The final stretch

Hi again, it’s been awhile. Our last post was Day 15 from Nelson, exactly one week ago. Let’s catch up …

Days 17 & 18: Nelson

Most of our time in Nelson was spent walking and exploring the beautiful city. And eating, of course. 

One of our Nelson excursions was a visit to Kaiteriteri Beach. Golden sand and turquoise waters, a really hip vibe and lots of under 30’s camping and hanging out. We joined a couple from Scotland and paddled in tandem kayaks up the shoreline to Split Apple Rock and a swim.

Day 19 & 20: Te Rawa Resort

Our final day in Nelson took us to the Marlborough Straights (think wine country and Greenshell Mussel Farms) where we boarded the mailboat (yup, part of the NZ post office service) and cruised Pelorus Sound. We disembarked at Te Rawa Resort and spent a glorious 2 days enjoying a vacation from our travels. 

Te Rawa dock with mailboat. Skies cleared off & on

A “typical” view from our walk

There is not much to do at Te Rawa which is its exact stated purpose. Guests come to relax, unwind, read, hike the hills, commune with sheep, drink good beer and excellent wine and eat. We’re happy to report that we did all of those things! Our hikes were splendid, including the hills. Occasionally we ran into an obstacle of sorts as we made our way around the hills.

Guardians at the bridge 

Leaving Te Rawa was like saying goodbye to old friends knowing that you’ll likely never see them again. Back on the mailboat in a non-forcasted rainstorm, we eventually made our way to the village of Renwick where we spent the night at one of the most beautiful B&B’s we’ve ever had the pleasure of staying in. 

Day 22: Renwick

Anglesea House Inn was truly a tranquil retreat in the heart of Marlborough wine country. We joined our host Reshma for wine while she made dinner reservations for us at a local winery. In the morning we met the other guest couple from Israel and all 5 of us sat around the breakfast table enjoying a great “full English breakfast” and discussed both mid-east politics and US politics. 

 Day 23: Kakoura - Christchurch 

Upcoming tomorrow is our TransAlpine train journey from Christchurch to Greymouth & back followed by our final 2 days exploring Christchurch before heading home on March 4. 

New Zealand has met all our expectations and more. A wonderful place to visit and the perfect time of year. The South Island certainly deserved the full month; we could not have done it as completely with less time. 

We’ll try and send one final instalment before heading home. We have enjoyed sharing our travels with you and we hope that you have enjoyed joining us. ❤️ 

Rain, rain & buckets of rain

Days 13, 14 & 15

Day 13: Wānaka to Franz Josef Glacier

The last few days have been driving intensive with combinations of heavy rain combined with heavier rain. We did have a few timely breaks and managed to visit a Kiwi (bird not fruit) sanctuary and walk the Franz Josef glacier trail. Alas, no glacier to be seen.

Find the glacier

(Glacier is somewhere in the valley between the two mountains.) We both found it interesting that we have a glacier in our backyard that, perhaps, we will stop taking for granted.

Day 14: Franz Josef Glacier to Hokitika 

Another rain filled day of driving the wet west coast. Sunny breaks here and there gave us some nice rainbows and the highlight of the day was our visit to the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks.

The Pancake Rocks are part of a heavily eroded limestone formation where the ocean bursts through underwater channels and escapes via vertical blowholes. The rocks date back some 30 million years. 

Dinner was back in Hokitika, a cool beach town where anyone over 35 is looked at suspiciously.

Day 15: Hokitika to Nelson

Weather conditions repeat … but finally as we cross over the mountain passes and descend to the coast and Abel Tasman, skies cleared and temperatures began to warm. 

We arrived in Nelson to a warm, sunny and windy late afternoon. One of the first things that you will notice when arriving in Nelson is its vibrant downtown area and its arts & crafts scene. Nelson has been described as the “Naples of the Southern Hemisphere”. Dinner was shared small plates at the Urban Oyster Bar & Eatery, well worthy of a revisit at another time.

Tomorrow we plan on visiting Abel Tasman National Park for a hike and swim plus we have a kayak booked for the afternoon. Hopefully the afternoon winds will be kind and gentle. 

Day 16: Nelson (fun fact)

Nelson is the geographic centre of New Zealand.

We found the evidence when we reached the summit of Botanical Hill, a 6km walk from our accommodation.

