Author: Lindsay & Igor

Day 21: Wellington

We were so bummed out to wake up to a thick fog in the morning. Kicking ourselves for not driving the Queen Charlotte Drive the night before, we headed out toward the ferry. Just then, the clouds parted and we were treated to the most spectacular sunrise views of the Queen Charlotte Sound.

 

The clouds parting on Queen Charlotte Sound

Stunning views on the Queen Charlotte Drive

Sailboats on Queen Charlotte Sound

We got to the Interislander Ferry Terminal punctually at 8AM, and had breakfast in the RV while we waited for the green light to drive onto the boat.

 

Waiting to drive onto the Interislander Ferry

Once we boarded the ferry, Lindsay parked us in a pair of window-front seats. Igor went out on deck to take pictures during the 3.5-hour cruise, but Lindsay wanted to protect the seats so she stayed and typed up blog entries (OK, and took a nap).

Front-row seats – perfect for pictures…and napping

 

Cruising the Cook Strait on the Interislander Ferry

 

Wellington coming into view – Kia Ora North Island!

We came into Wellington just afternoon and found a parking lot in Te Aro neighborhood in central Wellington that allows self-contained vehicles to camp overnight. Igor expertly parked the RV into a private corner (he and the RV are “becoming one”), and we took off on foot to explore the city.

 

City camping in Wellington

 

Walking along the harbor in Wellington

Local kids jumping into the water, while we enjoy Wellington by foot

After a 3 hour walk from Wellington Central to the residential Miramar neighborhood, we reached our destination: the WETA CAVE – our very first Lord of the Rings-themed activity! For those who don’t know, Weta Workshop is the special-effects company that produced all the sets, costumes, props and make-up for The Lord of the Rings (and The Hobbit Trilogy, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other fantastical films). Unfortunately, no photos are allowed during the tour as the copyrights for all the props/costumes/etc. are still owned by the movie studios. But the replicas of the trolls (from The Hobbit) outside the entrance were very fun to play with!

Trolls guarding the entrance to the WETA Caves

Playing with trolls!

We caught the local bus back to the downtown area after the tour, and had a surprisingly pleasant evening in our parking lot.

 

Catching the local bus as night falls in Wellington

 

Day 20: Golden Bay

So, our original itinerary had allocated today for touring wineries in Marlborough – however, the scenery in this park of New Zealand is just SO BEAUTIFUL that Lindsay volunteered to forego a wine-day to keep exploring. If that doesn’t convey the amazing beauty of this country to my friends & family, I don’t know what will! So we continued driving north to Golden Bay and spent the night in Collingwood – to date, our best campground yet – check out the view from our RV!

Ocean-front campsite! #Gobycamper

We started the day with a hike at Cape Farewell on the Puponga Farm Park, where you have to drive through a guy’s farmland to reach the lookout to the stone arch. Those cows and those sheep have got it made – best view a grazing animal could wish for!

 

We are the only ones in the carpark – we have the whole park to ourselves! And the sheep.

 

Hiking along the bluff, through beautiful green pastures

Panoramic view of the arc at Puponga Farm Park

 

Sharing the stunning views with the locals

Our next stop was the Farewell Spit – an 25km sand dune at the northern peak of the South Island. Only 4km of the outer beach and 2.5km on the inner beach are open for walking – we covered a decent part of it, and it was gorgeous!

 

The interior of the spit – a protected area for birds, but also a dangerous place for whales that get beached at low tide

 

Exploring the sand dunes at Farewell Spit

Vast sand dunes, all to ourselves

Panoramic view of the Farewell Spit

 

Igor has only one thing to say about this country…

While Igor could have stayed in Golden Bay another day, we had already booked our ferry ticket to Wellington, and had to get to Picton by 8AM the next morning, so we headed back south. When we drove up Takaka Hill the night before, Igor saw signs for several attractions, so we turned off to visit them all. Unfortunately, the road to Harwoods Hole (the largest sinkhole in the Southern Hemisphere) did not allow campervans, but we paid a visit the Ngarua Caves as well as the Te Waikoropupu (AKA “Pupu”) Springs – the largest freshwater spring in New Zealand, with crystal-clear water.

 

Clear blue waters of Pupu Springs

 

Admiring the cave formations at Ngarua Caves

 

Stalactites & stalagmites (Top & Bottom)

 

Igor emerging from the Ngarua Cave

We reached Havelock, the beginning of the famed Queen Charlotte Drive, just after sunset. While we had time to reach Picton before dark, we decided to camp out for the night and get up super early, hoping for beautiful views of one of the world’s most scenic roads – crossing our fingers for good weather in the morning!

