Trip Report - Part 1– 3 weeks NZ/1 week Sydney/Blue Mtns. – Dec-04-Jan05
Jan 21st, 2005, 06:53 AM
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Trip Report - Part 1– 3 weeks NZ/1 week Sydney/Blue Mtns. – Dec-04-Jan05
First, thanks to all who helped me with this trip and I hope you enjoy the report. I guess I’ll start with some general comments:
NZ is absolutely fantastic, awesome, fabulous and any other superlatives you can come up with – we loved most everything about it – the nature, the scenery, the people, the activities and tours – just unbelievably great! You can be as sedentary or adventurous as you want – and we tried to mix it up. Oh, and the Tim Tams and Tip Top lived up to the expectations!!
Sydney and the Blue Mtns. were also wonderful – although spending such a short period of time in a very limited area obviously doesn’t give you a real overall feel for the country like we feel we got in NZ. But more on all the details later.
The flights from the east coast (NYC) are very looooong – but the reward at the end is worth it. We flew Korean Air (economy) because their fares were less than ½ of Qantas and Air NZ even tho the combined flight/layover times were probably about 4 hours longer. The difference in price (for 3 of us) made it well worth it and went back into all the stuff we did while traveling. Korean Air was excellent; there was tons of leg room (my son and husband are about 6 feet and were very comfortable); the flight crew was consistently attentive – I don’t think they sat down the entire flights, even continuously cleaning the restrooms! Food was even good! Would definitely fly them again and recommend highly.
One thing we’d never seen was luggage being x-rayed coming INTO a country which is done in NZ and Australia. They show you customs videos on the plane warning you about declaring/disposing of food, snacks, etc. when you come. If they catch you with so much as an undeclared apple in your backpack, you’re fined $200 on the spot and it goes up from there, including jail time! And they definitely seem to mean business – which is understandable considering the threat to the mainstays of the economy (agriculture, livestock, etc.). [Australia’s warning video is designed to be even more intimidating that NZ’s! Had us convinced enough to declare our Cadbury chocolates, prescription drugs, Maori wood carvings and of course “admit to visiting a farm and contact with farm animals”]. Just as an aside, US customs (on return) also questioned us briefly about the farm, but didn’t follow up on it; we figured we’d declare we’d been there since they’d probably guess that once they saw we’d been in NZ.)
Driving on the “wrong side” – I know some of you think it’s the “right” one! Tough at the beginning, but you get used to it in a couple of days. My husband drove, my son (he’s 24) and I spread out around the car and played lookouts, warning about staying in the lanes, turning into the right side of the streets, etc. We rented with Budget who gave us great rates and free upgrades. There are very few traffic lights in NZ; most intersections are roundabouts (traffic circles) and these took a bit of getting used to, especially since you’re going the wrong way around them and yielding to the other drivers, also going the wrong way. We navigated traffic circles “as a family!” Gas/petro prices ranged from $1.09 to 1.16 NZD per litre, causing us a new “appreciation” for the prices we consider so high in the states (from $1.90 to 2.50 USD per gallon). The roads are generally excellent, tho sometimes quite twisty and high, and the one-way bridges are exciting!
Weather forecasts are generally totally wrong, so pretty much ignore them and do what you want anyway. They always say it’s going to rain and when it’s not raining, it’s “fine.” Sunscreen definitely recommended since you can get badly burned in very little time. It definitely was cooler in NZ than we’d expected; mostly jeans and on-and-off sweatshirt weather; occasionally shorts. People everywhere kept saying it wasn’t normal weather, but who knows? And we did have some rain and clouds at various times. But the rain, especially on the North Island, could last for 5 minutes and then be sunny for a few hours and then rain again for a few minutes. South Island had a bit more, especially in Dunedin. But we didn’t let it stop us. The most serious rain we had was 1.5 metres in 24 hours (that’s about 50 inches or so) in Franz Joseph – resulting in spectacular flooding. But we climbed the glacier anyway (more about that later) and it was probably one of the best things we did on the whole trip! Sydney was warm summer weather – a nice change after NZ.
The famous NZ sandflies were for the most part non-existent! Got a couple of bugbites here and there, but nothing worth mentioning. There were a lot of (non-biting flies in the Blue Mtns.
We had pre-reserved hotels, B&Bs and tours and activities which was a good thing. People were being turned away without reservations all over the place, including cruises, hikes, nature centres, etc.
Prices weren’t too bad on things likes, groceries, meals, but surprisingly high on souvenir items; maybe my expectations were just off.
I hope this is a good start (and not too long). I’ll try not to get too wordy in describing the things we did and saw in part 2 later.
NZ is absolutely fantastic, awesome, fabulous and any other superlatives you can come up with – we loved most everything about it – the nature, the scenery, the people, the activities and tours – just unbelievably great! You can be as sedentary or adventurous as you want – and we tried to mix it up. Oh, and the Tim Tams and Tip Top lived up to the expectations!!
