MARCH 15 – APRIL 11, 2015
SOUTH ISLAND NEW ZEALAND
Theo and I drove our car onto the Inter Islander Ferry for
the three hour trip to the South Island. We were both very ill. Theo had the
same virus as me with fever and sore throat. I was on antibiotics and feeling a
bit better, but Theo wanted to “get over it naturally”, therefore he was not
taking any medication to help himself out. I was exhausted and let it be. We both slept for most of the ferry ride.
PICTON
Picton is the gateway to the South Island. During the
summer, there are eight ferries per day bringing people and vehicles over from
the North. I could imagine how busy and fun it would be here if the weather was
warm. The middle of March is autumn in New Zealand, and Picton was quiet. This
is a place that completely transforms during the cooler months. When we arrived in town, we saw outdoor cafes
and people lazing in the sun enjoying drinks, coffee and pastries. We decided
to do as the locals do and took a table…very nice.
There are some lovely
walks here. The obvious ones are the Marlborough Sounds and Queen Charlotte
tracks. If you love to hike, New Zealand is probably one of the best places in
the world to do it, but make sure you research details about the track you are
going to tackle. A five hour tramp here is considered a “short walk” and some
of the more challenging tracks (and the most beautiful) can last days or even
weeks! Theo and I wanted to walk the Tirohanga Track while in Picton. It is a
two-hour loop and has exquisite views, but we needed to rest instead and
hopefully beat this virus that was wreaking havoc on our trip. We drove to a
B&B and slept. We can’t do it all I guess.
NELSON
The drive to Nelson included a VERY winding road up a
mountain. Theo was driving, but eventually he got tired and said that he needed
to close his eyes for a bit. He wanted to pull over and sleep, but I insisted
that I could drive on while he rested. I am not accustomed to having the
steering wheel on the right side of the car or traveling on the left side of
the road. To make the situation more challenging, I was driving up a mountain
on a very squiggly course with crazy Kiwi race car drivers on my tail. I would have
preferred to be at the helm of a sailboat in the middle of the ocean any day! I
was beginning to feel very comfortable behind the wheel, but suddenly Theo woke
up and was saying (very loudly) “Pull over! You are scaring me! I can’t sleep
while you drive! You are going to hit the cliff!” Oh my gosh…I was NOT. I was
truly getting the hang of it, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer and he
never asked me to drive again after that…I think he was being unreasonable and
snotty…whatever.
The Nelson area is a very popular with travelers. There are
gorgeous bays (make sure to see Golden Bay if you are here), lakes, and three
national parks. If you love cycling, this is the place for it because one of
New Zealand’s most popular cycling trails is here. The 69km coastal route from
Nelson to Kaiteriteri can be done in a couple of days and there are plenty of
sights along the way, including yummy stops for food and wine. Theo and I want
to return in November and ride this trail.
The town center of Nelson is charming with brick- lined
streets paved with cobblestone. Certain areas had a European feel, especially
when we would go to one of the many bakeries and coffee bars. Speaking of
coffee, Kiwis are very serious about their java! I think their coffee rivals the coffee in
Italy...it is that good! When I left Los Angeles, I had quit drinking coffee
and was a tea girl, but I fell off the caffeine wagon when I landed at Auckland
airport in February. Before even exiting the terminal, I made a beeline to the
nearest barista for a steaming flat white… I love coffee.
LESSON:
If Theo gets sleepy while driving, just let him pull over
and take a nap.
QUOTE:
KIWI TERMS:
-Flat White = Café Latte
-Short black = Espresso
-Long black = Double espresso
-Fluffy = Steamed milk with marshmallows
-Pack a wobbly = to become angry, get snotty
- Spit the dummy = to act unreasonably
-Dummy = Pacifier
MOTUEKA
Motueka is a small town that sits twenty minutes outside of
Able Tasman National Park. Hiking Abel Tasman was the main activity I was
really, really looking forward to when we first began thinking about our trip
to the South Island. Abel Tasman is a
very long track and many people choose to camp or stay in huts along the way.
