Hi people! Hope all of you are safe and well following the earthquake.

This was my more-or-less final itinerary that I'd posted here way back in Feb/Mar:
http://www.fodors.com/community/aust...-itinerary.cfm

First of all, apologies for putting this up so late. I think I was moping that my trip (which was WONDERFUL!!!) was over.
Combine that with my inherent laziness, I put off writing the trip report for ages. Nevertheless, it's time to plonk my backside down and type this out!

Obviously, some things changed due to unforeseen circumstances, but the trip all-in-all was such a grand success (in my not-so-humble opinion!) that I have to thank all of you who helped me hammer down the tiny details!

OVERVIEW:
*I didn't miss out on anything I had absolutely set my mind on doing, and a huge credit for that goes to the fact that I had most of the minutiae of this trip all planned out. There were some things I skipped, but those were stuff that I'd made peace with missing out on before I even left, so I'm feeling quite Zen about the whole experience!
*All this planning beforehand and the help I received from you all, helped me help others while I was travelling, which in turn ended up helping me again (more on that in the report below! Clue: Hokitika) So, I loved that I could pay it forward and reap the benefits too. Hehehe!
*The fact that I travelled in buses was a huge relief and help. The drivers were super nice, I could see some extra places when getting from point A to point B, the commentary while passing through some place made me feel like I had seen more places than the ones I was visiting, and I made a lot of new friends on the way. Any hassles I encountered were because of distances and not the people, so I'm grateful!
*Bookme (bookme.co.nz) is an absolute godsend when looking for deals! The i-Site and the hostels themselves being a close runner-up.
*I wouldn't miss out on staying in hostels for anything. You meet people from such diverse backgrounds that your life is changed irrevocably.
*It’s not easy travelling when you're a vegetarian. It helped that I knew how to cook, because veggies are a tad expensive! Heck, I would get teary-eyed at the sight of a Pak N’ Save! I can certainly say that my meals were creative! Also, it helps that it was dark after 5 p.m. so I had more time to socialize (I am a curious introvert, so this was good!)
*A wet, grey and rainy NZ is still a gorgeous NZ!
*I met Kiwis (the people!), ate kiwis (the fruits!) but missed out on seeing kiwis (the bird!). Oh, well, two out of three isn't bad, right?!
*Ticked off a whole lot of things from my bucket list, so I'm happy, happy, happy!

Conclusion?
Trip of a lifetime in what was my dream destination! I am going to urge everyone I know to try and visit NZ so they could be awed too! Nothing, not even Mother Nature’s temper tantrums should keep people from going to such a gorgeous country.

Here’s my 45 day (which turned into 49 days) solo NZ trip report broken down into three posts.

Finally: I've said it before, but it bears repeating - Thank you!

Got to NZ a couple of days in advance, and thank Gods for that! I figured it would help with the jet lag and help me acclimatise to the weather and the new time zone. It did all that and so much more.

Also, one whole month in the South Island in what was an unusually warm May? I was indeed very lucky!

Christchurch:
Apr. 29 – It took me 24 hours to get from India to NZ! My first glimpse of the country? Well, I was asleep on the flight from Sydney, so it was Christchurch Airport! I excitedly waited at immigration, and then headed off to baggage claim and found...my bags hadn’t arrived! Loitered around the airport for a bit wondering if I should buy a SIM card there or in town and I realized that since I don’t have the Y-chromosome, I could ask for help! (this is a joke! Honest!) The wonderful lady at the i-Site inside Christchurch airport helped tremendously. Purchased a SIM (don’t know if this is still available: but Vodafone traveller’s SIM with 2 months validity and 3 GB of data for $49, was ridiculously perfect for my purposes!), hopped on a Super Shuttle and got to YHA Rolleston House by 5 p.m.

Apr. 30 – My bags, which were to arrive sometime in the morning, arrived at about 2 p.m. So, that’s a whole morning spent. I did, however, decide to veer out at 4.30 p.m. to walk the 1 k.m. distance to Pak N’ Save. Google maps for the win. Ah, the glamorous life of a backpacker! Ducked in into re: Start mall on the way, so the day wasn’t a complete waste. Also, I had to get those calf muscles used to walking anyway

May 1 – Antarctic Centre via bookme! Also, Sunday bus schedules at Christchurch are different! Who knew?! Found out about this the previous day and left accordingly to catch a bus at 7.50 a.m. Reached the Centre at 8.30 (the driver very kindly dropped me near it!) and got in at 9. (I had purchased a discounted deal from bookme for the general admission, which was worth it, IMHO) It was marvellous! The Storm Room, Penguin feeding, the Hagglund and Huskies (only on Sundays, I believe!) meant that I was there until 1 p.m. Caught the free Penguin shuttle back to the museum at 1.30 p.m. After a quick lunch at the hostel, I simply crossed the road and went to check out Canterbury Museum until closing time.

May 2 – After a late start to the day, I spent the rest of it at the Botanical Gardens. The autumn colours and the flowers meant that I didn’t want to leave even when the weather later got a bit nippy later in the evening! The serenity of this place must be felt to believe. Try waiting till it’s just about dark to see the Peacock fountain near the gates of the gardens to light up. Although it might seem like I whiled the day away, I was happy with this relaxed schedule after full day yesterday as it gave me time to finish my chores. The laundry must get done!

May 3 – It was my last day at Christchurch and I eschewed going on the gondola and tram in order to people watch. I walked around the city and glimpsed Hyde Park, Margaret Mahy Family Playground, the Avon River and so on, which made me glad I didn’t just stick around in the CBD whilst I was in town! There’s a huge life-size chessboard opposite the Christchurch Cathedral where people enjoy playing folks who are passing by. It’s the little quirks like these that give the city its character, I believe.

Thoughts: A laidback atmosphere pervades the city which is perfect when you want to slowly sink into travelling, and not just jump in.

Lake Tekapo:
May 4 – Bus at 8.30 a.m. Thank heavens the stop was outside the Museum! Reached Tekapo at noon and all I had to do was cross the car park to reach YHA Lake Tekapo (the best views of all the hostels in NZ, according to moi.) I loved that I didn’t have to walk very far to get there (little did I know that that would change later on!) Since check-ins were to begin only at 2 p.m. I dropped the bags at the storage room and took off to see the lake. It is such a majestic view! The photos do not do it justice. The forecast was for a cloudy evening, so I decided to skip the Mt. John Observatory tour at night and decided to go stargazing at Mt. Cook, which was my next stop anyway. Met a new friend at the hostel whom I convinced :cough:: manipulated ::cough: into joining me in my search for the famous Church of the Good Shepherd.

Thoughts: A one-day halt (or half a day if you’re driving) is more than enough at Tekapo. Do check the weather forecast before heading there though.

Aoraki/Mt. Cook:
May 5 – The busiest day of my trip by far. Cook Connection shuttle at 7.15 a.m. from Tekapo with a stop at Lake Pukaki en route. The bus reached the YHA Mt. Cook at 10.15 a.m. Not a moment too soon as I only had time to drop my bags and head to the Hermitage Hotel in order to catch the bus for the 11 a.m. Glacier Explorers tour. I have no regrets spending a bundle on this trip. The weather was gloriously clear and sunny, the drive picturesque and our guide was an absolute fount of information about the glacier. Moreover, since the weather was so pleasant, we were actually lucky enough to see one of the icebergs flipping over! On our way back the driver informed us that the tours for the previous couple of days were cancelled due to bad weather, and hence, the crowd on that particular day. We were also urged to exploit the good weather to its fullest and stay out. Taking this advice to heart I decided to ::ahem:: tramp a bit beginning with the Glencoe Walk that starts behind the Hermitage Hotel. On a good day it’s a 45-min trail to reach the viewpoint for a clear view of Mt. Cook. Of course, I had conveniently forgotten that the previous days weren’t so good so the trail was wet, muddy and slippery. And I am a complete newbie at tramping. So, needless to say it took me twice the amount of time to finish this one! Walked back to the hostel, checked in, and promptly fell asleep! Woke later in the evening and decided to go for broke and signed up for the Big Sky Stargazing tour starting from, where else? The Hermitage! Trudged back up in complete darkness and my eyes for the very first time saw so many stars! The tour was brilliant – there was a movie at the start which explained what stars were visible in that area at night, then a bus ride to the airfield ( as an aside, this was the location for the CGI White City of Gondor!) where you could see stars, planets and constellations with the telescopes that were set up. We were thankfully dropped off near the YHA so that saved us a bit of a walk again at night!

