New Zealand - 19th February to 21st March 2007

19.2.2007
We arrived at Auckland Airport 6.45am, after taking forever to get through customs we were able to organise a cheap hire car (Rav4) from the information desk at the airport. By 10am we were on our way south, totally missing the chaotic Auckland City. We followed the east coast passing through towns like Orere, Kaiawa and Miranda. We made a detour to Kauaeranga to check out the DOC (Department of Conservation) camping areas, there are many good treks in the area. Next stop Thames where we purchased all our camping gear and food. From there we drove north along the coast and stayed in a small backpackers at Coromandel. Coromandel is a quaint little town where nearly every shop is named Coromandel … We had fish n chips for dinner and I have to say so much better than the Aussie fish n chips, it must be the newspaper wrapping. After total exhaustion from no sleep on the plane we crashed for the night.

20.2.2007
We headed further north to the tip of the Coromandel Peninsular today. The coastline was just stunning as we drove along the windy coastal road (the last 29km being gravel). We checked out the DOC campsites at Fantail Bay and Port Jackson but decided to go a bit further to Fletcher Bay as the other two seemed quite busy. We set up camp with all our new camping gear on the foreshore overlooking the bay. We went for a walk along the rocks and had a few oysters on the way. We were fortunate to see two killer whales making their way along the coast. We had a basic camp meal enhanced with some fresh herbs found at the campsite. There was a sheep farm at the back of the camping area and in the late afternoon the sheep were let out of their paddock and wondered around the campsite.

21.2.2007
We woke up to rain and were surprised that our cheap tent stayed dry. The rain prompted us to move onto to our next destination. We headed back along the Coromandel Peninsula then took the scenic route to Whitianga passing by Waiau Falls on the way. Whitianga looked very touristy so after a drive through we continued south along the east coast. We past through Tairua then stopped in Whangamata for a walk along the bay and shops. All these east coast towns thrive on the tourist season in summer. Next was our lunch stop at Waihi, we found the bakeries have not only good food but are also cheap. Heading further south we decided to call it a day at Tauranga, quite a large city with many shops. We stayed right in town at a youth hostel, we were relieved to have our own ensuite for a bit of luxury! We had a drive around the city and had dinner on the foreshore.

22.2.2007
After doing a bit of shopping in the morning, we headed southwest through Rotorua (No point stopping as we had both been there before) and then southeast to Lake Waikaremoana. The road to the lake went on forever, mainly gravel and winding up the many mountains. The 129km from Rotorua took us three hours. Relieved to be at the lake we decided to stay in one of the lake front cabins, as it seemed crazy to camp for $20 less than staying in the cabin. We sat in our bay window admiring the awesome lake, better in than out as those New Zealand sandflies are huge and love our Aussie blood.

23.2.2007
We woke up to a very crisp morning, a real treat for us North Queenslanders. We spent the morning doing a couple of bushwalks in the absolutely beautiful rainforest. It was so dense and with hundreds of different varieties of ferns. We also went to Aniwaniwa & Papakorito Falls. The afternoon was spent lazing around the lake and also getting the washing done. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here.

24.2.2007
It was a cold rainy morning and a good time for us to move on. We headed down the eastern side of the range to Waiora, a much quicker trip taking about one hour. From Waiora we headed south to Napier. On arrival in Napier we had a drive around the port and had lunch in the mall. We then met up with my old Julatten neighbours John and Mary-Ellen. We stayed with them for the night and were treated to a local’s tour of the town. We had a home style BBQ and several vinos while catching up on the last seven years. Their eldest daughter Leticia was also there and I couldn’t believe she is now 21!
25.2.2007
We said our goodbyes to John and Mary-Ellen at Te Mata’s Peak outside of Napier. It was a beautiful view overlooking Napier and Hastings. We may see them again as the guys are trying to organise a hunting trip. On the way south we past through Norsewood, lunch in Dannevirke and then on through Woodville, Pahiatua and Masterton. We decided to spend the night in Featherston a town we have fallen in love with. Only one hour north of Wellington and with Tararua Range at the base of the town and the huge Lake Wairarapa 9km from town. We fantasised about buying property here. We were treated to a firework display tonight, the end of the 150 year town celebration.

