Addicted to New Zealand - Trip Report
Apr 2nd, 2008 | 04:15 PM
#21
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,146
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Day 10 –
We’d both groused a bit about how warm it was in Queenstown until we learned that the heat wave in Adelaide had become the longest running in their history – 15 consecutive days of temps over 35c – that shut us up in a hurry.
We’d never explored the Kelvin Peninsula, so we soon found ourselves on the opposite side of Lake Wakatipu, walking from Jardine Park to Jack’s Point.
This walk follows the lake and isn’t particularly interesting until the ascent to Jack’s Point. The first hour is undulating with a lot of loose rock and nervous sheep. The track eventually gains elevation and ends atop a hill, the perfect spot to perch on a rock with a picnic while viewing the lake from an entirely different vantage point.
The track, which we’ve coined Sheep Poop Trail, was nice enough, but definitely not a favorite. It would have been peaceful were it not for the planes flying overhead dropping off parachutists. The track is marked a three hour return, but it took us almost 3.5 (7.7 miles, about 12.4 km).
Dinner that night was at Freiya’s in Queenstown. Bill specifically asked for his vindaloo to be spiced “Indian hot” not “European hot”. We were both sorely disappointed in our meals – neither was particularly good and both were entirely too tame, obviously toned down for the tourists. The service was lackadaisical at best. We weren’t impressed and regretted that we’d not gone to Little India.
Then it was back to the cottage to dig into that Deep South Hokey Pokey that was waiting patiently in the freezer. Good stuff…
We’d both groused a bit about how warm it was in Queenstown until we learned that the heat wave in Adelaide had become the longest running in their history – 15 consecutive days of temps over 35c – that shut us up in a hurry.
We’d never explored the Kelvin Peninsula, so we soon found ourselves on the opposite side of Lake Wakatipu, walking from Jardine Park to Jack’s Point.
This walk follows the lake and isn’t particularly interesting until the ascent to Jack’s Point. The first hour is undulating with a lot of loose rock and nervous sheep. The track eventually gains elevation and ends atop a hill, the perfect spot to perch on a rock with a picnic while viewing the lake from an entirely different vantage point.
The track, which we’ve coined Sheep Poop Trail, was nice enough, but definitely not a favorite. It would have been peaceful were it not for the planes flying overhead dropping off parachutists. The track is marked a three hour return, but it took us almost 3.5 (7.7 miles, about 12.4 km).
Dinner that night was at Freiya’s in Queenstown. Bill specifically asked for his vindaloo to be spiced “Indian hot” not “European hot”. We were both sorely disappointed in our meals – neither was particularly good and both were entirely too tame, obviously toned down for the tourists. The service was lackadaisical at best. We weren’t impressed and regretted that we’d not gone to Little India.
Then it was back to the cottage to dig into that Deep South Hokey Pokey that was waiting patiently in the freezer. Good stuff…
Apr 2nd, 2008 | 07:22 PM
#22
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,146
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Photos of the Catlins and Te Anau (through Milford Sound) are now up - http://www.worldisround.com/articles/344726/index.html
Apr 3rd, 2008 | 07:39 AM
#23
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 25,597
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Lovely photos and all that blue sky!
I think the "no idea" plant is the briar rose in it's fall rose hip stage. If you've seen it in spring it's got a single light pink flower and is all over the grazed areas. You could have made rose-hip tea with it!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_canina
I think the "no idea" plant is the briar rose in it's fall rose hip stage. If you've seen it in spring it's got a single light pink flower and is all over the grazed areas. You could have made rose-hip tea with it!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_canina
Apr 3rd, 2008 | 05:32 PM
#25
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,092
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Melnq8 - as you would know I live in Qld, Australia. I met a chap the other day who moved to Qld with his family from Abu Dhubi, but enroute to Oz, he stopped at NZ, but he said he couldn't live there, as it was too green. Quite interesting I thought.
