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Published: August 24th 2012
I have been promising myself some time to sit down and write a blog entry for our visit to New Zealand that took place over Christmas last year whilst Sheila and Eddie were visiting. The fact that we had such a fabulous time and managed to see and do so much, I wasn’t sure how I could possibly put the experience succinctly into a brief account to share with our followers, so the job kept being put on hold!
But no longer…. I decided it will be an account filled with pictures and little dialogue because somehow words cannot really describe the beauty and true magnificence of such an amazing country. Even the photos we took don’t do it justice, at every turn in the road or crest of a hill another view presented itself to us and another unplanned stop took place to take in ‘The Majesty of God’s Country’ as referred to in many guide books and so true to its words.
It was a wise decision to visit during the warmest month of the year in Brisbane and one that Sheila and Eddie appreciated as the humidity and relentless sun can be exhausting and restrict your
Christchurch.
Girders and sub structures support the weakened buildingsmovements greatly. With Seb and Dominic joining us, we flew to Christchurch and collected our hire car which was to transport us around the South island covering 1,800kms. An overnight stop gave us the opportunity to walk around small areas of the city that were not affected by the earthquake and explore the new vibrant ‘container city’ being built to house local businesses. It was sad to see so many buildings reduced to rubble and the churches supported by huge iron girders to keep the spires erect. The liquefaction along the streets filled the gutters with a fine grey dust and huge holes in the roads were filled in temporarily awaiting a new surface. People went about their business with optimism, but there was a definite underlying feeling of uncertainty and caution. We even heard talk of Christchurch being completely relocated to avoid further devastating disasters. Only time will tell.
The following day took us out of the Canterbury Region and into the direction of Lake Tekapo, famous for its brilliant turquoise waters due to the ‘rock flour’ which is finely ground particles of rock which remain suspended in the water creating the most beautiful ‘Powerade Blue Water”. On
Container Town
Newly opened retail businesses open for trade in recycled shipping containers. the lake front stands the Church of the Good Shepherd which overlooks the Mount Cook National Park, surrounded by blue and purple Lupin flowers. Approaching this lake took our breath away as the lake nestled in the folds of undulating hills and mountain peaks, our real journey had begun.
Driving into Aoraki Mount Cook National Park we could see the 3,754 m high peak ahead of us with the Tasman glazier spilling down into Lake Pukaki, surrounded by equally high peaks all covered with snow. Every twist and turn offered photo opportunities again and picnic spots to sit and enjoy the beautiful countryside. A walk up a steep slope took us up to the rim of the glacier where small icebergs floated in the cold frozen waters. We even experienced a strange sound in the mountains which we thought was ice breaking only to hear on the news that evening that there had been another earth tremor in Christchurch and the city was on high alert again. How amazing that such a sound can travel so far and reverberate around the mountains. A great day’s drive with incredible scenery.
From a night stop in Twizel to a drive
Skies above Lake Tekapo.
The Church of the Good Shepherd over looks the lake. through Lindi’s Pass and the Dunstan Mountains to Wanaka. This main road links Otago and the Waitaki Basin through rocky gorges and small hamlets with homesteads and interesting pubs and hotels along the way, an interesting drive with some amazing views.
Wanaka was to be our resting place for Christmas and we managed to find a lovely house just outside the main town overlooking the Mt Aspiring National Park and the 4
th largest lake in NZ. The beautiful house well equipped with all mod cons including a dishwasher! We celebrated Christmas together with a leisurely breakfast and even Father Christmas delivered some stocking presents, how clever was he to know where we were?! A picnic lunch under the trees by the lake and a drive out to the foot of the Aspiring Range topped the day followed by a bbq meal, back at the house watching the sunset, perfect. Kevin and Seb even found time for a gym session on the site to work off all the good food.
To explore the park involved a drive along the shores of Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka as it twists and turns besides sheer drops and up steep roads, a
Contemplation
A view from Gods House, in the Church of the Good Shepherd, Tekapo. coffee stop along the way and a few more stops to take photos lead us to the Blue Falls Walk, a short stroll from the road to a large metal suspension bridge and a walk out to the creek where two valleys joined and fresh spring water flowed. A drive over the narrow Haast Pass metal bridge lead us to Thunder Creek Falls and another walk through the lush countryside where water cascaded down a sheer rock face onto a rocky river bed. Mountains and steep rocky crags towered above our heads and eagles flew amidst the warm thermals it was a great drive we were in awe of this country and could not get over how beautiful it was.