May 6 – On the sixth day, I rested. I wish I had something more exciting to write about but all that travelling caught up with me and I fell ill. Boo!

May 7 – Took some cold medicine and decided that I did not plan so much, and travel so far, to sit inside the hostel. Pulled up my big girl socks and went on the Hooker Valley Track. Starting from the YHA, my friend and I walked up to near The Hermitage (again!) for the start of the trail...all the way envying those folks that could skip this entire stretch and start near the car park! I am glad to say that this newbie did really well and only took 6 hours to finish what’s supposed to be a 4 hr. return trek! (in my defence, we clicked loads of photos and took a well deserved break at the end). We met some lovely folks on the way, one of whom took pity on us and gave us a lift to the YHA on our way back. Yay! Also...The Eta Aquariids meteor showers were on and I was lucky enough to be at a dark sky reserve! So, I urged some hostel mates to wake up at 4 a.m. the next day. We layered up, grabbed some blankets from the sitting room and about 5 of us just went out and simply lay down on the road for a good 45 mins just watching hundreds of shooting stars with our naked eye. Illness be damned! Since sleep was well and truly shot, I figured I had enough time to pack and get ready to go on to the next destination.

Thoughts: Mt. Cook was my favourite location in all of NZ! The glorious weather on ALL THE DAYS no doubt played a huge part.

Wanaka:
May 8 – 10 a.m. Cook Connection shuttle to Twizel (Pelennor Fields! My geeky heart was overjoyed), which would connect me to an Intercity bus, which would in turn drop me off at Tarras, wherein I would take a Yello! Cab to YHA Wanaka. Phew! I figured this was going to be a day for travel and transit and not for sightseeing, but I was mistaken. Lake Wanaka looked so divine against those mountains at the background that a roommate and I decided to take a walk by the lakeside and find That Wanaka Tree. Good thing I didn’t get too lazy because my run of luck for good weather was well and truly out. There were hardly any dry days for the rest of my trip.

May 9 – The weather forecast for the next several days was rain, rain and some more rain, so several activities were cancelled. That, and the prices, made me decide against Skydiving. So, I decided to simply lounge about in the hostel for the afternoon, meeting and chatting with the various folks there, and then I popped out to watch Captain America at Cinema Paradiso in the evening. Truly a one-of-a-kind theatre! The freshly baked cookies at the intermission were simply divine.

May 10 – Had to switch hostels so went off to BBH Wanaka Bakpaka and settled in. Weather was still rotten so I figured I could peruse through Bookme and book activities for when I'm in Dunedin and Te Anau – my next two destinations. Good thing too, as you will soon see!

May 11 – Puzzling World via bookme! At this point I realized that being worried about the weather was a bit foolish. I come from a country that has a specific ‘Monsoon’ season. What right did I have to complain about what was essentially a drizzle?! Thus, taking the grey skies in stride, I spent pretty much the whole day at the Puzzling World and the long walk it took me to get to and from there. The Great Maze is a wonderfully fun way to pass the time.

Thoughts: Wanaka should have been a washout, but the beauty of the place cannot be denied. Ergo, I did have fun even whilst doing nothing!

Dunedin:
May 12 – Morning alpine connexions shuttle to Dunedin railway station with only 2 people on board! Today was a day that was simply for travel (there quite a bit of those throughout my trip). I suppose such things are bound to happen when you travel by buses. Walked the 10 mins from the station to BBH - Central Backpackers, Dunedin. By this time I am thanking all the deities for having booked my accommodations ahead of time because the city is crowded. (Not India-crowded, but relative to NZ-crowded. Hehe!) The friendly folks at the hostel ordered pizzas for everybody and that was one less dinner I had to cook. The excitement for the following day was steadily mounting!

May 13 – Taieri Gorge Railway – Scenic Rail Tour – Pukerangi Return via bookme! GUYS, I WENT ON A TRAIN!!!!! I was very disappointed initially on missing out on any train rides whilst in NZ (no Tranzalpine, no Northern Explorer, no nothing!) But, I saw this deal on bookme for 50% off and I’ve never hit buy more quickly before! Only $45.50 for the return trip? It was definitely worth it. There was also a little thing called RUGBY that evening! I’d bought the tickets to the test the day it went on sale, before I even left India. Good thing too because the Highlanders vs. Crusaders tickets at Forsyth Barr Stadium were completely sold out! I had front row seats to what was an amazing game! Showed my folks a repeat of the match when I got home, and lo and behold, I was on screen! Ah, such magnificent life! Best.Day.Ever.

May 14 – I actually expected this Sunday to be an anticlimax after all the excitement of the previous day. Thankfully, I was wrong! Visited the Farmer’s Market in the morning and had the world’s best Crêpes with butterscotch sauce! Then, I watched the Otago University’s Graduation Ceremony which was such a wonderful thing to watch. Then I wandered about the Octogon – said hi to Mr. Burns and bought an All Blacks scarf from the Adidas Store. Because I am a typical tourist, and that is what we people do!

Thoughts: I was asked multiple times during my travel about why I decided to visit NZ out of all the countries and I always replied “Two reasons – Lord of the Rings and Rugby”. That was, and remains 100% accurate. My very first live Rugby match!

Te Anau:
May 15 – Bus to Te Anau at 1.55 p.m. that I almost missed because I was at the Otago Museum! We reached at around 6.30 by which time it was too dark to see anything. Thankfully, my booking for Milford was done while I was at Wanaka itself, so that was a relief. However, the forecast? Rain the next day, and clear, cloudless skies the day after. Drats!

Along for the ride - sounds like a wonderful trip so far!

Te Anau (contd.):
May 16 – Cruise Milford via bookme. I thought $139 for ex-Te Anau pickup with vegetarian lunch was a good deal. No, it wasn’t. It was a GREAT deal! It was a relatively late 9 a.m. start. Picked up at YHA Te Anau by the Trips and Tramps folks as there were only 5 people making our way to Milford from. The weather was as wet as predicted, but that did not matter! This was a place I was eagerly looking forward to see and our guide ensured that we saw other things rather than just getting us directly to the Sound. We passed Manapouri, Mirror Lake ( not much of a reflection on that day  ) and Marian’s Cascade – the latter a 20-min return walk which was my favourite. The steady rain had meant that the waters were gushing with a fury that I hadn’t seen before. Onwards we went until we reached the Homer Tunnel and...millions, honest-to-goodness MILLIONS of waterfalls. It’s like each of the mountains’ were bleeding from a thousand cuts. The view made me feel a bit poetic! Had a fantastic cruise despite the weather. Visibility was not great, but the waters were calm, which is why the cruise ran that day, I guess. The rain made sure that all folks stayed inside in a futile attempt to stay dry, so I had the entire deck to myself when we went near one or two of those massive, permanent waterfalls. Staying dry is overrated, my friends! The complimentary tea, coffee and cookies went a long way in warming me up later, so I was okay. Two hours went by very quickly and soon we were on our way back to Te Anau only interrupted by the cheeky little Kea as we were waiting our turn to get back into the Homer Tunnel. Reached back just around dusk.

May 17 – I had a bus to Queenstown scheduled at 5.15 p.m. so technically, I could have gone back to Milford on this day which was clearer than a freshly polished mirror! But, I couldn’t justify spending that kind of money again on something I’d already done, so I took off instead, to get my first glimpse of Lake Te Anau! 2 nights in and this was my first view of the place! Then I went back to the hostel and hit bookme again to check if there were any deals available in Queenstown or Franz Josef. Hint: There were!

Thoughts: Have you ever had the feeling of expecting something terrific, and then learning that was not going to happen, but also that the replacement is something different which is great in itself? That pretty much sums up my thoughts of Milford!


