NZ South Island
Arriving in the Marlborough Sounds at the northern tip of the South Island we made our way onto the deck to check out the incredible views.
We disembarked the ferry and made our way into the town of Picton for supper, afterwards we went for a play in the park (never too old!). The park was also the perfect place to admire the evening light across the sounds.
We had a dolphin watch tour booked for the morning, a generous gift from our first HelpX hosts, Guy and Lou. We made an early start and arrived at the marina only to find that the tour was cancelled due to low numbers, disappointed and deflated we drowned our sorrows with pots of tea and racks of toast at the local cafe.
On the bright side this did mean we had gained half a day on our already tight time frame for the south island so we didn't hang around after breakfast.
From Picton we headed west, along the north coast and towards Abel Tasman National Park.
Our first stop was a viewpoint high above Tasman Bay, the far reaching views especially impressive on this clear day.
We drove over a high pass, which the van wasn't too impressed about, and down into Takaka Valley
Next up was a place simply named 'The Grove' which didn't give much away, what we found was incredible, The Grove is a maze of unique limestone formations hidden amongst primordial rain forest where the vines and strange trees climb and twist between the rocks. The only thing missing was the dinosaurs!
The next morning was also an early start due to road workmen working near our camping spot, we made our escape and set off to Te Waikoropupu Springs, the clearest spring in the world, the visibility has been measured at 76 metres! The spring is of significant importance to the Maori people and strict restrictions are in place to maintain this place of beauty, zero interaction with the water is allowed.
After enjoying the tranquillity of the springs we took off on a long drive over to the west coast, our mission was to get to Pancake Rocks before last light, we just about made it!
The limestone rocks are another unique geological formation created 30 million years ago. We had been told that there were impressive blowholes here at high tide, we didn't get to witness those in action but we greatly enjoyed the sound of the waves deep inside the caves creating huge deep booms which shook the rocks beneath us.
Once the light had faded we made our way to our chosen camping spot for the night, yet again besides a river. The site itself wasn't anything particularly special but what greeted us in the morning was what dreams are made of. Facing another morning of bland Weet-Bix for breakfast we discovered that we had been joined by a food trailer which was serving coffee and freshly made pancakes!
Bellies full of pancakes we explored the local beach and caves, across the river on an old rickety bridge.
We then continued down the west coast to Okarito where we spotted the rare White Herons and made camp for the night.
The next day was off to a poor start as we woke up to low cloud and drizzle, not ideal when we were driving past beautiful mountain ranges.
We stopped in Franz Josef where the day got worse when we received a parking ticket (it turns out parking against the flow of traffic costs $40 a go). We didn't do the full walk to the glacier as the rain was torrential and we don't have sufficient waterproofs with us.
After drying off we continued our journey south, breaking up the long drive with a stops at Bruce Bay and Ship's Creek.
Then a further stop at Roaring Billy Falls just before last light.
We arrived at our camping spot after dark so had no idea of our surroundings, in the morning all was revealed and we gawped at the stunning snow capped peaks around us.
After breakfast we stopped at a few more waterfalls, enjoying the walks in the morning sunshine, a much welcomed improvement on the previous 4 or 5 days.
A stop for brunch was a great spot nestled between spectacular peaks with an overview of the valley.
Before lunch we paid a visit to the Blue Pools, a location famed for spectacularly clear and deep turquoise water running into the Makarora river from a small tributary.
The drive to our lunch stop was alongside the northern end of Lake Wanaka giving fantastic views of the mountains flanking the lake.
We continued towards the town of Wanaka, passing alongside the rest of Lake Wanaka and then Lake Hawea stopping at several points to take in the incredible views.
Upon reaching Wanaka we stumbled upon 'Puzzle World' which looked like too much fun to miss. Inside was a huge collection of puzzles and illusions of all sizes, we spent an hour exploring the wonders on offer which included a slanted house, hall of faces and more optical illusions that you can shake a stick at.
We ate some delicious food from a little collections of food trucks in central Wanaka as we couldn't face cooking then headed towards Cromwell for a quiet spot to camp. Yet again we found ourselves camping by a river, this time the Clutha River in Cromwell Gorge.