Apr 3rd, 2008 | 06:04 PM
#26
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,146
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tropo - That's hilarious! We first started visiting NZ when we lived in Saudi Arabia, and then later from Kuwait. We were always taken aback at how green it was when we arrived in NZ - it was such a nice change from nothing but sand, sand and more sand - we literally craved GREEN.
Now that I live in Indonesia, NZ doesn't seem as green as it used to - I guess it's all about what we're accustomed to.
All photos now up -
http://www.worldisround.com/articles/344726/
Final report installments underway.
Now that I live in Indonesia, NZ doesn't seem as green as it used to - I guess it's all about what we're accustomed to.
All photos now up -
http://www.worldisround.com/articles/344726/
Final report installments underway.
Apr 4th, 2008 | 01:34 AM
#27
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,146
Likes: 83
Day 11 –
We’d agreed that we were due for a hike-free day and that it was time to visit a few local wineries, so we set off on SH 6. We popped into Gibbston Valley Winery and the cheesery next door, where we bought some, ahem, honey.
We continued on SH 6 towards Cromwell, making stops at Jones Fruit Stall, Sarita Orchard and finally Freeway Orchard. On our last trip to NZ I discovered after-the-fact that Freeway Orchard reputedly sold good fruit ice cream, so I wanted to investigate for myself.
At the back of the store, there’s an ice cream kiosk where they sell vanilla ice cream (yes, wilees, it was Tip Top) and an array of fresh fruit mix-ins. You select your fruit and they blend it into the ice cream in gargantuan blender. We both picked the mixed berry, and let me tell you, it was divine!
After our ice cream fix, we sought out a place called The Big Picture. I don’t know why exactly, but I’d assumed it was a one-stop tasting room with a café. I was wrong. The Big Picture calls itself “an essential wine adventure” and consists of an aroma room, an auditorium and a restaurant. For $20 you gain admittance to the aroma room and auditorium for an interactive film and tasting. Not what we had in mind, so we left.
Our next stop was Rockburn Winery, where we were recognized by Kathryn from Michigan, the same young woman who’d assisted us back in August. We caught up, tasted some wine and bought a bottle of Riesling in an effort to help them clear an old vintage. We asked Kathryn if she could recommend a winery for lunch and she sent us to Mt. Difficulty, a place we’d been to in the past, but had never dined.
What a great suggestion it was too. After wine tasting, we had a lovely alfresco lunch overlooking the vines - gorgeous. The food was excellent - Bill had the salmon and I had the chicken, both with lots of fresh greens. The 2007 Chardonnay wasn’t too shabby either.
After lunch we returned to Cromwell, where we picked up SH 8 to Clyde. We stopped at the Clyde Dam so the engineer could have a look-see, and then continued on to the cute little town. A short time later we found ourselves in Alexandra, where we visited the Black Ridge Winery, the “southernmost winery in the world” and one of the original Central Otago vineyards. This winery is unique as the vines butt up against outcroppings of schist rock. I was amazed that anything could grow there, let alone grapes. It seems that the rock provides minerals for the grapes and adds a mineral flavor. Whatever the reason, we liked the wine and left with a bottle of their 2006 Chardonnay.
Then it was back to the cottage to chill out with some heavy snacks and our newly acquired wine.
We’d agreed that we were due for a hike-free day and that it was time to visit a few local wineries, so we set off on SH 6. We popped into Gibbston Valley Winery and the cheesery next door, where we bought some, ahem, honey.
We continued on SH 6 towards Cromwell, making stops at Jones Fruit Stall, Sarita Orchard and finally Freeway Orchard. On our last trip to NZ I discovered after-the-fact that Freeway Orchard reputedly sold good fruit ice cream, so I wanted to investigate for myself.
At the back of the store, there’s an ice cream kiosk where they sell vanilla ice cream (yes, wilees, it was Tip Top) and an array of fresh fruit mix-ins. You select your fruit and they blend it into the ice cream in gargantuan blender. We both picked the mixed berry, and let me tell you, it was divine!