Queenstown:
May 17 – The GreatSights bus dropped the few of us who were staying there at YHA Lake Esplanade in Queenstown around 8 p.m., so that saved us all a looong walk!

May 18 – Ziptrek Ecotour Moa 4-line ziplining ($99) and Skyline Gondola and Luge – 7 (SEVEN!!!!!) Luge rides ($50!) via bookme. The day started off being nice and sunny. I wouldn’t really need more than 2 layers, right? Nor my fleece jumper and certainly not my rain jacket? Couldn’t have been more wrong if I’d tried! The weather was perfect until I finished my Ziplining and then each following Luge rides it got steadily worse. Rain, wind, plummeting temperatures and what do you know? Hail (for about 5 mins, but hail nonetheless!) 5 shivering Luge rides done and two more to go. I bought $5 gloves which were soaked in under 5 mins and I took my drenched self to the cafe there for a hot chocolate. When I could feel my extremities again (I exaggerate only a bit!) I went back up and finished those last two. I paid money for this, so I wasn’t going to waste the opportunity because of a little cold! Finished up around 1.45 p.m. and walked to Fergburger. The gods must have pitied me because my friend and I could find seats almost instantly with no waiting whatsoever. I had the tempura tofu burger so aptly named ‘Holier than Thou’ We then walked by the lakefront until dusk when I finally got to the hostel and changed into dry clothes. I have no one but myself to blame here, but I assure you I have certainly learnt my lesson!

May 19 – Free day! Had purchased some photos of the Ziplining the previous day so went to pick em up, dropped in to purchase another Fergburger (my last day here, don’t judge!) and basically just sat down by the lakeside and breathed.

Thoughts: Could I have done any other activities? Well...I did do the two things I wanted to, but unfortunately both of them got done in the same day. Ideally I would have liked to split them over two days. Bungy was never my scene, so 2 days in Queenstown was quite sufficient for me.


Franz Josef:
May 20 – An incredibly loooong day of travel: 7.30 am from Queenstown and reaching YHA Franz Josef at 4.30 p.m. It’s a good thing I’m not a restless person or else this would have been a nightmare! Thankfully, there was free soup available at the hostel in the evening, so that helped! The only thing left to do was to fall into bed and slip into oblivion.

May 21 – Ice Explorer - Franz Josef Glacier Guides via bookme. A helicopter ride to the top of the mighty Franz Josef glacier and walking on it for 3 hours. This was truly one of the highlights of my trip. Milford was great in the sense that it was different from what I was told to expect, but Glacier hiking was as marvellous as I’d thought it would be, so I am glad for that. Soup in the evening at the hostel again. Bliss!

May 22 – Completely free today to catch up on my chores, laze around and replenish my food supplies from the nearby supermarket.

Thoughts: apart from going gaga over free food (teehee!) I liked that people here – both the part-timers at the hostel and the backpackers, were incredibly friendly. I must have detailed my travel plans to a dozen folks while listening to their stories.


Hokitika:
May 23 – The dreaded Hokitika! I knew things were quite far from each and spaced out, but exactly what distance one place was from the next was one of the details that I skipped. And boy did I almost pay for it! My hostel (a BBH and YHA combo called Birdsong Hokitika) was a whopping 2 km away from the town centre! I almost tore my hair out when I realized it, but the driver of the bus very kindly dropped me off right opposite the hostel when the bus got on the way, that I was saved the commute with heavy bags. But...you guys remember that there were 3 reasons why I had decided to stop at Hokitika? Jade Carving at Lake Mahinapua Hotel (only 6 kms away) Treetop Walkway (about 10 kms away) and the Hokitika Gorge (about 32 kms away!) I’d more or less given up on the gorge the instant I found that out. But, I had already booked a Jade Carving session and the Walkway before I left for NZ (the bookings were available quite in advance) so I had to make it to the hotel in under 2 hours of my arrival. Thankfully, the owner of the hostel mentioned that there was one cab company (technically one cab) in Hokitika, so I made the arrangements for travel. Now, ladies and gents, my jade carving session cost me about $22, and I was very happy with the end product. The cab to get there, however, cost me $40! I figured I was simply going to walk back to the hostel once the session was done, and I started off. I would have finished the trip too, but about halfway there, it started raining (the skies were merely overcast until then) and I had no choice but to hitchhike the rest of the way. A very generous truck driver stopped and gave me a lift to my hostel, and refused to accept any money!
I figured I had no other recourse but to marathon it the next day to and from Treetops Walkway, and what do I see? Two people I had met and spoken to at Franz Josef about my travel plans were here at Hokitika because they wanted to see the Hokitika Gorge having never seen it before! I now had a ride to the gorge and the walkway for the following day

May 24 – the three of us left early to get to the Gorge which, I must say, was a sight to behold. Also, since we went so early, we had the run of the place to ourselves to click silly photos! They dropped me off at the walkway before they headed back to FJ, and I insisted that they at least take some money for petrol. After a while they thankfully agreed and I didn’t feel like such a freeloader! The Walkway was the first time I was ever on such a contraption and I had a blast going around it. I am terrified of birds but I did enjoy seeing them in their natural environs. I was also the only person there at that time! I was done by around 3 p.m. when I asked the lady at the receptionist if there was any other mode of transport available into town other than the taxi, when she offered to give me ride into town herself after her shift ended! I was prepared to walk 12 km each way which got cut down to only 2, so I was very, very grateful!

Thoughts: I sound like I’m whining a bit up there, but truly, apart from that one exorbitant taxi fare, everything else in Hokitika almost miraculously worked in my favour. I could see and do all the things I had in my checklist for this place. And most importantly, I knew that the people here in NZ are so kind! Despite all, that I would always remember that this was a place that could have been a disappointment, but turned out to be a pleasant surprise. For that reason only, I would suggest anybody without a car to skip the town. I am, however, glad that things fell into place!


Nelson:
May 25 – Had to book the aforementioned taxi at Hokitika to get all my stuff to the bus station. Dropped off my bags, while the rest of the passengers from before left to stretch their legs, and I skipped along to go to the beach that’s 5 mins away. Since, I had a wonderful view of the sea and surf from the hostel, I hadn’t bothered before, but I realized the odds of me returning here were slim, even if I were to make another trip to NZ sometime in the future. So, that helped me decide and it’s now not a regret I’ll have! The bus reached Greymouth first and I glimpsed the Tranzalpine. It could have been upsetting, but eh, I’d already been in a train! Finally, we were at Punakaiki for a 45-min lunch break. Who cares about eating when I can go see the Pancake Rocks?! Spent pretty much all my time there and I did not regret it. The rainbows that form when the water sprays upwards after hitting the rocks? I thought I should maybe search for leprechauns! Reached Nelson at 7.30 p.m. and checked-in at the YHA. The receptionist promptly checked the weather forecast for the following couple of days and it was to rain. How surprising. Sigh.

May 26 – this was technically my extra day in town in case of bad weather so I simply went to the Pak N’ Save, did my chores and talked to friends while the overcast sky cast loomed large outside. Checked the forecast in the evening and tomorrow didn’t look to be clear, either. And with that information, Abel Tasman National Park and kayaking was officially out of the picture.

May 27 - ...but the weather was perfect and it didn’t start raining in Nelson until evening. Since nobody had any plans, a couple of people from the hostel and I decide to hike up to the Centre of New Zealand. After that, we took a stroll around the town before I went back to the hostel and packed up because of the early bus that I had to catch the next day.


Picton:
May 28 – the 8.15 bus reached Picton at 10.40. Reached YHA - The Villa and immediately signed up for the half-day wine trail that was advertised in the hostel. There was just me and another guy from the hostel who was effusive in his thanks as there needed to be a minimum of 2 people for the tour to run! We left at around 12.30 p.m. and visited

i. Hunter’s Wines (Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Merlot and a dessert Riesling)
ii. Cloudy Bay (Pelorus, Sav, Te Koko, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and a late harvest Riesling)
iii. Forrest Wines (Sav, Chenin Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, St. Laurent and Malbec)
iv. Giesen Wines (Sav, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewurztraminer)
v. ...and finally, a chocolate factory whose name I’ve forgotten due to being impaired!

