September 3, 2013

We spent the morning walking the Mt Crichton Loop, located on Glenorchy Road, 10 km from Queenstown. The track passes through mountain beech and manuka, and leads to the historic Sam Summers Hut and connects to Lake Dispute Walkway. The views from the top are wonderful (yep, it’s uphill), all the more so with a smattering of fresh powder on the mountain tops. We both thoroughly enjoyed this walk, me loving the lake and mountain views, Bob getting a kick out of the hut, which is built on the site of a Chinese gold miners’ camp, and currently used as basic hiker’s accommodation. The nearby waterfall was pretty impressive too (2:40, 4.36 miles).

We picnicked at Twelve Mile Delta Reserve alongside the lake, but didn’t tarry, because we were swarmed by what we suspected were sandflies taking entirely too much interest in Bob’s bare legs. (Note: I’ve since been told that they were probably midges, which bite, but don’t leave behind intolerably itchy welts like sandflies). Although harmless, there were some disturbingly massive bumble bees too – these things were enormous. Despite the insects, it was difficult to tear ourselves away from the stunning lake views and near impossible for me to keep my eyes on the road as we returned to Queenstown.

We later drove out to the Bungy Bridge so Bob could experience the insanity. Business was brisk and as entertaining as ever.

Our next stop was Chard Farm, located across the highway from the Bungy Bridge. The unsealed road that winds up to the winery is narrow and perilous, with a 100 meter drop to the Kawarau River on one side. It’s memorable to stay the least. After posing for photos with Lola, we did a bit of wine tasting, me unsuccessfully trying to convince beer drinker Bob of the virtues of a good drop.

http://www.chardfarm.co.nz/blog/how-...on-chard-road/

http://www.chardfarm.co.nz/assets/ph...nter-2010b.jpg

That evening we joined the queue at Fergburger for an encore. Bob tried the CodFather, I went for the Bombay Chicken, both good again ($32 with one beer). I also managed to squeeze in some more Patagonia ice cream – dark chocolate with macadamia nuts and vanilla. Lovely.

It was our last night in Queenstown, so we wandered the streets, pottered through the shops, and made a small deposit at the casino. It had been a beautiful sunny day and a lovely calm evening, but our luck was about to run out, snow was on the way.

mm - I looked at the chard farm website - think we may pass, give how many other wineries there are where presumably you don't take your life in your hands getting there or indeed getting back.

If I can do it anyone can annhig! You'll have an advantage coming from a left side driving country. It's everyone else you need to worry about.

September 4, 2013

We bid adieu to Mo, the well fed ‘stray’ motel cat, and were on the road by 9 am, Te Anau in our sights. It was an eventful drive, four seasons in an hour, slush, snow, a tiny bit of sunshine and some rather ferocious wind. I’d planned to turn the wheel over to Bob at Kingston, knowing that from there to Te Anau the road is relatively straight and flat, thinking it’d be a good place for a left side newbie to give it a go. But he wasn’t ready, probably put off by the crap weather.

During a stop at the Hunny Shop in Garston for some native NZ honey, we learned that Milford Road was closed and wouldn’t re-open until noon the following day. Uh-oh. We were booked on a morning Milford cruise.

We called in at Five Rivers Café; the best flat white I’d had thus far in NZ; turned off SH 6 onto Mossburn Five Rivers Road, and eventually joined 94 to Te Anau, the snow now falling in earnest.

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

The weather in Te Anau was abysmal, the wind fierce, the slush cold. We sought out Miles Better Pies (which came highly recommended), but they were closed for the season, much to Bob’s relief. Upon the recommendation of a shopkeeper and the good business the Olive Tree was doing, we decided to dine where the locals do. It was a good choice; hearty food and incredibly friendly kiwi service, which I’d become fond of over the past few weeks ($51 with a beer and coffee). As an added bonus, our waitress assured us that the miserable weather would blow right through and that tomorrow would be nice for Milford Sound. Huh.