After our ice cream fix, we sought out a place called The Big Picture. I don’t know why exactly, but I’d assumed it was a one-stop tasting room with a café. I was wrong. The Big Picture calls itself “an essential wine adventure” and consists of an aroma room, an auditorium and a restaurant. For $20 you gain admittance to the aroma room and auditorium for an interactive film and tasting. Not what we had in mind, so we left.
Our next stop was Rockburn Winery, where we were recognized by Kathryn from Michigan, the same young woman who’d assisted us back in August. We caught up, tasted some wine and bought a bottle of Riesling in an effort to help them clear an old vintage. We asked Kathryn if she could recommend a winery for lunch and she sent us to Mt. Difficulty, a place we’d been to in the past, but had never dined.
What a great suggestion it was too. After wine tasting, we had a lovely alfresco lunch overlooking the vines - gorgeous. The food was excellent - Bill had the salmon and I had the chicken, both with lots of fresh greens. The 2007 Chardonnay wasn’t too shabby either.
After lunch we returned to Cromwell, where we picked up SH 8 to Clyde. We stopped at the Clyde Dam so the engineer could have a look-see, and then continued on to the cute little town. A short time later we found ourselves in Alexandra, where we visited the Black Ridge Winery, the “southernmost winery in the world” and one of the original Central Otago vineyards. This winery is unique as the vines butt up against outcroppings of schist rock. I was amazed that anything could grow there, let alone grapes. It seems that the rock provides minerals for the grapes and adds a mineral flavor. Whatever the reason, we liked the wine and left with a bottle of their 2006 Chardonnay.
Then it was back to the cottage to chill out with some heavy snacks and our newly acquired wine.
Apr 6th, 2008 | 04:49 PM
#28
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,146
Likes: 83
Day 12 –
We set off to Arrowtown to walk the Sawpit Gully Trail, which is labeled a “high to medium fitness” walk on the Wakatipu trail map we’d picked up at the DOC. I was a bit hesitant to try this one, as the previous two “medium fitness” walks had thoroughly taxed my knee; “high fitness” could mean trouble. We decided to give it a go anyway, figuring we could turn back if it proved too strenuous, and I’m so glad we did.
This was a fantastic hike, one of our top three favorites. The 4.5 mile, 8 km loop is marked a three hour return, but it only took us about 2:15 (and we’re kind of old). We didn’t find it any more difficult than the One Mile Creek Trail, although there were definitely a few steep bits. The views of the river and gorge were fabulous, made even more so by the changing leaves – the wild blackberries were a bonus.
After a picnic lunch next to the Arrow River, we decided to retrace our steps towards Sawpit Gully and walk the Bush Creek Trail. This undulating trail leads through the forest, skirts along and above the creek, and eventually ends at a waterfall (2 miles, about 3.2 km, 60 minute return). It's a pretty walk.
The first time we visited Arrowtown years ago, it struck us as nothing more than a street peddling trinkets to tourists. During our past two visits however, we’ve discovered a treasure trove of walking opportunities, and we now have a new appreciation for the tiny township of Arrowtown.
That evening we sampled some local wine at WineTastes:
www.winetastes.co.nz/
We set off to Arrowtown to walk the Sawpit Gully Trail, which is labeled a “high to medium fitness” walk on the Wakatipu trail map we’d picked up at the DOC. I was a bit hesitant to try this one, as the previous two “medium fitness” walks had thoroughly taxed my knee; “high fitness” could mean trouble. We decided to give it a go anyway, figuring we could turn back if it proved too strenuous, and I’m so glad we did.
This was a fantastic hike, one of our top three favorites. The 4.5 mile, 8 km loop is marked a three hour return, but it only took us about 2:15 (and we’re kind of old). We didn’t find it any more difficult than the One Mile Creek Trail, although there were definitely a few steep bits. The views of the river and gorge were fabulous, made even more so by the changing leaves – the wild blackberries were a bonus.
