January 2011

A Road Trip!

Car tour of South Island, New Zealand

We did a 2 week whirlwind tour of the South Island in our "new to us" van. On the trip, we crossed the 46 degrees South parrellel, mind you it was in the car. But it was very cool knowing that we started our trip in July 2008 at 46 degrees North.

The map above shows the route that we took:

We started in Nelson, went down the West Coast, took the ferry to Steward Island, then back up the East coast to Nelson.

Day 1 Nelson to Westport

The west coast aka Westland or what we called it was “Wetland” as it was constantly raining. Our first stop was the Buller Gorge swingbridge and Comet Line flying fox. I got over my fear of heights with these two activities. The Buller Gorge Swingbridge is New Zealand’s longest swingbridge (110m long and 17m high) above the rushing waters of the Buller River. There was a very short loop walk across the famous White Creek Faultline, epicentre of the 1929 Murchison earthquake where the ground was instantly thrust up 4.5 metres (15 feet).

We decided to try to find a motel for tonight but there was absolutely no accommodation in Westport – they were all booked with like-minded tourists.

We saw a sign on the side of the road for camp sites so we just turned off and pitched our tent where there is camping and a German run pizzeria and beer garden. The German pizzeria, Jack’s Gasthof turned out to be a very popular spot and was packed later in the evening.

The weather forecast was predicting lots of rain and it was accurate, it poured all night long. The ground was already soaked so we found a site that was a little higher and we put our tent up under a tree and even though we could hear the rain outside we didn’t get wet. The sand fleas (aka black flies) seem to thrive in this weather so we didn’t stick around at all in the morning.

Day 2 – Westport to Okarito

Stopped at Punakaiki a small settlement beside the rugged Paparoa National Park. Punakaiki is famous for it Pancake Rocks and blowholes (the kids thought we were going to eat pancakes, they were mildly disappointed). Through a layering-weathering process called stylobedding, the Dolomite point limestone has formed into what looks like piles of thick pancakes. It was a wet and windy day when we went and it looked really wild.

We were told that the road to Greymouth (our next destination) was closed because of flooding and rock falls along the road. The road to Nelson was closed too for the same reason. Basically we were stuck in the middle. So after going to the cafe and having a coffee, we decided to go ahead anyways and see how it is. There were three areas of the road that were flooded out. Fortunatley, they were letting only vans, and 4x4's through. The first puddle was not so bad and we laughed, "we can do this, why are they making such a big deal of this?"

The second washout was about 300 metres past the first one and was nothing to laught about. We waited on the side of the road to watch other vans go through first! Some vehicles got stuck in the middle and some good samaritans towed them out, we didn't want that to happen to us. After we watched for a while, we decided to go for it and we made it!!! Yeah for the Blue Dolphin (what we call our van as there is a dolphin decal on the front). Homes and businesses along the side of the road were completely flooded out.

After we passed Greymouth, we got stuck in a third road block because of flooding. People's homes are surrounded by water. It is very sad to see this. I can only imagine what people in Queenstown, and Brisbane, Australia are going through.

We stopped at Okarito Campground for the night. If anyone is planning a trip around the South Island of New Zealand, make sure you bring warm clothes and rain clothes. Even though it is summer, the weather is very damp and cold. Bringing fleece pants, a winter hat, rain pants, socks and closed in shoes is not out of the question. If only I had known!!!!

Day 3 – Okarito to Mount Aspiring National Park

There was no lounging at the campground this morning, the sand fleas are brutal!! We packed up as quickly as possible and are on the road again. We stopped in the village of Franz Josef and saw a movie called "Flowing West - The Movie". It was like an imax movie - A helicopter takes you soaring across the Alps, hovering above the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers. Shows the mystical rain forests and follows the water flow as it descends to the Tasman Sea. This put us in the mood to see the glacier ourselves but not from a helicopter. The hike to the base of the Franz Josef Glacier was wonderful, the weather has turned sunny and clear and we had a spectaular view. You can only hike as far as the base as in February 2007 two tourists were injured after being hit by falling ice when they ventured too close. You can take a guided tour to get onto the ice if you so desire.