In the morning we had breakfast whilst enjoying the views of the river and watching a local rowing club training on the water.
Next we headed to Queenstown, enjoying the views along the way. Queenstown itself was tourist town, as we had no plans to bungee, jet boat, skydive or heli-tour at this point we gave it a wide berth and continued our drive down to Lumsden.
For the following day, as a birthday treat for Mike we had booked a sea kayaking trip on Doubtful Sound, Milford Sound's quieter and more remote counterpart. We were due a very early start as the journey to Doubtful Sound included a 1 hour drive, a 1 hour ferry and then a 1 hour coach ride! We visited an American themed diner with possibly to coolest counter we've ever seen for a great supper and then headed to bed before dark.
At 5am the next morning we dragged ourselves out of bed and hit the road, the hour drive took us to Manapouri Lake to meet the ferry. Once boarded onto the small ferry we loaded up with caffeine and settled in for the journey, enjoying the views in the morning light.
We disembarked the ferry at the far end of the lake where our coach was waiting, we hopped on and took our seats for the next hour leg to the Sound.
As we climbed up Wilmot Pass we also climbed into the cloud, Doubtful Sound has its own weather system where cloud and rain are the norm, it receives up to 6 METERS of rain per year.
Despite the low cloud the views were incredible, we felt we had been transported to an untouched and prehistoric world. Hundreds of meters above us we spotted a waterfall cascading from within the clouds.
Arriving at the Sound we were swarmed by sandflies (small biting flies which slowly drive you to the brink of madness) we gave up trying to swat them away as we changed into kayaking gear.
We set off onto the dark, glassy water in our double kayak and paddled away from the shore. The low cloud and drizzle gave a fantastic atmosphere despite limiting the views of the huge mountains around us.
We didn't have a camera with us as our waterproof one was damaged so I've borrowed an image from Google -
We spent 3 hours exploring the Sound, its bays, islands and waterfalls and taken in the beauty and tranquillity of this amazing place.
Back on dry land and at the mercy of the sandflies yet again we boarded the coach and began the 2 hour journey back to the van.
We had planned at this point to continue to Milford Sound for a cruise the next day but we were informed that the only road to Milford Sound was shut for at least 24 hours due to an avalanche risk. Due to our tight schedule we couldn't wait around for a day for the road to re-open, we made the decision to continue happy in the knowledge we had experienced Doubtful Sound to the fullest. We headed back to Lumsden and camped in the same great spot as the previous night.
We started the next day with pancakes at the diner before continuing south to the town of Bluff, situated on the south coast it is the southernmost town on mainland New Zealand.
We made for Bluff Hill lookout to check out the views across the town of Bluff and beyond and enjoy our lunch, we could just make out Stewart Island to the south through the clouds.
Before moving on we stopped at Stirling Point for more views of Stewart Island and a cheesy photo op.
It was time for a change in direction! No longer able to go any further south we instead headed east and towards the Catlins, our destination was Curio Bay, a top spot for spotting Yellow-Eyed Penguins or Hoiho as they're known in Maori.
The best time for spotting these extremely elusive birds is and dawn or dusk as they travel between their cliff side nests and the sea. We arrived at Curio Bay a few hours before sunset. What we hadn't known before arriving was that the bay is home to a fantastic example of a petrified forest where the shapes and patterns of trees have been preserved in the coastal rock for millions of years. We spent hours marvelling at the rock and exploring the rock pools.
As dusk approached and the light faded we were joined by other hopeful penguin spotters. We waited for an hour without any luck before one of the group spotted a single penguin on the far end of the bay sneaking behind us to its nest. We watched it for 10 minutes or so making its way across the rocky shore and then scrambling up the rocks into the bush to its nest. It's very rare to see these shy penguins and we felt exceptionally privileged to have observed one in the flesh. Hot chocolates were ordered from the cafe to warm our cold bones before heading back to the van and on to our camp for the night.
The morning saw us return to Curio Bay for breakfast and an explore of the coastline and walking tracks, we enjoyed watching the huge waves crash against the cliffs and kept an eye out for dolphins, unfortunately we did not see any.