26.2.2007
Before leaving Featherston in the morning, we had another look around town. It took us about an hour to get to Wellington along the winding mountain road. We went into the city and were amazed at its size. We spent a couple of hours wandering around the city streets. We then headed up to the botanical gardens just above the city centre. Jorge had a rest on the lawn while I walked up to the cable car to get a full view of Wellington and the harbour. It was now time to head to the ferry as we were going to Picton at the tip of the South Island at 6.15pm. It was a very organised system of all the numerous cars, campers, trucks and motorbikes boarding the ship. We admired the scenery as we passed by the North Island and into the protected Marlborough Sound of the South Island. We arrived in Picton 3 hours later and decided to stay here the night. We got a double room in a backpackers lodge and then went into town and had a few drinks at the Irish pub. It was abuzz with an Irish band playing and a rowdy group of young Aussies who had just sailed from Sydney on the Young Endeavour. 27.2.2007
We headed off to French Pass along the Marlborough Sound. What an awesome coastal drive, we kept stopping to take in the view. We had lunch in Havelock and continued on to French Pass also checking out a few other bays on the way. Once at French Bay we discovered that the camping site was right at the end of the main street, not what we had in mind. So we had a look around and drove back to a little seaside community called Okiwi and camped there the night. Thanks to daylight saving we went for a beach walk after dinner.

28.2.2007
We moved on early this morning, the blasted sand flies were eating us alive. I have so many bites on my lower legs, they just love me! Our first stop was Nelson, quite a large town with a beautiful street scape in the city. We had morning tea and got back into the warmth of the car and kept on our way. Next town we stopped in was Motueka. Here we arranged our camping permit for the Abel Tasman National Park and after a look around the shops we succumbed to our first junk food for the trip KFC! We headed on to the next town of Marahau for our night stop. We stayed on a farm called Old MacDonald’s Farm, Mr MacDonald had lots of animals to entertain us.

1.3.2007
Today was an amazing day, we walked (or tramped as the Kiwi’s call it) the Abel Tasman National Park. Starting from our farm stay we walked 12km in just under 4 hours carrying our big heavy backpacks, we had all our supplies for our two night stay. There is a hut and bed provided but you must take everything else like food, cooking appliances including gas, utensils, bedding and clothing. There is no electricity and no hot water. The beds are set up into bunks with six people sleeping side by side, cosy! Anyway back to the walk, we saw so many amazing beaches, coves, islands, plants and birds on our walk. It was hard work with the backpacks especially going up and down hills. It was a great relief when we made it to the hut. Jorge went for a swim and then we discovered the shower, a beachside shower out in the open, just like the ones in Australia that you use to rinse off after a swim, thank god we remembered to pack the swimmers. It was entertaining to see people looking for the shower block then to find that. Our hut was at Anchorage Bay, which was a popular stopover for the large groups of see kayakers, they would camp overnight then back into the kayaks the next morning. After dinner we walked along to the end of the bay before retiring early.

2.3.2007
A day of relaxing for us. Everyone else at the hut packed up early and moved on, some continuing along the track and some returning to the start. We took a walk to Pukutea Bay, which was just beautiful. Then back at Anchorage Bay we spent the rest of the day on the beach and even swimming as it was a warm day today. At low tide in the afternoon we went and collected about two dozen green lipped mussels off the rocks for our dinner. Oh yeah we were limited on food as a rat had a party in our food backpack last night! We cooked the mussels up and had an wonderful meal with some cous cous. We watched the almost full moon rise over the bay before hitting the sack.

3.3.2007
Just as the body aches were easing, it was time to do it all again and walk back to Marahau. This time we were smart and put our backpacks on the water taxi back to Marahau. The walk was so much easier without the weight and we were back in Marahau in 3 hours. We drove back to Motueka and got a double room in a new backpackers lodge right in town. The hot water was great and the space to re-sort our stuff was handy. Once settled in we went for a drive along the harbour. The marina was quite a sight with no more than 30cm of water left exposing the hulls of all the boats. We drove out to the Motueka River, which is believed to be full of trout. Back at the lodge we got the washing done and watched a bit of television, ahh just like home.