Thanks for joining us on our travels! ❤️ 

Wanaka

Day 11 & 12

Our 2 full days in Wanaka were relatively low key with lots of walking, window shopping, eating and hanging out in our townhouse. Weather yesterday was hot (28c) but overnight rains helped bring today’s temperatures down to a more seasonable 23c. 

One of the most photographed trees in New Zealand is the “Wanaka Tree” …

In 2014, a photograph of the tree won the NZ Geographic photograph of the year and has become a social media celebrity with its own hashtag #thatWanakatree. To New Zealanders the tree is a symbol of resilience and determination. 

The B&W version of the photo perhaps is more reflective of its interesting characteristics. Its beauty lies in its inner strength more than in its external appearance. 

A few other photos taken in and around Wanaka …

Tomorrow marks the 1/2 way point of our New Zealand adventure. We are receiving regular updates from Gus (via Gillian). It reduces our stress levels considerably knowing that she - Gus - is in good hands and that they - Gus & Gillian - are getting along wonderfully well. 

Tomorrow we are off to Franz Josef Glacier, hoping that the rain currently falling there eases a little and the current high of 12c warms up a tad.

Tena koe ❤️

Te Anou & Milford Sound

 Day 9 & 10

Hmmm, we’re losing track of the day numbers. 

Day 9: Milford Sound

After a brief conversation with Info Centre staff we made the decision to drive from Queenstown to Te Anou and then go by bus to Milford Sound where we embarked on the overnight boat excursion into the fjords. 

This post is where photos do all the talking. As we learned, Milford Sound is not a sound but a fjord the distinction being that fjords have been carved out by slow moving glacial ice and filled with seawater. Sounds (i.e. Howe Sound) are river valleys that have been filled with seawater. The ship stopped at a small cove close to the entrance to the Tasmanian Sea where the waters had calmed and we were able to kayak and swim off the back of the ship. 

Following dinner it was all hands on the upper deck for an evening of star gazing and spotting the Milky Way.

Day 10: Milford Sound / Te Anou

We returned to dock and disembarked the ship at 9am where we were greeted by our bus driver Gordy for the journey back to Te Anou. 

The afternoon activity was a visit to the Glowworm Caves at Lake TeAnou. The caves are relatively young at 12000 years and have been sculpted out of limestone by underground waterfalls, swirling whirlpools and rushing waters. We were guided in complete darkness to a large grotto where the ceiling and walls are aglow with a sparking canopy of glowworms. This bioluminescent display is extraordinary. Unfortunately no photos were permitted so nothing to share in this post.

Weather has been amazing since traveling inland. Daytime highs hover near 28/29c and no humidity. Relatively cool evenings make sleeping comfortable (although we are both missing our own bed). 

We are off to Wanaka, Jude’s favourite spot on the South Island where we will hang out for the next three days. 

Happy Family Day weekend! Hope that you are all staying warm (or cool for Vaughn). ❤️ 

Picture perfect Queenstown

Day 7 &  8: Queenstown

There may not be a sufficient enough superlative to describe Queenstown and our visit here. Breathtaking scenery, a foodies heaven, hyper buy local, tourist-friendly and, in many ways, enchanting. 

Our Day 6 highlight was the visit to Glenorchy and Paradise. Glenorchy’s spectacular landscapes have been a prime location for some “minor” films of late including the entire LOTR trilogy, The Hobbit and Narnia. A short 20 kms away from Glenorchy, lies Paradise more famously known by its other name Isengard and the Wizards Vale. Today, Paradise maintains a healthy population of sheep, shepherds and Aussie Shepherds. 

Day 7 was “be a tourist” day which we conducted in true Canadian style. First we walked around Queenstown Gardens (think mini Stanley Park), followed by an adventure up the gondola to take in the incredible views of the city centre and lake. 

We finished the day with an exquisite meal in Arrowtown at AOSTA. Aosta is an alpine valley in Italy very similar in climate, flora, fauna and soil to Central Otago. The restaurant produces a fresh sheet daily; those who chose to dine at Aosta can never be quite sure what the menu will look like. No worries though, it was a taste adventure. You can see today’s menu here …

Tomorrow morning we will say goodbye to our lovely B&B hosts, Dan & Mitzi. They have been wonderful hosts and their B&B truly sublime. (Editorial note: I’ve been looking for the perfect opportunity to throw in “sublime” :)). We are off to Milford Sound in the morning and our overnight boat cruise up the fjords. More superlatives coming up.

