Sweet As - A Month in God’s Country - South Island, NZ
Sep 18th, 2013, 04:59 PM
#1
Sweet As - A Month in God’s Country - South Island, NZ
August 15-Sept 14, 2013
My love affair with the South Island of New Zealand continues. This visit was special. It combined the best of both worlds; two leisurely tramping-centric weeks spent with my best friend and number one travel buddy, and two fast-paced weeks introducing my favorite brother to the wonders of the South Island.
Other than accommodation reservations and one restaurant booking, the first two weeks were ‘free and easy’. The second two weeks were tightly orchestrated, in an attempt to fit in as much as reasonably possible for my time poor brother.
There were challenges, sure. Bill and I traveled from Perth, Australia. Bob traveled from Colorado. I made all the arrangements, and nearly went mad trying to coordinate flights and find the best deal for all involved.
After months of monitoring airline prices, we finally took the plunge.
My flights were simple – Perth-Auckland-Christchurch and return. Bill’s and Bob’s were a bit more complicated, as they were both open jaw. Bill arrived into Christchurch and departed from Queenstown. Bob arrived into Queenstown and departed from Christchurch.
We discovered that it was less expensive to book Bill’s flights as one way tickets 1) Perth to Auckland and on to Christchurch 2) Queenstown to Auckland and on to Perth.
For Bob however, it was crucial that his flights were all on a single ticket. This enabled him to check his luggage directly through to Queenstown from Colorado and covered him in the case of delayed flights/missed connections. I also wanted to coordinate his arrival in Queenstown with Bill’s departure, and his departure from Christchurch with my return to Perth. The Air New Zealand website wouldn’t allow me to do this, but it was eventually resolved after a few calls to their call center, and bless ‘em they waived the telephone booking fee.
Finally, we were booked.
Bob’s plane fare: COS-LAX-AKL-ZQN, return CHC-AKL-SFO-COS – USD $1,642, plus $125 for ‘preferred seating’ one of which was a sham.
Bill’s plane fare: AUD $1,039.35 + $130 for One Up bid
My plane fare: AUD $940 + $130 for One Up bid
About those One Up bids – Air New Zealand allows you to upgrade to the next level of seating by entering online bids prior to flights, based upon availability. I made bids on Bob’s 13 hour outbound flight and on both of Bill’s and my flights across the Tasman. To do this I had to sign all of us up for the Air New Zealand Airpoints program, as apparently, it’s only available to members. The process was convoluted and time consuming, and there was a chance we’d have to forfeit any miles we might earn towards our United Airlines frequent flyer account, but we decided to give it a whirl.
Seven days prior to our departure from Perth, Bill and I received notice that our $130 AUD per person bid had been accepted and we were upgraded to Premium Economy on the outbound flight. My USD $210 bid for Bob’s outbound flight was rejected and no doubt loudly laughed at, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. Our One Up bids on the return were rejected.
On to the itinerary:
Last year’s trip was too much driving and too little hiking, so Bill and I opted to do less driving and more hiking this trip. To that end, this was our itinerary:
Geraldine – one night
Mt Cook – three nights
Cromwell – two nights
Manapouri – three nights
Knobs Flat (located between Te Anau and Milford) – three nights
Glenorchy – four nights
For my brother, I worked out this faster paced, first visit to NZ, try-to-hit-the-highlights-without- driving-every-single-day-itinerary:
Queenstown – three nights
Te Anau – two nights
Wanaka – two nights
Franz Josef – two nights
Greymouth – one night
Kaikoura – two nights
Christchurch – one night
The goal was to fit in a bit of everything – lakes, rivers, mountains, countryside, sounds, glaciers, rainforest, a bit of adventure, a couple of breweries, the Tasman Sea coastline, the Pacific Ocean coastline, seals and seal pups, some nice hikes, the earthquake damage and recovery of Christchurch, etc. We did more organized activities than I’ve ever done on a trip previously, many booked well in advance, and it suited us well.
My love affair with the South Island of New Zealand continues. This visit was special. It combined the best of both worlds; two leisurely tramping-centric weeks spent with my best friend and number one travel buddy, and two fast-paced weeks introducing my favorite brother to the wonders of the South Island.
Other than accommodation reservations and one restaurant booking, the first two weeks were ‘free and easy’. The second two weeks were tightly orchestrated, in an attempt to fit in as much as reasonably possible for my time poor brother.
There were challenges, sure. Bill and I traveled from Perth, Australia. Bob traveled from Colorado. I made all the arrangements, and nearly went mad trying to coordinate flights and find the best deal for all involved.
After months of monitoring airline prices, we finally took the plunge.
My flights were simple – Perth-Auckland-Christchurch and return. Bill’s and Bob’s were a bit more complicated, as they were both open jaw. Bill arrived into Christchurch and departed from Queenstown. Bob arrived into Queenstown and departed from Christchurch.
We discovered that it was less expensive to book Bill’s flights as one way tickets 1) Perth to Auckland and on to Christchurch 2) Queenstown to Auckland and on to Perth.
For Bob however, it was crucial that his flights were all on a single ticket. This enabled him to check his luggage directly through to Queenstown from Colorado and covered him in the case of delayed flights/missed connections. I also wanted to coordinate his arrival in Queenstown with Bill’s departure, and his departure from Christchurch with my return to Perth. The Air New Zealand website wouldn’t allow me to do this, but it was eventually resolved after a few calls to their call center, and bless ‘em they waived the telephone booking fee.
Finally, we were booked.
Bob’s plane fare: COS-LAX-AKL-ZQN, return CHC-AKL-SFO-COS – USD $1,642, plus $125 for ‘preferred seating’ one of which was a sham.
Bill’s plane fare: AUD $1,039.35 + $130 for One Up bid
My plane fare: AUD $940 + $130 for One Up bid
About those One Up bids – Air New Zealand allows you to upgrade to the next level of seating by entering online bids prior to flights, based upon availability. I made bids on Bob’s 13 hour outbound flight and on both of Bill’s and my flights across the Tasman. To do this I had to sign all of us up for the Air New Zealand Airpoints program, as apparently, it’s only available to members. The process was convoluted and time consuming, and there was a chance we’d have to forfeit any miles we might earn towards our United Airlines frequent flyer account, but we decided to give it a whirl.
Seven days prior to our departure from Perth, Bill and I received notice that our $130 AUD per person bid had been accepted and we were upgraded to Premium Economy on the outbound flight. My USD $210 bid for Bob’s outbound flight was rejected and no doubt loudly laughed at, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. Our One Up bids on the return were rejected.