I know now that my favourite wine is the Gewurztraminer! (They ask you to merely swill the wine in your mouth and then spit it out?! No way! I gulped down every single drop they poured!) Came back to the hostel in the evening and promptly fell asleep. Hic!

May 29 – Decided to hunker down and plan my activities for North Island, which was my next destination before heading out for a while for a stroll. It was a nice, lazy day after all the imbibing of the day before!

Thoughts: The wine tour here meant I skipped it later at Waiheke. I am actually okay with that!


Interislander (Kaitaki):
May 30 – not really a location but this is where I was this day. Queen Charlotte’s Sound was gorgeous. Since I had the afternoon 2.15 ferry, I simply walked around Picton in the morning and until I came upon a lovely family fishing. My ancestors may be turning in their graves (vegetarians!) but I tried my hand at fishing, too. In that the lady baited the hook AND cast the line, while I stood there with the rod and looked cool! Didn’t catch any fish though, which was a blessing, because I don’t know how I would have reacted!
The clear day led to perfect sailing conditions. Since I am no weenie, I spent much of the time on the top deck even when everybody else went belowdecks to escape the cold. Only once we reached the Cook Strait and the waters got steadily rougher did I move downstairs. (I am so proud of the little things! Of course I layered up after every 30 mins! ) The views were spectacular and I had the freedom to click photos without someone getting into the frame! Reached Wellington at around 7.45 p.m. and then took the super shuttle to get to the YHA.

Thoughts: A little more than a month in the South Island, and with winter's delayed arrival this year, meant that I had a very pleasant May, indeed! Te Anau (contd.):
May 16 – Cruise Milford via bookme. I thought $139 for ex-Te Anau pickup with vegetarian lunch was a good deal. No, it wasn’t. It was a GREAT deal! It was a relatively late 9 a.m. start. Picked up at YHA Te Anau by the Trips and Tramps folks as there were only 5 people making our way to Milford from. The weather was as wet as predicted, but that did not matter! This was a place I was eagerly looking forward to see and our guide ensured that we saw other things rather than just getting us directly to the Sound. We passed Manapouri, Mirror Lake ( not much of a reflection on that day  ) and Marian’s Cascade – the latter a 20-min return walk which was my favourite. The steady rain had meant that the waters were gushing with a fury that I hadn’t seen before. Onwards we went until we reached the Homer Tunnel and...millions, honest-to-goodness MILLIONS of waterfalls. It’s like each of the mountains’ were bleeding from a thousand cuts. The view made me feel a bit poetic! Had a fantastic cruise despite the weather. Visibility was not great, but the waters were calm, which is why the cruise ran that day, I guess. The rain made sure that all folks stayed inside in a futile attempt to stay dry, so I had the entire deck to myself when we went near one or two of those massive, permanent waterfalls. Staying dry is overrated, my friends! The complimentary tea, coffee and cookies went a long way in warming me up later, so I was okay. Two hours went by very quickly and soon we were on our way back to Te Anau only interrupted by the cheeky little Kea as we were waiting our turn to get back into the Homer Tunnel. Reached back just around dusk.

May 17 – I had a bus to Queenstown scheduled at 5.15 p.m. so technically, I could have gone back to Milford on this day which was clearer than a freshly polished mirror! But, I couldn’t justify spending that kind of money again on something I’d already done, so I took off instead, to get my first glimpse of Lake Te Anau! 2 nights in and this was my first view of the place! Then I went back to the hostel and hit bookme again to check if there were any deals available in Queenstown or Franz Josef. Hint: There were!

Thoughts: Have you ever had the feeling of expecting something terrific, and then learning that was not going to happen, but also that the replacement is something different which is great in itself? That pretty much sums up my thoughts of Milford!


Queenstown:
May 17 – The GreatSights bus dropped the few of us who were staying there at YHA Lake Esplanade in Queenstown around 8 p.m., so that saved us all a looong walk!

May 18 – Ziptrek Ecotour Moa 4-line ziplining ($99) and Skyline Gondola and Luge – 7 (SEVEN!!!!!) Luge rides ($50!) via bookme. The day started off being nice and sunny. I wouldn’t really need more than 2 layers, right? Nor my fleece jumper and certainly not my rain jacket? Couldn’t have been more wrong if I’d tried! The weather was perfect until I finished my Ziplining and then each following Luge rides it got steadily worse. Rain, wind, plummeting temperatures and what do you know? Hail (for about 5 mins, but hail nonetheless!) 5 shivering Luge rides done and two more to go. I bought $5 gloves which were soaked in under 5 mins and I took my drenched self to the cafe there for a hot chocolate. When I could feel my extremities again (I exaggerate only a bit!) I went back up and finished those last two. I paid money for this, so I wasn’t going to waste the opportunity because of a little cold! Finished up around 1.45 p.m. and walked to Fergburger. The gods must have pitied me because my friend and I could find seats almost instantly with no waiting whatsoever. I had the tempura tofu burger so aptly named ‘Holier than Thou’ We then walked by the lakefront until dusk when I finally got to the hostel and changed into dry clothes. I have no one but myself to blame here, but I assure you I have certainly learnt my lesson!

May 19 – Free day! Had purchased some photos of the Ziplining the previous day so went to pick em up, dropped in to purchase another Fergburger (my last day here, don’t judge!) and basically just sat down by the lakeside and breathed.

Thoughts: Could I have done any other activities? Well...I did do the two things I wanted to, but unfortunately both of them got done in the same day. Ideally I would have liked to split them over two days. Bungy was never my scene, so 2 days in Queenstown was quite sufficient for me.


Franz Josef:
May 20 – An incredibly loooong day of travel: 7.30 am from Queenstown and reaching YHA Franz Josef at 4.30 p.m. It’s a good thing I’m not a restless person or else this would have been a nightmare! Thankfully, there was free soup available at the hostel in the evening, so that helped! The only thing left to do was to fall into bed and slip into oblivion.

May 21 – Ice Explorer - Franz Josef Glacier Guides via bookme. A helicopter ride to the top of the mighty Franz Josef glacier and walking on it for 3 hours. This was truly one of the highlights of my trip. Milford was great in the sense that it was different from what I was told to expect, but Glacier hiking was as marvellous as I’d thought it would be, so I am glad for that. Soup in the evening at the hostel again. Bliss!

May 22 – Completely free today to catch up on my chores, laze around and replenish my food supplies from the nearby supermarket.

Thoughts: apart from going gaga over free food (teehee!) I liked that people here – both the part-timers at the hostel and the backpackers, were incredibly friendly. I must have detailed my travel plans to a dozen folks while listening to their stories.


Hokitika:
May 23 – The dreaded Hokitika! I knew things were quite far from each and spaced out, but exactly what distance one place was from the next was one of the details that I skipped. And boy did I almost pay for it! My hostel (a BBH and YHA combo called Birdsong Hokitika) was a whopping 2 km away from the town centre! I almost tore my hair out when I realized it, but the driver of the bus very kindly dropped me off right opposite the hostel when the bus got on the way, that I was saved the commute with heavy bags. But...you guys remember that there were 3 reasons why I had decided to stop at Hokitika? Jade Carving at Lake Mahinapua Hotel (only 6 kms away) Treetop Walkway (about 10 kms away) and the Hokitika Gorge (about 32 kms away!) I’d more or less given up on the gorge the instant I found that out. But, I had already booked a Jade Carving session and the Walkway before I left for NZ (the bookings were available quite in advance) so I had to make it to the hotel in under 2 hours of my arrival. Thankfully, the owner of the hostel mentioned that there was one cab company (technically one cab) in Hokitika, so I made the arrangements for travel. Now, ladies and gents, my jade carving session cost me about $22, and I was very happy with the end product. The cab to get there, however, cost me $40! I figured I was simply going to walk back to the hostel once the session was done, and I started off. I would have finished the trip too, but about halfway there, it started raining (the skies were merely overcast until then) and I had no choice but to hitchhike the rest of the way. A very generous truck driver stopped and gave me a lift to my hostel, and refused to accept any money!
I figured I had no other recourse but to marathon it the next day to and from Treetops Walkway, and what do I see? Two people I had met and spoken to at Franz Josef about my travel plans were here at Hokitika because they wanted to see the Hokitika Gorge having never seen it before! I now had a ride to the gorge and the walkway for the following day

May 24 – the three of us left early to get to the Gorge which, I must say, was a sight to behold. Also, since we went so early, we had the run of the place to ourselves to click silly photos! They dropped me off at the walkway before they headed back to FJ, and I insisted that they at least take some money for petrol. After a while they thankfully agreed and I didn’t feel like such a freeloader! The Walkway was the first time I was ever on such a contraption and I had a blast going around it. I am terrified of birds but I did enjoy seeing them in their natural environs. I was also the only person there at that time! I was done by around 3 p.m. when I asked the lady at the receptionist if there was any other mode of transport available into town other than the taxi, when she offered to give me ride into town herself after her shift ended! I was prepared to walk 12 km each way which got cut down to only 2, so I was very, very grateful!

