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Day 10 - November 14th, 2017
Crossing the South Island Itinerary:
RV Park: Kaikoura TOP10 Holiday Park ((http://www.kaikouratop10.co.nz) Transportation: Abel Tasman National Park - Kaikoura (430 km/267 ml - 8 hours with stops) Dining:
Today weather was absolutely beautiful, not a single cloud on a sky, so after breakfast Rod dropped us on the shore so that we could walk along the famous Abel Tasman Coast Track, and took off to meet us at Pukatea Bay. After initial climbing up the hill, our path ran through dense thickets of trees, where we saw(and heard!) a lot of different birds, and stopped a couple time for vistas opening beautiful panoramas of the coastline and the Tasman Sea, with its yachts and sailboats, including Rod’s. We walked on the track for about an hour and a half, admiring the spectacular views from above, then we went down to the bay, and Rod took us on our last ride on Tasman sea back to our car. Our next plan was to drive from one coast of the South Island to another to Kaikoura. Kaikura, actually was off and on our plans several times. Initially we included it, as the place was highly recommended in all trip reports and guide books we read: good fishing and whale-watching. But there was a devastating earthquake in 2016 in this region that destroyed towns and roads, including one of the main highways of the South Island connecting Nelson-Picton-Kaikura-Christchurch. We hoped that the road would be restored prior our vacation, but it did not happen. Alternative road would increase the driving time from 3-4 hours to 6-8 hours, so we dropped Kaikoura form our plans. Instead we decided to do sea fishing in Tasman sea. But when I started looking for fishing charters in Nelson area I could not find anything. I dogged deeper and guess what: there is no fish in the Tasman Sea, at least not worth of fishing, hence no fishing charters. So Kaikura made a comeback to our plans. Why I was so concerned about fishing? Because, I had a very hard time persuading my husband to go with me on the 4-days Milford Track. He agreed only in exchange for two fishing trips: one in fresh water one in ocean. That is why I walked very hard to keep my promise to plan two fishing expeditions, and he agreed to walk with me on Milford track, as agreed:-) Our kayak guide Darryl confirmed that the fish was at Tasman sea once, but the species imported by Europeans made it disappear. Ok, back to that day. Before hitting a long road to Kaikoura, we stopped for a wine tasting of New Zealand famous wines: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. We stopped at first winery we saw, sampled some local wine cutting with the hostess ( we were the only patrons that morning) and bought a couple of bottles to bring home. The road to Kakoura ran through the rural landscapes of the South Island. Although it was a long road, we did not rush, often stopping to admire views, and once for a picnic. The weather was superb, the sun was bright, and the surrounding scenery was picturesque like from the postcard. Finally reaching Kaikoura late evening, after sitting behind the wheel for almost 8 hours, my husband still found some energy to cook us 5-stars dinner accompanied by the great wine we bought earlier. |
Day 11 - November 15th, 2017
Kaikoura Itinerary:
Transportation: Kaikoura - Christchurch (203 km/126 ml - 3.5 hours) Dining: - Dinner - lobster with mashed potato, grilled corn on a cob and grilled bell peppers Kaikura suffered greatly from 2016 earthquake, and has not yet recovered. We saw the remains of destruction, and reconstruction work was happening everywhere. We drove through the city in the morning to the pier to get on fishing charter boat with Captain Mark and his assistant Peter. Unlike Susan’s, it was not a private charter: besides us, there were 2 Aussies , but price was higher than in Taupo. I did not mind, anything to help Kaikoura’s small business to get back on their feet. The boat was bigger than Suzan's, there was even a toilet and a small cabin to hide from the wind, but it was not as neatly maintained as Susan’s, far from it. Mark took us far to the ocean, where we started a competition who would grab the fish first ... but not among us, but between people and albatrosses. These large birds were patiently circling around and, as soon as someone pulled out fish, tore it off on the fly from the hook and tore the poor from one to the other. It took time for us to adjust competing against these birds, but we managed. Actually, we did not need mush, because there were only 2 days left for us to travel in RV. As we kept only two large perches for dinner, and we caught and released the rest. On the way back, Mark stopped at his lobster crates and gave each of us a lobster. The selection of lobsters went according to the NZ fishing guidelines (and we realized that no one in New Zealand is joking with laws served protecting the environment and its inhabitants). Female lobster, especially pregnant ones, was released immediately, and the males were measured both in length and in the extent of the tail. New Zealand lobsters are different from North American lobsters, they have almost no claws, probably more peace-loving :-) After fishing we went back to our RV, cleaned up a little, had a light lunch and moved on to our next adventure. As I already mentioned, Kaikoura is famous for its colony of whales living nearby. There are a lot of whale watching tours taking people on boats, but we decided to try something different and look at the whales from above, on a small 6-seat plane. The weather today was the best possible, so the only thing we needed is for whales to show up. Dmitry was assigned as a co-pilot, I was put on a third row, but each seat had a great view. We got lucky, we saw a very large sperm whale in all its grandeur. We also saw flocks of dolphins and scuba divers, it was very interesting to look at all of this from above, different. Today was a great day, we had a lot of cool experiences, and on a top of all of it we had a lobster dinner! You should've seen the dropped jaws of people in the RV park communal kitchen, when we brought lobsters to cook, not your usual backpacker’s dinner:-) Dmity steamed them with dill and other spices, he knew what he was doing, yummy! |
