The weather is still holding for us! It was slightly overcast but at least not raining! The drive from Wanaka to Queenstown was again pretty stunning, via mountains and the Otaga wine growing area. We stopped off at the most gorgeous little historic town called Arrowtown just outside of Queenstown. It used to be a goldmining town, but has now become a tourist attraction. Lots of shops and quaint old buildings, but the thing that impressed us the most were the glorious trees, and the little river where they used to pan for gold. The hillside around the town was covered with a range of trees all displaying their autumn colours. It was a pretty sight.
We made our way into Queenstown via Coronet Peak, the highest mountain behind the town where the ski slopes are just waiting for a downfall. The wind was really strong up the top, the highest point of Coronet Peak is 1649m high!
We spent the afternoon wandering around and acquainting ourselves with the scenery of Queenstown. It was rather windy so not the best for any water activities, but great for sightseeing. John managed to find a camera shop that had a wide angle lens to replace the one that was broken when the tripod fell. So we are all set for Fiordland! Bring on the snow that is forecast!!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Nelson to the west coast
It was a gorgeous day again when we left Nelson after picking up another hire car, again a Corolla, great little car like we had before. The trip through the Buller Gorge was so pretty, we stopped off and walked on the longest suspension bridge in NZ, pretty site great photos.
When we reached the coast, it was still clear and the surf was very calm. The "pancake rocks" was another stop, great rock formations but because the surf was calm there wasn't any blowhole effect happening.
We stopped the night at Greymouth, feeling rather beat after our busy week.
The next morning was slightly cooler and overcast, but the scenery down the coast was still impressive. We stopped off at Hokitika, then made it to Franz Joseph glacier by lunchtime. We decided just to walk up to the base of the glacier as opposed to doing an organised walk, as the weather didn't look like it would hold. It was the right decision but disaster struck at the base of the glacier when while snapping a self portrait with the camera on a tripod, a gust of wind blew it over and John's wide angle lens suffered damage. Needless to say he was not happy with himself!
We then headed off the Fox Glacier, making it to the base of it before the rain set in. Unfortunately the rain got heavier and we were unable to make it to see Lake Matheson. We think we just saw a glimpse of Mt Cook and Mt Tasman, just before it became clouded in!
After steady rain and wind during the night, we set off from Fox Glacier on the drive to Wanaka. Despite not being able to see all of the mountains surrounding us, the wet weather did make the rivers and streams run really well, and there were an amazing number of waterfalls along the journey through the mountain ranges. It was tempting to stop often, and often we did! By the time we made it through to Lake Wanaka the rain was easing and we couldn't get over how beautiful this area is. The trees are changing colours and as the sun came out late in the afternoon the scene around the Lake was just beautiful. We have heard that another change is on it's way, this time with snow forecast!
When we reached the coast, it was still clear and the surf was very calm. The "pancake rocks" was another stop, great rock formations but because the surf was calm there wasn't any blowhole effect happening.
We stopped the night at Greymouth, feeling rather beat after our busy week.
The next morning was slightly cooler and overcast, but the scenery down the coast was still impressive. We stopped off at Hokitika, then made it to Franz Joseph glacier by lunchtime. We decided just to walk up to the base of the glacier as opposed to doing an organised walk, as the weather didn't look like it would hold. It was the right decision but disaster struck at the base of the glacier when while snapping a self portrait with the camera on a tripod, a gust of wind blew it over and John's wide angle lens suffered damage. Needless to say he was not happy with himself!
We then headed off the Fox Glacier, making it to the base of it before the rain set in. Unfortunately the rain got heavier and we were unable to make it to see Lake Matheson. We think we just saw a glimpse of Mt Cook and Mt Tasman, just before it became clouded in!
After steady rain and wind during the night, we set off from Fox Glacier on the drive to Wanaka. Despite not being able to see all of the mountains surrounding us, the wet weather did make the rivers and streams run really well, and there were an amazing number of waterfalls along the journey through the mountain ranges. It was tempting to stop often, and often we did! By the time we made it through to Lake Wanaka the rain was easing and we couldn't get over how beautiful this area is. The trees are changing colours and as the sun came out late in the afternoon the scene around the Lake was just beautiful. We have heard that another change is on it's way, this time with snow forecast!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Abel Tasman National Park
On Monday we travelled from Picton to Nelson. The weather was cool and overcast, an unbelievable 13 deg, havent experienced that temp for a while.
Nelson is a pretty place, quite large and surrounded by water and mountains. John was feeling a bit off with his head cold so we had a quiet day packing and preparing for our big week ahead.