Thoughts: I sound like I’m whining a bit up there, but truly, apart from that one exorbitant taxi fare, everything else in Hokitika almost miraculously worked in my favour. I could see and do all the things I had in my checklist for this place. And most importantly, I knew that the people here in NZ are so kind! Despite all, that I would always remember that this was a place that could have been a disappointment, but turned out to be a pleasant surprise. For that reason only, I would suggest anybody without a car to skip the town. I am, however, glad that things fell into place!


Nelson:
May 25 – Had to book the aforementioned taxi at Hokitika to get all my stuff to the bus station. Dropped off my bags, while the rest of the passengers from before left to stretch their legs, and I skipped along to go to the beach that’s 5 mins away. Since, I had a wonderful view of the sea and surf from the hostel, I hadn’t bothered before, but I realized the odds of me returning here were slim, even if I were to make another trip to NZ sometime in the future. So, that helped me decide and it’s now not a regret I’ll have! The bus reached Greymouth first and I glimpsed the Tranzalpine. It could have been upsetting, but eh, I’d already been in a train! Finally, we were at Punakaiki for a 45-min lunch break. Who cares about eating when I can go see the Pancake Rocks?! Spent pretty much all my time there and I did not regret it. The rainbows that form when the water sprays upwards after hitting the rocks? I thought I should maybe search for leprechauns! Reached Nelson at 7.30 p.m. and checked-in at the YHA. The receptionist promptly checked the weather forecast for the following couple of days and it was to rain. How surprising. Sigh.

May 26 – this was technically my extra day in town in case of bad weather so I simply went to the Pak N’ Save, did my chores and talked to friends while the overcast sky cast loomed large outside. Checked the forecast in the evening and tomorrow didn’t look to be clear, either. And with that information, Abel Tasman National Park and kayaking was officially out of the picture.

May 27 - ...but the weather was perfect and it didn’t start raining in Nelson until evening. Since nobody had any plans, a couple of people from the hostel and I decide to hike up to the Centre of New Zealand. After that, we took a stroll around the town before I went back to the hostel and packed up because of the early bus that I had to catch the next day.


Picton:
May 28 – the 8.15 bus reached Picton at 10.40. Reached YHA - The Villa and immediately signed up for the half-day wine trail that was advertised in the hostel. There was just me and another guy from the hostel who was effusive in his thanks as there needed to be a minimum of 2 people for the tour to run! We left at around 12.30 p.m. and visited

i. Hunter’s Wines (Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Merlot and a dessert Riesling)
ii. Cloudy Bay (Pelorus, Sav, Te Koko, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and a late harvest Riesling)
iii. Forrest Wines (Sav, Chenin Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, St. Laurent and Malbec)
iv. Giesen Wines (Sav, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewurztraminer)
v. ...and finally, a chocolate factory whose name I’ve forgotten due to being impaired!

I know now that my favourite wine is the Gewurztraminer! (They ask you to merely swill the wine in your mouth and then spit it out?! No way! I gulped down every single drop they poured!) Came back to the hostel in the evening and promptly fell asleep. Hic!

May 29 – Decided to hunker down and plan my activities for North Island, which was my next destination before heading out for a while for a stroll. It was a nice, lazy day after all the imbibing of the day before!

Thoughts: The wine tour here meant I skipped it later at Waiheke. I am actually okay with that!


Interislander (Kaitaki):
May 30 – not really a location but this is where I was this day. Queen Charlotte’s Sound was gorgeous. Since I had the afternoon 2.15 ferry, I simply walked around Picton in the morning and until I came upon a lovely family fishing. My ancestors may be turning in their graves (vegetarians!) but I tried my hand at fishing, too. In that the lady baited the hook AND cast the line, while I stood there with the rod and looked cool! Didn’t catch any fish though, which was a blessing, because I don’t know how I would have reacted! It was a clear day which led to perfect sailing conditions. Since, I am no weenie, I spent much of the time on the top deck even when everybody else went belowdecks to escape the cold. Only once we reached the Cook Strait and the waters got steadily rougher did I move downstairs. (I am so proud of the little things! ) The views were spectacular and I had the freedom to click photos without someone getting into the frame! Reached Wellington at around 7.45 p.m. and then took the super shuttle to get to the YHA.

Thoughts: A little more than a month in the South Island, and with winter's delayed arrival this year, meant that I had a very pleasant May, indeed!

Next up: North Island.Te Anau (contd.):
May 16 – Cruise Milford via bookme. I thought $139 for ex-Te Anau pickup with vegetarian lunch was a good deal. No, it wasn’t. It was a GREAT deal! It was a relatively late 9 a.m. start. Picked up at YHA Te Anau by the Trips and Tramps folks as there were only 5 people making our way to Milford from. The weather was as wet as predicted, but that did not matter! This was a place I was eagerly looking forward to see and our guide ensured that we saw other things rather than just getting us directly to the Sound. We passed Manapouri, Mirror Lake ( not much of a reflection on that day  ) and Marian’s Cascade – the latter a 20-min return walk which was my favourite. The steady rain had meant that the waters were gushing with a fury that I hadn’t seen before. Onwards we went until we reached the Homer Tunnel and...millions, honest-to-goodness MILLIONS of waterfalls. It’s like each of the mountains’ were bleeding from a thousand cuts. The view made me feel a bit poetic! Had a fantastic cruise despite the weather. Visibility was not great, but the waters were calm, which is why the cruise ran that day, I guess. The rain made sure that all folks stayed inside in a futile attempt to stay dry, so I had the entire deck to myself when we went near one or two of those massive, permanent waterfalls. Staying dry is overrated, my friends! The complimentary tea, coffee and cookies went a long way in warming me up later, so I was okay. Two hours went by very quickly and soon we were on our way back to Te Anau only interrupted by the cheeky little Kea as we were waiting our turn to get back into the Homer Tunnel. Reached back just around dusk.

May 17 – I had a bus to Queenstown scheduled at 5.15 p.m. so technically, I could have gone back to Milford on this day which was clearer than a freshly polished mirror! But, I couldn’t justify spending that kind of money again on something I’d already done, so I took off instead, to get my first glimpse of Lake Te Anau! 2 nights in and this was my first view of the place! Then I went back to the hostel and hit bookme again to check if there were any deals available in Queenstown or Franz Josef. Hint: There were!

Thoughts: Have you ever had the feeling of expecting something terrific, and then learning that was not going to happen, but also that the replacement is something different which is great in itself? That pretty much sums up my thoughts of Milford!


Queenstown:
May 17 – The GreatSights bus dropped the few of us who were staying there at YHA Lake Esplanade in Queenstown around 8 p.m., so that saved us all a looong walk!

May 18 – Ziptrek Ecotour Moa 4-line ziplining ($99) and Skyline Gondola and Luge – 7 (SEVEN!!!!!) Luge rides ($50!) via bookme. The day started off being nice and sunny. I wouldn’t really need more than 2 layers, right? Nor my fleece jumper and certainly not my rain jacket? Couldn’t have been more wrong if I’d tried! The weather was perfect until I finished my Ziplining and then each following Luge rides it got steadily worse. Rain, wind, plummeting temperatures and what do you know? Hail (for about 5 mins, but hail nonetheless!) 5 shivering Luge rides done and two more to go. I bought $5 gloves which were soaked in under 5 mins and I took my drenched self to the cafe there for a hot chocolate. When I could feel my extremities again (I exaggerate only a bit!) I went back up and finished those last two. I paid money for this, so I wasn’t going to waste the opportunity because of a little cold! Finished up around 1.45 p.m. and walked to Fergburger. The gods must have pitied me because my friend and I could find seats almost instantly with no waiting whatsoever. I had the tempura tofu burger so aptly named ‘Holier than Thou’ We then walked by the lakefront until dusk when I finally got to the hostel and changed into dry clothes. I have no one but myself to blame here, but I assure you I have certainly learnt my lesson!

