Blogs from New Zealand, Oceania - page 2533

We got massively lost in Waitomo, which was quite an achievement given the size of the place. The Lonely Planet Guide recommended a hostel so we followed the directions and ended up at a wreck of a hut in the middle of nowhere. If that was the hostel then we were not going to stay there (obviously we'd got stuck-up since Pee Pee Island). When we did eventually find the one which was recommended, it was an improvement but only just. Anyone wanting to spend a night in Waitomo, don't bother! The following morning we visited what are imaginatively called the Glow-worm caves. We travelled into the caves by boat and in the darkness you could see literally thousands of little green lights on the roof of the cave. It was quite magical. Photographs were a ... read more

Palmerston North is not exactly high on the tourist circuit, in fact it's not on the tourist circuit at all. However some of the people from the hostel in Melbourne came from here and we had arranged to meet them for a while. Our meeting point was the Kentucky Fried Chicken of all places as, like McDonalds, these places are not exactly hard to find. I love the subtle way that they try to blend their so called restaurants into the surroundings! We were then given the guided tour, which consisted mainly of various pubs. The climax of the tour was a club that was $20 to get in and then all the drinks were free. That just about sums up our time in Palmerston North - if you find a winning formula stick with it. ... read more

Leaving Australia was very sad for both of us. The flights from Sydney to Auckland, and on to Honolulu and Los Angeles were with United Airlines who had been plagued by accidents at the time. The Australians had taken great pleasure in telling me that I was making a big mistake and how they will only ever fly Quantas who had an impeccable record. However bad United's record was, it wasn't a patch on Aeroflot or Buraq and we had survived them no worries (Heaven help me, I'm starting to sound like an Australian, I mean an Aussie). The flight, however, was fantastic and they had obviously been working hard to counter their reputation. The hostel was one of the YHA efforts that expect you to do 'duties', and well early in the morning as well. ... read more

I must admit that at this distance, my memories of South Island, New Zealand, are limited when compared with North Island. Arrival in Christchurch from Wellington called for a city tour. I do recall a drive past ChristChurch Cathedral, A wedding was just ending and bride and groom appeared at the porch. (The couple would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2014.) Another item I took note of was the fact that city busses had provision to carry prams on the front. From Christchurch, we visited Dunedin and Invercargill. The latter city marks my southernmost point traveled at 46°24′47″S 168°20′51″E. At Queenstown our group shook up the local cab company. The proprietor had recently retired and passed the businesses to his son-in-law. However, he was recalled to active duty to assist taking our group of ... read more