Behana Gorge

It had been a couple of weeks since Kendall and I had been to the Gorge so we decided to head up there this afternoon and check out how big the waterfalls were particularly after the rainfall of the last couple of days. There were only a couple of vehicles at the carpark when we arrived. Obviously the ridiculously high humidity and heat we have been experiencing has proven to be a reasonable deterent. How I hate January in the tropics!

The first hill. What a killer!

Water was spilling over the causeways and it became a bit of a tricky manoevre trying to cross over without getting our feet wet!
Once the creek came into sight we were rewarded with fabulous views. The water level in the creek was really high and the water was gushing over the rocks creating a mystical mist. This is such a beautiful place.

Next up - "heartbreak hill". This is even tougher than the first hill- sustained agony! Every time I walk this track I wonder why I put myself through all this pain. However once at the top - the sense of achievement is totally overwhelming.

The New Mando

Great excitement today as Adam took delivery of his new Mandolin - a belated Christmas gift from Alan and I. He had been wanting a mandolin for some time now. His old mandolin (which he has had for a couple of years) was only a cheapie and continually was going out of tune when he played. I actually bid on one on Ebay over the Christmas break but it ended up going for more than I was prepared to pay. Adam did some research online and found this beautiful one in America. I ordered it on Christmas Day and he has been anxiously awaiting its arrival. You couldn't wipe the smile off his face when he finally opened the box and saw the quality and workmanship of the instrument. Can't wait to hear him play!

My Best Mates!

Matthew leaves tomorrow for Brisbane. The animals are all going to miss him so much.

Dolly P loves nothing better than riding "roughshot" on Matthew's back. In fact she has always loved to perch herself in this position irrespective of who it might be!

Micky and Buffy in their favourite position - they are such naughty dogs!

Matthew and his best mate Micky.

"I'm going to miss you Dolly P"

"I'm even going to miss you Dixie!

Christchurch to Cairns

Set the phone alarm for 3 a.m. but suffice to say we didn't manage to get any sleep! Caught the Sudima shuttle bus to the airport at 3.45 a.m. and therefore were third in line at the Pacific Blue check in line at 4 a.m. By the time we boarded at 6 a.m. and arrived in Sydney we were both pretty much in robot mode! Fortunately we didn't have to wait very long for our connecting flight and touched down in Cairns at 11.30 a.m. The humidity as we stepped out onto the tarmac hit us like a brick wall. It seemed hard to believe that 3 days earlier we had been freezing cold and shivering sitting on the deck of a catamaran on Milford Sound.
Loved New Zealand! I particularly loved the hospitality and friendliness of the people we met especially those in the small country towns. The scenery is spectacular - a postcard company's dream! Not surprisingly, Matthew's favourite part of the trip was race day at Waikouaiti.

For me, I would have to say that the trip from Geraldine into the Rangitata Gorge and Mesopatamia Station would have to be the highlight. Lunch in that tiny hut in the middle of a beautiful valley with snow capped mountains all around is something I will never forget. I kept looking over my shoulder expecting to see Gollam appear at any moment. Truly a magical experience........