Day 19: Abel Tasman National Park

We got up with the sun and booked it toward Abel Tasman – good thing too – when we arrived at 8:30AM, we were just in time for the safety instruction for a day-long, self-guided kayak/hike tour.

 

Up with the sun & on the water for breakfast

While the rest of the kayakers were hugging the coastline, Igor wanted us to go off on our own (of course) – so we paddled around the outside of Adele Island and found a seal colony with about half a dozen very active seal pups!

 

Baby seals!!!

 

Seal-cuteness overload!

Adele Island – home to a seal colony in Abel Tasman Park

As we pulled into the bay, we found a secluded beach to have lunch. After a nice break in the sun, we finished the first half of our journey by pulling our kayak up on the shore at Anchorage Beach.

 

Kayaking to a secluded beach in Abel Tasman for lunch

We had a 4-hour hike through the (cold & dark) forest to the Abel Tasman Trailhead. While it was very pretty scenery, Lindsay was not appropriately dressed, so she was very happy to get out of the woods and find a RV park for a hot shower, and a warm dinner.

 

Leaving our kayak at Anchorage Beach

 

Lindsay was too excited for sunny weather – she had to borrow Igor’s sweater by the end of the hike through the shaded forest

 

Breath-taking views through the trees – Adele Island in the distance

Day 18: West Coast

After a final family breakfast, Lindsay & Igor headed out on their own once again: we were heading north toward Abel Tasman Park, while Mama & Bo were heading down to Queenstown to experience Fiordland.

 

On the road again…

Today was mostly a driving day, with a few roadside attractions along the way. Unfortunately, the sun set before we hit Buller Gorge, so we had to drive though it in the dark. Don’t Google the pictures – I’m sure it’s not that pretty – tell Igor he didn’t miss much.

Creamy-blue waters of the Hokitika Gorge

Stopping to admire the boulders!

Pancake Rocks – Lindsay heard they are great at sunset, but she decided to spare Igor another time-consuming rock excursion.

 

One week later and we are about 350km closer to home.

 Day 17: Franz Josef Glacier

Wow! Today’s exhilarating experience and breathtaking photos are thanks to Mama & Bo generously taking us with them on the “Granddaddy of Helicopter Rides”! Despite last night’s rain showers, the morning was perfectly clear, which meant our helicopter ride was on! Our flight took us over Franz Josef Glacier, along the Tasman Glacier, around Mt. Cook, and then landed on Fox Glacier before returning to the village.

 

Our route over the mountains – the red loop! Sunny skies over Franz Josef Glacier in the distance!

 

Our helicopter coming in to land! Lindsay’s boots in the front seat!

 

Bo enjoying the view of the ice falls on the Franz Josef Glacier

A majestic view of Mount Cook

 

Flying over the Fox Glacier

 

Landing on the Fox Glacier! These boots are going high & low in New Zealand!

  

Loving each other, and loving New Zealand

Once we came down from our high, we headed over to Fox Glacier Village for lunch at the Cook Saddle Cafe & Saloon for some delicious pub fare, and some historic photos on the side.

 

A hungry group at the Cook Saddle

After lunch, we headed over to the Fox Glacier walking trail to view the glacier from the ground.

Walking up to the Fox Glacier on a sunny day

 

 

Lindsay & Igor walking in the glacial-carved valley

Even though it was getting cloudy, we decided to walk the Lake Matheson trail, where mirror-like reflections of Mt. Cook are famous. We are so glad we went – the clouds parted beautifully by the time we reached the look-outs!

 

The couples posing at Reflection Island

 

Artsy photos along the Lake Matheson Trail

It was an incredible day – thanks, Mama & Bo!!!

Day 16: Arthur’s Pass

As comfortable as the RV is, it was a special treat to sleep in a real bed, with fitted sheets! After breakfast, the four of us (Lindsay, Igor, Mom & Bo) checked out of the hotel, and started our cross-country drive to Franz Josef Glacier, via Arthur’s Pass. Since our travel time to go from East Coast to West Coast was a mere 5 hours, we took our time and explored trails & historical spots along the way.

 

So many places to see on the way though the mountains!

 

Limestone rocks at Castle Hill

 

Quick pit-stop at Arthur’s Pass Village (the store is for sale, BTW, if anyone is interested on moving to NZ), then an RV lunch at a scenic lookout on the side of the road

 

A gold-mining town – are we in California? No! It’s Ross, New Zealand, which  had it’s own 1800’s Gold Rush. Igor is playing sheriff in the old “goal” and Bo is admiring the biggest gold nugget (replica) ever found in the country

 

Igor is a willing captive of this beautiful country

We rolled into Franz Josef Village just in time for dinner – delicious New Zealand fare at the Blue Ice Restaurant. When we got back to the hotel, we parked ourselves in front of the fireplace and got a bottle of bubby, while Lindsay tried to read to the group (unfortunately, the only book in the hotel’s collection was a German bodice-ripper.

