Category: New Zealand

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.

Day 11: Doubtful Sound

Since we were so close to our meeting point this morning, we had plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast, plus time to make & pack a lunch (Lindsay still not willing to pay $17pp for the cruise lunches), before heading down to the docks.

Our tour started with a 45min boat ride across Lake Manapouri. The sun was shining, so we stayed out on the top deck to enjoy the views. On the other side of the lake, we got out at the West Arm Visitor Center, which is in view of the Manapouri Power Station. While there is a tour option to descend 200 meters underground to tour the hydroelectric power station, we were cool just looking at the model on display.

 

Starting our day-tour to Doubtful Sound! First stop – crossing Lake Manapouri to the Manapouri Power Station

 

How fast the weather changes! Sunny on one side of Lake Manapouri, stormy on the other!

We are not afraid of the rain! We are staying up top the whole cruise!

Our group hopped on a bus that took us on an hour-long drive across the Wilmont Pass to Doubtful Sound. Apparently, this access road is the only road in New Zealand that is not attached to the main road system on the rest of the South Island. It was built solely for the creation of the Manapouri Power Station – without it there would be no tour!

Rain clouds had settled in, however, so there was very little for us to see other than a little Weka bird that wandered out into the road.

Too rainy for pictures of the Wilmont Pass – just a wandering Weka & a misty waterfall

We got on the boat, and headed out into Doubtful Sound. Our tour operator, Katy, encouraged everyone to not let the rain interfere with us having a good day – “Get out and get wet! We have towels and heaters inside the cabin!” Luckily, we didn’t need to worry about the weather, as the clouds parted about 5min into the cruise, and we had dry, partly sunny weather for the rest of the cruise!

 

Parting the clouds in Doubtful Sound

 

Checking in with family & friends with our GPS Spot! Check “Where are we now?” (email us for password)

 

Fur Seal colony resting on the Shelter Islands at the opening into the Tasman Sea

Too many pictures to share them all! Highlights from Doubtful Sound

Lindsay enjoying a homemade lunch on the ship! Igor enjoying the fresh air on deck

After a very satisfying day in one of New Zealand’s most beautiful & remote locations, we returned to Deep Cove where we got back on the bus. The clouds were still heavy on the Wilmont Pass, but Katy didn’t want to return to Lake Manapouri too early, so she tried to find filler activities for the group. So we stopped on the side of the road to look at, “A really old tree. Oh, and if anyone likes mossy trees, there’s bunch of them over there.”

 

Fishing boats docked at Deep Cove. Rain clouds still hanging over the Wilmont Pass.

Igor staying on the bus while Lindsay takes pics of the mossy trees

Lindsay swatting away sandflies when we board the boat at West Arm. So relieved when the boat starts moving & blows them away!

Sadly, our day had to end at some time – once we got back on shore, we hopped in the RV and booked it down south, to get as close to Bluff as possible for our early morning ferry next day. We found a FREE freedom campsite at Colac Bay about an hour outside Invercargill, and called it a night.

 

Driving the Scenic Southern Route at twilight, looking for a place to park for the night

 

Home Sweet Home for the night! You can see our ocean-front suite reflected in the window!

 

Day 10: Te Anau

We stopped in a gas station on our way into Te Anau, only to find out they have a tour booking counter in their convenience store – how convenient! Unfortunately, kayak tours were no longer running in Doubtful Sound for the season, so we booked an all-day cruise for the next day instead. The agent assured us, “It is completely different from Milford.” How right he was! But more on that later.

That left the afternoon open to explore the Te Anau area, so we stopped into the DOC (Department of Conservation – their National Parks Department) info center to ask about good day hikes. We ended up doing a small section of the Kepler Track – another of New Zealand’s Great Walks. While it was a pleasant afternoon, we were confident that picking the Routeburn for our only multi-day hike was the best choice.

 

A short section of the Kepler Track. While there are Kiwis in the park, they are nocturnal, so no sightings for us.

Igor enjoying the flora of the Kepler Track – the Silver Fern & Toadstool Mushrooms

 

Lindsay enjoying the views of Lake Te Anau

That night, we stayed at our best RV campground to date – the Possum Lodge! Small – but super cute! – right on the bank of Lake Manapouri; a 2min drive from our tour meeting point the next day. But best of all? Unlimited, FAST internet connection!