Arthur's Pass

We awoke to a blustery and rainy morning in Hokitika. The wind was whistling across the Tasman and as I went to check out the receptionist told me that the road we had travelled up yesterday from Haast to Fox glacier had been closed due to flooding. Fortunately the highway to the east was open however I expected it was going to be a very wet and dismal trip across Arthur's Pass to Christchurch.
To be perfectly honest I had been both "dreading" and "looking forward" to this last leg of our trip for some time. "Dreading" because I am an extremely anxious passenger particularly when travelling up steep mountain ranges and "looking forward" because I had read so much about this journey and seen pictures of the viaduct and magnificent scenery. I knew it was going to be something special. As we headed east from Hokitika the rivers and waterways we crossed were all running a bunker and the rain was teeming down. All along the side of the road there were small waterfalls and riverlets coming down off the mountains. Although the visibility was very low we still managed to get a good look at the countryside. As we started climbing my nervousness started to escalate particularly when I saw signs like "Warning - extremely steep ascents" and "Road not suitable for towing vehicles". OMG - I'm sure we're not going to make it! To his credit Matthew did an excellent job in traversing this tricky road and we were rewarded with outstanding views. What an amazing engineering effort the construction of this road. After one final very steep ascent and drive across the viaduct (with waterfalls spraying out above one of the tunnels) we finally saw the sign for Arthur's Pass. Whew! We had made it. It was absolutely pouring by this stage as we pulled into the Arthur's Pass cafe for a late breakfast. I felt so sorry for a bedraggled and wet Kea which was taking shelter on the cafe railings. After a coffee and pannini we were ready to continue on with the journey. The trip through to Springfield was stunning as we traversed beautiful valleys and then climbed around magnificent mountains. Finally we were on the Canterbury Plains - flat ground thank goodness! We arrived in Christchurch around 12.30 p.m. and managed to find a parking spot close to Hertz. As the car wasn't due to be dropped off until 4 p.m. we decided to have a bit of a look around the Mall. We were both very impressed with what we saw of Christchurch and would have liked the opportunity to have spent a bit more time in this beautiful city.
Dropped the car back to Hertz and then got a taxi to the Sudima Hotel at the airport. We had to be up at 3 a.m. the next morning for our 6 a.m. flight so figured it would be best to have an early night.

Queenstown to Hokitika

The following is Matthew's contribution to our NZ Road Trip blog.

I realise that this may sound as if I’m a tad spoilt. For I could easily understand if tourists were to find the drive along the west coast from Queenstown to the seaside town of Hokitika to be truly one of the majestic drives to be seen on the planet. Yet while meandering our way through the natural beauty on display I couldn’t help but think that at what point are their just too many lakes!!! Sure they look beautiful the first time and even after the second, third and fourth they are still good. But after seeing our 63rd lake on our 6 hour drive today I couldn’t help but think that I had seen enough lakes to last a lifetime and I for one was just a little bit over them.
We left Queenstown this morning at around 9.00am. I was still a little bit crook as the previous day on our trip out to Milford Sound I suffered the worst case of motion sickness that I have suffered almost bringing my heart up in the Novotel bathroom.
I for one was happy to be leaving the tourist mecca of Queenstown. I found the place a very superficial town that has completely sold itself out to tourism. Whilst for some, particularly those who have an interest in extreme sports I could see that the town would be a drawcard yet for me personally, I would honestly rather spend 3 nights at the Great Northern Hotel in Gordonvale.
I tried to make the journey as quick as possible and that meant limited stops. As I looked in the rear view mirror I tried valiantly to escape the cavalcade of caravans and Camper Vans with their “I love New Zealand” stickers emblazoned on their bumpers. However we were unable to escape as a much needed fuel stop required a short stopover in the town of Wanaka. Upon stepping into the local cafe I was able to get a good indication of the type of town that it is. Tourists spilled into the cafe all demanding their mocha soy latte’s and gluten free lentil soups. All I wanted was a toasted ham and cheese sandwich yet in the entire town couldn’t find a place to service my needs. Instead, was confronted by cafe after cafe trying to outdo each other with bizarre organic menus to service the silver tails that frequent this lakeside town.
After settling on a packet of chips from the service station I escaped the town as quickly as I could. The drive was a picturesque one. The lakes are stunning and I did find it fascinating the contrast in terrain that exists in this country simply by travelling a couple of 100km’s. But after a day of being violently ill and 6 days surrounded by forest and lakes I probably couldn’t fully appreciate it as much as I should.

We got into the seaside town of Hokitika at around 3.00pm. The town was a lot quieter then the ones that we had become accustomed to and I for one was relieved to be in a town where I couldn’t see one novelty sheep souvenir, "I love New Zealand" shirt or silver fern bath towel. The so called beautiful beach however wasn’t what I would consider to be world class with the colour reminding me more of the champion Lloyd Williams stayer “Efficient” being a steely grey in appearance. I decided a quiet Indian curry was in order and I found the local curry shop. Being tired from the long drive I decided to get it to Take Away. Upon returning to the Hotel Room I was disappointed to discover that I wasn't provided with any cutlery. This then meant a walk to the local supermarket to purchase my own army of plastic knives and forks to last a lifetime. The meal eventually was very good.
A pleasant little town and a short stopover as we headed for the last leg on our journey through to Christchurch.