Sydney and the Blue Mtns. were also wonderful – although spending such a short period of time in a very limited area obviously doesn’t give you a real overall feel for the country like we feel we got in NZ. But more on all the details later.
The flights from the east coast (NYC) are very looooong – but the reward at the end is worth it. We flew Korean Air (economy) because their fares were less than ½ of Qantas and Air NZ even tho the combined flight/layover times were probably about 4 hours longer. The difference in price (for 3 of us) made it well worth it and went back into all the stuff we did while traveling. Korean Air was excellent; there was tons of leg room (my son and husband are about 6 feet and were very comfortable); the flight crew was consistently attentive – I don’t think they sat down the entire flights, even continuously cleaning the restrooms! Food was even good! Would definitely fly them again and recommend highly.
One thing we’d never seen was luggage being x-rayed coming INTO a country which is done in NZ and Australia. They show you customs videos on the plane warning you about declaring/disposing of food, snacks, etc. when you come. If they catch you with so much as an undeclared apple in your backpack, you’re fined $200 on the spot and it goes up from there, including jail time! And they definitely seem to mean business – which is understandable considering the threat to the mainstays of the economy (agriculture, livestock, etc.). [Australia’s warning video is designed to be even more intimidating that NZ’s! Had us convinced enough to declare our Cadbury chocolates, prescription drugs, Maori wood carvings and of course “admit to visiting a farm and contact with farm animals”]. Just as an aside, US customs (on return) also questioned us briefly about the farm, but didn’t follow up on it; we figured we’d declare we’d been there since they’d probably guess that once they saw we’d been in NZ.)
Driving on the “wrong side” – I know some of you think it’s the “right” one! Tough at the beginning, but you get used to it in a couple of days. My husband drove, my son (he’s 24) and I spread out around the car and played lookouts, warning about staying in the lanes, turning into the right side of the streets, etc. We rented with Budget who gave us great rates and free upgrades. There are very few traffic lights in NZ; most intersections are roundabouts (traffic circles) and these took a bit of getting used to, especially since you’re going the wrong way around them and yielding to the other drivers, also going the wrong way. We navigated traffic circles “as a family!” Gas/petro prices ranged from $1.09 to 1.16 NZD per litre, causing us a new “appreciation” for the prices we consider so high in the states (from $1.90 to 2.50 USD per gallon). The roads are generally excellent, tho sometimes quite twisty and high, and the one-way bridges are exciting!
Weather forecasts are generally totally wrong, so pretty much ignore them and do what you want anyway. They always say it’s going to rain and when it’s not raining, it’s “fine.” Sunscreen definitely recommended since you can get badly burned in very little time. It definitely was cooler in NZ than we’d expected; mostly jeans and on-and-off sweatshirt weather; occasionally shorts. People everywhere kept saying it wasn’t normal weather, but who knows? And we did have some rain and clouds at various times. But the rain, especially on the North Island, could last for 5 minutes and then be sunny for a few hours and then rain again for a few minutes. South Island had a bit more, especially in Dunedin. But we didn’t let it stop us. The most serious rain we had was 1.5 metres in 24 hours (that’s about 50 inches or so) in Franz Joseph – resulting in spectacular flooding. But we climbed the glacier anyway (more about that later) and it was probably one of the best things we did on the whole trip! Sydney was warm summer weather – a nice change after NZ.
The famous NZ sandflies were for the most part non-existent! Got a couple of bugbites here and there, but nothing worth mentioning. There were a lot of (non-biting flies in the Blue Mtns.
We had pre-reserved hotels, B&Bs and tours and activities which was a good thing. People were being turned away without reservations all over the place, including cruises, hikes, nature centres, etc.
Prices weren’t too bad on things likes, groceries, meals, but surprisingly high on souvenir items; maybe my expectations were just off.
I hope this is a good start (and not too long). I’ll try not to get too wordy in describing the things we did and saw in part 2 later.
Jan 21st, 2005, 07:50 AM
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I'm writing up a description of where we stayed - a combination of hotels (probably mid-range) and B&Bs. We definitely used a guide on the glacier: I don't believe you're even allowed up there without one and frankly, unless you're a really experienced ice climber with your own equipment (ice picks, boots, crampons, ropes, etc.), I think you'd have to be crazy to do this one yourself!! It's definitely very tricky in spots, including crossing fast running rivers to get to the base of the glacier itself. I'll put together more details for you.
As far as disposing of food, they give you the opportunity to declare it and dump it - kind of like most countries' policies with scissors, pocket knives, etc. If you're not sure about whether you have to dump it, declare it (virtually everything from snack foods, fruit, etc.) and then they'll give you instructions as to whether you can keep it or not. For instance, I declared my Cadbury chocolates in Australia and they said it was no problem. Same thing with a Kauri wood Kiwi sculpture I bought in NZ. Australia has you declare if you're bringing in any wood or wood products. So I declared it and they let me pass with no problem. I think the big problems arise when you don't declare something and then they find it on their own.
