Sunday, 27 Oct 2013, 12:30 am BST
1 Bernard Street, Saint Albans, England, United Kingdom • 13°C Cloudy
Sunday, 27 Oct 2013, 2:30 am GMT
Cranwell Road, Hillingdon, England, United Kingdom • 13°C Clear
The flight was ok really glad we decided to get the sky coach the extra bit of space was nice. We didn't manage to lie down and sleep together but managed to get some sleep. Journey to the hotel took awhile as it was rush hour, arrived at the hotel they were lovely and let us check in early. The hotel is part of the Sky Tower complex. We had showers and felt human again. Cleaned our teeth with the smallest tube of toothpaste from the airplane.
Off out in search of food. Gareth is getting cross, he needed feeding.
Had a fry up in a cafe which had small sparrows flying in and out. They're a bit like pigeons I guess but kind of cute.
Found a supermarket and bought the supplies we didn't bring to save on baggage. Went back to the hotel to sleep as we were suddenly very tired.
Got up and went in search of food again. This time we headed to the wharf, which I had been looking for earlier. Had a lovely meal watching the sun set over the harbour.
A really pretty building we walked past on the way back to the hotel after breakfast. It was sandwiched between two really modern buildings.
We had decided to have our spa treatment present at the hotel spa rather than later on in the trip. It the best massage I have ever had, got rid of all the knots. Although a bit weird to be in the same room as Gareth!
After the massage we went on the ferry across the harbour to Devonport island. Had some lunch then walked up Mount Victoria to beautiful views back across the bay Auckland. We looked around the really nice art stores and village shops before getting the ferry back to Auckland.
View from the top of Mount Victoria down to Devonport town and the ferry terminal and across to Auckland and the sky tower.
Up the sky tower after dinner in the Jade Dragon at the hotel. Amazing 360 views of the city. Cocktail bar was closed!
Checked out the hotel. Picked up our camper, bought some supplies and headed off on our first adventure to Hot Water Beach.
This is The Broken Hills walks it goes through old gold mining tunnels and path ways we choose a simple one hour route as it was late in the day. This was our first adventure from the New Zealand Frenzy guide book. It was a bit hard to find and I got into trouble as we aren't meant to drive on un sealed roads. Found the waterfalls and pools that the book said were there, perhaps a bit cold to swim today. There is a DOC campsite next to the car park but we decided to head onto Hot Water Beach and a powered site for our first night.
Gareth at the waterfall it did take a bit of scrambling over rocks at river edge to get to. He definitely didn't want to swim!
Got to Hot Water Beach Top 10 camp ground parked up and plugged the camper in and got fish and chips for tea. Tried to organise the camper a bit better! Gareth wanted to play on the giant air cushion in the play area before we went for a walk to the beach, although it had started to get dark and perhaps we should have taken a torch!
Got up at 6.30 as I was awake. Last nights rain had moved on and it looked like a beautiful sun rise so I convinced Gareth to get up. We walked to the beach, no torches required. We had the beach to ourselves the tide was in but the sun rise was beautiful. I love this picture it was just so beautiful and only our footprints in the sand.
As low tide for digging our hot pool was from 10.00 onwards we decided to drive to cathedral cove just up the coast which is good to get before the crowds arrive. The walk to the cove takes about 30mins and is quite hilly. It is all worth it. Only 2 other people there to start. The sun was really warm the sea not so much, although we wished we had taken out swimsuit as Gareth had suggested. The beach also has a fresh water waterfall against one of the cliffs and a cave became accessible as the sea went out a bit further. We spent an hour exploring and taking pictures as more people arrived we headed back to the camper and back to Hot Water Beach.
Back at Hot Water Beach, the tide was not a particularly low tide and there was a lot more people than we had expected, so we didn't manage to dig a proper pool but after a while we shared dipping our feet in a pool with an American couple. This pool was beginning to disappear as the tide was on its way back in. What the guide books don't tell you is that you need to dig directly by where the water bubbles through the sand.