 

Delicious dinner in New Zealand

 

OMG – amazing dessert at Blue Ice 

 

After-dinner drinks by the fire.

Die romantische.

Day 15: East Coast to Christchurch

We had another 6AM wake-up call – again, for a Lindsay photo-op – this time for the Moeraki Boulders! This grouping of spherical boulders is famous for being particularly pretty at sunrise. Lindsay was totally convinced – Igor on the other hand thought the whole ordeal rather silly.

 

Lindsay is not alone in her excitement – look at all the other sunrise devotees!

Moeraki Boulders at sunrise

Being one with Nature – even a broken boulder holds a little magic

We took our time driving up the coat the rest of the day, pulling over whenever we saw an interesting sign. At one of the trailheads we saw a hawk, chowing down on its kill. Igor walked up to see what its victim was – a chicken! Lindsay didn’t believe him at first, until another chicken ran out of the bushes towards us! The poor little girl was looking for handouts (which of course we gave her). Igor really wanted to take her with us – if only to drop her off at the first farm we saw to save her from being another hawk’s dinner, but she was too fast to catch.

Feeding a runaway chicken – you can tell we miss our girls! A menacing hawk waiting patiently for us to leave. 🙁

Lindsay offered to drive for a bit, to let Igor check out the AA Travel Guide to see if there were any more attractions he wanted to hit. He was a great navigator and found an AWESOME detour: Tame Wallabies at EnkleDooVery Korna in Waimate!

OMG – wallabies are SO SWEET! I want one.

Apparently, wallabies were introduced to New Zealand, and like most introduced mammals, are now considered a pest. However, this woman in Waimate rescues and hand-rears injured and abandoned wallabies and houses them in a petting-zoo type setting for tourists to feed and pet them. She spays/neuters them so they don’t contribute to the overpopulation problem, and as her attraction is the biggest tourist draw in town, it’s a win-win situation! Totally worth a stop.

We have about 50 pictures of us feeding wallabies – this activity does NOT get boring.

Feeding a baby wallaby!

We got to Christchurch, parked the RV, and met up with Lindsay’s mom & step-dad who planned their trip to New Zealand around ours – it was so great to see some familiar faces! After a much needed shower, we all headed out for dinner on the town to catch-up on everything we’d done so far and to plan our next few days together.

 

Cheers to dinner with family! Delicious Chilean fare (that Lindsay didn’t have to cook!) – and yes: Casillero was on the wine list.

Day 14: Dunedin & The Otago Peninsula

Lindsay will do almost anything for a good photo. Including dragging Igor out of bed at 6:30AM, making him drive 16km to Nugget Point, and then after breakfast & a walk at Roaring Bay, making him go back to Nugget Point a third time because the light was better. See below for the results – was I right, or was I right?

7AM view of Nugget Point- looks good, but it got even better!

 

Returning at 9AM – we are the only car again, but the view is totally worth it!

 

A crystal-clear view of the Nuggets!

We made a short stop in Dunedin for a quick walk around the Octagon, and to take pictures of the railway station (where I think we saw local late night show Jono and Ben filming their Dunedin episode of #cooltownbro).

The Dunedin Railway Station & First Presbyterian Church

After lunch, we drove out to the Otago Peninsula to check out the wildlife. Our first stop was Sandfly Beach – which surprisingly is not named after the bugs – it’s because the sand dune to get down to the beach is so steep, sand will be flying when you try to climb back up again. But it was totally worth it was there were sea lions and seals napping all along the beach!

Descending down the dune to Sandfly Beach

Igor imitating a sleeping sea lion!

The sea lions were on the sand, and the seals were napping in the rocks

YAWN. This sea lion is TIRED.

Waving at the locals, as I stroll down the beach

As it got close to sunset, we headed out to the tip of the peninsula to Penguin Place where we had book a tour to see the very rare Yellow-eyed Penguins. During the intro, we learned from our tour guide that these penguins are declining very rapidly – 2 years ago the world population was 5,000, now it is down to 3,000 – mostly due to habitat loss. Apparently this is the only anti-social penguin – in that nesting female can’t be within eye-sight of another penguin. Since New Zealanders cleared so much of their coastal forests for farming, this has contributed to the penguins’ declining numbers. But at Penguin Place, they have a rehabilitation center for injured birds, and they have built camouflage hides so visitors can get close to the beach with scaring the birds.

A few temporary residents at the Penguin Rehab Center. All will be released into the wild once they are healthy.