On to the itinerary:
Last year’s trip was too much driving and too little hiking, so Bill and I opted to do less driving and more hiking this trip. To that end, this was our itinerary:
Geraldine – one night
Mt Cook – three nights
Cromwell – two nights
Manapouri – three nights
Knobs Flat (located between Te Anau and Milford) – three nights
Glenorchy – four nights
For my brother, I worked out this faster paced, first visit to NZ, try-to-hit-the-highlights-without- driving-every-single-day-itinerary:
Queenstown – three nights
Te Anau – two nights
Wanaka – two nights
Franz Josef – two nights
Greymouth – one night
Kaikoura – two nights
Christchurch – one night
The goal was to fit in a bit of everything – lakes, rivers, mountains, countryside, sounds, glaciers, rainforest, a bit of adventure, a couple of breweries, the Tasman Sea coastline, the Pacific Ocean coastline, seals and seal pups, some nice hikes, the earthquake damage and recovery of Christchurch, etc. We did more organized activities than I’ve ever done on a trip previously, many booked well in advance, and it suited us well.
Sep 18th, 2013, 06:21 PM
#2
On our day of departure, Air New Zealand called to advise us that our flight would be delayed by 2.5 hours. Not the best start to a trip, but hey, they called, and for that I’m very grateful. They also rescheduled our connecting flight from Auckland to Christchurch.
August 15 & 16, 2013 –
We checked in at the dismal Perth Airport and cooled our heels in the Qantas Lounge (a perk of our hard earned United Gold card). Our flight finally left three hours after scheduled departure.
Premium Economy was really nice, although we’d have preferred it on our return flight (longer, more time to enjoy the food and wine, daytime flight, no urgency to sleep). Apparently, part of the Air NZ Premium Economy experience on the Tasman flights includes putting only one person into a row of three, which limits One Up success stories. The legroom was plentiful, the food and wine gorgeous, the service exceptional.
The down side is that this is a brutally timed flight – too short to get much if any sleep – five hours – yet it’s an overnighter – with a four hour time difference.
Customs and Quarantine in Auckland went surprisingly fast. We transferred our luggage via the Domestic Transfer desk, walked to the Domestic Terminal, took advantage of the barista services in the Koru domestic lounge and boarded our next flight. We’d lost our selected seats due to the later flight, but no big deal. Once in Christchurch, we boarded the APEX shuttle, collected our 2010 Toyota Corolla, got a lesson in snow chain installation (($1,127 for 29 days, including $25 for snow chains, which we didn’t need thank goodness) and we were off.
We followed SH 1 to 73; called into True and Daring Winery in West Melton, chatted up the lovely South African proprietor, had a good laugh at his dog (he went nuts when he heard the tape dispenser), and left with more than a few bottles of Riesling. We continued on 73, snow covered Mt Hutt dead ahead, joined 77 at Darfield, the pungent smell of livestock in the air. We briefly stopped at Rakaia Gorge, walked to the river’s edge, me hoping for some nice photos, but no, the sun wouldn’t cooperate.
We’d normally make a day of the drive from Christchurch to Geraldine, but we’d arrived several hours later than expected and we were wrecked, just incredibly tired. Sleepless overnight flights really take their toll.
We eventually reached our destination and checked into one of our favorite B&B’s – Richlyn Park, which I’ve reviewed here:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...hlyn_Park_B_B-
Geraldine_Canterbury_Region_South_Island.html
Why Geraldine? Our long established practice is to limit our driving after overnight flights, yet we prefer to bypass Christchurch. So we usually spend our first night somewhere in the general direction of where we’re headed – places like Hanmer Springs, Waipara, Oamaru or Geraldine. We’ve found Geraldine the perfect spot for our first overnight when we’re headed south. The town also happens to have a fabulous restaurant, Taste, which we’d booked weeks in advance from Australia.
http://www.tasterestaurant.co.nz/
http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Restau...th_Island.html
Stomachs satisfied, we were in bed by 8 pm.
August 15 & 16, 2013 –
We checked in at the dismal Perth Airport and cooled our heels in the Qantas Lounge (a perk of our hard earned United Gold card). Our flight finally left three hours after scheduled departure.
Premium Economy was really nice, although we’d have preferred it on our return flight (longer, more time to enjoy the food and wine, daytime flight, no urgency to sleep). Apparently, part of the Air NZ Premium Economy experience on the Tasman flights includes putting only one person into a row of three, which limits One Up success stories. The legroom was plentiful, the food and wine gorgeous, the service exceptional.
The down side is that this is a brutally timed flight – too short to get much if any sleep – five hours – yet it’s an overnighter – with a four hour time difference.
Customs and Quarantine in Auckland went surprisingly fast. We transferred our luggage via the Domestic Transfer desk, walked to the Domestic Terminal, took advantage of the barista services in the Koru domestic lounge and boarded our next flight. We’d lost our selected seats due to the later flight, but no big deal. Once in Christchurch, we boarded the APEX shuttle, collected our 2010 Toyota Corolla, got a lesson in snow chain installation (($1,127 for 29 days, including $25 for snow chains, which we didn’t need thank goodness) and we were off.
We followed SH 1 to 73; called into True and Daring Winery in West Melton, chatted up the lovely South African proprietor, had a good laugh at his dog (he went nuts when he heard the tape dispenser), and left with more than a few bottles of Riesling. We continued on 73, snow covered Mt Hutt dead ahead, joined 77 at Darfield, the pungent smell of livestock in the air. We briefly stopped at Rakaia Gorge, walked to the river’s edge, me hoping for some nice photos, but no, the sun wouldn’t cooperate.
We’d normally make a day of the drive from Christchurch to Geraldine, but we’d arrived several hours later than expected and we were wrecked, just incredibly tired. Sleepless overnight flights really take their toll.
We eventually reached our destination and checked into one of our favorite B&B’s – Richlyn Park, which I’ve reviewed here:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...hlyn_Park_B_B-
Geraldine_Canterbury_Region_South_Island.html
Why Geraldine? Our long established practice is to limit our driving after overnight flights, yet we prefer to bypass Christchurch. So we usually spend our first night somewhere in the general direction of where we’re headed – places like Hanmer Springs, Waipara, Oamaru or Geraldine. We’ve found Geraldine the perfect spot for our first overnight when we’re headed south. The town also happens to have a fabulous restaurant, Taste, which we’d booked weeks in advance from Australia.
http://www.tasterestaurant.co.nz/
http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Restau...th_Island.html
Stomachs satisfied, we were in bed by 8 pm.
Sep 18th, 2013, 08:17 PM
#3
August 17, 2013 –
After 12 hours of sleep and a nice feed thanks to Rick and Evalyn, we felt human again. It was 7C, wet and gloomy, so we passed up the walks I’d scoped out. We sought out groceries for our time in Mount Cook instead – Barker’s for jam, Talbot’s for cheese, Fresh Choice for the rest. After a nice hot chocolate at Coco’s (even better than we remembered, $6 per mug), we left town via 79 around 11 am, and joined SH 8 at Fairlie.
