New Zealand, Part 2!

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We woke early on the 22nd and the bus picked us up around 7.30, the driver we had today was pretty quiet compared to others we’ve had. We stopped off at the Waitomo Caves where we did a walk of the caves. The guide was good and told us all about the different rock formations, bones found in the caves and the glow-worms that inhabit the caves, it was an interesting walk. Afterwards we went for a drink before going to watch some huge rabbits being sheared which was pretty funny! Afterwards we got back on the bus and carried on through to National Park Village. The driver took us to get some photos of Mount Ngauruhoe (Mount Doom) before dropping us off. After a short walk we checked into our hostel. The bar there was good and they offered free pool so we took advantage of that and played a few games before having dinner. We came back to the room afterwards and we were both tired and fell asleep just before 8:00! We woke briefly around 10:30 and watched a bit of TV before bed.

We slept really well and had breakfast whilst having a chat to the owners who were really friendly and helpful. We went for a wander around the village before coming back and playing some pool. We decided we wanted to do the Tongariro Alpine Crossing tomorrow so we went and hired some walking equipment before dinner and we then watched the New Zealand Vs England rugby league game before sorting our stuff ready for the morning!

We had a good breakfast before we set off to do the the crossing. The bus picked us up at 8:00 and at around 8:55 we started the 19.4km walk. The first few kilometers were pretty straightforward, a few rocks to climb but nothing too strenuous. The route gradually got steeper and we started to encounter snow on the grounds, light at first, but it got deeper the higher we climbed. As we climbed the views across the mountains were stunning and as the sky was so clear we could see for miles. We were told it was the perfect day to do the crossing and you only get weather like we had in these parts around a dozen times a year. After we reached the summit we encountered a steep downhill section that Hayley was little cautious of but we made it down safely after both falling on our bums once! We had lunch by the beautiful Emerald Lakes which were lightly iced over. We then had another uphill walk followed by some narrow walkways on the cliff-edge that were all covered in snow. Hayley was again a little nervous about crossing these but she was really brave and we made it across them. The last few kilometers were tough as we both had tired legs but at 4:30 we arrived at the end of the crossing and both felt a real sense of achievement. The bus dropped us back at the hostel and we got ready and went to the village pub and watched the grand prix which was good we’d both missed live sport (especially me!) as we’ve only seen a couple of football games but we have tried to keep up with the highlights. Afterwards we came back and packed our bags so we were ready to leave in the morning, a long but satisfying day!

We got ready and walked to the bus and boarded around 7:50. The bus journey today was pretty uneventful, we stopped in a town called Ohakune which is famous for growing carrots, they even have a huge carrot monument in the town! We then drove through Waioruru, which is home to New Zealand’s army base before going through a town called Bulls. Many shop-keepers have incorporated bull into their shop’s name, for example, the cafe was called Delect-a-bull! We arrived in Wellington just after 1:00 and visited the government buildings called the beehive due to it’s shape. We were then taken to the top of Mount Victoria and we had some good views of the city. We then checked into our hostel and went out to have a look around the city. Hayley finally got her hands on Russell Brand’s new book and we had a bite to eat before having a look at the cinema where all three Lord of the Rings films have world premiered before going back to the hostel. The hostel offered a free meal so we took them up on their offer before going to a coffee shop and researching our travel in Australia for the rest of the evening.

We woke early as the bus to transport us to the ferry was picking us up at 7:00. We arrived at the ferry port around 8:00 and set off at 8:25. The ferry transported us to the South Island after two great weeks in the North Island. When we arrived in Picton we disembarked and picked up our bags before hopping on the Magic bus. Along the way we stopped in Blenhiem for some wine tasting. The Sauvignon Blanc was so good we bought a couple of bottles for $20! We stopped for lunch before arriving in Nelson which is known as the sunshine capital of New Zealand around 3.30 and checked into our hotel which was really nice, unfortunately we could only spend one night here due to our schedule. We had a look around town before coming back and having dinner. The hostel also offered free chocolate pudding every night which went down a treat! After dinner we showered and relaxed as we’d had a long day.