 

Best RV campground yet! Complete with a walking trail with a sunset view of Lake Manapouri

Day 9: Lake Tekapo

The break of dawn was cold & gray – which was a major buzzkill, especially when we looked at the weather forecast. Lindsay had planned the visit to Lake Tekapo – an International Dark Sky Reserve – around the new moon; unfortunately, that careful planning was ruined by a rainy forecast for that evening, and for the next several days. Boo.

 

Gray skies over Lake Alexandrina / Lake Tekapo

Church of the Good Shepard – Lake Tekapo

 

Monument to the honorable sheep-herding dogs of New Zealand & Lindsay chasing a hare.

We made the best of the day by hiking up to the Mt. John Observatory to check out the (daytime) views from the top of the mountain, and enjoy a leisurely hike along the lake before heading south back toward Te Anau.

 

Walking trail from Tekapo Springs up to Mt. John Observatory, back along the lake. 3hr roundtrip – gorgeous views!

Nearby Lake Alexandrina, where we camped the night before.

 

Sheep grazing along the trails, leading to a lovely look-out.

Turquoise-blue Lake Tekapo. Igor made Lindsay leave the trail to get a closer look. Lindsay doesn’t like to leave the trail.

On the return route to Te Anau, Lindsay finally took the driver’s seat and drove on the left-side of the road for the first time in her life! As the clouds rolled in, we pulled over just south of Queenstown in a nearly-deserted Kingston for another cozy night.

 

Lindsay driving on the left side of the road! Rain clouds rolling in on Lake Wakatipu.

 

Day 8: Aoraki (Mt. Cook)

After a good night’s rest in our RV, we returned to Mt. Cook National Park for some day-treks. We opted for the most popular, the Hooker Valley Trail, with stunning views of the mountain peaks.

 

Hooker Valley Trail to Aoraki

A couple of boots chillin’ in view of the mountain

We got back to the RV just in time for a leisurely lunch, and hit the trails again to check out the longest glacier in New Zealand – the Tasman Glacier. Unfortunately, we discovered that the glacier, while very big, is covered in a layer of moraine (AKA: dirt) so it’s not super impressive. But we had fun walking around the glacial & alpine lakes nonetheless.

 

A windy view of the Tasman Glacier – covered in dirt.

Just keep hiking! Stopping to visit the Memorial to climbers who have perished on Mt. Cook. (over 200!)

Igor testing the waters of the “Blue Lakes”

Exfoliating glacier silt – good for the feet!

After walking most of the day-trails in the park and visiting the museum for some interesting facts about the history of the mountain, climbing attempts & accidents, we discovered that Mt. Cook is easily done as a day-trip (unless you plan on forking over $100s for helicopter tours). So we decided to hit the road a day early and head toward Lake Tekapo.

South Island sunset

The tricked out RV park in town was crazy crowded, so we headed for a cheap-o $5 site 15min away. While we had no electric hook-up, and the place looked like a shady parking lot in the boonies, once we shut the curtains, we enjoyed a delicious dinner in our private oasis.

 

We’re the 4th car from the left. Just pour a little bubbly, and the crowd disappears!

Day 7: We Are RV People

We got up bright and early at the hostel (thanks to paper-thin walls and the family next door cooking a rather pungent breakfast in the common room / kitchen) and caught the bus to the airport to pick up our rental car & home for the next three weeks: a Britz Campervan!

Public bus in Queenstown. That’s how I roll.

After a short demo and reassurance that there are plenty of instructional videos included in the GPS system (should we decide to watch them), we were off! Igor kept repeating the new mantra we learned from a Kiwi tour guide earlier in the week, “Put your bitch in the ditch,” to remind him which side of the road to drive on.

Watch out New Zealand! You have 2 New Yorkers on the road!

We slowly made our way to Mt. Cook National Park, and – with our newfound freedom – stopped at as many scenic spots as we desired. Right around lunchtime, we saw a sign for a 10km detour to Lake Ohau, so we veered off for a lovely picnic by the shore, parking the RV in what we later discovered was a very deep & loose patch of gravel.

 

Picturesque lakeside lunch

“Driver? I see something pretty. Pull over.”

 

Mt. Cook in the distance!

When we got back in the RV to drive off, we discovered we had buried our tires in the rocks. Luckily for us, a biking tour of Australians had just pulled over to drop off some bikers at a nearby trailhead, and noticed our trouble. They also pointed out that our RV was a rear-wheel driving vehicle, so moving the front wheels back & forth wasn’t going to help us drive out. They helped us dig out our back wheels, and then a group of about a dozen Aussies helped push the RV as Igor reversed, finally setting us free!

