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Published: January 21st 2008
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I have managed to see a bit of New Zealand at long last! Over the new year I went on road-trip with Sue, we rented a car as my $1500 (roughly £500) has proven to be a little unreliable. Sue came and picked me up from work on Friday afternoon and we did the very dull drive down to Oamaru. In Oamaru we decided against paying a fortune to be sat on a grandstand with coach loads of people looking at the penguins so instead went for a walk along the harbour. We were lucky and saw blue penguins which are tiny penguins coming out of the sea onto the rocks.
On Saturday we stopped at the Moraki boulders and then drove on down to the Otago peninsula which is a really beautiful. We drove out to the end where there is the only mainland Albatross colony in the world. We were really lucky and got the last 2 tickets to the tour on which we got to see them nesting and a couple flying. They are really amazing, they are 1 meter tall and their wing span is 3 meters, they spend their first 5 years at sea and
Royal Albatross
Not seagulls honest!!!! only get one chance to fly when they throw themselves off the cliff. Unfortunately when you take a photo they look like seagulls but you can’t win them all!
Sunday we got up early to discover in typical NZ fashion it was tipping it down. Not to be put of we got on the road to Milford Sound. The drive was actually still really gorgeous with hundreds of small waterfalls running down the side of the cliffs making it look marbled. When we got down to Milford Sound we decided against a very wet cruise where we were not sure if we would see much. We drove on to Queenstown, turning up in the town about 5.15pm, after a little bit of a walk we decided it would do no harm to ask in the shop if they had any jetboats going out. In another stroke of luck we got the last 2 tickets on the last boat and 10 minutes later were out on our way to Shotover Canyon. Jetboating is great - you get all kitted out in you lifejackets and some very fetching “spray jackets” which come to your knees and are soaking wet! The ride
Taiaroa Head
on the Otago Peninsula was great fun, really close to the rocks and doing 360o turns. I got to know Sue a little better as she ended up in my lap!
We had a lazy Sunday morning in Wanaka and then went horse riding at lunch time. We did a two hour trek which was great, got to see some fantastic views. We then drove on to Franz Josef along the west coast. The drive was stunning, it was just a shame we didn’t have time to stop at all the little places along the way. We then saw in the new year like a couple of old ladies, had a glass of red wine and was tucked up in bed by 12.15!!
New years day we got up early again as we were booked on the first heli-hike out on the glacier. It was amazing, something I will never forget. You had stunning views of the glacier on the way up and Sue ended up on my lap again as the pilot pulled a couple of stunts. We than landed on the ice and put on Clampons which are just spikes for your shoes and then went off for a 2
hour hike. It was absolutely amazing on the blue ice and I was very impressed that the guide (the hunky gladiator Troy) managed to get us back to the tiny spot of ice where the helicopter can land!
When we got back into the town we ran across the road and into the first pub we saw, accosted a terrified looking barmaid and asked for 2 glasses of bubbles - any bubbles as we only have 5 minutes before new year! At 1pm she was understandably a little confused and we ended up with 2 glasses of wine to toast in the new year at the same time as you all at home. Most of the locals thought we were nuts yelling out 3, 2, happy new year as they were all nursing their hangovers but never mind we were having fun! As for what happened after that, I’m afraid it stays on tour!!!!
The next morning, feeling very sorry for myself, Sue drove us back to Christchurch. The views through Arthur’s Pass where amazing and it is defiantly something I want to do again when I am on full form. I’m now back at work but at
least I feel a bit more like a backpacker again. I can’t wait til I finish working and I get to see some more of this beautiful country.
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