Day 12 - November 16th, 2017
Aoraki-Mt.Cook National Park Itinerary:
RV Park: White Horse Hill campground (https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-re...ll-campground/) Transportation: Christchurch - Aoraki-Mt.Cook National Park(333 km/207 ml - 4-5 hours) Dining: - Dinner - baked perch + everything else found in our refrigerator We had no plans in Christchurch, as we would return here in a week, so we left very early to get to the Aoraki / Mt Cook National Park, the home of New Zealand’s highest peak. It was overcast in a morning, which made us very concerned about a prospect of seeing the top of Mt.Cook. But, on our way there we stopped for an ice cream in a small cafe and chatted with a store clerk Natasha, who turned out to be Russian. Well, she completely lost a language as she was brought in New Zealand in a very young age, but nevertheless she was very happy to meet the fellow Russian immigrants. Natasha told us not to lose hope, saying you guys in New Zealand where the weather is changing in front of your eyes, in a couple of kilometers you may see a completely different sky. And, to our joy, that is exactly what happened: in half an hour the sun came out, the sky was completely cleared and we were happy campers again! The road to Mount Cook was stunning. We stopped many times to enjoy the magnificent scenery surrounding lakes Takapo and Pukaki, and very beautiful meadows with pink and purple lupine flowers, and soon Mount Cook appeared in its full splendor. We parked RV in the campground, which was something between freedom parking and a bully powered holiday park: it had toilets, a kitchen, but no showers and no powered sites. We took an easy trail through the Hooker valley to the lake Hooker, where we were blessed with another spectacular view of the Mount Cook and its reflection in the lake with floating glaciers. The hike took us about 3-1/2 hours if you go slowly and take time enjoying the beauty of this amazing place. It was very warm, but when we returned to the campground, it was getting dark and it became very cold and windy. We turn the heat inside RV to the max! Today was our last night in RV and we tried to finish all leftovers and remaining food, leaving only cottage cheese and eggs for breakfast. We kept all nonperishable food like cookies and nuts for the Milford track. Last night in our motorhome .... And what a night it was! This area is one of the darkest in New Zealand and even in the world, and when the sky is clear you can see more stars than anywhere else. We woke up at 2 am and laid down on a grass (with blanket, of course) looking at a black velvet sky dotted with myriad bright stars! |
Sounds like a perfect day to me. The sight of the mountains must have been glorious and the night sky equally magical.
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Day 13 - November 17th, 2017
Queenstown Itinerary:
Hotel: Hilton Queenstown Resort & Spa (Queenstown Hotels Hilton Queenstown Resort & Spa Queenstown,) Transportation:
Despite staying up long staring at starry sky, we managed to get up early ( I guess a jet leg still had something to do with this), and hit a road for our final leg on RV to Queenstown, where we planned a very busy day: - buy food for 4 days trekking - check in to a hotel, leave luggage and food - return the car to the Maui rental office (before 3PM) - walk around the city - pack our backpacks for a 4-day hike on the Milford Track. Everything went according to plan. We stopped at a store specializing in everything for hiking and other active outdoor activities, and bought packages of freeze-dried food, then in a "Countdown" supermarket and bought nuts, dried fruits, crackers, apples and bananas. Check. Then we arrived at the hotel, started a check-in and then I noticed that the clerk’s name on a tag is the same as mine! Svetlana was from Belarus, and the first Russian-speaking person we met in New Zealand. Despite the angelic appearance, Svetlana turned out to be an inveterate biker, so she and my husband found something in common. The hilly curvy roads around Queenstown were her paradise, she was very pleased that Hilton had transferred her here, before that she worked in the Seychelles, where she was dying with boredom. She gave us an excellent room, with a patio and a fireplace. Check. We left our luggage in a room and drove the RV to Maui's office at the airport, 10 min drive from the hotel, and said a final goodbye to our home for the past 2 week…. From the airport we took a bus to Queenstown. When we got in and asked how much is fare, the driver asked where we were going, scratched his head and waved his hand, saying $17 is fine. I am still not sure if we were ripped off or got a good deal:-) Now, Queenstown… At this point I can say that Queenstown has become our favorite city in New Zealand, picturesque, friendly and with its character. We walked along the streets, made a serious shopping, buying ourselves, our son and parents sweaters and cardigans from the local wool Merino, super soft, although not cheap. Having completed this shop marathon, we realized that had not eaten since morning. We walked along the water front with plenty of restaurants for every taste and wallet, but could not choose. I wanted a bloody thick steak! Finally, I saw a restaurant with