The Rangitata Valley and Akaroa

We left our little farmhouse early on Tuesday morning and drove north through mountainous scenery to the town of Tekapo, situated on the pretty Lake Tekapo. Here we visited the Church of the Good Shepherd, a tiny chapel perched on a hill in a picturesque spot next to the lake. It was great timing as within 30 seconds of leaving the Church a hoard of school-children and a busload of tourists turned up! From Tekapo we continued north, joining the ‘Inland Scenic Route’ highway before turning left and heading further inland along the Rangitata River Valley. Ash had been busting to see some Lord of the Rings film locations... as of yet we hadn't specifically visited one and this was our opportunity. As we drove along the unsealed, gravelly and pot-mark ridden roads the valley opened up magnificently to wide, flat plains surrounded by towering snow-capped mountains. In the middle of the huge valley was a large roche moutonnee, a rock hill shaped by a glacier, that was used as the set of Edoras in the Lord of the Rings. Ash having watched the film several times got very excited, but Bi amusingly remarked 'What... it's just that hill there?!'. We tried to drive down the valley and up to the hill but it soon became '4x4 only' territory as Ash started to drive through the riverbed! We decided to turn back, parked nearby and walked up to the hill (jumping over a few fences and crossing the odd stream along the way!). It was a stunning location and a worthy trip. From the valley we returned back to the main road and began our 2 hour journey eastwards to Christchurch, our final destination.

After the tranquility and beauty of the countryside over our past few weeks in the South Island we both felt a bit disappointed as we drove into the city of Christchurch. It was 5ish in the evening and we had arrived into Christchurch a day ahead of our schedule. We still had two full days before our flight to Melbourne on Friday. We made a snap decision to skip the city and head somewhere more remote for our last few days. Bi grabbed the guidebook and randomly selected the small seaside village of Akaroa located at the tip of the Banks Peninsula about 85km from Christchurch. What a wonderful decision it was because Akaroa turned out to be one of the loveliest places we have visited and stayed on the South Island. The road to Akaroa was neverending as it sharply twisted and turned its way through steep rolling green hills and through a few remote, pretty villages. We started in daylight on what was a beautiful journey and finally descended steeply down into the seaside village just after dark. We had no accommodation booked and had our fingers and toes crossed that we could find somewhere to stay. There are many places which close for the winter here. The first place we tried had no vacancy so we tried our luck at a quaint and highly recommended little hostel across the road in the centre of the village. Thankfully they had one double room available and it was lovely, just like a charming English B&B so we grabbed it.. not that we could be fussy anyhow! The small hostel is located in a beautiful old colonial house and inside has a cosy little lounge with roaring log fire and well equipped kitchen. It was so quaint and if Bi could have moved in permanently she would have! The hostel and the village has such a lovely feel to it and it hits you immediately. We settled into our room, then starving hungry we cooked ourselves a hearty meal. We finished off the evening with a cup of tea and slab of fruit cake which Bi very happily ate while sat in bed with her hot water bottle and a pile of the latest gossip magazines that she had found on the bookshelf!

We woke the next morning to the aroma of fresh coffee but also to the sound of pelting rain and blustering winds. Both the North and South Islands are currently receiving a battering from exceptionally bad weather at the moment, the north in particular. However, we were so happy in our hostel and to be somewhere so peaceful and relaxing that we didn't mind one bit staying in by the fire most of the day. In fact it was a lovely way to finish a rather non-stop 5 weeks of travelling around New Zealand. We made our breakfast then grabbed a couple of umbrellas and went out for a walk along the village's main street which is lined with little artisian shops, a deli, a couple of grocery stores, a pub and a few restauraunts and a few coffee shops. After touring the shops (Bi naturally doing this in much more detail than Ash) we walked along the shorefront and around the small harbour up to the old lighthouse. We returned to the harbourfront for a lunch of fish and chips which we sat and ate under shelter, shared our chips with some very friendly little birds. Ash had the local blue cod and we shared a big bag of Kumura chips (sweet potato chips) which are the local speciality. With the rain deeply set in, we walked back to the hostel. It was too wet to attempt any of the local walks on offer so we decided to stay cosy and warm and spend the rest of the day by the fire. The hostel was full today so we swapped travel stories with the other guests, played scrabble and Ash even made us an apple crumble. It was a really nice way to spend a rainy afternoon...we absolutely love this place and this village and could happily spend much more time here.

