Trip Report OAT Pure New Zealand 12/14/06-12/19/06
Jan 19th, 2007, 10:33 AM
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Trip Report OAT Pure New Zealand 12/14/06-12/19/06
TRIP REPORT
OAT PURE NEW ZEALAND
DECEMBER 14, 2006-DECEMBER 29, 2006
12/16
After a flight of 21 hours and a day lost in time, we arrived in Aukland, New Zealand. Our driver didn’t show up and we had to take a taxi to the Windsor Mercure Hotel. It had no bellhop service and no electric doors, and we struggled with our bags. When we arrived in our room, we discovered that our shower was a designated corner of the room, with plumbing and a drain surrounded by curtains. What an auspicious beginning to our trip! Hopefully, this was not an indication of what was to come. We decided to walk around the city and found it architecturally disappointing. Aukland has a lovely harbor which could be developed and made exciting and worthy of spending a few hours, however it was very quiet, so we returned to our room. Things began to improve that evening when we were introduced to our delightful guide, Graham. He had many ideas to implement the set itinerary, and my mood brightened. Our group of 16 people enjoyed a nice fish dinner in the Neptune Restaurant on Prince’s Wharf.
12/17
The next morning we began to learn about the Maori culture, an absolute essential when visiting New Zealand. Our Maori guide, Woramoo, walked us to the top of Mount Eden for a literal overview of topography, culture and history. His niece, Katherine, prepared an outdoor tea with Maori specialties for us at the Aukland Domain, previous site of the first governor’s house and now home to a wonderful museum. We had a warm and emotional farewell, rubbing noses and breathing in each other’s spirit. We had dinner with another couple at the Swashbuckler Restaurant. We have previously tasted oysters fresh out of the water in Cancale, France and on the coast of Croatia, but never were they as creamy and delicious as here.
12/18
The next day we took a sailboat cruise on the harbor. We saw the skyline which resembles that of Toronto. Aukland is a sailing city and was the home of the America’s Cup in 2000. Boats that participated in the contest are available for cruising and two of our friends, who are avid sailors, spent an afternoon reliving sports history. We then headed for lunch at Ken and Beverly Buchly’s Werenshire Farm, a bed and breakfast. The farm is surrounded by spectacular gardens. Sheep and cows add to the scenery. If and when we return to New Zealand, we will plan on staying here. Next we visited the Oraka Deer Park, run by a veterinarian and his wife, Linda. The deer run free. I fed a two day old fawn with a baby bottle. This was followed by a visit to the Agrodome Sheep Farm for a shearing and sheep dog demo, then on to lunch at the Farm View Restaurant. We drove several hours and checked into the Royal Geyserland Hotel in Rotorua. This hotel has mediocre amenities but is located directly on the beautiful hot springs.
12/19
We walked to Te Puia Geothermal Village, attended a Maori concert and watched them making some beautiful carvings. The Maori music resembles Hawaiian, but is more complex and the people have beautiful voices. We discovered that Kiri Te Kanawa is not the only Maori who can sing like an angel. We noticed that the Maori and Hawaiian languages are very similar. Both have fifteen letters in their alphabet, but the Hawaiian “R” is the Maori “L”. They weave their ten consonants and 5 vowels into endless words, the longest having 84 letters! Our guide showed us how to pronounce “Whakarewarewatangaoteopetauaawahiao” (the gathering place for the war parties of Wahaiao).
We now had our first real adventure, hiking the crater of Mount Tarawara in the rain. It last erupted in l886, leaving 150 people dead. Through the rain, the colors of the crater created a painting of soft and subtle pastels. Beautiful! We drove to Rotorua and had dinner at the Fat Dog.
12/20
We held our breath this morning as we experienced the magnificent views from the back lawn of our hotel. The constantly changing patterns created by the geyser and steam pools were a delight reminiscent of the great watercolors of the Chinese artists. We drove to Lake Rotorua (meaning two lakes) and visited the Ohinemutu Church with its window of Christ, which makes him appear as if he is walking on the water. The details in the church are a marriage of Victorian and Maori art. We then walked around Government Gardens Park. Its museum, dating back to 1848, was originally a bathhouse and contains fascinating exhibits and a film about the eruption of Mt. Tarawera.
