New Zealand - South Island

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Thursday 4 March - Sunday 14 March 2010

After you've seen so many beautiful sights you just feel like its impossible to be impressed any further, but I can assure you it is because the beauty of NZ continued into South Island but was different as it was a bit cooler.

Our journey around South Island consisted of the following destinations: Nelson - Westport - Lake Mahinapua - Franz Josef - Wanaka - Queenstown - Milford Sounds - Christchurch.

Nelson and Westport

We didnt get to spend that much time in Nelson due to our itinerary so only got one night here. Didnt see much at all really. What we did achieve was to become YHA members and gain a free nights accommodation 😊 Up to now, the Kiwi bus has connections with a franchise of hostels called Base so we always get dropped off outside a Base Hostel. Our first few nights were spent in Base hostels, however me and Narj were beginning to get fed up with them after a while. Everyone between the ages of 18-21 yrs would stay there and it felt like university life all over again. There was always a really loud bar next to the hostel and everyone just constantly seemed crazy. The kitchen was always a tip and it was evident no-one (generally speaking) respected the facilities.

After a few days we had noticed Nina and Helena staying in YHAs and we stayed with them in one in Taupo (the one with the free jacuzzi). From then on we understood why they'd always choose to stay in YHAs. The kitchens are amazingly clean with free food available and spices to cook with along will all cooking utensils readily available and all clean. Everyone staying there would maintain it in that way. The lounge areas were always really cosy with dvds available when you wanted. And the rooms were always neat and bathrooms always nice. We were sold straight away. Plus it worked out quite cheap if you purchase a set of nights in bulk which was cool.

As you can see I have nothing interesting to report back on in respect of Nelson and Westport. Westport was actually dead - nothing to see or do there. And it was cold and rained a little there. Up to then, we had no rain, just sunshine all the way.

Lake Mahinapua

On the way to Lake Mahinapua we did a lunch stop at Punakaiki Pancake Rocks. Here you had to walk along the coast to see the rocks which looked like piles of pancakes which was cool. However I was a little annoyed with the stop the Kiwi driver had chosen to stop for lunch. There were two shitty cafes which offered next to nothing really. Everything had beef in it which I do not eat. Narj ate chips being vegetarian, but I felt so fed up with greasy foods I just couldnt stomach it so instead I had a little moan - how annoying!!! Every other time the bus would always stop at a supermarket and everyone could grab lunch, this time they choose this place - ahh!!!!

Anyways, we continued to our evening stop - a random pub in the middle of nowhere called the Mahinapua pub (aka the poo pub). The owner was a really old man with a great sense of humour, quite crazy if you ask me to allow 100 young people to stay at his pub. The main event at this place (given there was nothing else to do) was the fancy dress party which the old man hosts every evening for every Kiwi bus which passes through daily.

Earlier in the day we were given 2 hours to hunt around for a fancy dress costume at a random town. Fancy dress would be great if we werent travelling, god knows what we would do with the extra crap we would accumulate. Anyways after a few ideas were bounced around Narj came up with Greek goddesses - nice and easy we thought. I was left to creatively put together the material in the cheapest way possible and it was a success! 😊 I reckon we kinda looked like Greek goddesses more Roman if you ask me (you'll have to check out the photos when I get round to putting some up). The party was a laugh and again very crazy. Everyone put in quite a bit of effort and looked really good. Good fun! Guess Mahinapua wasnt so bad after all.

Bonus was that the lake the next morning looked really beautiful, really still with the background of mountains reflecting of the water - pure bliss!!!!

Franz Josef

Anyone going to NZ's South Island MUST visit and climb up the Franz Josef (FJ) Glacier as this was one of my highlights in NZ and maybe even one for my entire trip so far. Climbing up the glacier was the best experience ever and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

We were given the proper gear beforehand which consisted of walking boots, crampons for our boots for better grip, waterproof clothing, hat and gloves. It was weird because even though we were on ice for about 5 hours it was really hot because the sun was constantly glaring down on us. But in the caves and valleys it was freezing!

The first bit of our trek was really difficul because it was all uphill and very steep. At one point there was rope and bars provided to assist you up the hill - so you literally had to pull yourself up. Fun when you're wearing crampons which you're not exactly used to yet. Walking on the ice was well cool though. You really appreciated the extra grip and security the crampons gave you then. So much fun! 😊 And the views from the top were amazing! Wow! The FJ Glacier was indeed very impressive and its surrounding waterfalls.

Wanaka

Lake Wanaka was pretty (and the name is pretty amusing too I guess - lol). The place gave us a small taster to get us ready for Queenstown in terms of scenery. It was quite a quaint town built around lake, again with a backdrop of mountains - very pretty! Although we didnt really get up to much there except made some thai green curry for dinner and went on a really long walk (where Narj may have a story to tell).

Here you could feel the excitement for Queenstown....

Queenstown

The adventure capital of the Southern Hemisphere.

Queenstown - what an amazing buzz everyone felt approaching Queenstown, it was wicked!!! I was really excited but unfortunately I started feeling ill 😞 Usually cold like symptoms - headache, runny nose, cough, temperature - not a good way to start Queenstown really. I guess it was due to the change in weather going down south getting colder.