Milford Sound

We were collected bright and early at 7.15 a.m. by Keith and Mayumi from the Bar B Que bus for our full day trip to Te Anau and Milford Sound. Had no idea that Milford Sound was so far from Queenstown however at least it gave Matthew an opportunity to view the sights enroute without having to concentrate on driving. Matthew was completely oblivious to what Milford Sound actually was? In fact he thought we were off to some sort of music festival....(Obviously geography is not a strong point!) Anyway, as the bus made its way along the shores of Lake Wakatipu towards Kingston, Keith provided an excellent commentary on not only the history of Milford Sound but also detailed information on the local flora and fauna. As we had come to expect, the views in this part of the island were spectacular. After about 3 hours we drove into Te Anau on the banks of Lake Te Anau. This was to be our morning tea stop and we were directed to a fantastic little pie shop just around the corner from our bus stop. The pie shop was doing a roaring trade so we figured the pies must be pretty good - and they were! The weather in Te Anau was starting to look a little bit gloomy however we were optimistic that it would improve as we got closer to Milford. After our morning tea stop we were back on the bus again heading into the Fiordland National Park. What an amazing place! Stunningly beautiful - majestic snowcapped mountains, fast flowing rivers and fields of beautiful lupins. Fortunately there were plenty of "photo stops" along the way and I was so pleased that I had charged the camera batteries the night before. At around 12 noon the bus pulled into a picnic area and whilst Keith and Mayumi set up the bar b que we set off on a half hour bush walk on a very well marked loop bush track.
Magnificent moss covered trees, ferns and sounds of native birds - it was a great opportunity to stretch our legs and immerse ourselves well and truly in this natural paradise. By the time we arrived back at the picnic site - lunch was sizzling away on the bar b que and salads etc. were ready to be served up. It was a great experience - a bar b que picnic in the most beautiful surrounds.
After packing up we headed further into the National Park and as we did the scenery became more and more alpine looking and unfortunately, more and more drizzly. Snow drifts on the sides of the road and remnants of recent avalanche activity. By the time we reached the Homer Tunnel the rain was coming down quite heavily and whilst we waited for the green light to enter the tunnel we watched the antics of a couple of Kea perched on the roof of a small car near our bus. Most destructive!

By the time we arrived at Milford Sound at 2 p.m. the rain was pouring down and it was looking very miserable (and cold). However I figured this was the 8th Wonder of the World and we might never get an opportunity to see it again, so Matthew and I perched ourselves on the top open deck of the catamaran and (literally) weathered the elements. Waterfalls everywhere! Even in the rain and mist this was a truly magical place. We also managed to see a couple of fur seals perched on a rocky outcrop and on the way home were followed by 5 dolphins. Amazing!
At 4 p.m. we boarded the bus for the long trip back to Queenstown. The day would have been absolutely perfect if it weren't for Matthew experiencing the most dreadful travel sickness on the way home. He made good use of the brown paper bags placed strategically in the bus seat pockets - which we were to find out later were not exactly "water proof". Luckily my spray jacket carry bag was - so I was able to avoid a potentially embarrassing situation. "This is the reason you travel with your Mum" says Matthew.....