In the meantime thanks for tagging along and Happy Valentine’s Day. With love ❤️ P &J 

Queenstown

The one (& only) time that The Rolling Stones played Invercargill, Keith Richards described the city
as “the arsehole of the world”. Maybe a tad harsh but it does have a reputation. More people asked us why we stopped in the city than suggested we had made a good decision.

Day 5: Invercargill

Day 6: Invercargill - Queenstown

A rainy morning, overcast afternoon and rainy evening provided us with lots in incentive to lay low although we did spend the better part of the day walking around the beautiful Queens Park where we met Henry the 150+ year old tuatara (reptile). Henry became a father for the first time after he turned 115. Something to be said for reptile life.

Invercargill’s current claim to fame is its reputation as a hotbed for motorcycle enthusiasts. Local hero Burt Munro who inspired the movie “World’s Fastest Indian”, was also the inspiration behind Invercargill’s reputation as a motorcycle mecca.

Day 6: Invercargill - Queenstown

Today we moved from southern coastal to the southern alps. Stunning mountain terrain, lush green valleys and beautiful Lake Wakatipu. Think Lake Okanagan without the cottages and traffic. We are at the base of The Remarkables, New Zealand’s premier ski destination. 

Our accommodation for the next 3 days in Queensland is The Ferry B&B, a charming 150 year old former hotel and pub, now a 3 suite bed & breakfast. 

Activities in Queenstown are virtually unlimited. Lots of great walks, hikes, swimming spots, gravel/trail cycling along with the best of big city options. We will include a visit to Arrowtown and begin our search for Middle Earth and LOTR memories. 

Thanks for joining us on our adventure. Stay tuned ❤️

The Catlins

 If someone had just plopped us down in the middle of the our journey over the last 2 days, we might have sworn that we were in the Scottish highlands, right down to the thousands of sheep dotting the landscape. 

Day 2: Oamaru - Dunedin

Day 3: Dunedin - Invercargill

Not much to say about Dunedin. Maybe because it was a Saturday. Dunedin is well known as a university city but we saw no life in the city at all. Dead quiet streets, run down storefronts and absolutely not a single coffee shop open after 2pm. On the plus side, we finagled a great price at the “poshest” hotel in the city and had a magnificent dinner at one of NZ’s most highly rated restaurants “Moiety”. Check it out at https://www.moiety.restaurant/

Serendipity played a role in our adventure from Dunedin to Invercargill. Our server at Moiety suggested that we visit “The Catlins” and take the scenic route rather than the SH1 highway. Stunning scenery with km after km of winding, hilly 2-lane roads, traveling through small villages and surfer hangouts. We couldn’t help but think about what this road would look like on a bicycle! 

Highlights included a short hike to “The Nuggets” and a stop at the petrified forest at Curio Bay. Walking on petrified trees that are over 180 million years old has a way of making you feel somewhat less significant in the grand scheme of things. 

The Nuggets

Curio Bay (Yellow eyed penguin colony & petrified forest)

The next 2 days are in Invercargill, just a little more like Scotland. We will have an opportunity to breathe, do some laundry and catch up on reading & maybe an afternoon nap. 

In the meantime stay tuned. New adventures await ❤️

Little Penguins

We had forgotten just how far New Zealand is from British Columbia, yet upon arrival in Christchurch, how close we really are. The comfort of being “close to home”. 

Thanks to Air Canada and their schedule change we were able to spend 10 hours in Australia while en route to NZ. Since we were hanging out in Sydney for more than 8 hours we needed to apply for a “visa” ($20 Australian) which arrived electronically to our phones less than 5 minutes later. We both felt remarkably awake and alert following a 16 hour flight and jumped on the train at the airport direct to Circular Quay for a photo with the iconic Sydney Opera House, followed by a HopOn-HopOff bus tour and lunch by Darling Harbour.

We arrived in Christchurch at 1:30am local time, picked up our rental car before settling in for a short sleep at Sudima Hotel, a mere 500 metres from the airport. Not quite far enough to become comfortable driving on the left hand side of the road :)

New Zealand Day 1: Christchurch to Oamaru

Not quite the summer temperatures of Sydney, Oamaru was chilly 18c (think Victoria, BC) and windy. Just like home! Our accommodation - Braemar House - is a 3 suite inn originally build in the 1800’s and lovingly restored by the current owners. 

The Oamaru highlights however is the local craft beer scene and a mandatory visit to view the NZ little penguin habitat. 

Stay tuned. More adventures await. ❤️