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

We checked into our motel and celebrated having so much space. Nice place this. We grumbled about the weather, sending the owner into a very detailed explanation of South Island weather patterns, the gist being that he predicted tomorrow would be an ideal day for Milford. Huh again.

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

I’d hoped to take Bob on the Rainbow Reach to Moturau Hut section of the Kepler Track, but neither of us could garner much enthusiasm for a three hour walk in the wind-driven slush. Instead we went to the Visitor’s Center; Bob explored while I made a frantic call to Jucy to sort out the cruise situation. They had room on the afternoon cruise, but by now I was questioning whether or not I wanted to undertake driving Milford Road in potentially nasty conditions. The whole idea of taking the morning cruise was to free up the afternoon for hiking. An afternoon cruise put the kibosh on that; hiking in the morning wasn’t even an option due to the road closure. So, I booked the bus; they’d collect us in Te Anau, drive us to Milford to connect with our already booked cruise for an additional $80 each (total of $119 each, including a light lunch, commentary and the fancy bus with the ceiling windows). Problem solved.

We visited the Wildlife Center on the shore of Lake Te Anau to take a peek at some of Fiordland’s birds, but unfortunately most of them were hiding from the atrocious weather.

I really wanted Bob to see the film Ata Whenua, to experience the Fiordland that few see. It’s shown at the Fiordland Cinema in Te Anau hourly between 3-6 pm. We were early for the 5 pm showing, so we relaxed with a drink in the attached Black Dog Bar, where Bob tried (and really liked) the Fiordland Lager. I loved the film all over again, even though I’ve seen it several times ($10 each).

http://www.fiordlandcinema.co.nz/fiordland-on-film

We retreated to our cozy motel to ride out the weather, fingers crossed that the locals were right and that we’d have a nice day for Milford.

If I can do it anyone can annhig! You'll have an advantage coming from a left side driving country. It's everyone else you need to worry about.>>

exactly. it doesn't matter how careful you are if you meet a drunk driving on what is the wrong side of the road for him or her just at the crucial point.

but we'll bear it in mind, promise.

anyway, thanks for the links to the restaurants you like etc - I've copied them into our itinerary for future reference.

September 5, 2013

As promised, the storm had passed and we were treated to a stunning cloudless day. I’ve spent many a wet day in Fiordland; I absolutely could not believe our luck.

We took an early morning walk along the lakefront. The views were incredible; a light layer of snow dusted the mountains, a swath of long white cloud danced above the lake, and all was reflected in the still blue water. Gorgeous!

We perused the junk shops and then waited…and waited… and waited…for our tardy bus, convinced that we’d been forgotten. We were eventually found by bus driver Russell, a giant of a man who made six foot tall Bob look small (he told us he was 5’22, which we had to think about for a minute or two). We spent the next two hours taking in the fabulous scenery along Milford Road, all the while being educated and entertained by Russell. As much as I dislike being part of a herd and my initial reluctance to take the bus, I have to admit that I really enjoyed it. It was nice to leave the driving to someone else, and Russell was a great guide. After all the weather drama, there wasn’t so much as a snowflake on the road; apparently, it had been closed due to black ice. We made the usual tour bus stops for photos and walked to The Chasm en masse, both of us hoping the bridge wouldn’t choose that particular moment to fail.

The views were incredible; there was fresh snow covering the mountains, waterfalls galore, and that wonderful blue sky. I repeatedly told Bob how fortunate he was to be here on such a beautiful day.

In Milford we walked towards our boat, and there it was; Mitre Peak, not a single cloud obscuring it, rising over a mile into the air. We boarded our Jucy cruise; evidently they’d combined the cancelled cruises onto the same small boat; it was a bit crowded for my tastes. It was also disorganized; the boat left late; there was some confusion about lunches; it was nearly 2 pm, a lot of people were very hungry. (Note: Lunch turned out to be half a ham sandwich, an apple and a stale cookie. The second half of that sandwich would have been much appreciated. In retrospect, we should have taken more snacks). Given the road closure, the minor problems were easy to forgive; especially on such a pretty day. All in all, Jucy did a pretty good job; the employees were all friendly and helpful, admirably weathering the storm.