After a picnic lunch next to the Arrow River, we decided to retrace our steps towards Sawpit Gully and walk the Bush Creek Trail. This undulating trail leads through the forest, skirts along and above the creek, and eventually ends at a waterfall (2 miles, about 3.2 km, 60 minute return). It's a pretty walk.
The first time we visited Arrowtown years ago, it struck us as nothing more than a street peddling trinkets to tourists. During our past two visits however, we’ve discovered a treasure trove of walking opportunities, and we now have a new appreciation for the tiny township of Arrowtown.
That evening we sampled some local wine at WineTastes:
www.winetastes.co.nz/
Apr 7th, 2008 | 12:01 AM
#29
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,146
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Day 13 –
We left Queenstown via the Crown Ridge Alpine Scenic Route to Wanaka. This stretch of road seemed prettier than it was back in August – greener and slightly less stark and barren, but personally, I prefer my mountains with snow.
We passed the Wanaka airport, which was gearing up for the Warbirds over Wanaka air show, to take place over Easter weekend. As we worked our way north to Omarama, it seemed as if the entire island was headed south for the long holiday weekend: countless cars, campers, and boats. In all our trips to the South Island, we’d never seen so many people on the road; one of the benefits of visiting during the off season and outside of school and public holidays.
The normally quiet town of Omarama was bustling and it was here that we encountered the most expensive gas of the entire trip - $1.87 per liter!
Just past Omarama, we took the turnoff to the Clay Cliffs, which is located 10 km off SH 8, four km of which passes through private land, $5 per vehicle admission. Once at the car park, we walked the trail up and into the gap between the cliffs, where we scrambled through the rocks for a bit. This was a new find for us and I really enjoyed this little detour. How we missed the cliffs on past trips is beyond me.
We continued our trek north, stopping in Twizel for some much needed ice cream, before taking our next detour to Mt Cook. We hemmed and hawed about whether or not to drive to Mt Cook (55 km each way) as we’d been there before, but once again, it was just so darn pretty, and we could actually SEE the majestic mountain looming in the distance, so we just couldn’t resist. Neither of us could remember ever seeing Mt Cook so clearly.
We then backtracked, passing dead calm, opaque turquoise Lake Pukaki, and rejoining SH 8. Once again I was surprised at how much Lake Tekapo has grown – new accommodation, new homes and restaurants, etc. The landscape north of Tekapo was brown and dry and dare I say it, a little short on scenic. Funny how quickly one becomes jaded in such a beautiful country…
The scenery improved dramatically around Burkes Pass. At Fairlie, we picked up 79 to Geraldine, and soon we were on SH 1 headed to Christchurch. If we didn’t like this route on the day we arrived, we liked it even less the second time around, due in part to the seemingly endless traffic on this eve of a four day holiday weekend.
Having survived our marathon nine hour drive, we checked into our home for the next two nights.
Our lodging:
Salerno Motel - www.salernomotel.co.nz/ - NZ $165 per night, one bedroom unit
We loved this motel, but the noisy location was a major drawback for us. Our unit was spacious, spotless and nicely equipped. It was sleek and contemporary and exceptionally comfortable.
Unfortunately, our corner unit had a busy road on either side and we had difficulty sleeping due to the traffic noise. The motel is located on Bealey Ave, which seems to be popular drag racing road on the weekends.
If anyone's still out there, take heart, I'm almost finished!
We left Queenstown via the Crown Ridge Alpine Scenic Route to Wanaka. This stretch of road seemed prettier than it was back in August – greener and slightly less stark and barren, but personally, I prefer my mountains with snow.
We passed the Wanaka airport, which was gearing up for the Warbirds over Wanaka air show, to take place over Easter weekend. As we worked our way north to Omarama, it seemed as if the entire island was headed south for the long holiday weekend: countless cars, campers, and boats. In all our trips to the South Island, we’d never seen so many people on the road; one of the benefits of visiting during the off season and outside of school and public holidays.
