4/3/10 (invercargill)

Invercargill-Bluff-Slope Point-McLean Falls

Rain, rain, go away. Come back when we are no longer in a camper. Jon says that I made the rain come since I was wishing it away. Maybe so and for my bad attitude towards the rain I also got bitten in the middle of the night right smack in the forehead. I don’t know how a bug got so lucky to sneak into our camper in the middle of the rain. And what stupid bug would bite someone in the forehead! But it happened and because of my sensitive skin it will likely swell up and be there for a good week or so.

After an attitude adjustment we decided to check out the town on Invercargill. We saw tuataras, a reptilian from the dinosaur age that is only found in New Zealand. They have a successful breeding program and the babies look quite cute.

The other thing Invercargill is known for is having the motorcycle that was in the movie, The Fastest Indian starring Anthony Hopkins. The motorcyclist wanted to make sure the motorcycle stayed in the southland so he sold it to a local hardware store where there is now a small museum inside the store.

Jon also happened to come across a microbrewery called Invercargill Brewery so we decided to do a tasting. Their most popular is the Pitch Black which is a very dark beer, hence the name, and goes well with oysters. The most interesting thing we have found about the breweries is that they sell beer in 1.25 or 2 liter bottles and of course in regular beer bottles too. It’s the coolest thing because t looks exactly like a coke bottle with a label of the beer. People often bring back the bottles for refill so it’s environmental friendly. Apparently this is only done in New Zealand so as the saying goes, when in New Zealand buy beer in liters. We bought a 1.25 liter of their Pitch Black.

We talked to the girl running the place and found out it was oysters season and Bluff, a town 15 minutes away was supposed to have really good oysters. So onward we went to Bluff. It’s a quiet town and since it was Easter weekend there wasn’t much going on never mind it was raining like cats and dogs. We went to the very end of the road in Bluff and found the neatest signpost, which has 5 posts pointing in different directions. It had Sydney, Tokyo and other cities on there and indicated how far it was from that point. Right above the signpost was a little inn that had oysters. We tried the Bluff oysters, which are twice the size of Hog Island oysters. Very meaty and full of flavor. Delicious. I love oysters and could’ve eaten a dozen more.

Then we headed towards the Catlins Coast. We stopped at Slope Point, which is the most southern point in New Zealand. To get there we had to drive down a very rugged road. I thought our dishes would break from all the bumps. Then we had to walk 10 minutes to the signpost which wasn’t fun in the rain and trying not to step on sheep poop along the way since we walked through a sheep farm. We snapped a quick photo of the sign and headed back to the car. There’s also a sign at Cape Reinga in the north island, which we were close to when we visited Pete and Danielle. So another thing to add to our list for next time since we now have visited Slope Point.

We ended the day at McLean Falls campsite with hopes that there will be sun the next day.

Like: Invercargaril Brewery, Bluff oysters, Slope Point

Dislike: Our clothes getting soaked and muddy 

4/2/10 (doubtful sound)

Doubtful Sound - Intercargil

Wakie, wakie. Those were the first words of the day for Annie and I the morning of our Doubtful Sound overnight cruise. The captain was summoning everyone to breakfast at 7am to allow the crew to clean the bunks for the next day’s guests. Neither of us had the best sleep and were pretty tired in the morning. We met some great friends the night before and for breakfast we sat next to two guys who worked for Kia Motors and were based out of South Korea. One was from Italy and the other from France. They were pretty interesting and we got into some fun discussions about cameras and Apple computer. Following breakfast the captain invited everyone outside for a moment of silence. The rain had stopped, we all filed out on the deck and the boat engines were turned off. We were surrounded by the huge Fiordlands and drifted along the sound in the middle of nowhere. It was incredibly relaxing. 

Once we got back to Manapouri, the rest of the day was up in the air. We had met two couples, Erin and Wei along with Georgi and Cathy, the prior night and they were raving about Milford Sound, which was roughly two hours north. We decided to head back to Te Anau. We stopped into the local iSite to get some information and ran into the same not so friendly clerk who sold us the glow worm cruise. He told us to not bother with Milford Sound. It would be very busy over the Easter weekend and we had just done Doubtful which was roughly the same. Annie and I decided to grab some lunch at the Sandfly Cafe to come up with a plan. 