We decided to stay at the Holiday Park in Motueka for the evenings, and then
hike various points of the Abel Tasman track over the next three days.
Well…that was the “plan” anyway.
When we arrived at our cabin, Theo was a wreck. He was very
sick and his throat hurt so badly that he could barely swallow. We found a
doctor that could see him in the late afternoon, so we rested during the day
until the appointment. She checked Theo out and gave him a ten day supply of
antibiotics… the same ones that I was taking. My doctor (the comedian) had
given me enough pills for seven days, so she gave me more. This turned out to
be very good decision on her part. We were in no condition to attempt the Abel
Tasman hike, so it would have to wait. I will not mention how sick we were anymore
in this blog. It is boring and, frankly, neither one of us cares to remember it
anyway.
A few days later, we began the first day of our three day
hiking adventure. The track was very raw and peaceful. We walked for three
hours from Marahau to Apple Tree Bay and were feeling pretty good. The second
day we drove to Kaiteriteri to board the 9 o’clock sea shuttle to Awaroa Bay to
do the next section of the track. From there we walked to the Awaroa Lodge for
a quick lunch and coffee before starting the hike. We walked three hours to
Medlands Beach. The sea shuttle was there, waiting to take us back to our car
in Kaiteriteri. The next morning was day three of our hike. We took the sea
shuttle again…this time to Medlands Beach. The track from Medlands Beach to
Anchorage Bay is the loveliest stretch of coastline on the Abel Tasman track.
If you visit here and only have one day to hike, this would be the part I
recommend doing. I simply do not have
words for how beautiful this experience has been. Just do it!
The following morning we checked out of our cabin in Motueka.
We had intended to spend three nights there, but in the end we stayed about one
week. Since we did not have a set schedule or hotel bookings for the South
Island, we did not feel pressured to rush anywhere…thank goodness. We had
accomplished our goal, which was to hike Abel Tasman and we were happy.
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| Split apple rock |
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| Our view during the hike towards Anchorage Bay on the Abel Tasman track... |
LESSON:
-Make sure you have the correct size and type of shoes for
hiking…my toenails became black and blue because my shoes were too small… I
cannot believe I did that.
KIWI TERMS:
Holiday Park = A place that has spaces for camper vans to
park and stay the night… they are very convenient for families with small
children. A community kitchen, showers
and toilet are included in the price and they also have a few free standing
cabins that can be booked as well.
Anklebiter = a small
child, toddler
Road snail = A camper van traveling on the road
Loopy = A tourist driving around the south island in a
circular direction.
Tiki Tour = To go on a journey with no destination in mind
(for example:” Let’s take a tiki tour around the south island.”
PUNAKAIKI
We arrived in
Punakaiki late in the afternoon and we were tired of being on the road. We
wanted to see the Pancake Rocks in the morning, so I opened my Lonley Planet
book to find a place to spend the night. The retreat I had chosen turned out to
be more of a backpacker hostel, but they gave us an adorable little cabin in
the middle of the forest. I really liked it, but Theo was not thrilled. He kept
mentioning the I-sites throughout New Zealand and what a wonderful job Jackie
had done organizing our North Island accommodations. Anyway, aside from the
mosquitos, the cold and being a bit isolated, it was quaint.
Punakaiki is VERY small and we found one tavern open for
dinner. That is it…one tavern! Theo and I were very grateful for it because we
were tired and hungry. Once inside we realized it was extremely busy. I think the
entire town was there… Go tavern people!
Theo did not sleep well in our little cabin in the forest, so
we woke up late. I heard him moving about and I pretended to be asleep (like I
do every morning) until he started making coffee. We heard a noise near our
window and saw a large brown bird there. She kept walking past and rubbing
against the door. Obviously, she was asking for some breakfast. Once we got a
better look, we realized that she was a Weka. They are flightless birds that
are found exclusively in this part of the south island.
