New Zealand South Island

New Zealand South Island

Our campervan experience began in Christchurch and headed south, initiallyl in a pouring rain and massive flooding thanks to Cyclone Ita. We moved in a clockwise direction around the South Island taking in many of the famous sites.

I think I have the handle on this left handed shifting

Rakaia

Our first night in the pouring rain, with Jim still learning to drive on the opposite side of the road, on the opposite side of the vehicle, with a left-handed stick shift no less - took us to Rakaia. We figured about 2 hours would be a good test (given the weather and Jim's learning curve)! We made it and even had time to go shopping at a grocery store we've come to know well - New World : ) With a power site we had access to our DVD's, so Suzan chose the Pilates....we needed some exercise after the long flights and all of the rain! We did get out the following morning in our rain pants to explore the local area including a river nearly over its banks which happens to be a top Salmon river in New Zealand. We also took in other interesting sights like magic mushrooms and pony poo for sale.

Rakaia River swollen by Cyclone Ita. This is one

of the top Salmon rivers in New Zealand

A driving rain does not deter us from getting out for exercise

Although yoga session was held inside the camper

It might be free but it sure is soggy

Kurow

We stayed at one of our favorite campgrounds (thus far) at a Kiwi Holiday Park in Kurow. We didn't want to leave so we stayed an extra night. The grounds included a Trout Farm, a river, and plenty of sheep (there are more sheep than people in the South Island (1 million inhabitants total). We spent a day driving around Lake Aviemore, one of many turquoise lakes about 15 minutes from our campground, and hiked on the Deep Stream Trail. Trees with shimmering gold Autumn leaves and deep blueish-purple Lupine adorned the pathways - stunning views! Jim even made friends with a preying mantis. We later pulled over to a grassy area along the lake for a picnic. We're rediscovering how the simple things in life are best.

Upon leaving Kurow we continued along scenic Highway 83 stopping to see the Elephant Rocks from the film, Narnia, and also, some Maori cave art. At one point Jim abruptly pulled over to take a photo of the limestone cliffs. When he pulled forward our tires spun, and we were stuck. Somehow with rocking back and forth between reverse and first gear, we eventually made our way out. We both breathed out some large sighs grateful to continue on with our adventure.

Along the Deep Stream trail

We have seen lots of sheep in New Zealand, but

these were the only purple butt ones we have seen

Limestone cliffs

The Elephant rocks in the Waitaki valley was the

location of Aslan's camp in the movie Narnia

Maori rock art

We did not feed the Salmon but we bought some

and grilled it for dinner.

Mt Cook from across Lake Pukaki. We drove by the

following day and Mt Cook was obscured by clouds

Mount Cook reflected in Lake Pukaki

Not a hobbit house, but one of many interesting

mushrooms we have seen

Lake Tekapo

On our drive to Lake Tekapo we passed a Salmon farm and purchased some smoked and Shinook Salmon to grill later. Then we drove past Lake Pukaki and pulled over as soon as we could. There in the distance was Mount Cook, on a clear day. Such a sight to see - words really cannot give it justice. We walked for awhile along a mountain bike trail taking a myriad of photos. And it is a good thing we did. The next day when we made this same drive in the opposite direction we couldn't even see Mount Cook! Not long before we reached Lake Tekapo our ignition light came on. Suzan looked it up in the manual and it said, "Do not drive the car anymore. Stop immediately." We were driving on a holiday so the chance of finding a mechanic was nil. We decided to check into the campground and give the camper van a rest (and maybe the next day, we'd fare better). We took one of the few sites left, a tent site, in very close quarters to our many "neighbors." We then walked over to a Spa considering going for a jacuzzi. It cost $28.00 per person for a soak in the jacuzzi so we went for a walk instead. On the way back we were so happy to find the grills so we could prepare our salmon! And the next day our campervan started just fine - without any red lights blaring. It seems that it just hadn't liked Jim charging his phone in the lighter....once again grateful to hit the road!

Grilling our salmon and kumara chips

What a delicious meal it was!

Queenstown to the West Coast

Queenstown from above the city on the gondola

Having a bit of fun riding the "snowless" luge

Some of the Remarkables range with fresh snow

Not only did James McNeil build the wall around

the cemetary,there are 2 of him (me?) buried there

We spent a night at another campsite with a breathtaking view (easy to find in New Zealand)! (12 Mile Delta en route to Glenarchy – outside of Queenstown). At nightfall the mountains which surrounded us did not have any snow on them. The next morning we woke up and snow covered all of the mountain tops – as if Mother Nature had waved her magic wand. Amazing! With only 1 day to explore Queenstown, the “adventure capital, we had planned to go out on the Shotover Jet, a wild boat ride which does 360’s in the water! Unfortunately it turned out to be a very cold day, in the 40s, plus raining on and off so we weren’t able to do it. Instead we went up on the gondola seeing spectacular views of the snow capped mountains and lake below. We also tried the Luge (a fairly fast ride down a part of the mountain) and had a blast! After our fun on the mountain, we passed by an old boneyard (this is what Jim likes to call them). When we walked through it we actually found 2 graves with the name James McNeil on them. A bit eerie!