promising name Botswana Butchery and we got what I wanted: filet-mignon rare, yummy! And my husband took the ribs, very delicious! After 2 weeks of cooking, we finally relaxed in a pleasant setting in a restaurant with wine and a beautiful view of Queenstown. Check. We used a water taxi back to the hotel, and began packing for tomorrow. We ended up taking only half of what we planned originally, since we could not fit everything to our backpacks. Decided not to bring extra blankets and pillows, just sleeping bags. Half of clothes went out too, well, we would have to wear the same T-shirts for 2 days. I rationed food and clothes for 4 days, eventually we took only what was absolutely necessary, like rain gear, as we were going to Fjordland where it’s raining 80% of the time, medications for emergencies and allergies, repellent was a must!!!. At the end of this packing and repacking, we were able to finally close our backpacks. Funny I could not lift mine, only carry it on my back! Check, the final of the day. After everything was finally packed, we sat at the terrace, enjoyed the sunset and then went to sleep, sleep, sleep… |
8 Attachment(s)
Day 14 - November 18th, 2017
Milford Track - Day One Itinerary: Queenstown - Te Anau - Te Anau Dawns - Glade Wharf - Clinton Hut Overnight: Clinton Hut Transportation:
Walking: Attachment 949 Attachment 950
Today we said goodbye to civilization, internet, phone and a hot shower for 4 days, and started a journey in one of the amazing and beautiful places not only of New Zealand, but of the whole world. It belongs to the Fiordland National Park, which is part of the Te Wahhipunamu - South West New Zealand World Heritage Area. Milford track runs through glaciated valleys, through rainforests and mountain passes, and where you not only admire the cascading waterfalls, but also use them to replenish you canteens with the purest mountain water. Milford track is one-way trail and, since this area is protected, the number of people walking it on high season from October to May is limited by the Department of Conservation. There are only two options to get on this track: Option no.1 (we called ourselves "economy class", but the official name "independent hikers"): booking using the official website of the Department of Conservation: https://booking.doc.govt.nz/Menu.aspx?sg=MIL This website usually posts 2-3 months in advance the date when booking for new season would be opening. Do not miss it, because spots go fast! You choose the start date and the number of people in your group, and, if there are spots available, reserve all three huts (camping, and overnight stays outside official huts are prohibited). You can also add transport (bus + boats) from Te Anau to the trailhead, and from the trail end to Milford Sound. All buses and boats are connected, and if the bus is late, then the boat is waiting for it. The whole trip with overnight stays, and transfers costs $375 per person, plus cost of transfer from Queenstown to Te Anau and back. The number of spots is limited to 40 people per day. To book it is necessary in advance, places fly away very quickly. All huts have bunk beds with mattresses, hot and cold water, kitchens with gas ranges (you must bring matches or lighter), and gender-neutral restrooms. You must carry all trash with you, except used toilet paper. Option no.2 ("business class"): if you prefer comfort or were not able to secure you spot using official website, then you can go with a company "Ultimate Hikes" (https://www.ultimatehikes.co.nz/en/g...-milford-track) the only company that is permitted to guide tourists on Milford Track. You stay in comfortable cottages, have 3 meals a day, a guide and a cruise on the Bay of Milford on the last day. You do not need to carry enormous backpack, only the small one that fits a change of clothes and toiletries. Did I say it is six times more expensive with a $2300 tag? Anyway, if you prefer to use this option do not wait till last minute, it is also sold out rather quickly. We checked the route, it did not seem too tough and opted out for the first option, to have a full experience of trekking, not the sugarcoated version (no disrespect to anyone who chose the second option:-). We left the second option only as a last resort if we were not able to secure our spots! And OMG! On an opening day of booking I sat at the computer for an hour. The server was overloaded with people like me, I timed out several times and I had to start all over again, but in the end I was able to book our spots. Back to the day of November 18th: We left our luggage at the bell captain, as we were coming back here for one night after the track. We wanted to take a taxi to the bus stop to Te Anau, but today there was a Queenstown marathon, and all roads were blocked, so the concierge advised us to walk, only 25 minutes. Because of the marathon, our bus was late for an hour and a half, I got agitated, called Te Anau office, but they reassured me they know about delay and the boat would be waiting for us, and nobody would be left out. When we finally got onto the bus, we met two more guys going on the track on the same day, Dylan from Boston, and Baptiste from Switzerland. In Te Anau DOC office we got our boat and hut tickets and took another bus to the boat deck. Finally we were on a boat where we met lovely couple from England, Lydia and James, so our close group was slowly forming. Because of all the delays, we got to the trailhead only by 5 pm, instead of 3. Today’s walk was short and easy and we got to our first overnight stop around 6 pm. The main group was already there and listened to the ranger, who talked about rules and what to expect tomorrow on a trail. There were two barracks, 20 beds each. Of course, since we arrived last, we got the upper beds, but not far from each other. We dined from the backpacker package something called Pasta Venetian style, had a tea with the English couple, Dylan and Baptiste and went to bed. Long, long day, lots of buses and worries. |
