Jul 2006

NZ doesn't really have any resorts on the ski slopes so you need to stay in either Wanaka or Queenstown of you are going to visit one of the many slopes in this area. Which one I suppose depends on which slope(s) you are going to and what you are looking for (as some slopes are more or less equal distance from both towns).

We prefer Wanaka as it gives more of that ski town / resort feel. It is for smaller and cosier and has a good vibe. I also found the setting slightly more beautiful. If however you are looking for more action then Queenstown might be your bet as they have the bungy, jet boat, gondala etc (which is what makes them more of a tourist stop than just a ski resort). Of course it is very easy to pop over to Queenstown for a visit on your rest day, which is what we did.

The pass from Wanaka to Queenstown is spectaculiar with incredible views, but don't attempt during - or just after - snow as it could be closed (or very scary).

We are staying in a resort in Wanaka for the next 5 days while we snowboard so good to be out of the camper van for a bit. Also be nice to sleep in a real bed and not have to defrost our clothes in front of the heater each morning before we can put them on.

Need to go and climb in the spa now, later

9 days in and our first day of rain!! But it did try and make up for the all the sun we have had so far. Started the day from the West coast of the South Island at Franz Jozef and headed down for a bit before turning inland to Wanaka. This place (west coast of South Island) gets between 8 to 9 metres of rain a year! Rain has stopped now and looks to be clearing so should be all set for the snowboarding tomorrow on fresh powder (rain down here means snow up there !!!)

Every little town we go through is known for something in NZ. They each have their little bit too be proud of. Either they have the longest single-lane bridge, or the second-biggest lake on the south island, or the most photographed tree etc... (so can get rather obscure, but they idea is great).

Yesterday I flew over the Franz Jozef glacier by helicopter. Landed on it and walked around between the huge blocks of ice - and even crawled through a 5m long tunnel. Amazing experience and the only way to truly understand (and hear) the tremendous forces at play here. If you are going to visit the glaciers then I would recommend Franz Josez over Fox Glacier. Not only is Franz Jozef more spectacular, but it is also easier to get close to and experience by car and foot. The town and accomodation at Franz Jozef is also far better (nothing happens at Fox).

Left Taupo this morning and made our way to mnt Ruapehu. Spent some time sliding down the slopes on a piece of plastic. Weather has been fantastic so far, we have been very lucky and hope it holds. In fact we have heard it is better than Cape Town.

Changed our plans a bit today and made our way to the west coast to Whanganui so that we have a shorter journey to Wellington tomorrow - this will give us more time to explore Wellington.

Auckland is a truly beautiful city, I could so live here. Spent a day travelling up the east coast, some amazing beaches and coves.

Left Auckland today and made our way down south to Taupo via all the volcanic activity at Waitopu - words can't describe it, you will have to wait for the photos.

First night in our motor home tonight (read basic converted Toyota HIACE) so we will most likely freeze. At least I will since I have wet feat after just stepping into the pool.

running out of internet time
cheers

Travelling through NZ by camper van is a good and affordable option. There are many camper / caravan parks in all areas throughout both the North and South islands, but do yourself a favour and only stay at the Top 10 resorts (your camper van people should give you a map of all these resorts). Should only cost you between $25 - $32 for a powered site plus 2 people per night. We only stayed in Top 10's, but what we have seen (did look at another one) and heard from other travellers, they are by far superior.

Also get yourself a Top Ten Card on your first night; costs $30 but gives you 10$ discount at each Top Ten resort as well as other attractions in each location. Most importantly the Top Ten Card will also give you 10% discount on the ferry crossing between the islands which can cost anything up to $300. Book your ferry crossing as soon as you can as the price goes up all the time the closer it gets to your date of crossing.

There are lots of camper van providers in NZ. We used Eazy Rentals, but I would not recommend them or use them again. They basically have an ageing fleet of converted Toyota HIACE's, the problem being the ageing. The performance is really bad and as a result the fuel consuption is nowhere near what it should be (or promised), which more than negates the fact that they are the cheapest. Also the bedding provided is nowhere near adequate for the temps in NZ, we would have seriously frozen if we had not also brought along our own good quality sleeping bags (I highly recommend this regardless of who you use).

In addition the service was not very friendly, which is very abnormal for NZ, and we had to push them to meet some conditions they promised on their website and within the contract.