Back on the road and we continued east, we first visited Koropuku falls. A small bush track created and maintained by 2 locals meandered through the bush for 20 minutes to the falls, the walk itself was wonderful as we trekked through moss covered branches, huge ferns and past a small stream.
The next stop was at Niagara Falls (not those ones!) a local joke but we had to check it out once we'd heard of it. Although not quite as majestic as the real deal it was a fun diversion.
Continuing our waterfall tour (Amy's imposed ban on waterfalls from Washington was no longer in place), the next stop was at McClean Falls, these were much more impressive being close to 25 meters in height.
Eastwards again and on to Kaka Point, we opted for a paid campsite for the night, we decided to go all out and also had dinner out at a local restaurant, such luxuries do not very align often when on the road! After dinner we made our way to Roaring Bay for more penguin spotting, this time we were unsuccessful but enjoyed the peace of the penguin hide and views of the bay nonetheless.
On the return to our campsite we stopped to admire the wonderful moonrise, a bright full moon rose over the waves creating a fantastic spectacle.
In the morning we enjoyed a walk along the local beach, rescued a few sea stars and explored rockpools.
We were now heading north, along the east coast and towards Dunedin. We made a brief stop at Sandfly Bay where we spotted sea lions on the beach below.
North of Dunedin at Long Beach we made our camp for the night but not before enjoying a late walk on the beach collecting shells and a play in the sandpit at another excellent park.
The next day our first visit was to Doctor's Point where we explored a cave and enjoyed a long leisurely walk along the beach whilst admiring the rock climbers and hang gliders.
Further along the coast we had our lunch at a fantastic viewpoint overlooking Karitane. It turns out that a spectacular view and a ripe avocado can transform tinned food into a luxury experience.
Further north at Moeraki we visited the famous Moeraki Boulders, distinct rock formations created by cementations of the sea floor millions of years ago. As the coast has eroded, the boulders have been revealed as they erode much more slowly.
After playing in, on and around the boulders we continue north along the coast to Oamaru, we were very excited as we'd been told that penguin sightings were pretty much guaranteed here.
When checking into our campsite the owner explained that there were penguins nesting IN the campsite, 2 pairs underneath the kitchen block and that recently the chicks had been getting adventurous enough to venture out onto the lawn whilst waiting for their parents to return from the sea.
As night fell we made our way to the wharf and surely enough after only a short wait we could here penguins not far off shore, a little time later and we could see them fighting with the waves to climb onto the rocky shore. Being very still and quiet paid off as several Little Blue Penguins scurried past us only inches away, a moment we're going to savour for a long time.
Having seen 5 or 6 penguins scramble up the rocks we headed back to the campsite, as we approached the entrance Amy spotted 4 more penguins standing, watching on the low harbour wall. We squatted down in the road and watched them cross (one tripping over the curb, so adorable!) and waddle into the campsite entrance past the office, setting off the security light.
Here's a borrowed image to show what they look like in daylight
We enjoyed the penguins so much that we decided to spend a second night at the same campsite, this also gave us the full day to explore the town of Oamuru too. First we checked out the farmers market and bought some local bread and cheese for lunch.
Thanks to the very kind ladies in the Victorian Dress shop, Mike got to pose on the Penny Farthing in style.
After lunch we wandered around the historic Victorian streets and shops followed by a visit to Steampunk HQ, a brilliant collection of sculptures and items centred around the steampunk theme. It was here we also got an opportunity to dress up in steampunk style clothes.
In the evening we took up position at the kitchen block and again watched the chicks venturing our of their nest and waited for the parents to come back from their day of hunting fish, we were lucky again to see them.
Being at the campsite in the morning meant we had access to a toaster, this meant a breakfast treat of crumpets!
The final leg of our journey in the van took us further up the coast to Christchurch, where we collected our hire car and dropped off the campervan. Nothing of interest happened during this drive, despite the rest of New Zealand having exceptional landscapes and views at almost everyturn elsewhere this 4 hour drive has NOTHING at all.
Our next post will cover what came next!
We disembarked the ferry and made our way into the town of Picton for supper, afterwards we went for a play in the park (never too old!). The park was also the perfect place to admire the evening light across the sounds.
