Christchurch

In Christchurch my last stop in New Zealand I stayed in Stonehurst Backpackers a really nice hostel with a swimming pool. The weather was nice too and it definately felt like spring.

I walked around in the sunshine to get my bearings - I liked the place a lot better than on my first visit where it had poured with rain and the place had been dead.

On my first night there I had thought I'd be staying in but my new roomates were up for a night out so we headed out to some bars. We went to Iconic, The Grumpy Mole Saloon and Shooters before heading to O'Sullivans Irish bar. We found the bar as there was an actual leprechaun stood outside. The bar was really busy and we met a few more people - there was also live music from The Black Velvet Band.

Next day I dragged myself out of bed to check out the Art gallery, Market and botanical gardens before some Saturday afternoon drinking to get over that hangover!



We went to - Dux de Lux a good bar which brewed its own beer followed by The Bog Irish bar, The Bard on Avon (an English pub where I had lamb hotpot) then back to O'Sullivans.

The following day I decided to have a day off the beer and go to the Canterbury Museum.

The museum was OK and had exhibitions including:

- Moa Hunting by the early Moari settlers
- Hallett Station, Antarctica - buildings that had formed the Antartic base.
- A Christchurch Street
- A Japanese exhibit including a Samurai suit of armour.

Oh and this weasel...



On my last day in New Zealand I had one last look around Christchurch and climbed the Cathedral tower. I made some changes to my flights so that I fly from Cairns to Ayres Rock on 20th December and fly back to Sydney on the 23rd so I'll be there for Christmas and New Year.

Next morning I flew from Christchurch to Sydney and left New Zealand having had a brilliant time there. There's so much to do there and some spectacular scenary I'd definately recommend it to any one who's planning to visit.

Lake Tekapo

After the Worlds Steepest Street hat-trick our next stop on the way to Lake Tekapo was at the Moeraki Boulders, a number of huge spherical stones, found strewn along a stretch of Koekohe Beach near Moeraki. These boulders are grey-coloured septarian concretions (oh yes!) which have been exposed through shoreline erosion from black mudstone coastal cliffs.


Our next stop was near the Benmore Dam - our driver seemed a bit obsessed with Dams as he must have talked for about half an hour about them. We made another stop to get a view of Mount Cook in the distance across a lake.



We arrived at the village of Tekapo and headed straight for two of the most photographed things in New Zealand - The Church of the Good Shepherd on the shores of the lake and the statue of the Collie Dog.



We made our final stop at the hostel which was about a 15 minute walk out of town right on the lake front - hence its name The Lake Front Backpackers Lodge.


We sat outside in the sun for a while taking in the scenery. Later in the afternoon we walked up Mt John where there were more great views - you could see for miles in every direction. At the top of Mt. John there is an observatory - there was a Japanese astonomer who showed us inside although we weren't supposed to be there and he didn't speak much English - it was all computerised and he had some good digital images of the night sky up on the walls.

As the hostel was in the middle of nowhere we'd done some shopping and a few of us cooked a meal together. The TV only had 2 channels and the video selection was poor so we actually ended up playing scrabble and cards - I lost at both!

Next day I went on another walk up to a place called Cowans Hill where there were loads of rabbits. I got a bit lost at the top as the trail markers dissapeared but eventually got back on the right track.

Next day we had a bit of a late start before setting off to Christchurch my final destination in New Zealand. We made one quick stop at a place called Geraldine and arrived in Christchurch just after midday.

Dunedin - Home of the Worlds Steepest Street

I decided to spend 3 nights in Dunedin. We arrived in the afternoon and headed to the cinema to see a film called Tsotsi - critics had compared it to City of God but it was nothing like it.

The hostel we stayed in was really good Dunedin Central Backpackers - the owner was very friendly and the whole building was very modern.

Next day we walked out of town to see Baldwin Street the Worlds Steepest Street - it was very exiting there is even a special sign and gift shop at the bottom. We also saw a guy who runs up and down the street 60 times a day!! We walked to the top and got a few photos and that was enough excitement for one day.



In the afternoon we did the Elm Wildlife tour on the Otago Peninsula. However the start of this tour was a disaster as we drove around Dunedin twice as we had to change the bus as there were too many people booked on the tour. We then headed out to an Albatross sanctuary where we were told that there wern't any at this time of year however we still spent an hour there and they still gave us a talk all about them. Before the tour I had no desire to see an Albatross but after they built them up I really wanted to see one - rubbish!!

