New Zealand South Island (Nov 2010, Part 1)

Day 1: Getting to Christchurch & Kaikoura

After 2 years since our last trip to New Zealand, I finally found the time to pen down my travels on NZ. It was our 2^nd self-drive trip back on early December 2010 where we covered some of the places we been to back in year 2009; and including some new places down in the south like the Catlins.

Taking the same transit flight via Sydney, but this time we entered NZ at Wellington before taking another domestic flight to Christchurch where we started on our 2^nd self-drive trip in the south island. It was always the scenery of the south that brings me back there and the wonderful feeling of cruising down the scenic roads of the south. Why we did not transit directly from Sydney to Christchurch? Well that flight route was cheaper as the price increased quite a fair bit if we took the single transit from Sydney. We preferred to that money on accommodation than just a few hours of savings.

 

Plane just landed at Christchurch Airport

We happily landed at Christchurch about 4:30pm and immediately went to collect our car keys for the rental car for our trip. We waited awhile before our last piece of luggage came onto the belt. Guess something technical problem and all the baggage were collected except the last few piece. We got ours bags finally; almost imagining the contingencies should our bags did not come out of the baggage belt.  This time we got ourselves a Mazda 3 hatchback. With 2 huge hard case luggages, the car boot cannot fit in. So we lower the back seats and converted it to a full luggage space. With 2 sandwiches in hand, we started the road trip to our first destination, Kaikoura.

Our rental car for the road trip

No need for maps, as it was like a déjà vu for us driving to Kaikoura. We drove nonstop all the till to our accommodation for the night at the Aspen Court Motel. This is a different motel from our last visit was just next to the sea (Panorama Hotel near the Kaikoura Peninsula). 

Entrance of Aspen Court Motel

Our main purpose to revisit Kaikoura was to join the next morning Whale Watch as we missed it during our 1^st visit there. Booking was done way in advance online and payment has to be made as well.  It was about 7:30pm when we reached and the host of the motel commented that the driving time was good for a tourist. Well we stayed within the speed limits and did not stop to rest. After check-in in, we were quite tired after the long flight and drive and just wanted to settle down for the night. Shops and restaurants were starting to close, and in the end we just settle for a Thai restaurant that was still opened.

Day-2 (Whale watching at Kaikoura, Arthur Pass)

The Kaikoura Whale Watch Center

The next morning, we remembered the timing wrongly for our whale watch and took our own sweet time to get to the whale watch center even though the centre was just a short 5mins drive away from our motel.  We missed the briefing session and when we check-in at the reception, the staff told us that we were very late and just in time to board the bus with the rest of the morning group tourist to take us to the jetty. The jetty is located near the Kaikoura Peninsula area and not near the centre.  The bus left the town area and drove to the Kaikoura Racecourse, down the South Bay Parade road until Moa Road where we alighted and boarded the excursion boat. 

At the marina where Kaikoura Whale Watch boats are docked.

We were the first boat excursion for the day and the staffs from the boat were already there to welcome us. This activity is a popular one at Kaikoura, and we could tell it was a full house for that morning. The ride was smooth while we were still near the marina, but once we ventured into the open sea, the waters began to be much choppy. I would say it was quite a bumpy ride that morning and occasionally we stopped to do some spotting for whales using some high tech whale spotting equipment, maybe sonars and radar.  The crew kept us occupied with information about whales and the vast marine life around the waters of Kaikoura. Whale Watch Kaikoura has a refund policy of 80% if we are unable to find any whales, and that makes the 20% for a nice boat ride. For that morning, it wasn’t an easy find for the whales and many times we just stopped, checked and move on.  The crew had been doing this almost every day and the whales were like their family to them, knowing their habits and routines, including whether the whales are “locals” or new members of the family. 

Tourists on the upper deck waiting

Whale replenishing its air supply

Finally after an hour since we left the marina, we were informed that they have found a whale. Carefully and slow the boat approached the waters where the whale came to the surface to “top up” air. Almost every visitor left their seats and went topside or remained on the lower deck. We could hear the SLR cameras clicking away continuously. Same went for me as we are armed with a video cam and SLR. Everyone was just as excited as us, including some tourists who were sick while we were hunting for the whales.  The crew of the boat started describing the whale, how long it had been around the waters, size, and age.  We were able to see the whale replenishing its supply of air with the water spurts. The boat crew was very professional and they could tell when the whale had enough and would be diving back into the ocean.

The Whale diving back into the deep ocean

When the message from the boat crew came to get our cameras ready, you could see all those who have any image capturing gadgets would all be pointing at the whale.  And it was just within a good few seconds; the whale flipped up its tail into the air and slowly sank down into the sea. I was caught off guard trying to change my SLR to a zoom lens and lost the opportunity to capture it. Luckily wife was always armed ready with the videocam and so all is not lost.