6 Attachment(s)
Day 15 - November 19th, 2017
Milford Track - Day Two Itinerary: Clinton Hut - Clinton River Valley - Mintaro Hut Overnight: Mintaro Hut Walking: Attachment 953 Attachment 954
For breakfast, we had an instant oatmeal, dressed with dried apricots, nuts, raisins, cinnamon and honey, not bad. Coffee, marmalade, cookies, all leftovers from our RV days went into action. We started walking at 8AM in the morning. At first the weather was foggy, but after 2 hours fog and clouds gone and the day was wonderful. We were to pass 16.5 km of a relatively flat road with a slight rise towards the end of the day. We first walked through forest with giant ferns. By the way, the fern is a national plant of New Zealand, its symbol can be seen everywhere in the country. Then the path emerged into open space and went along the Clinton River through the valley surrounded by mountains with many waterfalls. We met many birds, at one point we followed the family of ducks, it was very amusing to watch their behavior. Every now and then there were signs alerting that the next 200-300 m stops are not allowed, without explaining why. It wish they would explain. We, following the ineradicable Russian habit of doing an opposite to what authorities tell us to do, stopped to take pictures of incredible panoramic views. Until at one point we heard a crushing sound of avalanche behind us. November is spring in New Zealand, a season of melting snow in the mountains and, as a result, frequent avalanches. A group of Chinese, a guy and three girls were behind us about hundred meters, and we were frightened something happened to them, but, thank God, they were OK, although the moment was unpleasant. By noon we reached the shelter with a canopy, and decided to have a bite. Lydia and James were already there, and we all shared a meal: a pita with canned tuna, bread and jam, apples and nuts. All this was with incredibly tasty crystal clear water, taken along the way from the streams. After lunch, the road markedly went up, and we again went through the forest, with beautiful views of the McKennon Pass, which we had to conquer tomorrow. Today you were among the first group to reach the hut, and we took very comfortable two bottom beds. Today the configuration of the barracks was slightly different, it was divided into compartments, more isolated, I even was able to change my clothes there. Once settled, English called us to swim in the river nearby. By the time, we had new members joining our group: Scott from San Francisco, Israeli Ari and Romanian Drogash. I really wanted to swim, the day was hot, after 6 hours of walking everyone was sweaty, and for lack of a shower, swimming in the river was what it needed. However, the water in the river was not just cold, it was scorchingly icy. Therefore, besides us, the ”crazy Russians", as we were immediately called, only James dared to join us to go into the water. Here we had our first encounter with the unpleasant inhabitants of the Fiordland - small biting midges sandflies, which clung to me from all sides, as I just climbed out of the water. Another impudent new acquaintance was the local bird kea, who tried to steal Dylan's flip-flops. Back in the barracks, I immediately smeared with a remedy for sandflies, but it was too late, there were many bites, but, thank God, only on my feet and legs, not on my face. Today for dinner we had a dish called "Lamb with mashed potatoes”, not differ from yesterday's pasta in Venetian pasta, but we were hungry and did we have a choice? We even share it with ever-hungry Dylan and Baptiste. They bought tickets on the last day (someone canceled last minute) and really did not have time to buy enough food. We all fed them during the whole trip. By the way, hiking boots must’ve been left outside and hung on veranda canopy, so kea could not reach them. My husband, after the event with an avalanche, clearly followed the rules, and I decided that there would be no harm done if I keep my shoes next to me. And, of course, I turned out to be right (I will talk about it tomorrow)! Today, the snorer did not bother us, he slept on the other floor of the hut, but I still had a hard time falling asleep because of terrible itching sandflies bites on my legs. The only thing that helped me was regular sanitizer, not the bite remedy, it was useless. Honestly? I would rather had another night next to a snorer, than this terrible itching. |
2 Attachment(s)
Day 16 - November 20th, 2017
Milford Track - Day Three Itinerary: Mintaro Hut - MacKinnon Pass - Sutherland Falls - Dumpling Hut Overnight: Dumpling Hut Walking: Attachment 955 Attachment 956
We woke up by the outside noise. It turned out there was a raid of kea pack on barrack’s veranda last night, and all shoes left outdoor were battered, including the backs of Dima's shoes. The only shoes survived that raid was mine and a couple others who ignored the policy and kept the shoes inside. Besides ruined shoes there were missing socks, showcase and such. Dima actually got it not as bad as Lydia whose boots were turned into sandals by kea. The ranger helped her to wrap them with the duck tape. Today promised to be very long day. We had to climb the McKinnon Pass, followed by a long steep descent, and then make a detour to see the highest waterfall in New Zealand, the Sutherland, where water falls from a height of 580m. The weather was excellent, sunny and warm, even hot. But the higher we climbed, the colder and freezer it became, with snow spots appearing here and there. The view from the top was absolutely stunning worth the effort. There