The West Coast

Our next journey leg took us from the northwestern coast through lovely, quiet farmland areas that were far along into the colors of autumn. We enjoyed a couple of cool, crisp days driving to Nelson Lakes, where we had been advised to go for incredible hiking. The trip to the National Park was well worth it and we had a nice evening in a little cabin on the property of some deer farmers. The evening was permeated with the bugling of horny deer in the rut, quacking ducks and chickens.

The afternoon in Nelson Lakes was not amenable to hiking at high elevations as the wind speeds were too high and the weather forecast too iffy for safe hiking in the high country, so we took a disappointing half-a hike around the lake and retreating back to car to move west.

The last couple of days of our 5 week trip around the South Island were spent on the rugged (north) west coast. There is something magical about the trees, the rock, the lighting and the spray of the ocean that makes one think that a dinosaur will be trundling through the landscape.


We stopped at the famous Pancake Rocks to experience the blowholes and interesting rock formations and then went for a short hike down the beautiful river valley with limestone cliffs in Paparoa National Park.





Our last stop in Hokitika allowed us to experience the joy (HA!) of biting sandflies and mosquitos galore mixed with the Lysol blue waters of the gorge and the rugged beauty of driftwood strewn beaches and one of the best backpacker accommodations we stayed in.



From here, we reluctantly drove the last stretch across the island and back to Christchurch to pack up and make the long flight to Los Angeles via Auckland. Fortunately, our flight day was clear and we had great sightseeing as we flew over the landscape we had just experienced by can and on foot. It also gave us a taste of what we hope to see and experience next year on the North Island!

Farewell Spit and Golden Bay

Our time in New Zealand was growing short but we still had the whole northwest and west coast to see. We had been given lots of good ideas for places to stop and linger, but the weather was a bit unpleasant (at least not ideal for camping on the beach or swimming in the sea) and I (more than Michiel) was feeling the pressure of our rapidly approaching departure. We made a quick trip from the wine region past the famous Abel Tasman National Park (without really stopping, dare I say) and over the mountain to the Golden Bay area and beyond on the only road leading out to Farewell Spit, a 30 km/18 mile long sand spit. See satellite photo, below.



The spit is home to thousands of nesting birds, beautiful sand dunes, and an historic lighthouse. It is quite a danger to migrating whales as the shallow sand seems to screw up their sonar and they easily become stranded. The visitor centre even has a Whale Rescue Kit to handle the unfortunately common occurences.



Most of Farewell Spit is closed to regular traffic, but a couple of outfits have permits to bring groups in specially equipped buses out on the sand. On the day we went on our tour, we experienced 70 kph/42 mph winds and our trips out onto the sand dunes turned into exhilirating exfoliating treatments.





Returning the way we came, we passed areas with thousands of black swans and headed toward Golden Bay.

Golden Bay is a lovely region of funky towns and great beaches on the northern coast - but it has been discovered by tourists and didn't much feel like a place where we wanted to spend our few remaining days (apologies to Janet - a friend from the ice who lives there with her Kiwi husband). We made a quick visit to one of the more famous beaches in the area - Wharariki Beach to enjoy the rock formations and caverns.

The Queen Charlotte Track and Wineries!

We were ready to hit the trail again but this time, we decided to do it in a luxurious fashion. We drove to the northeastern tip of the South Island to the town of Picton and made arrangements to hike the Queen Charlotte Track, a 71 kilometer hike along the Queen Charlotte Sound. The hike follows a spit of hilly woodland that juts out between two bodies of water, the Kenepuru (which is a gorgeous aquamarine color) and the Queen Charlotte Sounds.

To get to the start of the hike, we took a water taxi to a Ship's Cove, a lovely, sheltered cove where explorer Captain Cook spent much of his time in New Zealand.


From here, the hike climbs to the ridge through forests of tree ferns (ferns that grow to 15 feet or more as trees).