Playful dolphin flying out of the water

 

It was not the end after leaving the whale behind us, or should I say the whale left us. We cruised around the waters near Kaikoura and the next wonderful thing happened. Dolphins, being playful in nature were happily swimming alongside our boat and many times just cross across the path of the boat going underneath. Occasionally jumping out of the water to make their statement.  We managed to catch a good shot of the dolphin out of the water. The feeling of able to see them out in the open sea was something that you won’t get from visiting Sea World or any zoos. The sight of these dolphins also brought along the morning clear skies with the clouds moving area and revealing some of the snowcapped mountain peaks.  After the dolphin encounters, the boat ride back to the marina was a calm one and we could see dark clouds forming up. Seemed like the good weather was again short lived.  It was around 10am when we returned to the Whale watch centre.   

Rocky beach just outside the Whale Watch Centre

We got a long drive ahead of us to the west coast, but then did not want to rush. So we hanged around the centre picking up brochures to know more about Kaikoura. I would say Kaikoura is a place worth spending a few more days, but every time we came here is only for a one night stay. Back in 2009, we visited the seal colony at Fyffe Quay and did a bit of walking to the cliff top overlooking the South Bay.

Kaikoura is also famous for its mussels and crayfishes. And many versions of the by the road cafes and snack shops have slowly sprung up. We recalled there was one which was featured on TV, somewhere along the coastal road just after Kaikoura towards the north.  Due to time constraint, we decided to head to the one located near the Kaikoura Peninsula along the Fyffe Quay Road.  The sun was suddenly all out in full force again and it began to fill warm. We parked our car along the road side and went about to order our food.  

Roadside stall along Fyffe Quay Road

Nice stones to remind customers to clear their plates

There were tables set up near the stall and luckily we got a table after someone left.  There were nice little stones placed on the table to remind customers to clear the plates after finishing their meals. It was about 12:30pm when we cleared our plates and hopped back into the sunbaked car. Initially intended to just drive 10mins to have a look at the seal colony but again knowing the long drive ahead, and knowing it may take up to 7 hours to reach Glacier county on the West Coast, we decided against it and started our long journey.

Climbing up the mountain road into Arthurs' Pass

We retraced the same route we came from Christchurch, taking the highway 1 southbound until  the town of Woodend where we took the scenic highway that runs along Oxford Road and then Depot Road before joining highway 73 that connects all the way to the West Coast town of Hokitika via Arthur Pass. We have read so much about the beauty of Arthur Pass and therefore part of this trip we wanted to drive over Arthur Pass.  It was already drizzling and at times quite heavy as we drove along highway 73 leading up into the mountain road. At certain stretch there was thick fog as well and many cars slowed down to be more careful.  This road being the only road that leads to the west coast from Christchurch area is a popular road for truckers delivering goods to the west coast towns. Once we reach the top of the mountain and started the descend, the sun was out again and no more dark clouds. It seemed that the mountains act as a cloud stopper preventing the rain clouds from this part of the country. 

Sunny weather on the other side of mountain

Clear skies with all rain clouds blocked by mountain

With the clear skies, our mood also got elevate and instantly we were back on holidaying mood, getting slight excited over the stunning view of the mountains , lakes and the straight long road ahead. We took a rest stop at a car park along highway 73. The place is like a meeting point for those wanting to hike the nearby hills. The hills are dotted with huge rocks, jutting out of the gentle hill slopes. Could it be one of the filming sites for LOTR. The time was around 3:30pm and we took some resting time at this beautiful location to admire the sight.   

Stunning scenary driving along Arthurs' Pass

 

Great weather for a short hike (no time)

Taking pictures only

Our target was to reach the Franz Josef glacier village before 8pm as motels in NZ normally close their office around 7pm ~ 8pm. But as long as you give them a ring and inform them, they will make arrangements to leave the assigned room ready for you so that you won’t disturb the owners. After a much deserved rest after straight drive from Kaikuora, we hit the road again and proceeded all the way to Arthurs Pass village for out toilet stop. 

Public toilet at Arthur's Pass

Looking out at the little village on the Arthurs' Pass main road

The village with a few small houses dotted the road looked deserted with little activity. I read about the unlimited hiking opportunities around there and hikers chose to base there for a few nights just for hiking.  At 4:30pm, we left the village and continued all the way until we reached the west coast highway 6. From there on, it was a sunset drive along highway 6, all the way to our destination for the night. At around 7:30pm, we reached the Bella Vista motel at the small Franz Josef Village after driving about 500km. After check-in, we made our way to what is still open to get our dinner. Being a small village, the only food left was the pub & restaurant selling drinks and food.  It was pizza and potato wedges for a tired day on the road  and after that, we did a relaxing stroll along the quiet streets of the village. We also visited the glacier walk centre which we already signed up for the next morning activity before returning to our motel for the night’s rest . Every day was a planned activity day for us. 