The normally quiet town of Omarama was bustling and it was here that we encountered the most expensive gas of the entire trip - $1.87 per liter!
Just past Omarama, we took the turnoff to the Clay Cliffs, which is located 10 km off SH 8, four km of which passes through private land, $5 per vehicle admission. Once at the car park, we walked the trail up and into the gap between the cliffs, where we scrambled through the rocks for a bit. This was a new find for us and I really enjoyed this little detour. How we missed the cliffs on past trips is beyond me.
We continued our trek north, stopping in Twizel for some much needed ice cream, before taking our next detour to Mt Cook. We hemmed and hawed about whether or not to drive to Mt Cook (55 km each way) as we’d been there before, but once again, it was just so darn pretty, and we could actually SEE the majestic mountain looming in the distance, so we just couldn’t resist. Neither of us could remember ever seeing Mt Cook so clearly.
We then backtracked, passing dead calm, opaque turquoise Lake Pukaki, and rejoining SH 8. Once again I was surprised at how much Lake Tekapo has grown – new accommodation, new homes and restaurants, etc. The landscape north of Tekapo was brown and dry and dare I say it, a little short on scenic. Funny how quickly one becomes jaded in such a beautiful country…
The scenery improved dramatically around Burkes Pass. At Fairlie, we picked up 79 to Geraldine, and soon we were on SH 1 headed to Christchurch. If we didn’t like this route on the day we arrived, we liked it even less the second time around, due in part to the seemingly endless traffic on this eve of a four day holiday weekend.
Having survived our marathon nine hour drive, we checked into our home for the next two nights.
Our lodging:
Salerno Motel - www.salernomotel.co.nz/ - NZ $165 per night, one bedroom unit
We loved this motel, but the noisy location was a major drawback for us. Our unit was spacious, spotless and nicely equipped. It was sleek and contemporary and exceptionally comfortable.
Unfortunately, our corner unit had a busy road on either side and we had difficulty sleeping due to the traffic noise. The motel is located on Bealey Ave, which seems to be popular drag racing road on the weekends.
If anyone's still out there, take heart, I'm almost finished!
Apr 7th, 2008 | 05:54 AM
#30
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
We're still following along. I'm glad to know someone who finally made it to the Clay Cliffs, and the pictures turned out great.
We had that heavy traffic going the other direction from us after New Year's, and it was quite a shock after seeing very few cars anywhere else in our travels.
Glad you made it back in one piece, but sad that your trip had to end......
We had that heavy traffic going the other direction from us after New Year's, and it was quite a shock after seeing very few cars anywhere else in our travels.
Glad you made it back in one piece, but sad that your trip had to end......
Apr 9th, 2008 | 07:11 PM
#31
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,284
Likes: 0
Great report!
I'm factoring a bit of SI NZ into my trip possibilities over the next year or two! In several trips across the ditch, I haven't yet reached Milford Sound. Got some encouragement from the 2 Kiwis at dinner last night!
I'm factoring a bit of SI NZ into my trip possibilities over the next year or two! In several trips across the ditch, I haven't yet reached Milford Sound. Got some encouragement from the 2 Kiwis at dinner last night!
Apr 9th, 2008 | 10:15 PM
#32
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,146
Likes: 83
Glad someone is still reading, figured I'd put everyone to sleep by now.
Just back from knee surgery in Singapore. Will try to finish up in the next day or two.
kimbob - I really enjoyed the cliffs - it's interesting how they just sort of appear from nowhere as you round the bend.
Margo - Milford is definitely worth the time/effort to get there, especially if the weather is nice.
Walking nirvana too.
Just back from knee surgery in Singapore. Will try to finish up in the next day or two.
kimbob - I really enjoyed the cliffs - it's interesting how they just sort of appear from nowhere as you round the bend.
Margo - Milford is definitely worth the time/effort to get there, especially if the weather is nice.
Walking nirvana too.
Apr 10th, 2008 | 11:08 PM
#33
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,146
Likes: 83
Day 14 - (Good Friday)
Alas, it was our last day in New Zealand – where does the time go?