Our flight to Queenstown via Christchurch was another adventure. We flew into a storm and the winds whipped the plane dangerously close to the mountains. When we landed, we were all able to breathe again! Fortunately, our flight to Queenstown was less eventful. On the way to our hotel, we dined at Fox’s Bar in Arrowtown, a little town outside of Queenstown. We now arrived at a hotel worthy of remembering. The Millbrook Resort is a world class complex nestled between snow capped peaks. It has little cottages surrounded by flowers, laid out around a golf course. Luxury! Super sized beds, Egyptian cotton sheets, huge suites! The Millbrook has several restaurants - a very expensive formal one, a Japanese restaurant with a $70 NZ prix fixe dinner, and the casual Club Hous restaurant. But as big as our bed was, that’s how small the portions were. But it was a ride to Arrowtown, so we had our dinner there anyway.
12/21
We made preparations for our cruise on Doubtful Sound. On the way we rode along Lake Manapouri, and I wanted to stop and paint a picture every five minutes. We visited Fjordland National Park which is designated a world heritage area because of its superlative beauty. Driving past mountain silver birch trees, we stopped to look at the breathtaking vista atop Wilmot Pass. We saw the kea bird, famous for eating anything in sight, and removing air from people’s car tires. We passed yellow scotch broom climbing the hills and pink, lavender and white lupines growing wildly along the sides of the road. When the sun shines (and today it did) the flowers light up the mountainside with wild bursts of color. A boat ride on Lake Manapouri was followed by another on Doubtful Sound. The mountains are everywhere – snow capped against the azure blue of the pristine water. We finished a perfect day with dinner at the hotel.
12/22
We walked around Arrowtown and bought some beautiful paua jewelry at the Jade Factory. Now it was time to visit Lord of the Rings territory. Sol saw ents, but we never found the ring. We then took a VERY bumpy ride in a four wheel drive jeep along Lake Wakatipu to Glenorchy. We could have spent a week painting and photographing the scenery. We’ll just have to come back and retrace our steps someday. We walked through the Mount Aspari National Park to view roaming merino sheep, red deer, black angus cattle and learning about the gold mining days. We then took a jet boat ride down the Dart River. The water is shallow and a thousand shades of turquoise. The mountains are gray and white. The sun shone brightly. We donned our raingear and our driver gave us thrills and chills by spinning the boat around in circles. As the water sprayed us, our group of senior citizens screamed like a bunch of teenagers. Two hours later, laughing and soaked, we were dropped off in beautiful Queenstown where we took pictures of the quaint streets and houses climbing up the hills. Dinner tonight was at Dux de Lux – a veritable feast of mussels, shrimp, monkfish, salmon and prawns accompanied by a great pinot noir. We discussed how New Zealand is safe and clean and how the government is trying hard to avoid the pitfalls of the 21st century.
12/23
We visited the Kawarau Suspension Bridge where bungee jumping originated and drove by the Bay of Plenty where the Remarkables mountain range came into view. The name was derived from someone saying “don’t these mountains look remarkable?” We agreed. More beautiful views around Lake Wanaka – we’re becoming jaded!! We arrived in the town of Ross near the Franz Josef Glacier. We then drove along and enjoyed gorgeous views of the Tasman Sea. Amazing place – the trees seem tropical yet soon we’d be seeing a glacier! We heard bellbirds and saw seals in the beautiful bay overlooking the sea. We arrived at the Franz Josef Hotel in Fox Townshipand took a helicopter flight over the Franz Josef Glacier. The snow was soft, the air warm and the views perfect! We were very lucky because the weather had been very changeable, with lots of rain and clouds. We had dinner of New Zealand lamb at the Beeches Café tonight. Our guide told us that, if we were only going to have lamb once, this was the place. I don’t love lamb, but when in Rome…or NZ…it was actually quite good.