We were both really tired and decided not to risk driving all the way to Milford without a campsite. Time was running short in New Zealand and we needed to start making our way to Christchurch. We decided to head toward the Catlands on the southeast side of the island and after a short drive we found a picnic site to take an epic nap before driving to Intercargil. 

Intercargil is one of the bigger cities in the southland. It felt a bit industrial and we arrived at 5pm after a very beautiful drive along the scenic highway filled with massive sheep pastures. This Friday happens to be a national holiday in New Zealand, Good Friday. Almost everything is closed. We drove around the downtown area and it was a bit of a ghost town. Since Friday was traditionally “date night,” I spotted the local theater and a nice little thai restaurant right next door. I suggested dinner and a movie which Annie happily obliged. She is quite the trooper because I wanted to indulge my youth and watch Clash of the Titans. It was pretty terrible but it felt good to watch a movie after a 6 week hiatus. 

We then moved on to our campsite for the night after a much needed night of sleep. 

Like: Doubtful Sound, Fiordlands

4/1/10 (te anau)

Te Anau - Doubtful Sound

I had a bit of a meltdown the prior night and I am sure Annie will have good fun telling the story for years to come. It had rained all night and it continued into the morning. This makes things pretty difficult in the camper van and it is almost impossible to keep things dry. We got a late start on the day due to the fact we purchased internet in the morning and we were busy checking email and updating the blog. We had to be in Manapouri at 12:10 for our overnight dinner cruise and we had some time to get prepped. After a nice muesli breakfast and some quick showers we were on our way. 

Manapouri is roughly 20 kilometers away from Te Anau and it was a pretty foggy and rainy ride. We arrived a bit early and parked in a nearby overnight lot for our cruise to Doubtful Sound. It is isn’t easy to get to the sound. We have to take an hour ferry ride across Lake Manapouri, which is quite scenic but on this day was covered with dense fog. After the ferry ride we arrive at a remote power station that leads to “the most expensive road in New Zealand.” It cost 1.1 million in the sixties and took two years to carve through dense forest. It goes from Lake Manapouri to Doubtful Sound and takes about 30 minutes. Once there we get on the boat that will take us around the sound. It was quite an adventure just getting there. 

When we arrived to the boat called the Fiordland Navigator we were welcomed by the crew in the saloon. There were about 50 people with us on the cruise. We were then shown to the quad-share where we would bunk with Trish and Trevor, a very nice Australian couple. It was back to the dorm days...a nice set of bunk beds on the lower level of the ship. After we were situated in the quad, I quickly grabbed the camera to take some video of our cruise. The ship had set sail and one advantage to all the rainfall was we were going to see some epic waterfalls in the sound. 

Doubtful Sound got it’s name because when Captain Cook sailed by and looked at the entrance and called it a doubtful harbor because he was concerned about having enough wind to exit the sound. The name stuck. The sound has a very intimate feel with the narrow body of water surrounded by massive mountain formations. The water is quite dark with the fresh water from the rainfalls meeting the ocean saltwater. It was incredibly beautiful. We cruised along for several hours exploring massive waterfalls and finally made it to the Tasman sea and saw a large colony of seals and an old crawfish (lobster) station. They then brought us back to the saloon for some warm soup and prepped us for the activities. We could go our on a motor boat to explore the shoreline or we could do some kayaking. We chose to kayak. 

