On Saturday, Ben and Paula drove us from Auckland to Piha, a small town on the west coast of the northern island. Piha is a small surf town lining a black sand beach known for its massive waves - a bit of the “wild” coast. Although the weather was quite rainy, we had a fun lunch and afternoon there, driving into a national park, eating steak & cheese pies in Piha, and witnessing a surf rescue boat competition in the stormy waters at the beach. We stopped for a coffee and some dessert in Titirangi on our way back to Ben and Paula’s apartment and enjoyed some time relaxing before heading downtown Auckland to celebrate Christopher’s birthday. Ben and Paula treated us to a delicious dinner on Saturday evening, which ended with some drinks and dancing in the Viaduct (bar) area of Auckland.
Stop en route to Piha with Christopher, Ben, and Paula
On Sunday, Paula and Ben took us to Paula’s home on Waiheke Island, an island located about 30 minutes away via ferry and known for its locally produced wine. Paula grew up on Waiheke, and her parents still live in an AMAZING home on top of a hill, overlooking vineyards, olive groves, the ocean, and the Auckland skyline in the distance. Mrs. Saward treated us to a wonderful lunch of quiche, salad, rolls, and banana cake, and we drank some of the wine made from the grapes they grow on their own vineyard. It was certainly a special way for us to spend Christopher’s birthday, and we both appreciate the warm hospitality that the Sawards showed to us.
After lunch, Ben and Paula took us on a tour of the island, walking through the national park located minutes from Paula’s home, strolling along the beach, and stopping in the Cable Bay winery for an afternoon coffee/wine. Upon returning from the ferry, we met two of their friends for a yummy Korean dinner before heading home and crashing early.
With Paula at her family's home on Waiheke
Christopher's Birthday Cake
View of Auckland from Waiheke FerryOn Monday morning, Christopher and I set off for our two week journey around the south island. We flew into Christchurch, a town on the eastern coast, and immediately took off on the road traversing the island. We drove about 6-7 hours on Monday, crossing over to the west coast with a stop in Arthur’s Pass for lunch. Within an hour of leaving Christchurch, we were in the middle of arid mountains, which gave way to more lush peaks the further we traveled. We were in awe of the scenery – every bend in the road seemed to bring us something even more outstanding. After driving west for about 4 hours, we took a left and started south down the coast. Never before had I seen such an undeveloped beach – miles and miles of the sea with no developments, no buildings, no condos, nothing. It was refreshing to see such a pristine coast, and Christopher and I took a last minute detour to the beach of Okarito. Supposedly, there are only 30 permanent residents in the town, which lines the coast and had some of the roughest surf I’ve ever seen – surf that was clearly lethal should you choose to swim. I even feel confident in my swimming ability and knew at first glance that I was no match for the Arctic waters. Neither Christopher nor I took many pictures at Okarito – a town with no commercial stores other than a couple of tour companies – because we’re not sure either of us could capture the pleasant surprise of our unexpected stop.
Caution - Kiwi Crossings (on the road returning from Okarito Beach)
We arrived in the town of Franz Joseph Glacier (aptly named after the glacier located a few km from town) and made a needed pit stop at the grocery and at the local tour office. While we had intended to just visit the peaks of Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier the next day for a look, we ultimately decided to sign up for the half day trip that took us up onto the face of the Franz Josef Glacier. It was a fantastic decision, and on Tuesday, we spent the morning hiking up and around the raging river (apparently normally much more of a “bubbling brook”), over a couple of rock hills (with the help of ladders, chains, and ropes), and up onto the terminal face of the glacier after attaching crampons to our hiking boots. The total tour lasted over 5 hours and is one that I would highly recommend to anyone visiting New Zealand. It was just so cool to actually be walking on a glacier! Our guide carried an axe pick, which he would use to clear the path up the face of the ice formation, and we stopped throughout the climb to snap pictures of the glacier, the countless waterfalls in the surrounding hills, and the mountains that had been formed by the movement of the glacier hundreds of years prior. It was difficult to not be overwhelmed by our surroundings, and we left the trip feeling satisfied and pleased with the decision to take the tour. On my next visit to New Zealand (note that I’m already intending to return), I intend to save some money to do the helicopter tour trip that promises views of both glaciers and Mt. Cook – as well as a drop onto higher altitudes of the glacier for hiking.
Walking to the Terminal Face of Franz Josef Glacier
Hiking up Franz Josef
We departed the glaciers on Tuesday afternoon and drove to Wanaka, a ski town on the edge of Lake Wanaka that provided a look of the “Southern Alps” and several good hiking trails. The drive through the Haast Pass was incredible, complete with more mountains, blue lakes, and breathtaking sites around every bend. We stopped multiple times to hop out to take photos and were even more pleased when we arrived in Wanaka to find a quaint town, a nice budget lodge, and some good food options. Dinner was at the Speight Ale House, with a drink afterwards at Shooters (the local bar), before heading home.