12/24
Today we walked on the bottom of the glacier. Our guide, Pops, helped us cross the little brooks with our walking sticks. It was cloudy but very scenic. We then visited Ross, a gold mining town. In l864, a 99 ounce gold nugget was found and presented to King George V as a coronation gift. We wandered through a quaint museum filled with artifacts from the “good gold days.” We then had lunch at the historical Empire Hotel. It has an old west atmosphere, a honky tonk piano and a dartboard. We played men vs. women, and Sol scored a quadruple score and left us in the dust. We had fun in this “one sheep town.” Greymouth is the main town of the west coast. We arrived at the Ashley Hotel on Christmas Eve and were treated to a wonderful, delicious and well-presented meal.
12/25
Christmas day was fantastic. After a beautiful breakfast, we drove to see the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks at Dolomite Point in a light rain. The spectacular views were enhanced by the mist. We saw seals cavorting on the rocks at the Cape Foulwind seal colony. A comical weak bird entertained us in the parking lot. We then viewed the memorial to the 35 men who died in the Strongman coal mine disaster. Now, Graham outdid himself. He had prearranged for a family to make us a special Christmas dinner, and we went to Paul and Ronnie’s Broadway Tearoom and Bakery in Reefton. They welcomed us like family and we played with their l8 month old daughter, Emily, and spoke to the grandma, Edna. Graham also persuaded some authentic gold miners to meet us in their leanto and they offered us tea which was made in a huge vat, and showed us how they pan for gold and how to recognize pyrite, or fool’s gold. We then went over to an old shack and saw the gold processing machine that smashes the rocks. For dessert, we were invited to Rata Morris’ home for home baked goodies and tea. Rata gave us a tour of her fabulous perennial garden. Paul then took us into an old abandoned mine.
12/26
Boxing Day – it derives its name from the fact that servants used to be given off the day after Christmas, and handed a box lunch so they could have a picnic. Today, it’s the biggest sale day of the year. We walked to the beach by our hotel and collected beautiful jadeite rocks. Graham then took us to the site of the Brunner coal mine where 58 people lost their lives in a gas explosion, leaving 37 widows and 186 children fatherless. The gold old days may not have been so good, after all. We stopped for pictures of the imposing Arthur’s Pass and had lunch at the Wobbly Kea Café. Lupins added pastel accents to the mountain views. We arrived at Christchurch in the late afternoon and checked into our room at the lovely Heritage Hotel which is located on Canterbury Square, and had dinner with Dave and Diana at Viaduct, a sidewalk café along the banks of the Avon..
12/27
We drove to Akaroa for a cruise of the bay. Akaroa has rocks whose colors cover the spectrum of the rainbow. Hector dolphins playing in the water. They are the smallest and rarest in the world. The scenery inspired me to think about making another painting. At Barry’s Bay Cheese Factory we found Dukka, a middle eastern spice, and we headed back to Christchurch. On the way to our hotel, we stopped at a touching memorial to the people who died on 9/11. New Zealand sent l00 workers to help out with the clean up, and as a gesture of thanks, a large piece of steel was sent to New Zealand. We had a cocktail party at the hotel, and then had dinner with Linda and Ted at the Coyote Restaurant along the riverbank.
12/28
Today we took a balloon ride! We all helped to lay it out on the ground, watched it fill with hot air, climbed into the basket and enjoyed the beautiful views of the sunrise, the farms and the distant mountains. We then climbed out of the basket (not so easy!!) and all worked together to fold it up. Our efforts were rewarded with champagne. Tradition dictates that the farmer whose land serves as our launching area and touchdown point also gets a bottle. We arrived back at the hotel, and Graham took us to a company which harvests the rare, expensive, blue pearl. We spent the afternoon in the lovely Botanical gardens, then walked over to the Arts Centre which is housed in the former Canterbury University. We bought a teapot from one of the artisans. In another room, a woman was weaving beautiful tapestries. We went to the Antarctic Center for a presentation. Christchurch is the launching point for most scientific flights to the White Continent. We then enjoyed several toasts and a farewell dinner.