We had a dolphin watch tour booked for the morning, a generous gift from our first HelpX hosts, Guy and Lou. We made an early start and arrived at the marina only to find that the tour was cancelled due to low numbers, disappointed and deflated we drowned our sorrows with pots of tea and racks of toast at the local cafe.
On the bright side this did mean we had gained half a day on our already tight time frame for the south island so we didn't hang around after breakfast.
From Picton we headed west, along the north coast and towards Abel Tasman National Park.
Our first stop was a viewpoint high above Tasman Bay, the far reaching views especially impressive on this clear day.
We drove over a high pass, which the van wasn't too impressed about, and down into Takaka Valley
Next up was a place simply named 'The Grove' which didn't give much away, what we found was incredible, The Grove is a maze of unique limestone formations hidden amongst primordial rain forest where the vines and strange trees climb and twist between the rocks. The only thing missing was the dinosaurs!
Not far from The Grove was another interesting spot known as the Labyrinth Rocks, a maze of limestone formations eroded by water millions of years ago. In addition to the funky rock formations there is an additional attraction, the caretakers have scattered and hidden many small toys throughout the labyrinth, half the fun is looking for Smurfs, Mr Men and My Little Ponies amongst the formations and undergrowth.
The next morning was also an early start due to road workmen working near our camping spot, we made our escape and set off to Te Waikoropupu Springs, the clearest spring in the world, the visibility has been measured at 76 metres! The spring is of significant importance to the Maori people and strict restrictions are in place to maintain this place of beauty, zero interaction with the water is allowed.
After enjoying the tranquillity of the springs we took off on a long drive over to the west coast, our mission was to get to Pancake Rocks before last light, we just about made it!
The limestone rocks are another unique geological formation created 30 million years ago. We had been told that there were impressive blowholes here at high tide, we didn't get to witness those in action but we greatly enjoyed the sound of the waves deep inside the caves creating huge deep booms which shook the rocks beneath us.
Once the light had faded we made our way to our chosen camping spot for the night, yet again besides a river. The site itself wasn't anything particularly special but what greeted us in the morning was what dreams are made of. Facing another morning of bland Weet-Bix for breakfast we discovered that we had been joined by a food trailer which was serving coffee and freshly made pancakes!
Bellies full of pancakes we explored the local beach and caves, across the river on an old rickety bridge.
We then continued down the west coast to Okarito where we spotted the rare White Herons and made camp for the night.
The next day was off to a poor start as we woke up to low cloud and drizzle, not ideal when we were driving past beautiful mountain ranges.
We stopped in Franz Josef where the day got worse when we received a parking ticket (it turns out parking against the flow of traffic costs $40 a go). We didn't do the full walk to the glacier as the rain was torrential and we don't have sufficient waterproofs with us.
After drying off we continued our journey south, breaking up the long drive with a stops at Bruce Bay and Ship's Creek.
Then a further stop at Roaring Billy Falls just before last light.
We arrived at our camping spot after dark so had no idea of our surroundings, in the morning all was revealed and we gawped at the stunning snow capped peaks around us.
After breakfast we stopped at a few more waterfalls, enjoying the walks in the morning sunshine, a much welcomed improvement on the previous 4 or 5 days.
A stop for brunch was a great spot nestled between spectacular peaks with an overview of the valley.
Before lunch we paid a visit to the Blue Pools, a location famed for spectacularly clear and deep turquoise water running into the Makarora river from a small tributary.
The drive to our lunch stop was alongside the northern end of Lake Wanaka giving fantastic views of the mountains flanking the lake.
We continued towards the town of Wanaka, passing alongside the rest of Lake Wanaka and then Lake Hawea stopping at several points to take in the incredible views.
Upon reaching Wanaka we stumbled upon 'Puzzle World' which looked like too much fun to miss. Inside was a huge collection of puzzles and illusions of all sizes, we spent an hour exploring the wonders on offer which included a slanted house, hall of faces and more optical illusions that you can shake a stick at.