May 19 – Free day! Had purchased some photos of the Ziplining the previous day so went to pick em up, dropped in to purchase another Fergburger (my last day here, don’t judge!) and basically just sat down by the lakeside and breathed.

Thoughts: Could I have done any other activities? Well...I did do the two things I wanted to, but unfortunately both of them got done in the same day. Ideally I would have liked to split them over two days. Bungy was never my scene, so 2 days in Queenstown was quite sufficient for me.


Franz Josef:
May 20 – An incredibly loooong day of travel: 7.30 am from Queenstown and reaching YHA Franz Josef at 4.30 p.m. It’s a good thing I’m not a restless person or else this would have been a nightmare! Thankfully, there was free soup available at the hostel in the evening, so that helped! The only thing left to do was to fall into bed and slip into oblivion.

May 21 – Ice Explorer - Franz Josef Glacier Guides via bookme. A helicopter ride to the top of the mighty Franz Josef glacier and walking on it for 3 hours. This was truly one of the highlights of my trip. Milford was great in the sense that it was different from what I was told to expect, but Glacier hiking was as marvellous as I’d thought it would be, so I am glad for that. Soup in the evening at the hostel again. Bliss!

May 22 – Completely free today to catch up on my chores, laze around and replenish my food supplies from the nearby supermarket.

Thoughts: apart from going gaga over free food (teehee!) I liked that people here – both the part-timers at the hostel and the backpackers, were incredibly friendly. I must have detailed my travel plans to a dozen folks while listening to their stories.


Hokitika:
May 23 – The dreaded Hokitika! I knew things were quite far from each and spaced out, but exactly what distance one place was from the next was one of the details that I skipped. And boy did I almost pay for it! My hostel (a BBH and YHA combo called Birdsong Hokitika) was a whopping 2 km away from the town centre! I almost tore my hair out when I realized it, but the driver of the bus very kindly dropped me off right opposite the hostel when the bus got on the way, that I was saved the commute with heavy bags. But...you guys remember that there were 3 reasons why I had decided to stop at Hokitika? Jade Carving at Lake Mahinapua Hotel (only 6 kms away) Treetop Walkway (about 10 kms away) and the Hokitika Gorge (about 32 kms away!) I’d more or less given up on the gorge the instant I found that out. But, I had already booked a Jade Carving session and the Walkway before I left for NZ (the bookings were available quite in advance) so I had to make it to the hotel in under 2 hours of my arrival. Thankfully, the owner of the hostel mentioned that there was one cab company (technically one cab) in Hokitika, so I made the arrangements for travel. Now, ladies and gents, my jade carving session cost me about $22, and I was very happy with the end product. The cab to get there, however, cost me $40! I figured I was simply going to walk back to the hostel once the session was done, and I started off. I would have finished the trip too, but about halfway there, it started raining (the skies were merely overcast until then) and I had no choice but to hitchhike the rest of the way. A very generous truck driver stopped and gave me a lift to my hostel, and refused to accept any money!
I figured I had no other recourse but to marathon it the next day to and from Treetops Walkway, and what do I see? Two people I had met and spoken to at Franz Josef about my travel plans were here at Hokitika because they wanted to see the Hokitika Gorge having never seen it before! I now had a ride to the gorge and the walkway for the following day

May 24 – the three of us left early to get to the Gorge which, I must say, was a sight to behold. Also, since we went so early, we had the run of the place to ourselves to click silly photos! They dropped me off at the walkway before they headed back to FJ, and I insisted that they at least take some money for petrol. After a while they thankfully agreed and I didn’t feel like such a freeloader! The Walkway was the first time I was ever on such a contraption and I had a blast going around it. I am terrified of birds but I did enjoy seeing them in their natural environs. I was also the only person there at that time! I was done by around 3 p.m. when I asked the lady at the receptionist if there was any other mode of transport available into town other than the taxi, when she offered to give me ride into town herself after her shift ended! I was prepared to walk 12 km each way which got cut down to only 2, so I was very, very grateful!

Thoughts: I sound like I’m whining a bit up there, but truly, apart from that one exorbitant taxi fare, everything else in Hokitika almost miraculously worked in my favour. I could see and do all the things I had in my checklist for this place. And most importantly, I knew that the people here in NZ are so kind! Despite all, that I would always remember that this was a place that could have been a disappointment, but turned out to be a pleasant surprise. For that reason only, I would suggest anybody without a car to skip the town. I am, however, glad that things fell into place!


Nelson:
May 25 – Had to book the aforementioned taxi at Hokitika to get all my stuff to the bus station. Dropped off my bags, while the rest of the passengers from before left to stretch their legs, and I skipped along to go to the beach that’s 5 mins away. Since, I had a wonderful view of the sea and surf from the hostel, I hadn’t bothered before, but I realized the odds of me returning here were slim, even if I were to make another trip to NZ sometime in the future. So, that helped me decide and it’s now not a regret I’ll have! The bus reached Greymouth first and I glimpsed the Tranzalpine. It could have been upsetting, but eh, I’d already been in a train! Finally, we were at Punakaiki for a 45-min lunch break. Who cares about eating when I can go see the Pancake Rocks?! Spent pretty much all my time there and I did not regret it. The rainbows that form when the water sprays upwards after hitting the rocks? I thought I should maybe search for leprechauns! Reached Nelson at 7.30 p.m. and checked-in at the YHA. The receptionist promptly checked the weather forecast for the following couple of days and it was to rain. How surprising. Sigh.

May 26 – this was technically my extra day in town in case of bad weather so I simply went to the Pak N’ Save, did my chores and talked to friends while the overcast sky cast loomed large outside. Checked the forecast in the evening and tomorrow didn’t look to be clear, either. And with that information, Abel Tasman National Park and kayaking was officially out of the picture.

May 27 - ...but the weather was perfect and it didn’t start raining in Nelson until evening. Since nobody had any plans, a couple of people from the hostel and I decide to hike up to the Centre of New Zealand. After that, we took a stroll around the town before I went back to the hostel and packed up because of the early bus that I had to catch the next day.


Picton:
May 28 – the 8.15 bus reached Picton at 10.40. Reached YHA - The Villa and immediately signed up for the half-day wine trail that was advertised in the hostel. There was just me and another guy from the hostel who was effusive in his thanks as there needed to be a minimum of 2 people for the tour to run! We left at around 12.30 p.m. and visited

i. Hunter’s Wines (Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Merlot and a dessert Riesling)
ii. Cloudy Bay (Pelorus, Sav, Te Koko, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and a late harvest Riesling)
iii. Forrest Wines (Sav, Chenin Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, St. Laurent and Malbec)
iv. Giesen Wines (Sav, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewurztraminer)
v. ...and finally, a chocolate factory whose name I’ve forgotten due to being impaired!

I know now that my favourite wine is the Gewurztraminer! (They ask you to merely swill the wine in your mouth and then spit it out?! No way! I gulped down every single drop they poured!) Came back to the hostel in the evening and promptly fell asleep. Hic!

May 29 – Decided to hunker down and plan my activities for North Island, which was my next destination before heading out for a while for a stroll. It was a nice, lazy day after all the imbibing of the day before!

Thoughts: The wine tour here meant I skipped it later at Waiheke. I am actually okay with that!