Before leaving the following morning we took advantage of the free breakfast provided which was good and the bus picked us up around 8:00. We stopped just outside Nelson and captured some shots of the surrounding views before heading down the west coast. Our next stop was at Cape Foulwind where we saw some seals. We stopped at a beach just down the road for half an hour before making our way to Paparoa National Park where we saw the famous pancake rocks and some natural blowholes. New Zealand’s skyline changes every five minutes so it seems like there is always something new to see. We had an ice cream stop before the bus took us to Greymouth and we checked into our hostel. The hostel we were in was called Noah’s Ark and because of this all the rooms were animal themed. We were in the Penguin room and there were pictures of penguins all over the walls! We had some dinner and went out for a quick drink before coming back and relaxing.

We were picked up at 8:10 and set off for a town called Hokitika where we visited a local shop which makes jewellery out of the local greenstone. We then visited the gold mining town of Ross where we looked around the old jail, an old miner’s house and the gold mining museum where we saw a replica of the biggest gold nugget ever discovered in New Zealand. We arrived in Franz Josef around 12:00 and quickly checked into our hostel before going to check in for our glacier hike. We put on our hiking clothes and footwear the guides provided and set off just after 1:00. After a ten minute bus journey and a five minute walk we caught our first glimpse of the glacier which was a pretty imposing sight. The Franz Josef glacier is one of only three warm glaciers in the world. The glacier looked close but it was in fact 2.8 kilometers away. After walking to the bottom of the glacier we met our guide, Ben. After walking up some rocks which covered part of the ice we put on our crampons and started walking on the ice. We walked through narrow ice tunnels and caves and up some ice steps. the views from the glacier were awesome and we found it different to any activity we’ve done so far. Ben and the other guides were really good and they told us a lot about the glacier and the surrounding environment. We were on the ice for around two hours and it was a really interesting trip. We arrived back around 5:00 and went back to the hostel and had dinner before watching some TV until bedtime.

The bus set off just before 8:00 the next morning and we passed the Fox glacier before stopping off at Lake Matherson which is also known as the ‘mirror lake’ as the lake reflects the skyline and we got some really good photos. We then drove down the West Coast past some really beautiful scenery and stopped for lunch. After lunch we drove around the southern alps and had a thirty minute stop in Wanaka before making our way to the Karawau bridge just outside Queenstown where Hayley was doing her bungy jump! We watched a short film about the history of bungy jumping before booking both of our jumps. Hayley was weighed and harnessed up and considering it had been the one activity she had been nervous about she was incredibly calm! She jumped straight away and absolutely loved it! The Karawau bridge is the world’s first bungy site and one of only a few where you can choose to be submerged in water. Hayley asked for her hands to touch the water but after a bit of banter with the lads on the bridge they dunked her head! After picking up her photos and DVD we got back on the bus and made the short journey into Queenstown. We checked into our hostel and had some free soup before heading out for dinner which was nice. We went to the World Bar nearby afterwards where we had a couple of drinks before sampling one of their famous teapot cocktails, which is a cocktail served in a china teapot! Afterwards we watched a bit of TV in the lounge before bed.

After having breakfast we went down to the station building and checked in for my bungy jump. The bus picked us up at 10:00 and after a 45 minute journey we arrived at the Nevis jump site and it looked scary! After getting harnessed up we took a cable car to the jump pod. The pod had a glass bottom and the butterflies started when I looked through it, it was a long way down! The guys in the pod put the final things on our harness and when the guy in front of me took a while to jump the butterflies increased! After his third prompt he jumped and now it was my turn! I edged forward to the front of the pod and my heart was beating very quickly, I looked straight ahead and on the instructors count I jumped! The rush was incredible as I was free-falling for eight and a half seconds. After the second bounce back I tried to take in the scenery below. My foot wire broke so I had to be pulled up to the pod upside down like a fish! When we got back to the centre we decided to do a tandem jump on the Nevis Arc which is the world’s largest swing. We went to the jump area and got harnessed together. After a few failed attempts (which look hilarious on the DVD!) I managed to spin myself upside down facing backwards and Hayley faced forwards. They dangled us off the edge of the ledge and then they pressed the button and released us! We were free-falling for 70 metres before swinging into a giant 300 metre long arc! Again the rush was huge and it was good that were able to experience an activity together. We got caps for our Nevis Arc swing and t-shirts for our bungy jumps as well as photos and DVD’s. We got dropped back in town and sent a couple of postcards home of our jumps and then had lunch. After lunch we walked around Queenstown which is like no other place I’ve been to. The lake is beautiful with the snow-topped mountains overlooking it. The weather was great so we had an ice cream by the lake and a drink on the beach before coming back to the room. We went to the lounge for a while before going to a pub to watch the All Blacks vs the Wallabies which was a good game. Afterwards we went to the famous Fergburger, everyone has been telling us about the burgers here since we arrived and it didn’t disappoint, it was one of the best burgers we’d ever had! We ate it back in the lounge and watched some TV before bed after a fantastic day!

