Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Trip Report World Trip New Zealand Extension Part 1

We don't want to go home!

Introduction

We had planned on being away for 2 months on our round the world trip, but in what was to be our last week in New Zealand we just could not leave. We had fallen in love with this spectacular and awe inspiring country. Every view took our breath away, every bend in the road brought another gut wrenching view, every meal or drink out left us wanting to come back again. Immensely friendly, full of helpful tips and guidance, warm and giving - that was how we found all the people and the country of New Zealand. They also served the best coffee in the world! Just go and try a long black!

Frantic phone calls to the agencies who source work for me and to our family elicited the same response, Britain in in despair. The credit crunch is biting hard, shops are closing down all over the place and, the final decisive factor, the weather was the worst it had been in years. What did we have to go home for? Nothing. We decided to stay, if we could. Our plans for what would have been our final days in NZ were to spend a week sailing in the Bay of Islands (many thanks to Fairwind Charters of Opua) and 3 nights in Auckland before flying onto San Francisco. We contacted the travel agents and Qantas to check out if our plans could be changed by 5 weeks. Qantas were superb, no problem they said, just give them the dates and they would check and sort it out for flights. That left only our hotel booking in San Francisco and our Alcatraz tour booking (made before we left the UK).

We spent an anxious week sailing around the Bay of Islands with intermittent mobile phone signal and limited access to the internet and land line telephones, but on our last day of sailing we got the confirmation we were hoping for - we could change our hotel booking for a nominal cost (due to season change). It was decided, we were staying another 5 weeks! The only problem - we had nothing planned, only a vague idea of what we wanted to do.

From the Bay of Islands we headed back to Auckland, and the Crowne Plaza booked on my ICH points, for what was to have been our last 3 nights in NZ, but was now our starting point for the next 5 weeks and 3 days. My o/h went off to a pre-booked trip on the Lion of New Zealand, Sir Peter Blakes Whitbread Round the World sailing yacht, to have a front line view of the Loius Vouiton racing in Auckland harbour (with Sail NZ). I spent the day washing clothes and starting to think about our next 5 week itinerary.

I drew up a rough itinerary for revisiting South Island and North Island and took on board comments of my o/h, slow things down, spend more time in a place, and have shorter travelling distances so we could have the time to see more. Very sensible. We also had some places that were a must as we either had not had enough time there the first time around (Queenstown, Paihia, Northland, the geothermal area and Picton) or we just had not had time to visit them at all (Abel Tasman National Park). When my o/h came back from the yachting he had also been told of other must sees by sailing companions - the Coromandel and White Island.

With my o/h's new suggestions and his comments on the state of my current plans, with challenges about still trying to do too much, we eventually settled on our plan. All we had to do was decide on travel arrangements and where we were going to stay - and it was still the holiday season so accommodation was going to be difficult to find and would be at a premium.

Once we had our new itinerary we took ourselves off the the Sky Tower for a celebratory dinner in the rotating restaurant, with a window side table to marvel at the stunning night time views (we had pre-booked on our first day in Auckland before we went to the Bay of Islands as it is very popular). We got to spend a day together seeing Auckland as well, and then sorted out our luggage for the trip to come, which involved buying another suitcase and leaving all our colder weather clothes behind in the Crowne Plaza until we returned for our last night in Auckland.

Auckland to Wellington

Part 1 of the trip report mainly concentrates on the South Island part of our extension, but the extension actually started in Wellington, so that is were I shall start. The remainder of our extension itinerary covering North Island will be in Extension Itinerary Part 2 (watch out for that later).

10 Feb - Overland train from Auckland to Wellington (booked via tourist board).

10 Feb - 14 Feb - Wellington Youth Hostel (the only place with availability (there was some rugby tournament on just before and all accommodation was booked up!) This was our first time in a YHA in years (we are both in our 50's). We did get a private double en-suite room though! We were due to leave Wellington on the 14th February, so we spent our last night in Wellington on my IHC points at the Holiday Inn (lovely free upgrade) as the YHA was fully booked for that last night. We finalised our remaining time in NZ whilst at the YHA in Wellington - we were positively amazed at the quality of the YH network and the extent of it throughout NZ, and the majority of our time was to be spent in YH's or associates - and what a treat to cook for ourselves at last rather than eating out all the time. It also kept our costs much lower which allowed us to save our money for experiences. Before leaving Wellington we had joined the YHA for the year and found that the savings on nightly accommodation more than exceeded the annual fee. We later found out that we were to get YHA discounts all over the place which saved us more.

