NZ South island
Friday Wellington 7th April
At last a good New Zealand city.
This place is compact and buzzing,
it even has night life with the streets full of people till all hours.
Saturday 8th April
The city is also quite pretty with the hills sweeping down to meet the sea and a few skyscrapers squashed in before it does.
I went to the national musium which in spite of NZ not having too many years of history manages to be quite interesting with well presented displays suitable for children.
I got the up hill cable car up to the botanic gardens which has great views over the city and walked back to town.
In the evening it was rainy so I didn`t even take advantage of the night life. NZ is more of an early to bed and early to rise kind of country to travel in anyway, with 10am check out time and plenty of scenery to see before the sun sets at around 6pm.
Sunday 9th April
I got the ferry to the south island today.
Lots of pretty scenery on both sides.
As you reach land on the south island the ferry continues to sail inland through flooded river vallies for about an hour more. This area is called the maralborough sounds and is really pretty with forested hills decending intertwined with the sea. The ferry reaches a little town called Picton. I got a hostel with vast dorms and a diving pool, so went for a swim in the evening.
Monday 10th April Picton
I went for a walk down one of the shorter peninsulas, really pretty.
A Brazilian girl that staying in the hostel is interested in sharing a car rental for a few days, so it looks like my hitching days are numbered. If shared renting a car in NZ is cheaper then getting the bus and alot more flexable.
Tuesday 11th April
We shoped around for a car in the morning. We ran into a french canadian who was interested in sharing the cost of a lift in the direction that we were going so we picked him up in his hostel and headed off towards Nelson.
We stopped every couple of km to take another scenic photo. Well we were on the "scenic road".
Finally we reached Nelson where we stopped for for fish and chips, it`s the national dish don`t you know.
We continued on to a town called Motweca where we stayed the night in a hostel with free apples, always a different perk in these hostels.
Wednesday 12th April Able Tasmen park
Today we went for a walk in the Able Tasmen national park. This the smallest of NZs national parks would still take three days to walk accross. We limited ourselves to a one day walk with a boat ride back. The park is a beutiful mix of native bush and idilic beaches, it really looks tropical with all the ferns and palms, but the temperature is a bit autumnal. Still can`t complane about the weather, fine dry and sunny days.
Thursday 13th April
Today was a driving day.
We drove as far a Greymouth still stopping at many scenic locations on the way.
We stopped to see a seal coloney at cape foulwind near westport. Cute creatures on a stunning coastline.
We also stopped to see the "pancake rocks".
This is an interesting erroded area of coast with cool rock formations cliffs and blow holes.
Many other stops also at stunning coastal locations, scenic views and lookout points are conviniantly signpoasted here.
Everything is layed out to be easy to use for tourists.
Friday 14th April
We drove up to the Aurthur Pass today.
This is one of the few roads accross the mountains from the east to the west coasts of the south island.
The Brazilian girl had her first glimps of snow.
We stopped at the highest point for a day of walking and mountain climbing.
We reached the snow line and continued through the snow to the top.
Tough enough climbing and great fun sliding back down in the snow.
We drove back to the coast and stayed in a town called Hokitica, I am the official driver.
Saturday 15th April
We continue
d south along the coast to the Franz Joseph glacier.
We came close enough to running out of petrol as stations are few and far between and we came accross two closed ones in a row. It`s amazing how unpopulated it is here. What is marked on the map as a village is only and handfull of houses.
We walked to see the glacier, it`s cool, i`ve never seen a glacier before.
Sunday 16th April
We drove down the road to see the Fox glacier, also really cool both literally and metaphorically.
You can drive to within about a 45 minuite walk of the glaciers down the vally created by previous advances.
Then you can walk right up to the glacier face. Here you can see an ice cave where the glacier is melting with a river flowing out. Every so often a bit of ice or rock falls off. After a bit of walking you can even walk on the glacier itself. Really cool.
Monday 17th April
Another driving day today.
It`s remarkable how few people there are living on the west coast of the south island.
Since going south of Hokitica the only towns are the twins of Franz Joseph and Foxes glaciers which only exist to cater for tourists and have a shop and petrol station each.
We expected Hast to be a town but it turns out that it has a population of less than 500 living in three different locations, really it`s a chance to refuel. We passed a sign with "Sheedy" on it so I stopped and met two New Zealand Sheedys, Kevin and Roy, two batchelors in their sixties.
The scenery was amazing with loads of national park and trees.
We got as far as Wanaka passing through the Hast pass and two beutiful lakes.
Tuesday 18th April
Today we went to the Mt. Aspiring national park.
This is at the end of a 50km dead end road.
It was like walking in a moving landscape portrait, really amazing and remote.
