The Aden is just a few doors down from the motel my brother and I stayed at in Te Anau later in the trip. I noticed because several of the motels there seemed to begin with an A. Well located, easy walk to lake and town.

The Olive Tree in Te Anau is a good food option. Mile High Pies supposedly has the best pies in NZ and they're right in Te Anau, closed when we were there though so couldn't find out ourselves. We've also had some good meals at The Ranch and La Toscana. I noticed an abundance of Italian restaurants and cafes in Te Anau this time, several were new I think. Also, don't miss Ata Whenua at the local theater - Fiordland like you will never see it. They have a bar attached to the theater - happy hour is from 5:30 t0 6:30 I believe.

http://www.fiordlandcinema.co.nz/ata-whenua-shadowland

August 26, 2013

There’s nothing to do at Knobs Flat after dark except read and relax. It’d have been nice to sit outdoors, but the robust sandfly situation put the kibosh on that. They gathered on our screen door and windows, hungrily waiting to sink their fangs into Bill. New Zealand sandflies much prefer Bill to me, and I’m good with that.

Unsurprisingly, we woke to rain, both having had dreams we were being snacked upon by sandflies. Then out of the blue, the rain stopped, the clouds parted and the morning was clear and gorgeous; our rustic little cabin suddenly surrounded by snow capped peaks.

We slathered on the DEET and set out on the Milford Road, planning to drive to the Hollyford Valley, but being coaxed on to Milford by the promising blue skies ahead. It was a cool 4C, we had the road to ourselves; the buses from Queenstown were hours behind us. We stretched our legs at the Chasm, a short track to a powerful waterfall where the Cleddau River has worn through the rock. The views along Milford Road were incredible, blue skies, endless waterfalls, snow capped mountains.

Once in Milford we took the 20 minute stroll along the foreshore before moving on to the boat terminal, me attempting to photograph the elusive Mitre Peak from every conceivable vantage point. The boat terminal was empty, yes EMPTY at 11:40 am; with only two buses in the parking lot, it was downright peaceful.

We caffeinated at the only café, the Blue Duck, and then backtracked on Milford Road to the Divide and embarked upon the walk to Key Summit via the Routeburn Track. I have fond memories of the glorious views from the top of Key Summit from a previous visit, and we just couldn’t pass up hiking it again on such a pretty day. Indeed the views from the summit, lookout, and nature trail were wonderful (but hard earned, as it’s uphill). We only saw three other people on the track (5.25 miles, 2:50 return). The sandflies were plentiful on the way up, yet mercifully absent at the top, enabling us to soak up the scenery and solitude completely pest free.

It was a very good day, followed by a pretty wonderful hot shower.

Melnq8 - thanks for all the tips about Te Anau. The film looks especially good and we'll definitely try to find time to see it.

have i understood correctly from other threads that in the summer, it's a good idea to delay getting to Milford til the afternoon, when most of the coach parties will have left?

The buses tend to show up mid-day, so either the first cruise of the day or the last cruise of the day is best IMO.

An additional advantage of either is that there's still plenty of time for a hike to Key Summit, or time enough to explore some of the spots along the Milford Road that aren't included in the bus tour (assuming you self-drive).

We took the last cruise of the day a few years ago (in March) and we practically had the boat (and the sound) to ourselves. We were staying in Te Anau, so there was plenty of time to get back to town by dark for a late supper - it was ideal.

August 27, 2013

As with me and NZ flat whites, the carnivore had discovered that he’s just not keen on New Zealand scotch filet or tenderloin – too chewy, too many mysterious sinewy bits. Whether a result of grass feeding, or just poor quality grocery store offerings we’ll never know, but a hardcore carnivore not liking the local steak was troubling indeed.

While on the subject of self-catering…because we stayed in some out-of-the-way spots, we self-catered more on this trip than ever before. It’s worth mentioning that while most NZ accommodation is well suited to self-catering, it pays to know the details, as not all self-catering units have cook tops; or in the case of Knob’s Flat, a microwave. Self-catering while on the move is challenge enough; it helps to know exactly what’s provided at your next accommodation before you hit the grocery store.