Perhaps this is us? At the original bungee jumping

bridge just outside of Queenstown

Here we are at the site where Bungee Jumping began (Kawarau Bridge). Actually there is Suzan taking the plunge. Just kidding. With our neck and back issues, this is not what you would find either one of us doing. We took photos instead. Each person pays $200.00 for the thrill of the 5 second or so plunge!

Finally made it to the West Coast of New Zealand

and it almost felt like being at our home beach

We had planned to spend the night in Haast Beach, an area known for huge sand dunes, swamps, and warmer weather. Unfortunately we encountered a road closure along a mountain pass and could not get back on it until 8:00 am the next morning. An avalanche had claimed 2 tourists’ lives months earlier so a road crew were on hand during the day repairing the road and ensuring safety for those driving through the area. We had to turn around and find a campground on a very chilly, rainy night. The next morning the road crew stopped us for about 30 minutes in the avalanche area. We’re so glad they did. Another small avalanche occurred with large rocks tumbling down not too far from our camper van! Sometime later we did get on the road again and were grateful to pull into Haast to enjoy a walk on the beach (albeit with the sand flies which we finally became acquainted with).

Standing in front of the Fox Glacier

Franz Josef glacier

We stayed overnight near the Franz Josef Glacier with a spectacular view of it from the camper van! We hiked on trails which took us as close as possible to the front of the glacier at both the Fox and Franz Josef trails. Signs caution visitors to stay on the trail and to be aware that at any time there can be flash floods, avalanches, and other calamities. We fortunately had 2 beautiful days for hiking in these areas. Such a sight to see the glaciers' blue ice, all of the waterfalls, and stunning scenery.

We loved Hokitika. We'd stopped by this artisan beachside community on the way to Arthur's Pass, and decided to spend our last night here instead. We bought some items from a local glassblower and Jade jewelry maker - and I couldn't resist a stuffed lamb (to add to our other stuffed animals which reside on our bed at home. We figure these are a lot easier to take care of!) After watching the sunset on an interesting piece of driftwood while sipping red wine, we cooked our dinner in the community kitchen alongside an Eastern European and also a Japanese couple. Then we walked across the street to see the glow worm cave. Glow worms are unique to New Zealand. They are worm-like larvae of the gnat which live in caves. When hungry they release silk threads coated in mucus to catch unfortunate insects. To attract them the larvae glows as these tiny creatures radiate luminescent light. What a treat to experience the numerous twinkling lights throughout the dark cave which we had no idea would be right across from our campground.

Devils Punchbowl Waterfall in Arthur's Pass

Our last hike until we turned in the camper van. We had a tight window because we had to return it before another’s day charge. We planned to only hike for 30 minutes yet once we began this beautiful journey – we couldn’t resist completing it all! Yet somehow we made it just in time – literally pulling into the camper van rental place at 3:30 pm on the dot!

Christchurch

After 2 weeks in a campervan, it is nice to have

a refined stay at the Grange B&B

Earthquake damaged Christchurch Cathedral

As much as we enjoyed our freedom roaming around in the camper van for 2 weeks without a reservation anywhere, we also were grateful to check into one we had reserved at The Grange B and B, from the 1860’s. Somehow this grand dame property survived the earthquake. A delightful place to relax and sip tea (or beer/wine)!

Just across the street we spent an entire afternoon roaming through Hegley Park, reputedly the second largest city park in the world! We strolled through beautiful international botanical gardens and also took in the local museum (free, only a donation asked). It had anthropological, wildlife, historical, and other exhibits such as one for children to understand the human body and another on Antartica. Delightful!

On a sombering note Christ’s Church has barely begun to recover from the devastating earthquakes a few years ago. We learned there were 14000 aftershocks. It destroyed many of the magnificent historical Gothic and Victorian buildings. Some have been replaced with steel and glass structures while the majority remain boarded up, glass still broken with trespass warning signs and large fences surrounding the buildings. Such an eerie quality to it all, especially when going out at night to try to locate open restaurants. There have been interesting innovations though, and there is a strong sense of the spirit of “we will rebuild and unify in the process.” The shopping mall is now made of containers, and we toured a Catholic Church comprised of reinforced cardboard. The devastated Cathedral is undergoing a massive reconstruction effort. As we walked through quite a large area of the Central Business District witnessing the aftermath of the tragic earthquake, it really struck deep chords as to the depth of the destruction here. It is sometimes easy to watch international news and feel removed from it because it is “over there.”

Oamaru

Our second night took us to this quaint Victorian artisan town. We had hoped to visit the famed Blue Penguins yet due to the remains of Cyclone Ita passing through, they had left the area. Instead we watched the Pacific Ocean churning up quite the storm (definitely not a beach friendly kind of day). We enjoyed taking in some whimsical galleries and actually bought some small pieces (including a small statue made of limestone - which the area is renowned for). One building had some sculptures of sand flies on the side. We had to laugh since Katie and Tom (our niece and partner in Auckland) had warned us about the sand flies. They said this is the one thing the tourist brochures mention nothing about - the sand flies which wait outside of your tent or campervan ready to pounce! Fortunately we have not met any yet. Jim tried a craft brew at Scott's Brewery which was across from the Whiskey Distillery - this brought a smile to his face.