We stopped in Lake Tekapo and poked around for a bit, bought our first tank of gas ($2.19 per liter – ouch), collected a walking map at the I-Site, and headed up to Mt John Observatory for lunch at the Astro Cafe. The views weren’t wonderful due to the low clouds, but the food was pretty good – salmon, cream cheese and capers on a bagel for Bill ($11), ½ smoked chicken salad sandwich for me ($7). A couple of flat whites and we were good to go, although I regretted not picking up a slice of chocolate cake for later.
We continued on Godley Peaks Road, bundled up in our layers, and embarked upon the Peninsula Walkway, a 90 minute undulating loop track opposite Motuariki Island, which promised great views of the northern half of Lake Tekapo and the surrounding mountains. Not today, unfortunately. The walk was a sheep poop minefield, but it was enjoyable enough, it served its purpose of fresh air and exercise; we clocked it at 3.66 miles. We saw one poor lonely looking sheep, apparently separated from its flock.
We left Tekapo via SH 8 and turned on to 80 to Aoraki Mount Cook, surprised by the logging along the frontage of Lake Pukaki. It was overcast, the lake opaque glacial blue, the mountain tops cut off by the low clouds; impossible to get a decent photograph in the gloom.
We arrived at Aoraki Mt Cook just after 5 pm, checked into our lovely accommodation, Aoraki Court Motel, and watched the news coverage of the 6.5 earthquake that had struck Seddon the previous day.
http://earthquake-report.com/2013/08...ugust-16-2013/
Motel review here:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...th_Island.html
August 18, 2013 –
Another long sleep, we woke to more rain. The mountains directly in front of our motel windows (Unit 24) were completely socked in. Aoraki was just as we’d left it. We collected a walking map from the I-Site, drove to the Tasman Valley car park and then walked to the Tasman Glacier Lake, and along the moraine wall to Blue Lakes. There were icebergs floating in the lake - fascinating - an enjoyable three mile, two hour trek, but I cursed the lack of sunlight for photography purposes. The trail was quite rocky, walking the ridge took some care.
As we prepared a hot lunch in our motel room, the clouds briefly cleared above Mt Seefton; this is more like it. We next drove to the White Horse Campground and walked the track to Kea Point for some wonderful views. We continued walking and were surprised to see some incredible glacial blue pools beyond the lookout, all the more spectacular thanks to the sun (another three miles, ~two hours).
Bill thought we should tackle the Sealy Tarns track next, but one look at the ‘just 1,810 steps left’ sign and my knees began to cry. This track is dubbed 'the stairway to heaven’ but it sounded more like knee torture in hell to me. Bill walked up 100 steps or so, I stayed below and swatted sandflies.
We spoke with a couple of young guys who were making their way down the stairs – they said they’d managed about 1,700 steps, but ran into impassable snow; young or not, they looked pretty wrecked.
It was a good day; we were tired and sunburned. A shower later we walked to the Mountaineers Café for coffee and a beer and then walked up to the Hermitage to poke around. Here we soaked up the mostly obscured views of Mt Cook over a lovely Sauvignon Blanc in their near empty lounge; trying not to fall asleep on their comfortable couches.
After 12 hours of sleep and a nice feed thanks to Rick and Evalyn, we felt human again. It was 7C, wet and gloomy, so we passed up the walks I’d scoped out. We sought out groceries for our time in Mount Cook instead – Barker’s for jam, Talbot’s for cheese, Fresh Choice for the rest. After a nice hot chocolate at Coco’s (even better than we remembered, $6 per mug), we left town via 79 around 11 am, and joined SH 8 at Fairlie.
We stopped in Lake Tekapo and poked around for a bit, bought our first tank of gas ($2.19 per liter – ouch), collected a walking map at the I-Site, and headed up to Mt John Observatory for lunch at the Astro Cafe. The views weren’t wonderful due to the low clouds, but the food was pretty good – salmon, cream cheese and capers on a bagel for Bill ($11), ½ smoked chicken salad sandwich for me ($7). A couple of flat whites and we were good to go, although I regretted not picking up a slice of chocolate cake for later.
We continued on Godley Peaks Road, bundled up in our layers, and embarked upon the Peninsula Walkway, a 90 minute undulating loop track opposite Motuariki Island, which promised great views of the northern half of Lake Tekapo and the surrounding mountains. Not today, unfortunately. The walk was a sheep poop minefield, but it was enjoyable enough, it served its purpose of fresh air and exercise; we clocked it at 3.66 miles. We saw one poor lonely looking sheep, apparently separated from its flock.
We left Tekapo via SH 8 and turned on to 80 to Aoraki Mount Cook, surprised by the logging along the frontage of Lake Pukaki. It was overcast, the lake opaque glacial blue, the mountain tops cut off by the low clouds; impossible to get a decent photograph in the gloom.
We arrived at Aoraki Mt Cook just after 5 pm, checked into our lovely accommodation, Aoraki Court Motel, and watched the news coverage of the 6.5 earthquake that had struck Seddon the previous day.
http://earthquake-report.com/2013/08...ugust-16-2013/
Motel review here:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...th_Island.html
August 18, 2013 –
Another long sleep, we woke to more rain. The mountains directly in front of our motel windows (Unit 24) were completely socked in. Aoraki was just as we’d left it. We collected a walking map from the I-Site, drove to the Tasman Valley car park and then walked to the Tasman Glacier Lake, and along the moraine wall to Blue Lakes. There were icebergs floating in the lake - fascinating - an enjoyable three mile, two hour trek, but I cursed the lack of sunlight for photography purposes. The trail was quite rocky, walking the ridge took some care.
As we prepared a hot lunch in our motel room, the clouds briefly cleared above Mt Seefton; this is more like it. We next drove to the White Horse Campground and walked the track to Kea Point for some wonderful views. We continued walking and were surprised to see some incredible glacial blue pools beyond the lookout, all the more spectacular thanks to the sun (another three miles, ~two hours).
Bill thought we should tackle the Sealy Tarns track next, but one look at the ‘just 1,810 steps left’ sign and my knees began to cry. This track is dubbed 'the stairway to heaven’ but it sounded more like knee torture in hell to me. Bill walked up 100 steps or so, I stayed below and swatted sandflies.
We spoke with a couple of young guys who were making their way down the stairs – they said they’d managed about 1,700 steps, but ran into impassable snow; young or not, they looked pretty wrecked.