This was Annie’s first time kayaking and with new found confidence from her Fiji snorkeling success she was excited. I knew it would be interesting. We grabbed bouncy jackets and a paddle and jumped in our kayaks off of the rear of the Navigator. We were off, well kind of. Annie initially perfected the art of the circle in her kayak and we quickly moved to the rear of the group. After some wonderful instruction and a bit of patience from a crew member she got the hang of it and we started to explore the sound’s shoreline. I tried taking photos that quickly proved difficult due to the rain. After about 45 minutes we headed back to the ship for the evening swim. The water was incredibly cold at 12 degrees Celsius and it was encouraged for anyone who wanted to test it out. Several people quickly jumped in and even quicker got back on the boat. I contemplated a bit but decided I would probably never get the chance again and that was what that trip was all about. I jumped in and my body instantly stung in shock. I was on the boat as fast as possible. Unfortunately, Annie wasn’t around with a camera and she arrived just as I was toweling off. Disappointed, she talked me into it again and I got my second helping of the cold Sound. After the evening swim and a warm shower, it was time for dinner.

The food was one of the most impressive things on this trip. They had a huge variety and it was really good. We sat next to some new friends, an English couple Georgy and Cathy as well as an Australian couple Erin and Wei. We spent the next few hours swapping stories and strategies about how to combat the sand flies and had a nice evening. Around 10 everyone started to file out of the saloon to head to bed. We stepped outside on the deck for a quick look and it was pitch black without a sound, a bit eerie. With everyone in bed Annie and I grabbed the laptop to catch the latest episode of Lost I had downloaded in the morning and then we were off to bed. 

It turned out that Trevor was a bit of a snorer and I have become a light sleeper on this trip so my night proved to be void of sleep but the day was pretty incredible day.

Likes: Doubtful Sound, the ride in, kayaking, swimming, and our new friends.

Dislikes: Quad-share and snoring.

3/31/10 (queenstown)

Queenstown - Te Anau

In the north island the rain seems to come and go within a few minutes but not in the south. As we were heading to Te Anau it started to rain and it didn’t stop. I don’t mind the rain and was glad it was raining since there are more waterfalls at Doubtful Sound when it rains. We were leaving for our overnight cruise the next day. But it sucks to be in a small camper when it rains. It’s difficult to get your shoes which is underneath our camper bed and also our bed gets wet each time we open the door. The upside is that we don’t get sandflies or mosquitos. Always tradeoffs in life, right?

We figured since it was still raining we would plan some indoor activities and you can’t get more indoors than a glowworm cave. We were supposed to check out a glowworm cave in Waitomo but it was a bit out of the way for us so we skipped it. Te Anau also had a cave so we decided to book the tour. But before the caving we heard about a 30-minute movie called Ata Whenua - Shadowland that a helicopter pilot had made about the fiordlands. It was supposed to be really well done and playing at the local theatre. We decided to check out the movie. The story goes that a local helicopter pilot for 20 some years decided that he wanted to document the fiordlands so that others can enjoy the beauty he sees everyday. He spent 10 years working with a film crew. When the film was finished there was no movie theater nearby to show it so he built a small theater in Te Anau. It was a cinematography movie so there was no commentary. Just images of the beauty of fiordlands with music especially composed for it. Can you imagine his deep appreciation for the fiordlands?! That’s dedication and love. 

Then we checked out the glowworms. Since our tour wasn’t till 7pm it had gotten pretty dark outside. We got on a boat which took us to the caves about 20 minutes away. It was as if we were in an episode of Lost where the Others were taking us to their island. Once we got to the caves it was a bit of a circus show since only 14 people could enter the cave at one time so we had to wait our turn. The caves were dimly light and there was a flood of water underneath it so it was quite damp inside. It was very different from the other cave we visited in Damarea. To see the glowworms we sat on a raft which a guide pushed around in the dark. The glowworms light up to attract other insects so the brighter the light the hungrier they are. Their lights look like mini LED lights. We were able to get very close to them. Jon even asked one of the people there if there are real glowworms in the cave or if they just installed lots of green LED lights. They assured us they were the real deal. Good to know! It was pretty cool to see them though I think the boat ride to the island in the dark enhanced the experience.