We drove over two suspension bridges and the 737 metre long Haast Bridge the longes t single lane bridge in New Zealand. One thing to be aware of when driving in New Zealand, 1. you are on the left side!; 2. there are one lane bridges every few kilometres which slows you down alot plus you need to realize that it is only ONE lane; and 3. there are a ton of camper vans on the road in the summer. I've never seen so many in my life.

We were thinking about going to see the Fox Glacier as well but the access road was flooded out however we did manage to find a viewpoint to have a look. The first campground at Lake Paringa was flooded out as well so we drove on another 50 kilometres to a Department of Conservation campsite in Mount Aspiring National Park.

Day 4 – Mount Aspiring National Park to Queenstown

The sand fleas were even worse in the morning. We packed up as fast as possible without even a coffee. The first stop was at the Blue Pools . Like a lot of hikes in NZ, there was a carefully maintained gravel path and boardwalks that wind through a native silver beech forest and lead to a swing bridge strung high above the Makarora River. There were brilliant views back to to the mountains of the Main Divide.

The track continues into the forest to a series of crystal clear pools that have been carve dout of the rocks by centuries of erosion. The glacier-fed water in these deep pools is the colour of deep azure blue, and so clear that you can see right to the bottom.

We said goodbye to the west coast as we travelled along the Haast River and traversed the scenic Haast Pass (563 m) and Mount Aspiring National Park – The van didn’t like this pass too much but we made it.

Now we are in the region of Otago and the weather has turned nice. It was an absolute beautiful drive today as we drove past Lake Wanaka travelled through to “The Neck’ to Lake Hawea. We stopped at a place called Puzzling World where there was this terrific maze. You had to go through it and get to all four corners that were coloured red, blue, yellow and green, then you had to make it back out again. We even added an extra challenge: the kids vs the adults! It was alot of fun, and by the end I think we probably walked about 6 kilometres. There were also illusion rooms and puzzles to play with at the cafe.

This area is known for its stone fruit and vineyards. There were lots of places on the side of the road to stop for cherries, plums, peaches and apricots. Yum. We also had to stop at one vineyard, the one we chose was called Pelegrino Winery and it was very good.

We stopped at the historic 1880 Kawarau Suspension Bridge which was the world’s first commercial bungy site in 1988. We saw a man jumping off the 43 metre structure – he survived and was brought back to land by a rescue dingy. You’ll never see me doing anything like that! I could barely watch.

We drove through the rugged Kawarau Gorge to Queensland. Because it is New Years Eve we had a very different time finding a spot and prices are at an all time high. We paid $76.00 at the Queenstown Lakeview Holiday Park for a tent site and apparently we got the last one! We are squished in her like sardines.

Day 5 – Queenstown

Queenstown markets itself as the “Global Adventure Capital”, so what that really means is that you are going to spend all your money doing sports that last less than 5 minutes! We took the Skyline gondola up the mountain where we spent the day. There were stunning views of Queenstown and the Remarkables mountain range. We all did some luge rides which were really fun and even scenic.

We splurged at the buffet at the restaurant on top of the mountain and had a really good feast, walked some of it off on a short hike. We watched people doing the bungee jump and the sky swing. We even did the zip cording (which was quite lame) before going back down the gondola. By the time we got back , the kids were too tired and didn’t want to go out at night to see the fireworks so we just went to bed. Happy New Year!

Day 6 – Queenstown to Lake Monowai

We drove the Southern Scenic Route highway to Fiordland National Park and stayed at a rustic Department of Conservation campground on Lake Monowai, what a difference from Queensland! One disturbing fact about New Zealand is that it has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. One would never think that considering the weather but if you don’t wear a hat and sunscreen you will for sure get some sun which is not good. You really need to be careful about this. Unfortunately, the zipper on our tent broke on both sides and the bugs are still brutal. There are some mosquitoes but mostly they are black flies, well at least they don’t carry disease.

Day 7 Lake Monowai to Bluff

Continuing along the Southern Scenic Route, it is very beautiful. Stopped at the Clifton Suspension bridge to have a look. The construction started in 1898 and the bridge was opened in 1899 when it replaced the punt used by early sheep stations. The day we went the bridge was closed to pedestrians for repairs. We drove through Tuatapere, all these New Zealand towns seem to have mottos Tuataperes claim to fame is “The Sausage Capital of New Zealand”

“From Cape Reinga to Bluff” – we’ve seen it all!! Well not really but we are getting a really good feel for this country. Bluff is the oldest European town in New Zealand having been settled continuously since 1824. We did some short walks, went up to Bluff Hill for a remarkable panoramic view—it was blowing over 50 knots at the time, we were nearly knocked over.