The cruise was lovely, still not a cloud in the sky. We saw a Fiordland Crested Penguin swimming to shore, seals lazing on Seal Rock, and got close enough to a waterfall to get wet.

The return drive was just as pretty, although most of the folks who’d taken the bus in from Queenstown took the opportunity to snooze. Seven hours later we were back in Te Anau, feeling a bit sorry for those who still had another two hours on the bus ahead of them.

We popped into La Toscana to get a pizza to takeaway, but we were so hungry and tired that we decided to eat it on the spot ($28 – large ham and salami). A good decision, considering we managed to get turned around on our walk back to the motel; the pizza would have been a congealed mess.

It was a good day; we might have missed the walks, but Bob got to see the highlights of Milford Road and Milford Sound on a gorgeous spring day.

September 6, 2013

We parted ways with Fuzz the motel cat and left balmy Te Anau around 9 am (9C). We detoured some 20 km to Manapouri to check out the Doubtful Sound cruise terminal and eventually rejoined 94, following some erratic tailgating campervan drivers who were near impossible to pass.

After caffeine at Five Rivers Café, Bob took the wheel for his first ever left side driving experience. He was comfortable within no time and perfectly willing to attempt the roundabouts of Frankton/Queenstown as long as I agreed to ‘talk him through’. Too easy.

Before long we were cruising through the Kawarau Gorge on SH 6, Bob effortlessly negotiating the narrow curvy roads. We skirted Cromwell, considered stopping, but decided to push on to Wanaka with the hope we’d arrive in time for the 2 pm tour at Wanaka Beerworks.

http://www.wanakabeerworks.co.nz/WB/Home.html

This brewery is very much a mom and pop business, and while ‘tour’ might be a bit of a stretch, we both enjoyed chatting to owner Susan and her new employee Andrew and sampling the beer and cheese ($10 each, three 150 ml samples included). The brewery is right next door to the Toy Museum and Toy Shop; we poked through the shop, but passed on the museum, not being interested enough to cough up $14 each for entry.

We checked into Clearbrook Apartments and introduced ourselves to Frank, a sleek black cat sacked out on an office chair next to the heater. Apparently Frank has a Traveling Jones; he belongs to a neighbor, but prefers to hang out at the motel and the local pubs. Good on him.

Our accommodation was lovely, spacious, well equipped, spacious, within a short walk of town, did I mention spacious?

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

We considered hiking to Mt Iron, but it was getting late, cold and cloudy, so we settled for wandering the streets of Wanaka instead. We picked up provisions, and Bob’s curiosity (or his growling stomach) finally got the best of him and he tried (and liked) his first meat pie from the Dough Bin Bakery.

Dinner was at Relishes, soup for me, smoked salmon pasta for Bob, pretty good ($59 including beer and mulled wine). I was quite pleased to discover that Wanaka also has a Patagonia Chocolates, but alas it was closed, so no ice cream for me.

The rest of the evening was spent lounging on the balcony listening to the soothing brook below us while catching up on laundry – in the unit – very handy indeed.

September 7, 2013

A reheated bacon and egg pie for Bob, and we were out the door by 8:30, making hay while the sun was shining on this beautiful cold morning. After some photos of stunning Lake Wanaka, we located Matukituki Valley Road and headed towards Diamond Lake, some 12 km from town. Here we walked the Diamond Lake Track and then continued up to the Lake Wanaka Viewpoint. The views of the lake and its islands were nothing less than spectacular on this incredibly clear day – we had the entire track to ourselves until our descent; we both thoroughly enjoyed the trek (two hours return).

A stop at the DOC office the day before revealed that the track to Rob Roy Glacier had damage from two major rock falls and snow at the top, so we’d decided to give it a pass. We continued driving west on Matukituki Valley Road to soak up more of the fantastic scenery before reluctantly turning around.