Exploring Queenstown and Surrounds

Left the Novotel early this morning (and let Matthew have a sleep in!) to explore the foreshore and Queenstown Gardens which are just a little bit along from Marine Parade. It was a brisk morning was hardly a tourist to be seen. So different to yesterday afternoon when Marine Parade was "wall to wall" tourists. Queenstown is set in a stunningly beautiful part of New Zealand however it is very commercialised. Perhaps this is what tourists are looking for however for me it has certainly detracted from the natural beauty of the city. The plants and trees in the gardens are just beautiful. Huge Himalayan oaks and row upon row of rose bushes. I feel embarrassed to even admit that I tried to grow roses in the tropics after seeing the proliferation of roses in New Zealand. Within the gardens there are a number of huge boulders with the names of mountain climbers (obviously from the area) who have lost their lives on Mount Everest. There are also memorials to Antarctica explorers. By the time I walked through the gardens and down to the foreshore there were a number of early morning joggers and walkers making their way around the various tracks around the lake.
Checked out an old boathouse on the edge of the lake which had been converted into a restaurant and this is where Matthew and I had breakfast. Matthew decided on the eggs Benedict and salmon and I had the best omelet I think I have ever tasted.
After breakfast I decided to take a wander up through the Queenstown shops before embarking on a 12 noon cruise on the vintage steamship TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Farm.
Fabulous trip on this lovely old steamship although it was very rough. Lucky I remembered to pack the ginger tablets! It was about an 2 hour round trip and on the way back there was a lady playing piano in the main saloon area on the upper deck. There were printed song sheets available however there were only a couple of people game enough to sing along. We definitely needed Matthew there - particularly when she started playing Loch Lomond. Arrived back in Queenstown about 2p.m. Matthew met the boat and we then went uptown for some lunch. Everything is extremely expensive and very much geared to the tourist market.
Decided to take a drive to have a look at the Queenstown Cricket Grounds - again, don't know how we would have been able to find it without Sat Nav. From there, we continued onto to Arrowtown which is a quaint little township just north of Queenstown. Arrowtown was a former gold mining town and the streetscape has retained the look of the 1880's. Very pretty place although, again very touristy! Dragged ourselves away from the Remarkable Sweet Shop and then headed back to the Novotel.
Early night tonight as we are being collected at 7.15 a.m. tomorrow for our trip to Milford Sound.

Queenstown

Left Geraldine this morning and headed down the highway to Queenstown. Unfortunately the weather was drizzly and cloudy we still managed to get a good look at MacKenzie country and were impressed with what we saw. Only problem was that the radio stations kept dropping out (much to Matthew's frustration!) and we were well and truly sick of listening to Lord of the Rings! "We have to get another CD" - perhaps we might be able to pick up one at a servo along the way.
We had contemplated making the turn off to the Mt Cook National Park however with the low cloud and misty conditions there would have been no chance of being able to see the mountains. So we decided against it and headed on into Lake Tekapo. Even in the drizzly conditions the fluorescent blue of the lake as we came over the rise into the township was stunning. The outside temperature had dropped considerably from when we left Geraldine but we braved the conditions to be able to get photos of the Church on the lakeside as well as the monument commemorating the contribution made by collie dogs in the sheep industry in the district. Checked out a couple of servos for a new CD - but no luck. Oh well, we will have to listen to Matthew's repertoire of 70's power ballads!


Passed by a number of salmon farms and were on the lookout for a place that Andre in Geraldine had told us about which had the most wonderful cooked salmon for sale. We thought it would make a good (early) lunch stop - however we either missed it or perhaps it was a turn off that we didn't see. Called into Twizel and the rain was coming down heavily by now. No CD's!
Wet and cold we continued down the highway passing by a number of smaller townships until heading through the stunningly beautiful Lindis Pass. I can only imagine what this place must look like in the winter with the snow on the hills. All along the side of the road were wildflowers - lupins I think? The countryside was starting to change and becoming much more alpine looking. It wasn't long before we were travelling alongside the magnificent Lake Dunstan. The colours were again fluorescent - must be something to do with the sediments in the bottom of the lake. From Cromwell we headed down the highway with the magnificent Kawarau Gorge on our left hand side. Pretty scarey!
Arrived in Queenstown (after a short detour to Arrowstown enroute) about 1.30 p.m. and found our way to the Novotel. Thank goodness for Sat Nav!

Middle Earth and More!