Gareth helping the American couple repair a pool before the tide comes in again. By his left foot you can see another spring bubbling up through the sand. It disappears every time the wave washes over it.
This is the hot spring source. The water coming up through the sand is too hot to stand in but if you stand near it as the sea washes in and over it it becomes warm like bath water.
Not advised to dig your feet into the sand as its warm because when it gets scolding hot it hard to get your feet out quickly. Lesson learned the hard way!
After giving up on the hot pools and because the sun was so warm we decided to have a swim as we might not get another chance and the South Island might be way too cold. The surf was to strong to swim but had splashed around a bit and it was freezing.
Then back to the camper and onto Rotorua.
Today we went to Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Wonderland. We didn't get up earlier enough to see Lady Knox Geyser, which goes off every morning at 10.15. This place smells really bad of rotten eggs. the ground all around you is steaming.
Boiling mud although it wasn't as squelchy sounding as I hoped it would be probably because it rained last night and there was still a fair bit of water in the pools.
This is the Artist's Palette. Each colours is created by different minerals. The colours can vary depending on the water levels and also the direction of the wind.
The Artist's Palette again. The deep hole in the foreground is another geyser I believe, but this is less regular at going off. To the left of the picture is a walkway that you can go over.
This is looking down on the milky blue water of the Frying Pan Flats and through to the green water of Lake Ngakoro.
Part of the Frying Pan Flats the bird is a Pied Stilts and eats the insects, they don't seem to have a problem with the water which is acidic.
This is called the Sulphur Cave. Called this because of the crystallised sulphur formed by the cooling sulphur gases that come out of the ground. the crystals are the yellow area.
The yellow mounds are sulphur mounds and were formed under water but where the river was drained they were exposed.
This is The Primrose Terrace they are the largest sinter terrace left in New Zealand. The water from the Champagne Pool flows over the terrace and as the water evaporates it deposits silica.
The edge of the Champagne Pool. The various sinter levels of the pool are caused by earthquake activity.
Bird's Nest Crater. Starlings, swallows and mynahs nest in the holes in the walls the heat from crater helps to incubate their eggs.
This is Devil's Bath the colour changes from green to yellow depending on the amount of cloud cover.
We had lunch in the car park in the sunshine and away from the smell. Then we drove onto Arataitai dam to see the water release which happens 4 times a day. The New Zealand Frenzy book had described a walk down stream from the dam where you can sit on the rocks next to the river bank and watch the water. We followed the instructions but couldn't find a play we felt happy to sit. Having watched the river rise from the bridge over the river we were glad we didn't try this.
On the way back to Rotoura we stopped off at Waikato thermal pools. these are community run pools built around a natural hot pool. This was a really beautiful park surrounded by rainforest and hills.
The spring at the start of the cooling process. It comes out of the ground at 98degrees. After a good soak we drove back to Rotoura and had a takeaway in the camper van.
Got up fairly early and left Rotoura heading for Waitomo caves to do tube rafting through the glow worm caves. This was so much fun a bit cold to start with but you soon get use to it. The two guides were a lot of fun and floating through the main glow worm cave was amazing.
After tubing we headed for the west coast and Mokau beach to watch the sun set. I wanted to go to this beach to see the famed black sand and it was also a recommend freedom camp spot. After a little bit of driving round in circles we did find the stretch of beach that the guide book meant for camping but having not had a shower for two days we decide to head on down the coast to New Plymouth and stay in a campsite. This also reduced the driving time for tomorrow to Wellington.
Amazing black sand at Mokau beach. It was so soft and fine I didn't really believe it would be so black.
After todays adventures and a particularly steep gravelly hill I took us down and then back up we decided to name the camper Betty.
Arrived in New Plymouth in just enough time to see the sun set. Drank wine and annoyed a couple in a chalet who had been enjoying the view until we turn up and parked right in front of it. Cooked my first meal in Betty food was delicious but the smoke from cooking was a little over powering.