We were greeted immediately by hungry wekas (pronounced "weck'-ah"), flightless birds native to NZ.


In late afternoon, we reached our evening stop at a hotel/backpacker accommodation with kitchen facilities and showers. Our heavy packs were already in our cabin, having been dropped off by the water taxi and moved there by the hotel staff. In the morning, we dropped our packs off on the pier and walked with light day packs, filled with raingear, water and food. What a great way to travel!



The backpacker accommodation we stayed in on our second night was our favorite backpacker in New Zealand. The Mahana Homestead was beautifully situated in a cove, had lovely and comfortable furnishings, friendly hosts and sold excellent wine. Again, what more could you ask for after a day of hiking!

We did experience some rain, but our spirits were high for most of the 4-day trek having slept in comfy beds, gotten ourselves clean and dry each night and enjoying tremendous scenery.





After completing the hike, we were invited by our Kiwi friend, Karen, to stay at her place and have her take us on a tour of the wineries of the Marlborough region. Having lived in the area for years, she has an impressive knowledge of winemaking and an even more impressive history of having business lunches at all of the nicest wineries. She took us on a tour of her favorites for a gourmet lunch and tastings Pinot Noirs, Rieslings and some wonderful liqueurs. It all felt very decadent. Thank you, Karen!

Swimming with Dolphins

Five years ago, when I was in New Zealand after my first time on the ice, I went swimming with the dusky dolphins in Kaikoura, a coastal town in the northeast of the South Island. Though, the weather was ugly and I suffered from a bit of sea sickness, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing these special marine mammals. I knew that Michiel would enjoy it as much as I did, so we made arrangements for him to swim with the dolphins and for me to observe from the boat (and take photos).

We were too late to obtain a regular swimmer position for Michiel, since the company had already booked 13 people to swim (the maximum allowed in the water at any time) so he was offered a "shared swim" opportunity. For a reduced rate, he would be allowed in the water only if someone got out. If he didn't get his shot at swimming, the company would refund the difference between the shared swim rate and the observer rate. Good deal, right? Right!


Michiel got his wet suit, flippers and snorkel and and our group watched a video explaining how to swim with the dolphins, including how to attract them to you (diving and making squeeky noises) and how to keep them entertained while they are swimming with you (swim in circles and they will follow you and look into your eyes).


After traveling in the boat for about 20 minutes, we spotted a sizable pod of the small, dark gray and white dolphins. They are very playful and curious and love to show off by doing flips, twists, somersaults and tricks. We had a tremendous show and the best part was that a young lady decided after 2 minutes that she was too cold in the water. Michiel got a full tour's worth of swimming and I got to watch him transform into a dusky dolphin!





And here's a video of the dolphins.



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Moving up the East Coast

We headed up the east coast, with the intention of staying in Dunedin, a university town known for its Scottish background. We were less than enthused about it and decided to drive out the Otago Peninsula and enjoy Dunedin from afar.

On the Peninsula, we navigated insanely narrow and winding roads to find beautiful sandy beaches (perfect for Michiel' s drip sand castles) with seals and penguins (at sunset).




Our hikes never took us far from sheep....in fact, in New Zealand, you are NEVER far from sheep (or dead possums on the road, for that matter).



We left the Otago Peninsula and headed north along the coast, stopping at a place called Shag Point for lunch. We were delighted to discover that we had stumbled upon a huge colony of seals with lots of pups frolicking in the natural pools in the rock formations.

Our next stop was the town of Oamaru, where we saw the march of the blue penguins. An amphitheatre had been constructed to seat a couple of hundred people who come to see the blue penguins swim onto shore after sunset and waddle up the rocky beach to nesting sites that were created by a conservation group. No photos were permitted, so you'll have to go see it for yourselves. We did, however, see hundreds of cormorants on the road to the amphitheatre.