We had a coffee in town on Wednesday morning and walked around a bit before driving to Mt. Aspiring National Park. We had been told that the drive through the valley to the park was quite nice, and it delivered on the promise. Not only did we have more great views of the scenery (note that this is becoming a constant for each day of our trip), but we drove past several sheep farm and even forced our way through (thanks to Christopher’s honking) a herd of sheep blocking the way. We set out on a 3 hour (return) hike through the Rob Roy Valley from the Raspberry Flats parking lot, walked across a swing bridge, up a series of switchbacks, and were afforded with views of the Roy glacier, waterfalls, and mountain peaks surrounding us. We ate a quick lunch of PB&J sandwiches sitting on the rocks in the valley, then packed up and headed back down.
Just another stunning view on our drives...
Feeling on top of the world in New Zealand
Wouldn't be a trip without some sheep-siting!
Hike into the Rob Roy Valley - view of glaciers
New Zealand scenery
We arrived back in the town of Wanaka and walked around for a bit before heading back to our lodge for dinner. After dinner, we were intending to watch some movies on my computer when we started chatting with a Kiwi couple – Matt and Tonia. They had spent about five years working in London (working and saving to travel – then traveling 3-4 months a year), before returning to Auckland for Tonia to attend law school. They had great travel stories, and we enjoyed talking with them about New Zealand and getting a much-needed explanation of cricket. They were so kind to pass along their contact information and an invitation to meet up for a drink when we arrive back in Auckland.
After a leisurely morning in Wanaka on Thursday, we started our drive to Te Anau, a small town in Fiordland and the jumping off point for Milford Sound. You may have heard of Milford Sound previously, as it’s known for its glacier-carved mountains plunging into the water and for its four day hike popular with tourists. Although we didn’t have enough time to do the Milford Track, we had been told by a Kiwi in one of the Wanaka shops about the Milford Wanderer, an overnight boat cruise that allows you to stay out in Milford for an evening, inclusive of kayaking trips and food. We managed to book at the last minute for the trip and were excited by our good fortunate that the tour had available spaces.
Our drive to Te Anau went through farm lands and vineyards, with small fruit stands lining the road advertising the fresh peaches/cherries/berries/etc for sale. We arrived in Te Anau early yesterday afternoon and walked around part of the lake to the Wildlife Park that had some native birds on display. We then wandered around town (a small town, so the wandering was brief!) before finding our way to the cinema, where a local helicopter pilot shows his 30-minute movie of fiord scenery taken over the past few years. It was so nice to zone out a bit in a movie theater, and we left feeling relaxed and excited about our trip into Fiordland.
We made a cheap spaghetti dinner back at the hostel, which happened to be affiliated with the Youth Hostelling Association. Unfortunately, I think the “youth” part of the YHA had been long forgotten, because there were many more older people there than young travelers. Christopher even renamed it the “Geriatric Hostel,” a much more appropriate name for the accommodation. As much as we tried, we couldn’t avoid overhearing the discussion of health issues and how to use a computer (“no jeane, just left click on that…”) and finally threw in the towel. We left the hostel and picked up a couple of other women around our age who also seemed eager to break out for a bit. Turns out that the other women were also American travelers, and we enjoyed chatting with them about their lives back in Boston and LA. We also met two Aussies at the bar, cousins from Melbourne, and Christopher now has a buddy to do the bungee with in Queenstown (I’m just entirely too scared). Turned out to be a great evening and a good escape from the loud crowd at the YHA.
Friday, we woke to pouring rain – after a break over the last few days, it appears that the rain was back to accompany us to Milford. Although we intended to hit the road early to stop for hikes along the way, we opted out of that plan and postponed our departure to later in the morning. The drive included a 1.2 km tunnel downhill and switchback roads with countless waterfalls spilling off the side of the mountain. 
Walking to the Terminal Face of Franz Josef Glacier
Hiking up Franz Josef We departed the glaciers on Tuesday afternoon and drove to Wanaka, a ski town on the edge of Lake Wanaka that provided a look of the “Southern Alps” and several good hiking trails. The drive through the Haast Pass was incredible, complete with more mountains, blue lakes, and breathtaking sites around every bend. We stopped multiple times to hop out to take photos and were even more pleased when we arrived in Wanaka to find a quaint town, a nice budget lodge, and some good food options. Dinner was at the Speight Ale House, with a drink afterwards at Shooters (the local bar), before heading home.