After a quick stop at the Antarctic Center gift shop to look for more penguin charms, we headed west on 73 towards Darfield, passing several wineries, alpaca and ostrich farms and more burning fields. There were a lot fewer people on the road today (thank goodness) and fewer still after we turned off on 72/77 towards Methven and Mt Hutt. The flat landscape became more hilly and scenic as we drove west; this road is a much prettier, more sedate alternative to SH 1.
Our destination was the Rakaia Gorge Walking Track located just upstream of the Rakaia Gorge Bridge on SH 72, about 75 km from Christchurch. We’d discovered this area quite by mistake on our last trip through here in August. We were really taken with the gorge and vowed to return to check out the walking opportunities.
We loved this track, which meanders through forest along the gorge. It’s undulating, with plenty of steep bits, but we were rewarded with stunning views at virtually every turn. We somehow missed the turnoff to the lookout and ended up in a horse pasture high above the gorge. We realized our mistake when we happened upon some rather scary drop offs, which freaked me out a bit. We eventually found the correct track and continued walking up to the incredibly windy lookout (fantastic views) and then down to the boat landing, where we had a picnic lunch overlooking the river while watching the jet boats speed by.
This walk wore me out and my knee wasn’t very happy, but it was worth every grunt and groan (just under four hours, 6.8 miles, about 11 km).
Back in the car, we decided to continue driving up to Mt Hutt Ski Field just to check it out (16 km from the turnoff on 77, rough unsealed road).
We drove as far up as we could, stopped only by a locked gate very near the top. From up here the Canterbury Plains seemed to go on forever, and we could see the Rakaia River flowing to the ocean. This drive isn’t for the faint hearted (like myself); there are some steep drop offs and not a guard rail in sight.
We returned to Christchurch the same way we had come, stopping at a dairy in Darfield for our last taste of Tip Top, and the best selection of flavors we‘d seen the entire trip.
That evening we had dinner at Mantra, where oddly enough, we were recognized by the waiter. Odd, because we’d never been to Mantra in Christchurch. Turned out that he knew us from our many visits to Little India in Queenstown; it’s a family business after all. And yes, it was good...
Note: Restaurants in NZ charge a 10-15% surcharge on public holidays.
Alas, it was our last day in New Zealand – where does the time go?
After a quick stop at the Antarctic Center gift shop to look for more penguin charms, we headed west on 73 towards Darfield, passing several wineries, alpaca and ostrich farms and more burning fields. There were a lot fewer people on the road today (thank goodness) and fewer still after we turned off on 72/77 towards Methven and Mt Hutt. The flat landscape became more hilly and scenic as we drove west; this road is a much prettier, more sedate alternative to SH 1.
Our destination was the Rakaia Gorge Walking Track located just upstream of the Rakaia Gorge Bridge on SH 72, about 75 km from Christchurch. We’d discovered this area quite by mistake on our last trip through here in August. We were really taken with the gorge and vowed to return to check out the walking opportunities.
We loved this track, which meanders through forest along the gorge. It’s undulating, with plenty of steep bits, but we were rewarded with stunning views at virtually every turn. We somehow missed the turnoff to the lookout and ended up in a horse pasture high above the gorge. We realized our mistake when we happened upon some rather scary drop offs, which freaked me out a bit. We eventually found the correct track and continued walking up to the incredibly windy lookout (fantastic views) and then down to the boat landing, where we had a picnic lunch overlooking the river while watching the jet boats speed by.
This walk wore me out and my knee wasn’t very happy, but it was worth every grunt and groan (just under four hours, 6.8 miles, about 11 km).
Back in the car, we decided to continue driving up to Mt Hutt Ski Field just to check it out (16 km from the turnoff on 77, rough unsealed road).
We drove as far up as we could, stopped only by a locked gate very near the top. From up here the Canterbury Plains seemed to go on forever, and we could see the Rakaia River flowing to the ocean. This drive isn’t for the faint hearted (like myself); there are some steep drop offs and not a guard rail in sight.