Mount Cook National Park

After a very comfortable and peaceful nights sleep at the farmhouse we were up early and in the kitchen with the other house guests and the owner cooking our breakfasts and making our lunches. With full stomachs and provisions for the day we jumped into the car and headed to Mount Cook National Park where New Zealand's highest mountain of the same name is situated. The journey took about an hour and with relatively clear weather we had good views of the snow capped mountains in the park... well, all except Mount Cook which was unfortunately still clouded over. On arrival into Mount Cook village we headed straight for the visitors centre to find out which of the many walks were open as some were closed due to heavy snowfall. The alpine village is a tiny place nestled in between the mountains and at this time of year it was exceptionally empty and quiet... just the way we like it! We picked two walks then parked the car and set off. The first walk was called The Red Tarns which took us up a windy, stepped path past the snow line to a viewpoint half-way up Mt Sebastopol. We had panoramic views over the village, the national park and it's beautiful mountains and it soon started to snow quite heavily which was lovely. There is something about snow that turns us both into big kids! We decided to stop a while and eat our lunch at the viewpoint before heading back down a rather icy path back to the village. Once back at the village we decided we wanted to stay out in the snow and so we went on a short walk called Governor's Bush which took us along a windy woodland path.

With the snow continuing to fall quite heavily we decided call it a day for walking and visit the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre which is located inside the Hermitage Hotel in Mount Cook village. The centre houses a collection of photos and relics, including a short film documenting the life of Sir Edmund Hillary and his conquest of Everest. There is also information and artifacts on other famous Kiwi mountaineers, all of whom regularly climbed and trained in Mount Cook National Park. Inside there was also a small planitarium and 3D Mount Cook National Park film which was all really very interesting and we managed to while away several hours quite easily.

By late afternoon we decided that we had better make the journey back to our hostel while there was still daylight. The snow was still falling heavily. Back at the hostel we cooked ourselves dinner with Fitzy the dog following our every move and playing all sorts of tricks to get some scraps. We then spent the evening sitting cosily by the fire with the owner watching a DVD of 'George and Mildred' (a 1970's English sitcom that Bi loved as a child).

Tomorrow we will slowly start making our way towards Christchurch which is were we will finish our New Zealand adventures.

The Otago Peninsula and North to Omarama

On Sunday we packed our bags and headed outside the city of Dunedin for a drive along the Otago Peninsula which juts out into the Pacific. The peninsula is famous for its wildlife such as rare penguins and sealions. Along the way we made our way inland to visit Lanarch Castle, New Zealand's only castle but on seeing the steep entry price we promptly U-turned, as did many others! We drove along to the furthest accessible point on the peninsula which is home to a colony of Royal Albatrosses and affords views over Otago Harbour. A visit to the peninsula is a highly recommended thing do to here but we didn't find it particularly inspiring so we didn't hang around too long.... we have been a bit spoilt for wildlife and scenery in the last 6 months and are probably just getting a bit snobby about what we think is good!

We drove back to the city and then headed 3 hours north-east towards the small township of Omarama, a pleasant base from which to visit Mt Cook National Park. We stopped in Moeraki, a small fishing village to see the strangely spherical boulders along the beach (apparently you require a Phd in Geology to understand how they are formed!). We then headed around the bay to Moeraki harbour for a picnic (which we timed very nicely in between rain showers). Driving further north we stopped and strolled aroung the pretty and quiet Victorian town of Omaru which is full of curiosity shops and antique shops. It was like taking a step back in time! We cut inland and drove to our destination, a small farmstay located just outside the township of Omarama. As we passed through the town we saw a peculiar sight; on the front lawn of the pub were several large displays of dead animals. We went to investigate and got chatting with one of the locals who explained they had just had their annual 'Fur and Feathers' hunting competition. Apparently teams of hunters get together and pull out of a hat whether they are hunting 'furs' (goats, pigs and wallabies) or 'feathers' (just about anything that flies) or both. They then have a set amount of time to hunt and collect as much as they can find. There is also a bonus prize for the team that kills the most rabbits! The spoils of their hunt (all considered by the locals to be pests) were arranged on the lawn in comical poses for the judges to see. We have to admit that for us, it was a bizarre and slightly unpleasant sight.

