Advertisement
Published: January 2nd 2009
We approached Queenstown from Lake Wakatipu and followed it round to the town. Queenstown is a busy town with an alpine lodge feel and is the undisputed adventure sport capital of New Zealand. The town is situated in a beautiful location surrounded by large mountains on each side with lakes, canyons and rivers all in the vicinity.
The surrounding buildings are made of a combination of wood and stone with clear evidence of further expansion planned. As a result the area is a busy hive of activity with camper vans lining the car parks and thrill-seekers in search of satisfaction.
For the thrill-seekers there are a host of options to choose from such as the conventional bungy jumping, jet boating or white water rafting to such oddities as canyoning and zorbing. The bungy was actually invented here by a man named AJ Hackett who turned it into a commercial enterprise. Throwing yourself off a bridge into a canyon with a torrent of water gushing beneath with a rubber band round your ankles takes guts, let alone being the first one to do it.
Jet boating was also invented here by a man named Hamilton who, quite rightly, named
the jet boat engine after himself. He needed a means to travel over the shallow waters of the canyons in the drier months when the waters recede and so developed an engine and boat that allowed him to do this. It was this particular activity that we chose embark on, making our way to an area called Shotover Canyon.
We were suited up in ponchos and life jackets and took our place in the jet boat. The boat holds around 14 people in total and the ride includes careening through a canyon and river. We took off and were instantly thrown back in our seats, the power of the boats engines instantly evident. There are two engines in the rear which suck in then spit out water at 800 litres per second! Per second!! The driver has control of which way the water is propelled out of the engine to steer the boat. The boats travel at 40mph which, in a car is nothing but, let me tell you, in a boat this is a very a different matter.
The driver screamed into Shotover Canyon - high walls of rock on either side. He dodged jagged rocks rising
Mike by Canyon
Near Queenstownfrom the shallow river bed and came perilously close to the canyon walls multiple times. We were literally inches away from rock face (and death). I very much doubt the flimsy fibre glass boat would have been the contest winner had it ploughed into the solid rock. The canyon section was really exhilarating though with many frightening near-misses leaving us soaked and quite frankly, scared. This does sound like we had a crazed, irresponsible driver, but he was actually quite skilled at making us feel like death was in the boat with us, scythe in hand, waiting.
We made our way into a wider part of the river from the canyon and it was here we began to feel the rain. Because of the speed we were travelling the rainwater droplets were slicing into our faces leaving them stinging and numb. Whilst on the river we did several 360 spins, which again, took place near walls of rock. Sometimes it felt that the driver had no control over the boat but would at the last minute pull away and launch off again down river. The spins were excellent and we really had to grip the safety bar to stop
ourselves from being thrown into the laps of the person sitting beside us.
We left Queenstown satisfied with our adrenaline fix and stopped off at the AJ Hackett Bungy site to watch people plummet off a bridge into a canyon then dangle around bountifully on the end of the elastic. It was good fun to watch but confirmed our earlier desire to never try this particular adventure sport!
Our onward drive took us through the stunning Lake Wanaka then over the Southern Alps via Haast Pass where we camped for the night. The drive was full of gushing rapids and dense forestry as the road wound up and over the mountain to our campsite for the night - the little remote town of Haast. We were soon to be entering Westland, home to some of New Zealand's famous glaciers.
The two that are the most accessible are the Fox and Franz Josef Glacier. Unlike the Tasman Glacier, these are both clearly visible and instead of retreating some of them are actually advancing further. Unfortunately due to the amount of rain the area had sustained over the last few days we were unable to see the Fox Glacier
because the road to it was under 4 feet of ice cold water, something which was beyond our little camper.
This left the Franz Josef, for which the road was thankfully open. After a 20 minute hike to a viewpoint we admired the glacier for quite a time. It was the first actual glacier either one of us had seen and it was certainly an impressive sight. Craggy sharp shards of blue ice follow the rock down the mountain which drops off steeply into an ice-laden river. We were viewing the glacier from a distance yet the sheer enormity of it was clear to see. It is allegedly the worlds fastest glacier - a small plane that crashed at the top took just 6 years to reach the bottom.