It was a good day; we were tired and sunburned. A shower later we walked to the Mountaineers Café for coffee and a beer and then walked up to the Hermitage to poke around. Here we soaked up the mostly obscured views of Mt Cook over a lovely Sauvignon Blanc in their near empty lounge; trying not to fall asleep on their comfortable couches.
Sep 19th, 2013, 05:00 AM
#5
nice start, mel, though you're doing our trip more or less backwards!
I do hope that we get better weather at Mount Cook but what will be will be, I suppose.
can you recommend a good place to eat there? we're spending a night in the Lodge before the last leg of our NZ trip.
I do hope that we get better weather at Mount Cook but what will be will be, I suppose.
can you recommend a good place to eat there? we're spending a night in the Lodge before the last leg of our NZ trip.
Sep 19th, 2013, 03:49 PM
#6
We self catered in Mount Cook annhig. There are only a couple of options - the Old Mountaineers Café gets good reviews.
http://www.mtcook.com/restaurant/
The Hermitage and The Chamois not-so-much.
http://www.mtcook.com/restaurant/
The Hermitage and The Chamois not-so-much.
Sep 19th, 2013, 06:34 PM
#7
August 19, 2013
It was an incredibly quiet night, not a soul in sight when we opened our curtains for a non-glimpse of the mountains in front of us. It was foggy and wet, but we were cautiously optimistic that it would burn off and reveal blue skies as it had the previous day.
We lollygagged, taking our time with breakfast while watching the news; same sex marriage became legal in New Zealand today. Good on ya.
We began our walk day with Governor’s Bush Track, a nice walk through the only remaining native forest in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. It was short and sweet at 1.3 miles, ~45 minutes.
Next up was the Hooker Valley Track, the most popular track in the park, accessed from the DOC campground car park. It was raining, but the sun persevered, although the mountains remained hidden behind low clouds. Popular or not, I wasn’t keen on this walk, much preferring yesterday’s tramps. We clocked it at 6.4 miles, 3:10 hours.
The rest of the day was spent relaxing in our lovely motel, doing laundry, soaking in the spa tub and nursing our sore and sunburned bodies.
August 20, 2013
I drew the drapes and saw….absolutely nothing. There was a complete wall of fog; I couldn’t even see the road, let alone the Hermitage Hotel. We left Mt Cook just after 9 am, re-joining SH 8 and detouring to Twizel for breakfast at Poppies, a café I’d read good things about. Bill was looking forward to a plate of Eggs Bennie and he wasn’t disappointed. I went for the BLT. The food was good and filling, the service excellent – we had the place to ourselves ($35 with flat whites). Before leaving, we popped into the Aoraki Smokehouse next door and picked up some hot and cold smoked salmon. Bill wanted to conduct a side-by-side taste test to determine once and for all which he liked better – the hot smoked won.
Back on SH 8 we detoured to Lake Benmore and the Ohau canal hydro electric stations. Bill was interested in the engineering bits, I was after photos of the glacial blue lake shimmering in the sunshine against a backdrop of snow covered mountains.
The mountains continued to tease us as we drove south, semi-clear one minute, socked in the next. We stopped in Omarama at the Wrinkly Rams, an eclectic little place if there ever were one, offering sheep shearing, a café, a wine bar, gifts and art. It looked like a great place for breakfast or lunch, but we’d just eaten, so we settled for poking through their shop and a wander of their grounds, me snapping photos of some new lambs.
We forged on, soon crossing Lindis Pass, slightly less ugly than I remember it, but still windy as all get out. The temperature reached 13C as we approached Tarras, where we stopped again to poke around their merino shop and learn about Shrek the Sheep.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrek_(sheep)
Then it was on to Northburn Station, where we partook of a wine tasting (three tastes for $5). Wine snobs that we are, we weren’t really impressed, although a bottle of their Reserve Pinot Noir somehow found its way into our trunk.
We arrived in Cromwell around 2:30, hungry and hoping that showing up for a late lunch at Mt Difficulty in Bannockburn without a booking wasn’t too cheeky.
We wandered the industrial areas of Cromwell for a bit, trying to get our bearings. We finally found the winery, just where we’d left it. We were warmly welcomed by the staff, and told they could fit it us for lunch as long as we ordered by 3 pm, bless ‘em. After a wine tasting, we settled in for a lovely lunch overlooking the naked vines. They were out of lamb so Bill went for the ‘Confit free range pork belly on wild thyme, crushed potatoes, Pinot Noir and chorizo sauce, crispy sage and toasted ciabatta ($33) paired with a lovely 2011 Pinot Noir. I chose the ‘Homemade parmesan gnocchi on basil, chili and cherry tomato Passata with buffalo mozzarella and toasted pine nuts’ ($28.50) washed down with their fabulous dry Riesling.
The food was lovely, the views magical, the wine and service exceptional. We booked in again for the next day.
http://www.mtdifficulty.co.nz/vineya...kburn-map.html
Review here:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...th_Island.html
It occurred to us that we’d been in New Zealand for five days and hadn’t yet had any ice cream. How on earth did that happen?
So, we sought out a milk/takeaway/convenience shop, and as we perused the Deep South offerings, the young Asian girl behind the counter advised us that “people your age like the boysenberry”. Well okay then, decision made, boysenberry it is. Not to be swayed, Bill opted for his usual boring vanilla. We asked for cups instead of cones, so the girl squashed about a pint of ice cream each into two chip cups and sent us on our way ($7).
We settled into our Cromwell accommodation, a beauty of a cottage we’d discovered last year, River Rock Estate, review here:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...th_Island.html
It was an incredibly quiet night, not a soul in sight when we opened our curtains for a non-glimpse of the mountains in front of us. It was foggy and wet, but we were cautiously optimistic that it would burn off and reveal blue skies as it had the previous day.
We lollygagged, taking our time with breakfast while watching the news; same sex marriage became legal in New Zealand today. Good on ya.
We began our walk day with Governor’s Bush Track, a nice walk through the only remaining native forest in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. It was short and sweet at 1.3 miles, ~45 minutes.
Next up was the Hooker Valley Track, the most popular track in the park, accessed from the DOC campground car park. It was raining, but the sun persevered, although the mountains remained hidden behind low clouds. Popular or not, I wasn’t keen on this walk, much preferring yesterday’s tramps. We clocked it at 6.4 miles, 3:10 hours.
The rest of the day was spent relaxing in our lovely motel, doing laundry, soaking in the spa tub and nursing our sore and sunburned bodies.