We ate some delicious food from a little collections of food trucks in central Wanaka as we couldn't face cooking then headed towards Cromwell for a quiet spot to camp. Yet again we found ourselves camping by a river, this time the Clutha River in Cromwell Gorge.
In the morning we had breakfast whilst enjoying the views of the river and watching a local rowing club training on the water.
Next we headed to Queenstown, enjoying the views along the way. Queenstown itself was tourist town, as we had no plans to bungee, jet boat, skydive or heli-tour at this point we gave it a wide berth and continued our drive down to Lumsden.
For the following day, as a birthday treat for Mike we had booked a sea kayaking trip on Doubtful Sound, Milford Sound's quieter and more remote counterpart. We were due a very early start as the journey to Doubtful Sound included a 1 hour drive, a 1 hour ferry and then a 1 hour coach ride! We visited an American themed diner with possibly to coolest counter we've ever seen for a great supper and then headed to bed before dark.
At 5am the next morning we dragged ourselves out of bed and hit the road, the hour drive took us to Manapouri Lake to meet the ferry. Once boarded onto the small ferry we loaded up with caffeine and settled in for the journey, enjoying the views in the morning light.
We disembarked the ferry at the far end of the lake where our coach was waiting, we hopped on and took our seats for the next hour leg to the Sound.
As we climbed up Wilmot Pass we also climbed into the cloud, Doubtful Sound has its own weather system where cloud and rain are the norm, it receives up to 6 METERS of rain per year.
Despite the low cloud the views were incredible, we felt we had been transported to an untouched and prehistoric world. Hundreds of meters above us we spotted a waterfall cascading from within the clouds.
Arriving at the Sound we were swarmed by sandflies (small biting flies which slowly drive you to the brink of madness) we gave up trying to swat them away as we changed into kayaking gear.
We set off onto the dark, glassy water in our double kayak and paddled away from the shore. The low cloud and drizzle gave a fantastic atmosphere despite limiting the views of the huge mountains around us.
We didn't have a camera with us as our waterproof one was damaged so I've borrowed an image from Google -
We spent 3 hours exploring the Sound, its bays, islands and waterfalls and taken in the beauty and tranquillity of this amazing place.
Back on dry land and at the mercy of the sandflies yet again we boarded the coach and began the 2 hour journey back to the van.
We had planned at this point to continue to Milford Sound for a cruise the next day but we were informed that the only road to Milford Sound was shut for at least 24 hours due to an avalanche risk. Due to our tight schedule we couldn't wait around for a day for the road to re-open, we made the decision to continue happy in the knowledge we had experienced Doubtful Sound to the fullest. We headed back to Lumsden and camped in the same great spot as the previous night.
We started the next day with pancakes at the diner before continuing south to the town of Bluff, situated on the south coast it is the southernmost town on mainland New Zealand.
We made for Bluff Hill lookout to check out the views across the town of Bluff and beyond and enjoy our lunch, we could just make out Stewart Island to the south through the clouds.
Before moving on we stopped at Stirling Point for more views of Stewart Island and a cheesy photo op.
It was time for a change in direction! No longer able to go any further south we instead headed east and towards the Catlins, our destination was Curio Bay, a top spot for spotting Yellow-Eyed Penguins or Hoiho as they're known in Maori.
The best time for spotting these extremely elusive birds is and dawn or dusk as they travel between their cliff side nests and the sea. We arrived at Curio Bay a few hours before sunset. What we hadn't known before arriving was that the bay is home to a fantastic example of a petrified forest where the shapes and patterns of trees have been preserved in the coastal rock for millions of years. We spent hours marvelling at the rock and exploring the rock pools.
As dusk approached and the light faded we were joined by other hopeful penguin spotters. We waited for an hour without any luck before one of the group spotted a single penguin on the far end of the bay sneaking behind us to its nest. We watched it for 10 minutes or so making its way across the rocky shore and then scrambling up the rocks into the bush to its nest. It's very rare to see these shy penguins and we felt exceptionally privileged to have observed one in the flesh. Hot chocolates were ordered from the cafe to warm our cold bones before heading back to the van and on to our camp for the night.