Experienced the most amazing day! This morning we were collected at 9 a.m. by Andre from 4x4 New Zealand (based in Geraldine) and enjoyed a full day tour of Mt Peel and Mesopotamia Stations as well at the stunningly beautiful Rangitate Gorge region. Words and pictures do not do justice to the views we saw today. It truly was a privilege to have been able to visit this awesome country. At Mt Peel station we visited the tiny Holy Innocents Church and walked among the gravestones of many former station employees and their families. So many graves of young babies and children as well as sons who lost their lives in the First World War in Gallipoli and France. Andre's knowledge of the early settlers in this region and his various stories about how land was acquired and the struggles endured by the early day pioneers was extremely informative. I got a real sense of the isolation experienced by these early settlers and learnt how they lived and survived.
We then headed onto Mesopotamia Station and enjoyed morning tea at the quaint (former) Mesopotamia School. The muffins and biscuits made by Andre's wife were delicious!
Along the way the scenery just seemed to get better and better as we traversed the many valleys that meander through the Canterbury Mountains. We crossed snow fed braided rivers, tussock covered hills and were dwarfed by towering mountains with amazing vistas all around.
Onward deeper into the Rangitata Gorge we visited the regions where "Edoras" stood and "Helms Deep" appeared in the Lord of the Rings. We saw where the "Fellowship" tried to cross the Misty Mountains and "Aragon" road his horse from Edoras to Helms Deep.
After traversing a track high up along the side of a mountain we finally arrived at tiny hut nestled in the most beautiful valley where we enjoyed the best salad rolls and caramel slices. Again, thanks to Andre's wife Kirsty!
This truly was a unique alpine wilderness safari totally devoid of tourists and souvenir shops. It must be one of the most amazing places on earth.
We arrived back at the Scenic Route Motel at about 6 p.m. still awestruck by what we had experienced.

Waikouaiti Race Day

Checked out of the Cable Court about 10.30 a.m. and then headed north to Waikouaiti for the annual New Year's Day Races. Wasn't too sure about where? Waikouaiti was however Sat Nav was able to take us there with no problems whatsoever. So far on this trip, Sat Nav has proved invaluable. The countryside enroute to Waikouaiti was very hilly and green with alpine vegetation including large pine trees and firs. The weather was perfect - hot and sunny. As it turned out it was only about a 45 minute trip and before we knew it were driving through the tiny hamlet of Waikouaiti. We found the sign post to the races and at the end of the street looked straight ahead and saw the picturesque Race Track. What an amazing setting for a country race meeting. Luckily we were early to arrive to we parked the Corolla on the top of the hill (after paying the $5 entry and receiving 2 free bottles of water - bargain!) and then walked down the hill onto the track. The day proved to be a real family affair with various rides and activities for children as well as racing for the adults. Before the races started we had a bit of a wander around looking at the various stalls and local produce which was available for sale in a country market type atmosphere. I purchased some of the best cherries I have ever tasted from the Otago "Big Fat Cherry Company". I don't think I will ever eat Australian cherries again. Aside from the cherries we also had some wonderful "Lamb burgers" with the most fantastic tomato relish!
We purchased our local Betting Guide and then settled back to see if we could pick a couple of local winners. It ended up being a wonderful day - I managed to back 4 winners and 4 placegetters from the 10 race card and Matthew backed a couple of winners in Auckland. However my memories of the day would have to be the way it was promoted as a real family day out. It was also amazing to see how people brought their dogs along to the meeting! There were dogs of all shapes and sizes - all well behaved and all enjoying the day at the races with their owners. I have also never seen so many sunburnt people in one place at the end of the day! I think there would be some extremely "sore" people come Saturday. I guess hot and sunny days like that would be pretty rare in this part of New Zealand.
After the races we headed north to Geraldine which turned out to be a 3 hour trip. Beautiful drive along the coast with the ocean on our right hand side most of the way. The car was buffeted with strong gales as we headed out of Timaru and at times Matthew found it difficult to keep it on the road - but he did an excellent job. We were very happy to finally arrive at the Scenic Drive Motel in Geraldine after another long day.