12/29
One more “Graham Treat” -- en route to the airport, we stopped at the Mona Vale gardens where multi million dollar houses are built alongside a river. It was originally a l9th century estate. I became very emotional when I realized how much I had come to love New Zealand. Sol and I vowed that we will return someday and drive through this beautiful land at our leisure. We began the next leg of our journey with a flight to Melbourne, Australia.
OAT PURE NEW ZEALAND
DECEMBER 14, 2006-DECEMBER 29, 2006
12/16
After a flight of 21 hours and a day lost in time, we arrived in Aukland, New Zealand. Our driver didn’t show up and we had to take a taxi to the Windsor Mercure Hotel. It had no bellhop service and no electric doors, and we struggled with our bags. When we arrived in our room, we discovered that our shower was a designated corner of the room, with plumbing and a drain surrounded by curtains. What an auspicious beginning to our trip! Hopefully, this was not an indication of what was to come. We decided to walk around the city and found it architecturally disappointing. Aukland has a lovely harbor which could be developed and made exciting and worthy of spending a few hours, however it was very quiet, so we returned to our room. Things began to improve that evening when we were introduced to our delightful guide, Graham. He had many ideas to implement the set itinerary, and my mood brightened. Our group of 16 people enjoyed a nice fish dinner in the Neptune Restaurant on Prince’s Wharf.
12/17
The next morning we began to learn about the Maori culture, an absolute essential when visiting New Zealand. Our Maori guide, Woramoo, walked us to the top of Mount Eden for a literal overview of topography, culture and history. His niece, Katherine, prepared an outdoor tea with Maori specialties for us at the Aukland Domain, previous site of the first governor’s house and now home to a wonderful museum. We had a warm and emotional farewell, rubbing noses and breathing in each other’s spirit. We had dinner with another couple at the Swashbuckler Restaurant. We have previously tasted oysters fresh out of the water in Cancale, France and on the coast of Croatia, but never were they as creamy and delicious as here.
12/18
The next day we took a sailboat cruise on the harbor. We saw the skyline which resembles that of Toronto. Aukland is a sailing city and was the home of the America’s Cup in 2000. Boats that participated in the contest are available for cruising and two of our friends, who are avid sailors, spent an afternoon reliving sports history. We then headed for lunch at Ken and Beverly Buchly’s Werenshire Farm, a bed and breakfast. The farm is surrounded by spectacular gardens. Sheep and cows add to the scenery. If and when we return to New Zealand, we will plan on staying here. Next we visited the Oraka Deer Park, run by a veterinarian and his wife, Linda. The deer run free. I fed a two day old fawn with a baby bottle. This was followed by a visit to the Agrodome Sheep Farm for a shearing and sheep dog demo, then on to lunch at the Farm View Restaurant. We drove several hours and checked into the Royal Geyserland Hotel in Rotorua. This hotel has mediocre amenities but is located directly on the beautiful hot springs.
12/19
We walked to Te Puia Geothermal Village, attended a Maori concert and watched them making some beautiful carvings. The Maori music resembles Hawaiian, but is more complex and the people have beautiful voices. We discovered that Kiri Te Kanawa is not the only Maori who can sing like an angel. We noticed that the Maori and Hawaiian languages are very similar. Both have fifteen letters in their alphabet, but the Hawaiian “R” is the Maori “L”. They weave their ten consonants and 5 vowels into endless words, the longest having 84 letters! Our guide showed us how to pronounce “Whakarewarewatangaoteopetauaawahiao” (the gathering place for the war parties of Wahaiao).
We now had our first real adventure, hiking the crater of Mount Tarawara in the rain. It last erupted in l886, leaving 150 people dead. Through the rain, the colors of the crater created a painting of soft and subtle pastels. Beautiful! We drove to Rotorua and had dinner at the Fat Dog.
12/20
We held our breath this morning as we experienced the magnificent views from the back lawn of our hotel. The constantly changing patterns created by the geyser and steam pools were a delight reminiscent of the great watercolors of the Chinese artists. We drove to Lake Rotorua (meaning two lakes) and visited the Ohinemutu Church with its window of Christ, which makes him appear as if he is walking on the water. The details in the church are a marriage of Victorian and Maori art. We then walked around Government Gardens Park. Its museum, dating back to 1848, was originally a bathhouse and contains fascinating exhibits and a film about the eruption of Mt. Tarawera.