We woke to an unpromising day of gloom. Back on the Milford Road we drove towards the Hollyford Valley, copious amounts of sandfly bodes smeared across the inside of our car windshield. Upon reaching the end of Lower Hollyford Road, we donned our plastic wrap and set out in the rain on the Hollyford Track, a 56 kilometer four day track that follows the Hollyford River on its journey to the sea. The first section of the track leads to Hidden Falls, 4-6 hours return. We weren’t up for such a long wet slog, so we walked for two miles and turned around. There weren’t any views to speak of on this short section, but there was quite a bit of track damage; downed trees and landslips (four miles return, 1:45).

We next walked the well graded track to Humboldt Falls, the start of which is located a short distance from the end of Lower Hollyford Road. I love these falls; they never fail to impress (30 minutes return).

After a picnic in our car (hiding from the rain), we backtracked to the beginning of the Lower Hollyford Road and followed the track to Lake Marian Falls. This is another of my favorites; the track leads to an incredible series of waterfalls viewed from a bridge that precariously hangs over the river. We continued walking past the gantry, knowing that the track to Lake Marian is rough, steep and challenging, but curious none-the-less. Indeed, I felt like I was climbing Mother Nature’s Stairmaster, in the rain no less, and before long we turned back (1.25 miles, 45 minutes).

At this point we realized we hadn’t seen another soul all day…until we were back on Milford Road, where two car loads of tourists stopped on a ONE LANE BRIDGE, got out of their vehicles, took photos of a waterfall and chatted amongst themselves, all the while blocking the entire road. Really?

We worked our way towards Milford to see if the East Homer Nature Walk was doable, but the car park was in a ‘no stopping avalanche zone’ area, as was the car park for the Gertrude Saddle (I’ve just this minute done an online search and discovered that the East Homer Nature Walk has been closed indefinitely since April 2013 due to an existing rock fall and continued instability), so no go for either.

The Homer Tunnel is one way; traffic is controlled by a single light on either side of the tunnel. I’ve read that the traffic lights only operate during the peak summer season, since the avalanche risk makes it unsafe to stop and queue at the portals in winter and spring, however, the traffic lights were operating during our visit in August, so I assume they evaluate the risk on a day-by-day basis.

We retraced our steps to Knobs Flat, but not before walking the Lake Gunn Nature Trail, an easy 40 minute stroll through primeval, vibrant green rainforest, which we both thoroughly enjoyed.

August 28, 2013

It was a good day to leave; serious rain, the Milford Road conditions sign illuminated with the ominous warning “snow, carry chains”, we were glad to be going in the opposite direction.

Blue sky and sun lay ahead as we worked our way from Te Anau to Queenstown, but the wind was blowing a gale, it was a struggle to drive straight. We joined SH 6 at Five Rivers, made stops at The Hunny Shop in Garston and poked around Kingston, where Lake Wakatipu, the third largest lake in NZ, begins. Today you could have surfed on it.

Queenstown was mobbed, parking a nightmare…the weather positively nasty; sleet and torrential wind-driven rain, the kind that blows sideways up your skirt. We finally found a parking spot and walked to Bombay Palace for a much needed Indian food fix. The serves were huge, plenty for a second meal, but a bit disappointing. We’d also ordered two curries to takeaway in an effort to simplify our self-catering in Glenorchy and weirdly enough, the takeaway was much better than the food we ate in, although both were ordered and presumably prepared at the same time.

After hot chocolate at Patagonia ($6 per rich and decadent mug), stops for petrol and groceries, we left Queenstown, both feeling it was just too busy and claustrophobic, exhaling a sigh of relief as we drove through the final roundabout and joined the winding road to Glenorchy where we arrived seven hours after leaving Knobs Flat.

Glenorchy is one of our favorite places on the South Island, due in part to the lovely B&B we discovered a few years back, due in part to the seemingly endless tramping tracks and due in part to the gobsmacking views and natural surroundings, of which we never tire.

We settled into our favorite B&B on the South Island and crossed our fingers for better weather.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...th_Island.html

August 29, 2013

B&B owner Vladka had promised us a pretty day, and boy did she deliver! We woke to a cold clear morning, in-your-face views of the snow covered Humboldt Mountains right outside our windows – glorious indeed. I felt completely spoiled and pampered after a night in Vladka’s luxurious sanctuary, the polar opposite of no frills, bach-like, testosterone infused Knob’s Flat.

Our day began in Paradise…literally. We drove Paradise Road to Paradise Trust, where we walked the 1.5 mile loop through the property. We discovered this track last year and there’s nothing quite like it on a clear winter’s morning. The views are absolutely incredible. It was 1C, the pools and lakes lightly frozen, a fresh layer of snow on the mountains; every bit as beautiful as we remembered. And just like last year, the caretaker’s dogs walked with us…well sort of…they tore around chasing rabbits, occasionally checking on our progress.