Fortunately after this the tour got a lot better. We left the bus and headed out on a walk on privately owned farmland down to a New Zealand fur seal colony.

Just look at this little fella:


After the seal colony we climbed back up the hill and headed down the other side to the beach. From the cliff top the guide had spotted a Southern Elephant Seal which are apparently really rare in the Otago area. So we headed right past loads of Sealions to try to get near the Elephant Seal. The photo doesn't really show the size to well as the sealion in the foreground is pretty big too, but the Elephant Seal was massive.


As we were trying to get a bit closer to the Elephant Seal the big Sealion started to move towards us so we had to get out of his way.

After the Elephant Seal headed back into the water we climbed around the side of some more cliffs where there were hides to watch the Yellow Eyed Penguins that were nesting there. It was strange to see the Penguins right next to the sheep (you'll probably have to zoom in to see them).


The Penguins had made their nests in any tree stump or hollow they could find. We even got to see one of the Penguins swimming in, crossing the beach and climbing the cliffs.


Our final stop was at the Sealions back down on the beach. The Sealions really weren't bothered by us and mostly looked up and then went back to sleep when they heard us.


After the tour we went for a Stone Grill. This is where the meat arrives on a hot stone slab and you cook it yourself. We then headed out into the city but everywhere was dead - it was supposed to be a lively place full of students but even in a pub right next to the Uni when we finally found some students it was bingo night.

Next day after a Simpsons marathon we headed out again. One of the girls in the hostel was meeting some friends who were locals so we headed out again hoping for a bit more of lively night. We had a good meal in the Speights Brewery Restaurant and went to some more bars. Unfortunately on the way we went to the World's Steepest Street again as some people hadn't seen it - unfortunately the driver did not listen to my protests so off we went - this time we got to drive up it - yes!!

Next morning we left Dunedin heading for Tekapo - our first stop of the morning was... yes you've guessed it World's Steepest Street (I really should read my Magic guide book more carefuly) - I stayed on the coach in protest!!

Jet Boating and Skiing

I decided to see more of the surroundings of Queenstown so booked a Jet Boat combo tour. The journey started from the Main Town Pier in the centre of Queenstown and headed out accross Lake Wakatipu and along the Kawarau River. The jetboat then speeds into the shallow, fast moving braids of the Shotover River. The Kawarau Jet Boat was pretty fast reaching speeds up to 85 kilometres per hour and it is able to operate in very shallow water(10 cm). The driver did a few crazy turns and spins and everyone got soaked.



I left the boat to join up with a tour bus for Deer Park Heights. This was an animal park but also the spot where they filmed some Lord of the Rings scenes. That afternoon we saw Fallow Deer, Minature Horses, Llamas, Highland cattle, Bison and a Tibetan Yak.



As well as the Lord of the Rings filming spots randomly at the top of the park was The Korean Prison from the 1986 Disney movie The Rescue (never heard of it). The set was falling apart and was all fenced off.



There were three or four LOTR locations including where they shot the Warg Battle and the area where Aragorn gets dragged over the cliff.

The picture below shows where the Rohan refugees moved around the eastern side of a mountain tarn.



Other scenes shot in the park include the Rohan camp by a second tarn and Gandolf riding to Minus Tirith with the Remarkables ski field in the background.

All in all Deer Park Heights was a good place to visit and you get the best 360 degree views of Queenstown and surrounding area from the top.

I finished my time in Queenstown with a bit of Skiing. I got a beginner package which included clothing hire, ski and boot hire, transport up the mountain, a beginner slopes ski pass and 2 x 1 hour lessons for abot 40 pounds which was great value.

My first day was up at a area called Coronet Peak. I must admit that I was very sceptical that I'd enjoy it. I arrived and got geared up and headed onto the slopes for my first lesson - the snow was soft and a bit slushy but this worked in my favour for the first lesson (although I didn't realise it at the time). I managed not to fall over once and enjoyed it so much that I practiced right through lunch and by the end of the second lesson of the day was happily going up the handle tow and magic carpet and down the nursery slope.

After a days rest I headed up to the Remarkables Ski area for my second lesson. I headed straight up the handle tow and had planned to ski off but the snow was more like ice (although the instructors later said it was compacted snow) and I fell back into the lift which was not good as loads of little kids were trying to get up at the time. I had to take my skis off to get away from the lift!! When I finally got back onto the slopes I found it very difficult to move around on the ice and almost did the splits - very painful! I managed to get back to the top of the slopes for my 2b lesson. My instructor was laughing at me as I had no hat or gloves and made all the other instructors guess where I was from (Northern England). Things did improve during the lesson and I was a bit dissapointed as we were supposed to go up onto the proper slopes at the end of the lesson but we ran out of time. A couple of us from the class decided to chip in and get a private lesson from the instructor so we could get up onto the big boys slopes.

