South Island Road Trip Day 12, 13 and 14 Methven to Nelson via Hamner Springs

From Sunny Methven we headed towards Hamner Springs where a very happy afternoon was spent in the thermal pools. Then onwards towards Nelson to meet up with a travel buddy I first met in Malaysia

South Island Road Trip Day 11 - Aoraki Mount Cook to Methven via Lake Tekapo

We wake up at the campsite at Mount Cook at take a walk to the view point for the Tasman Glacier

South Island Road Trip Day 10 - Waikouati to Mount Cook via Moeraki Boulders, Lake Waitaki and Lake Pukaki

South Island Road Trip Day 9 - Milton to Waikouati via Dunedin and Otago

We drove out the Otago Peninsula and were lucky enough to spot seals, penguins and royal albatros

South Island Road Trip Day 8 - Invercargill to Milton via The Catlins

You could probable spend a couple weeks in the The Catlins there are so many places to explore along the way. There is lots of rain again today so we spend more time in the camper than we would have liked. However we did manage to spot a few penguins and seals along the way as well as squeeze in a quick walk to Slope Point which is the southern most point of the South Island. 

South Island RoadTrip Day 7 - Hollyford to Invercargill via Milford Sound

Off to an early start despite needing a jumpstart as somehow the headlights got left on overnight leading to a flat battery. 

The Homer Tunnel on the way to Milford Sound

We are pretty unlucky with the weather but then Milford Sound does have a reputation for rain and is the wettest inhabited place in New Zealand

South Island Road Trip Day 6 - Kingston to Hollyford via Five Rivers and Te Anau

We stay overnight in a campsite in Kinston and then after a stop in Te Anau we head up towards Milford Sound. There is a quick detour to rescue a farmer how has got his truck stuck in the mud and we hear about the ridiculous number of cows and sheep that he has on his huge farm. The night is spent in Hollyford and we are really grateful that we are not under canvas as the rain is intense

South Island Road trip days 4 & 5 - Queenstown

We stop for a couple of days in Queenstown and while Owen is busy getting his adrenalin fix jumping out of a plane, I spend the day relaxing by Lake Wakatipu

South Island Road Trip Day 3 - Lake Paringa to Queenstown via Wanaka and Cardrona Valley Road

Our second night of camping was spent at Lake Paringa, It is a beautiful place to wake up 

South Island Road Trip Day 2 - Okarito to Lake Paringa via Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers and Lake Matherson

After quick explore along the coast at Okarito we head onto Franz Josef where we are hoping to catch a Helicopter ride to the top of the glacier. 

South Island Road Trip Day 1 - Christchurch to Okarito via Arthur's Pass and Hokitika

We pick our little camper van from Jucy. It is pretty compact and has a kitchen in the boot. 

Christchurch

Owen, A friend from home, has flown over to New Zealand and we have hired a little camper van for a two week road trip on the South Island. But first we have a day to explore Christchurch

Wellington to Picton to Christchurch

There is bit of a stressful start to the trip from Wellington to Christchurch. I am booked on the 9am ferry, for the three hours crossing to Picton where I am due to catch the 12.45 (Naked) bus to Christchurch. There is a shuttle bus from Wellington Station to the ferry terminal and I arrive in good time and join the assembled travellers wait for its arrival. Only it doesn’t arrive, a man eventually arrives to tell us that that it has broken-down and they are looking for a replacement, but not to worry, the ferry will not leave without us. The minutes tick by and I get more and more anxious. My chilled out travelling ways of Asia seem to have been replaced by the stress of the western world. As we approach 9am and the ferry’s scheduled departure time more and more people are giving up on the bus and jumping into taxis. I eventually give in and join some others in a taxi. I feel better once I am on the ferry but it leaves about an hour late and so for the whole crossing I am anxious that the bus will go without me and I will be stuck in Picton for the night when I have a bed booked in Christchurch. I needn’t have worried as the bus waited for the ferry as otherwise it would have left empty and I finally arrive in Christchurch at 6pm.

The crossing is pretty uneventful, but the views going into Picton are worth braving the windy, miss-named Sundeck. And the highlight of the drive down to Kaikoura is the bus driver spotting some seals sunbathing on the rocks and stopping the bus to let us all hop off and see them.