We followed the road up the western coast, the Southern Alps constantly on our right hand side. We were aiming for Arthur's Pass next, which would take us back up and over the Southern Alps and to the eastern side of the Southern Island. The road winds up the mountain beginning with glorious flat plains covered in yellow flowers which turned into high hills, cavernous gorges and gushing rapids
on either side of the road. The road rises steep, the engineering required both impressive and imaginative. Waterfalls have been cleverly re-routed and an amazing viaduct spans a large area near the top of the pass. We reached our final destination - Arthur's Pass Village - New Zealand's highest settlement.
We camped at this altitude in another DOC site for the night and were hounded many a time by the notorious Kea parrots. These are wild parrots with balls! They land all over cars in search for food, which is usually given up in fear by the cars inhabitants! After fighting a few off round our camper van we settled down for the coldest night we were in for, thankful for the warm rays of sun hitting the van as it peered over the mountain at first light.
The road down the other side of the mountain heading east was just as impressive, with the usual assortment of forestry, lakes and stunning flowers and fields ensuring we remained snap-happy. We next headed for Hanmer Springs, which formed part of our Alpine-Pacific Triangle drive.
Hanmer Springs was a very agreeable place to spend a couple of days. The
town is small and relaxed with cafes spilling out onto the pavements and a delicious home made fudge shop selling amazing melt-in-your-mouth butterscotch fudge. Any illusions of eating healthily in our camper van ended here.
Hanmer Springs is famous for its geothermal resort - an area that contains natural fresh springs and mineral pools - our main reason for being here. The resort is made up of a variety of different pools containing
different minerals at different temperatures. The highest temperature is a sulphur pool at 41 degrees, which was the best one. The pools have healing qualities (apparently) helping with blood flow, generating endorphins and keeping vital organs in shape. Before we entered each pool a helpful notice also informed us of all the vitamins and minerals that the water contains. Above all that, after over a week on the road it was nice to just relax in one spot for a while.
We also took advantage of the beautiful scenery surrounding Hanmer and embarked on a horse trek. It was a scorching day but the horse trek was great fun. Victoria was on a horse called Kev, who was a bit slow and lazy, requiring a
Kiwi Roadsign
Possum killing, on the other hand is encouraged. good kick to get him moving. Mine was called Storm and wanted to bend down and eat all the time!
The trek took us through fields of sheep and paths through forest. One part we were actually able to trot on the horse which was excellent. I'm sure that sounds quite dull for any horse-people but for us it was great! Our horses toiled under our weight up a steep hill which, when we reached the summit we drank in the amazing views of the surrounding area. Hills of green and sheep, forest and mountains were ours to admire until it was time to return. Storm used the time wisely to eat some more grass. We made our way back a different way, wading through goats and cows this time to reach the stables and make our way back to town.
Heading up the coast we next visited a town called Kaikora. We climbed up to a view point of the town before driving to it and were taken aback by its beauty. The snow-dusted Kaikora Mountain Range is large and imposing, slipping down steeply into a curved bay with brilliant green waters. Having such large and imposing
Our Jet Boat
At Shotover Canyon. mountains next to the sea is quite unusual but makes for such spectacular scenery. Nestled in between the two is the small town of Kaikora, which is a good place to sample some Kiwi seafood - the specialty being the crayfish, which is exported for a high price.
Unfortunately the Crayfish is not available for a local price, they sell it locally at the export price, something like $80 per kg. I settled on a Crayfish fritter which is a mixture of crayfish and egg with some bread. It was very nice indeed and a suitable snack on which to explore some of Kaikora's wildlife.
The bay area is a haven for sperm whales, dolphins and seals. We went to another seal colony which was on a large flattish rocky portion of the Kaikora bay. The seals lay limp and lifeless as tourists buzz around taking pictures. Yet all the while they seem to keep a watchful eye on the proceedings.
The next portion of our drive was from Kaikora and up the eastern coast towards Blenheim. The road hugged the coast for the most part and we were able to see many blissfully deserted bays and
black-sanded volcanic beaches with straw grass sprouting from the ground. The combination of colour - yellow-green grass, white-topped mountains, silky fine charcoal sand and the deep blue of the Pacific was a joy to watch. We camped for the night south of Blenheim in another DOC sight located on Marfells beach. The sound of the waves lapping the shore sending us into oblivion following an impressive sunset.
The Marlborough region awaited us the next day, famous round the world for producing New Zealand's best wines. As we began to enter the region we were surrounded on all sides by large fields crammed with vineyards. There is something about this particular climate and the wind that is blown off the seas that is perfect for growing wine. There are countless wineries around, literally hundreds to choose from and we spent a good portion of the day deciding which ones to go and do some tasting in.