We returned to Christchurch the same way we had come, stopping at a dairy in Darfield for our last taste of Tip Top, and the best selection of flavors we‘d seen the entire trip.
That evening we had dinner at Mantra, where oddly enough, we were recognized by the waiter. Odd, because we’d never been to Mantra in Christchurch. Turned out that he knew us from our many visits to Little India in Queenstown; it’s a family business after all. And yes, it was good...
Note: Restaurants in NZ charge a 10-15% surcharge on public holidays.
Apr 11th, 2008 | 01:30 AM
#34
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,146
Likes: 83
Departure day –
We were up at 3:45 am, out the door by 4:30, at the airport by 4:50, checked in by 5:10 and in the Koru Lounge by 5:25, awaiting our 6:25 am flight to Melbourne on Air New Zealand. Good thing we’re morning people.
Our carry on luggage was weighed at check in - we were just a wee bit over the 7 kg limit, so we had to re-arrange a few things. I’m glad I hadn’t filled my bag with dark chocolate Malteasers and Tim Tams (my jeans are glad too!).
Our flight to Melbourne was just over three hours. Although our seats didn’t recline much, it was comfortable enough and the service was very good. The food was even okay, imagine that. We were given personal DVD players and a selection of movies to choose from.
We had a three hour layover in Melbourne, which we spent in the Singapore Air Silver Kris lounge, before catching our seven hour flight to Singapore on SIA. It was a good flight and completely devoid of stomach dropping turbulence. Halleluiah!
A night in Singapore, a night in Pekanbaru and a three hour bus ride later, we were back safe and sound in The Middle of Nowhere, Indonesia.
We were up at 3:45 am, out the door by 4:30, at the airport by 4:50, checked in by 5:10 and in the Koru Lounge by 5:25, awaiting our 6:25 am flight to Melbourne on Air New Zealand. Good thing we’re morning people.
Our carry on luggage was weighed at check in - we were just a wee bit over the 7 kg limit, so we had to re-arrange a few things. I’m glad I hadn’t filled my bag with dark chocolate Malteasers and Tim Tams (my jeans are glad too!).
Our flight to Melbourne was just over three hours. Although our seats didn’t recline much, it was comfortable enough and the service was very good. The food was even okay, imagine that. We were given personal DVD players and a selection of movies to choose from.
We had a three hour layover in Melbourne, which we spent in the Singapore Air Silver Kris lounge, before catching our seven hour flight to Singapore on SIA. It was a good flight and completely devoid of stomach dropping turbulence. Halleluiah!
A night in Singapore, a night in Pekanbaru and a three hour bus ride later, we were back safe and sound in The Middle of Nowhere, Indonesia.
Apr 12th, 2008 | 09:50 PM
#35
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,146
Likes: 83
hikrchick -
I hope you make it back to Te Anau soon!
kimbobb -
I hope you manage a visit to the Catlins - it's a beautiful area and worth much more time than the average visitor gives it. Don't rush.
wannabakiwi - guess I need to go back to see Cathedral Caves (maybe we ought to keep the Catlins our little secret?)
angelnot1 -
We may be seeing more of Australia in the very near future. Haven't been to Sydney since the mid 90's, so it's definitely time to go back.
wilees -
Where exactly can one find Rush Munros on the SI? If I'd have seen it, I'd definitely have tried it!
I hope you make it back to Te Anau soon!
kimbobb -
I hope you manage a visit to the Catlins - it's a beautiful area and worth much more time than the average visitor gives it. Don't rush.
wannabakiwi - guess I need to go back to see Cathedral Caves (maybe we ought to keep the Catlins our little secret?)
angelnot1 -
We may be seeing more of Australia in the very near future. Haven't been to Sydney since the mid 90's, so it's definitely time to go back.
wilees -
Where exactly can one find Rush Munros on the SI? If I'd have seen it, I'd definitely have tried it!