August 20, 2013
I drew the drapes and saw….absolutely nothing. There was a complete wall of fog; I couldn’t even see the road, let alone the Hermitage Hotel. We left Mt Cook just after 9 am, re-joining SH 8 and detouring to Twizel for breakfast at Poppies, a café I’d read good things about. Bill was looking forward to a plate of Eggs Bennie and he wasn’t disappointed. I went for the BLT. The food was good and filling, the service excellent – we had the place to ourselves ($35 with flat whites). Before leaving, we popped into the Aoraki Smokehouse next door and picked up some hot and cold smoked salmon. Bill wanted to conduct a side-by-side taste test to determine once and for all which he liked better – the hot smoked won.
Back on SH 8 we detoured to Lake Benmore and the Ohau canal hydro electric stations. Bill was interested in the engineering bits, I was after photos of the glacial blue lake shimmering in the sunshine against a backdrop of snow covered mountains.
The mountains continued to tease us as we drove south, semi-clear one minute, socked in the next. We stopped in Omarama at the Wrinkly Rams, an eclectic little place if there ever were one, offering sheep shearing, a café, a wine bar, gifts and art. It looked like a great place for breakfast or lunch, but we’d just eaten, so we settled for poking through their shop and a wander of their grounds, me snapping photos of some new lambs.
We forged on, soon crossing Lindis Pass, slightly less ugly than I remember it, but still windy as all get out. The temperature reached 13C as we approached Tarras, where we stopped again to poke around their merino shop and learn about Shrek the Sheep.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrek_(sheep)
Then it was on to Northburn Station, where we partook of a wine tasting (three tastes for $5). Wine snobs that we are, we weren’t really impressed, although a bottle of their Reserve Pinot Noir somehow found its way into our trunk.
We arrived in Cromwell around 2:30, hungry and hoping that showing up for a late lunch at Mt Difficulty in Bannockburn without a booking wasn’t too cheeky.
We wandered the industrial areas of Cromwell for a bit, trying to get our bearings. We finally found the winery, just where we’d left it. We were warmly welcomed by the staff, and told they could fit it us for lunch as long as we ordered by 3 pm, bless ‘em. After a wine tasting, we settled in for a lovely lunch overlooking the naked vines. They were out of lamb so Bill went for the ‘Confit free range pork belly on wild thyme, crushed potatoes, Pinot Noir and chorizo sauce, crispy sage and toasted ciabatta ($33) paired with a lovely 2011 Pinot Noir. I chose the ‘Homemade parmesan gnocchi on basil, chili and cherry tomato Passata with buffalo mozzarella and toasted pine nuts’ ($28.50) washed down with their fabulous dry Riesling.
The food was lovely, the views magical, the wine and service exceptional. We booked in again for the next day.
http://www.mtdifficulty.co.nz/vineya...kburn-map.html
Review here:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...th_Island.html
It occurred to us that we’d been in New Zealand for five days and hadn’t yet had any ice cream. How on earth did that happen?
So, we sought out a milk/takeaway/convenience shop, and as we perused the Deep South offerings, the young Asian girl behind the counter advised us that “people your age like the boysenberry”. Well okay then, decision made, boysenberry it is. Not to be swayed, Bill opted for his usual boring vanilla. We asked for cups instead of cones, so the girl squashed about a pint of ice cream each into two chip cups and sent us on our way ($7).
We settled into our Cromwell accommodation, a beauty of a cottage we’d discovered last year, River Rock Estate, review here:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...th_Island.html
Sep 20th, 2013, 02:17 PM
#8
Melnq8 - I am posting your restaurant recommendations into our itinerary as I go - the old mountaineer's cafe and the winery both look great. How far is it from QT to Cromwell? - it looks like somewhere we might take a trip over to while we're in that area.
Shame about the view, or lack of it at Mount Cook. I looked at the heli-trips on that website as well as the menu - I'm afraid that at $450 EACH we will have to pass, especially as we're planning on doing the same sort of thing on the west coast. but we might spring for a hot chocolate!
your avid reader here is waiting for more!
Shame about the view, or lack of it at Mount Cook. I looked at the heli-trips on that website as well as the menu - I'm afraid that at $450 EACH we will have to pass, especially as we're planning on doing the same sort of thing on the west coast. but we might spring for a hot chocolate!
your avid reader here is waiting for more!
Sep 20th, 2013, 03:40 PM
#9
Queenstown to Cromwell is about an hour's drive. Cromwell is Pinot Noir nirvana. The area produces some pretty wonderful dry Rieslings too. You'll probably want to book if you go to Mt Difficulty to avoid disappointment.
We had better weather than we've had on previous stays in Mount Cook, and the fabulous clear weather we had later in the trip more than made up for the poor visibility at Mt Cook. Besides, we've seen it before (and we saw it later from the back side in clear view), so no big deal.
We had better weather than we've had on previous stays in Mount Cook, and the fabulous clear weather we had later in the trip more than made up for the poor visibility at Mt Cook. Besides, we've seen it before (and we saw it later from the back side in clear view), so no big deal.
Sep 20th, 2013, 06:35 PM
#10
August 21, 2013 –
Another restful sleep, but a bit noisy as Cromwell came to life; the cottage is situated near a busy road…although busy in Cromwell isn’t particularly busy. We struggled with the compact cottage after our palatial digs in Mt Cook; we felt bit squished, but the big shower and spacious bathroom pacified us somewhat.
We popped into the I-Site for a map and walk info, then drove to The Moorings on Pisa Moorings Road – I’d run across this place in my research, we sought it out merely to satisfy my curiosity and to caffeinate. At this point I realized that NZ flat whites just weren’t knocking my socks off. Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by Australia.
We backtracked and sought out Wild Earth Winery; the cherry trees just beginning to bloom, spring not far away. We had a lively chat with the young woman pouring the wine and left with some Pinot Gris and Rose – wines we don’t normally like, but these were good and dry.
Next up – Wooing Tree, where we discovered we still like their Blondie and Pinot Noir. I was amused to see a photo of the poseur from Master Chef Australia, Matt Preston, hanging on their cellar door wall.
Lunch was an encore at Mt Difficulty Winery, with a booking this time. We were greeted as old friends, and advised that they had lamb today, which Bill ordered and proclaimed excellent. I had a repeat of the gnocchi, we shared the Panatone bread pudding, which frankly, didn’t sound all that appealing, but sure tasted good. All washed down with a bottle of their dry Riesling; Bill’s birthday was complete (total $108).
In an effort to walk off some wine, we embarked on the nearby Bannockburn Slucings Track, a four kilometer exposed and undulating loop through the former Bannockburn gold field (it took us just over an hour). It was interesting, particularly the terrain, good on a cloudy winter’s day, probably not-so-good in the dead of summer.
http://www.centralotagonz.com/bannockburn-sluicings
Apparently, we weren’t finished eating; we found ourselves at Jones Fruit stall on SH 6, noshing on dessert #2, berries that had been fed through a mixer with vanilla Tip Top Ice cream - $5 each and exactly as I remembered it. We ate our ice cream at a picnic table while watching three busloads of Asian tourists descend upon the store and their toilet facilities.