The morning saw us return to Curio Bay for breakfast and an explore of the coastline and walking tracks, we enjoyed watching the huge waves crash against the cliffs and kept an eye out for dolphins, unfortunately we did not see any.
Back on the road and we continued east, we first visited Koropuku falls. A small bush track created and maintained by 2 locals meandered through the bush for 20 minutes to the falls, the walk itself was wonderful as we trekked through moss covered branches, huge ferns and past a small stream.
The next stop was at Niagara Falls (not those ones!) a local joke but we had to check it out once we'd heard of it. Although not quite as majestic as the real deal it was a fun diversion.
Continuing our waterfall tour (Amy's imposed ban on waterfalls from Washington was no longer in place), the next stop was at McClean Falls, these were much more impressive being close to 25 meters in height.
Eastwards again and on to Kaka Point, we opted for a paid campsite for the night, we decided to go all out and also had dinner out at a local restaurant, such luxuries do not very align often when on the road! After dinner we made our way to Roaring Bay for more penguin spotting, this time we were unsuccessful but enjoyed the peace of the penguin hide and views of the bay nonetheless.
On the return to our campsite we stopped to admire the wonderful moonrise, a bright full moon rose over the waves creating a fantastic spectacle.
In the morning we enjoyed a walk along the local beach, rescued a few sea stars and explored rockpools.
We were now heading north, along the east coast and towards Dunedin. We made a brief stop at Sandfly Bay where we spotted sea lions on the beach below.
North of Dunedin at Long Beach we made our camp for the night but not before enjoying a late walk on the beach collecting shells and a play in the sandpit at another excellent park.
The next day our first visit was to Doctor's Point where we explored a cave and enjoyed a long leisurely walk along the beach whilst admiring the rock climbers and hang gliders.
Further along the coast we had our lunch at a fantastic viewpoint overlooking Karitane. It turns out that a spectacular view and a ripe avocado can transform tinned food into a luxury experience.
Further north at Moeraki we visited the famous Moeraki Boulders, distinct rock formations created by cementations of the sea floor millions of years ago. As the coast has eroded, the boulders have been revealed as they erode much more slowly.
After playing in, on and around the boulders we continue north along the coast to Oamaru, we were very excited as we'd been told that penguin sightings were pretty much guaranteed here.
When checking into our campsite the owner explained that there were penguins nesting IN the campsite, 2 pairs underneath the kitchen block and that recently the chicks had been getting adventurous enough to venture out onto the lawn whilst waiting for their parents to return from the sea.
As night fell we made our way to the wharf and surely enough after only a short wait we could here penguins not far off shore, a little time later and we could see them fighting with the waves to climb onto the rocky shore. Being very still and quiet paid off as several Little Blue Penguins scurried past us only inches away, a moment we're going to savour for a long time.
Having seen 5 or 6 penguins scramble up the rocks we headed back to the campsite, as we approached the entrance Amy spotted 4 more penguins standing, watching on the low harbour wall. We squatted down in the road and watched them cross (one tripping over the curb, so adorable!) and waddle into the campsite entrance past the office, setting off the security light.
We enjoyed the penguins so much that we decided to spend a second night at the same campsite, this also gave us the full day to explore the town of Oamuru too. First we checked out the farmers market and bought some local bread and cheese for lunch.
Thanks to the very kind ladies in the Victorian Dress shop, Mike got to pose on the Penny Farthing in style.
After lunch we wandered around the historic Victorian streets and shops followed by a visit to Steampunk HQ, a brilliant collection of sculptures and items centred around the steampunk theme. It was here we also got an opportunity to dress up in steampunk style clothes.
In the evening we took up position at the kitchen block and again watched the chicks venturing our of their nest and waited for the parents to come back from their day of hunting fish, we were lucky again to see them.
Being at the campsite in the morning meant we had access to a toaster, this meant a breakfast treat of crumpets!
The final leg of our journey in the van took us further up the coast to Christchurch, where we collected our hire car and dropped off the campervan. Nothing of interest happened during this drive, despite the rest of New Zealand having exceptional landscapes and views at almost everyturn elsewhere this 4 hour drive has NOTHING at all.
Our next post will cover what came next!
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