Tuesday we were picked up from the Mercure just after 8 and driven by bus over to Moteuka and then to a boat at Kaiteriteri. The boat took us all the way to Totaranui almost at the top end of the park and we then commenced to walk from there to our first stop for the next 2 nights at Awaroa Bay. The Homestead we stayed in there was beautiful and full of amazing history. The house was built on an inlet and the next day we walked and kayaked around that inlet. The hospitality on this trip was fantastic. Our guides were only young girls but they knew lots of history about the area as well as the local vegetation.
After two great days at Awaroa we left for our next stop. We reached this by a combination of a 2 hour walk and then 3 hour paddle, with lots of stops in between. For the next two nights we stopped at Torrent Bay lodge which was equally as nice as a last stop, perhaps even nicer because it was directly on the beach. Day 4 was a "rest day" but we had fun kayaking for half a day to a gorgeous beach at Te Pukatea bay where we walked the headland enjoying the views and the birdsong before lunch on the beach and a paddle back to the homestead.
Day 5 was all kayaking with several rest stops again at beautiful beaches for morning tea and lunch. After lunch the wind was even strong enough for all 7 kayaks to raft together and put up a sail to "sail" for some of the journey. We made it back to Kaiteriteri by 2.3o and were then picked up by the bus and returned to pack up our gear and into Nelson.
It is so hard to sum up this trip, it has been fantastic! All that we had hoped for and more. We were so lucky to have fantastic fine weather for the whole time, with the cloudy conditions on Day 1 rapidly clearing to fine days with light winds. The accommodation we had was beautiful and the food and wine lovely, even down to our brown bag lunches and snacks provided for the days outings. And to top it all off, we made some great friends and the whole group doing the same trip were lots of fun! This area of New Zealand is definitely worth exploring.
Nelson is a pretty place, quite large and surrounded by water and mountains. John was feeling a bit off with his head cold so we had a quiet day packing and preparing for our big week ahead.
Tuesday we were picked up from the Mercure just after 8 and driven by bus over to Moteuka and then to a boat at Kaiteriteri. The boat took us all the way to Totaranui almost at the top end of the park and we then commenced to walk from there to our first stop for the next 2 nights at Awaroa Bay. The Homestead we stayed in there was beautiful and full of amazing history. The house was built on an inlet and the next day we walked and kayaked around that inlet. The hospitality on this trip was fantastic. Our guides were only young girls but they knew lots of history about the area as well as the local vegetation.
After two great days at Awaroa we left for our next stop. We reached this by a combination of a 2 hour walk and then 3 hour paddle, with lots of stops in between. For the next two nights we stopped at Torrent Bay lodge which was equally as nice as a last stop, perhaps even nicer because it was directly on the beach. Day 4 was a "rest day" but we had fun kayaking for half a day to a gorgeous beach at Te Pukatea bay where we walked the headland enjoying the views and the birdsong before lunch on the beach and a paddle back to the homestead.
Day 5 was all kayaking with several rest stops again at beautiful beaches for morning tea and lunch. After lunch the wind was even strong enough for all 7 kayaks to raft together and put up a sail to "sail" for some of the journey. We made it back to Kaiteriteri by 2.3o and were then picked up by the bus and returned to pack up our gear and into Nelson.
It is so hard to sum up this trip, it has been fantastic! All that we had hoped for and more. We were so lucky to have fantastic fine weather for the whole time, with the cloudy conditions on Day 1 rapidly clearing to fine days with light winds. The accommodation we had was beautiful and the food and wine lovely, even down to our brown bag lunches and snacks provided for the days outings. And to top it all off, we made some great friends and the whole group doing the same trip were lots of fun! This area of New Zealand is definitely worth exploring.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
The Queen Charlotte Walk & Nelson
Easter Sunday we were up early and down at the marina by 7.30 for our boat trip out to Ship Cove. It took over an hour to get there from Picton. This spot is one of the furthest out of the sound, and is where Captain Cook spent time repairing and resting on 5 different occasions during his trips to the southern hemisphere. It was easy to see why he chose to spend time there, it is a beautiful sheltered spot, with lovely clear water.
We started the walk here, and quickly wondered what we had got ourselves into to! The first hour was pretty hard, all uphill as we crossed over the ridge to look down on Resolution bay. The downhill trek was just as hard, because of the steepness and rocky paths. The view over Resolution bay was worth it though! From then on the walk was a little easier going, with some level parts and not as much steep walking. The weather started cooling down and by the time we finished the 15km trek it had just started raining lightly.
We made it to Furneaux Lodge in Endeavour Inlet by about 2pm and were very grateful to get a hot coffee and have a rest on the verandah of the lodge. We met a nice young guy from Israel and an American couple on the trek and we all shared stories while waiting for the boat to take us back to Picton. It was really raining by the time we boarded the boat and there was standing room only for the trip back. It was extremely cold when we disembarked and we made a quick dash back to our room for a very welcome warm shower. Poor John suffered on the last leg of the walk, his right knee started playing up and he was lucky to make the full walk. Needless to say we slept well that night!