Up and on the road to Wellington by 10.00. Stopped at a place called Bulls for coffee and cake. Then in one of the many lay-bys for a pot noodle lunch before arriving at the top 10 holiday park do some much needed laundry. The holiday park is not actually in Wellington so we walked into Petone the village we are in for dinner.
Had a lazy morning at the campsite, it's gorgeous sunny day so got the bus into Wellington. Had best dim sum ever then went for a walk around the water edge stopping for a beer at Mac's brewery.
Got the cable car up to the botanical gardens that looked down over Wellington. This is Gareth map reading.
View from the Botanical Garden back down over Wellington. It clouded over in the afternoon and got a bit breezy. Headed back to the campsite via a fish and chip shop. Almost died as a crazy Italian in a camper van drove into a lamp post and ripped off his awning. Early to bed to be up early for the ferry to the South island, although all the fireworks did make it sound like we were under fire.
Up at 6 to catch the ferry to the South Island along with quite a lot of the other camper vans in the park. Very rough crossing had to have a sleep, once through the cook straight it got a lot calmer. The plan was to stop in Picton for the night but we decided to drive down to Kaikoura today. We stopped on the way to see a seal colony, the coast road drives right next to them. Very windy drive as we followed the coast for much of it. Decided to stay in a proper bed tonight.
We drove a total of 1261 km on the North Island, plus a few more because we didn't start it straight away!
This a really rubbish photo that really doesn't do justice to what I was trying to show. This is a vineyard. The area that we drove through after Picton is the largest producing wine region in New Zealand. So much land covered by perfectly straight vines its quite beautiful. Very Windy though.
This was the first day that it has rained properly. We got up did some jobs then got ready for whale watching. This was unfortunately cancelled due to rough sea. It has been raining all morning and the wind is picking up but we were both very disappointed not to be going. We had even bought and taken sea sickness tablets, so headed onto Hammer Springs.
View from the road leading into Hanmer Springs. The river is milky colour due to the ground up rock floor from the Glaciers. they also do bunny jumps from the bridge.
The day hasn't got any better it is damp and cold and the cloud is low. Went to the thermal pools which have flume slides as well as a variety of temperature pools. The slides were great fun although a little weird to be in water as warm as a bath.
We cooked tea on the BBQ at campsite the rain had finally eased and you could see lots of beautiful stars out when we went to clean our teeth, I was to cold to do any watching.
Stopped off at a lovely town called Reefton the sun was really warm today by the time we got to Westport it had clouded over. Drove on past it a bit to a river walk along a disused coal and timber railway.
When we got back to the camper van there was a train blocking our way out of the car park. It was filling up with coal from the current mining site.
This is Charming Creek Walkway another walk from the New Zealand Frenzy. It is a railway line that follows the route of an old timber and coal mines. It was a really good walk with a couple of tunnels several waterfalls a suspension bridge. The river was an amazing cloudy blue colour and was quite fast flowing with lots of boulders in it. it looked like it would make a good white water rafting river. Just near the end of the walk two rivers join, the second river is a tannin brown colour and where the rivers meet you can see the current as the coloured water swirl around each other. The stop for the walk was at an old mill although not much left now just information boards for Gareth. We clambered down the bank to try and get a look at a smaller waterfall that we could hear but the bush was to thick at that point to see through but couldn't get close enough to see it.
There are lots of left over pieces of the mining history along the route. At some point the railway tracks would veer off the cliff and into the river where a landslide or avalanche had forced it. At one point during the walk we had to clamber over a recent landslide which had brought down a tree.
We headed back to Westport to a crazy looking campsite with crazy golf, into town for dinner at the only place open. Good burgers though.
Left Westport and headed on down the west coast to Hokitika, it was overcast and a bit chilly again today. We stopped off along the coast at a place called Truman Cove. This was another adventure from the New Zealand Frenzy book. This photo is the rainforest you walk through to get to the beach.
This beach is only accessible at mid to low tide. It's a beautifully sculpted beach with a waterfall coming straight off the cliff at the far end. Not sandy just a tiny pebble beach. The tide turned really quickly I can see how easy it is to get caught out. We both got wet feet and trousers from underestimating how far the tide would come in.
