was priceless. It will surely be among the most beautiful locations where I’ll ever eat.
Our decision whether to take the boat ride in addition to the self-guided walking tour was solved when we learned that the boat was out of service. But after hiking to the lake, my sense is that we didn’t miss much. It was lovely—but not as interesting or spectacular as the scenery we saw on our walk. But I will say that the lake would have been a bird watcher’s dream.
We paid the fee of $30 pp and spent the next several hours practically speechless from the views—and the extraordinary geothermal features. I’m sure the crystal clear blue skies and sunshine added to the experience. Parts of the landscape looked mystical, or as if we’d landed in a distant galaxy; other parts were pristine, primeval forest with brilliantly colored steaming, bubbling lakes. We were blown away and took picture after picture.
I spent the next morning soaking in the mineral pools at the Polynesian Spa. I enjoyed it and felt great afterwards—but it didn’t live up to my very high expectations. Conde Nast named it one of the top ten spas in the world—so I was expecting WOW! But it couldn’t compare with my favorite spa—Glen Ivy, in Corona, California. The problem for me was that except for the big swimming pool, all the pools are outdoors, overlooking the lake. Sounds great, but … it was too cold to stay outdoors, unless I was submerged in the water – and I was boiled after 10 – 15 minutes. Plus, without my glasses (that steamed up), I couldn’t see the lake!
FYI, the only difference between the “Adult Pools” ($20 entry) and the “Lake Spa” ($40) packages is that the more expensive one includes a locker, and use of toiletries and a towel. If you bring your own toiletries and towel, there’s no need to spend the extra money.
Our last Rotorua activity was to walk in the other direction on the lake path—past the Polynesian Spa. The views and geothermal activity in this direction were quite different—but also very enjoyable. Highly recommended.
From other trip reports, I’d gotten the impression that Rotorua wasn’t “pretty” or scenic –- but was “interesting” because of the geothermal activity. My sense was that the town itself is neither attractive, charming, nor interesting; just overpriced souvenir shops and restaurants. But walking around the lake afforded some beautiful views—and Waimangu Valley was one of the most beautiful –and fascinating --places I’ll ever see. So for me, Rotorua is a “must-see” experience. Next time, I’d visit some of the other geothermal sights—but it’ll be tough to beat Waimangu.
The drive to Auckland was a very pleasant, easy three hours. The scenery was pretty and at times seemed like a painted fairytale backdrop. FYI, compared to Ireland, I found the roads and the driving to be a pure pleasure. Auckland was all work for me and the only sights I saw were during one early morning walk to the wharf, when revelers were still partying at 8 AM in the bars – from the night before!
Our accommodation was at the Auckland City Hotel on Hobson Street. The “studio apartment” I’d rented for $99/night at wotif.com seemed like a one-bedroom apartment; we had a living room; galley kitchenette; and a separate bedroom—and it was quite nice. When I asked at the desk, I was told that the corner studios are all separated that way. The bed and shower were very good—and that was a nice treat.
As I’d read in reviews, the hotel was situated near the Sky Tower, almost directly across from the mission and the bus terminal—and there were several homeless people outside. No one approached us and we felt perfectly safe. But when I went for my walk, I realized that a few blocks away was a much more upscale area. Considering that we overlooked a busy street, the room was very quiet and we liked it, but if budget were no consideration, I’d stay a few blocks away—closer to the wharf and Queen Street, next time.
We had four days until we needed to arrive to work in Christchurch and decided to spend it in Queenstown. (Good decision!!!) During the two-hour flight from Auckland to Queenstown, the mountain and lake views, crowned with snow, were breathtaking. WOW! Long stretches of mountains, including Mt. Cook, seemed to go on endlessly and were soooo beautiful they almost made me cry. Note: facing the front of the plane, the views were only off the right side (seats D, E, and F).
It had snowed in the mountains several days before we arrived in Queenstown—and the view from our room at the Oaks Shore, of the lake and mountains, was indescribably beautiful. Our hotel, was quite nice—and again, exceptionally inexpensive ($99 NZ through wotif.com). But there were some odd things about the hotel—and I would not stay there again.