A useful tip here - get leaflets and brochures from the local I-Site's throughout NZ as there are loads of extras and money off coupons to stretch your pennies even further.

In Wellington, aside from finalising planning and making our accommodation bookings, we also did a guided walk booked and arranged through the Wellington I-Site which gave us the background and history of Wellington and the culture of the place. Very useful orientation. Even though it was the NZ summer, we also found out why the place is called the windy city - gusts nearly took you off your feet around every corner. My o/h had to track down an emergency dentist due to a disintegrating tooth, which was quickly and cheaply sorted out (and is still fine to this day). The other 2 highlights of Wellington were a guided visit around the NZ Parliament, which was entertaining, enlightening, fun and dry (it rained quiet a bit as well). The Maori meeting room is exquisitely carved, and you can buy special stamps and postcards from the Parliament which are then given a special post mark. On the wettest day of all we spent the whole day, and evening, in the Te Papa museum - mega is all we can say (in size and exhibitions). If you only see one museum whilst in NZ - it has to be Te Papa, try out the earthquake house!

Travel tip - you find proper shops in Wellington! I needed some new clothes and underwear and found Farmers to be good and cheap. The lack of high street shops, which we are used to in the UK, was both a hindrance and yet wonderfully different in NZ. The typical high street landscape is full of individual shops and a great places to shop, and farm shops by the roadside for snacks and shopping for meals. For food shopping we found New World excellent, and Four Square ok. For even cheaper clothes and picnic hardware items the best place is The Warehouse (although I also picked up some very cheap underwear and t-shirts here).

Wellington to Queenstown

14 Feb - flew Air NZ (very good experience) from Wellington to Queenstown with an organised airport transfer from the Holiday Inn to the airport (they booked the most expensive, but we did get it to our self, and when we pointed out that he was charging us more than his advertised transfer fee he brought the price down to the standard level). Just because you stay in posh hotels does not mean you are loaded!!! We picked up a cheap higher car, in more ways than one, at Queenstown airport from Apex Rentals. We were keeping the hire car right through to the 14th March so got an excellent long term rental rate, and the ferry fare between Picton and Wellington was also included. We got a Datsun Sunny which was fine for the 2 of us, and best of all, was really cheap to run (petrol wise).

Our previous hire cars in the first 4 weeks had been through Hertz and Avis, we had new top of the range cars, which came at a price (and were expensive to run) but these had all been arranged before we left the UK via our travel agent (never again). As it was a long rental we were given a free guide book, New Zealand Driving Holidays by Donna Blaber - this proved to be invaluable for the tips and hints about off the beaten track and quirky things and places. An absolute must for any driving holiday in NZ.

14 Feb - 17 Feb we stayed at the Lakeside Motel in Queenstown ($139 NZ per night) but were upgraded for free from the motel room to a 2 bed, 2 story apartment with a lovely balcony directly overlooking Lake Wakatipu and a private garden with street entrance! On the 14th we took ourselves out for a walk around the town and stopped for dinner at the Dux De Lux (good, but not as good as the one in Christchurch). What did make the evening really good was the live Ska band they had playing late into the evening.

15th - toured around Arrowtown, the Chinese Settlement, the famous bungee jump bridge (I did feel tempted to jump but decided to be more sensible), a local winery, and also just soaked up the chilled ambiance of Queenstown over coffee overlooking the lake.