We checked out of our cute cabin and drove to a famous
tourist stop called Pancake Rocks. We walked for 15 minutes on a beautifully
maintained trail. The limestone here is formed into what looks like huge stacks
of thick pancakes. There are also some impressive blowholes, and since it was
high tide, the Tasman Sea was putting on a powerful show.
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| The friendly Weka outside our cabin door |
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| Pancake Rocks |
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| The crazy Tasman Sea |
LESSONS:
-The weathering process that causes the limestone to layer
like pancakes is called stylobedding.
-Do not feed the wildlife…they will become dependent on the
treats.
KIWI TERMS:
Bush = forest
Going bush = getting away from it all
FRANZ JOSEPH
We came to Franz Joseph to see the glacier. It
is a leisurely two hour walk to reach there and it only gets steep for a little
while at the very end. It was very busy with tourists for this time of the
year. If you visit here and go to the
glacier, I recommend starting your walk very early in the morning… before the
helicopter tours begin. The hike is so pretty and relaxing, but there are MANY
helicopters constantly buzzing overhead. The noise makes the experience less
enjoyable.
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| Images at the Franz Josef Glacier |
We also visited the Wildlife Center while in Franz Joseph.
We were lucky enough to see three kiwi chicks. They were asleep, but we didn’t
care. The kiwi are very interesting to me because they have so many weird
characteristics. They are more like a mammal than a bird. They are flightless,
nocturnal and do not have good eyesight. When we watched the adults in the Wildlife
Center, they repeatedly walked back and forth digging in the dirt for food with
their long beaks…very single-minded. They have an amazing sense of smell and their
nostrils are on the tip of their beak. There used to be millions of kiwi in New
Zealand, but now the population is down to 70,000 and here is why…
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| A three week old kiwi chick |
In the 1830’s, rabbits were introduced to New Zealand for
sport, food and fur trading. The rabbits bred very quickly (as rabbits do) and
they plagued the country by destroying the vegetation. So what did man do? He
introduced stoats to New Zealand to control the rabbit population. The problem
is that stoats do not prey solely on rabbits…they will kill anything they can
eat. Stoats look like ferrets, but are
smaller. They are a voracious predator to many of the native animals in New Zealand,
especially birds. The stoat population is out of control because they breed
very, very quickly. When a female stoat is born, she is impregnated before she
even leaves the nest! The introduction of stoats is commonly referred to as one
of the worst mistakes ever made in New Zealand.
Possum fur was very
valuable for trading back in the day, so they were introduced to New Zealand as
well. Like the stoat, the population is now out of control and they are a huge
problem. If you visit New Zealand and have
a car, the locals will encourage you to swerve to run over a possum on the road.
We saw many possum pancakes during our tour of the islands.
Because of these predators a kiwi chick has a 5% chance of
survival in the wild. That is why the Wildlife Centers are so important. They
recover the kiwi eggs from the nest, and after they hatch, they raise the chick
until it weighs one kilogram. Then they re-release it into the wild. At this
size, they have a fighting chance when attacked.
LESSON:
New Zealanders are NOT called Kiwis after the kiwi bird. New
Zealand (to this day) has a famous brand of shoe polish named Kiwi that the
soldiers in Australia used during WWII. The first use for the term “Kiwi” was
in 1917, and it referred to Australian servicemen who had “kiwied up”. In other
words, they had highly polished boots because they used the New Zealand Kiwi
brand shoe polish!
QUOTE:
“A good stoat is a dead stoat” – New Zealanders
KIWI TERMS:
Possum pancake = a possum that has been squished flat into
the road by a car.
Suck the kumura = to die, kick the bucket
Kumura = New Zealand sweet potatoe
QUEENSTOWN
Theo and I loved Queenstown and quickly decided that it was
our favorite place along our tour so far. There was a good vibe there. Many
shops, restaurants and talented street musicians surrounded a stunning lake and
everything kept going late into the evenings. This is not a sleepy place and we
were in the mood for that kind of atmosphere!