4.3.2007
While having breakfast at the lodge we overlooked the set up of the local Sunday market, it was abuzz with craft and fruit & vegetables stores. We set off south this morning following the beautiful Motueka River. We took a detour just north of Murchison to find a camping spot with a hut we were told about. We got to the river crossing and decided to try to make it back here to camp. Back on track, we had lunch at the pub in Murchison, such a pretty little town surrounded by the mountains and the Buller River. Due to Jorge sampling a couple of pints of New Zealand’s dark ale I took the wheel and drove to the west coast town of Greymouth. We had a quick look around the town and continued on, next stopping in Hokitika. Unfortunately we missed their ‘Wild Food Festival’ by a week. Just south of the town Ross we passed a beautifully restored old church on the banks of the Kakapatohi River. We turned back as it was a backpacker’s lodge and got a room here for the night. Such a beautiful setting, with the magnificent restoration of the old church and the river only 50 metres away. After dinner we entertained with the other guests discussing our travels, we also enjoyed the open fire place and roasted in front of it.

5.3.2007
We had a late start today after a big sleep in. First stop today was Franz Josef Glazier, very touristy and we decided to only walk to the first viewing area as it looked like at least two hours to walk to the base. Still totally amazing and we were so excited to see snow capped mountains leading up to the glacier. Next stop was Fox Glacier, which I climbed 14 years ago on my last trip to New Zealand. It was about a 45 minute walk to the base of the glacier a totally awesome sight and thankfully a lot less tourists. I was at awe to think that I had the guts to climb this glacier. We then had a look at Lake Matheson, unfortunately too late in the day to get the well known mirrored look. Heading further south we stopped at Knight’s Point for spectacular ocean views, the coast from here on was just beautiful. From Haast we headed up the Southern Alps following the aqua blue Haast River. Totally breathtaking scenery along this drive: forest, winding rivers, gorges and waterfalls. Then at the top of the Alps, Lake Wanaka came into view. We followed the lake along a cliff top road, the lake was so huge it looked like the ocean. Further down Lake Hawea came into sight, another huge lake. We tried to get accommodation in Wanaka but everything was full. After rethinking our plans over a drink, we decided to head away from the tourist towns to find somewhere to stay. The landscape drastically changed from here on, dry slopping mountains which are snow covered in winter. We ended up getting a motel room in Twizel 40km south of Mt Cook. Hopefully the weather will be good so we can see Mt Cook tomorrow.

6.7.2007
We set off towards Mt Cook this morning but decided not to detour to the mount as there was cloud cover and extremely windy. We still enjoyed good views from Lake Pukaki. It was a picture perfect moment, the lake with the mountains in the background with the snow capped Mt Cook in the middle. Next we stopped at Lake Tekapo and looked through the historic Church of Good Shepherds, such a pretty setting for the church. The lake had white caps from the strong winds which followed us all day. Just past the town of Fairlie, we stopped at a hill top café for lunch while enjoying the mountain views of the McKenzie District. Next stop was a medium sized town call Geraldine, we had a wander around the shops to stretch our legs. From here we chose to stay inland missing Christchurch. We followed the ski route along past Mt Hutt and numerous other ski fields. We stopped at the remarkable Rakaia Gorge, so impressive with a deep gorge with aqua blue water flowing through. Then on route to Arthur’s Pass, this area is very mountainous and between the hill climbs and strong wind it was hard to maintain speed while driving. This area is also covered with snow and ski fields in the winter. We stopped at Broken River to admire the mountain ranges and were fascinated to see a group of tourists walking with wet suits. We discovered they were going caving, it would have been freezing in those cave waters. We found the Bealey Hotel (12km east of Arthur’s Pass) from the road and decided to crash here the night. We stayed in a chalet with views of the surrounding mountains and river. We treated ourselves to a few drinks at the bar to close the day off.

7.3.2007
We awoke to rain this morning and it followed us all day. There was not a lot to see as the clouds were all around us. We drove back to Murchison on a different route to that taken earlier. We stopped in Moana and admired the huge Lake Brummer, then continued on stopping for the usual photo opportunities. We had lunch in Murchison but decided to abort our plans to camp here due to the rain. We drove on through to Nelson arriving at 6.30pm. We tried many places to stay for the night but all were booked, we finally found a bed and breakfast so we had a nice treat for the night, no backpackers tonight! We had a wander around town and settled on fish n chips for dinner.