16th - we had pre-booked the Dart Wilderness tour. We were picked up near our accommodation in the morning and taken to Glenorchy for our adventure. The drive along Lake Wakatipu is stunning - you really see why the ranges are called the Remarkables. Once at Glenorchy you are split into 2 groups, those going up the Dart by jet boat, and walking back to the bus for the scenery tour, and those going up by bus and back by jet boat. If you get a choice, go up the Dart River by jet boat rather than down the River (a better experience). This was thrilling, we loved it. The boat was doing 360 degree turns on 6 inches of water (loads of squeals from the ladies). You were so close to nature you could touch and feel it. My o/h had met a family on the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb (on an earlier part of our world tour) and they voted this the best experience of their whole holiday down under. Do it, you will then know why. The walk from the river to the bus was about 30 - 45 minutes and was relaxing and pleasant. The views of the river from the woods struck you dumb with awe. The 4 wheel coach trip took you to the filming sites of many famous adverts and, of course, that film! (Lord of the Rings). In the evening we took the last trip on the SS Earnslaw across Lake Wakatipu, which included time at the Walter Peak High Country Farm to watch an amusing sheep sheering demonstration.

17th - a last wander around Queenstown and a coffee on the waterside before heading to Oamaru.

Queenstown to Oamaru

17 - 18 Feb - Oamaru YHA (Red Kettle) - a small double room and shared bathroom facilities. A lovely, small, warm and friendly YHA with a mix of young and not so young travellers from all over the world.

We spent the first evening going to see if we could site the yellow eyed penguins, but found that there were loads of people already there and you were a long way from the penguins (being short-sighted meant that I saw very little). Travel tip - take binoculars!!! Following that we headed to the Blue Eyed penguin viewing Colony. You are not allowed to take photos, but you do have a comfortable covered sitting area and the ability to purchase hot drinks and snacks. Useful, as you will find yourself sitting there for at least 1.5 to 2 hours whilst these small and cute penguins find their way back to shore and slowly climb up the embankment to find their way home. They sit at the bottom of the slope and wait for other penguins to land at shore, then a confident one will strive out ahead of the others and they start to all follow on up. It as actually quiet magical to see, and you find yourself counting them out and willing more to arrive safely.

The next day we took a self guided walk around the magnificent and grand buildings of Oamaru. This was a rich and prosperous place at one time but lost out to other ports and the area fell into economic decline. Tourism is starting to reverse that trend now and you can see investment taking place. We enjoyed a long black at Steam and lunch at the Whisky Store. Travel tip - you will never have better coffee anywhere than NZ (and that is from seasoned French and Italian travellers!).

Oamaru to Akaroa

18 - 20 Feb - We travelled onto Akaroa, on the Banks Peninsula, on route stopping at the fascinating and unusual Moeraki Boulders. Standing on these honeycomb boulders felt like standing on top of the world. The barefoot walk, hand in hand, along the beach and through the surf to the boulders in the mid afternoon was bliss. The added magical moment was seeing two dolphins tumbling playfully in the surf.

Staying at Akaroa gave us the opportunity to try out an Australasian holiday park - the Top 10 Holiday Park. At $105 dollars a night for a studio en-suite and a deck overlooking the Bay was restful. We ate locally on fish and chips, a very popular option judging by the number of people waiting ahead of us in the queue. The drive over the Banks Peninsula can be a bit hair-raising and frustrating if you find yourself with a camper van moving slowly ahead of you (and not using the pull in lanes to allow faster moving vehicles to overtake).

The 19th saw us walking around the sites of Akaroa and taking a boat trip out to see the Hector's dolphins the area is famous for, along with a vast range of other sea and air wildlife. We toured with Akaroa Dolphin and Harbour Cruises, a small and personally run company. We were served with wine, soft drinks, and hot drinks with home made cookies.

Akaroa to Hanmer Springs

20 - 21 Feb - The next day we headed to Hanmer Springs via Lyttleton and enjoyed lunch on the way at the Lyttleton Coffee Company, a buzzing bunker like structure with great food and even greater coffee. This is a place we definitely want to head back to as there is more to it than meets the eye. It is a busy commercial area with houses built high up on the hills and around the Bay are wonderful small settlements where the locals enjoy a great outdoor lifestyle.

In Hammer Springs we stayed at the YHA, although the room was comfy the place was let down by the selfish other guests (mainly family groups) who treated the place as if it was a hotel - do they not realise they have to clear up after themselves when cooking? Nobody is paid to clear up after you! We spent the late afternoon and evening at the Springs - a series of spa pools of varying temperatures. There are walks you can do, but otherwise the springs are the main attraction of going to Hanmer.

