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Published: March 11th 2008
trumpet player in "The Bog"
our first night in ChristchurchHello folks!
Well, we've travelled the length and breadth of New Zealand in the past three weeks - starting off in Christchurch on the South Island and finishing up in Auckland on the North Island. We travelled over 3000 miles in "Queenie" our trusty campervan and what an experience! This country has some truly spectacular scenery with lakes, mountains, raging rivers, fiords and the odd active volcano or two. Around every corner was a photo opportunity! The roads are so quiet we could go for miles without seeing another vehicle....more likely to bump into a sheep or two crossing the road.
There is so much to talk about in this blog from a country packed with amazing scenery and adventure, we would be here forever! Things like taking the Gondola ride up for amazing views of Christchurch, the Antarctic Centre experiencing -18 degrees c, the Moeraki boulders and how they mysteriously appeared on the beach, visiting the only mainland Albatross colony in the world, driving the southern scenic route with seals and penguins a plenty along the rugged coast, passing through Invercargill the most southerly city in the world, eye witnessing the most spectacular waterfall display we have ever
seen at Milford Sound on the rugged and wet west coast - this area is the wettest place on earth with 6 metres of rain a year, scenic Queenstown where a lot of Lord of the Rings was filmed (we got a parking ticket there for being "parked facing the wrong direction" in a two way street!), the Gates of Haast with raging rivers tumbling through large boulders, stunning Glacier Country with the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers definitely having the wow factor, Lake Matheson with its perfect reflection of Mount Cook in the water - this sight was awesome and very serene, chilling out at Hanmer Springs natural thermal pools and the three hour ferry journey from Picton to Wellington - leaving Picton was very picturesque.....and that's only the South Island..........
On the North Island......waking up in Gisborne - the first city in the world to see the sunrise, whiffy Rotorua nicknamed "sulphur city" with its energetic thermal activity, bubbling mud pools, steaming lakes and general eggy smell, kayaking on Lake Taupo at sunset - this is the largest lake in New Zealand - 600 sq kms - about the size of Singapore, white water rafting down a
seven metre waterfall....twice.....they asked if we wanted another ride (cool!), the Bay of Plenty and kiwi fruit central - the hub of all kiwi fruit growing in the world, Mikey bungy jumping 50 metres down towards the very scenic Waikato river, our seven hour hike on the Tongariro Apline Crossing where we walked over the most scenic and active volcanoes in the area (Mt Ngauruhoe was the setting for Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings), up above the clouds at 1886 metres this hike was breathtaking in every sense of the word - at one point we were hammered with 50km winds along the volcanic rim, the waitamo gloworm caves, more thermal action in natural hot water springs, Auckland with its 390 metre high Sky Tower and dormant volcanoes dotted around and of course visiting the sheep shearing capital of the world!! woohoo!
These were just some of our highlights in New Zealand - what a country!!
Next stop Fiji for ten days of rest and relaxation :-)
Hasta la vista baaaaaaaby................
Mikey and Kaz.
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