Interislander (Kaitaki):
May 30 – not really a location but this is where I was this day. Queen Charlotte’s Sound was gorgeous. Since I had the afternoon 2.15 ferry, I simply walked around Picton in the morning and until I came upon a lovely family fishing. My ancestors may be turning in their graves (vegetarians!) but I tried my hand at fishing, too. In that the lady baited the hook AND cast the line, while I stood there with the rod and looked cool! Didn’t catch any fish though, which was a blessing, because I don’t know how I would have reacted! It was a clear day which led to perfect sailing conditions. Since, I am no weenie, I spent much of the time on the top deck even when everybody else went belowdecks to escape the cold. Only once we reached the Cook Strait and the waters got steadily rougher did I move downstairs. (I am so proud of the little things! ) The views were spectacular and I had the freedom to click photos without someone getting into the frame! Reached Wellington at around 7.45 p.m. and then took the super shuttle to get to the YHA.

Thoughts: A little more than a month in the South Island, and with winter's delayed arrival this year, meant that I had a very pleasant May, indeed!

Te Anau (contd.):
May 16 – Cruise Milford via bookme. I thought $139 for ex-Te Anau pickup with vegetarian lunch was a good deal. No, it wasn’t. It was a GREAT deal! It was a relatively late 9 a.m. start. Picked up at YHA Te Anau by the Trips and Tramps folks as there were only 5 people making our way to Milford from. The weather was as wet as predicted, but that did not matter! This was a place I was eagerly looking forward to see and our guide ensured that we saw other things rather than just getting us directly to the Sound. We passed Manapouri, Mirror Lake ( not much of a reflection on that day  ) and Marian’s Cascade – the latter a 20-min return walk which was my favourite. The steady rain had meant that the waters were gushing with a fury that I hadn’t seen before. Onwards we went until we reached the Homer Tunnel and...millions, honest-to-goodness MILLIONS of waterfalls. It’s like each of the mountains’ were bleeding from a thousand cuts. The view made me feel a bit poetic! Had a fantastic cruise despite the weather. Visibility was not great, but the waters were calm, which is why the cruise ran that day, I guess. The rain made sure that all folks stayed inside in a futile attempt to stay dry, so I had the entire deck to myself when we went near one or two of those massive, permanent waterfalls. Staying dry is overrated, my friends! The complimentary tea, coffee and cookies went a long way in warming me up later, so I was okay. Two hours went by very quickly and soon we were on our way back to Te Anau only interrupted by the cheeky little Kea as we were waiting our turn to get back into the Homer Tunnel. Reached back just around dusk.

May 17 – I had a bus to Queenstown scheduled at 5.15 p.m. so technically, I could have gone back to Milford on this day which was clearer than a freshly polished mirror! But, I couldn’t justify spending that kind of money again on something I’d already done, so I took off instead, to get my first glimpse of Lake Te Anau! 2 nights in and this was my first view of the place! Then I went back to the hostel and hit bookme again to check if there were any deals available in Queenstown or Franz Josef. Hint: There were!

Thoughts: Have you ever had the feeling of expecting something terrific, and then learning that was not going to happen, but also that the replacement is something different which is great in itself? That pretty much sums up my thoughts of Milford!


Queenstown:
May 17 – The GreatSights bus dropped the few of us who were staying there at YHA Lake Esplanade in Queenstown around 8 p.m., so that saved us all a looong walk!

May 18 – Ziptrek Ecotour Moa 4-line ziplining ($99) and Skyline Gondola and Luge – 7 (SEVEN!!!!!) Luge rides ($50!) via bookme. The day started off being nice and sunny. I wouldn’t really need more than 2 layers, right? Nor my fleece jumper and certainly not my rain jacket? Couldn’t have been more wrong if I’d tried! The weather was perfect until I finished my Ziplining and then each following Luge rides it got steadily worse. Rain, wind, plummeting temperatures and what do you know? Hail (for about 5 mins, but hail nonetheless!) 5 shivering Luge rides done and two more to go. I bought $5 gloves which were soaked in under 5 mins and I took my drenched self to the cafe there for a hot chocolate. When I could feel my extremities again (I exaggerate only a bit!) I went back up and finished those last two. I paid money for this, so I wasn’t going to waste the opportunity because of a little cold! Finished up around 1.45 p.m. and walked to Fergburger. The gods must have pitied me because my friend and I could find seats almost instantly with no waiting whatsoever. I had the tempura tofu burger so aptly named ‘Holier than Thou’ We then walked by the lakefront until dusk when I finally got to the hostel and changed into dry clothes. I have no one but myself to blame here, but I assure you I have certainly learnt my lesson!

May 19 – Free day! Had purchased some photos of the Ziplining the previous day so went to pick em up, dropped in to purchase another Fergburger (my last day here, don’t judge!) and basically just sat down by the lakeside and breathed.

Thoughts: Could I have done any other activities? Well...I did do the two things I wanted to, but unfortunately both of them got done in the same day. Ideally I would have liked to split them over two days. Bungy was never my scene, so 2 days in Queenstown was quite sufficient for me.


Franz Josef:
May 20 – An incredibly loooong day of travel: 7.30 am from Queenstown and reaching YHA Franz Josef at 4.30 p.m. It’s a good thing I’m not a restless person or else this would have been a nightmare! Thankfully, there was free soup available at the hostel in the evening, so that helped! The only thing left to do was to fall into bed and slip into oblivion.

May 21 – Ice Explorer - Franz Josef Glacier Guides via bookme. A helicopter ride to the top of the mighty Franz Josef glacier and walking on it for 3 hours. This was truly one of the highlights of my trip. Milford was great in the sense that it was different from what I was told to expect, but Glacier hiking was as marvellous as I’d thought it would be, so I am glad for that. Soup in the evening at the hostel again. Bliss!

May 22 – Completely free today to catch up on my chores, laze around and replenish my food supplies from the nearby supermarket.

Thoughts: apart from going gaga over free food (teehee!) I liked that people here – both the part-timers at the hostel and the backpackers, were incredibly friendly. I must have detailed my travel plans to a dozen folks while listening to their stories.


Hokitika:
May 23 – The dreaded Hokitika! I knew things were quite far from each and spaced out, but exactly what distance one place was from the next was one of the details that I skipped. And boy did I almost pay for it! My hostel (a BBH and YHA combo called Birdsong Hokitika) was a whopping 2 km away from the town centre! I almost tore my hair out when I realized it, but the driver of the bus very kindly dropped me off right opposite the hostel when the bus got on the way, that I was saved the commute with heavy bags. But...you guys remember that there were 3 reasons why I had decided to stop at Hokitika? Jade Carving at Lake Mahinapua Hotel (only 6 kms away) Treetop Walkway (about 10 kms away) and the Hokitika Gorge (about 32 kms away!) I’d more or less given up on the gorge the instant I found that out. But, I had already booked a Jade Carving session and the Walkway before I left for NZ (the bookings were available quite in advance) so I had to make it to the hotel in under 2 hours of my arrival. Thankfully, the owner of the hostel mentioned that there was one cab company (technically one cab) in Hokitika, so I made the arrangements for travel. Now, ladies and gents, my jade carving session cost me about $22, and I was very happy with the end product. The cab to get there, however, cost me $40! I figured I was simply going to walk back to the hostel once the session was done, and I started off. I would have finished the trip too, but about halfway there, it started raining (the skies were merely overcast until then) and I had no choice but to hitchhike the rest of the way. A very generous truck driver stopped and gave me a lift to my hostel, and refused to accept any money!
I figured I had no other recourse but to marathon it the next day to and from Treetops Walkway, and what do I see? Two people I had met and spoken to at Franz Josef about my travel plans were here at Hokitika because they wanted to see the Hokitika Gorge having never seen it before! I now had a ride to the gorge and the walkway for the following day

May 24 – the three of us left early to get to the Gorge which, I must say, was a sight to behold. Also, since we went so early, we had the run of the place to ourselves to click silly photos! They dropped me off at the walkway before they headed back to FJ, and I insisted that they at least take some money for petrol. After a while they thankfully agreed and I didn’t feel like such a freeloader! The Walkway was the first time I was ever on such a contraption and I had a blast going around it. I am terrified of birds but I did enjoy seeing them in their natural environs. I was also the only person there at that time! I was done by around 3 p.m. when I asked the lady at the receptionist if there was any other mode of transport available into town other than the taxi, when she offered to give me ride into town herself after her shift ended! I was prepared to walk 12 km each way which got cut down to only 2, so I was very, very grateful!

