New Zealand July - August 2006 tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-06-20:/blog/?domain=kev-marie 2006-08-08T15:47:49Z kev-marie img/travel-blog-feed.png milford sound tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-08-08:/blog/?domain=kev-marie&thisblog_entryid=15&entryid=19469 2006-08-08T15:47:49Z 2006-08-08T15:47:49Z Milford Sound is a truly spectacular sight and the boat cruise is the only way to experience it. However there is nothing else to do there (at the sound) other than the boar cruise and if you are not going further south than Te Anua it is a long journey (even though it is just a short hop west from Queenstown as the crow flies). However it is a must as the journey from Te Anua to Milford Sound is ... Milford Sound is a truly spectacular sight and the boat cruise is the only way to experience it. However there is nothing else to do there (at the sound) other than the boar cruise and if you are not going further south than Te Anua it is a long journey (even though it is just a short hop west from Queenstown as the crow flies).

However it is a must as the journey from Te Anua to Milford Sound is one of the most spectacular that we undertook in the whole of NZ. The lakes you pass, the tall mountains on each side capped with snow, the avalanches of snow and rock that have (come) crashing down to try and bury the road all the time, the crazy hole that heads straight down into the mountain that they call a tunnel, etc makes this a truly exciting road trip.

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]]> wanaka or queenstown tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-08-08:/blog/?domain=kev-marie&thisblog_entryid=14&entryid=19467 2006-08-08T15:37:34Z 2006-08-08T15:37:34Z 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. ... 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

wanaka or queenstown remains copyright of the author kev-marie, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> travel by camper van tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-08-08:/blog/?domain=kev-marie&thisblog_entryid=13&entryid=19462 2006-08-08T15:10:42Z 2006-08-08T15:10:42Z 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 ... 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.

travel by camper van remains copyright of the author kev-marie, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> snowboarding tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-08-01:/blog/?domain=kev-marie&thisblog_entryid=11&entryid=18715 2006-08-08T15:29:03Z 2006-08-02T03:50:45Z The conditions at Cardrona are very good, lots and lots of soft powder. The road getting up and down is a bit scary, especially in our camper van but so far we have survided two days and still not had to use snow chains. It was a bit of a shock to the system on the first day as we had forgotten everything, couldn't even do a single turn. Am glad that we booked a lesson for ... The conditions at Cardrona are very good, lots and lots of soft powder. The road getting up and down is a bit scary, especially in our camper van but so far we have survided two days and still not had to use snow chains.

It was a bit of a shock to the system on the first day as we had forgotten everything, couldn't even do a single turn. Am glad that we booked a lesson for the first morning and by lunch time all was good again as it came back fast with the help of a bit of instructions.

Marie is doing great, much better already than by the end of last time at Whistler.

We have one more day of snow boarding tomorrow and then on Friday we will head even further south to the fiords, which promises to be really good at this time of year. Not sure of our journey from there though as we have already spent a day in Queenstown, and we were originally going to spend a night there on our way back up to Christchurch - will see how it goes.

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]]> what a spirit of national pride tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-07-29:/blog/?domain=kev-marie&thisblog_entryid=10&entryid=18415 2006-08-08T15:28:15Z 2006-07-30T05:25:42Z 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 ... 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).

what a spirit of national pride remains copyright of the author kev-marie, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> mnt ruapehu tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-07-24:/blog/?domain=kev-marie&thisblog_entryid=9&entryid=17986 2006-07-25T06:06:52Z 2006-07-25T06:06:52Z 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 ... 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.

mnt ruapehu remains copyright of the author kev-marie, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> half way down north island tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-07-23:/blog/?domain=kev-marie&thisblog_entryid=8&entryid=17844 2006-07-24T06:24:40Z 2006-07-24T06:24:40Z 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 ... 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

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]]> half-way there tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-07-20:/blog/?domain=kev-marie&thisblog_entryid=7&entryid=17470 2006-07-20T07:44:21Z 2006-07-20T07:44:21Z It all feels a little surreal; I have just taken an amazing shower at the airport and now I am sitting in a luxury lounge drinking cooldrinks on the house as I overlook the rooftop Sunflower garden. Ok, so maybe we are behaving like soft spoilt brats forking over R120 each to spend 5 hours in a quite and comfortable lounge. But consider that for this we get to shower, use free internet (but then free internet is ... It all feels a little surreal; I have just taken an amazing shower at the airport and now I am sitting in a luxury lounge drinking cooldrinks on the house as I overlook the rooftop Sunflower garden.