Our flight to Queenstown via Christchurch was another adventure. We flew into a storm and the winds whipped the plane dangerously close to the mountains. When we landed, we were all able to breathe again! Fortunately, our flight to Queenstown was less eventful. On the way to our hotel, we dined at Fox’s Bar in Arrowtown, a little town outside of Queenstown. We now arrived at a hotel worthy of remembering. The Millbrook Resort is a world class complex nestled between snow capped peaks. It has little cottages surrounded by flowers, laid out around a golf course. Luxury! Super sized beds, Egyptian cotton sheets, huge suites! The Millbrook has several restaurants - a very expensive formal one, a Japanese restaurant with a $70 NZ prix fixe dinner, and the casual Club Hous restaurant. But as big as our bed was, that’s how small the portions were. But it was a ride to Arrowtown, so we had our dinner there anyway.
12/21
We made preparations for our cruise on Doubtful Sound. On the way we rode along Lake Manapouri, and I wanted to stop and paint a picture every five minutes. We visited Fjordland National Park which is designated a world heritage area because of its superlative beauty. Driving past mountain silver birch trees, we stopped to look at the breathtaking vista atop Wilmot Pass. We saw the kea bird, famous for eating anything in sight, and removing air from people’s car tires. We passed yellow scotch broom climbing the hills and pink, lavender and white lupines growing wildly along the sides of the road. When the sun shines (and today it did) the flowers light up the mountainside with wild bursts of color. A boat ride on Lake Manapouri was followed by another on Doubtful Sound. The mountains are everywhere – snow capped against the azure blue of the pristine water. We finished a perfect day with dinner at the hotel.
12/22
We walked around Arrowtown and bought some beautiful paua jewelry at the Jade Factory. Now it was time to visit Lord of the Rings territory. Sol saw ents, but we never found the ring. We then took a VERY bumpy ride in a four wheel drive jeep along Lake Wakatipu to Glenorchy. We could have spent a week painting and photographing the scenery. We’ll just have to come back and retrace our steps someday. We walked through the Mount Aspari National Park to view roaming merino sheep, red deer, black angus cattle and learning about the gold mining days. We then took a jet boat ride down the Dart River. The water is shallow and a thousand shades of turquoise. The mountains are gray and white. The sun shone brightly. We donned our raingear and our driver gave us thrills and chills by spinning the boat around in circles. As the water sprayed us, our group of senior citizens screamed like a bunch of teenagers. Two hours later, laughing and soaked, we were dropped off in beautiful Queenstown where we took pictures of the quaint streets and houses climbing up the hills. Dinner tonight was at Dux de Lux – a veritable feast of mussels, shrimp, monkfish, salmon and prawns accompanied by a great pinot noir. We discussed how New Zealand is safe and clean and how the government is trying hard to avoid the pitfalls of the 21st century.
12/23
We visited the Kawarau Suspension Bridge where bungee jumping originated and drove by the Bay of Plenty where the Remarkables mountain range came into view. The name was derived from someone saying “don’t these mountains look remarkable?” We agreed. More beautiful views around Lake Wanaka – we’re becoming jaded!! We arrived in the town of Ross near the Franz Josef Glacier. We then drove along and enjoyed gorgeous views of the Tasman Sea. Amazing place – the trees seem tropical yet soon we’d be seeing a glacier! We heard bellbirds and saw seals in the beautiful bay overlooking the sea. We arrived at the Franz Josef Hotel in Fox Townshipand took a helicopter flight over the Franz Josef Glacier. The snow was soft, the air warm and the views perfect! We were very lucky because the weather had been very changeable, with lots of rain and clouds. We had dinner of New Zealand lamb at the Beeches Café tonight. Our guide told us that, if we were only going to have lamb once, this was the place. I don’t love lamb, but when in Rome…or NZ…it was actually quite good.