Thus far, we’d seen many more birds than on previous trips to the South Island, which is quite encouraging. Perhaps the long war waged against the predators of New Zealand’s native birds is finally paying off. The Paradise Ducks were particularly abundant and vocal.

We followed Paradise Road to its end, crossing seven water-filled fords. This is where the Rees-Dart Track begins, a moderately demanding 4-5 day tramping circuit. We abandoned the car and set out on the track, hoping to cover more ground than we had last year when the snow and ice had quelled our enthusiasm.

And cover more ground we did; both thoroughly enjoying ourselves. It was a mixed bag of challenging rock scrambles, small stream crossings, and an easy stroll through open meadow and sun-dappled forest. I won’t lie to you though, there were some scary vertical drop offs. I almost lost my nerve on the return, as we descended a narrow slippery section under an overhang of wet dripping rock; I clung to the mountainside, averting my eyes from the edge I’d careen over should I stumble. They don’t call me clumsy for nothing (7.5 miles, four hours return).

Sufficiently exercised, we returned to our lovely accommodation to watch the sun go down while being entertained by Vladka’s team of Jack Russell Terriers.

August 30, 2013

Another pampered night, another picture perfect day, 2C, sunny and clear, my kind of weather. Vladka pointed out that we’d not yet hiked up to the Invincible Gold Mine, “up” probably being the reason. So we drove Paradise Road to Rees Valley Road, splashed through two water-filled fords, passed the Invincible Gold Mine trail marker and continued on, hoping to find the access point for the Rees-Dart Track from this end.

We were curious about the road conditions more than anything, as we’d never driven this road before. After picking our way through an area of heavy rock fall and crossing two more water-filled fords, we got the message, turned around and backtracked to the start of the Invincible Gold Mine track. As expected, it was a knee killer, but there’s no denying the spectacular views of the Rees Valley and Mt Earnslaw from the top. We continued walking past the mine and down to the river before turning back (three hours, 4.4 miles return).

Then it was back to Paradise Trust in an attempt to find a second walk that Vladka had told us about. We met the caretaker’s sister Christy, who tried to explain where we could pick up the unmarked track, but we never did find it, so we just walked the ‘tourist track’ again instead. We had a nice chat with her later and she offered to lend us the detailed track map they only provide to their overnight guests should we want to return.

Then it was back to our B&B to relax over a nice glass of Mt Difficulty Dry Riesling, happy to have had such spectacular weather; loving the sunshine, the hospitality and the animals.

August 31, 2013

Yet another beautiful clear cold morning, we absolutely could not believe our luck with the weather.

Egged on by Richard and Vladka, we’d talked ourselves into tackling the 4-6 hour Lake Rere Track, knowing full well that it’d probably take us closer to six hours than four.
We drove towards Kinloch, the road turning to gravel nine kilometers before the lodge, surprised that the parking lot was full this time of year. It was heartening to see so many tiny yellow mohua flitting about, once abundant, but now threatened.

http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/...ng-mohua-safe/

We crossed three water-filled fords to the end of yet another road, in this case, the Greenstone Track car park, about an hour’s drive from Glenorchy. We’d been advised to walk in from the Greenstone instead of crossing the swing bridge at the first sign to Lake Rere. So, we followed the well maintained Greenstone-Caples track, staying on the Greenstone when they separated. We eventually encountered a second turn off to Lake Rere; the trail boggy and poorly formed. Before long we were hopping from rock to rock across streams and traversing an intimidating scree field, wondering what we’d gotten ourselves into.

It took us almost 3.5 hours to reach Lake Rere, and frankly it was rather anti-climactic and underwhelming considering the effort it took to get there. After a picnic, we forged on, skirting the lake through heavy forest, dodging countless rocks, slogging through deep mud, crossing more streams – it was a veritable obstacle course. Just when I thought the track would never end, we crested a hill and immediately understood why we’d been told to take this route. Azure blue Lake Wakatipu lay before us sparkling in the sun, fringed by snow covered mountains reflected in the completely still water. It was INCREDIBLE.

The work wasn’t over yet though, as the track next led through a sheep and cow poop slalom the likes of which we’d never seen before. We’ve walked through our share of paddocks, but man, this one was something else.

