NZ2009 - Mount Cook

Mount Cook is frequently hidden by cloud but the day we were driving to Twizell, which was to be our base for viewing the Southern Alps, skies were blue. We quickly checked into our accomodation and drove on getting spectacular views.
We parked the car, booted up and set off on the Hooker Valley walk. It's very rough underfoot but just gently uphill with a couple of swing bridges involved. The scenery is great but there is one point, soon after the second swing bridge, when you turn a corner and Mt Cook is there in all its magnificence. It is an inspiring view and I have goose bumps writing about it. The best view of the holiday!
We continued to the end of that walk where we saw the Hooker Glacier, looking more green than blue and shedding a few small icebergs into the river.
How lucky we were to get those views as the next day it was raining! In fact it was unusually cold, cloudy and rainy for the last three days of the holiday but it did not prevent us doing a couple of significant walks and refelecting on the truly wonderful time that we had spent in this most beautiful country.

NZ2009 - The Otago Peninsula and Dunedin

We drove past Dunedin to stay in Lanarch Castle - NZ's only castle. Quaint accommodation in the stable block. The castle was interesting and the gardens magnificent. It ws our base for exploring the peninsula.
The Royal Albatrosses were the highlight of the day. From a glassed observation point we saw 4 full size but juvenile birds practicing their flying. They have a wing span of about 3m and soared past us time and time again. There were also birds on the nest looking after smaller chicks.
We also spent time in a series of hides but only saw 2 chicks and 2 adult yellow eyed penguins.
On the way to Dunedin we visited Olveston House, which was fascinating. Although built around 1910 it was way ahead of its time with central heating, electricity from its own generator and a shower over the bath.
The Botanical Gardens in Dunedin were another delight - so well kept and lots of plans for future expansion.
Finally a look at Dunedin itself and we knew we were in a major city, the first since Auckland.

NZ2009 - The Catlins

The Catlins are an area of rolling green hills with a fantastic coastline on the way from Invercargill to Dunedin. First stop at Waipapa Point where we thought we were lucky to see a sea lion on the beach. Then suddenly with much bellowing and waving of fins another appeared and despite the first trying to hide in the sand, it is persuaded to return to the water. That was the last we saw of them but our imaginations ran riot!
Then to Curio Bay which is famous for petrified wood and it is easy to see the old logs now stone. But better than that we spotted 2 yellow eyed penguins! Large chicks just standing around in the sun waiting for parents to return to feed them.
On to Cathedral Caves which were amazing. 15 minute through bush down to a magnificent beach but it ws the 100m high cliffs that we wanted to see. Huge cracks in the rocks, eroded by the sea, have maade the caves. Maybe 20m high and 50m deep into the cliff. We explored several before reluctantly moving on.
Finally Nugget Point. Again fantastic cliffs and a very exposed walk up to a light house. We had great views of seals playing in pools and some Royal Spoonbills with crested heads. Our best day of sightseeing, orchestrated by Ian.

NZ2009 - Invercargill

The countryside is quite flat as you approach Invercargill. It is a strange place and for the first time in NZ I felt I was in a foreign country. It is mid february and the Christmas decorations are still up (they are very nice!) but even stranger they are lit each night. The original designers of the town thought it would be of major importance. The streets are 3 and 4 lanes in each direction and there are impressive buildings, some of them art deco but then as a town it does not live up to that grandeur. However we had a good meal in Speights Ale House and it was full of people enjoying themselves.
Sightseeing around Invercargill turned out much better than those impressions of the town suggested. Anderson's Park was wonderful. Beautiful lawns and gardens perfectly manicured, but the Queens Gardens were even better. We are very impressed by the public gardens in NZ which are free to go in and must involve a lot of maintenance.
Rivertown was a fine place and The Rocks were fun to clamber around and bird warch. Colac Bay and Orepuki Beach were worth a visit although despite blue skies it was 4 layer day! Oreti Beach was something else. 30km long of fine flat sand and you can drive onto it. 100m of beach between lovely sand dunes and the sea. It featured in the Anthony Hopkins film 'The Fastest Indian'.
Finally to the main tourist spot, The Bluff. A 300m hill 20km south of the town, 360 deg viewing from the top and some great walks along the coast.