12/24
Today we walked on the bottom of the glacier. Our guide, Pops, helped us cross the little brooks with our walking sticks. It was cloudy but very scenic. We then visited Ross, a gold mining town. In l864, a 99 ounce gold nugget was found and presented to King George V as a coronation gift. We wandered through a quaint museum filled with artifacts from the “good gold days.” We then had lunch at the historical Empire Hotel. It has an old west atmosphere, a honky tonk piano and a dartboard. We played men vs. women, and Sol scored a quadruple score and left us in the dust. We had fun in this “one sheep town.” Greymouth is the main town of the west coast. We arrived at the Ashley Hotel on Christmas Eve and were treated to a wonderful, delicious and well-presented meal.
12/25
Christmas day was fantastic. After a beautiful breakfast, we drove to see the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks at Dolomite Point in a light rain. The spectacular views were enhanced by the mist. We saw seals cavorting on the rocks at the Cape Foulwind seal colony. A comical weak bird entertained us in the parking lot. We then viewed the memorial to the 35 men who died in the Strongman coal mine disaster. Now, Graham outdid himself. He had prearranged for a family to make us a special Christmas dinner, and we went to Paul and Ronnie’s Broadway Tearoom and Bakery in Reefton. They welcomed us like family and we played with their l8 month old daughter, Emily, and spoke to the grandma, Edna. Graham also persuaded some authentic gold miners to meet us in their leanto and they offered us tea which was made in a huge vat, and showed us how they pan for gold and how to recognize pyrite, or fool’s gold. We then went over to an old shack and saw the gold processing machine that smashes the rocks. For dessert, we were invited to Rata Morris’ home for home baked goodies and tea. Rata gave us a tour of her fabulous perennial garden. Paul then took us into an old abandoned mine.
12/26
Boxing Day – it derives its name from the fact that servants used to be given off the day after Christmas, and handed a box lunch so they could have a picnic. Today, it’s the biggest sale day of the year. We walked to the beach by our hotel and collected beautiful jadeite rocks. Graham then took us to the site of the Brunner coal mine where 58 people lost their lives in a gas explosion, leaving 37 widows and 186 children fatherless. The gold old days may not have been so good, after all. We stopped for pictures of the imposing Arthur’s Pass and had lunch at the Wobbly Kea Café. Lupins added pastel accents to the mountain views. We arrived at Christchurch in the late afternoon and checked into our room at the lovely Heritage Hotel which is located on Canterbury Square, and had dinner with Dave and Diana at Viaduct, a sidewalk café along the banks of the Avon..
12/27
We drove to Akaroa for a cruise of the bay. Akaroa has rocks whose colors cover the spectrum of the rainbow. Hector dolphins playing in the water. They are the smallest and rarest in the world. The scenery inspired me to think about making another painting. At Barry’s Bay Cheese Factory we found Dukka, a middle eastern spice, and we headed back to Christchurch. On the way to our hotel, we stopped at a touching memorial to the people who died on 9/11. New Zealand sent l00 workers to help out with the clean up, and as a gesture of thanks, a large piece of steel was sent to New Zealand. We had a cocktail party at the hotel, and then had dinner with Linda and Ted at the Coyote Restaurant along the riverbank.
12/28
Today we took a balloon ride! We all helped to lay it out on the ground, watched it fill with hot air, climbed into the basket and enjoyed the beautiful views of the sunrise, the farms and the distant mountains. We then climbed out of the basket (not so easy!!) and all worked together to fold it up. Our efforts were rewarded with champagne. Tradition dictates that the farmer whose land serves as our launching area and touchdown point also gets a bottle. We arrived back at the hotel, and Graham took us to a company which harvests the rare, expensive, blue pearl. We spent the afternoon in the lovely Botanical gardens, then walked over to the Arts Centre which is housed in the former Canterbury University. We bought a teapot from one of the artisans. In another room, a woman was weaving beautiful tapestries. We went to the Antarctic Center for a presentation. Christchurch is the launching point for most scientific flights to the White Continent. We then enjoyed several toasts and a farewell dinner.