The next morning we left Picton and headed to Nelson, only about an hour and a half away. It was a little overcast, and a lot cooler (about 12 -14 degrees) but not raining. The scenic trip takes you around Kenepuru Sound and it is very scenic but oh, so windy.
Nelson is a big city, we had a quick look around and then settled into our motel for the afternoon to rest up and pack our stuff for the next 5 days. John is coping with a head cold and welcomed the chance to rest today, and we took our trusty Corolla back to the rental car company. We are staying at the Mecure Monaco apartments, a nice spot not far from the airport. All stations are go for the next 5 day kayak and walking tour in the Abel Tasman National Park. There will be no more updates until after we return from this trip.
We started the walk here, and quickly wondered what we had got ourselves into to! The first hour was pretty hard, all uphill as we crossed over the ridge to look down on Resolution bay. The downhill trek was just as hard, because of the steepness and rocky paths. The view over Resolution bay was worth it though! From then on the walk was a little easier going, with some level parts and not as much steep walking. The weather started cooling down and by the time we finished the 15km trek it had just started raining lightly.
We made it to Furneaux Lodge in Endeavour Inlet by about 2pm and were very grateful to get a hot coffee and have a rest on the verandah of the lodge. We met a nice young guy from Israel and an American couple on the trek and we all shared stories while waiting for the boat to take us back to Picton. It was really raining by the time we boarded the boat and there was standing room only for the trip back. It was extremely cold when we disembarked and we made a quick dash back to our room for a very welcome warm shower. Poor John suffered on the last leg of the walk, his right knee started playing up and he was lucky to make the full walk. Needless to say we slept well that night!
The next morning we left Picton and headed to Nelson, only about an hour and a half away. It was a little overcast, and a lot cooler (about 12 -14 degrees) but not raining. The scenic trip takes you around Kenepuru Sound and it is very scenic but oh, so windy.
Nelson is a big city, we had a quick look around and then settled into our motel for the afternoon to rest up and pack our stuff for the next 5 days. John is coping with a head cold and welcomed the chance to rest today, and we took our trusty Corolla back to the rental car company. We are staying at the Mecure Monaco apartments, a nice spot not far from the airport. All stations are go for the next 5 day kayak and walking tour in the Abel Tasman National Park. There will be no more updates until after we return from this trip.
Friday, April 2, 2010
In Picton - Boating safari
Today started off fine again, albeit a little windier. We had a full day boating safari organised, but this was changed to only a half day one, on advice that it was going to become windier.
We were picked up and driven about 40 minutes away to the Kenepuru sound, where after a safety briefing we launched our own little boat with a 9hp motor. It was made of stainless steel, and was very sturdy and travelled through the water well.
Our guide showed us a mussel farm, the local vegetation and some of the lovely secluded bays in the area. All up we were on the water for about 3 hours, it was lots of fun and at times we were sprayed with salt water but not enough to worry us in waterproof jackets. It was certainly a great way to explore another part of this beautiful area, and surprisingly this sound had warmer water, apparently it's water comes from the East Australian current. It was also a lovely aqua green colour.
After lunch we wandered around Picton, and it just so happened that there was a hot rod display on this weekend and the mall was packed with about a 100 or so fancy hot rods from various parts of New Zealand. Needless to say, John enjoyed browsing through and photographing his favourites.
We were picked up and driven about 40 minutes away to the Kenepuru sound, where after a safety briefing we launched our own little boat with a 9hp motor. It was made of stainless steel, and was very sturdy and travelled through the water well.
Our guide showed us a mussel farm, the local vegetation and some of the lovely secluded bays in the area. All up we were on the water for about 3 hours, it was lots of fun and at times we were sprayed with salt water but not enough to worry us in waterproof jackets. It was certainly a great way to explore another part of this beautiful area, and surprisingly this sound had warmer water, apparently it's water comes from the East Australian current. It was also a lovely aqua green colour.
After lunch we wandered around Picton, and it just so happened that there was a hot rod display on this weekend and the mall was packed with about a 100 or so fancy hot rods from various parts of New Zealand. Needless to say, John enjoyed browsing through and photographing his favourites.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
From Kaikoura to Picton
Well we did enjoy some lovely seafood for dinner in Kaikoura, John had a half crayfish and I had fresh monkfish, really beautifully cooked. We got up early the next morning for some sunrise shots, the only trouble is the sun rises later here, about 7.50am. I just walked and left John to it!
Reluctantly we left the gorgeous Kaikoura, and had one of the best drives ever up the coast to Picton. We saw another seal colony just north of Kaikoura, and this time had fun watching the baby seals playing in their own little pool. Arriving in Picton we couldn't get over the lovely hills and coastline here too, its almost like a fjord and massive, much bigger than we had imagined. We spent the afternoon settling in and finding our way around, which isn't hard because it's not too big! We explored the bay and some lookout spots and got organised for a day sea kayak trip the next day.