Australian Angels! We are relying on the kindness of strangers

We arrived at Mt. Cook late in the afternoon, but just in time to hit the visitor center for a quick review of which trails we would like to hike the next day. After checking out the DOC campsite inside the park was more like a Black-Friday Walmart parking lot ($10/pp – only facilities are water hook-up, a shelter with sinks, and toilets – no showers), we decided to exit the park for the more expensive Glentanner Holiday Park: $25/pp for electric hook-up, common room with TV, full kitchen with ovens & BBQs, laundry, and even Wifi accessible from our deserted campsite! Worth every penny.

For dinner, we broke in our new home with a grilled lamb dinner & a bottle of Casillero del Diablo, with a view of the sunset over Mt. Cook in the distance. We are quickly turning into RV people.

Grilling New Zealand lamb in the great outdoors!

 

Still the best Cabernet Sauvignon in the world.

Day 6: Routeburn Track / Milford Sound

We jumped out of bed at first light as our transport to Milford Sound was scheduled to pick us up at 11AM sharp. Luckily, Daylight Savings had just hit the day before giving us an extra hour of daylight in the morning. We made good time at reached the Divide by 10:45.

 

Sunrise start on the last leg of the Routeburn Track!

  

Farewell to the Routeburn Track – glad to walk it & glad to leave it

A word of advice to other trampers – you will crave a variety of food in the wilderness. Do NOT bring 6 packets of beef ramen and expect it to looking appetizing on Day 3. We had skipped breakfast both to make the bus in time, but also because the idea of eating yet more beef ramen turned our stomachs. We were shooting the breeze with another group of walkers who were also waiting for the bus, and they took pity on our poor tummies and happily shared their uneaten fruit bars and trail mix. I’m telling you, that was the best fucking fruit bar and trail mix I’ve ever had in my life.

Our bus picked us up – driven by a very jolly Aussie named Colin – and drove us to the boat, where Lindsay realized that she should have spent the extra $17 for an included lunch as there was no bar / canteen on board! Luckily, the boat did sell some cookies, and one of the other trampers we just met was a Canadian Angel who claimed she was allergic to everything in her lunch and gave us her food. God Bless Canadians.

 

Best. Lunch. Ever.

We had beautiful sunny weather for the rest of the cruise – lots of waterfalls and even a few seals!

 

Milford Sound – a fiord with many waterfalls

 

Seals! Rainbows!

 

Igor is happy to get drenched in order to get a good shot!

We had a long 4-hour drive back to Queenstown, with a brief stop in Te Anau for snacks (All the foods we could desire! It was Heaven!), and a DVD showing of The World’s Fastest Indian (Bio-flick about a guy from Invarcargill – which we’ll be passing through next week).

 

Street musicians in New Zealand have pianos! Anthony Hopkins stars as Bert Munro from Invercargill

We dropped off our rented sleeping bags and cooking gear with the tour operator and checked-in to our accommodations for the night – a hostel! The horror on Igor’s face when I told him where we were staying was priceless. After last night’s 4-person bunkbeds, you’d think the bar was set pretty low. He threatened to check us out, until he actually saw the private bedroom, and much-needed laundry facilities.

This is a hostel. Not the flea-motel Igor was fearing.

After uploading our pics and writing a few emails (while the New Zealand version of the Bachelor played in the background – which is just as delightfully stupid as the American version), we are once again signing off for the night.

Day 4 – 5: Routeburn Track

We took a look at the weather forecast, and decided to start our 3-Day hike (sorry, “tramping”) on the Routeburn Track at 10AM, rather than 2PM to take advantage of the little bit of sun in the morning. So we hopped on our Info & Track transport bus at 8AM, took a wee detour to Glenorchy (for a fabulous sunrise photo-shoot by the lake) and hit the trail bright & early.

 

Heading to the Routeburn Trail!

 

Misty sunrise in Glenorchy

 

Igor is too sexy for New Zealand

 

Starting the Routeburn Track!

So, everyone was asking Lindsay if we did any training before this trip, and she blew everyone off with a, “Hell’s no, why would we need to train?” – yeah, Lindsay keeps forgetting she’s not 25 anymore. The Routeburn kicked Lindsay’s butt!

 

So many assents. But when the clouds part, the view is amazing!

We reached the Routeburn Falls Hut and got another break in the clouds, so we dropped off our sleeping bags and clothes, and continued to the Harris Saddle Shelter so that we could get as many photos in the sunshine as possible.