The Bluff Maritime Museum was really great, it documents the development of Bluff’s oyster, whaling, mutton, birding, port and ferry industries. It also has a tug boat out in the yard that the kids played on for a long time and didn't want to leave.

Day 8 Bluff to Stewart Island

We took the ferry over to Stewart Island. It was a beautiful and warm sunny day, we were very lucky that we didn’t come on the ferry yesterday with the winds howling like they were. Stewart Island is home to Rakiura National Park, New Zealand’s southern-most National Park. Rakiura is one of the Maori names given to the island, which recalls glowing sunrises, sunsets and the aurora australis or Southern Lights.

A five minute little boat ride got us to Ulva Island where we walked all over and saw lots of South island birds. Ulva Island is the largest of several small islands situated in Paterson Inlet. The majority of the island is part of Rakiura National Park and is managed by the Department of Conservation as an open sanctuary – a place where native plants and birds can live in a safe environment but is open to the public. The birds that we saw included: the Steward Island Weka; Tomtit; Stewart Island Robin; Oystercatcher; Tui (which has the most amazing song; you have to hear it to believe it); New Zealand Pigeon, the blue penguin and the bellbird.

Day 9 Stewart Island to Waihola

We are now driving through the Catlins, this has been one of our favourite areas on this trip. We stopped at the Waipapa Point Lighthouse. Waipapa Point is the site of New Zealand’s worst civilian shipping disaster, the wreck of the SS Tararua, which claimed 131 lives in 1881. The site has a working historic lighthouse that was built after the tragedy. As we were driving out there was a farmer moving her flock of sheep on the road and we had to stop and let them go by.

Slope Point- The southern-most point of the South Island- had to get the picture of this one. You walk through a private sheep station to get to the point.

Curio Bay- This was a very cool stop. An ancient geological phenomenon – the petrified forest. Fossilised trees similar to kauri and matai lie embedded on coastal bedrock, remnants of a 180 million year old Jurassic era forest. A small population of endangered yellow-eyed penguins (hoiho) reside here. The yellow-eyed penguin is an endangered and unique species. Distinguished by its distinct yellow-eyes and headband, the yellow-eyed penguin in native to New Zealand. Hoiho, is its Maori name. We got a really good view of one on the beach that didn't seem very shy. We were told that if you get too close to the penguins they will go back out into the sea and not come back to feed their babies.

Nugget Point-A walking path between sheer cliffs to the left and right leads to the lighthouse, which had spectacular coastal views. The lighthouse was built in 1869. We could see fur seals and sea lions way down on the rocks below. It is also a breeding area for birds and yellow-eyed penguins. Its name is derived from the sea-worn rocks that resemble gold nuggets.

Day 10 – Dunedin

We arrived in Dunedin first thing in the morning, it was a refreshing change to be in a city. Went to a great cafe for coffees and hot chocolates, spent a few hours at each the Dunedin Public Art Gallery and the fabulous Otago Museum. Sushi was on the lunch menu and so was a nice walk within the city taking in the sites. The railway station just recently celebrated its hundredth birthday and claims to be New Zealand’s most photographed building, every place in New Zealand seems to have some moniker attached to its name! On our way out of town we stopped by Baldwin Street, which is actually in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s steepest residential street. We were too weary to actually walk up it so we just gawked at it from the van!

Found a beautiful tent site at Trotters Gorge and we were finally able to enjoy it and sit outside because there were no sand flies here. Thank goodness for that!

Day 11 – Dunedin to Lake Aviemore

Moeraki Boulders are a collection of large spherical boulders that sit on a stunning stretch of beach. How did they get here and how did they become so perfectly spherical? There were some that split open and it looked like a giant caramel.