Hanmer Springs to Kaikouria

21 - 22 Feb - Kaikouria staying at the Top 10 Holiday Park in an en-suite double room with a small balcony at $110 per night. The Park was right in the prime spot for getting to the centre for the whale watching boat tours - one of the main reasons why people travel to Kaikouria by road, coach and train.

We arrived at lunch time on the 21st and headed for our lunch at Hislop's, a popular organic cafe where I enjoyed a tasty creamy fish chowder with freshly baked bread. I had never had chowder before, and admit I don't really like fish (other than the battered kind) but this was different. As we had arrived earlier than anticipated we went to see if we could do the whale watching cruise that afternoon and luckily got the 2 last places on the last cruise! The cruise was a wonderful experience as we saw 2 whales and several playful pods of flying dusky dolphins. The evening was spent having fish and chips from a local eatery on the deck of our cabin.

Kaikouria to Picton (Waikawa)

The next day we headed to Picton, but not before spending the morning touring the enlightening Lavendyl lavender farm - I never realised lavender came in so many types or so many forms (including chocolates and mustards)! We stopped for lunch at Nin's Bin, a roadside caravan with seating by the oceanside which sells the tastiest fresh cooked crayfish, we had our crayfish served with freshly steamed mussels. Delicious!! Crayfish is a speciality of the area, but can be expensive, the roadside caravans which abound on the road just outside of Kaikouria (on route to Blenheim) are the best places to try crayfish without the cost of the town restaurants. Of course we did have to stop for the regular top up of NZ coffee (and cake) at The Store in Kekerengu, midway between Kaikoura and Blenheim. The terrace has views to die for.

22 - 25 Feb - We stayed at the Buckaneer Lodge, Waikawa (just along from Picton). The Buckaneer is easy to find if you have the right address, unfortunately we had the wrong address and spent a lot of time driving around to find it - only to find we were on top of it the whole time! When we did arrive at the front door we received a warm welcome from this Backpackers Hostel and were shown to an en-suite room on the first floor with a large balcony overlooking Waikawa and its large harbour. It was a treat to sit on the balcony sipping chilled wine as the sun went down. We did head to a place my o/h had read about in Picton called the Echo, which was a boat made famous in an American film. It is now a lovely little cafe and bar where you can see an eclectic collection of old historical photos and the original film featuring the boat. Prior to the film, it had been a working boat (scow) in NZ. After dinner, back at the Buckaneer, we found another sign of this great places hospitality - home made Pavlova. What a treat.

The 23rd was spent taking the Mail Boat Run with Beachcomber cruises. My weight had been reducing during this trip as I was more active, my arthritis was at bay and my confidence in my ability was sky high so I felt ready for the 10k walk from Resolution Bay to Furneaux Lodge, with a stop on the track for our packed lunch. On the way to Resolution Bay the Mail Boat stopped at Ships Cove where my o/h had his photo taken by Cooks Monument. This is special to us as we live near Newton under Roseberry Topping, where Captain Cook was born. A popular hike for my o/h is to Cooks Monument near Great Ayton (North Yorkshire). Now he has seen, and been to, two Cooks Monuments! On the 10k hike my o/h slowed down just for me, he is very fit and active and would normally run the 10k (as a seasoned orienteer). I thought I was being more energetic than ever! Our deadline was to be at Furneaux Lodge in time for the return pick up at 4.00pm - easy I thought, that would give us 5 hours. I thought I really could walk at about 1k every 10 minutes! Well, I do on flat land! After climbing up the hillside from the Bay to the track with the help of a rope due to the gradient, I was ready for my first stop of the day. The track was nothing like a walk along a pavement, it was pitted, muddy in places, steep climbs in other places and treacherous descents in yet other places. Only my desire to get back to the Buckaneer kept me going for the foot slogging final 2k to Furneaux Lodge. Fate meant we arrived just in time to grab an icecream before heading for the Mail Boat home. Would I do it again? Yes. Why? The views, the closeness to nature, the amazing wildlife we were privileged to see, and not least the sense of achievement I felt at completing a major challenge for me. Aside from that, the track was well populated with walkers, and had great stopping places for breaks and lunch stops. I will definately go back there, do the walk again, and next time stay at the lively looking Furneaux Lodge.