The sound of the waves crashing up against the cliff is an amazing booming sound. Back in the camper van and on a bit further to Punakaiki and the pancake rocks and blow holes.
The Pancake Rocks and Blow Holes are best viewed at high tide we were a couple of hours off but we walked the coastal path to have a look. The sound of the waves crashing against the rock was amazing. We decided to have lunch in the camper van and wait till we were closer to high tide.
This is the largest blow hole at Punakaiki called Putai. We got a bit sun burnt this afternoon as the cloud cleared but it was still quite windy so we didn't notice. The sun in New Zealand can be a bit vicious.
Final stop was Hokitika and a place called Shining Star holiday park, its a beautiful site and really close to the beach. We had a BBQ steak tea cooked by Gareth before heading to the beach to watch the sun set. As we were watching a seal came out of the surf and sat just on the beach basking. When it was dark we returned to the Bach to do some star gazing as it was a fairly clear night and there wasn't much light pollution. With are trusty app we manage to workout what a few were, we believe we saw Pegasus and the Southern Cross.
Today was grey and drizzley so made the drive a bit harder. Lots of windy mountain roads. It was still quite grey when we got to Fox Glacier holiday park so we had a quiet afternoon did some laundry and read our books before heading out for dinner. The cloud was quite beautiful drifting across the mountains revealing and hiding different views each minute.
Tomorrow is our helicopter ride to the top of Fox Glacier. I am so excited and a little nervous that the weather could cancel the trip.
Made Gareth get up early today to go to Lake Matheson to take reflection photos of Mt Cook and Mt Tasman. It was quite a clear morning and the lake was amazingly still. Then back to campsite and walk into town to catch the helicopter to the top of Fox Glacier.
This is the helicopter pad for our trip up to the glacier. I had never been in a helicopter before this and it was the most amazing experience and something I will never forget. We have decided to use some of the whale watching money to get a helicopter into the drop zone for the white water rafting now. So Excited.
It's really hard to see the scale of the glacier. The pilot pointed out a group of walkers hiking up the glacier. They were tiny black dots, not in the photo. The blue colour is really vibrant as well also most like food colouring in icing. It all feel a bit fake.
After the flight we had a quiet afternoon, a little power nap and then walked back into town to sit in the sun watching the world go by with a drink. Very few clouds so might be a good night for star gazing.
Long drive day today. Made a few stops. Bruce Bat to make stone sculptures. Thunder falls fan tail falls. Look out point for NZ highest sealed road then down into Arrowtown. Stayed in a lovely little motel. Needed a night in a bed and dinner in a pub garden.
Long driving day today. Made a few stops along the way. Bruce Bay was the first to make stone sculptures.
The look out point for New Zealand's highest sealed road. The Camper made some very interesting noises as we went down into Arrowtown. Stayed in a lovely little motel, we needed a night in a bed. Walked into Arrowtown for dinner in a lovely pub garden by the river.
Spent the morning in Arrowtown. It's an old mining town with beautiful shops and cafes, we had some lunch then drove the half hour to Queenstown stayed two nights at top 10 holiday park.
We went on the Gondola up to the viewing platforms. We saw the Bungy platform no jumpers today. Around the restaurant at the top there was a luge run we had a go it was a lot more fun than we had expected. Had BBQ tea at the camp site drank beer in the sun rang Em.
Up early to go white water rafting we got the helicopter flight into the river drop point which was awesome. A little bit sick feeling as the pilot was flinging it around the bends of the valley as we flew up river, but it was so worth it. Rafting was good no one in our boat fell in, our guide Chief was a bit mental. Would do it again.
Lunch at Fergburger a famous burger place in Queenstown. Then we did a zip wire experience down the side of the hill from the gondola stop at the top. Zip lining was cool very informative guides about the local forest we were zip lining through and the conservation work they do.
Then we drove to mana pour into possum lodge to stay ready for our cruise. The location was beautiful right on the lake edge beautiful beach forest all round us. The sand flys were really bad here we had to keep the doors closed as then we're eating us alive. Watched some tv went to bed.