On approaching Queenstown we stopped off at the bungy centre where you could see the first commercial bungy - off a bridge into a stream. Crazy but cool! Me, Narj and Helena had put our names down for the Nevis bungy a day or two ago and here was the time we had to pay for it and book a timeslot for the following day. Narj started freaking out saying she didnt want to do it, when she did really. So I just handed over her cash for her 😊 lol! We were booked for the following day at 10am - how exciting!

Its weird because throughout the whole of NZ people would talk about the Nevis bungy (being the highest and best one to do) but I never even contemplated really doing it myself. Narj on the otherhand had been talking about it ever since China (i.e. for 4 months). And now she completely didnt want to do it. If you ask me she had hyped it up for herself since China and now it was the moment of truth.

Another thing which is weird is that you cant actually view the Nevis as its 40mins out of the town and its on private land, so really you havent got a clue what youre signing yourself up for other than people saying its a crazy experience. Brave signing up for it I guess. And admittedly I didnt have a clue what to expect or even what it looked like.

So I spent the day before in bed on pandol and had to pop out to the shops to get a huge box of tissues as I was going through them like crazy. I hadnt eaten and I felt a little sick because of it - but seriously I didnt feel like eating. Really hoped the rest and the pandol would make be better before my bungy so I could really appreciate it.

The morning of bungy day was cold, wet and very windy - a huge contrast from the day before which was really sunny. I felt a little better but not completely - and I was still going to do my jump.

134metres high, the Nevis bungy is done off a small pod suspended between he top of a valley where you jump towards the stream at the bottom of the valley. Crazy! Look awesome though! Once we had got strapped in, me, Narj and Helena were sent over. And seriously speaking, I felt fine about it and so did Helena. Narj not so much.

The pod has some glass tiles on the floor which I found quite amusing as people tend not to want to look down yet youre kinda forced to. The view was great! The bungy did indeed look really high, and the first few people that jumped off the ledge made it look so easy and like so much fun - I really felt in the mood to do it.

Helena went first and jumped off effortlessly. Narj was next and there was a little bit more drama than I had anticipated. Since we left town Narj was constantly saying how she couldnt do the bungy and how she was really scared - and up to now I really tried my best to reassure her it would be fine (even though I didnt have a clue myself). When she was getting strapped in around her feet she as crying and sobbing quite a lot and I felt really bad for her. She looked really upset and up to now I'd just been encouraging her to do it because I knew she badly wanted to for months now. But seeing her on her seat being strapped up I felt really bad, worried about her. The Nevis guy managed to calm her down (some how) and motivated her to tip off the edge - yay! Finally! She was up there for ages.

Then it was my turn.

I felt fine, got strapped in and then was instructed to pull a strap after my second jump to flip myself the right way round. I was really determined to do that properly as I didnt fancy the idea of being dragged back up upside down. If im honest the only part I feared was how it would have felt to bounce back up - would it hurt. The jumping off part I was completely fine with, I just didnt want the bobbing up and down to pull on me hard and hurt.

So I rocked up to the ledge, had a look around and down 😊 (I thought why not), then came the 3....2....1...and I went for it.....I jumped!!!! Felt wicked!!!! Amazing for the first second or two when you feel like youre just suspended in the air. Then you start falling and honestly speaking, it feels like youre flying. Such a different feeling from a skydive. Then as you drop down, you just see the view rush past you and you bounce up - the softest possible bounce in the world! So light, I just couldnt believe how comfortable it felt and how stupid I was to have worried about it.

After the second bounce I went for the strap tucked in my left leg to flip me round. Couldnt find it at first, then I grabbed round for it and gave it a big tug. Nothing happened. Tried it again.....nothing....and again....nothing. Great I was going to be fished back up to base upside down! And actually, it wasnt so bad. They said my strap got tangled between my feet - nevermind. When I got to the top I felt amazing!!!! Narj and Helena's expressions looked like how I felt! Felt a really buzz! WOW!!!! Everyone, no matter what age (as the oldest person has been 95 years) MUST do a bungy at some point in their life because it gives you the best feeling ever and the experience itself is extremely enjoyable.

The evening was spent out in the town enjoying the restaurants, bars and clubs - and it was great! Me, Narj, Helena and Nina had a proper night out as it was our last night together before we depart and go our separate ways. It was a really good night out - freezing cold though walking back to our hostel. Crazy, crazy Queenstown!!! Just mental!

Christchurch

From Queenstown we travelled to the english town of Christchurch - it felt like being back in the UK. Steph and Pete met us at Cathedral Square and walked us around before heading back to theirs. Felt nice again to be in a lovely home. And it was really nice chilling with them for the evening. We had a catch up and showed them our bungy videos and told them loads of random stories from Asia - felt like we'd done loads!!!!

Shame we only had a night in Christchurch, but it was a good relaxed one.

NZ has been great! Full of amazing landscapes and random things to do and see. One thing I've really missed since SE Asia has been experiencing new cultures. The maoris here in NZ have been fully integrated into society so NZ lacked the cultural side in my opinion. But next is South America and im sure I wont be complaining.

Next stop Santiago, Chile.

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Comments

[Ray]

Heheheee...
I especially enjoyed this part of your blog: 'Then as you drop down, you just see the view rush past you and you bounce up - the softest possible bounce in the world! So light, I just couldnt believe how comfortable it felt and how stupid I was to have worried about it. " So light! hahaha - that made me chuckle. Aw Mel, so cute. It's true though, very 'plush' ride. Reading yours and Narj's blogs about NZ brings back good memories...the Big Green Bus adventures! :)