The farmstay that we have checked into is a lovely cosy place owned and lived in by a friendly and very chatty retired farmer and his little dog Fitzy. We basically share his kitchen, his bathroom and sit with him in front of the fire in his lounge which makes it feel as if we are staying with a friend. The whole house is completely cluttered with trinkets, silverware and nik naks and much to Bi's delight the kitchen cupboards are full of proper English China and silverware for us to use. We immediately booked another night it's so nice. Tomorrow our plan is to drive to Mt Cook National Park about 90kms away for views of the mountain and some Alpine walking.

The Southern Scenic Route & The Catlins Coast

Friday started with freezing conditions including frozen pipes which left us with no running water. Looking outside of our little log cabin in the morning, all the hills were white with frost, the air was biting and the views over the lake to the distant mountains were spectacular. We bundled into our car and headed south from Manapouri to begin driving the Southern Scenic Route. The route follows the most southerly coastline from Manapouri all the way round to the city of Dunedin on the opposite side of the island via the Catlins Coast.

After stopping to see the stone Clifden suspension bridge we passed through several small and remote townships before bumping into another huge flock of sheep being herded down the main highway. Ash being an expert by now successfully squeezed the car through the flock! We began driving along the first section of the Catlins Coast in the early afternoon between the rather drab town of Invercargill and a tiny township called Papatowai. We took lunch down onto the beach at Waipapa Point where we watched sealions frolicking in stormy seas. We stopped at Slope Point, the most southerly point in New Zealand (next stop south... Antarctica!) then continued onto Curio Bay where we walked amongst the remains of an ancient petrified forest. Next stop was Porpoise Bay where we walked out onto the headland and watched the huge Tasman Sea crash against the coastline. The spray soaked us even 50m up on the cliff! Our last stop for the day was to walk a short undulating track through temperate rainforest to the Maclean Falls in the Chasland Scenic Reserve. That evening we randomly found some remote accommodation perched on a hilltop. It turned out to be a real treat. For $50 (20 pounds) we had a whole country cottage complete with views over the countryside and coast all to ourselves (no-one else turned up). We were wrapped and made ourselves right at home with music and cooking ourselves a roast dinner before curling up on the comfy sofa in front of the TV!

The following morning, Saturday, we begrudgingly left our homely cottage in the rain (again) and drove the final half of the Catlins Coast to Owaka. Along the way we visited Puriwaki Falls and Jack's Bay to see an impressive inland blowhole, Cannibal Bay and Roaring Bay. We drove many kms along unsealed, muddy and gravelly roads which we are sure we should have only done in a 4x4! We finished off at the dramatic Nugget Point where we walked out to the lighthouse perched on top of a cliff headland with great views across the coast. From here we drove straight to Dunedin, a city with heavy Scottish influence and old architecture (it's main attraction). We had a little wander around the city, found some accommodation in an old manor house which as per usual we had pretty much to ourselves. In the evening we did something very normal and went to the cinema to see the new Batman movie.

Milford Sound & Doubtful Sound

After our adrenaline charged day and a rather well earned night's sleep we were up early to drive to New Zealand's main tourist attraction, the Milford Sound. The Sound is not too far from Queenstown but the journey takes 5 hours because you have to drive all the way around the Southern Alps. We drove 2 hours south from Queenstown along the shores of Lake Wakatipu before heading slightly west along flat plains and then 3 hours north from the town of Te Anua, situated by the large Lake Te Anua. The journey from Te Anua took us along the famous Milford Road, which is regarded as one of the most stunning Alpine scenery drives in the world and it didn't disappoint, even in the drizzly weather. Not long after starting our journey on the twisty narrow road we had to negotiate our way through a flock of around 500 sheep which had completely obstructed the road. We found the whole experience bizarre and very funny! Once safely through the sheep, we recovered from our laughter and continued with the drive. The scenery steadily became more and more dramatic as we drove through Beech Forest and towards the distant snow-capped mountains that eventually towered over us. The weather was fairly overcast and rainy but this made the mountains seem all the more moody and atmospheric. We stopped in at the 'Mirror Lakes' where the significant depth and darkness of the small lakes provides a mirroring effect on the mountains behind. From here we wound our way up the narrow gravelly road past many streams and waterfalls to the Homer Tunnel. The tunnel was carved 1.2km through the mountains and is only 3.6m high with virtually no lighting. The experience of driving through it was the automotive equivalent of driving through a drainpipe. As we exited the tunnel it was like entering a different world... the weather was clear and we had snow-covered mountains all around us which made everything so bright. The road down into Milford was narrow with lots of switchbacks. We stopped several times to take in the views and to take photos of a native Kea, the world's only Alpine parrot which we were lucky to spot by the roadside. These birds are remarkably intelligent and notorious for vandalising cars and sure enough the crafty little thing made a bee line for our car.... not wishing to lose our insurance deposit we dived back into the car and drove away quickly! On arrival into Milford Sound we took a short walk around the tiny waterfront for our first views of the sound. The Sound is a deep-water inlet from the Tasman Sea with calm water and mountains covered in temperate forest towering straight from the water's edge. It was a beautiful sight and we looked forward to our cruise the following day. We spent the night at the remote Milford Lodge which is the only place you can stay in Milford due to strict planning laws. The lodge was lovely and in the most beautiful and tranquil surroundings and even better, it was half empty.