We picnicked alongside stunning Glendhu Bay, loving the peace, serenity and gobsmacking views, me taking a gazillion photos and Bob stating that “everywhere you look is beautiful”.

We next sought out the Outlet Track, an easy path that follows the Clutha River from its start at Lake Wanaka to the Hikuwai Reserve in Albert Town. This section is supposedly world-renowned for its trout fishing. We didn’t see any fish, but there were lots of people out enjoying the day, including kayakers, bikers and walkers, one of which was simultaneously walking and playing the ukulele, Bob commenting “only in New Zealand”. We both enjoyed this gentle walk to Albert Town and return (six kilometres, 90 minutes).

We went back to town so I could get an ice cream fix at Patagonia – dark chocolate and mocha again – yum - (Note: The Wanaka location closes at 5 pm, yet they continue to sell ice cream and coffee via the window until 6 pm). We also picked up some more pies at the Dough Bin, dropped them off at our motel and then drove the two kilometers from town to Mt Iron for our last hike of the day. The owner of our accommodation had suggested we walk it in reverse, up the rough side (eastern) and down the gentle side (western), but we inadvertently ended up doing the exact opposite. As the name suggests, it’s uphill, rising some 250 meters, but the 360 degree views from the top make it well worth every huff and puff. The descent down the eastern side is bit scary with some sheer drops (took us 1:45 round trip). It was a perfect end to a lovely day.

We’d taken full advantage of the beautiful day, walking close to 5.5 hours, covering lots of ground. We picked up some provisions and then returned to our comfy digs to relax.

mmmm - i'm beginning to think that just one night in Wanaka was a mistake.

Could be annhig. We stayed two and could have easily used a third.

September 8, 2013

We woke to another flawless morning; fresh powder on the mountains and not a cloud in the sky (8C). We popped into the Dough Bin for baked goods, lounged over an al fresco flat white at the hugely popular Kai Whakapai, and bemoaned the fact that we were leaving Wanaka.

We had a long drive ahead, so we were on the road by 9:30 am, pointed north on SH 6, Bob comfortably at the wheel. The views of the snow covered mountains fringing sapphire blue Lake Hawea were spectacular, I couldn’t help but stop for photos again and again. At the Lake Hawea Overlook we asked a German couple if they’d take our photo; the woman responded with “how much did that camera cost?” and then sang out “say potato” as she clicked.

Every corner we rounded brought more spectacular views; it was just so darn pretty. As we approached Makarora Bob said “it sure is green”, a marked contrast indeed as we left the parched hills of Otago and began to approach the lush West Coast.

By the time we reached the Blue Pools we were enclosed by every possible shade of green and unfortunately, dark clouds. We took the 30 minute forest walk to the Blue Pools, which weren’t particularly blue today due to lack of sun.

We made a pit stop at Cameron Flat, me telling Bob that if he wanted to experience a sandfly bite this was the place, all he need do is roll up his sleeves and stand still for 30 seconds; he wisely took a pass.

This being the West Coast, it began to rain. We were soon stopping again, this time to take the short walk to the 96 meter high Thunder Creek Falls.

We made another pit stop in Haast; Bob zeroing in on the only cafe in town, the Fantail. I warned him that it was probably teahouse fodder, but his stomach egged him on; he had the Hoki and chips ($10), which he said wasn’t half bad.

Bob got his first glimpse of the Tasman Sea from Knights Point Lookout, where we stopped to explore before continuing on to Lake Moeraki. Fiordland Crested Penguins are sometimes seen on Monro Beach between July and October, breeding season; I didn’t expect to see any, but I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity, so we walked through the rainforest to the beach (90 minute return, no penguins). The sudden sunshine had lulled us into a false sense of security and we left our raingear behind. I should know better. Not only did it rain; it poured. We were completely soaked; trying to hide our cameras under our sodden fleece, me swearing at myself for my stupidity. The West Coast is green for a reason. Despite our lapse in judgement, it was an enjoyable walk through coastal forest and along sandfly thick Monro beach.