The scenery just kept improving and the drive to Arrowtown took us down via the Crown Range on a twisting switchback road that snaked its way down the mountainside to the valley below. It was market day in the town so filled with visitors and locals all looking for a bargain. The high street was once bustling with gold mining prospectors during the gold rush who set up camps along the river in search of making their fortune. There
was even the remains of the old Chinese quarters that sustained a whole community where stone buildings were erected and some still remain to this day. It was a hard life and not for the faint-hearted and many prospectors left penniless. Others left beautiful stone and wooden cottages that still remain today, now turned into museums, gift shops and cafes.
The Remarkables are a vast range of mountains that tower above Lake Wakatipu and the town of Queenstown; the adventure centre of the south island. We were also very lucky to have an apartment that looked over the lake and the mountains and offered us views of the town below. We took a boat trip on the lake and learnt about the history and geography of the area and watched the cable car traverse up and down the mountainside offering (as we discovered later) amazing views across the lake. A drive to Glenorchy one day, including giving a ride to a Scottish hitch-hiker, took us into Lord of the Rings countryside and deserted spots along wild and lonely shores, we even found a delightful coffee shop in the middle of nowhere. So many views reminded us of Scotland and
On top of the world!
Views from Mt John Observatory, overlooking Lake Tekapo. the Lake District, hence so many familiar names. The boys decided this was the place to test their nerves and sign up to do the Ben Nevis Bungy Jump, a mere 134m jump off a suspension bridge in a gorge, hanging by your feet bouncing up and down in mid-air. Not our idea of fun, but they ‘got the t-shirt’ and gained the opportunity to tell everyone how insane they both were!
New Year’s Eve brought us to Te Anau in the Southland Region, or Fiordland. Here we based ourselves near the shores of the lake in order so that we could travel 120kms into the fiords, north to Milford Sound through some breathtaking countryside. We drove over, through and pass glaziers, snow-capped mountain peaks and clear mountain streams to reach the daily operated cruise ships that take tourists out into the fiords and beyond to ‘Milford Sound’ and the Tasman Sea, pass towering mountains and the famous Mitre Peak and beautiful waterfalls that plummeted down into the sea. Small colonies of seals sunbathed on the rocks and we were able to get the boat very close to them where they remained unpurturbed by our presence. We were also
The Murphy's
From the Observatory above Lake Tekapo very fortunate to be visiting on a day when there was not a cloud in the sky, an unusual occurrence as the weather can be very changeable and often rather wet! We all enjoyed the cruise and the unexpected sighting of some Kea Birds that were entertaining the tourists with their strange bird call and dance routine on the snowy ground.
Another day, another year found us on the road again to Dunedin, the Edinburgh of the South! It is “an endearing city with classical architecture and Scottish charm” in the Otago region on the east coast of the island. Our main purpose of our stay was to explore the city and the famous buildings, supported with a historical walk around the streets provided by the tourist department and a chance to see New Zealand’s largest city! There were many places of interest but the highlight has to be the Railway Station built in 1906 which dominated the street and surrounding buildings. The detail inside showed off the opulence and eccentricities of Edwardian architecture. Other places of interest were the Chinese Gardens, The First Church, the Law Courts and the Botanical Gardens. Whilst there, we also witnessed an ice
Shades of Blue.
Looking across Lake Pukaki on the Mt Cook Road. halo in the sky for the very first time.
A day drive, out of the city, further east takes you to the Otago Peninsula and Larnarch Castle, a privately owned building that has been lovingly restored over the years and sits amidst beautiful gardens filled with trees and flowerbeds that overlook the panoramic views of Dunedin harbour and the open coast line. It also had a lovely tea room that was set up in the ballroom, a very elegant place to enjoy a cream tea. We also discovered that you could stay in the converted stables and enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the stunning countryside, (perhaps next time). Beyond the castle along a winding coastal road you arrive at the Albatross colony and Sanctuary where above your head in the car park these huge birds soared. We also saw sea lions and puffins swimming amidst the rocky kelp-filled waters. We decided to drive back the more scenic back roads on our return to Dunedin and were so glad we did as the views were breathtaking. Small inlets and coves revealed themselves above steep cliff edges and coastline. The sea and sky was blue and you could see for
The Tasman Glacier
The grey glacier breaks away from a sheer ice face into the icy waters. miles.