On Wednesday morning we took an early morning boat cruise onto the Milford Sound. We had a beautiful clear morning and when we checked in we found out that there were only going to be 8 of us on a boat which was designed to carry 400 people! It was fantastic and made for a really special and personal trip. We were served a continental breakfast at the start of the cruise which we gobbled down in order to get out on deck. The cruise then lasted an hour and a half and took us along the sound, past numerous coves and waterfalls (one 3 times the height of Niagara Falls) and out into the Tasman Sea to a seal colony before returning back through the sound to Milford. The cruise was beautiful and a real highlight of our NZ trip so far. Back at Milford we jumped in the car for our 3 hour drive south to Lake Manapouri where we hoped to book onto a cruise on the Doutbful Sound. We returned along the same scenic route as the previous day as there is only one road in and out of Milford. We took a short detour to view the fantastic 249m high Humboldt Falls and walk a couple of the marvellous temperate rainforest trails in the Fiordland National Park. Wherever we stopped we had the whole place to ourselves which made it very special. We made the most of the tranquility and sat with our lunch on a riverbank that was surrounded with the most stunning mountain and forest scenery. After lunch we drove several hours to Manapouri, a tiny little village on the shores of Lake Manapouri. Following our guide book we checked into some accommodation on a farm perched on a hilltop with beautiful views over the valley and the lake. We had a small wooden cabin with a kitchenette and cute pot-belly stove for heating.. it was rustic and wonderful. We went for a ramble through the woodlands near the lake before returning to our cabin to defrost ourselves with a hot chocolate by the stove.

On Thursday we booked on to a full day trip out onto the Doubtful Sound which is an exceptionally remote inlet from the Tasman Sea that is only accessible by tour and several modes of transport. We took a launch from the shores of Lake Manapouri and travelled one hour across the lake to West Arm at the opposite end of the lake. From here we looked around a small visitor centre before boarding a bus which took us across the mountains along the Wilson Pass and down into the Doubtful Sound. En-route we stopped for panoramic views of the Sound which were breathtaking. The Sound is wider and longer than Milford Sound and just as impressive and beautiful, perhaps even more so than Milford. We boarded a large catamaran and as we set sail down the Sound a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins swam alongside the boat. We spent almost the whole 3 hours on deck in perfect but cold weather (we couldn't believe our luck!) marvelling at the dramatic scenery and sucking in the fresh air. The snow-capped mountains towered alongside the Sound with waterfalls running down their sides... it made for another really memorable day. We took a bus back to West Arm and before boarding our launch back to Manapouri Village we visited a remote hydroelectric powerstation that is built 200m underground and reached via a 2km tunnel. The station pumps water through turbines from Lake Manapouri into Doubtful Sound to produce electricity for use at a distant smelting plant which supplies a huge quantity of high grade aluminium to the world market.

We spent the evening relaxing in our cabin. There are no lights around the farm so at night it was pitch black and deathly silent. On several occasions we stepped out onto our balcony just to listen to the silence... not something you get very often. We both got a bit of a fright when we heard noises near to our cabin; Bi made a bee line for the cabin and left Ash out on deck to investigate and he was relieved to find it was only a couple of horses walking around, munching on the grass! We have had a splendid two days, easily the highlight of our NZ trip so far.

Tomorrow we head south around the Southern Scenic Route, the southernmost point of New Zealand and the Catlins Coast.

Queenstown, Bungy Jumping and Shotover Jets!