It was still pouring when we reached Bruce Bay, so we only made a quick stop before continuing on to the glaciers. It was getting dark, but Bob was keen to see Fox Glacier, so we drove down Glacier View Road for a quick look (too dark and gloomy to see much) before continuing on to incredibly wet and windy Franz Josef, where we finally arrived nine hours after leaving Wanaka.

We got settled in our comfortable digs, 58 on Cron, review here:

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

It’d been a long, tiring day. We walked to my favourite Franz Josef eatery, The Blue Ice, where we noshed on a massive salami oregano pizza ($33, very good, and plenty of leftovers for the next day), then retreated to our motel to dry out our fleece.

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

Before leaving Australia I’d booked a kiwi tour for the following night with Okarito Kiwi Tours. I’d been asked to confirm the booking the night before, but I chose to cancel instead. The unpromising weather and not being able to wear waterproof clothing (due to the noise it creates, scaring off the kiwis) coupled with our plans to explore both Fox and Franz Josef glaciers the next day and Bob already having some trouble with his foot, convinced me that a 3-5 hour evening excursion might just be too much. As it turned out, the operator agreed that the weather wouldn’t have been particularly good for the tour.

September 9, 2013

Despite torrential rain throughout the night, the morning was dry and promising, even more so as Bob’s foot was on the mend. Snow-capped mountains and blue skies beckoned from our kitchen window.

We were out the door early, backtracking on SH 6 to Lake Matheson, me positively giddy at the fabulous views of Mt Tasman and Mt Cook from the parking lot and Lake Matheson Cafe. Lake Matheson is known for the mountain views reflected in its still dark water. We walked to the Jetty Viewpoint (40 minutes return), and sure, it was nice enough, but we’d already seen far superior reflections in Lake Wakatipu, so we weren’t dazzled.

After perusing the gift shop and a snack at the cafe, we drove to Fox Glacier, where we walked through the glacial valley to the terminal face (one hour return). Fox Glacier was high on Bob’s list of must-sees and I was pleased that he could experience it in the sunshine.

While gassing the thirsty Corolla in the village ($2.41 per liter, gag, choke), we were approached by three young Asian tourists seeking a ride to Franz Josef as they’d missed their bus. So, with a full car, we wound our way back to Franz, sharing tips on things to see and do in Australia and on other parts of the South Island.

We dropped off our passengers, and then drove out to Franz Josef Glacier, where we walked to the terminal face under overcast skies (90 minutes return). The views were less than stellar given the gloom that had moved in, but we enjoyed the walk nonetheless.

We visited the DOC office in the township, had drinks at The Landing then retreated to our motel for pizza leftovers.

The evening was spent at the Glacier Hot Pools, located directly across the street from our accommodation ($23 each). Oh, man! It was hot pool heaven! I’d never been here before; we were both truly impressed. There are three free form public hot pools heated to 36C, 38C and 40C, tucked away in lush rainforest and covered with shade sails. There were very few guests and it was incredibly tranquil. It was, as Bob put it, “pure bliss’. I can’t think of a better way to spend an evening après hiking.

http://www.glacierhotpools.co.nz/

still here, melnq8, and busily making notes and copying links!

I've learnt so much!

Good to know annhig. I hadn't planned on droning on quite so much, but now that I've gotten this far I might as well finish.

You'll be relieved to know that the end is in sight.

September 10, 2013

The weather gods were angry, massive amounts of rain were predicted for the entire West Coast over the next few days. We said goodbye to wet Franz Josef (what, no cat?), detouring to Okarito for a look see before we worked our way north.

The rain continued to pummel us as Bob negotiated the endless squiggles and encountered his first cow parade in the middle of SH 6. It was green, green, green and wet, wet, wet.

We briefly stopped in Pukekura (population 2) at the Bushman’s Center, which touts itself as a “unique tourist attraction”. It was unique alright, but didn’t feel particularly welcoming with myriad signs advising people to ‘don’t do this and don’t do that’. The Puke Pub appeared to be permanently closed, but we didn’t investigate.