Like: Ata Whenua - Shadowland, LED glowworms

3/30/10 (lake paringa)

Lake Paringa-Queenstown

As soon as we woke up we started our drive down to Queenstown, which it self-proclaimed itself as the adventure capital of New Zealand. Every crazy outdoor adventure you can think of is available there. Bungy jumping started the hype and from there came jet-boating, paragliding and rafting. We thought you could also do zorbing but that was only in Rotorua so we missed out on that adventure. Many of our friends had recommended it so we’ll have to put that on the list for the next trip. 

On our drive down we passed by some beautiful lakes, Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka, and there was mini waterfalls right alongside our road. We stopped at a roadside waterfall, Fantail Falls, for a quick photo snap before hopping back in the car. We were on a mission to get to Queenstown which we had heard so much about. 

One thing that we passed and didn’t get the chance to stop at was Central Otago known for it’s wineries and Pinot Noir. Another thing to add to the list of things to do next time.  We did some wine tasting in Marborough (northern part of the south island) but they are mainly known for their whites. 

As we entered Queenstown it reminded us very much of a ski resort with lots of outdoor clothing shops and people walking about carry plastic bags carrying mementos from adrenaline adventure. It was a bit of a sensory overload for us compared to the places we had been. When we checked into our campsite it was as if we entered another universe. There must have been over 100 spots for campervans and they packed us in there like sardines. Most of the campsites we had stayed at barely had 5 campers and some we were the only ones. This wasn’t exactly our type of adventure city. But we were city folks?! You would think we would miss all the action and people but all I wanted was to retreat back to nature.

We decided we had to do at least one thing here so we agreed on the gondola ride, which takes you up to the top of a mountain and you get a beautiful view of Queenstown. We went at night and had a spectacular night view. While standing there admiring the view we talked about the things we still wanted to do on our trip. One thing I mentioned was to do some more local stuff like seeing a comedy show or local band perform and going to a farmer’s market. 

After we left the gondola ride we went to a local bar and guess what they had…a local band playing!! They were called The Blackspots and actually were pretty good. We even got crazy and stayed out till 11:30pm on a Tuesday night though every night feels like a Saturday night to us.

Like: beautiful raining scenery, gondola ride, The Blackspots

3/29/10 (franz josef glacier)

Franz Josef glacier-Lake Paringa

New Zealand hasn’t seized to amaze us. We joined the half-day Franz Josef glacier hike, which started with a 20-minute walk/hike to get to the glacier. The tour provided us boots and clamps, especially designed for glacier hikes, and a raincoat. Even from a far distance you could see and feel the awesomeness of the glacier. Franz Josef is the smaller of the two glaciers you can hike and the other one is Fox. What was more amazing was that the glacier had a lush green mountain on one side and a rocky mountain with beautiful waterfalls on the other side. It was as if you were looking at three completely different topographies right next to each other. As you get closer to the glacier you begin to notice the jaggedness of the glacier, which looks like a huge waterfall frozen in time.

Our tour guide, Pearl, carried this really cool ax to slice away at the glacier as we hiked up to pave our path. The clamps on our shoes helped stabilize us on the ice. There were deep crevices between sheets of ice and ice melting in other areas. We went through small ice tunnels, which we barely fit through. Jon started feeling a little claustrophobic since you feel like you are incased in ice by yourself since only one or two people can walk through at the same time in a single file line. Pearl even found a hidden tunnel and axed a hole on top of it so we can climb through it. People were skeptical to go through the hole since it seemed only a few inches wide and Jon was the first in line. People hoped he would make the hole bigger for everyone else but we were all able to fit through just fine. 

We hiked for about 2km/3 hours and had perfect weather. As we arrived back at base camp the rain started pouring. When we come back again we definitely would consider the helihike, which is a lot more expensive and entails a helicopter ride to the top portion of the glacier and you hike a full day down on the glacier. But our hike was still a cool experience and it’s not everyday you get to see a glacier.

After our glacier hike we were a bit tired so grabbed a bite at a local pub at Fox glacier and then headed down south to a free camper site that our friends, Pete and Danielle, told us about. We got to the park near Lake Paringa around 8pm and luckily found a spot since it seems everyone else also knew about it.

p.s. Jon is now considering being a glacier guide so he can also carry a cool looking ax and some of the male guides also wear tight butt hugging shorts. Shorts for glacier hiking…those crazy kiwis!

