Blogs from Motueka, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 4

"Almost 45m of snow every year on top of this glacier!" Queenstown ist eine sehr belebte kleine und sehr touristische Stadt. Sie ist die Spass- und Adrenalinhauptstadt Neuseelands. Unzaehlige Unternehmen versuchen hier ihr breitgefaechertes Programm an den Touristen zu bringen. Bungeejumping, Rafting, Speedbootfahrten oder Paragliding, sowie Lord of the Rings Tours sind nur eine Auswahl aus diesem grossen Aktivitaetsspektrum. Wir entschieden uns erst einmal in eine Partie Indoor-Minigolf spielen zu gehen. In der Stadt selbst war es uns sowieso zu wuehlig und hier war nciht viel los und wir konnten in Ruhe ein paar Baelle versenken. Die Bahnen sind keine ganz Gewoehnlichen, sondern etwas Besonderes. Die Baelle werden schon mal auf Sesselliften den Berg hinaufgezogen, oder einen Fluss hinunter gerollt. Eine spassige Angelegenheit. Nach der Partie beschlossen wir erst einmal den... read more

14th March 2008 As it was the first campsite in two days with a shower Bex & I took full advantage and were soon clean again and ready to carry on with our Journey. Mouteka is almost dead centre of the North Coast and we were aiming to drive west for the Farewell Spit. The Farewell spit is a 26km long sand spit, and is suprisingly overlooked by most tourists and is as far North West you can go on the South Island. We spent the rest of the morning in Motueka's I-Site & booked a Horse treking tour on the farewell spit for the day after, and also a kayak tour of the Abel Tasmen National Park the following day. So we had the rest of the day to get to a campsite around Farewell ... read more

Towards the north ... Finally we are hitting the west coast! Because of the bad weather we drove a lot and we have time to spare in the North ! From Queenstown we went to Lake Hawea and lake Wanaka to spend the night but then decided to go a little back to explore a Gold Mining region. We had time to explore the hill of Bendigo, the abandoned shafts, huts and other diggings while looking on the ground to find gold.... unfortunately no luck.... Then over the nice Haast Pass, on which we had very rainy weather, we went to the Glacier's region. If we couldn't see the reflexion of the Mt Cook in the Lake Matheson (see pics) or the Fox and Franz Josef Glacier it was still a very nice drive ! After ... read more

What a funny name. We've been doing a lot of driving over the past few days - we're now at just about the top of the west coast of the South Island. We've clocked over 1000km so far, and today we've got the day off driving, which is nice. Funny how lazing around exhausts you. So after we left Christchurch and wee Maia we arrived in Greymouth, and then onto Fox Glacier for our glacier hike. Now, I'm not into nature. I'm really not. I'm the sort of person who can be in front of an erupting volcano and barely manage to roll down the car window for a photo, let alone spend hours clambering over slippery rocks in mosquito-infested jungles. I can never understand the logic of climbing for hours and hours to see a ... read more

Owkay! Where was I? Ow yeah... I arrived on the South Island, after I think a three hour-journey through the beautiful Marlbourough sounds. Incredible views! I stayed in Picton for one day, did a little walk in the bay, drunk an awful Milkshake, enjoyed my first bike ride on New-zealand territory (I miss my bike!!!!). And there I decided to go to Blenheim the next day and start working in a vineyard! In blenheim, I found a nice backpakershouse, where could stay for a longer time. I decided to stay there for at least ten days. The same day I looked for my tax nr, opened a bankaccount and found a job very easily. So next day: 6.40 am (painful...), sunblock, hat, loads of water, good shoes, and my sense of humour, and of I went ... read more