Queenstown is famous for quite a few things and one of them
is a hamburger joint called Fergburger.
There is a long line wrapped around this place almost all of the
time…even into the very early hours of the morning. We couldn’t understand what
the big deal was about, but we felt a bit obligated to try a burger while we
were in town! A local told us not to stand in the long queue at Fergburger. He suggested that we call and order our food
in advance, pick it up for take away, and then eat it by the lake…a very simple
and logical idea. Of course we didn’t do it and while we were eating, many of
the tourists in line were pointing at our burgers and watching us eat….it was
awkward.
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| The famous Fergburger |
We spent our days walking around town, eating great food,
enjoying the lovely gardens and lake views. Queenstown has so much to do and we
were never bored. Theo has always enjoyed high adrenaline sports, but I am not
a fan. I don’t like the sensation of falling or the prospect of seriously
injuring myself, but I have always been curious about paragliding. It looks so
peaceful from the ground. We decided to
do it and we are so happy that we did. It was incredibly relaxing… just as I
had imagined. I felt like a bird soaring above Queenstown…try it!
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| Beautiful Queenstown...getting ready for paragliding |
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| We did it...Phew!!! |
LESSON:
-Do not stand in the queue at Fergburger
-Eat your Fergburger after paragliding, not before.
KIWI TERMS:
Queue = Line
Scoff = Eat
Skull = Drink fast (usually beer)
Biscuits = Cookies
Pudding = Dessert
Lolly = Candy
TE ANAU
Te Anau is the gateway to the Fiorland National Park and it
is also the polar opposite of Queenstown. When we drove into town, we found a
peaceful little village surrounded by a large lake and rugged mountains. We
kept up our routine of hiking, eating and sleeping by walking part of the
Kepler track. This track is very wild and a pleasant place to tramp. The ground
was soft, like walking on a carpet, due to layers upon layers of dirt, mud and
leaves. We continued on to the Moturau Hut and then returned back the same way
we came. .. three hours total. We were physically tired… Te Anau ended up being
a great place to relax for a few days.
If you visit here, we recommend the Redcliff Café for a
meal. It was the best in New Zealand and I wrote a stellar review on Trip
Advisor before we even left the table!
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| The Kepler Track |
DOUBTFUL SOUND
Fiodrland is the home of Milford and Doubtful Sound.
Doubtful Sound is three times larger and ten times the area of Milford Sound. It
is also not as easily accessible, therefore, much more peaceful and remote. With that in mind, we decided to skip Milford this
time around and go straight to Doubtful for an overnight cruise on the Fiodrland
Navigator.
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| Our accommodation for one night in Doubtful Sound...we will never forget it. |
We took an hour boat
ride to an awaiting bus that would drive us a further 45 minutes to our ship.
While we were standing around to board the bus, we were swarmed by sandflies.
These tenacious, hungry little shitheads seem to reside in the most beautiful
areas of southern New Zealand, especially Fiordland. If you remain stationary
for just two seconds they descend on you. My body was fully covered; I had a
scarf on my face, a hat and sunglasses on. I covered myself the best I could
from head to toe, but they still got me… even on my eye. I looked like Quasimodo for two weeks. Their
bites are very painful, last a long time and I have yet to find a repellent
that works. I don’t like to complain, but I really hate them. Theo and I squished as many as we could
against the inside of the bus window during our ride. They made quite a mess.
Our time on the Fiordland Navigator in Doubtful Sound was
another major highlight of our tour. We saw crazy, beautiful wilderness with
jagged cliffs and mountains that spewed waterfalls. We even saw Fiordland
Crested Penguins, which were rare for that time of the year. My favorite experience took place early in the
morning. The ship stopped in a truly magical location, and as we were floating
there, the engines, generators and lights were turned off. Those few moments we
heard just the sounds of nature at work. The scenery was surreal…misty and
mysterious. The memory will always feel like a dream to me and I am so grateful
to have been a part of it….sandflies and all.