NZ 2009 - The Hollyford Track

Day 1 of the Hollyford Track made all 3 of us realise what a rain forest was really about! Our coach took our party of 16 to the start of the track crossing the Divide where we started the Routeburn. Immediatel we had gone from east to west the rain got harder as if a tap had been turned on! We all huddled into a tiny shelter and put on all the rain gear that we possessed in the vain hope that either it would keep us dry inside or the rain would stop. Neither happened and after 6 hours of walking we were all soaked to the skin although Ian claimed that his left foot was still dry - no-one checked!
The rain was heavy but according to our guides, hardly more than a shower! The stone paths became little rivers in their own right, the rivers became balancing acts on stones to get across, the swing bridges were exciting and often only for one person crossing. The waterfalls were fantastic, particularly Hidden Falls, which was a short muddy detour off the track and was quite frightening in its intensity from the sheer volume of water. The day was far from boring as we had frequent stops for our guides, Bard and Brendan, to explain about the forest and some of the early settlers and their exploits. Bard's favourite was Davey Gunn, "the greatest man that ever lived." The walking was easy but we would never have made it without the bridges and boardwalks. How the early settlers not only got through themselves but having set up grazing land drove their cattle through!
Pyke Lodge was a welcome sight and we had a warm welcome from the young staff running the lodge. Hot showers, a 3 course meal, wine and a convivial atmosphere and we felt human again.
Day 2 and it wasn't raining! The glaciers on the tops of nearby mountains started to appear and we rushed out from breakfast to photograph them. The weather got better and better and we had a magnificent day.
We walked to Lake Alabaster and got wonderful mirror views of the mountains beyond. Then to our Jet Boat which whisked us 45 mins along the river to the site of Jamestown. This was to be the provincial capital and port for trade to Australia but it never stood a chance as it is so difficult for any boat to cross the bar at the end of the spit and access the Hollyford River from the Tasman Sea. Then back to the Jet Boat and to the lodge at Martin's Bay. It was so welcoming in such a beautiful spot and we had a wonderful evening of great food, drink and company.
The weather for day 3 was not quite so good but the events of that day were! We were first taken by Jet Boat to walk along the sand spit and dunes with a rough sea on one side and eventually the Hollyford River on the other. When we returned to the lodge for lunch, there was a small plane on the front lawn! After eating quickly we were on board and speeding along the gravel runway, into the air and a 15 minute flight into Milford Sound. Simply magnificent with the best possible view of NZ's number one tourist attraction. Our small plane so close to the sheer cliffs that rise vertically from the sea. A wonderful climax to a walk which was not only magnificent for waht we saw but so informative due to our guide Bard.

NZ 2009 - The Routeburn Track

The Routeburn Track is one of NZ's Great Walks. We were transported from Queenstown to the Divide where the walk begins. It turned out to be a demanding walk but probably the best we have ever done. It is steadily up for ages before we do an extra climb to Key Summit. The views were amazing as it was a perfect day. Key Summit enables you to look down 3 major valleys in this spectacular wilderness area.. On to the Ehrland Falls which are 80m high, plunging into a wonderful bathing pool - of nearly ice cold water! We descended to Lake Mackenzie Hut where we spent a comfortable evening with a fine meal. The lake gives mirror like views of the mountains.
Day 2 begins with a climb up through trees festooned with moss, giving everthing a deep green colour. Very magical. We climb above the tree line and on this cloudy day we are soon above the clouds in the valley with dramatic views of mountains as the clouds come and go across them. We had a tough scramble up to a look out but the views were not great. However this was a good day because usually it is raining!. We lunched at the Harris saddle and had some of our most exposed walking - a track maybe 2 feet wide with a sheer drop on one side. It is amazing how they build these walks.
The second night was in Routeburn Falls Lodge which is about 300m above the Routeburn Valley which we will walk on the last day. The group has been so coherent and got even more lively with games and us having to catch our desert of pancakes!
Day 3 is the descent into the valley, back amongst the trees to a lovely lunch/swimming place. We follow the river and look down on it through trees with a sheer mountain rising up alongside - such a beautiful location and another glorious day.
As we are driven away we look back at enormous mountains and marvel that we have walked through such terrain.
Finally a sumptuous celebration dinner and we say good bye to 3 marvellour guides and probably the best group we have walked with.

NZ2009 - Queenstown

Queenstown is the adrenalin capital of NZ. It is the place where you jump off mountains with bits of elastic on your ankle or nylon over your head! It didn't surprise me that Cheryl wanted to paraglide but it did that I joined her! We were bussed to Coronet Peak, fitted into the harness and with the expert attached behind, we ran down a steep.hill and just floated away. It was an amazing ride, along the hillside and then down hundreds of feet to the valley below.
Despite this and dozens of other crazy things, Queenstown has a serenity imposed on it by the wonderful mountains that surround it and the beautiful Lake Wakatipu. It has everything for eveyone.

NZ2009 - Abel Tasman Revisited

We so enjoyed Abel Tasman National Parkk last year that we decided to re-do the final day. We stayed overnight at the Abel Tasman Marahau Lodge which is in a beautiful setting just 500m from the start of the walk. We made an early start and walked to Torrent Bay arriving an hour or so before the group who were on the 5 day walk.A good dinner and a nice room in this lodge which is a delight to be in. There is a huge bay which we could not cross when heading to the lodge since the tide was in. However by being ready early in the morning we were able to walk out to the little island, enjoy the morning light and then cross the estuary and soon reach Anchorage Bay. The corner of the beach has rocks that give a secluded part and we were able to spend an hour there before walking on. It was such a beautiful day that we felt justified in swimming on 3 different beaches.
The return to Abel Tasman enhanced our opinion of this wonderful part of NZ.