We got the chair lift to the top but one of the lads really couldn't get the hang of it - on the first attempt he fell off at the top knocking me and a girl over in the process. We then skied down the run 3 times with the instructor and by the third run I was pretty confident (although the other lad still couldn't get off the lift properly!!). I spent the rest of the afternoon skiing down the run - it got a bit hairy at one point as it started to snow and visibilty was bad - I think my hair froze too from not having a hat. I had one tumble as I took my mind off what I was doing to make sure a snowboarder didn't hit me - as I was falling I thought it was going to hurt but I think the soft snow cushioned my fall - another passing boarder collected my ski pole for me! Towards the end of the day I even plucked up the courage to go higher up the mountain on a beginner / intermediate run - it was nerve racking in parts with a few steep drops but I managed it and really enjoyed it too.

Unfortunately I've got no photos of the skiing as I was paranoid about breaking the camera when I fell over! However I'm definately keen to give it a go again soon.

Finally it was time to leave Queenstown after nearly 2 weeks there (sob!). I was sad to leave but you end up spending so much money there on all of the activities and nights out.

Chilling Out in Queenstown

After a quiet day recovering it was time for one last night out as it was a Friday and it would be rude not to go out on a Friday night. We checked out a bar called Winnies - the roof of the bar opened right up to cool the place down. We met some more people from the Magic Bus that we'd met earlier in the trip and headed to World Bar - fast becoming our local!

The next day (Sat) we had planned to go up on the Gondola (cable car) and do the Luge (go-carting) however after getting a crowd together we found out that the luge track was closed due to high winds!! Spent the rest of the day taking it easy and actually had a quiet night in.

Next day was really sunny so although we couldn't get a crowd together two of us headed up the Gondola anyway. At the top there is a 220 degree panorama, with breathtaking views of Coronet Peak, The Remarkables mountain range and across Lake Wakatipu to Cecil and Walter Peaks.



After taking in the scenery we grabbed a helmet and got on another chair lift taking us to the start of the Luge track. There are two tracks - a scenic track and a race track. Your first trip of the day has to be on the scenic track so you get used to the cart. The luge carts themselves were easy to drive and you just pull the bars towards you if you need to brake. The scenic track was pretty fast, you just couldn't overtake other people. After the scenic run we headed back to the start for a race. I got a different cart for the race - unfortunatly I could tell I didn't have much of a chance when I sat down and my cart started to squeak - needless to say I didn't win.

After the luge we did a bit of a walk around the loop track before heading back down on the Gondola. After all my boozing and burgers I decided it was time I got some exercise so walked around the Lakeside Loop Walk and Botanical Gardens before another quiet night in!

Queenstown - Nevis Highwire Bungy

A late start to the day after the previous nights festivities - I managed to talk Nathan my room mate into doing the Nevis bungy with me.

We checked in at the Bungy Station at 2pm and travelled for 35 minutes in a 4x4 bus to get out to the site. We got our first look at the bungy pod and really understood what we'd let ourselves in for. We got our harnesses on and headed outside. You jump from a pod 134 metres (440 feet) over the Nevis Valley and are ferried out to it by a shuttle along a cable. It was a really windy day and it was pretty scary as the shuttle was swaying in the wind - there was a huge gust as we stepped from the shuttle to the pod - I'd expected the pod to be stable but it was swinging as much as the shuttle. As the heaviest (not by much!) I was first to go - good as I would get it over and done with then laugh at the others - bad as I wouldn't get to see how it all worked. I got the whole thing recorded so no doubt will be boring some of you with that when I'm back.

You get the leg straps put on then have to sit on a chair while they fasten the bungy cord. I was suprised to see the cord is actually just lots of elastic strands. On the Nevis you get a second clip attached to your waist as you need to unclip your feet to be pulled back up into the pod in a sitting position.

I shuffled out to the edge of the pod - you are not supposed to look down but I couldn't ressist - a bit of a mistake looking back. The instructor counts down 5,4,3,2,1 - BUNGY - after a split second pause I dived off. The free fall was incredible although I did scream. You cover the 134 metres (440 feet) with a free fall of about 8 1/2 seconds. Although I didn't realise it at the time I unclipped my feet a bit early - but it actually worked out better as I got to see the views face up - bouncing like a big baby in a baby bouncer!