I'm working on the next part of the report and should have more for you later. If you need to know anything specific right away, just let me know! When are you going?
As far as disposing of food, they give you the opportunity to declare it and dump it - kind of like most countries' policies with scissors, pocket knives, etc. If you're not sure about whether you have to dump it, declare it (virtually everything from snack foods, fruit, etc.) and then they'll give you instructions as to whether you can keep it or not. For instance, I declared my Cadbury chocolates in Australia and they said it was no problem. Same thing with a Kauri wood Kiwi sculpture I bought in NZ. Australia has you declare if you're bringing in any wood or wood products. So I declared it and they let me pass with no problem. I think the big problems arise when you don't declare something and then they find it on their own.
I'm working on the next part of the report and should have more for you later. If you need to know anything specific right away, just let me know! When are you going?
Jan 21st, 2005, 11:16 AM
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Hi, Sharon,
Great to read your Report, Part 1, and the varied superlatives you used to describe NZ. Pleased the TTs x 2 lived up to expectations, too.
Now, I will reiterate here that NZ weather is DEFINITELY not normal! When in the South Island last year, we were experiencing temperatures of 25+ degrees, especially around Christchurch when it was consistently 30+ for the 6 days. This year (we were in Chch from 31/12 to 5/1 and 8/1 to 11/1) it was not over 16 degrees. Sorry, it did go over that on 5/1 as we drove to Timaru. That was the only day of continual sunshine for that part of the trip. I will admit it was beautiful when we arrived in Motueka, and we enjoyed sun and warmth for the 4 days there and for the last 6 days since returning to Wellington. Today is not looking too promising just because I want to get into the garden, having spent the last week of sunshine at school preparing for the new term on 31/1!
By the way, NZers have never believed the weather forecasters! It can be pouring bucketsful and yet the forecaster will tell you it is sunny!
I have heard about the heavy rainfall on the West Coast although not experienced it. That was definitely a serious amount of rain while at Franz Joseph.
I am looking forward to the next instalment.
Dot
Great to read your Report, Part 1, and the varied superlatives you used to describe NZ. Pleased the TTs x 2 lived up to expectations, too.
Now, I will reiterate here that NZ weather is DEFINITELY not normal! When in the South Island last year, we were experiencing temperatures of 25+ degrees, especially around Christchurch when it was consistently 30+ for the 6 days. This year (we were in Chch from 31/12 to 5/1 and 8/1 to 11/1) it was not over 16 degrees. Sorry, it did go over that on 5/1 as we drove to Timaru. That was the only day of continual sunshine for that part of the trip. I will admit it was beautiful when we arrived in Motueka, and we enjoyed sun and warmth for the 4 days there and for the last 6 days since returning to Wellington. Today is not looking too promising just because I want to get into the garden, having spent the last week of sunshine at school preparing for the new term on 31/1!
By the way, NZers have never believed the weather forecasters! It can be pouring bucketsful and yet the forecaster will tell you it is sunny!
I have heard about the heavy rainfall on the West Coast although not experienced it. That was definitely a serious amount of rain while at Franz Joseph.
I am looking forward to the next instalment.
Dot
Jan 21st, 2005, 03:21 PM
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Hi Sharon,
I'm also interested in your itinerary - where you went, where you stayed, your tours. I'm going the first two weeks in March for 11 days, mostly concentrating on the South Island. We're landing in Christchurch where I was planning on making reservations somewhere there the first two nights and playing it by ear the rest, but your comment about people being turned away concerned me.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I'm also interested in your itinerary - where you went, where you stayed, your tours. I'm going the first two weeks in March for 11 days, mostly concentrating on the South Island. We're landing in Christchurch where I was planning on making reservations somewhere there the first two nights and playing it by ear the rest, but your comment about people being turned away concerned me.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Jan 21st, 2005, 06:00 PM
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Hey djhughes,
you should be OK for accommodation in March. Except if you are there over Easter. Definately book ahead for Easter. Also check when the school holidays are. They are one side of Easter - I just can't remember which one!! Otherwise you should be fine.
Try www.wotif.co.nz for last minute deals in nice hotels (although I prefer staying in hostels and smaller places myself).
you should be OK for accommodation in March. Except if you are there over Easter. Definately book ahead for Easter. Also check when the school holidays are. They are one side of Easter - I just can't remember which one!! Otherwise you should be fine.
Try www.wotif.co.nz for last minute deals in nice hotels (although I prefer staying in hostels and smaller places myself).
Jan 22nd, 2005, 09:47 AM
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Hi, djhughes,
Just an add-on to wilees posting regarding school holiday dates.
Schools finish on 15 April and resume on 2 May so you should be fine as far as travelling without booking ahead.
Have a great trip.
Dot
Just an add-on to wilees posting regarding school holiday dates.
Schools finish on 15 April and resume on 2 May so you should be fine as far as travelling without booking ahead.
Have a great trip.
Dot
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