8.3.2007
After a beautiful breakfast we left Nelson to head back to Motueka. Jorge was getting anxious about going hunting and we had been told of some good places to hunt just outside of Motueka. We stayed at the same backpackers as last time arriving by lunch time, so plenty of time to relax and organise our camping/hunting trip. We knew after the Abel Tasman hike that we needed to pack light which is not easy when you have to pack everything you need for three days. After dinner we got chatting with a few other backpackers and it was a late night to bed with maybe too much alcohol consumed!

9.3.2007
We drove 33km out of town (partly gravel road) to the start of the Mt Arthur track. It took us about 30 minutes to walk to the Flora Hut. From there we followed the Salisbury Track crossing a scary suspension bridge, up and down a few more hills before arriving at the Gridiron Rock Shelter. We chose the upper rock shelter and could not believe how amazing this spot was. We had a tiny little hut with a pot belly stove, outdoor fire and a swing chair (hung from the cave roof) all to ourselves. It was cold up here as we were 830 metres above sea level, so sitting on the swing chair in front of the open fire was a great place to be. Surrounded by the cave and trees with the sound of the nearby river flowing, this is a truly tranquil place. We also had the delight of the very curious Robins, if you stand still they will come within centimetres of you to check you out. Jorge went off hunting while I stayed at the hut reading and tending to the fire. It was not a successful hunt but he enjoyed roaming through the bush. After dinner we played cards by the fireplace then moved inside when it got too cold. We put one of the mattresses in front of the pot belly stove and lay in each other arms, ahh so romantic!

10.3.2007
A very cold start to the day, Jorge stoked up both fires to get a bit of heat happening. After breakfast I went for a walk to the lower rock shelter, wow this was basic. A big rock cave with mattresses in the open, no hut like we had. There was a suspension bridge here so I felt brave enough to cross it for a short walk on the other side of the river. Jorge went off hunting again in the morning, meanwhile I was inspired by the surroundings to do some yoga and mediation. Jorge returned after enjoying his adventures in the bush but without tonight’s dinner, he is hunting deer by the way. After dinner we sat in front of the fire and did a crossword from a magazine someone had left, then an early night into bed. 11.3.2007
The cold woke both of us up this morning, I was convinced there must be snow outside but only frost! Jorge braved the cold for a morning hunt while I packed our things as we have decided to stay at Flora Hut tonight and leave tomorrow. We can’t stay here as we have run out of food and Flora Hut is only half an hour’s walk from the car park. So after Jorge returned from hunting we said our sad goodbye to the beautiful old hut and did the 5km walk back to Flora Hut. We had a short rest here before I had to do the 2km walk back to the car (crazy me offered) to get some more food for our extra night’s stay. It was hard going as mostly uphill but I returned with the goods in just over an hour. We were lucky to have this much bigger hut all to ourselves and with the fire cranking it was nice and warm. We had to bathe in the river and the word freezing would be an understatement! It started to rain as the sun was setting but we were nice and snug in our hut.

12.3.2007

What is with these cold morning starts, I just wanted to stay in the warm sleeping bag. We waited for the rain to pass before setting off back to the car park. After dropping off the hired gun in Motueka we headed for Nelson, a lunch stop and grocery top up place. Then through the Rai Valley and along the Marlborough Sound back to Picton. We tried without luck to find a cheap hotel so ended up back at the same backpackers as before, we will now stay here two nights as we return to the North Island early on Wednesday morning.

13.3.2007
This morning we took a drive out to a bay on the outskirts of Picton, had a look at a gorgeous 8 acre block of land overlooking the Marlborough Sound, priced at $195,000NZ, ahh but they forgot to mention the huge overhead powerline poles and transmitters. The rest of the day was spent chilling out in Picton. We had our first experience of food theft tonight with a Korean guest helping himself to a little bit of everyone’s food. After pretending he didn’t understand English, he stated he thought the food was free, yeah right!