We had a hotel room with fridge, electric teapot, and toaster--but the vast majority of the units are apartments with full kitchenettes. We were provided mugs, glasses, instant coffee, tea, and little containers of milk. There were placemats—but no dinner sized plates. Small plates, wineglasses, and silverware were provided. The unit was not serviced—and there was no dishwashing soap provided, nor were there dishtowels. So I had to wash our dishes and coffee cups in the bathroom sink—using hand soap. I learned after checkout that a fresh towel would have been provided for $2.00—or we could have washed our own.
We couldn’t get the broadband Internet connection in our room to work—and the very nice person at the reception desk had no idea what to do about it. We used a computer in the lobby for $5.00/hour.
The shower was fantastic—very futuristic looking, like a wand—but apparently in the future there will be no need to set down your soap or shampoo. So, when you weren’t using the soap, you had to put it on the floor. The way it was designed, there was no way to avoid soaking the bathroom floor.
We learned on the final day that the message system on our phone had not been working—and people thought they were leaving us messages—but we weren’t getting them. But none of these problems really mattered.
The biggest issue with Oaks Shores was that it was inconvenient. First thing we did was walk the lake walkway into town. The walk was at least thirty minutes, but the views were OMG. (Hmm…maybe it took so long because I kept stopping to take pictures.) I’m running out of superlatives—but it really was that amazing. The restaurant at the hotel was closed until the following week. If we’d had a car it wouldn’t have mattered. (The restaurant closure was not mentioned on their website.) So to get any kind of food or services required a thirty minute walk each way—or a taxi or bus into town.
Before I describe our stay in Queenstown, I’ll take a detour and mention that I’d obsessed for hours online, seeking the “perfect” hotel in each of our stops. I chose Oaks Shore partly because it seemed to be away from the hustle and bustle of town and offered beautiful views. But it would have been a much better choice to stay in town and we could have found beautiful views in countless other places. But the point is that it was no big deal, and all my stress about this hotel or that one, really didn’t matter all that much.
So, back to Queenstown … we both had the lunch special at Tatler—a chicken breast and mash w/beverages ($28 NZ total). Very tasty! Strolled among the shops and bought some gloves; it was getting COLD, but we didn’t mind because we were so grateful for our eighth consecutive day of gorgeous, sunny skies. Walked back in awe of the views from the wharf, then through the very pleasant gardens, and back to our hotel where we ate dinner, looking at that hard-to-believe view as the sunset, cradled the snow-crowned mountains in a soft pink glow.
With another day of perfect weather forecast, we were picked up at 7 AM to begin our journey to Milford Sound with “Real Journeys.” It was still mostly dark by 8 AM, so we didn’t have much scenery until we reached Lake Wakatipo. The views would have been better had we sat on the “right” side (facing front). But later on, other views were better on the left. Parts of the drive were utterly spectacular. We stopped for a photo op at Mirror Lakes and it was incredible, reflecting snow covered mountain peaks on the surface of the water. A few minutes later we stopped at a much larger lake where (hard to believe) the views went to a whole next level. There were several additional photo stops including a stop at the “swinging bridge”—each one practically evoking gasps from the sheer awe inspiring beauty.
At a stop in Te Anau, we bought scarves—and were grateful to have them during the next few days. But because the cruise went quite slowly, it wasn’t as windy or cold as I’d feared.
To be honest … we both felt the cruise itself was very nice and the scenery was beautiful—but not as impressive as the scenery en route. If I were not comparing it to some of the majestic scenery imaginable, I’d probably be raving about Milford Sound. In addition to the views, we saw one little fur seal lounging on a rock, and numerous bottlenose dolphins, who put on quite a show, leaping from the water to the delight of those on our boat. There was also an up close and personal visit to a lovely waterfall. The buffet lunch ($29 per person—but included as part of the “winter special” price” of $219 for the coach and boat tour) was adequate, but nothing special. Coffee and tea were available at no charge throughout the cruise.