Today we did our sky dive 15000ft. I was very nervous as we had been booked onto the 8.30am slot but it got pushed because of the cloud. we eventually did it at 11.30. I would do it again not sure i'd ever be able to do it on my own. I didn't really like the parachute release bit but the free fall and the floating down after the parachute has released was amazing all the noise of the plane and the free fall had gone and there was just silence.
After the sky dive we drove to Manapouri to stay at Possum Lodge holiday park ready for our cruise. The location was beautiful right on the lake edge beautiful beach forest all round us. The sand flys however were really bad, we had to keep the doors and windows closed as then we're eating us alive. Watched some TV and went to bed ready for the cruise.
Then a coach over the Willmott Pass. We were on a coach holiday with oldies there was even stops to take pictures at.
Then on to our cruise ship for the night. Tea and muffins was served as we cruised out into the doubtful Sound.
We stopped off in one of the arms to get into smaller boats so we could have a closer look at the shoreline. Our guide talked about plant life and the effect the glaciers had.
Then back onto the boat for soup before heading out to the Tasman and the seal colony at the entrance to the Sound. As we were approaching whales were spotted so we headed off in a different direction and managed to get up quite close to the whales.
Back on course we saw the seal colony before heading back into the sound for the evening. We stayed the night in a different arm than the afternoon excursions. Had an evening talk about the New Zealand wildlife.
Up early to try and see bottle nose dolphins, we did spot them much closer to the shore line which is a protected area so we had to keep our distance but some younger dolphins came to investigate our boat and then swam with us at the front.
Then we spotted some Foridland penguins. Before having breakfast and heading back to Deep Cove where our coach was waiting for us.
Over the Willmott Pass again today we could see the Doubtful Sound from the top. The across the lake on the boat and back to the camper and on the road to the Curio Bay.
Parked up and headed to the beach to see the penguins come to roost. We saw 5 it was really cool they just waddle up past us stopping to bask on the way. Dinner cooked in Betty surrounded by crazy giant plants like we were in the borrowers.
Had breakfast sat looking over Porpoise Bay and could see the Hector dolphins swimming around the cove. They were much closer to the shore than we had expected. Went for a walk along the shore before deciding to try and rent wetsuits and board to swim out.
The body boarding was awesome fun although it got a bit rough near the end of our time. The dolphins just came and swam along side us and when we had paddled out a but far to catch a wave they just swam around us. An amazing experience no other tourist no commercial set up just perfect.
Porpoise Bay. Then on to Dunedin for the night. Not very inspiring campsite so we decided just to head off in the morning to Lake Takepo.
Drove from Dunedin to Lake Takepo stopping off on the way at the Moeraki boulders. These were really cool and more than I was expecting. Massive stones perfectly round in a small areas of a long sandy beach.
They do look like dinosaur eggs some have even fallen apart in time and look like a broken egg that something has climbed out of.
The drive almost at Lake Takepo. It was a perfectly straight bit of road with the mountains in the distance.
Finished the drive in Lake Takepo. Drove up to Mount John to book the night star gazing. The camper van made some very interesting noises on the way down again. Only need to nurse her to Christchurch now.
View from the top of Mount John looking down to Lake Takepo. It was really this amazing turquoise blue colour.
I love this picture that was taken by the staff at the observatory. It was pitch black at the time it was taken and they waved a light around and took it on a long exposure.
Had a lazy morning after last nights star gazing fun. We went to the hot pools right next to the campsite and sat and enjoyed the view. Gareth showing off his t.shirt tan!
We spent an afternoon in Christchurch. We were surprised by how much the city was still in need of being rebuilt. Lots of buildings obviously being supported and lots of plots levelled to the ground. We had lunch in a little shopping area that is made up of brightly painted shipping containers. It was really beautiful. We drove a total of 24053 Km on the South Island. The last photo is us waiting for our taxi to take us to the airport and then home. Really sad to be leaving but also looking forward to our bed.