24th Feb found me stiff all over, with feet that felt like lead weights when I tried to move, not the best way to feel when we were embarking on a guided wine tour of the Marlborough vineyards. We were picked up 9.30am, stopped to collect another couple at about 10.00am from a Blenheim motel (a lovely couple from Australia) and then set off to visit 3 vineyards before lunch. We had lunch at a vineyard garden, by which time the alcohol was definately giving medicinal aid to my body. After lunch we visited another vineyard and a small shopping complex with local luxury food and wine produce for sale. We managed to head back to the Buckaneer with a dozen mixed wines from the various vinyards. During the tastings we found, to our surprise, that we loved the local Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling (we are normally committed red wine drinkers).

Trip tip - Waikawa has the largest marina outside of Auckland which was a shock to find, in such a small place.

Picton to Takawa (Golden Bay)

25 - 27 Feb we headed to Annies Nirvana YHA associate in Takaka, Golden Bay, stopping at Kaiteriteri on route to confirm our booking for a sailing adventure of the Abel Tasman National Park. Our main reason for staying at Takawa was a trip the next day to Farewell Spit, which we knew would be a lengthy afternoon trip. In honesty, this was the worst accommodation we stayed in on the whole of our time away. The bed was excruitiatingly uncomfortable and the facilities were inadequate for the number of people staying there. We stayed in the end of a row of joined cabins in the garden (like a large garden shed with separate compartments). We also found the other backpackers, of all ages, to be insular and a bit 'up themselves' for the older ones. The hostel keeper was friendly and helpful though.

26th Februay and we took a slow drive to Collingwood for our afternoon trip on the Farewell Spit Eco Tour, on the way taking time out to stop at Pupu Springs (Te Waikoropupu) for coffee and a walk around the nature reserve. The springs bubbling up today, the cleanest of anywhere, probably started as rain 50 years ago and pump out about 14,000 litres of water every minute! This is definately worth a wonder around and the flora, fauna and springs are stunning. We stopped for an early lunch at the Mussel Inn, Onekaka, between Takaka and Collingwood. Get there if you can, a lovely spot to sit inside or out eating local mussel chowder washed down with organic home brewed beer. We would definately head back there again to enjoy the bear and live bands they often have.

The Farewell Spit Eco Tour was one of the major highlights of our whole holiday, the tour was led by a lively and knowledgable lady who was a local character. The expidition is in unique 4 wheel drive buses. The trip takes you to the most northly point of the South Island (Cape Farewell) and then along the spit to the lighthouse. You get a chance to walk along the sands and explore caves and coves before heading towards the old lighthouse. You stop here for a walk around, coffee and home made muffins. My o/h climbed the lighthouse whilst I walked around the lighhouse keepers cottages. 3 keepers lived in this remote area, with their families, until the lighthouse was automated. You get an insight into the remoteness of this little community and the harsh life the keepers and their families must have endured yet the family photographs on display show happy, smiling and carefree children. The small community was self-sufficient to an extent with their own vegetable and fruti gardens and they kept their own cows and chickens. The tour along the spit ended with fun time climbing sand dunes and walking along the shoreline barefoot in the Tasman Sea swell.