FYI, there’s NO way I’d want to drive to Milford Sound on my own. Much of the way, the roads were narrow, constantly twisting mountain passes, with no guard rails—and I wanted to concentrate on the magnificent scenery—not on keeping my rental car on the road. There were several slick icy areas that would have made me very nervous. I’d say this trip should not be missed—but it wasn’t for the reasons I expected!
Taking the coach to Milford; cruising; and then returning by coach with Real Journeys was $219 (NZ) pp. To fly back would have added an additional $270 pp. The majority of those on our bus did indeed fly back and I’m sure the views must have been spectacular—but we opted for the coach, because we’d already seen similar views from the air when we flew in—and because $978 (for two) for a one-day tour would have unnecessarily burdened our budget.
One of the best unexpected treats came as the sun set on that beautiful landscape, when the sky overflowed with more stars than I’d ever seen in my life. It was utterly mesmerizing to see hundreds of bright stars stretched from the very bottom of the horizon, across virtually every inch of that black backdrop. By the time we pulled back into Queenstown, the lights of the city had erased most of those stars, but I felt very fortunate to have experienced that bit of magic.
We were now officially in love with this part of New Zealand, but there was more to cinch the deal. I was in NZ to present a series of songwriting seminars, and to promote the events on TV and radio shows. Well, as luck would have it, the organizer’s sister (Fran) is a professional tour guide with Nomad Safaris, one of the leading tour companies. She insisted on giving us her best tour on her day off. She borrowed one of the company’s land rovers and proceeded to show us scenery that was nothing short of incredible. There’s too much to even begin to describe—and I don’t know all the names of the places she took us.
Skippers Canyon (where some Lord of the Rings scenes had been filmed) would have to be a highlight among highlights. I don’t know what it would look like in summer, but with the mountains covered in snow, we were gasping at the views. FYI, I would NOT recommend driving these roads in a rental car (or any other car, for that matter!) —even if they had not been icy or muddy. They were extremely narrow winding, and when a grader needed to pass, I surely would have had a heart attack, backing up a long distance—with no guard rails. Knowing that Fran has been doing this safely, every day for years, I was relaxed and trusted we’d be fine.
Views of the Shotover River were “WOW,” and she brought us down to a beach where our camera got quite a workout. She’d brought thermoses filled with hot coffee, tea, and hot chocolate, as well as an array of goodies—and it was an astoundingly beautiful spot to picnic. In addition to the scenic views, we enjoyed the interesting, colored smooth rocks along the shore.
We made a stop at a lookout near the Chard Winery that afforded amazing views of the bungee bridge; another bridge and more of that scenery (that’s beginning to require new superlatives—maybe “super-superlatives”!)
We lunched on delicious meat pies and roast vegetables at Café Mondo ($64 for three) in charming Arrowtown. It was nice strolling down the main street and browsing in the shops, as a break from gawking at scenery. But then we continued on to yet another lookout, high above the city where I took picture after picture of the lake, with those gorgeous snow-capped mountains behind it. By the end of the day, I’d taken more than a hundred pictures! Some of them came out great—but it was hard to capture the grandeur of the scenery, without the inclusion of people or cars, to give perspective. The “Remarkables” were well named .
I’d strongly urge taking the Nomad tour. It was the highlight of our trip. We could never have seen these places on our own—and Fran was the consummate tour guide; intuitively knowing every time I even thought about stopping to take a picture—and we appreciated that her commentary was loud, clear, and easy to understand.
Our final day in Queenstown, we walked the lake trail back to town and it seemed that this time, the views were even more beautiful; it must have been the light. Lunch was at a little juice bar that had been recommended. It’s on the wharf directly across from the Earnshaw Steamship wharf. We had fantastic soups and sandwiches.
We strolled the pleasant Botanical gardens (nothing very special) to the gondola. I thought I’d have been immune to views by now, but the views from the lookout were simply incredible. We took a thirty minute walk along the “loop trail” which we enjoyed, but it was mostly within heavily forested areas, not affording many views. At one point, paragliders were flying so close to us, we could talk to them as they flew by! I wished I’d had time to do the luge—but by the time I’d decided that it looked like safe fun, we needed to be going. Maybe next time, I’ll try both of those activities.