On Sunday morning we headed south from Franz Josef, stopping at Lake Matheson for a short walk and views of Mt Cook, the highest mountain in New Zealand. Having seen some of the heaviest rain we had seen in years over the previous 24 hours, the weather had cleared up well and whilst still overcast it was dry and relatively clear. We drove back over the Southern Alps, this time via the suprisingly easy-to-drive Haast Pass to the small and picturesque town of Wanaka which had a distinctly Alpine feel. Here we walked a round circuit via the summit of the 540m high Mt Iron for superb views over Lake Wanaka, Lake Haewa and the Mt Aspiring National Park. In the late afternoon we arrived in Queenstown, so called 'Adventure Capital of the World'. The town is very touristy but beautifully situated on a lake with towering snow-capped mountains surrounding it. It was quite busy so after finding some accommodation we headed into town and booked activities for the following day. Ash booked himself onto the 134m Nevis bungy, the highest in New Zealand. Bi booked on as a spectator as she had firmly decided that she would draw the line at plunging off a small ledge with only an elastic band tied to her ankles! We also booked onto the 'Shotover Jet' for the afternoon, another must-do activity here in Queenstown.

This morning, Monday, we were at the AJ Hackett terminal by 9.45am and after a few paperwork and weighing-in formalities we boarded a bus for the 45 minute journey to the Nevis Highwire Bungy. The platform is suspended across a deep river canyon with the river running approximately 150m below. As we were both going out to the platform we were both harnessed up and weighed again. Bi was also weighed in case she decided to change from being a spectator to a jumper. We got into a small cage that took us out to the mid-point above the canyon and transferred onto the platform. The jumps were carried out in order from heaviest person first. Before Ash knew it he was being harnessed up and attached to the bungy cord as the first jumper in our group of 10. It was a nerve-wracking moment. After being carefully tied in, Ash shuffled to the edge of the platform. Bi was shaking just watching! The hardest part was standing on the ledge with the huge drop below. The AJ Hackett guy lowered the bungy cord which felt like it weighed a ton and you could feel it pulling you off the edge. The instructor went 3-2-1 and..... Ash stayed on the platform! A moment later he jumped and woohoooed all his way on the 8.5 seconds freefall to the bottom, only 20m above the canyon floor, before bouncing half-way back up and then doing it all over again. He was still 'woohooing' at the bottom! It all happened very quickly and the rebound wasn't nearly as bad or as much of a jolt as it looks. It was awesome and Ash had a huge grin on his face being reeled back up into the platform.

By this point Bi looked nervous. She had decided that if she was ever going to do a bungy, this was the place to do it and it was now or never! She bravely signed up and then because she was the lightest person in the group she had to nervously wait for the next 40 minutes watching before it was her turn... last of all! Feeling nauseous and terrified Bi was strapped to the bungy cord and shuffled out onto the platform edge. They say don't look down but curiosity means you can't help it and it is terrifying and after a few looks down Bi packed it. The AJ Hacket guide did a few countdowns..3...2..1.... and when Bi still didn't move from the platform both him and Ash did a bit of gentle coaxing. This all happened over about 15 seconds and then Bi just plunged herself off the platform.... nothing graceful, no outstrestched arms or swan dives like Ash had done, just pure terror and the reality that she should just go for it. It would only last 10 seconds and then be over and would be an experience to remember! Bi screamed like a baby all the way to the bottom but as soon as the bungy cord pulled her back up her arms were out waving and she was 'woohooing' at what she had just done!! After all that fear, she really loved it...the worst bit was taking the leap of faith off the platform but after that.. wow.. what a feeling!

Pumped with adrenaline and armed with our dvd's and our free t-shirts we boarded the minibus back to Queenstown where we grabbed a quick lunch and then checked in for our ride on the 'Shotover Jet'. We boarded another minibus and travelled 10 minutes out of town to a beatuiful canyon area. We were given waterproofs and lifejackets before boarding the jet boat. After a very short briefing the jetboat literally took off through the canyon, racing at speeds of up to 80kmh over inch-deep water in places and whizzing right up past the canyon sides. The driver would wave his finger to signal we were doing a 360 and we grabbed hold of the heated handrail (the only luxury but well needed as it was bitterly cold!) and then would spin the boat in a full 360 on the spot, spraying water and looking like we were going to stop by crashing into the sides of the canyon. After 20 minutes we were pretty cold and wet but it was great fun.

After our first ever bungy, and the highest one at that, we are treating ourselves to a celebratory dinner out tonight in Queenstown. Then it will be early to bed because we are both pooped from all the adrenaline!

Tomorrow we will drive the scenic route to Milford Sound.