were small lakes there, but even us, “Crazy Russians” did not dare to put our feet in it :-) After warming ourselves in the shelter and taking time admiring the views, we began a long descent. The main trail was closed due to the danger of avalanches, we used an alternative path which was shorter, but much steeper with lots of rocks, so we did not save time. That was the toughest part of the entire Milford track. When we finally returned to the main path, it became easier. On our way down we caught a very beautiful cascading waterfall (Anderson Cascades) absolutely spectacular. Today, for the first time, our path crossed with a group of "business class” people:-) They could immediately be distinguished with their perfume aroma (who wears perfume on a track?!). At last we went down to Quentin shelter, where we rested a little, snacked, left our backpacks and made an hour-and-a-half walk to the Sutherland waterfall. That was amazing, our small camera could not even capture the waterfall at full height. What power, what strength and energy! Some people were so tired from the long walk and decided to skip this detour, they missed a lot! We returned to Quentin hut, picked up our backpacks, and walked another hour and a half to our final overnight stay, Dumpling Hut. There were 4 barracks with 10 beds, we walked to the first and were surprised to see lower beds available, took them but then realized the catch: there was a "snoring" Australian staying in the same barrack. His brother laughed, and reassured us the night would be quiet, because his brother would be sent to sleep in the kitchen. Thanks God! Later our close group sat for the last dinner, watched photos, shared memories, exchanged contacts. Oh, yeah, today no one left the shoes outside:-) |
7 Attachment(s)
Day 17 - November 21st, 2017
Milford Track - Day Four. Milford Sound Itinerary:
Overnight: on board the cruise ship "Milford Mariner" (https://www.realjourneys.co.nz/en/ex...night-cruises/) Walking: Attachment 962 Attachment 963
And here it came our last day on the Milford track. Today we completed the track and returned to civilization, to phones, normal food and, most importantly, to a hot shower :-) The night was the best out of three, I slept very well and was one of the first to get up. We left earlier than usual, at 7:00AM. Today was the longest stretch of 18 km, but mostly flat, so we calculated by leaving at 7 we should comfortably catch the 2PM boat back to Milford Sound. The trail ran along the Arthur river. On our way, we stopped at an old shed that used to store boats, and then we made a very small detour to see the Mackay Falls and the huge Bell Rock, where the water washed up space beneath so one can stand straight under the rock. The Mackay Falls may not be as spectacular as the Sutherland Falls, but it's absolutely worth a look. Then the path led us to Ada lake with its sandy beach, and then to Giant Gate Falls, and from there we took the last leg to the finish line, Sandfly Point, where for the first time we finally saw the world famous Milford Sound. Sandfly point is called as such for a reason, there were clouds of nasty sandflies, but this time we were prepared, wearing hat mesh. We arrived around 1:30, Dylan was already there hanging out alone. Scott and Baptiste had already left on an early boat. Soon Lydia and James and all the others joined us one by one. While sitting and waiting for a boat, we counted number of countries among 40 people on a track and got 13: UK, Japan, China, USA, Russia (we agreed to be counted as Russians for better representation, even we’d lived in the States for 24 years), Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia, Israel, Belgium, Switzerland, and of course New Zealand and Australia . Strange, there were no ubiquitous Germans, who we came across everywhere in N. Zealand, but for some reason there was no single German on the Track. Finally, the boat arrived and took us to the Milford Sound. There we parted with everyone, most of people took the bus back to Queenstown, some, like Lydia and James, stayed here for the night. We booked the overnight cruise on Milford Sound with the company "Real Journeys”, so we checked in, left our luggage with them, changed from boots to flip-flops and went to find something to eat. We were joined by Lydia and James, who were waiting for a taxi to their hotel, and then by a couple from Netherlands who arrived by a 3PM boat. We had a New Zealand pizza, which after 4 days of freeze-dried food tasted like a gourmet food. Finally, it was time to board our cruise boat. First we were greeted with champagne, fruit and a snack, then we listened what awaits us on the cruise, schedule, the crew was introduced. Then we were given an hour to settle. Finally the shower time!! Meanwhile, the ship sailed across the bay, revealing stunning views. The weather was great again, it was sunny, and only one low white cloud, which actually complemented the views. Looking back I cannot believe how fortuitous we were with the weather. This region is the rainiest in the country, and we were warned that for 4 days of hiking the probability that we will get in the rain is 98%. But for 4 days did not see a drop of rain, it's incredible but we were lucky. Next, we were offered a choice of either a fast boat trip or a kayaking. We chose kayaks, but they were not as equipped as Darryl's kayaks, not covering legs. As a result, the nasty sandflies had a blast biting my legs and I was completely helpless. I struggled with sandflies, paddled the kayak and at the same time tried t enjoy the views. Finally, after an hour this torture ended and we were back to the boat. After resting and cleaning up, we went to dinner. Dinner was a buffet, including dessert. The main dessert was the famous Pavlova cake, meringue with fruit and whipped cream, similar to the ballet tutu of the famous Russian ballerina. By the way, the correct pronunciation is pAvlova, not pavlOva:-), but it’s OK. After dinner we again went to the deck, where it became noticeably colder, but it did not matter, because we spotted two large whales. They jumped out, let the fountain and played with each other. At first we tried to take photo, but they dived and jumped out in another unpredictable place. In the end, we gave up, and just enjoyed watching them. When it was dark, everyone was invited to the cinema room for a documentary about .... Milford Track. We did not bother, because we ourselves were able to tell everything about this track. We were fatally tired and could not wait to finally fall asleep in a clean, soft, normal bed. |