 

Private beach at Penguin Place, where two Yellow-eyed Penguins are coming up to nest for the night

So once we got into the hides, we learned the hard way to NEVER forget to bring a back-up camera battery, as our camera died just as we saw the penguins coming out of the water! Luckily Igor had his phone on him, which has a very good camera.

Igor was at the point of writing off the tour as a waste of money ($52pp) when the penguins starting walking over the roof of the hide, trying to get to their nest on the other hide. The penguins were LITERALLY on top of us! While they couldn’t see us, they could hear us! It was so cute – they kept trying to see under the bridge to figure out what the noise was – and Igor got it all on his phone!

 

That penguin is standing on top of a tunnel, leading to a camouflage viewing hide – with a group of tourists underneath him!

 

Two very curious penguins!

Awesome. Day.

Day 13: Invercargill / The Caitlins

Rain. Rain. Rain. We woke up to rain, and are going to sleep to rain. But we have no time for lazy days! We had picked an RV park in the City Center of Invercargill the night before, so we were really close to the main attraction for the morning: a stop at the E Hayes Hardware Store! No, really.mo The owner of the hardware store is a motor-enthusiast and has a collection of vintage cars and motorcycles display throughout his store – including the World’s Fastest Indian. After watching the Anthony Hopkins bio-flick on Burt Munroe, Lindsay had to stop in to see the recording-holding motorcycle in person.

 

The World’s Fastest Indian

Old-timey cars &car parts on display throughout the hardware store

Very first car owned by the Hayes Family – multi-generation owned store in Invercargill where the love of cars is still strong

We took a quick stroll through Queens Parks before driving out on the Southern Scenic Way toward The Caitlins Forest.

 

Enjoying the Rose Garden in Invercargill

Lovely trees in Invercargill, for all our arborist friends!

There was even a small zoo full of New Zealand’s farm animals, including a very majestic Red Deer

Despite the rainy weather, the landscape in the Caitlins National Forest was breathtakingly dramatic.

 

 

The wildlife telling Igor to watch his speed!

Is that rock? Nope – it’s a fossilized tree from a flood, 170 million years ago! Once New Zealand was covered in forest, now it is full of grassy pastures for millions of sheep 

A little detour to the McLean Falls to stretch our legs

It was getting dark as we were leaving the Caitlins, so we picked an RV park nearby so we could return in the morning for some sunrise shots of the Nugget Point Lighthouse, weather permitting. On the way out, we passed through a small town called Owaka, which had a lot of New Zealand charm.

We nearly caused an accident when we swerved off the road when we saw this sign for Teapotland!

Delightfully quirky – someone in Owaka filled their front yard with hundreds of teapots!

A roadside farm stand in Owaka, where customers pay via “Honesty Box”! Delicious fresh tomatoes!

Rainy sunset – we are the only tourists visiting Nugget Point.

Day 12: Stewart Island

A quiet sunrise on the beach – that was the view we got at 7AM this morning. Now THIS is what we imagined freedom camping would be like! (Did I mention it’s FREE?)

View of Colca Bay from our campervan window

We had plenty of time to drive down to Bluff for our ferry to Stewart Island. We wandered around town for a few minutes before we remembered that it was Sunday, explaining why the place felt like a ghost town (Funny how being unemployed makes you forget the days of the week – eh?).

Bluff, NZ – on the otherside of the world from NYC

The ferry ride to Stewart Island was very choppy, as the boat was going full-throttle through open ocean. Igor tried to enjoy the deck and take pictures, but he was eventually crowded out by half the passengers trying to do the same thing.

 

Stewart Island in the distance – lots of tourists getting excited for the ferry-ride

Once we got to Stewart Island, we hit up the local DOC info center to help us plan our daytrip. Unfortunately, we learned that the kiwi bird is nocturnal, so all the guided walks to try and see them in the wild required an overnight stay. And while Ulva Island (a bird sanctuary off Stewart Island, where the DOC has eradicated all invasive predators for the native birds) is a big attraction, we had already paid $75pp each way for the ferry, and didn’t feel up to paying for the water taxi as well. We decided to hike the first section of the Rakiura Track to Maori Beach instead.

 

We came to Stewart Island looking for kiwi…

 

…but since it was daytime, we only saw seagulls and some guy’s chickens

 

Wind-swept trees along the Rakiura Track to Maori Beach

Mossy trails through the forest, with a few pretty beaches on the way

 

Stewart Island has a history of being disconnected from the mainland…too busy eating oysters to hook up the telephone?

Island living at the bottom of the World

Maybe it was the price tag of the day, or maybe it’s just that Doubtful Sound is a tough act to follow, but we found Stewart Island to be very underwhelming. Our advice: not recommended as a day-trip.