We were driving on the back roads and missed a turn so backed into a driveway, unfortunately over a culvert slashing our rear tire. Luckily the occupants of the house were home and very nice! They told us that we are not the first people to have this happen to. They helped us as we didn’t have a tire iron and as luck would have it the tire truck from the nearest town of Oamaru just happened to drive by. We were back on the road within the hour! Amazing

Oamaru was a really nice stop. The Whitestone Cheese Factory is there and you can see the cheese being made and have some tastings. They have a historic precinct where you can meander through preserved historic commercial buildings like the grain storehouse and the Woolstore. There is a limestone carver that sells reasonably priced sculptures and souvenirs. For a gold coin donation we visited a model train room. Of course we found the New Zealand Malt Whisky Company and Chris had a wee dram of a tasting. This was in one cool building – it is a 130 year old warehouse that a local lady is turning into a restaurant.

Back in the car to drive through the Waitaki Valley. Saw some Maraewhenua Maori rock paintings on the side of the highway.

The next stop was at Elephants Rocks ,giant limestone boulders which was Aslan’s Camp in the Narnia movie.

Our campsite that night was at Lake Aviemore where we me some local kiwis from Dunedin and the kids had so much fun playing with their kids and especially their three dogs. We actually played a bit in the Lake. The kiwi’s think nothing of jumping in a going for a swim or a water ski but we find it incredibly cold!

Day 12 Lake Aviemore to Christchurch

Today was a long day of driving. Saw the Benmore Dam Earthworks which was so cool to see, there was tons of water coming out of the dam. The dam is the largest earth-filled water-retaining structure in New Zealand. The dam's spillway can cope with 3,400 cubic metres of water per second, about 10 times the mean river flow. With a generating capacity of 540 MW, Benmore Power Station is the second largest hydro station in New Zealand.

It is almost too hard to drive through New Zealand because you have to keep stopping to take pictures of everything!! Lake Pukaki is a smoky blue colour. The glacial feed to the lakes gives them the distinctive blue colour, created by glacial flour, the extremely finely ground rock particles from the glaciers.

We continued our drive through Mackenzie country, stopping to buy fresh cherries, and stone fruit like peaches and plums (which were still in season), by the side of the road. We decided to take a small detour to the Peel Forest to see the Big Trees. Peel Forest Park is located along the foothills of the Southern Alps. The three largest trees in Peel Forest belong to the family “Podocarpaceae”. It is a very ancient family with a line of descent going back in time more than 100 million years. The three trees are kahikatea (white pine), tōtara and mataï (black pine).

Day 13 - Christchurch, NZ

On 4 September 2010, a major 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Christchurch causing an estimated total cost of $4 billion in damage, 63 aftershocks were reported afterward, we could see the damage as we drove around. It is the biggest city in the South Island. It has a very historical and British feel to it. Christchurch has a great museum and wonderful botanical gardens. We stayed at the Holiday Park which had an indoor pool, TV/movie room; bouncy pillow; and playground. Now this is a real holiday!!!

Day 14- Christchurch to Nelson (back home!)

Kaikoura was one of our favourite places that we visited. It is on the ocean, behind which lie the mountains, along the highway is a railway which tunnels are dug through the rock. It is almost a surreal place, it is so beautiful. Visitors come here to whale and dolphin watch. We saw sea lions on the beach and many birds. Our most memorable visit though was to a B and B / sheep farm where we watched a sheep get sheared and learned a whole bunch about the sheep industry in New Zealand. We met "Ram-Man", learned about the different types and sheep and wool and what they are used for; about the tools they used to use to shear the sheep and the present-day situation. Did you know that there is a job called a sheep shearer who the farmer hires to come to the farm to shear the sheep. This happens with most sheep once a year, some sheep like the Drysdale get shorn twice a year. A good sheep shearer can shear hundreds of sheep a day. It looks like really hard work, I can't imagine doing this for a living! There are sheep shearing contests and even World Championships held in different countries around the world every couple of years. Sheep stations or farms are now being sold to foreigners (Japanese, American). It is not as profitable to own a sheep farm as it is to own a deer farm or even more profitable are the cattle farms. We also got to feed and hold baby lambs, feed the "Ram -Man" and cuddle with the resident sheep dog. Saw a band called the Bad Boy Peaches and bought their CD

A stop in Havelock for mussels as Havelock is the green shell mussel capital of New Zealand! and then then very windy, steep road back to Nelson. Our boat was still in her slip and all was good, we never were so happy to sleep back in our own beds!!