Day 18 - November 22nd, 2017
Milford Sound from water and from air. Queenstown. Itinerary:
Transportation:
Dining: Crayfish dinner at the Finz Seafood & Grill restaurant (Finz Seafood & Grill - Finz Seafood & Grill) We slept like babies. Had breakfast and went to the deck to listen to the guide. Today we had a terrific day. For a start was watch a beautiful sunrise. Then we watched another whale, the different kind than yesterday, the one with a light belly. How did we know? Because he (or she) constantly turned over with its belly up, and showed us its big wings. He circled the ship for an hour then gone. Then we came across a whole flock of sea lions, spinning the same way as the whale. There was, probably, something in Milford Sound water as all animals have a morning ritual like this. And then we got close to the famous Bowen waterfall. That was spectacular! Water poured into the ocean creating radial rays scattered on the water. Phenomenal, I have not seen anything like it. For this I strongly recommend a cruise on Milford Sound. After that all the other waterfalls we had seen, seemed not that impressive (with the exception of the Sutherland Falls). We were back to Milford Sound dock by 10am. Our cruise tour had a choice of returning to Queenstown by bus or by plane. We choose a flight. We were lucky once again with the weather, because with cloudy or foggy sky the flight could’ve been cancelled. The place was very small, just to fit 10 people, including pilots and we were afraid that we would not be allowed to load our huge backpacks, but it was not a problem. That flight created one of the most unforgettable memories of New Zealand. It was unimaginable splendor, especially the bright blue Erskin lake on top of the plateau with the waterfalls descending downwards against the background of the snow mountains. The flight was about an hour, and it felt more like 15 minutes, it was that exciting. Upon arrival to Queenstown Airport, we found a taxi already waiting for us, it was included into the Milford Sound cruise tour. Svetlana already made sure our room was ready for us in the hotel. Today we had no plans, just rest, relax and bring ourselves into a civilized shape. For this, I splurged and booked a luxury suite with an outdoor jacuzzi on the patio on the lake shore. After the Milford Track we deserved it! Having settled we first went to a spa, sat in a sauna, a steam room, swam in the pool. You can imagine the faces of people who saw my bitten legs, they probably thought I had some kind of skin decease. Back in the room, I poured a glass of wine and enjoyed sitting in a jacuzzi, and Dima rented an electric bike and went for ride along a coast quite far, returned an hour and a half later. After resting and cleaning up, we decided to go to Queenstown for dinner. This time we wanted a local seafood, eventually ordering crayfish, quite expensive ($140 for a whole crayfish split in two), but large, the size of a lobster. Good weather, vacation, wine and delicious food, what else to wish for? |
Day 19 - November 23rd, 2017
Queenstown - Franz Josef Glacier Itinerary:
Hotel: Franz Josef Glacier Glenfern Villas (Glenfern Villas Franz Josef Glacier Accommodation) Transportation: Rental car Toyota Rav4 (Queenstown-Franz Josef Glacier - 350km/217mi - 5 hrs) Dining: Asian fusion dinner at the restaurant “King Tiger” (KING TIGER EASTERN EATING HOUSE & BAR : Contact Us) Today we said goodbye to the city of Queenstown we got to love lo much and moved on to our next adventure. Plans for today included a rental car pickup and driving to Franz Josef Glacier, stopping where we felt like. We had a long 5-6 hours drive ahead of us, so we decided not to have breakfast, leave early, and had a brunch in the small town of Wanaka, one hour drive from Queenstown. I sound like a worn-out record, but the day was again beautiful, sunny and warm. The road right after leaving Queenstown began to climb the mountains where we discovered stunning views, and what other views could be in New Zealand if not terrific? We could not help but stop near a lake with such a mirror-smooth surface that the reflection of the snowy mountain peaks was almost the same as the original. After an hour we came to Wanaka, the small cute town on the shore of the lake of the same name. The town is very popular at any time of the year: in summer for boating, fishing and water skiing, in winter skiers and snowboarders flock here to the ski season, and in the spring and autumn the beauty of the snow tops surrounding the lake attracts backpackers to a variety of spectacular tracks in the nearby national park Mount Aspiring. Our holiday was coming to an end, we really got tired, so we decided to limit ourselves to walking around the city, souvenir shopping and lunch in a cafe on the waterfront. And sitting at a table in the cafe, we saw Dylan passing by. We hugged, sat, again brought up memories of the Milford track. I immediately texted Lydia, she replied that they had gone to Mount Cook and met a