The sea kayak trip left around 9 and there were 8 in the group. Once again we have been blessed with great weather, fine and mild, about 21 degrees, with winds increasing. The paddle was fantastic, we didn't go very far by John's standards, only about 15km all up, but the pace was leisurely so we could really enjoy the scenery. We came across a seal and lots of birdlife, and even saw a small shark. The tour was well organised with a great morning tea and lunch provided. Our group included a family from England, a German backpacker and an English couple who are living in Hong Kong. Coming back into Picton was a little harder as by then it was a lot windier and there were a few more waves, but the paddling wasn't too hard for us. Check out the photos, we have another water day planned for tomorrow, but this time in a water taxi and a 5hr walk planned for Sunday if the weather holds!
Reluctantly we left the gorgeous Kaikoura, and had one of the best drives ever up the coast to Picton. We saw another seal colony just north of Kaikoura, and this time had fun watching the baby seals playing in their own little pool. Arriving in Picton we couldn't get over the lovely hills and coastline here too, its almost like a fjord and massive, much bigger than we had imagined. We spent the afternoon settling in and finding our way around, which isn't hard because it's not too big! We explored the bay and some lookout spots and got organised for a day sea kayak trip the next day.
The sea kayak trip left around 9 and there were 8 in the group. Once again we have been blessed with great weather, fine and mild, about 21 degrees, with winds increasing. The paddle was fantastic, we didn't go very far by John's standards, only about 15km all up, but the pace was leisurely so we could really enjoy the scenery. We came across a seal and lots of birdlife, and even saw a small shark. The tour was well organised with a great morning tea and lunch provided. Our group included a family from England, a German backpacker and an English couple who are living in Hong Kong. Coming back into Picton was a little harder as by then it was a lot windier and there were a few more waves, but the paddling wasn't too hard for us. Check out the photos, we have another water day planned for tomorrow, but this time in a water taxi and a 5hr walk planned for Sunday if the weather holds!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Days 3 and 4, Hanmer Springs and Kaikoura
It was another beautiful mild day when we left Christchurch, we couldn't get over how lovely the weather had become. It was very easy to pick up the car and get out of the city. We arrived at Hanmer Springs by midday and were able to check into our accommodation early.
Hanmer Springs is just like a little alpine village, lovely tall pine trees and beautiful mountains surrounding it on all sides. So picturesque.
We headed off to the thermal pools after lunch, something enjoyable but a little over-rated, and definitely smelly. The full thermal one was very hot and very stinky, also not recommended to wear silver jewellry in it.
We found a beautiful park across the road from our motel and wandered along a stream, it reminded me of parks in England so much. The village had some great cafes to choose from for dinner, we found one selling Monteith's beer, John's favourite NZ drop!
Setting off on Wednesday early we chose the mountainous scenic route to Kaikoura, and couldn't help but marvel at the valleys, mountains, beautiful grazing lands and the wide river streams which were fairly empty but I'm sure don't stay that way. We even followed some cows that were being moved for a while. We got to Kaikoura early and started on the 3 hour headland walk. What a magnificent day it was and the views rivalled any we have seen elsewhere. Kaikoura is cliffs and coastline, and it is renowned for the sealife. We walked back along the beach/rocks and spent quite a bit of time up close to a colony of fur seals, careful not to get too close! The rest of the afternoon has been spent exploring this pretty spot and we are looking forward to a fresh seafood dinner tonight. It's still shorts and T-shirt weather.... I only have one pair of shorts!
Hanmer Springs is just like a little alpine village, lovely tall pine trees and beautiful mountains surrounding it on all sides. So picturesque.
We headed off to the thermal pools after lunch, something enjoyable but a little over-rated, and definitely smelly. The full thermal one was very hot and very stinky, also not recommended to wear silver jewellry in it.
We found a beautiful park across the road from our motel and wandered along a stream, it reminded me of parks in England so much. The village had some great cafes to choose from for dinner, we found one selling Monteith's beer, John's favourite NZ drop!
Setting off on Wednesday early we chose the mountainous scenic route to Kaikoura, and couldn't help but marvel at the valleys, mountains, beautiful grazing lands and the wide river streams which were fairly empty but I'm sure don't stay that way. We even followed some cows that were being moved for a while. We got to Kaikoura early and started on the 3 hour headland walk. What a magnificent day it was and the views rivalled any we have seen elsewhere. Kaikoura is cliffs and coastline, and it is renowned for the sealife. We walked back along the beach/rocks and spent quite a bit of time up close to a colony of fur seals, careful not to get too close! The rest of the afternoon has been spent exploring this pretty spot and we are looking forward to a fresh seafood dinner tonight. It's still shorts and T-shirt weather.... I only have one pair of shorts!
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