After the bouncing there is a counter balance system which kicks in a a weight comes down and you shoot back up to the pod. I could relax and watch the others jump. One of the best was a guy from OZ who would not let go of the instructors hand!

I watched the DVD back and collected the photos and my free T-shirt.

That night we celebrated with a World famous Ferg Burger followed by a pub crawl. On the crawl we visited:

The Pig and Whistle Pub
Pog Mahones Irish Pub
Loaded Hog
Frasers Bar & Grill
World Bar (again for the hat trick 3 nights in a row!)
The Buffalo Club

As the Buffalo Club was heaving we finished the night in a smaller bar next door - needless to say the next day was spent feeling a bit worse for wear.

Queenstown - Milford Sound

We left Franz Josef and set out for Queenstown. We made a couple of scenic stops along the way. We stopped at Fox to pick up some people but just caught a quick glimpse of the Fox Glacier itself.

Next we stopped at Lake Matheson - also known as the Mirror Lake. You can see Mt Cook (Highest Mountain in New Zealand) and the Southern Alps reflected in the lake.





We also stopped by Lake Hawea to take in the view before heading down to Wanaka. We stopped in Wanaka by the lake and had a bit of time to look around the town. Our final stop of the day was at the Kawerau bridge. This site was the first commercial bungy site with a 42m drop down to the Kawerau river - a dip in the river is optional when you jump. All the bungy in queenstown is run by AJ Hackett and there are 2 other main sites - The Ledge high above Quenstown or the Nevis Highwire Bungy - the highest in New Zealand. I decided that while I was in new Zealand I should really do a bungy so I booked up for the Nevis as I figured I might as well do it in style - see my next entry for details and some photos of my jump.

We finally arrived in Queenstown itself quite late in the day. Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. The town is built around an inlet on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin "S"-shaped lake, and has spectactular views of nearby mountains.

I booked into the Southern Laughter hostel - we did a lap around town dropping people off at various hostels and everywhere seemed really lively.

After checking in we collected some drinks vouchers and set out for a night on the town. It reminded me of being back at university with so many people out from the Magic Bus and all of the drinks deals. I bumped into quite a few people I had met early on the trip in different places who'd all ended up in Queenstown so there was a big crowd of us and a really good atmosphere. We stayed in one bar all night - The World Bar. We had some food then tried out their Tea Pot cocktails which we got for half price. The best bit of the night though was at 11 O'Clock. Someone noticed on the back of our keys that there was free beer if we showed our keys - we were all expecting 1 free drink but it turned out that it was as many as you wanted until the keg ran out!!!

I had to force myself away from the free beer as I had an early start next morning for my trip to Milford Sound.

The day started at 7 am next morning as it was a long travelling day trip to Milford. Fortunately the first 2 hours out of Queenstown were pretty quiet and practically everyone on the bus slept.

We travelled along Lake Wakatipu to Te Anau where we stopped for breakfast by Lake Te Anau. After Te Anau everyone was awake to take in the scenery as we got into the Fiordland National Park.





We headed through an avalanche zone to the Homer tunnel which took us right through a mountain. There was a lot more snow on the otherside of the mountain and you could see where avalanches had dumped piles of snow on the ground off the mountain tops. The views were stunning along the Milford Road and we made a number of photo stops including more mirror lakes and a waterfall called The Chasm.

Again we had been very lucky with the weather as although there were a few clouds covering the mountains in a few places it was generally quite clear. There was also no rain - it had rained all day for the group before us and we were told that Milford is one of the wettest places in New Zealand.

We arrived in Milford and transferred from coach to cruise ship - The Monarch - for a trip out on the Fiords. It is impossible to describe just how good the scenery was on the cruise - the photos I've chosen only really give an impression. I've seen some amazing views and scenery so far on the trip but I reckon this was definately the best.









We saw glacier valleys, river valleys, rows of waterfalls and loads of rainbows. We stopped by some rocks where there were some penguins. As it was such a nice day (although it was cold) we stayed out on deck for practically the whole cruise. The cruise ship turned in the Tasman Sea and headed back to Milford and we saw some seals on the way back in.

We got back onto the coach for the long journey back to Queenstown after a great day. The driver put Pirates of the Caribbean on to break up the journey.

Back in queenstown it was time for another night out. This time we checked out Red Rock bar before heading back to World Bar for more 2 for 1 beers and Teapot Cocktails.