Milford Sound and the Southern Scenic Route

We spent a couple of days recovering and eating in a fairly expensive motel on the shore of Lake Manapouri. Though we never did get out on a boat or kayak, we did enjoy the views from our room. We watched the clouds change dramatically and the snow accumulate on the mountains ringing the lake.

Having recovered from the backpacking trip, we drove out to the Milford Sound. Milford Sound is one of the best known and most well visited attractions in New Zealand. It is located in the Fiordland area of the South Island (southwest) and receives on average 7 meters/21 feet of rain per year.

We had heard about the sound itself, but had no idea that the road to get there would be so beautiful and interesting. We also had incredible weather for our drive and hikes, which made it even more remarkable.

This is just one of many gorgeous views from the Milford Sound road.

We had read in several guide books that the Lake Marian hike along the road was well worth the effort. It led us through a moss forest up to a hidden alpine lake. We loved it!




Unfortunately, the typical weather pattern for the Milford Sound returned the next day and we opted not to take a boat tour due to the freezing horizontal downpour. Instead, we drove back out to the main road and headed south to the Southern Scenic Route, a marked (2-lane) road system that follows the southern coast of the South Island.



As it was now autumn, the weather was cool and unpredictable. We would have lots of gray days and rain for the next week, which made us decide not to make use of the numerous beachfront campgrounds, but to stay in inexpensive hostels (known as Backpackers in NZ). We would also; however, see lots of seals with playful pups, sea lions, penguins (yellow-eyed and blue) and rugged, wind-swept coastline in the days to come!










The penguins were a challenge to photograph as they would only come up onto the beach a couple of hours before sunset. Since they are very sensitive to predators, the Department of Conservation has created viewing platforms that are quite far from the shoreline. Michiel had to use maximum camera zoom to get decent photos.

Lord of the Rings

We stopped first at a camping area with gorgeous views of Mt. Cook, New Zealand's highest peak. Though the drive to this area was less than promising (very high winds and rain), we occasionally had clear skies and even rainbows above the impossibly blue, glacier-fed lakes of Tekapo and Pukaki.




View of Mt. Cook from our tent-site

The next day was warm and clear - perfect conditions for our hike into the Hooker Valley to a glacial lake at the base of Mt. Cook.

The drive into the National Park to get to the hike:


The hike:


From Mt. Cook, we blew through the disgustingly over commercialized Queenstown - home of the thrill-seeking adventures of the likes of gondola bungee jumping and river surfing - to the refreshingly small and under-developed town of Glenorchy, home base for hikes on the Routeburn and Rees-Dart Tracks and home to dozens of black swans.



The Routeburn is a world-famous three-day hike through some of the areas used in the filming of the Lord of the Rings. The 39 kilometer hike is connected to other tracks (Kiwi word for trail) which enable you to make a loop back to your starting point. We made reservations (essential) for the Routeburn while on the ice and secured bunks for ourselves in the three main huts along the way. At the end of the trail, we decided to connect with the Greenstone Track because of weather considerations. All together, we hiked 71 kilometers (42.5 miles) in 5 days with our backpacks.





The huts on the Routeburn could hold up to 48 people and were equipped with mattress pads, gas cookers, coal-burning stoves and drying racks for your soggy clothing (this area is well known for heavy rains). Dinner was a lively affair and it was always interesting to see what other people chose to bring along (from the gourmet: bags of wine, vacuum-sealed venison to the basic: cup of noodles).

Views of a "Great Track" hut. Huts on non-Great Tracks are simpler and smaller.




Almost every hike we did at at least one swing bridge. These seem to be an integral part of the hiking experience in NZ.

The following is a collection of some of our best photos from the Routeburn and Greenstone Tracks. The large trees covered with mosses are beech trees - they made for stunning subjects, especially when the sun shone through the branches.










We had uncommonly good weather while on the Routeburn...but in this climate zone, such things never last. The rain and winds hit us hard as we left the Routeburn and started down the wide Greenstone River valley. Notice how happy Michiel is with the change in weather.