Blogs from South Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 1175

Due to yet another fabulous kayaking trip yesterday I was unable to get to the glacier-guides office before it closed, nobody else had signed up for the helicpter/glacier hike so I did not have a clue about when I was going or what to take with me. I figured the best plan was to get up with everyone else who was doing a whole day glacier trek, pack my lunch and wear lots of layers. I hurried along to the office in town for an early start (still dark) 7.30am only to be told that in winter the first helicpter leaves @ 11am. Thinking about it now - it does not seem logical to go on a scenic helicopter ride in the dark or on a glacier hike while it is -15 degrees!! A little peeved ... read more

Well I thought I would try this online journal thing and I'm quite excited. I've started it late considering I'm staying here for over a year but I thought I would go back and put some pictures on so everyone can see my journey's. I am living here in Christchurch and attending Christchurch College of Education. However, one of the primary reasons for travelling so far for college was to get outdoors and adventure. I intend to keep that in mind and am planning various adventures for the coming year. So far I'm missing friends and families. My lovely family in Daegu, Korea was amazing to me and I miss the love everyday. But I've found some amazing flatmates and a good city. I'll explore from here. New Zealand is beautiful and the people are friendly. ... read more

A beautiful sunrise greeted us this morning, as we made our way to the hotel restaurant for an early buffet breakfast. It had been a clear, chilly night, and promised to be a nice morning. After breakfast, we started the drive to Dunedin. We drove past Lake Benmore, and stopped at the Benmore Dam which is used for hydro-power. Following the Waitaki River to the coast, we stopped for morning tea at Moeraki Boulders. A sea mist started rolling in, and turned the day a little bleak. We arrived into Dunedin at about lunchtime. After taking some photos of the town, and particularly the Railway Station, and a lunch of wedges with salsa, bacon and melted cheese, we hopped onto the coach and headed for Olveston House – a grand old home. When we arrived at ... read more

At 10.30 a.m. we were picked up by chauffer-driven limousine.On our way to the airport, we collected Lina and Dominic Cavallaro, from Modbury Heights. At 12.45 p.m. we departed Adelaide, bound for Sydney and Christchurch. After a four hour wait in Sydney, our flight across the Tasman was pretty rough, and dinner was postponed for at least 30 minutes. We arrived into Christchurch at about midnight, and after a quick clearance through Customs, we were taken to our hotel, the Kingsgate Autolodge in Papanui.... read more

Tja, ik weet het niet hoor… Kan het maar moeilijk zeggen… Nog maar eens kijken op de kalender… Nee, ik heb me niet vergist! Kon het bijna niet geloven, en met mij zowat heel Nieuw Zeeland. Deze zomer is niet te vergelijken met de zomers van de afgelopen paar jaar. Zou je denken dat het heel warm is… nou, niet bepaald. Het is “koud” en regenachtig. Gelukkig was het ontvluchten van het Nederlandse weer nooit mijn doelstelling :-) Afijn, de regen maakte het wandelen van de Southern Circuit op Steward Island ehh… interessant. 4 Dagen lang in de modder stampen, voeten die er na elke dag ouder uitzagen, schoenen die nat waren en bleven EN zwaar aanvoelden. Die 1ste dag nog proberen de plassen te ontwijken door fier als een edelhert op en neer te huppelen, ... read more