Blogs from Queen Charlotte Sound, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania

Op een kleine kilometer van de ferryhaven, worden we wakker met het zalige geluid van auto’s en camions die van de ferry komen. Er zijn leukere manieren om wakker te worden... Onverstoord beginnen we toch aan onze dag. Bij de keuze tussen de Highway of de Queen Charlotte Drive (scenic route = lange route) was de keuze uiteraard rap gemaakt. ;) Het was, uiteraard, een prachtige route. Alle gekheid op een stokje, ik zou hem echt aan iedereen aanraden. Het duurt iets langer om in Nelson te geraken, maar het zicht is prachtig. Nelson zelf was mooi, maar we hadden eigenlijk beter verwacht. En Route komen we hier en daar ook een lokale ambachter tegen. We besluiten bij eentje binnen te gaan. Bleek dit het atelier van een gezellig oud 'jack of all trades' te zijn. ... read more

Sunday 22nd December, 2013. Kaikoura to Anakiwa We left the YH and continued travelling north on the highway 1. The weather was iffy again. First stop was the Ohau Seal Colony. Here there was a fabulous viewing platform where there was lots of information on the seals. You could also get quite a lot closer to the beasts than was possible yesterday (if we had known we wouldn't have bothered with the marathon excursion and leaping over crevasses!). The NZ Fur Seal differs from the NZ Sea Lion in that it has a pointed nose and long whiskers, they are also much smaller than the sea-lions and like rocky coastlines where the sea-lions like sandy beaches. We have only just realised they are different critters! Fur Seals are superb swimmers and have been know to cross ... read more

2/16/12 Day 4 covers the final 20km of the QC Track. Morning found the trampers ready for an early start. Barb, who had a blister developing, chose to take the ferry from the Portage back to Picton. Robyn chose to tape her blisters and headed out with the group. For the trampers, a steady pace had to be kept in order to reach Anakiwa where they met the ferry for the ride back to Picton at 3:30pm.... read more

2/15/12 Today we opted to rest our weary feet by taking a ferry from Punga Cove to Torea Bay. Mr. Campbell was asked to pilot the ferry while the Captain went to check on some loose baggage. Once on land we resumed a “Mount Everest”, ie. mountain goat, ascent to the Portage Hotel. At the top of the rise we intersected the Queen Charlotte Track. We took a two-hour mini hike onto the third segment of the QC Track. Atop one of the rises, we had our lunch on a fallen tree overlooking Kenepuru Sound.... read more

2/12/12 Flew Air New Zealand from Auckland to Blenheim on the South Isand. It was a small 19 seat plane. We were picked up by the Marlborough Sounds Shuttle and driven to Picton. Stayed overnight at the Aldan Motel. 2/13/12 In the morning we checked in with our tour group, the Marlborough Sounds Adventure Company. Took the ferry from Picton to Ship’s Cove, the start of the Queen Charlotte Track. There were five trampers in our group (Hugh , Robyn, and Jeff Ward, a former New Zealand ambassador, John and Barbara). Tramped 14 kilometers through the New Zealand Bush. We had several good vistas overlooking Queen Charlotte Sound. We saw native birds and fauna along the way. We had a sack lunch along the way and ended up at our lodging at 5:15pm. We sp ... read more