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| Images of Doubtful Sound |
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| After the rain |
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| Misty and mysterious |
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| Only the sounds of nature at work. |
LESSONS:
- A fiord is a narrow, deep inlet of sea (in this case the
Tasman Sea) with steep cliffs gouged out by a glacier. From above, the inlets
look like long, crooked fingers.
-Doubtful Sound was named Doubtful Harbor in 1770 by Captain
Cook. He did not enter the inlet, because he was uncertain (doubtful) whether
it was navigable under sail.
KIWI TERM:
-Whinge = Complain
STEWART AND ULVA ISLANDS
We drove to Bluff
(famous for its oysters) and from there took a very bouncy one hour ferry ride
to Stewart Island. This is what is called “the end of the road”. We could not
travel any further south than this! The weather was blistery and cold when we
arrived, but we just bundled up and got on with it. Our hotel room was very
cozy, and when we stepped out onto the balcony, we were immediately visited by
some curious Kakas (parrots). These islands are free of predators; therefore they
have the largest bird population of the entire country.
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| Theo has to touch everything! |
Ulva Island is a bird
sanctuary, so we dusted off our binoculars and took a short water taxi ride
over. Theo and I had decided to take a four hour organized tour and we are glad
we did. It would have been very
difficult to spot the flying critters without an experienced set of eyes and
ears. Aside from the elusive kiwi, our guide helped us hear and see every bird
that exists in the country! Ulva Island
was very, very fun and a reminder of what New Zealand used to be like.
That same evening, we had intended to go exploring and see
if we could spot the nocturnal kiwi bird. Unfortunately, the winds blew up to
40 knots by supper time, so… no wild kiwi sightings for us. Maybe there will be
a next time!
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| A camouflaged Kakariki |
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| My favorite bird....the animated Fantail |
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| Sunrise on Stewart Island |
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| A sleepy Theo, just after sunrise, waiting for the ferry from Stewart Island to Bluff. |
DUNEDIN, LAKE TEKAPO, AKAROA and KAIKOURA (SOUTH ISLAND)
These are the rest of towns and cities that Theo and I
visited on our Tiki Tour of the south island. New Zealand is very diverse and we
have special memories of everywhere we went. Here are the highlights.
DUNEDIN - Famous for its peninsula, Albatross colonies and
penguins. There is a stellar Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings by the Old
Railway Station.
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| The rare yellow-eyed penguin...this is a young one |
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| An adult yellow-eyed penguin |
LAKE TEKAPO – The water of Lake Tekapo is turquoise. We
walked to the summit of St John which has impressive views of the lake and mountains.
On Easter Sunday we visited the Church of the Good Shepherd.
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| Easter Sunday at the Church of the Good Shepherd |
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| Lake Tekapo as seen from the Mt John Observatory |
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| Curious cows along our drive |
AKAROA - The stunning drive along Summit Road is a must do
here and the one hour walk along the coast as well. Hector’s dolphins are in
the Banks Peninsula and can only be seen in New Zealand.
KAIKOURA – This area has a lot of wildlife and is known for
its whales, dolphins and seals. The
Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway is one of the best things to do here .
Starting from town, it is a three hour loop that heads out towards Point Kean
and this is where the fur seal colonies are. From there, continue to walk along
the cliffs to South Bay and then back to town. If you get hungry along the way,
around the second hour of the walk, there is a roadside hut called Kaikoura
Seafood BBQ. Here you will find three hardworking women serving up extremely
fresh, local fish. Their crayfish is half the price compared to the restaurants
in town…don’t try it anywhere else! Along our drive out, we stopped at the Ohau
Stream to see the seal pups.
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| Seal pups playing at the Ohau Stream |
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