Ok, so maybe we are behaving like soft spoilt brats forking over R120 each to spend 5 hours in a quite and comfortable lounge. But consider that for this we get to shower, use free internet (but then free internet is available throughout the airport) and drink and eat as much as we like. The food; fruit salads, pastries and cakes, sandwiches and cocktail stuff. And it's not like we can't afford it considering the city tour we went on this morning through Singapore, including a boat trip on the Singapore river, with a tour-guide giving us the rundown and history was free. A rather amazing place this and truly beautiful, they go to such trouble with the landscaping and layout.

Besides, we have gotten tired of the free massage chairs at gate E10 of terminal 2. But don't worry we wont do this on the return trip, for that we will be better prepared - we will bring our swimming costumes. For only R40 each we will spend the return transit in the rooftop pool of terminal 1 (if I can get Marie out of the spa baths that is).

We have been out onto two of the three public rooftop gardens at the airport and although truly amazing it is just too hot to be out there if you are not standing under one of the mist sprays. Mugy it is, but over and above the temp. is also high today.

Anyway, need to go and spoil myself - only have 4 hours left before the 10 hour or so leg to Aukland.

later

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]]> go tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-07-12:/blog/?domain=kev-marie&thisblog_entryid=3&entryid=16888 2006-07-18T13:58:32Z 2006-07-18T13:58:32Z I think we got a bit excited a little bit too early, which has really made the time drag till now – but the day is here and tomorrow we fly. I think how this is meant to work is that we regularly post updates here of where we have been and what we have seen, in order to make you all jealous. Being nice people though (and not wanting to hurt your feelings) I can’t promise that ... I think we got a bit excited a little bit too early, which has really made the time drag till now – but the day is here and tomorrow we fly.

I think how this is meant to work is that we regularly post updates here of where we have been and what we have seen, in order to make you all jealous. Being nice people though (and not wanting to hurt your feelings) I can’t promise that we will do this – internet cafes just aren’t going to be high on our list of must see places - and anyway it is just 3 weeks. We will however try to at least give you 1 or 2 entries; and maybe a photo if we are feeling especially mean.

later

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]]> get set tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-07-12:/blog/?domain=kev-marie&thisblog_entryid=2&entryid=16836 2006-07-17T14:59:02Z 2006-07-12T14:41:17Z Ok, can’t guarantee that we will stick to this but this is the plan anyway. North Island Friday 21st July - arrive Auckland and spend the weekend there with friends Monday, travel around Taupo, including Wiatomo and Rotorua Tuesday, visit Tongariro National Park Wednesday, head on down to Wellington hello beautiful South Island Thursday 27th July, enter the Able Tasman National Park for 2 days Saturday, travelling down the wild cost spending the night at Hokitika Sunday, play on some glaciers on the way to ... Ok, can’t guarantee that we will stick to this but this is the plan anyway.

North Island
Friday 21st July - arrive Auckland and spend the weekend there with friends
Monday, travel around Taupo, including Wiatomo and Rotorua
Tuesday, visit Tongariro National Park
Wednesday, head on down to Wellington

hello beautiful South Island
Thursday 27th July, enter the Able Tasman National Park for 2 days
Saturday, travelling down the wild cost spending the night at Hokitika
Sunday, play on some glaciers on the way to Wanaka

let the snowboarding begin
Monday, Cardrona ski fields by day, Wanaka by night

continue with the South Island
Friday 4th August, make our way to Te Anau for the night, to be closer to Milford Sound for the next day
Saturday, Milford Sound and back to spend the night in Queenstown
Sunday, play on the slopes of Mt Cook
Monday, arrive in Christchurch
Tuesday, fly out from Christchurch with a short stop-over in Singapore to arrive in Cape Town on Wednesday 8th August

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