We had a coffee in town on Wednesday morning and walked around a bit before driving to Mt. Aspiring National Park. We had been told that the drive through the valley to the park was quite nice, and it delivered on the promise. Not only did we have more great views of the scenery (note that this is becoming a constant for each day of our trip), but we drove past several sheep farm and even forced our way through (thanks to Christopher’s honking) a herd of sheep blocking the way. We set out on a 3 hour (return) hike through the Rob Roy Valley from the Raspberry Flats parking lot, walked across a swing bridge, up a series of switchbacks, and were afforded with views of the Roy glacier, waterfalls, and mountain peaks surrounding us. We ate a quick lunch of PB&J sandwiches sitting on the rocks in the valley, then packed up and headed back down.
Just another stunning view on our drives...
Feeling on top of the world in New Zealand
Wouldn't be a trip without some sheep-siting!
Hike into the Rob Roy Valley - view of glaciers 
New Zealand sceneryWe arrived back in the town of Wanaka and walked around for a bit before heading back to our lodge for dinner. After dinner, we were intending to watch some movies on my computer when we started chatting with a Kiwi couple – Matt and Tonia. They had spent about five years working in London (working and saving to travel – then traveling 3-4 months a year), before returning to Auckland for Tonia to attend law school. They had great travel stories, and we enjoyed talking with them about New Zealand and getting a much-needed explanation of cricket. They were so kind to pass along their contact information and an invitation to meet up for a drink when we arrive back in Auckland.
After a leisurely morning in Wanaka on Thursday, we started our drive to Te Anau, a small town in Fiordland and the jumping off point for Milford Sound. You may have heard of Milford Sound previously, as it’s known for its glacier-carved mountains plunging into the water and for its four day hike popular with tourists. Although we didn’t have enough time to do the Milford Track, we had been told by a Kiwi in one of the Wanaka shops about the Milford Wanderer, an overnight boat cruise that allows you to stay out in Milford for an evening, inclusive of kayaking trips and food. We managed to book at the last minute for the trip and were excited by our good fortunate that the tour had available spaces.
Our drive to Te Anau went through farm lands and vineyards, with small fruit stands lining the road advertising the fresh peaches/cherries/berries/etc for sale. We arrived in Te Anau early yesterday afternoon and walked around part of the lake to the Wildlife Park that had some native birds on display. We then wandered around town (a small town, so the wandering was brief!) before finding our way to the cinema, where a local helicopter pilot shows his 30-minute movie of fiord scenery taken over the past few years. It was so nice to zone out a bit in a movie theater, and we left feeling relaxed and excited about our trip into Fiordland.
We made a cheap spaghetti dinner back at the hostel, which happened to be affiliated with the Youth Hostelling Association. Unfortunately, I think the “youth” part of the YHA had been long forgotten, because there were many more older people there than young travelers. Christopher even renamed it the “Geriatric Hostel,” a much more appropriate name for the accommodation. As much as we tried, we couldn’t avoid overhearing the discussion of health issues and how to use a computer (“no jeane, just left click on that…”) and finally threw in the towel. We left the hostel and picked up a couple of other women around our age who also seemed eager to break out for a bit. Turns out that the other women were also American travelers, and we enjoyed chatting with them about their lives back in Boston and LA. We also met two Aussies at the bar, cousins from Melbourne, and Christopher now has a buddy to do the bungee with in Queenstown (I’m just entirely too scared). Turned out to be a great evening and a good escape from the loud crowd at the YHA.
Friday, we woke to pouring rain – after a break over the last few days, it appears that the rain was back to accompany us to Milford. Although we intended to hit the road early to stop for hikes along the way, we opted out of that plan and postponed our departure to later in the morning. The drive included a 1.2 km tunnel downhill and switchback roads with countless waterfalls spilling off the side of the mountain.
We spent the afternoon out on Milford Sound aboard the Milford Wanderer, a large ship that was to provide accomodation for the evening. We had a break in the weather for a kayaking trip in the sound, which was certainly a highlight of the overnight voyage. The trip provided great food and a first hand look at more of the Sound than that which we would have ordinarily received on a 2-hour tour.
Christopher kayaking in Milford Sound
Christopher and I disembarked the boat this morning and departed Milford for Queenstown, where we're stay for the next couple of days. It looks like a pretty fun place and is known for its adventure sports, which we're contemplating. It promises to be an exciting few days here before we head back to Christchurch and head back to the north island later this week.
3 comments:
Cassill - Bill wants to know if you've seen any Hobbits yet? Your pics of New Zealand are just gorgeous. Happy travels!
Schwie
Becky, you had me laughing out loud with your description of the "geriatric" hostel! I love the story about "left click"! New Zealand sounds gorgeous! -Catherine
What an amazing country! What a special place for Chris to have a birthday! Now I'm wanting to time my next birthday to be at Paula's parents' house.......
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