14.3.2007
A very early start to the day as we had to be at the ferry by 4.45am for the 5.45am departure. It was so cold and both very sleepy, I even dropped our car keys in the key return chute instead of our room key. Thank god Jorge solved that little problem! The ferry departed on time and we were on our way to Wellington a 3 hour and 20 minute trip. We chose to watch a movie to kill the time. I felt a bit queasy by the time we got to Wellington and we later found out we past through a storm. The bad weather followed us all day with 130km winds, rain and even hail in the evening, it was so cold. We travelled north along the west coast stopping at Paraparaumu on the Kapiti Coast. We admired Kapiti Island which our yacht was named after. Our lunch stop was Sanson then our final stop for the day was Wanganui a beach side town where the Whanganui River flows through. We were surprised by the size of the town, it had everything you need. A big storm passed over us during the evening, thank god for our heated hotel room.

15.3.2007

We headed up the mountains to the Tongariro National Park. Sadly we didn’t get to see the three volcanic mountains due to the cloud cover. It was an extremely cold day and the high altitude didn’t help. We spent time in Raetihi, Ohakune and Whakapapa Village. We also visited Lake Rotoaira and a trout conservation park. Our final stop today was Turangi, we stayed in a nice alpine motel, we booked the spa for an hour and roasted ourselves, totally relaxed now.

16.3.2007
Jorge’s hunting trip for the weekend has been cancelled so we decided to continue heading north today. We spent some time in Taupo admiring the massive Lake Taupo and also the thermal pools on the Waikato River. Just outside Taupo are the Huka Falls, a huge force of water passing through a narrow gorge. From here we went to the Hidden Valley of Orakei Korako, a place I had fond memories of from my last trip to New Zealand. Log cabins on the lake front with geysers on the other side of the lake, a lot less touristy than Rotorua, unfortunately the cabins were fully booked so we had to continue on. Tonight we ended up in Hamilton, a large city about 120km south of Auckland.

17.3.2007

Our journey is nearing an end and we have decided to spend our final four days in and around Auckland as we have had enough of all the driving. It took us about two hours to travel from Hamilton to Auckland, it got a bit scary when we got to the city but we managed to find a hotel in Newmarket. We went into Newmarket centre, which is an inner city suburb of Auckland. The big city didn’t do much for us so we headed back to our hotel.

18.3.2007
Today I was showing Jorge the North Shore area of Auckland, where I spent my very early years. We first stopped at Bayswater which overlooks the city and the harbour bridge, everywhere you look there are boats. We had a walk around the shops at Devonport and made this our lunch stop too. We sat on a park bench watching all the boats coming and going. Next stop was North Head with beautiful views of the North Shore, Rangitoto Island and Auckland. I was excited to see Castor Bay the town I was born in, the hospital is long gone and replaced with apartments to take advantage of the views. Even though the rain had set in we had a wander around Waiake Beach, my only real memory of New Zealand. We drove past two homes that my family lived in, wow to think it is nearly 31 years since we lived here. We were starting to think about accommodation and didn’t want to pay the inflated city prices so we decided to head further north. We discovered Shakespear Regional Park 50km north of Auckland. Even though it was still raining we decided to camp in the campgrounds on the Te Haruhi Bay. Thankfully the rain did ease but the wind was freezing. The campgrounds are nestled between the bay and the mountainous pasture land. There is an abundance of bird life here including one very curious peacock.

19.3.2007
After breakfast we headed off to walk the Tiri Tiri Track, a 4.8km loop track. The track winds up the pasture land walking past all the sheep to awesome 360° views at the top. We enjoyed being out walking again. Then back at our camp site we lazed about reading while enjoying the regular visits from the birds. Later I went for a walk along the beach admiring the many skilled kite surfers. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset before retiring early.

20.3.2007
We packed up our camp early and headed to Manukau to stay for the night. This was where we had to return the car to and close to the airport. We did our final run around in the car before dropping off the car. We are car-less and sad to be leaving tomorrow.

21.3.2007
We hardly slept due to our partying neighbours. We caught a taxi at 4.00am and flew out of Auckland at 7.00am. Five hours and two movies later we were home!

The End!