Thoughts: I sound like I’m whining a bit up there, but truly, apart from that one exorbitant taxi fare, everything else in Hokitika almost miraculously worked in my favour. I could see and do all the things I had in my checklist for this place. And most importantly, I knew that the people here in NZ are so kind! Despite all, that I would always remember that this was a place that could have been a disappointment, but turned out to be a pleasant surprise. For that reason only, I would suggest anybody without a car to skip the town. I am, however, glad that things fell into place!


Nelson:
May 25 – Had to book the aforementioned taxi at Hokitika to get all my stuff to the bus station. Dropped off my bags, while the rest of the passengers from before left to stretch their legs, and I skipped along to go to the beach that’s 5 mins away. Since, I had a wonderful view of the sea and surf from the hostel, I hadn’t bothered before, but I realized the odds of me returning here were slim, even if I were to make another trip to NZ sometime in the future. So, that helped me decide and it’s now not a regret I’ll have! The bus reached Greymouth first and I glimpsed the Tranzalpine. It could have been upsetting, but eh, I’d already been in a train! Finally, we were at Punakaiki for a 45-min lunch break. Who cares about eating when I can go see the Pancake Rocks?! Spent pretty much all my time there and I did not regret it. The rainbows that form when the water sprays upwards after hitting the rocks? I thought I should maybe search for leprechauns! Reached Nelson at 7.30 p.m. and checked-in at the YHA. The receptionist promptly checked the weather forecast for the following couple of days and it was to rain. How surprising. Sigh.

May 26 – this was technically my extra day in town in case of bad weather so I simply went to the Pak N’ Save, did my chores and talked to friends while the overcast sky cast loomed large outside. Checked the forecast in the evening and tomorrow didn’t look to be clear, either. And with that information, Abel Tasman National Park and kayaking was officially out of the picture.

May 27 - ...but the weather was perfect and it didn’t start raining in Nelson until evening. Since nobody had any plans, a couple of people from the hostel and I decide to hike up to the Centre of New Zealand. After that, we took a stroll around the town before I went back to the hostel and packed up because of the early bus that I had to catch the next day.


Picton:
May 28 – the 8.15 bus reached Picton at 10.40. Reached YHA - The Villa and immediately signed up for the half-day wine trail that was advertised in the hostel. There was just me and another guy from the hostel who was effusive in his thanks as there needed to be a minimum of 2 people for the tour to run! We left at around 12.30 p.m. and visited

i. Hunter’s Wines (Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Merlot and a dessert Riesling)
ii. Cloudy Bay (Pelorus, Sav, Te Koko, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and a late harvest Riesling)
iii. Forrest Wines (Sav, Chenin Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, St. Laurent and Malbec)
iv. Giesen Wines (Sav, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewurztraminer)
v. ...and finally, a chocolate factory whose name I’ve forgotten due to being impaired!

I know now that my favourite wine is the Gewurztraminer! (They ask you to merely swill the wine in your mouth and then spit it out?! No way! I gulped down every single drop they poured!) Came back to the hostel in the evening and promptly fell asleep. Hic!

May 29 – Decided to hunker down and plan my activities for North Island, which was my next destination before heading out for a while for a stroll. It was a nice, lazy day after all the imbibing of the day before!

Thoughts: The wine tour here meant I skipped it later at Waiheke. I am actually okay with that!


Interislander (Kaitaki):
May 30 – not really a location but this is where I was this day. Queen Charlotte’s Sound was gorgeous. Since I had the afternoon 2.15 ferry, I simply walked around Picton in the morning and until I came upon a lovely family fishing. My ancestors may be turning in their graves (vegetarians!) but I tried my hand at fishing, too. In that the lady baited the hook AND cast the line, while I stood there with the rod and looked cool! Didn’t catch any fish though, which was a blessing, because I don’t know how I would have reacted! It was a clear day which led to perfect sailing conditions. Since, I am no weenie, I spent much of the time on the top deck even when everybody else went belowdecks to escape the cold. Only once we reached the Cook Strait and the waters got steadily rougher did I move downstairs. (I am so proud of the little things! ) The views were spectacular and I had the freedom to click photos without someone getting into the frame! Reached Wellington at around 7.45 p.m. and then took the super shuttle to get to the YHA.

Thoughts: A little more than a month in the South Island, and with winter's delayed arrival this year, meant that I had a very pleasant May, indeed! Also glad about the fact that I now know that I don't get seasick. Whew! It'll help when planning future trips.

Next up: North Island.

Ah! My stupid computer. It pasted my comment thrice! Why can't I delete after posting???

<<I decide to hike up to the Centre of New Zealand.>>

Curious what you're referring to here?

I think it's this one, Melnq8:
http://nelson.govt.nz/recreation/rec.../centre-of-nz/

Auntie_Em, thanks so much for posting the details of your "trip of a lifetime", as I wondered how it went, using public transport and taking day tours. I was away from New Zealand in May, but kept track of how the weather had taken a wet turn by mid-month. It's to your great credit, that you still had an amazing time and stayed positive and upbeat. I'm impressed at your resourcefulness, flexibility and effortless social skills in making the most of Hokitika. Your hostel was 2 km from the center of town!

Your time in Mt. Cook Village, on the Trips and Tramps Milford Road and Sound tour, and the Franz Josef Glacier Ice Explorer seem like top experiences.

I'm especially glad you enjoyed Dunedin during one of the year's busiest weekends (UofO graduation day and a Highlanders-Crusaders game). Sorry you didn't get to do the Elm Wildlife tour and see the Otago Peninsula, but it wouldn't have been enjoyable in cold. wet weather, plus, if you're terrifed of birds, it might have felt very Hitchcockian.

I'm looking forward to hearing about your NI trip, and how your trip turned into 49 days.

Yes, it IS a drag that you can't edit postings.

Fantastic trip report. Mr. Pickle and I stayed at several of the same hostels as you, later in May!

Lee Ann

So...apologies for that supercalifragilisticexpialidocious-ly long post up there! Apparently, every time I edited the post (before clicking submit), it just pasted the whole thing again.


Melnq8 - Hi! It is indeed the place that diamantina posted up there. I figured if we were going to be stuck in town, there was no reason to be cooped up inside our rooms! It's a pretty neat walk if you use the main trail and not go up in a roundabout way - which we did! There was also a Kauri tree that we saw on our way down.


Diamantina - Thanks!
I just think that if I am travelling all this way, seeing and experiencing things that a lot of people I know haven't gotten the opportunity to, I ought to do it with a little joy. Grouchiness only ends up making you miserable and I remembered that I didn't really have a travelling companion to offset that, so it was all up to me! I just kept reminding myself that at least I got to do 'some' things when stuff didn't fall in line. But whenever things did work out? Wow, did they ever! I'm simply blown away at the sheer luck I've had, esp. in Hokitika.

Also, the Hitchcockian reference is spot on - Birds (and Omen 2...in the same week!) were the movies I watched as a kid (I was a plucky child!) that gave birth to my ornithophobia!

I arrived earlier than planned, which is why my 45-day trip turned into a 49-day adventure. (I'm including the day of arrival and departure here) Since it is technically true, a 7-week trip sounds much better than a 47-day one, right?


ElendilPickle - Thanks bunches Some of those places were pretty neat, weren't they? Hope your trip was amazing too!

You got lucky with the Eta Aquariids meteor shower as well. Sounds spectacular.
I was admiring views of the supermoon as seen from India. I hope you got to see it. I was looking forward to seeing the supermoon from Dunedin, but the weather has been wet and cloudy all week. Maybe next time (18 years from now).

Where's the North Island report? I really enjoyed reading your South Island experiences.

hi Auntie - just found this and enjoyed reading it very much.

it would be nice to read about your NI experiences as well.

What a fantastic report. Having taken two long trips to NZ I am busy planning a third and you have provided a wealth of ideas. Thank you!

45 days ... drool.

Apologies for the delay! I switched jobs in the middle and I have been working every day. Literally every day. Today is the first Sunday I got free, and I promise I'll publish the final part of the report by the end of the day!