I’ve never been so happy to see a swing bridge and a car park in my life. We were worn out, but we’d conquered Lake Rere (12 miles, 5.5 hours, more manure than you can imagine).

As we backtracked towards Kinloch we saw a man walking along the deserted road, miles from anywhere, not another soul in sight. The first words out of his mouth when we pulled over were “I am French”, as if that somehow explained what he was doing out on this lonely country road in dress shoes. We offered him a ride to Kinloch, which he gratefully accepted; he’d been walking for three hours, apparently having set out without realizing he’d have to walk all the way back.

We dropped off our passenger and popped into Kinloch Lodge for a hard earned cold beverage, exhausted, but having loved every minute of every beautiful day in Glenorchy.

sounds terrific, melnq8. your walking [or should that be tramping?] is an example to us all.

we hope to be following in some of your footsteps, but not all of them! too exhausting for us [or more accurately for me - I'm sure that DH would be up for it]

Hi annhig -

I'm just glad at least one person is reading this, all the better if it helps on your upcoming trip.

September 1, 2013

We figured we'd skip breakfast since we had to leave early, but Vladka insisted that ‘no one leaves this house hungry’ and delivered a massive breakfast tray to our room before the sun even thought about rising. We reluctantly left Glenorchy for the Queenstown Airport and tallied our mileage; we’d driven 1,400 km in 16 days, a vast improvement over last year’s 4,124. I saw Bill off to Auckland and Perth and then loitered in the airport for three hours, unwilling to give up my primo parking spot; perfectly content to read and people watch.

Bob finally arrived, exhausted and dazed, but surprisingly perky; no doubt thankful to be on the ground after 17 hours squished into various metal tubes.

We’d be staying in Queenstown for the next three nights to ease him into the 18 hour time difference, show him the area and allow the poor guy to catch his breath. In an attempt to keep ‘the adventure capital of the world’ affordable and still be within walking distance to town, I’d booked us at the Bella Vista Motel, review here:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...th_Island.html

It was too early to check in, but we were allowed to leave our car in the motel’s parking lot while we walked to town to poke around.

My evil plan was to keep Bob awake as long as possible to help combat jet lag, forcing him into the fresh air and sunshine, both of which were plentiful on this beautiful Father’s Day in Queenstown. I’d booked us on a 90 minute cruise of Lake Wakatipu with Southern Discoveries via GrabOne, but we had a few hours before we were to set sail.

Our first stop was Patagonia Chocolates, my favorite place for hot chocolate. Bob wanted caffeine but wrongly took my advice and tried a Long Black (too strong); I went straight for the ice cream, instantly wondering why I’d never tried it before - massive scoops of dark chocolate and mocha - excellent!

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...th_Island.html

The lakefront was lively; puttering families, young people lounging atop the seawall (many with Fergburger bags, read on) others just being. There was a guy busking with his wheeled piano (Mathias the Piano Man, more here: http://www.mathiaspianoman.com/), two littlies playing violins; it was fun and weirdly mellow; a far cry from the mania Bill and I had experienced just a few days earlier.

Bob’s feet were barely on the ground, yet I’d convinced him that because the next day’s weather was expected to be ‘fine’, we absolutely could not pass up the opportunity to take the Dart River Jet Boat Safari out of Glenorchy, so we signed up.

We returned to the motel to check in and unload, then walked back to town and sought out our boat. We were told they didn’t have a captain, the cruise had been cancelled, but their competitor, Million Dollar Cruises would depart an hour later on a similar cruise, albeit at a higher price. My first thought was “ah- ha, the old bait and switch”. We arranged a refund, re-purchased tickets and wandered the lakefront, through the park and along the pier (me stupidly plunking myself down right into some fresh bird doo).

Our cruise was enjoyable and sedate, a gentle introduction to Queenstown. We learned a lot about the local real estate, assorted neighborhoods…and eels.

After the cruise we sought out the insanely popular and always busy Fergburger, possibly the Southern Hemisphere’s most famous burger joint. I’d run across it while doing research and figured it’d be right up Bob’s alley, and indeed it was. It’s impossible to miss – just look for the mob on Shotover Street.

http://www.fergburger.com/fullscreen.html

I’m not a burger eater, but Ferg has something for everyone, be it beef, pork, lamb, venison, cod, chicken (loved the Cock Cajun), falafel or tofu – and they’re open 21 hours a day! Ferg loves you (and we love Ferg).

