NB: Firstly, apologies for the resending of the India Post! Please disregard. (I am having lots of frustrating tech. issues with this App.)
"Aliens used to live here!" Ben often said as we made our way around New Zealand. And I understand where he is coming from. This is Lord of the Rings land and the South Island especially does look like Middle Earth...
We made our way down the east coast of the North Island to the capital city of windy Wellington, cruising on perfect roads, scraping the coast and stopping for the best pies in the land. We enjoyed a wonderful day in the city before seeing Mum off on an early flight at "stupid o'clock" (my sisters description for un-godly early!). We reached the inter-islander car ferry early too and settled in for the four hour North to South Island crossing into the majestic Marlborough Sounds.
We spent three days exploring the incredible West Coast and all its majestic beauty. A wind swept coastline that winds precariously around native bush and a wild ocean. The famous Coast Road is one of the most beautiful in the country and is ranked by Lonely Planet as "one of the best scenic coastal journeys in the world". I would agree. We stopped alot, suddenly swerving into gaps on the side off the road, just so we could take it all in. Not a town in sight for miles and miles, the first day we drove off the beaten track a couple of hours to reach a seal colony tucked away near Cape Foulwind. It was a wonderful morning in our "classroom" of the world!
The heaving swells of the Tasman sea have carved the coastline of the West Coast for millions of years. Nowhere is the effect on the landscape more spectacular and profound than at Punakaiki. The pure power of the sea as it surges into sea caves and regularly blasts sea spray high out of blowholes is incredible. The strange and mysterious Pancake Rocks there kept my camera busy. This large, heavily eroded limestone formation literally looks like thousands of pancakes stacked on top one another. Very cool.
We made our way down the coast to Hokitika - Jade country, where the mountains rise up out of the sea. On this beach, surrounded by bizarre yet delicious, artsy driftwood pieces and gorgeous stones and rocks of all sizes and colours - if you are lucky enough to strike a clear day, snowy mountain peaks can be seen in the distance. So serene, so remote... so breathtaking. After calling into several accomodation options, we finally settled upon a well appointed holiday park right on the beach, that provided quaint and character filled small log cabins. Another home for the night.
BTW, options for a bed for a night while travelling NZ are the following:
. Campervans (my choice had we not had family to stay with for most of our trip. I had serious "Campervan Envy" while travelling the roads of NZ. It was quiet season, but still, the roads, lookouts and holiday parks were littered with them. All sizes, all colours of van and all demographics behind the wheel. Next time I visit - this will be my preferred mode of transport/accomodation. With "Freedom Camping" being so accessible - this is THE way to travel New Zealand.) .
. Motels - average price is about $160 per night, not including breakfast, wifi or anything aside from a little milk in the fridge for tea, so often way out of our budget.
. Hotels - for another time...
. Backpackers - lots of great ones! But often for the three of us, not much cheaper (and alot louder!) than the next option ..
. Holiday Parks - our preferred choice. Holiday parks in NZ are amazing. Not at all like a "trailer park", NZ holiday parks have an option for all travellers. Part motel, part camp ground, park hotel complex ... most properties are well well equipped with great facilities for kids with pools, hot tubs, playgrounds, laundry and BBQ facilities, sometimes restaurants and bars, free or cheap wifi ... and great rates.
. Campervans (my choice had we not had family to stay with for most of our trip. I had serious "Campervan Envy" while travelling the roads of NZ. It was quiet season, but still, the roads, lookouts and holiday parks were littered with them. All sizes, all colours of van and all demographics behind the wheel. Next time I visit - this will be my preferred mode of transport/accomodation. With "Freedom Camping" being so accessible - this is THE way to travel New Zealand.) .
. Motels - average price is about $160 per night, not including breakfast, wifi or anything aside from a little milk in the fridge for tea, so often way out of our budget.
. Hotels - for another time...
. Backpackers - lots of great ones! But often for the three of us, not much cheaper (and alot louder!) than the next option ..
. Holiday Parks - our preferred choice. Holiday parks in NZ are amazing. Not at all like a "trailer park", NZ holiday parks have an option for all travellers. Part motel, part camp ground, park hotel complex ... most properties are well well equipped with great facilities for kids with pools, hot tubs, playgrounds, laundry and BBQ facilities, sometimes restaurants and bars, free or cheap wifi ... and great rates.
Before we headed inland bound for beautiful Queenstown, we hiked up to the Frans Joseph Glacier. This river of ice plunging down through rainforest to almost sea level is a true wonder of nature. "In the last ice age the glacier extended in a huge ice- sheet to beyond the present coastline. Today echoes of its frozen past are still apparent in the landscape. The terminal face of the glacier is less than 300 metres above sea level. Today this glacial fed river has aggregated as bulldozed debris from the glacier have been washed downstream by rainfall (6 metres a year!) As you drive along the West Coast Road you will see rivers smokey blue water. This glacial silt is evidence of a glacier high in the hills." www.glaciercountry.co.nz.
Breathtaking.
Breathtaking.
I am so loving travelling with my boys still. We are having such a blast. (If I had my way, we would buy the Hippie Van (pictured above) and travel indefinitely). We sing out loud as we cruise in the car and we discuss the meaning of life. Yes they fight in the car and all over the place for that matter.... (I have found myself pulling them out of the car en-route to cool them down on more than one occasion!). Yes, we have days when we are exhausted from all the moving about ... but for the most part, we are loving each and every moment. I am so very proud of them ... and I remain grateful for all the wonderful experiences we are able to fit in to one day!
Love this home of mine! Next Post: Into the mountains .... the majestic Queenstown.