The abysmal weather followed us to Hokitika, where we called in for lunch at Cafe de Paris. Bob opted for the Dory, chips and salad, which he said was “awesome” and “the best of the trip”. The French onion soup was pretty good too ($38 total with coffee and a beer).

http://www.cafedeparis.net.nz/CafeDe...tika-Video.php

The plan was to drive out to Hokitika Gorge, but it was senseless in this miserable weather. Instead we sought out indoor pursuits. We visited the Jade Factory, warmly welcomed and invited into the workshop where we learned quite a bit about Hoki’s claim to fame, greenstone. One of the ladies suggested we visit the National Kiwi Center as well. We took her advice, spending the next couple of hours looking at the exhibits, watching a kiwi tear around its nocturnal enclosure and hand feeding the creepy eels. It was the perfect way to ride out the lousy weather and ideal consolation for missing the kiwi tour the previous night, really enjoyable ($18.50 each). Before leaving town, we also visited the Glassblowers; their workshop wasn’t operating, but there was plenty of glass to ogle.

http://www.thenationalkiwicentre.co.nz/

We continued on to Greymouth, got settled into our motel and then went to Monteith’s Brewery for a previously booked tour.

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

http://www.monteiths.co.nz/

It’d been ages since I visited Monteith’s and I barely recognized it. They now boast a massive bar, seating area, store and restaurant. The tour was short (20 minutes, $20 per person) but interesting. It included three 12 ounce beers/ciders each, plus a small beer each that we pulled ourselves.

We decided to stay on for dinner, ordering three tapas style plates to share ($40). The food was okay, certainly not something I’d go out of my way for, but it saved us from having to look elsewhere and it helped soak up all that beer. We both got a kick out of the bathroom; one shared room, with some stalls marked female, other marked male.

That evening, warm and dry in our fully booked motel, the news advised us that a severe storm was battering the South Island and to expect more violent weather.

Hi Melnq8 - I'm still here.

interesting you should mention Hokitika as i was looking at it last night and trying to decide whether we cancel our reservation there [which would give us 3 nights in Nelson] or keep it, [which would give us two, but would spread the long drive from Nelson over two days, rather than one].

any thoughts? is there a better place to stay en route , eg Greymouth? or Punakaiki? we'd really like to see the pancake rocks at their best, and high tide is about 11 am on the day we would be driving past.

as you can see, we are down to the REAL nitty gritty of planning now!

Hi annhig –

Greymouth isn’t particularly interesting from a tourist standpoint. I chose to include it in our itinerary for several reasons 1) it broke up the very long drive from the glaciers to Kaikoura 2) it gave us the opportunity to visit Hokitika Gorge – which didn’t happen due to weather 3) it gave us the opportunity to take the brewery tour. In other words, it was convenient. What we ended up doing in Hoki was mere happenstance, the lousy weather presented a challenge and we went with it.

If I remember correctly, your next stop after Nelson is the glaciers, right?

Consider this. If you leave Nelson at 7 am and don’t dally, you can be in Punakaiki by high tide at 11. It takes less than an hour to see the rocks. There are several tracks in the area, but assuming the rocks are your main interest, you won’t need much time. So, say you leave Punakaiki by 1 pm, you can potentially be in Hokitika by around 2:30 pm. If you stay in Hoki for the night, you’ll have plenty of time to drive out to Hoki Gorge, you’ll have time to poke around the greenstone shops, have a nice dinner and maybe even check out the glow worm dell across the street from the Shining Star.

If you choose to forge on, you could potentially be in Franz Josef by 4:30-5:30 pm. This of course doesn’t take into account stops for food, coffee and loo breaks, photo ops, walks en route, etc. This is pretty much drive, drive, drive, with a stop in Punakaiki.