From Dunedin to Akaroa, our longest drive heading north towards Christchurch we stopped to look at the Moeraki Boulders, strange smooth rock balls up to 4m in circumference, carbon dated to be 4 million years old! They looked rather like large dinosaur eggs out of a scene from Jurassic Park and no one really knows exactly how they came to be where they were and why they only appear in this particular spot along the coastline. A mystery, but worth a look!
Our lunch time stop was in Oamaru a pretty town with wide tree lined streets with a collection of well-preserved public and commercial buildings. The local cream limestone was characteristic of many of the buildings which dominate the streets and old quarter of the town, now interesting restaurants and galleries along with the Otago Museum. A short drive took us to the Blue Penguin Colony reserve but sadly we were too late to see any and only encountered a grumpy sea lion that chased us off the pier he was sunbathing on!
Akaroa is on the Banks Penisula and east of Christchurch, of this we were grateful as there had been some more earth
Icebergs.
Looking out across the Tasman Glacier watching icebergs float by! tremors and parts of the city had been closed off as roads were unsafe and possible subsidence was a threat. So after a very long drive and an unexpected detour we eventually arrived at this quaint French influenced town and enjoyed a leisurely walk along the edge of the shore amidst interesting cottages and a pier that jutted out into the bay, over looked by the lighthouse on the hillside. The drive along the scenic reserve was well worth it as it offered fabulous views of Laverick and Pigeon Bay both of outstanding beauty as we drove further north out skirting Christchurch on our way to Kaikoura.
The 185km drive took us through a vast plateau of flat agricultural and vineyards with mountain ranges in the distance, the journey seemed endless but we were greeted with amazing tunnels hewn through the mountains in order that the road could zig-zag its way along the coast to the famous town of Kaikoura, an old whaling town now turned tourist destination for dolphin and whale watching. Our accommodation for a few nights was a small cottage nestled between a mountain range close to yet another peninsula of equal beauty and stunning scenery.
The Peak, Mt Cook
Looking up towards the summit from The Hermitage Lodge. We had been so lucky with all of the places we had booked in to stay, offering self-catering facilities and great locations. We also managed to find some great eateries along the way and enjoyed sampling the local specialities and of course, beer!
The day trip out in the catamaran was a very memorable day as we were fortunate to see no less than five Sperm Whales, pods of dolphins that swam and dived in front of the boat along with Albatrosses bobbing along in the sea. These huge beasts surfaced for about 20 minutes allowing us to come alongside them and position ourselves in just the right place to enjoy them arch their backs and flip their tails as they dived back down beneath the surface. The knowledge and experience of the local Maori fishermen demonstrated their ability to predict where they might surface by listening to sonar waves of these mammals swimming below us and communicating to each other it was a very humbling experience. It was a day we shall all remember well.
Kevin and I also enjoyed a long walk along the coastal path late one afternoon and traced our steps around the headland
Lake Wanaka
Views of Mt Aspiring Range beyond. offering views out to see and along the stunning coastline. The cliffs below housed noisy sea birds and seals bathed on the rocky out crops below. We also witnessed a lovely sunset across South Bay and beyond.
We thought we would return via Hanmer Springs but wished we hadn’t as it was not at all that it was cracked up to be, it lacked character and interest and appeared to be a glorified summer ski resort with a public heated spring spa which looked more like a glorified swim park! Perhaps we didn’t see its best features?
Despite our reservations about returning to Christchurch we enjoyed a very pleasant afternoon walking around the Botanical Gardens and enjoyed an ice cream in the old Orangery and bumping into the same colleagues from BVN in Brisbane for the second time in two weeks! A quiet evening enjoying a meal in a nearby pub, the same place we started our trip around NZ rounded off our memorable trip and a discussion about our top ten destinations and memorable moments, it was not an easy decision there were so many!
Evenings were spent playing cards and Yatzhee and reading novels, chats
and laughs over evening meals and hearing tales of Ireland and stories from the past, we also enjoyed some early nights in readiness for early starts in pursue of new destinations, everyday brought us something new and different and memories too numerous to mention. The opportunity to share this experience with Sheila and Eddie and the boys was very special and one that enriched all our lives, one that we will talk about for years to come I am sure.
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Libby and Tim
non-member comment
Amazing
What a wonderful trip! Hope you are all well. Love Libby and Tim