Dutch couple from the track there. After Wanaka we went further, first to the coastal town of Haast, then on the road along the ocean. The weather noticeably worsened, and when we drove through the forest to the Fox and F.Josef glaciers, the fog was getting lower and lower. Of course, we were upset, because the next day we planned a heli flight with a glacier landing, but in the fog like this we could forget about it. Well, this is New Zealand, unpredictable weather is a part of the deal, so it is better always to have a plan B. We reached the town of F.Joseph Glacier and settled in a motel where our room turned out to be a whole villa with a cathedral ceiling, a terrace and a fireplace. For a dinner we wanted to try something different. The motel owner advised the restaurant of Asian cuisine King Tiger. OK, let's try the Asian cuisine in the NZ. In the restaurant we were “greeted” by a gloomy Indian guy, not very friendly, who tried to turn us away lying there were no seats available inside, only outside (and it was cold!) I said, no, it's cold, we are not in a hurry and wait. He grumbled, then said, okay come. The seats were plenty, I did not like that he did not want to seat us immediately. OK, we were not dressed up, but I did not notice 3 Michelin stars for this restaurant either. We should’ve left . We ordered a salad with Thai noodles, for a main course I ordered chicken tikka masala, and curry for Dmitry, plus rice. They brought us a Chinese sticky rice instead of basmati. Hah, they tried to fool wrong people, not the seasoned New Yorkers who knew the difference. I pointed out their mistake politely. Oh, m’am, sorry, replaced by basmati. For dessert, ordered a local muscat, they brought a glass the size of a mug. I ask, is it muscat? Yes, of course. I was surprised, I tried, and , of course it was a poor quality Chardonnay. I was outraged and was not so polite this time. Oh, m’am, sorry, the bartender was mistaken (of course muscat costs $15, and Chardonnay $ 8), in the end they did not include muscat in the bill. Why not to do right in the first place instead of cheating and losing money? In general, the food was not bad, but the service was awful, I do not recommend it. We decided to take razmalai (my favorite Indian dessert) to go. Returning to our villa we made tea and enjoyed the dessert by the fireplace, watching TV for first time in 3 weeks. |
Day 20 - November 24th, 2017
Franz Josef Glacier Itinerary:
Hotel: Coleraine motel in Greymouth (Hotel Coleraine Motel, Greymouth, New Zealand - Lowest Rate Guaranteed!) Transportation: Rental car Toyota Rav4 (Franz Josef Glacier-Greymouth - 173km/107mi - 2.5 hrs) Dining: Dinner at the restaurant "Buccleugh" (Buccleugh's on High Restaurant, Greymouth - View Menu) That morning we first went outside to check the weather and found fog, fog, fog…. Twice we were unlucky with the weather in New Zealand, the first time kayaking on the Tasman Sea, and today, when we said goodbye to our plan to do a hell flight with glacier landing . We still did kayaking even in stormy weather, but today we could not even dream of flying, the whole sky was covered with low clouds. We still went to the office of the company Franz Josef Glacier Guides (https://www.franzjosefglacier.com/ou...ier-heli-hike/). Our tour was supposed to start at 1PM, so we had a glimpse of hope of sky clearing by that time, but we were told that all flights were cancelled of today and refunded our money. This was actually the second time when we were unlucky trying to land on a glacier. The same happened in Alaska in 2010, when we were blessed with great weather for three weeks, but on the day when we had a flight over Mt.Denali with glacier landing, there were low clouds. We did flew but did not land. And today, attempt # 2 was again unsuccessful. Well, we had a backup plan to go to the glacier on foot on the Franz Josef Glacier trail, an easy 2-hour walk. Here, in the office, we booked time in Glacier Hot pools for 2PM, then drove to the trailhead. The first 15 minutes was an easy walk thru the forest, then along the river bank formed by a glacier, then along a rocky ridge past the mountains with waterfalls (well, how without them?). And then it was a small climb to the observation point, which had an excellent view of the glacier. It was very crowded, and this was only the beginning of the season! Although the road is easy, in places it ran on rough cobblestones, and when we returned our pants and boots were covered in dust. After a walk to the glacier, we returned to relax in the Glacier hot pools. We booked a private pool, thankfully. The public one was full of people and families with children. I love children, but I wanted to relax peacefully :-) We were taken to our cabana, where we were found bathrobes, slippers and snacks: cheese, salami, fruit and crackers. It was very nice to soak in the hot spring for my sores in this healing water. And that was it for Franz Josef Glacier, we had nothing else to do here. Our next destination was the town of Greymouth, where after check-in to the motel we had dinner at the restaurant across the street and got ready for our last day in New Zealand. And guess what?! The weather in Greymouth was beautiful! |
I'm enjoying your report! It was especially fun to read the Milford Track part. We did the "business class" version a little over a year ago. Everyone has such different weather experiences. Our first full day on the track was rainy, which made for great waterfalls but very wet gear. And it was pouring for our Milford Sound cruise, the morning after the hike. We had wanted to take the helicopter back to Queenstown, but it was a no-go that day. We did get our helicopter ride and glacier landing at Fox Glacier, though, and it was spectacular. Thanks for sharing all the details!