I personally feel that only two nights in Nelson/Abel Tasman is giving it short shrift, but I’m also hesitant to suggest a first time visitor to NZ undertake such a long drive day. You’re accustomed to left side driving, but driving in NZ can be challenging and tiring; narrow winding roads, one way bridges, cows, sheep…all of these things can make your drive even longer.

So, it comes down to what makes more sense for you – an extra day in Nelson/Abel Tasman and a very long drive day, or a more leisurely drive and another accommodation change.

September 11, 2013

Between the torrential rain, howling wind and a chorus of frogs outside our bathroom window, I didn’t get much sleep; Bob, as usual, slept like a log.

The news headlines informed us that spring storms were sweeping the country, causing chaos. Thirty thousand homes in Christchurch had lost power overnight; there’d been over 5,000 lightening strikes, numerous reports of trees falling onto houses and cars, and there were two large forest fires burning west of Amberley. New Zealand had reared its ugly head.

The dismal weather didn’t bode well for our long drive day ahead. We’d planned to drive over Arthur’s Pass so Bob could see the Otira Viaduct, and then work our way to Kaikoura. I’d also toyed with making the detour to Punakaiki, so he could experience Pancake Rocks, but there was no point driving up there in this kind of weather.

I checked the road conditions online; Arthur’s Pass was open, but there were warnings in place for surface flooding. The lovely woman in reception at our motel advised us she’d been told the pass was closed. Huh. We decided to find out for ourselves. We drove south on SH 6 (25 minutes) to Kumara Junction where the highway meets 73, the turnoff to Arthur’s Pass. The visibility was awful, the skies so dark it felt like night, the rain relentless.

Once there, the illuminated road conditions sign warned of high winds, surface flooding and a closure between two points I was unfamiliar with. We consulted the map, decided it wasn’t worth the risk, and turned back towards Greymouth, planning to try our luck at Lewis Pass instead.

The weather improved ever-so-slightly as we turned onto SH 7 and worked our way to Reefton, where we stopped for caffeine and muffins at the cute little Reef Cottage Cafe, becoming fast friends with one of the resident dogs.

Bob took the wheel as we continued east on SH 7, a roadside sign warning of more strong winds and surface flooding. Pastures were submerged, rivers full to bursting and brown with runoff, police and emergency service crews busy and visible.

The Inangahua River lapped up against the highway between Reefton and Springs Junction and I had to wonder if we’d be seeing Kaikoura today. The weather worsened as we eased up and over Lewis Pass, dodging the occasional rock fall and pooling water. It was quite a contrast from the dry riverbeds we’d seen in Otago. The lightening was back, the clouds low and threatening, the swollen rivers flowing fast and freakishly close to the highway... none of which helped my full bladder.

The truck traffic was heavy, presumably having been diverted from Arthur’s Pass. We began to lose hope that the better weather we’d been promised on this side of the pass would be forthcoming.

We detoured to Hanmer Springs via 7A, hungry, and me in desperate need of a loo (and for the first time in recent memory, unable to find one in travel friendly NZ). We relaxed over lunch at a little cafe on the main drag (Springs Deli Cafe?), selected solely because it was busy, and therefore promising; a deli burger with fries for Bob, tomato basil soup for me, good and filling ($27).

We backtracked, rejoined SH 7, turned on to 70 at Mouse Point and continued east via the inland route, alongside the very full and muddy Waiau River. The festivities continued, highway crews setting out cones along flooded sections of roadway, yet others wielding chainsaws, sawdust and wood chips everywhere as they cut down dangerous limbs. The damage was widespread and severe; collapsed sheds, mangled road signs, downed trees; a doozie of a storm indeed. The destruction increased as we approached Mt Lyford, winding along narrow 70; rockfalls, split and uprooted trees, obstacles at every turn. But even more amazing was the speedy clean up and the valiant effort to keep the roads open.

A sliver of blue sky lay ahead, giving us hope that our luck with driving on crap days and exploring on pretty days would continue. Suddenly, the Pacific Ocean came into view, and we joined SH 1 north to partly cloudy but dry Kaikoura, arriving some seven hours after leaving Greymouth.