We poked through Cromwell a bit more, then finally returned to our cottage to relax on the patio rugged up in fleece as we watched the non-sunset.
Another restful sleep, but a bit noisy as Cromwell came to life; the cottage is situated near a busy road…although busy in Cromwell isn’t particularly busy. We struggled with the compact cottage after our palatial digs in Mt Cook; we felt bit squished, but the big shower and spacious bathroom pacified us somewhat.
We popped into the I-Site for a map and walk info, then drove to The Moorings on Pisa Moorings Road – I’d run across this place in my research, we sought it out merely to satisfy my curiosity and to caffeinate. At this point I realized that NZ flat whites just weren’t knocking my socks off. Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by Australia.
We backtracked and sought out Wild Earth Winery; the cherry trees just beginning to bloom, spring not far away. We had a lively chat with the young woman pouring the wine and left with some Pinot Gris and Rose – wines we don’t normally like, but these were good and dry.
Next up – Wooing Tree, where we discovered we still like their Blondie and Pinot Noir. I was amused to see a photo of the poseur from Master Chef Australia, Matt Preston, hanging on their cellar door wall.
Lunch was an encore at Mt Difficulty Winery, with a booking this time. We were greeted as old friends, and advised that they had lamb today, which Bill ordered and proclaimed excellent. I had a repeat of the gnocchi, we shared the Panatone bread pudding, which frankly, didn’t sound all that appealing, but sure tasted good. All washed down with a bottle of their dry Riesling; Bill’s birthday was complete (total $108).
In an effort to walk off some wine, we embarked on the nearby Bannockburn Slucings Track, a four kilometer exposed and undulating loop through the former Bannockburn gold field (it took us just over an hour). It was interesting, particularly the terrain, good on a cloudy winter’s day, probably not-so-good in the dead of summer.
http://www.centralotagonz.com/bannockburn-sluicings
Apparently, we weren’t finished eating; we found ourselves at Jones Fruit stall on SH 6, noshing on dessert #2, berries that had been fed through a mixer with vanilla Tip Top Ice cream - $5 each and exactly as I remembered it. We ate our ice cream at a picnic table while watching three busloads of Asian tourists descend upon the store and their toilet facilities.
We poked through Cromwell a bit more, then finally returned to our cottage to relax on the patio rugged up in fleece as we watched the non-sunset.
Sep 21st, 2013, 09:38 AM
#11
Queenstown to Cromwell is about an hour's drive. Cromwell is Pinot Noir nirvana. The area produces some pretty wonderful dry Rieslings too. You'll probably want to book if you go to Mt Difficulty to avoid disappointment.>>
okey dokey! some of the wineries in that area look vey interesting too, so i can see us making a day of it.
okey dokey! some of the wineries in that area look vey interesting too, so i can see us making a day of it.
Sep 21st, 2013, 08:08 PM
#12
For those wanting the short version, I've managed to condense a month long trip into 46 photos (it wasn't easy).
http://tripwow.tripadvisor.com/tripw...9-d034-1228?lb
http://tripwow.tripadvisor.com/tripw...9-d034-1228?lb
Sep 23rd, 2013, 11:13 PM
#15
August 22, 2013
Before leaving the cherry capital of New Zealand on this beautiful sunny day, we explored Old Cromwell Town, Cromwell’s original business district located at the junction of the Clutha and Kawarau rivers. It had been flooded when the Clyde Dam was commissioned; volunteers saved what they could and reconstructed some of the old town on higher ground. Quite an impressive feat, really well done, and nicely located along the shores of Lake Dunstan; Old Cromwell is well worth a visit.
http://www.cromwell.org.nz/about-cro...well-town.aspx
On the road by 9:30 am, surrounded by nice views of the snow covered Pisa Range, we worked our way south on SH 6 towards Queenstown via the Kawarau Gorge, the river green-blue below us. We passed vineyard after barren vineyard, briefly calling in at Gibbston Valley Cheesery to purchase some sheep’s milk cheese.
It’s impossible for me to drive past the Historic Kawarau Bridge without stopping to watch the crazies. This is the birthplace of the world’s first commercial bungy jump (thank you AJ Hackett). It opened for business 25 years ago and still attracts countless people willing to pay good money to hurl themselves off a perfectly good bridge, 47 meters to the river below. Always good fun.
Lunch was at Amisfield Winery, well known for their Pinot Noir. We’ve visited before, but have never eaten there. Our strategy was to turn up early and see if we could score a table. We could and we did.
Unfortunately, I found the whole experience a bit disappointing, review here:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...th_Island.html
We meandered for a bit, gassed our thirsty Corolla ($2.23 liter, ouch again), picked up self-catering provisions in Queenstown, and then continued on SH 6 along the shores of beautiful Lake Wakatipu. We giggled like school kids as we drove through Athol, turned on 97 towards Te Anau and drove directly into the angry clouds ahead, the temperature dropping from 13C to 8C within a matter of minutes. Rain awaited us as we turned towards Manapouri, where we arrived seven hours after leaving Cromwell. We were home.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...th_Island.html
August 23, 2013
Why Manapouri?
Logistics. Our goal was to explore the Southern Scenic Route between Riverton and Manapouri, an area we’d previously overlooked. We were also curious about Southern Fiordland; Lake Monowai, Lake Hauroko, The Hump Ridge Track and the Southern Coastal Track. The tiny town of Tuatapere didn’t appeal to us as a base, Manapouri did.
It was overcast and damp, but the sun was making a valiant effort. A chat with cottage owner Zeb the previous day revealed even more unexplored areas, so with his help we’d come up with a plan. We headed south on 99 (Southern Scenic Route), but quickly got distracted by a sign for Rakatu Wetlands, where we spent the next 90 minutes walking The Speights Walk and the River Walk, meandering through the lagoon surrounded by abundant birdlife and a few black swans. It was an easy walk, about three miles, peaceful and serene, a lovely surprise with gorgeous views, the perfect start to our day.
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-rec...katu-wetlands/
We continued south, took the turn off to Monowai (Borland Road), detoured to one of the South Island’s oldest hydroelectric stations for a look see, and then continued on to Lake Monowai. We were now in Fiordland National Park. We didn’t realize how big Lake Monowai was until we reached the end of the Lookout Track, an easy 1.4 mile tramp through the rainforest.