At last a good New Zealand city.
This place is compact and buzzing,
it even has night life with the streets full of people till all hours.
Saturday 8th April
The city is also quite pretty with the hills sweeping down to meet the sea and a few skyscrapers squashed in before it does.
I went to the national musium which in spite of NZ not having too many years of history manages to be quite interesting with well presented displays suitable for children.
I got the up hill cable car up to the botanic gardens which has great views over the city and walked back to town.
In the evening it was rainy so I didn`t even take advantage of the night life. NZ is more of an early to bed and early to rise kind of country to travel in anyway, with 10am check out time and plenty of scenery to see before the sun sets at around 6pm.
Sunday 9th April
I got the ferry to the south island today.
Lots of pretty scenery on both sides.
As you reach land on the south island the ferry continues to sail inland through flooded river vallies for about an hour more. This area is called the maralborough sounds and is really pretty with forested hills decending intertwined with the sea. The ferry reaches a little town called Picton. I got a hostel with vast dorms and a diving pool, so went for a swim in the evening.
Monday 10th April Picton
I went for a walk down one of the shorter peninsulas, really pretty.
A Brazilian girl that staying in the hostel is interested in sharing a car rental for a few days, so it looks like my hitching days are numbered. If shared renting a car in NZ is cheaper then getting the bus and alot more flexable.
Tuesday 11th April
We shoped around for a car in the morning. We ran into a french canadian who was interested in sharing the cost of a lift in the direction that we were going so we picked him up in his hostel and headed off towards Nelson.
We stopped every couple of km to take another scenic photo. Well we were on the "scenic road".
Finally we reached Nelson where we stopped for for fish and chips, it`s the national dish don`t you know.
We continued on to a town called Motweca where we stayed the night in a hostel with free apples, always a different perk in these hostels.
Wednesday 12th April Able Tasmen park
Today we went for a walk in the Able Tasmen national park. This the smallest of NZs national parks would still take three days to walk accross. We limited ourselves to a one day walk with a boat ride back. The park is a beutiful mix of native bush and idilic beaches, it really looks tropical with all the ferns and palms, but the temperature is a bit autumnal. Still can`t complane about the weather, fine dry and sunny days.
Thursday 13th April
Today was a driving day.
We drove as far a Greymouth still stopping at many scenic locations on the way.
We stopped to see a seal coloney at cape foulwind near westport. Cute creatures on a stunning coastline.
We also stopped to see the "pancake rocks".
This is an interesting erroded area of coast with cool rock formations cliffs and blow holes.
Many other stops also at stunning coastal locations, scenic views and lookout points are conviniantly signpoasted here.
Everything is layed out to be easy to use for tourists.
Friday 14th April
We drove up to the Aurthur Pass today.
This is one of the few roads accross the mountains from the east to the west coasts of the south island.
The Brazilian girl had her first glimps of snow.
We stopped at the highest point for a day of walking and mountain climbing.
We reached the snow line and continued through the snow to the top.
Tough enough climbing and great fun sliding back down in the snow.
We drove back to the coast and stayed in a town called Hokitica, I am the official driver.
Saturday 15th April
We continue
d south along the coast to the Franz Joseph glacier.
We came close enough to running out of petrol as stations are few and far between and we came accross two closed ones in a row. It`s amazing how unpopulated it is here. What is marked on the map as a village is only and handfull of houses.
We walked to see the glacier, it`s cool, i`ve never seen a glacier before.
Sunday 16th April
We drove down the road to see the Fox glacier, also really cool both literally and metaphorically.
You can drive to within about a 45 minuite walk of the glaciers down the vally created by previous advances.
Then you can walk right up to the glacier face. Here you can see an ice cave where the glacier is melting with a river flowing out. Every so often a bit of ice or rock falls off. After a bit of walking you can even walk on the glacier itself. Really cool.
Monday 17th April
Another driving day today.
It`s remarkable how few people there are living on the west coast of the south island.
Since going south of Hokitica the only towns are the twins of Franz Joseph and Foxes glaciers which only exist to cater for tourists and have a shop and petrol station each.
We expected Hast to be a town but it turns out that it has a population of less than 500 living in three different locations, really it`s a chance to refuel. We passed a sign with "Sheedy" on it so I stopped and met two New Zealand Sheedys, Kevin and Roy, two batchelors in their sixties.
The scenery was amazing with loads of national park and trees.
We got as far as Wanaka passing through the Hast pass and two beutiful lakes.
Tuesday 18th April
Today we went to the Mt. Aspiring national park.
This is at the end of a 50km dead end road.
It was like walking in a moving landscape portrait, really amazing and remote.
posted by conor at 11:39 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home