Home at last. It’d been an exhausting day.

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

We walked to town and along the smooth black rocks of the beach, both glad to finally be out of the car!

So, it comes down to what makes more sense for you – an extra day in Nelson/Abel Tasman and a very long drive day, or a more leisurely drive and another accommodation change.>>

you mean you're not going to make the decision for me, Melnq8?

oh dear - i think we may have to toss a coin!

Actually i think that we are leaning towards staying 3 nights in Nelson and doing the long drive, just as long as we don't hit weather like that you describe above! it sounds horrible. as you say we are used to driving on the left, and being from Cornwall, we are also used to cows, sheep, and all manner of other things on the road. thanks, as ever, for your input.

September 12, 2013

Although hugely popular with tourists, Kaikoura has never really appealed to me. There’s no denying that it’s beautifully situated, but the town’s layout is awkward and odd. The section along the esplanade is quiet, attractive and convenient to the ocean. Yet the section that extends laterally along SH 1 (aka Beach Road) is a mishmash of houses, motels, shops and industry, all facing the busy highway. The coastline is behind this sprawl, as are the train tracks and safety fencing, essentially making the beach inaccessible. From this end, Kaikoura doesn’t feel like a beach town. If I had it to do over again, I’d stay along the esplanade and give a wide berth to “Beach Road”.

Our luck with the weather continued. The storm was on its way to the North Island, leaving behind blue skies and a howling wind expected to be a distant memory by noon. After breakfast at The Good Food Company (eggs, bacon & toast $10, good flat whites), we drove north on SH 1, some ~25 kilometers to Ohau Point Seal Colony. Indeed, seals were everywhere – on the rocks below the viewpoint, in the ocean, on the grass between the sea and the highway. The best part – seal pups playing in a rock pool while the adults lazily looked on.

A gazillion photos later we continued north for about a kilometer, parked in the Ohau Stream car park and took the 10 minute walk back to the waterfall to watch dozens of New Zealand fur seal pups frolic in the pool beneath the waterfall. We had the entire place to ourselves – this is always great fun and Bob really seemed to get a kick out of it (seal pups at the waterfall is generally a winter occurrence, although I’ve heard reports of people seeing them there at other times too).

http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-rec...u-stream-walk/

We continued north on SH 1, parked at Okiwi Bay Scenic Reserve and set out on the Okiwi Bay Track which consists of five walk options ranging from 10 minutes to six hours. We walked up to and beyond the first viewpoint (nice views of the bay, steep rocky track), considered walking to the Pacific Viewpoint, but we weren’t sure if the 1:20 walking time posted on the DOC information board was one way (UP) or return...so we decided to turn back (50 minute return).

We followed a side road to nowhere and slowly eased our way back to Kaikoura, making several stops to stroll along the rocky beach, look for shells, and photograph the snoozing seals (one of which barked at us as we distantly sidled by, apparently not distant enough). As promised the wind was gone, it was a beautiful sunny day.

Then it was on to Kaikoura Peninsula, met in the car park by...seals. Yep, the big lazy things were practically at our feet. We didn’t even notice the one sacked out on the concrete barrier in the car park directly in front of our car until we got out. Another seal lay beneath the DOC sign at the beginning of the walkway, practically on the track.

We spent the next three hours exploring the Peninsula Walkway, first the well graded cliff top track, then down to the rocky beach, thinking we could make a loop. We picked our way over the incredibly slimy rocks covered in what we suspected was seal poop, nasty and treacherous. Apparently, this wasn’t part of the track; the terrain became too rough and slick, we had concerns about safety, so we retraced our steps, climbed back to the cliff top and worked our way back to the car park.

The views from the cliff top were incredible, endless Pacific Ocean to the east, rolling countryside and mountains to the west - gorgeous.

We soaked up the sea views over drinks at the Green Dolphin, shared three appetizers at Robbie’s Bistro for dinner ($45 with two drinks, generous portions), then called it a day,