Calm on the inside of the harbor and

stormy on the outside, thanks to Cyclone Ita

Suzan testing out her 'old school' bike technique

Charming Victorian Oamura historic buildings

Mince meat and cheese "Jimmy" pie

Wanaka

We stayed at the Aspiring Holiday Park (first photo is a view from our site). From here we walked to Lake Wanaka, another beauty to behold! We learned that this area only gets about 15 inches of rain per year, yet it is so lush. The trees and other vegetation do not require much water to flourish. Our walk took us through neighborhoods of many stone, brick, and wood homes where people seem to pay meticulous detail to their gardens. New Zealand is by far one of the most beautiful places on earth (in our opinions)! No wonder everyone is so friendly - they have so much to smile about : )

After our hour walk (with nurturing our backs, hips, and other "somewhat older" body parts - we aren't able to do what we once could), we returned to enjoy the jacuzzis and the dry sauna at our camping park. All of the campgrounds we've stayed at have fully outfitted kitchens, and separate lounge areas (often with fireplaces). We're hoping this idea might get adapted over in the States.

View from our 1st night campsite

Views of beautiful Lake Wanaka

View from our 2nd night campsite. Wind blew strong

enough to have wind surfers out on the lake

View from Crown Range summit towards Queenstown

3 days later this road was closed by snow

Herds and herds of red deer grazing in penned

areas as though they are domesticated

And the sheep, Lots and lots of sheep.

We spent another night in Wanaka at a campground with a site overlooking the lake and mountain range. The sun peeked out momentarily yet by the time we were ready for mountain biking - it looked like a storm might pass through at anytime. Yet we went anyway. Somehow the weather held up for our 1.5 hour ride on one of the most magnificent trails we've ever been on (primarily a flat trail yet the beauty - unsurpassed)! The next day we drove to Arrowtown (a gold mining town with many historic buildings from the mid-1800's). Here we bought the most comfy socks (made of wool and their version of a Possum) - the softest socks ever worn - I could live in them : ) With Easter week many people were on holiday and we think they all came here so we didn't spend a lot of time. The fall colors here in the mountains took our breathe away (well worth this pilgrimmage).

Arrowtown hillside bursting with Autumn colors

We spent 2 nights in Te Anau (one en route to Milford Sound and one on the return). The second night we had a lake view from our camping spot for the short time we were there. We went out to dinner for the first time in South Island, to a sports bar called Moose's. There people were huddled together in a bar watching Rugby hooping and hollering while sloshing down some brews. I ordered an entree and Jim a main course (Fish and Chips). Mine came out less than the size of an appetizer right away and Jim's didn't seem like it ever would. We finally flagged down a server who told us an entree is actually an appetizer. We must let them know if we want them all brought out at once. They were kind enough to offer us free drinks for our trouble so it all worked out in the end! With meals running about twice what we normally pay, we've been grateful to have our mini-kitchen in the camper van (even if Jim had to rig up something to make our burners work)!

We also went for a walk around the lake the next morning and discovered a wildlife refuge for birds. Not only that a woman happened to be leading the only daily tour at that moment! The Gods were with us : ) We saw Keas which are the world's smartest parrots and Kakas which are nearly extinct. Found out that during a hike we had actually spotted a Kaka in the wild (and have photos to prove so). This is apparently, rare!

The South Island Takahe is a flightless bird that

at one point was thought extinct. <300 still survive.

Some of the southern Alps

Southern brown Kiwi bird

The iconic Mitre Peak on the left, with a dusting

of snow from the previous evening's storm

We had quite the contrast. Our drive to Milford Sound was rainy, dark, and cloudy (yet mystical too). We awakened to a rare day of sunshine. In this area it rains 220 days out of the year so it really is a blessing to wake up to the bright rays! Still 50 degrees yet it was another world all together lit up! We took a 2.5 hour cruise aboard the Milford Mariner. JIm had researched to find out the time before all the tour busses arive so we didn't have so many people on the ship. What an experience. We went out to the Tasman Sea and turned around. Waterfalls gushing down the towering mountain peaks (many of them kissed by a lot of snow). Fur seals resting on rocks and such beauty.....the main sound we heard echo was silence. Too beautiful for words! After our cruise we drove back toward Te Anau stopping many times for photos and we actually hiked a wee part of a several day trek called Routeburn (where people hike hut to hut with large packs on). The hike took us through a rugged rain forest landscape where we spotted the Kaka bird busily gnawing at a branch.

Our trusty ship, the Milford Mariner, took us on

an amazing visual treat on Milford Sound

Kayakers paddling in front of Mitre Peak

Amongst the rainforest on the Routeburn Track

If this photo looks a bit strange, it should. It

is a flipped photo of the one below, taken at

Mirror Lakes. The detail in the lake reflection

was amazing as we caught it ideally at sunset

Kaka parrot in the wild along the Routeburn track

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