Like: glacier hiking, ax for glacier hiking, park that permits free camping

3/28/10 (punakaiki)

Punakaiki-Hokitika-Franz Josef Glaciers

Last night we got a torrential downpour of rain for a few hours, which wouldn’t have bothered us except we had just hung some clothes to dry from our wash. To make matters worse, our clothes in the dryer wasn’t completely dry either. So we put our really damp and somewhat dry clean clothes in a bag until we got to the next campsite. This is totally against my organization self but what can we do?! We decided to go back to the pancake rock in the morning to get some more pictures and this time we got to see even bigger blowholes. The blowholes are caused by the force of the surf hitting the sea cavern, which then sprays up into the air through small pockets in the pancake rock formation.

We then headed down south toward Franz Josef Glaciers and stopped at the i-site in Hokitika.  They have these wonderful i-sites in most towns, which are information centers that help you with everything and anything from booking trips to providing free maps to giving helpful advice on just about any topic, even where the nearest pharmacy is. I wish the states had such things because the people are really knowledgeable and friendly. We met a very nice lady who worked at the Hokitika i-site who spent about 45 minutes with us as we debated which glacier walks to do and fiorldand trips to take. She even helped us map out our entire week.

After careful consideration we decided to do the half-day Franz Josef Glacier hike tomorrow and the overnight Doubtful Sound cruise on Thursday. These trips aren’t cheap and we just dropped $700! I’m sure it will be worth it and everyone who has done it says it is amazing.

Hokitika is also known for their jade, which the Maori call pounamu (hard nephrite jade). There’s two types of jade and the ones I’ve seen are from China which is a different type of jade. On the surface it looks like there’s black specs in the jade and it’s not as pure as the ones from China but really they are just as magnificent. Jon was sweet and bought me a pounamu necklace in the shape of a fish hook which represents good fortune.

Now we are relaxing and getting ready for our glacier hike tomorrow.

Like: pounamu necklace, booking our trips

Dislike: sandflies

3/27/10 (karamea)

Karamea-Little Wanganui-Punakaiki

We went caving for the first time at the Crazy Paving and Box Canyon Caves in Karamea. Our original plan was to head to the little raft competition in Little Wanganui. However, we met a couple from Nelson staying at the same campsite who said the caves were worth checking out so we decided to take their advice. We put on our headlamps, which the Kiwis call torches, and entered a really dense forest before we arrived at the caves. It felt like walking through a jungle. It was truly amazing. The name Crazy Paving comes from the mud step stones that have formed, which paves the way into the cave. I know caves are supposed to be dark but this was nothing like I had expected. Thoughts of the Blair Witch Project entered my mind and I wondered what would happen if one of our torches went dark. It was cool and scary at the same time. There were lots of different passageways and some led to more passageways. It was so dark that you can only see a few feet in front of you. The caves were lined with limestone so they would glitter when the light shined on them. Some people wear special caving clothing because you can get really dirty especially if you start crawling around in the caves.  But we didn’t do any crawling. It was a neat experience and I’m glad I did it but I have to admit it was a bit spooky.

We then drove onward to Little Wanganui to see if the race was still going on but no one was there. On our way out we got stuck in the road since a portion of it was in sand. Jon pushed the car while I stepped on the gas but our tires just kept spinning. Luckily a car came by and the nice folks helped us push the car out. We were worried a bit since sometimes you don’t see a living soul for a few hours but it all worked out.

We headed down south to Punakaiki to check out the pancakes rocks and blowhole. They have these amazing rock formations that look like pancakes stacked on top of each other. Of course the café across the park was selling pancakes with maple syrup.

When we arrived at our campsite Jon suggested we go to the local tavern to have dinner rather than cook dinner. It was our Saturday date night. It was nice to have someone bring food to you that you didn’t have to cook or wash the dishes afterwards.

Like: pancake rocks

Scary: caves and getting stuck in the sand