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...th_Island.html

We returned to the motel, Bob passed out around 7:30. I’d accomplished my goal.

Ferg duly noted, melnq8.

What is your opinion of the Bella vista? We have a reservation at the Villa del Lago, which is a bit pricier - worth the extra money, do you think?

2 persons reading.....

Make that three.

Lee Ann

Glad to hear others are reading, thanks for that!

annhig - Villa del Lago trumps Bella Vista, no contest, they're like day and night.

We've stayed at Villa del Lago a couple of times, it's our favorite QT accommodation.

I chose Bella Vista this time as I was trying to keep to a tighter budget, which is difficult to do in Queenstown during ski season. It's conveniently located, and at one time it was an inexpensive, quiet option, but the city has grown around it and it's far from quiet these days. The rooms are uncomfortably small and not particularly well equipped for self-catering, unless ones idea of self-catering is a microwave and kettle.

We paid less for much better later in the trip.

September 2, 2013

It was a fresh and frosty 2C; we were up early and on the road to Glenorchy. Bob had slept like a log and felt great. (Note: The Dart River tour includes transport from Queenstown to Glenorchy, but I wanted to show Bob around afterwards, so we drove ourselves).

We arrived with time to spare, so we walked the pier at the top of Lake Wakatipu, took photos of the boat shed, and gazed at the beautiful surroundings.

There were only four of us on the tour; we were driven to Paradise and into Mt Aspiring Nat’l Park. We were then taken on a short stroll through primeval beech forest by our guide Iain, a fountain of local information and a walking, talking Lord of the Rings encyclopedia. We were led by an enormous wooden chair, a prop temporarily left behind following the filming of the Hobbit; a perfect photo op.

We convened along the river’s edge for some hot tomato soup before being collected by our jet boat driver Royce, who took us on a 75 minute ride up the glacial fed Dart River. The scenery was spectacular; the weather was perfect; the squeal-inducing spins were a complete blast. Bill and I had taken this tour years ago; it was just as fun as I remembered ($219 per person and worth every penny, especially on such a pretty day).

http://www.dartriver.co.nz/about/the-dart-experience/

After a poke through the Glenorchy Fur Shop, Bob and I drove to Paradise Trust. We soaked up the glorious views while we picnicked and chatted up Christy who invited us to explore the cottages since they had no guests. We walked the ‘tourist track’ one last time, peering into cottage windows along the way, Bob loving the whole rustic backcountry feel. Other than the horses, we had the place to ourselves.

http://www.paradisetrust.co.nz/cottages/

We worked our way back to Queenstown, making numerous detours and stops to photograph picturesque Lake Wakatipu and the surrounding snow covered mountains. We stopped at Bob’s Cove intending to walk the 20 minute nature trail, but we got turned around, and ended up on a 90 minute rock scrambling adventure instead (still not sure how that happened). The cove was beautiful, the sun perfectly situated for silhouette photography.

It had been a spectacular day.

We should have returned to Fergburger for dinner, but we ended up at Chico’s, which was okay, but nothing to get excited about. Queenstown felt deserted, as if everyone had left town for good.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...th_Island.html

We regained our sanity long enough to call into Fergbaker (also owned by Ferg and right next door to Fergburger) for some fabulous ciabatta rolls for the next day.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...th_Island.html

thanks for the Villa de Lago recommendation, melnq8. it leapt out at me as being a place that we would like to stay, and at the time I booked it, I thought I got a good price - I can't remember quite how much but within my £100 per night budget anyway.

if we drove to the Glenorchy for the Dart River trip, could we combine that with a winery tour? any good restaurants in the area?

i'll try to remember to avoid Chico's!

Hi annhig -

<if we drove to the Glenorchy for the Dart River trip, could we combine that with a winery tour? any good restaurants in the area?>

If you took the morning tour, you'd be finished by around 12:30 pm - then it's about a 40 minute return to Queenstown, so yeah, you could fit in a winery (or two). The wineries are in the opposite direction of Glenorchy.

No food to recommend in Glenorchy - it's tiny, with just a couple of pubs and a café, but you'd drive right back through Queenstown, where you're spoiled for choice.

You might give Amisfield a go, we were a bit disappointed, but other people rave about the place. They make fabulous Pinot Noir, regardless.

thanks as ever for your tips.