Wellington

From Rotorua its down to Wellington for my last stop on the North Island. Another strange dorm room and a day to explore the capital on foot. Along the waterfront and up to the views from Mount Victoria, then over to the botanical gardens and towards parliament.

Rotorua and Wai-O-Tapu

And so back onto the tourist bus. I am off to Wai-O-tapu to see the Lady Knox Geyser go off to the well rehearsed spiel of the guide. This is followed by a rushed walk around the geothermal features in the park to get back to the bus in time for the ride back to Rotorua. The park is actually well worth a visit, it is incredible to see the unique characteristics of the changing landscape. 

Tokorangi Pa track - Whakarewarewa Forest.

A pleasant day spent ‘naked’ bussing from Phihia to Rotorua via Auckland, happily chatting to a Swiss girl I met on the Cape Reinga trip.

Another hostel error and I end up in a mixed dorm room much to my displeasure. Still on the bright side I am able to get lots of advise on things to do in Rotorua from my new roommates. Another NZ$60 spent and I have booked a tour for the next day.

As for today, I catch a bus out to the Redwood woods.  I am greeted with an information board listing 7 or 8 walks, I opt for the Tokorangi Pa track, an 11.5km/3hrs 30 mins walk.

After the walk past all the Redwoods and the initial assent up to 500 meters I continue to follow the purple arrows until they completely disappear and I am left to guess the route, luckily they do not disappear for too long as the track is completely deserted, most people choosing to take the shorter routes. Part of the walk is trough an area of pine trees that has recently been harvested and the landscape is bleak and impressive at the same time. Onwards to the site of an ancient Maori Pa and some less ancient carvings. And then the endless walk back to the visitors centre at the start. I still have some energy from somewhere and walk back to the hostel.

Bay of Islands - Paihia to Opua

My second day in Paihia and we get beautiful sunshine which is good as I am desperate to get out of the hostel which is full of hung over children who are just waiting to get drunk again. Note to self... do more research before booking hostels.

 I choose to take a walk along the coastal track to Opua which is about 6km.  It is a pretty deserted route which is heavenly after the chaos on the bus yesterday and the crowds at the hostel. It is a really pleasant walk round bays and past, wading birds and mangrove trees.

A very grey Ninety Mile Beach and Cape Reinga

Having made the decision to travel to Paihia, I really have to travel to the northerly most point of New Zealand, Cape Reinga and its promise of seeing the Tasman Sea meeting the Pacific. I have had to book a tour to take this trip. The tour is excellent but at over NZ$100 I can already tell that my budget is going to take quite a hit in New Zealand. Due to its popularity, the tour had to be booked in advance and because of this I was unable to check on the weather forecast.  Which is why I am standing in the wind and torrential rain waiting for the tour bus to pick me up outside or the tourist office at 7am.  

Arrival in New Zealand - First Stop is Auckland

I have said good bye to Australia and the comforts of the homes of the friends and family I stayed with there.  The reality of backpacking in New Zealand is very different to travelling in South East Asia. For one thing there are many more groups of Gap Year kids who are here to work and party and less solo travellers. Secondly New Zealand is predictably and significantly more expensive than Asia, this means that I have had to book my beds and busses a few weeks in, I no longer have the freedom to make it up as I go along as I did in Asia, and I no longer have the luxury of being able to move on immediately if I don’t like a town or a hostel.  I am now as far away from home as I am going to be and nearing the end of my trip, so despite the fact that I am desperately missing Asia I know I have to make the most of my month in New Zealand and not dwell on the things I cannot change.

The Beautiful Blue Mountains - Part Two

For my second day in the Blue Mountains I took the train to Wentworth Falls and walked the National Pass.

The Beautiful Blue Mountains - Part One

Springwood - Sassafras Gully and the Fairy Dell

Sydney

And so onto Springwood in the Blue Mountains to stay with my friend Michaela and her husband Steve. I arrive on Australia day, in time for a barbeque with Steve’s family and some friends. I alternate my days between visiting Sydney and heading further into the mountains.  It is a pretty idyllic place to live, balancing the best of all worlds, city life, town living and rural recreation. After a week of Michaela and Steve’s hospitality I am asking them to adopt me.  

First stop Sydney. I was last her 20 years ago, and even though I have seen them before I head straight to the iconic sights of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.