Dinner at the Monsoon restaurant

Franz Josef Glacier Hike Office

Day 3 (Franz Josef Glacier Walk, Hasst Pass, Queenstown)

We woke up earlier to make have breakfast before taking a casual slow walk to the Glacier walk centre. When we arrived and check-in at the activity counter, I think we were the first and seemed like we were too earlier. So we just looked for a nice corner and waited for the rest of the climbers slowly streamed in. But then the local super was opened and we got some sandwiches to bring along for lunch which we would be having on the glacier.

Inside the glacier hike office. Still early

When it was timed, we joined the rest of the climbers for a quick briefing before collect the gears needed for the climb. We took the mandatory crampons and their boots instead of our own hiking boots as the crampons will leave some cosmetic damage to the boots. Other than that we used our own gears. After gearing up, we hopped onto a mini bus which we found it “small” even for small size Asians like us. The bus took around 15mins to reach the car park area at about 8am, where we disembarked and started the hike all the way to the glacier terminal.   

Walking to the glacier

The hike from the car park to the restricted area took us about 45mins after which we started up the rocky slope which was actually ice beneath, just that it was covered by the rocks. At times, some of us would slip as the rocks and gravels gave way to reveal  ice beneath them.   Another 30mins of climbing we reached the part where we could see the ice and it was here that we strapped on the crampons and off onto the ice.

On the Ice

Walking in a line

Great weather to do glacier hike

 

We spent the next 3 hours walking on the glacier until lunch time where the guide brought us to an open flat space that is sheltered from the cold wind that blew across the glacier. Most of us just sat on our bags to avoid getting our butts froze up. We rested about 30mins before continued on the glacier exploration. We sort of like did a loop hike on the glacier taking a different route back to the start point where we strapped out crampons. Or maybe we couldn’t even tell if the route was the same or not.   

We reached the car park about 3:40pm and waited for the bus to bring all of us back to the Franz Josef village. On the bus, we met one of the glacier walk guide who was a Singaporean as us as he recognized our Nike 10k run tee and we started an interesting conversion.  We reached the glacier walk centre about 4pm and feeling hungry, we quickly got some snacks from the café next door before walking back to the motel to pick up our car.  

At the Knights Point Lookout

At the Knights Point Lookout

From here, it would be another 350km of about 4hours plus to our next destination, Queenstown. Knowing that there would not be another petrol station beyond Fox Glacier village, we fuelled up our car at the village petrol station even though the price of that company seemed to be higher than those that we came across. It was another déjà vu for us we drove down the only road leading out of glacier country all the way to the Hasst pass which leads all the way to Wanaka and subsequent to Queenstown. 

On the Haast Pass - Makarora Highway

Lake Wanaka in direction of Haast Pass

Sunset at Lake Wanaka (along Haast-Makarora highway)

At the road crossing that separates Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea

Lake Hawea along highway 6 towards Wanaka

We did not stop much on this route as this was the 2^nd time we drove on this route. The scenery was as stunning as before and we did in the end stop a while to take pictures of the animals like sheep and lamas within the farms.   

Lake Wanaka, near the town (Ardmore Street)

At 7:30pm, we reached the town of Wanaka after passing Lake Hawea.  We parked along the park beside the lake (Ardmore Street) so that we could walk over to the shops and restaurants to get dinner. If not we might reached Queenstown around 9:30pm with no place to get proper meal.  We went to a restaurant bar and looked at their menu, but too bad they did not have the utensils for takeaways. So we settled for some fish and chips and went back to our car to continue on the journey. It was a eat and drive mode that we cruised up the mountain road of Cardona and finally to the highest point of Crown Pass where we stopped for a sunset shot of the mountain ranges.  

Sunset photo taken at Crown Pass

It was quite cold and dark at the car park and most of the cars that took this route will stop here to admire the view (provided it is not in total darkness). From here we continued on the downhill route to highway 6 which later branches off to highway 6A that leads into Queenstown. The downhill road from Crown Pass was steep and at certain parts has sharp corners and driving on this part of the road needs to be extra careful.  Just when we about to switch to 6A, there was a 24-hr McDonald’s available near the highway 6 and 6A intersection called Frankton.  If we had known about this earlier we would not be stopping at Wanaka to get dinner. Finally around 10pm, we reach our motel at Queenstown . Again it was Bella Vista as out choice accommodation, the same when we were there in 2009. We did call the host earlier while driving along highway 6 near Makarora near the northern tip of Lake Wanaka when we had the first cellphone reception. Again the hosts of these NZ motels are flexible and understanding folks, and they left the rooms lighted up and unlock for us so that when we reached, we would not have a problem getting into our rooms and of course disturbing the hosts of the motel. Of course you have to let them know in advance by calling them up.

It was a quick unpack of our basis stuffs for a quick shower and off into the night to rest.  With the arrival at Queenstown, it was an end to the rushing schedule and late evening check-ins for the rest of the self-drive trip.

End of Part 1 

Proceed on to NZ South Island Part 2