We bid a sad farewell to one of the most beautiful places on earth, as we took the forty minute flight to Christchurch, where I’d be teaching a two-day workshop. Arriving in Christchurch, we took Royal shuttle service ($25 for both of us) to the Hotel Grand Chancellor. We’d booked a special deal through their website for $119/nt (NZ) including a very good continental breakfast. The hotel was excellent—and well located, and we’d definitely recommend it.
Christchurch was mainly about work for us, so our only activities were wandering around the CBD and Cathedral Square area, and buying lots of Puau shell jewelry for Christmas gifts. We enjoyed the shops and architecture.
Meals included Topkapi, a Turkish restaurant where we were seated in an alcove that felt like a private dining room. We had delicious lamb kebabs stuffed into a huge pita. The appetizers (fried carrots and fried zucchini) were beautifully served, resembling a pizza, artistically decorated with ribbons of sauce—but they were way too greasy for my stomach. But the service, Turkish music, and kebabs made this a place I’d return to.
Another evening, we decided to eat at the Main Street Café, based on the recommendations in our Fodor’s book. It was about a twenty minute walk, but we enjoyed strolling through the downtown. When we reached our destination, it was nothing but a bull-dozed lot. By now, we were really hungry and stopped at a carvery we’d passed, named “Oxford on Avon.” It clearly catered to locals and we had a terrific, tender lamb roast, with several vegetables at a very reasonable price—under $20 pp. It was a good choice, and we got to chat with some charming locals—and felt like we got a meal that was quintessential Kiwi.
The next night, we decided on a vegetarian restaurant/pub--Dux de Lux, which had come highly recommended. Delicious—but as we typically found, portions were a bit small and prices were a bit high by U.S. standards ($50 for two), but we enjoyed it and would recommend it.
Our flight didn’t leave Christchurch until 2:30 PM, so we decided to go early and visit the International Antarctic Center, right next to the airport. We checked our bags (for $15) at the airport and took a free shuttle to the center. (It’s a short walk, but it was raining; our first rain after fourteen consecutive days of gorgeous, bright blue, sunny skies.
The Antarctic Center was an interesting way to spend a couple of hours and we enjoyed it—especially the penguins—but I wouldn’t call it a highlight. We left for Sydney, filled with memories of such incredible scenery from Rotorua and Queenstown, that we knew Sydney would have a tough act to follow. We loved New Zealand and are looking forward to returning.
Here's a link to my NZ and OZ pix:
share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=2QctG7hu0ZOXA
Thanks to all who answered my questions -- and posted your own reports.
Jun 22nd, 2008, 06:07 PM
#2
Nice trip report with lots of detail. I was considering the Oaks Shore last year, so good to see the commentary for future reference.
With all of the good weather in NZ I was looking forward to the photos but Your photo link is to Kauai!
With all of the good weather in NZ I was looking forward to the photos but Your photo link is to Kauai!
Jun 22nd, 2008, 06:27 PM
#3
Original Poster
OOPS!!! Love Kauai ... but there's the link to NZ and Australia:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...=2QctG7hu0ZO1A
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...=2QctG7hu0ZO1A
Jun 22nd, 2008, 11:32 PM
#5
Loved your trip report. We travel to Wellington frequently have adult children living there and we love how compact it is, and the great cafes and the ocean. We visited San Fransico last year for the first time and it reminded us of a much larger version of Wellington.
The Lido is a very well-known cafe in Wellington and has a great jazz band playing every Sunday night. Son-in-law was a regular band member until he and our daughter moved to the US three weeks ago.
Your trip through the Skippers Canyon reminded me of a family holiday many many years ago (probably 40 years) when my father drove us up there and I was absolutely terrified.
The Lido is a very well-known cafe in Wellington and has a great jazz band playing every Sunday night. Son-in-law was a regular band member until he and our daughter moved to the US three weeks ago.
Your trip through the Skippers Canyon reminded me of a family holiday many many years ago (probably 40 years) when my father drove us up there and I was absolutely terrified.
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