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Day 21 - November 25th, 2017
The Tranz Alpine Itinerary&Transportation:
Dining: Thai food Well, this day had finally come, our last day in the amazing country of New Zealand. The weather did not disappoint today, although we did not care anymore, because today we were returning a car and boarded a train that would take us from one coast of the South Island to the other back to Christchurch. We just sit comfortably, relax and enjoy the views outside the window. There are four main railway routes in the NZ: one on the North Island, from Auckland to Wellington (Northern Explorer), and three on the Southern Island: from Christchurch to Picton (Pacific Coastal currently not functioning due to the earthquake in Kaikoura in 2016), between Dunedin and Mildmarch (Taieri Gorge), and between Greymouth and Christchurch (The Tranz Alpine), according to reviews one of the most beautiful railroad routes about 220 km/136 mi long and taking about 5 hours. It fitted perfectly to our New Zealand itinerary and was the nice, relaxing and enjoyable conclusion of our trip. We booked tickets in advance, but eats were assigned only today during checkin. The cars were all of the same class, most of the seats looking forward, except for the "family" seats around the table. The train is not the latest model, but the seats are comfortable, cozy and clean. There was a dining car where you could buy cold and hot meals, snacks and a drink, including alcoholic. And most importantly, there was an open panoramic car, where you could admire the views in the open air. After checkin and dropping a luggage, we return our rental car at the same building as train station, and, having about 3 hours, had a breakfast and did some last minute souvenir shopping on Greymouth main street. Our train departed at 1:30PM as scheduled. First the train ran through the majestic plains of the Canterbury region, along the banks of the Vaimakariri River, against the backdrop of the Southern Alps. Then, in my opinion, was the most beautiful part of the route, when we travelled through the Arthur's Pass National Park, which ended with beech forest. All this was accompanied by the guide's comments through the headphones. IWE arrived in Christchurch after 6PM. At first they decided to take a taxi, to throw things at the motel and go to the downtown to take a walk and have dinner. We took a shared taxi, where besides us were 6 more passenger. Our stop turned out to be the last one, so we drove for almost an hour while dropping off other passengers. But it had its own benefit because the taxi took us throughout main streets of Christchurch, so it became more like a sightseeing city tour. When we finally arrived to our destination, we opted not to go anywhere and order a dinner to the room. Out flight was at 6 am tomorrow morning, we had to get up at 4 at the latest, so we ordered dinner with from a Thai restaurant and went to bed early. Another great day! |
Day 22 - November 26th, 2017
The End Itinerary&Transportation: Flight Christchurch - Sydney - Los Angeles - New York Lodging&Dining: home, in Downtown Manhattan Today's day started at 4 am in New Zealand and ended at 8 pm in New York, lasting 32 hours across 17 or whatever time zones. We had breakfast five (!) times: all three legs of our flight departed at morning hours in their respective time zones, plus there was nothing else to do in lounges in Sydney and LA than having free food. The last flight from LA was delayed which gave us enough time to take a shower after a long flight from Australia. Well, what to say in conclusion? New Zealand is a wonderful country not comparable to the others and definitely worth a visit. For those who are looking for history, museums or, on contrary, for large modern cities with techno architecture, this is not for you. For former, go to Europe, for latter go to Asia or come New York. Those who like to relax on the beach or in upscale resorts, go to the Bahamas or the Caribbean. New Zealand is a country for those who love nature, active vacations, adventure or adrenaline. As the conclusion, my list of “the mosts” and "the bests": The best city that most liked - Queenstown As said, cities ares not for what it's worth to go to the NZ, but among all that we caught a glimpse of, Queenstown was the only one where we wanted to return. Our favorite national park - Aorari/Mount Cook Maybe we were lucky with weather, but here I wanted to stay for a couple of more days. Beautiful, stunning views of the mountains during the day, starry sky at night. The most “out of this world” scenery - Red crater and Emerald lakes in Tongariro National Park. It does not matter Emerald Lakes are on covers of every New Zealand travel guide, the actual view still exceeds expectations. The most memorable moment - Flight over Mildford Sound The majesty and beauty of the mountains, the waterfalls and fjords cannot simply be expressed in words. The best activity - Milford track No need to explain: picturesqueness of the surrounding mountains with cascades of waterfalls, tropical forests, acquaintance with interesting people from all over the world. The place where we felt "like the local" - fishing on Lake Taupo. The biggest surprise - there is no fish in the Tasman Sea. The biggest disappointment - (1) weather on Franz Josef and (2) the pesky sandflies at Milford Sound Already half a year has passed, and my legs still have traces of sandflies bites. The most unusual experience - kayaking on the stormy and rough Tasman Sea Besides kayaking in the storm for the first time, we also first time ate oysters straight from the sea chipping them off the rocks. The best RV park - TOP10 in Rotorua, where, in addition to the usual amenities were also enjoyed soaking in a pool with mineral water. Best hotel - Hilton in Queenstown, hands down The most delicious food - not in a restaurant, but a trout caught in Lake Taupo and grilled by my husband Dmitry The best on the North Island - the Rotorua Thermal Wonderland. The best on the South Island - the wildlife in water, earth and in the air. The best overall - the friendlies, nicest and easiest going people of New Zealand I hope you like my report and found some useful information if you are planning a trip to this amazing country. Kia Ora! |
Originally Posted by ms_go
(Post 16738988)
I'm enjoying your report! It was especially fun to read the Milford Track part. We did the "business class" version a little over a year ago. Everyone has such different weather experiences. Our first full day on the track was rainy, which made for great waterfalls but very wet gear. And it was pouring for our Milford Sound cruise, the morning after the hike. We had wanted to take the helicopter back to Queenstown, but it was a no-go that day. We did get our helicopter ride and glacier landing at Fox Glacier, though, and it was spectacular. Thanks for sharing all the details!
Yes, weather in NZ is like that: you gain in one place, you lose in another. I am glad you enjoyed the Franz Josef Glacier heli hike! |
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