Takawa to Kaiteriteri

27 - 1st March was spent at the popular seaside village of Kaiteriteri at the Kaiteriteri Beach Motor Camp (incredibly popular, so book very early if you want to stay there) in a basic holiday cabin (it was the cheapest, and only, accommodation we could find there) at $50 per night inluding the hire of bedding, crockery and cooking utensils. The toilet block, kitchen and shared fridge and freezer facilities were first rate. The beach at this resort is one of the best in the whole area. We had already booked a trip on a sailing catamaran with Abel Tasman Sailing on the way to Takaka for the morning of the 27th (origninally booked for the 28th but when we re-confirmed we were advised about adverse weather conditions due on the 28th, so brought the trip forward). To make the early start we gladly left Annie's Nirvana in Takaka to arrive at Kaiteriteri for our 9.30 sailing experience. Parking up in the public car park we stolled across the road to the golden sandy beach bright and early for our trip on board the catamaran for a lovely sail around Spit Apple Rock, past Marahau, Fisherman and Adele Islands (with commentary on their history) until we reached Anchorage Bay, our final destination and lunch stop (included in the price). After a relaxed lunch on the deck we enjoyed a swim and walk around the area. For keen hikers, there is basic cabin accommodation here as well as a campsite. The Abel Tasman Coast and Heaphy tracks are very popular multi-day hikes.

The 28th dawned to storms and rain from the early hours of the morning, as predicted and raincoats were at the ready for dashes to the toilets and kitchen. We had no plans ready for a rainy day, so gathered what info we could from the camp office to make a decision. During this time I realised that I had misplaced my recently acquired sun hat (a vital purchase in Ayers Rock earlier in our whole trip). After searching my memory (that didn't take too long) I recalled wearing it when we were at Farewell Spit. We phoned the tour company and low and behold they had the hat. So we were sorted for a day time activity - a return trip to Collingwood to collect my hat from the Eco Tour office. Before setting off we had also decided on an evening activity - we made a booking to go to the cinema at the leisure centre in Motueka to see the new release Slumdog Millionaire.

Having already done the drive to Golden Bay and back once, we headed there again. The drive along State Highway 60 up and over Takaka Hill is stunning, and also gut wrenching, with evidence of landslides all around and views over steep drops. You pass caves near the summit of the road and the road winds down through the Takaka Hill Scenic Reserve. On arrival in Collingwood, after retrieving my hat, we visited the small museum there, which gave a fascinating insight into the continued economic regeneration of a unique and remote area and the heroism shown by the young men and women of the area in supporting the allies in WW1. Returning to Collingwood allowed us the opportunity to make a visit to Rosy Glow Chocolates, a must do if you are ever there. These delicious hand-made chocolates are mouth wateringly described and made for sharing (they are seriously large for liquer and continental chocolates). Before heading back over the Takaka Hill we lunched at the Courthouse Cafe and Gallery, an interesting small building in the heart of the small town which, again, served excellent coffee. On the way back we stopped off just past Takaka at Golden Salami for some home cured salami from their own cattle, you pull in off the road and buy from a vending machine in a small cabin. There are a large range of delicious salami's and sausages to choose from, and if help is needed a telephone is there to contact the producer at his home.

The evening cinema experience was something else again, the leisure centre provided a host of normal sporting activities with a small single screen cinema as part of the complex. We arrived early as we were told that seats were unallocated, so it was first come first served, and queued up to pass the ticket checker. On going through to the cinema we entered into a small auditorium with seating for only about 100 people. Everyone arrived in their best clothes and greeted one another like a social occasion. The film was fun and left us with a feel-good feeling at the end of an ejoyable, if wet day.

Kaiteriteri to Havelock (Green Mussel Capital of the World)

1 - 2 March found us stopping overnight at the associate YHA in Havelock, one of the most homely and welcoming places we stayed. The best bed and bedding to be found anywhere and a lovely large communual dining table where discussion was prompted by the ambiance. Our main reason for putting this into our itinerary was for the afternoon Greenshell Mussel Cruise out of Havelock harbour. We learnt about how the green lipped mussels were farmed and also about the stunning setting of Pelorus and Queen Charlotte Sounds. Of course, the local wine and freshly steamed green lipped shell mussels served on the cruise also helped to make the trip special and memorable.

Travel tip - we would love to return to this area again, and particularly to stop over in Nelson, which looked fabulous as we were driving through. If we could retire to NZ we would definately choose Picton to live in.

Havelock to Greytown

2 March and we set off to catch the Interislander Ferry across the Cook Straits from Picton to Wellington and onward to Greytown on the North Island. See Part 2 of our New Zealand Extension Trip report for the travel log of the North Island (coming soon).

Trip note - the weather was hot and sunny most of the time.