Apr 13th, 2008 | 05:24 AM
#37
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 612
Likes: 0
Thank you so much for such a fabulous trip report, Melnq8! I hung on every word. I could imagine myself in so many of the places that you went. Can you tell me a little more about the Gorge walk? That sounds like something I would love to do.
Gotta start saving my pennies for a return trip!
Gotta start saving my pennies for a return trip!
Apr 13th, 2008 | 04:38 PM
#38
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,146
Likes: 83
hikerchick -
Glad to hear you enjoyed the loooong report! Try as I might, I can't seem to be brief.
Rakaia Gorge is located on SH 72, about 75 km west of Christchurch. We found it accidently in August when we decided to take the back way from Wanaka to Christchurch to avoid busy SH 1. We picked up Scenic Road 72 just past Geraldine, and worked our way north, passing Mt. Somers, Mt. Hutt and Rakaia Gorge, which was a complete surprise.
The gorge is beautiful - there's another photo here to whet your appetite (towards the bottom) -
http://www.worldisround.com/articles/335646/index.html
Our whole purpose in spending two nights in Christchurch was to allow us a day to walk the Rakaia Gorge track. I found walk details by doing a search when we got back home and then and there decided we just have to give it a go.
Here's some info on the walking track:
http://tramper.co.nz/?151
It's also possible to take a jet boat up the gorge. We'd hoped to do this, but after four hours of walking, we had a change of heart. Next time...
Glad to hear you enjoyed the loooong report! Try as I might, I can't seem to be brief.
Rakaia Gorge is located on SH 72, about 75 km west of Christchurch. We found it accidently in August when we decided to take the back way from Wanaka to Christchurch to avoid busy SH 1. We picked up Scenic Road 72 just past Geraldine, and worked our way north, passing Mt. Somers, Mt. Hutt and Rakaia Gorge, which was a complete surprise.
The gorge is beautiful - there's another photo here to whet your appetite (towards the bottom) -
http://www.worldisround.com/articles/335646/index.html
Our whole purpose in spending two nights in Christchurch was to allow us a day to walk the Rakaia Gorge track. I found walk details by doing a search when we got back home and then and there decided we just have to give it a go.
Here's some info on the walking track:
http://tramper.co.nz/?151
It's also possible to take a jet boat up the gorge. We'd hoped to do this, but after four hours of walking, we had a change of heart. Next time...
May 20th, 2008 | 04:06 PM
#40
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,146
Likes: 83
Orion -
We visited the North Island on one of our trips to NZ, but we just weren't taken with it. The South Island however, spoke to us, and we just can't seem to get enough.
There's plenty to see and do on the North Island and if you have the time to visit both you certainly should do so.
We keeping telling ourselves that we need to give the NI a second chance, but the SI keeps calling us back.
We dislike cities, congestion and large numbers of people, so the sparsely populated SI really appeals to us. We have little interest in museums and city attractions - for us, it's all about wide open spaces, incredible scenery and the ability to completely get away from it all.
We enjoy tiny towns and we love the outdoors - the SI offers countless walking opportunities and we often find ourselves completely alone in the forest or on a beach. The SI provides the serenity and peace we crave.
It really comes down to personal preference.
We visited the North Island on one of our trips to NZ, but we just weren't taken with it. The South Island however, spoke to us, and we just can't seem to get enough.
There's plenty to see and do on the North Island and if you have the time to visit both you certainly should do so.
We keeping telling ourselves that we need to give the NI a second chance, but the SI keeps calling us back.
We dislike cities, congestion and large numbers of people, so the sparsely populated SI really appeals to us. We have little interest in museums and city attractions - for us, it's all about wide open spaces, incredible scenery and the ability to completely get away from it all.
We enjoy tiny towns and we love the outdoors - the SI offers countless walking opportunities and we often find ourselves completely alone in the forest or on a beach. The SI provides the serenity and peace we crave.
It really comes down to personal preference.