12/29
One more “Graham Treat” -- en route to the airport, we stopped at the Mona Vale gardens where multi million dollar houses are built alongside a river. It was originally a l9th century estate. I became very emotional when I realized how much I had come to love New Zealand. Sol and I vowed that we will return someday and drive through this beautiful land at our leisure. We began the next leg of our journey with a flight to Melbourne, Australia.
Jan 20th, 2007, 07:55 AM
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OAT is not a luxury tour company, but they know how to get you out into the hinterlands, find the unusual and get you to meet the people. Even though a few of our hotels were mediocre, everyone agreed that the positives far outweigh the negatives. With all the optionals, it is not inexpensive, but you have a choice. They also do not give you all your meals, but for my husband and me, this is better, since we are very health conscious and prefer to eat in restaurants of our own choice.
Jan 20th, 2007, 10:27 PM
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partypoet, thanks for the breathtaking descriptions of south island areas...Fiordland National Park, Lake Manapouri, Doubtful Sound, Glenorchy...all places we're going to see in February! We're doing the Doubtful Sound overnite cruise...
We will enjoy 2 weeks in south island, NZ to celebrate our 25th anniversary. Just tell me where you saw those ents, please!!!
Thanks for a great report. Any more tips? We'll be in Dunedin/Otago Peninsu; Te Anau, Queenstown, Doubtful Sound, and Fiordland...1 night on Mt. Cook...plus southwest coast area, south island.
We will enjoy 2 weeks in south island, NZ to celebrate our 25th anniversary. Just tell me where you saw those ents, please!!!
Thanks for a great report. Any more tips? We'll be in Dunedin/Otago Peninsu; Te Anau, Queenstown, Doubtful Sound, and Fiordland...1 night on Mt. Cook...plus southwest coast area, south island.
Jan 21st, 2007, 08:05 AM
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I can't tell you where we saw the ents, because the driver wouldn't stop, and when he finally did, they were gone! But your trip sounds wonderful. The only advice I can give you is to take your time and don't rush because you need time to breathe in the beauty! Enjoy!
Jan 21st, 2007, 09:20 AM
#8
Thanks for all of the details. You actually did stay in some very upscale places for NZ, although I wouldn't put the Auckland hotel in that category.
Having been to NZ a number of times this seems like an excellent itinerary for those who might have not much time and would prefer to let someone else drive.
Having been to NZ a number of times this seems like an excellent itinerary for those who might have not much time and would prefer to let someone else drive.
Jan 21st, 2007, 02:21 PM
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partypoet, oh darn, that is the trouble with Ents...by the time you stop, they have gone off somewhere!!! 
Thanks for the advice to slow down and breathe in the beauty...nicely put! Have you been to Costa Rica yet, partypoet? I recommend the Monteverde Cloud forest or the Arenal area.
Thanks for the advice to slow down and breathe in the beauty...nicely put! Have you been to Costa Rica yet, partypoet? I recommend the Monteverde Cloud forest or the Arenal area.
Jan 22nd, 2007, 11:18 AM
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partypoet, enjoy that "pura vida" all around the world then! Can't believe I have to be ready for NZ by early February... What was your #1 absolutely favorite experience or moment in NZ, if you had to pick?
Jan 23rd, 2007, 06:01 AM
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That is an impossible question. What if I divide it up into separate categories, like exciting, beautiful and interesting? Most exciting was our balloon ride at sunrise and our helicopter ride over the Franz Josef Glacier. Most beautiful was the whole west coast, the pristine glacier, and the magnificent colored rocks and turquoise water of Akaroa. Most interesting was our education into the Maori culture. And Christchurch - what a lovely, graceful city!! New Zealand is a wealth of favorites!! I'd be curious to hear your thoughts when you return.
Jan 23rd, 2007, 06:04 AM
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If you would like to see some of New Zealand's beauty through my camera's eyes, my photos are posted on www.webshots.com under Irmart.
Feb 9th, 2007, 04:22 PM
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Enjoyed your report. We're doing Pure New Zealand in Nov.'07. Did anyone in your group do the pre-trip to Bay of Islands or the six-night add on to Australia? Was the hotel experience in Aukland the only unfortunate one?
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