Back on Borland Road we were soon distracted again, this time to walk the 40 minute Borland Nature Trail, a nice track through beech forest alongside a stream; pretty and peaceful, just us and the birds. Four wheel drive vehicles are recommended on Borland Road, but it’s really not that bad, as it’s maintained by New Zealand Power. Before long the mountains became pretty dramatic and the power lines enormous. This was all new to us and rather fascinating, as Borland Road leads to the south arm of Lake Manapouri. We stopped to climb the steep, rough one kilometer track to Mt Burn Tops, me complaining all the way; it was a serious knee killer. But man, the views were fabulous (and the sun was out!); well worth the effort.
Back on Borland Road we continued driving, but when I saw the steep, rocky, descent down to the Grebe Valley floor and even more ‘narrow and dangerous’ warnings, I balked, worried about our poor Corolla. So we bailed on the last 10 km, and turned around. Zeb later confirmed that we’d seen the best bits anyway. (Note: The drive from Borland Lodge to the south arm of Lake Manapouri is 90 km round trip, unsealed).
We returned to our cottage to soak up the sun and the views from our patio.
Before leaving the cherry capital of New Zealand on this beautiful sunny day, we explored Old Cromwell Town, Cromwell’s original business district located at the junction of the Clutha and Kawarau rivers. It had been flooded when the Clyde Dam was commissioned; volunteers saved what they could and reconstructed some of the old town on higher ground. Quite an impressive feat, really well done, and nicely located along the shores of Lake Dunstan; Old Cromwell is well worth a visit.
http://www.cromwell.org.nz/about-cro...well-town.aspx
On the road by 9:30 am, surrounded by nice views of the snow covered Pisa Range, we worked our way south on SH 6 towards Queenstown via the Kawarau Gorge, the river green-blue below us. We passed vineyard after barren vineyard, briefly calling in at Gibbston Valley Cheesery to purchase some sheep’s milk cheese.
It’s impossible for me to drive past the Historic Kawarau Bridge without stopping to watch the crazies. This is the birthplace of the world’s first commercial bungy jump (thank you AJ Hackett). It opened for business 25 years ago and still attracts countless people willing to pay good money to hurl themselves off a perfectly good bridge, 47 meters to the river below. Always good fun.
Lunch was at Amisfield Winery, well known for their Pinot Noir. We’ve visited before, but have never eaten there. Our strategy was to turn up early and see if we could score a table. We could and we did.
Unfortunately, I found the whole experience a bit disappointing, review here:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...th_Island.html
We meandered for a bit, gassed our thirsty Corolla ($2.23 liter, ouch again), picked up self-catering provisions in Queenstown, and then continued on SH 6 along the shores of beautiful Lake Wakatipu. We giggled like school kids as we drove through Athol, turned on 97 towards Te Anau and drove directly into the angry clouds ahead, the temperature dropping from 13C to 8C within a matter of minutes. Rain awaited us as we turned towards Manapouri, where we arrived seven hours after leaving Cromwell. We were home.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...th_Island.html
August 23, 2013
Why Manapouri?
Logistics. Our goal was to explore the Southern Scenic Route between Riverton and Manapouri, an area we’d previously overlooked. We were also curious about Southern Fiordland; Lake Monowai, Lake Hauroko, The Hump Ridge Track and the Southern Coastal Track. The tiny town of Tuatapere didn’t appeal to us as a base, Manapouri did.
It was overcast and damp, but the sun was making a valiant effort. A chat with cottage owner Zeb the previous day revealed even more unexplored areas, so with his help we’d come up with a plan. We headed south on 99 (Southern Scenic Route), but quickly got distracted by a sign for Rakatu Wetlands, where we spent the next 90 minutes walking The Speights Walk and the River Walk, meandering through the lagoon surrounded by abundant birdlife and a few black swans. It was an easy walk, about three miles, peaceful and serene, a lovely surprise with gorgeous views, the perfect start to our day.
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-rec...katu-wetlands/
We continued south, took the turn off to Monowai (Borland Road), detoured to one of the South Island’s oldest hydroelectric stations for a look see, and then continued on to Lake Monowai. We were now in Fiordland National Park. We didn’t realize how big Lake Monowai was until we reached the end of the Lookout Track, an easy 1.4 mile tramp through the rainforest.
Back on Borland Road we were soon distracted again, this time to walk the 40 minute Borland Nature Trail, a nice track through beech forest alongside a stream; pretty and peaceful, just us and the birds. Four wheel drive vehicles are recommended on Borland Road, but it’s really not that bad, as it’s maintained by New Zealand Power. Before long the mountains became pretty dramatic and the power lines enormous. This was all new to us and rather fascinating, as Borland Road leads to the south arm of Lake Manapouri. We stopped to climb the steep, rough one kilometer track to Mt Burn Tops, me complaining all the way; it was a serious knee killer. But man, the views were fabulous (and the sun was out!); well worth the effort.
Back on Borland Road we continued driving, but when I saw the steep, rocky, descent down to the Grebe Valley floor and even more ‘narrow and dangerous’ warnings, I balked, worried about our poor Corolla. So we bailed on the last 10 km, and turned around. Zeb later confirmed that we’d seen the best bits anyway. (Note: The drive from Borland Lodge to the south arm of Lake Manapouri is 90 km round trip, unsealed).
We returned to our cottage to soak up the sun and the views from our patio.
Sep 24th, 2013, 05:01 PM
#18
August 24, 2013
The day was promising, high cloud, dry and a bit frosty (3C). Back on 99, we continued our exploration of the Southern Scenic Route, the sheep ubiquitous and the cows interesting; black with white stripes down their middles. We referred to them as ‘saddle shoe cows’, but Google advises me they’re Belted Galloways, or ‘Belties”, originating from Scotland.
At Clifden we walked across the well preserved historic suspension bridge, opened in 1899, and then continued driving the 32 km to New Zealand’s deepest lake, Lake Hauroko. The minute we got out of the car we were swarmed by sandflies. Not a good sign.
We’d planned to walk the Lake Hauroko Lookout Track, although I was a bit apprehensive at the prospect of a 2.9 kilometer track that took four hours to walk – that could only mean one thing – steep. Shortly after we began the track, we encountered considerably more mud than we wanted to slog through, so we bailed. We walked the 40 minute nature trail instead and got the heck out of there – the sandflies were pretty overwhelming.
We continued south to Tuatapere and on to Riverton. Coffee sounded good, so we followed a sign for the Beach House Café. One look at the menu and we scrapped coffee for a long leisurely lunch instead. What a find this was. I had the tomato and chickpea soup, which was good, but Bill said his herb crusted blue cod with creamy warm potato and bacon salad with romanesco sauce was incredible. For dessert we shared a slice of chocolate mud cake with berry compote, cream AND ice cream ($66 with a beer and coffee). So much for hiking.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...th_Island.html
We eventually left the way we’d come, the return even prettier as we were now facing the mountains of Fiordland. At Tuatapere we sought out the Humpridge Track and the Southern Coastal Track, which share the same trailhead. As bad as the sandflies were in the parking lot, I can’t imagine what they’d be like along the coastal track; we weren’t even tempted to walk a small section. It made me itch just thinking about it.