 

A brief break & parting of the clouds at Harris Saddle

Lindsay was SO HAPPY when we got back to the Hut for dinner, which was three packets of beef ramen, and a can of sprats. After dinner, we lasted about 30 more minutes for the warden’s talk (during which he warned us that the rangers at the next hut would sell us fishing licenses and poles, even though there are no fish in the alpine lakes), and then we passed out as soon as the sun went down at 8:30PM.

 

A much-needed rest at the Routeburn Falls Hut

The next morning it was pouring buckets, which really sucked since we had a 10-hour walk to Lake Howden Hut. Igor decided to see if the warden could find us two extra beds at Lake Mackenzie Hut (only 6 hours away), and – Success! – we lucked out and got two beds that other trampers had cancelled due to the rain. So instead of walking through a storm, we got to hang out in the dry hut and play cards all morning. Other than a few light sprinkles, the rest of the day was beautiful. When we got back the Harris Saddle, Igor decided to ditch his bag at the bottom and literally run up Conical Hill for an hour and a half, gambling that the clouds would lift long enough for him to see the views of the Tasman Sea and the Darren Mountains. Luck was on his side, and he got a great view!

 

A glimpse of the Tasman Sea, and Igor’s couple of boots

  

The view from Conical Hill, & return to Harris Saddle

The rest of the trail to Mackenzie was relatively flat and very gorgeous – surrounded on all sides by dramatic mountains! Very Middle-Earth.

 

Very Fellowship of the Ring

 

Crossing from the Misty Mountains into Fangorn Forest!

When we got the Mackenzie Hut, we discovered that the sleeping arrangements were much more intimate than the previous hut. After a brief dinner (More ramen. We were jealously staring at everyone else’s delicious-looking food – hot dogs, butter chicken, mac & cheese) we conked out early again, dreaming of private bedrooms and a grocery store.

 

Lake Mackenzie Hut – each bunk slept 4 people across!

 

We took a great bike trip from Queenstown to Arrowtown to Gibbston Winery.   The weather didn’t cooperate most of the day with torrential downpours at times, but we didn’t let it stop us.   It is amazing how many bike friendly trails there are in New Zealand, and how well maintained they are.

We also made a quick detour to an old Chinese mining museum.  Apparently Chinese immigrants (mostly men) used to work in New Zealand, helping with mining for gold and other minerals despite racism and hatred from the locals.    This work helped them support their families abroad.  They lived in tiny huts and in very poor conditions.

We then proceeded to the town called Arrowtown, which was an old gold mining town, followed by many miles of winding hills and farms to the Gibbston Winery & Cheesery .   Unfortunately, we got there a bit too late for wine tasting, but Igor promised Lindsay a winery visit later.

Finally, we finished the day off by doing a 2 hour grueling trail up to the Gondola because Lindsay refused to pay $32 per person for a ride despite Igor’s pleas!    At the end of the 2 hour climb, she finally caved and agreed to ride the gondola down, for a mere $22 per person.   The views – priceless.    Suggest going at sunset!

At night, we took the water taxi back to our suite, having a feast of New Zealand free range lamb, of course, with some New Zealand pinot noir.   Yum.

 

Day 2: Queenstown

The Air New Zealand flight from Los Angeles to Auckland clocked in at 12+ hours – longest flight of our lives – but surprisingly comfortable! For anyone planning to fly down under, here’s our tip: the extra $80/pp for the exit row is so worth the spend! Business Class actually didn’t look much more comfortable than where we were: slightly bigger seats maybe, but not lie-flat.

Exit Row for the Long Haul, baby.

We landed in Auckland around 6AM, and headed over to the domestic terminal to try and hop on an earlier flight to Queenstown. We caught the 8AM (which was a near empty flight), and caught our first glimpse of the Southern Alps through the window!!!

Southern Island from the Air.

We walked 15min from the airport to the hotel (Lindsay was wrong – Double Tree doesn’t have an airport shuttle – oops!). After dropping off our bags at the reception, we caught the Water Taxi into downtown Queenstown to explore the city by foot until our room was ready.

 

Queenstown Gardens – look out for the “Frisbee golf”

 

Enjoying the view of Lake Wakatipu

 

Beautiful City on the Lake

 

Insane line at Ferg Burger – we went to Devil Burger instead.

We picked up some groceries before jumping on the hotel shuttle back to our suite. After a long-needed shower and a bottle of New Zealand bubbly, we valiantly tried to stay up until 8PM to adjust to the time zone.

While flipping through Kiwi tele, we discovered one of America’s greatest exports has made it across the Pacific:

OMG – I can’t wait for Monday night.