We did some laundry and watched a bit of TV Sunday morning before lunch. Afterwards we walked to Queenstown Gardens. The weather was really good again and we decided to have a round of frisbee golf! The course was based around the park and had 18 holes of varying difficulty. The aim was to hit a set target with your frisbee and it was really good fun (although we weren’t very good at it!) After chasing a frisbee around the park and up and down hills for a couple of hours we went for a drink and caught up with the football scores. We had a really nice dinner by the lake and afterwards we called home. It was the first time I’d spoken to either Mum or Dad since we left so it was really nice to speak to them. Afterwards we came back and watched some TV before bed.

We were up early the next morning as we got picked up early and the bus took us on our Milford Sound trip. The bus ride alone was impressive enough there was some great scenery along the way. We stopped at the Wakapitu Lake and at Te Anau before going through Fiordland National Park. We arrived at Milford Sound at around 1:30 and boarded the boat fifteen minutes later. We cruised around the fiord for around one hour and forty minutes and although the clouds were low there were some great views of both the waterfalls and the valleys that make up Milford Sound. We also spotted some seals and some penguins which I was happy about! The boats go right up to the waterfalls and as we were on the top deck we got a bit wet but it didn’t matter! The trip was really good and I can imagine on a clear day it would be breathtaking. We got back on the bus at 3:45 and started the four hour bus ride home. When we got back we quickly went to an internet cafe before going back to the hostel and watching some TV with some fish and chips.

We got up early and went to the lounge to watch Blackpool scrape past West Brom! We had some brunch before going out. We booked our hostel for the following day and went down to the lakefront and relaxed on the the stony bay. The weather again was fantastic and we stayed there for a few hours before going to Patagonia's for an ice cream (highly recommended!) before Hayley fed the ducks. She didn’t anticipate there would be quite so many of them and a couple started pecking her! I was too busy laughing to act the hero! We watched the Melbourne Cup horse race before going back to the lake to read. We then went back to the room and got ready and went out for a curry which was good before having one last walk by the lake. We were sorry to be leaving Queenstown it’s a fantastic place with so much going on, we feel we have to come back at some point to do the things we missed doing this time!

The bus picked us up at 7:50 the next morning and we set off for Dunedin. We stopped off at Arrowtown and got a drink before we moved on along the old gold mining routes through Central Otago. We stopped off for a snack mid morning and we got to Dunedin around 1:30. Dunedin is known as the Edinburgh of the South and has strong Scottish links. We arrived at the hostel and checked in before going out to explore the city. We looked around the train station and saw the Cadbury’s factory before having a drink at the Octagon. We came back and watched TV most of the evening, we had a quiet day which was needed after five hectic days in Queenstown! We both called our Nan’s and had dinner before bed!

Our first stop on the bus the following morning took us to the world’s steepest street. It didn’t look that steep at first, I tried running up it and it got progressively steeper, I got just over halfway up before having to walk the rest of the way! We walked back down and boarded the bus to the Moeraki boulders before stopping in Oamaru where our bus driver, Rik, picked up the supplies for the barbecue we were to have that evening. After stopping for lunch we visited the Benmore dam which is the largest earth dam in the southern hemisphere. We then carried on to our overnight destination, Lake Tekapo, a small but picturesque town by the lake. We visited the local church before checking into our hostel. For the first time on our trip Hayley and I were in separate rooms! We watched some TV and got some pictures of the lake before the barbecue which was good whilst chatting to our fellow travellers.