The people that work in the tasting rooms here are very knowledgeable on every aspect of their wines from the grape combination to the aging process used. Our Christmas trip last year to Vinopolis coming in very useful for this. We visited the
Vines Village where we bought a bottle of Sauvingnon Blanc and a smaller boutique winery called Mahi where we splashed out on their Pinot Noir whilst enjoying their rustic tasting room. This whole time attempting not to get too sloshy.
It was time for us to traverse the country again and make our way to the north west corner and Abel Tasman National Park, one of New Zealand's smallest yet most visited. Here we ventured on a couple of walks along the craggy coast and spotted some Albatross' along the way. Although Victoria still maintains they were just seagulls - huge seagulls if they were! We also took time for a bumpy drive over twisting gravel roads to explore a couple of the parks divine golden sandy beaches and secluded bays which were truly stunning.
We camped for the night near another Lord of the Rings filming location and made our way into a forest in the early evening light to seek out Harwoods hole - the largest natural vertical drop in the southern hemisphere at over 400ft. The drive over gravel to this site was picturesque as many different sized dark grey marble rocks and boulders were
Alpine Bridge
At the top of Arthur's Pass scattered across the landscape, blending with the grass.
The walk began in a forest which emanated a green glow. Bright green moss covered every long thin trunk into the tall canopy's of each tree which reflected into sporadic pools of inky black water below. The walk continued for quite some time - but still no sign of Harwoods Hole. We would have thought an enormous 400ft plummet would been easy to spot.
The trees continued and the rugged landscape with large marble boulders became more prominent and precarious. We eventually reached a climb for the viewpoint. There was no safety element to the climb and the viewpoint was incredibly difficult to reach. It entailed a delicate balance over large but thin boulders which, whilst trying to hold a camera was quite tricky. It is the kind of height that made me want to flatten myself onto the ground, spreading my body weight in every direction to give maximum grip. The view was astonishing from beyond the peak but I could not bring myself to gaze over the edge. Plummeting 400ft (without a parachute anyway) was not something on the agenda.
Following that night we had to head
back to the west coast again to catch a ferry to the North Island. We drove back the way we came, stopping off in the pretty town of Nelson. It was here that we discovered the one ring! Well, the jeweler that made it is based here anyway. Before making our way to our ferry in Picton, we made for the Queen Charlotte sounds, which our guidebook (quite rightly) describes as an 'omelette of islands'.
This collection of islands off the north coast has a very squiggly coastline indeed. The roads were twisty and turny and went on and on forever. There are lots and lots of stunning bays to explore here though, which was very joyous. The waters are deep blue and the lush coastline green all the way round. We stopped off at a couple of bays to run, jump and splash around before eventually making our way into Picton - a port town and main ferry terminal to the North Island. We've been really surprised that the ferry and flying are the only routes to the North - surely someone could’ve built a tunnel by now?
The journey on the ferry - despite only being
14 miles long - takes over 3 hours. The reason for this is the ferry has to travel very slowly as it works its way out of the Queen Charlotte Sounds so as not to disturb any of the marine life beneath the water or on the shores. As a result, however, we got the chance to admire the spectacular green hills and deep blue waters of Queen Charlotte Sound bidding the Southern Island a fond farewell. We chugged out slowly into the body of water between the North and South Island - the Cook Strait and onto our next port of call - Wellington, New Zealand's capital city.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.07s; Tpl: 0.015s; cc: 8; qc: 51; dbt: 0.0381s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
mum and dad
non-member comment
bungy - no way!!
Mike and Victoria, what wonderful photos you have taken of this fantastic country. My dad was going to emigrate here when I was little but my mum's career prevented us - am I sorry now!! I cannot imagine anyone wanting to live in UK after having lived in NZ!! Shotover Canyon sounds fantastic and I spotted both of you in the pic but it was not a 'where's wally' moment was it? Plummeting to near death by rubber band is not my idea of fun so no way!! Parrots with balls, what next? Harwoods Hole looked eerie and no sign of Gollum or the hobbits. The seagulls have the ring didn't you know or is it the albatross who drops it in to Mt Doom, I can never remember the alternative ending!! Glad you enjoyed NZ. Lots of love, see you soon!! XXX