We returned to Manapouri, explored ‘town’ a bit and then retreated to our cottage to chill. It’d been a day of too much driving, not enough walking, but we’d accomplished what we set out to do, explore that last bit of the Southern Scenic Route that we’d not yet seen.
The day was promising, high cloud, dry and a bit frosty (3C). Back on 99, we continued our exploration of the Southern Scenic Route, the sheep ubiquitous and the cows interesting; black with white stripes down their middles. We referred to them as ‘saddle shoe cows’, but Google advises me they’re Belted Galloways, or ‘Belties”, originating from Scotland.
At Clifden we walked across the well preserved historic suspension bridge, opened in 1899, and then continued driving the 32 km to New Zealand’s deepest lake, Lake Hauroko. The minute we got out of the car we were swarmed by sandflies. Not a good sign.
We’d planned to walk the Lake Hauroko Lookout Track, although I was a bit apprehensive at the prospect of a 2.9 kilometer track that took four hours to walk – that could only mean one thing – steep. Shortly after we began the track, we encountered considerably more mud than we wanted to slog through, so we bailed. We walked the 40 minute nature trail instead and got the heck out of there – the sandflies were pretty overwhelming.
We continued south to Tuatapere and on to Riverton. Coffee sounded good, so we followed a sign for the Beach House Café. One look at the menu and we scrapped coffee for a long leisurely lunch instead. What a find this was. I had the tomato and chickpea soup, which was good, but Bill said his herb crusted blue cod with creamy warm potato and bacon salad with romanesco sauce was incredible. For dessert we shared a slice of chocolate mud cake with berry compote, cream AND ice cream ($66 with a beer and coffee). So much for hiking.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...th_Island.html
We eventually left the way we’d come, the return even prettier as we were now facing the mountains of Fiordland. At Tuatapere we sought out the Humpridge Track and the Southern Coastal Track, which share the same trailhead. As bad as the sandflies were in the parking lot, I can’t imagine what they’d be like along the coastal track; we weren’t even tempted to walk a small section. It made me itch just thinking about it.
We returned to Manapouri, explored ‘town’ a bit and then retreated to our cottage to chill. It’d been a day of too much driving, not enough walking, but we’d accomplished what we set out to do, explore that last bit of the Southern Scenic Route that we’d not yet seen.
Sep 25th, 2013, 12:56 AM
#19
August 25, 2013
We left our Manapouri cottage and worked our way north on 95. Twelve kilometers south of Te Anau we parked and set out on the Kepler Track, a 60 km, 3-4 day loop track. We’d previously walked the section from the control gates to Rainbow Reach, today we planned to walk from Rainbow Reach to Moturau Hut and return. This section of the track gently winds through beech forest and alongside the Waiau River. I absolutely loved it. When we stopped at Moturau Hut for a rest before backtracking, we were once again swarmed by blood thirsty sandflies. I’d read that they’re attracted to dark colors and this certainly seemed to be the case as dozens of them landed on my backpack which I’d left at a picnic table while I sought out the long drop; we high-tailed it out of there (3:20, 7.75 miles). Note: Sandflies can be a royal pain in the butt, but they’re slow – the secret is to keep moving.
After our walk we continued on to Te Anau for more petrol price shock and popped into the Fat Duck for lunch, details here:
http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Restau...th_Island.html
We stocked up on provisions at the Te Anau Fresh Choice, which is exceptionally well set-up for self-catering, then continued north on the Milford Road. It was a pretty day, so naturally I had to stop every five minutes to take photos, but we eventually reached our next destination, Knobs Flat, some ~68 kilometers north of Te Anau.
Why Knobs Flat?
Again, logistics. Milford Sound is at the end of Milford Road, some 120 kilometers from Te Anau; it’s one way in and one way out. Most folks visit Milford Sound as a very long day trip from Queenstown or Te Anau, but they tend to overlook the abundant walking and sightseeing opportunities along the way as they just don’t have time. We wanted time, yet we didn’t want to repeatedly drive in and out to Te Anau. Knobs Flat is the only accommodation option between Te Anau and Milford Sound, so Knobs Flat it was.
http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Hotel_...th_Island.html
We left our Manapouri cottage and worked our way north on 95. Twelve kilometers south of Te Anau we parked and set out on the Kepler Track, a 60 km, 3-4 day loop track. We’d previously walked the section from the control gates to Rainbow Reach, today we planned to walk from Rainbow Reach to Moturau Hut and return. This section of the track gently winds through beech forest and alongside the Waiau River. I absolutely loved it. When we stopped at Moturau Hut for a rest before backtracking, we were once again swarmed by blood thirsty sandflies. I’d read that they’re attracted to dark colors and this certainly seemed to be the case as dozens of them landed on my backpack which I’d left at a picnic table while I sought out the long drop; we high-tailed it out of there (3:20, 7.75 miles). Note: Sandflies can be a royal pain in the butt, but they’re slow – the secret is to keep moving.
After our walk we continued on to Te Anau for more petrol price shock and popped into the Fat Duck for lunch, details here:
http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Restau...th_Island.html
We stocked up on provisions at the Te Anau Fresh Choice, which is exceptionally well set-up for self-catering, then continued north on the Milford Road. It was a pretty day, so naturally I had to stop every five minutes to take photos, but we eventually reached our next destination, Knobs Flat, some ~68 kilometers north of Te Anau.
Why Knobs Flat?
Again, logistics. Milford Sound is at the end of Milford Road, some 120 kilometers from Te Anau; it’s one way in and one way out. Most folks visit Milford Sound as a very long day trip from Queenstown or Te Anau, but they tend to overlook the abundant walking and sightseeing opportunities along the way as they just don’t have time. We wanted time, yet we didn’t want to repeatedly drive in and out to Te Anau. Knobs Flat is the only accommodation option between Te Anau and Milford Sound, so Knobs Flat it was.
http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Hotel_...th_Island.html
Sep 25th, 2013, 01:04 PM
#20
I can hardly resist the chance to stay at a place called "Knobs Flat" but having read your review, Melnq8, I think I'll pass this time; we're booked into this place for 2 nights:
http://www.adenmotel.co.nz/
we may well give the Fat Duck a try though!
http://www.adenmotel.co.nz/
we may well give the Fat Duck a try though!