Our last Magic bus journey set off at 8:30, we were dropped off at the rafting office in Geraldine at 10:00 where we were picked up and after a short journey we arrive at Rangitata rafts. We dropped our bags off and we were offered a sandwich before the guide took us through what we would be doing and what we would be wearing. We got changed and boarded the bus and were taken to the river. We were split into groups and each group was given a guide, ours was Jason who was a really good laugh. Hayley and I sat at the front of the raft and for the first half an hour we were shown the basics of rafting, how to paddle properly, how to sit, what to listen out for etc. The rain had been falling all day but it added to the fun and made the river quicker. The river itself is glacier fed so the water was ice cold. The water got progressively faster and we encountered our first grade three rapid which was very quick and quite choppy but we cleared it. Rapids are graded, the higher the number the more challenging the rapid is. Shortly afterwards we tackled our first grade five rapid which we cleared, we even picked up a girl who had fallen out of one of the other rafts! We tackled a couple more big rapids before Hayley, Rachel and I jumped off a five metre cliff into the water, I then climbed back up and jumped off a ten metre jump! The water was so cold! We then got back into the raft and we did some surfing in the raft which involved us just getting the raft into the rapids and holding it there, guess who fell out?! I managed to hold onto the rope on the raft and got pulled back in once everyone had stopped laughing! We then paddled up the river and got out and boarded the bus to take us back to the centre. We had a great time and it was made better that we had a really good group in the raft (Rachel, Sarah and Helen, Team Magic!) We showered and warmed up and the rafting guys then gave us a meal which was really good and afterwards they took us to Christchurch. We arrived at our hostel at around 6:30, we struggled to get in initially but we finally checked in. The recent earthquake had damaged parts of our hostel so there was scaffolding up and dust sheets on the upper floor. We got ready and went to the base bar with Helen and Caroline where we met up with Rachel and Sarah and some of the other guys. We had a really good night, plenty of drink and dancing! We went to another bar for one before grabbing a KFC (they have mashed potato as a side here!) and eating it in the lounge before bed ending a great day.

The next morning we planned to look around Christchurch, we went to Cathedral Square and the looked around the market by the arts centre but the weather wasn’t great so we went for a hot chocolate. We then came back to the hostel and watched some TV in the lounge. The weather didn’t clear up until around 5:00 so we had a lazy afternoon. We made some dinner before going out to watch the New Zealand Vs Australia rugby league game. Afterwards we came back and we watched a film. We fell asleep in the lounge and after waking up a couple of hours later we made our way to bed. The following morning the weather was much better so we got ready and started to explore. We went to the arts centre and looked around before visiting the museum. Entry was free and it was really interesting, lots of exhibits ranging from Maori pieces and weapons to dinosaurs and mummies. We then looked around the botanical gardens which were pretty, Hayley enjoyed looking at the different flowers and we enjoyed looking at the different indoor plants they had. Afterwards we went for a drink before looking around the area we were staying in. Some of the buildings were fenced off and most of the businesses affected have already relocated. In other parts of the city you wouldn’t know that two months ago a huge earthquake rocked the city. We then went back to the hostel and had some dinner before spending the rest of the evening watching films.

We didn’t do a great deal the next morning, we just went into town and sorted through our bags. After lunch we checked the internet before going to the cinema to watch Jackass 3D (Very funny but very wrong in some places as you’d expect!) the cinema was good, very roomy, Jake would have liked it! Afterwards we came back to the hostel and had some dinner and then took a walk into town where we said bye to Helen before coming back to the hostel as we couldn’t find anywhere showing the F1 highlights so we watched a film before bed, not a very eventful day! The next morning we got up and caught the bus to cup day at Addington raceway. It was also their version of ladies day so the heels and dresses were out in force (I stuck to jeans and a shirt!) We arrived around 12:00 and watched the first race, instead of riding the horses, the jockey was pulled round by the horse in a chariot. It was good fun and the weather was good, we even managed to back a few winners! In the main race we picked the horses that finished first, second and third earning us a cool $12 (we only backed them each way!) After we’d claimed our winnings we caught the bus back to town and had some dinner before watching a film. The next morning we were up early to send a box of our warmer clothes home. We had breakfast, checked out and arrived at the airport at 11:00.

We’ve had an amazing time in New Zealand, there really is something to cater for everyone, as is proved in the amount and variety of things we’ve done in our month here. We leave having made new friends, experienced many new things and have many happy memories. It really has been ‘sweet as!’

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Comments

[Mark & Sonia]

Snow!!!
Must admit - didn't know they had Snow in NZ. I knew about the wine. Can't wait to see DVD of Bungee and Tandem jump. Sounds like you are still having fun. Sounds like a bit tooooo much walking for me Lol Keep safe Love Mark (Dad) and Sonia xxxx

[Stewy and Hayley]

Yer it was a bit weird having really good weather and having mountains in the background with snow on! Some good view though! Love u lots xxx