And now for part 2!
My last post ended as my Topdeck group was leaving Wellington, on our way to ferry across to New Zealand's south island. The north island had been quite the adventure already, but the south island was something else entirely.
Before we jump into the details of what conspired during this trip, two of the key differences between the north and south islands is the population and land mass. There are more people in the north, despite the island being smaller. The south island is the 12th largest island in the world, so the distance between cities is far greater. There was a lot of driving between cities, and those drives could often take up a good part of the day.
That being said, some of these days may seem like not much happened, but I will tell you that those drives were very picturesque!
Journey to Nelson
Our ferry left Wellington and set sail for Picton across the Cook Strait and through the Marlborough Sounds. The trip took about 3 hours, where I got coffee, took pictures, socialized, and caught a nap. Our arrival in Picton was brief, as we grabbed our bags and boarded our new bus, heading for the nearby town of Blenheim to pick up a picnic lunch at the store.
The destination for today was Nelson, though we would be stopping at the Nelson Lakes National Park first. We spent some time at Lake Rotoiti, enjoying our lunch, and some of us going for a swim. One of the cool things about this lake was the freshwater eels that we could see below the surface! On the other hand, the ducks and seagulls here were quite sneaky and we had to eat our lunches on our guard lest they try to swipe our food.
We arrived in Nelson fairly early and made plans to have dinner later at the pub a few doors down. Nelson was a lovely little town but there wasn't much to do, so I took the time to rest and do some research on what to do the next day. Most of our group was going to do some adventuring in Abel Tasman National Park, but this optional add-on wasn't in my budget (it turns out sticking to my budget was a smart move when I got home!). I opted for the single-day The Great Taste Wine tour through the Gentle Cycling Company.
I was notified shortly after booking that the next day was Nelson Day, a holiday specific to this region, and that most of the wineries on the route would be closed, so I was refunded a bit of what I paid. As a group, we met at the Smuggler's Pub next door and had a good time, and I retired early because I was still a bit tired after the Tongariro hike a few days earlier.
Two of my roommates left early for Abel Tasman National Park, and they didn't wake me or our other roommate in the process, so that would probably demonstrate how tired we were. After the continental breakfast, I swung by the local Night 'n Day to grab a meat pie to pack away for lunch, then went to the cycling company. The owners were very kind and informative about the trail I would be taking. They gave me a voucher for the ferry I would take at the end of the trail to cross over to the town of Mapua and told me the hourly departure times so I wouldn't be late. They also told me that one of the pubs along the way, The Honest Lawyer, was open today.
The bike trail was mostly flat, and signs were everywhere, so I had no problem making my way around. I made it to Rabbit Island where the ferry made port, just as it had made its crossing and was letting people off. I boarded for the next crossing, which would give me about 1.5 hours to chill in Mapua. I parked the bike, enjoyed my small lunch, then walked about the town to see what was open. A wine bar was open, and after having biked 17 miles, I figured I had earned a glass. I was also able to enjoy some gelato and coffee while I walked around this nice little town, despite half of the venues being closed.
On the way back to Nelson, I slowly came to realize that while the bike path was mostly flat, the route that I had taken to the Mapua ferry had been slightly on the decline. Once my legs had biked about 30 miles, the incline, though slight, was being definitely being felt, and I was wearing down. I had enough time to stop by the Honest Lawyer, where I grabbed a Guinness and a scone. As I readied to leave, I found a table that had sunscreen and bug spray available for cyclists going down the Great Taste trail. How very sweet!
I made it back to the headquarters with just a few minutes to spare, as I had to have the bike back by 5, and had finished cycling a total of 34 miles. I walked back to the lodge immediately after for a shower and to rest. Dinner was on our own tonight, and I was invited to join a group of friends at The Sprig + Fern Tavern that was close to our lodge. They had a wonderful drink menu, the food was delicious, and those of us who stayed in Nelson were regaled with tales and pictures from the fun at Abel Tasman by those who went.
Kaikoura
We were on the road again the next day, with our first stop being at the Pelorus River, the location for the dwarf barrel-riding escape from Mirkwood in The Desolation of Smaug. Some of our group went swimming while I went further downriver for more pictures.
Our next stop was at the Spy Valley vineyard for a wine tasting! We were able to sample 4 different types of their wines and take pictures together on the grounds. The wines here were delightful, so I made sure to bring one home with me. We stopped at Blenheim again for a brief lunch and continued on our way to our next stopover in Kaikoura.
Before reaching the town, we stopped along State Highway 1 at the Ohau Point Lookout to capture pictures of all the seals! There's a lovely waterfront walk where you can walk for about a mile and see dozens of seals basking in the sun. And once we reached the city, we were brought to the highest point for more picture opportunities. The views were incredible!
We drove through the city center on our way back where our guide pointed out some great places to eat before dropping us off at the hostel. Then, a handful of our group were taken to the Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway for a brief hike. Our group split up into two, with the other half lingering behind for shenanigans. My half continued on, enjoying the scenery and taking pictures, when we came to a fork in the path. Two of our group decided to go down to enjoy the seals on the beach walk below, while the rest of us continued along the cliff edge, marveling at the incredible sights of the north bay.
And those shenanigans I mentioned earlier? Well, just as our two friends went down, we noticed the other group behind us. Part of the marked trail that we had just finished cut through a cow pasture. We heard some noises behind us and saw that some of the guys in the other group were teasing the cows, and one of them started to charge in retaliation, causing them to book it before the cow could follow through. Thank God, no animals was hurt in the process. Neither were the goofs who taunted them in the first place.
As the cliffside group continued, we observed the Seal Colony from above. At one point, we noticed a large group of people advancing a little too close to those animals. A closer look showed that there was a rope set up with a sign with large enough lettering for us to read from up above that nobody was supposed to cross the rope. Seeing a handful of people cross the line was one thing, but this group numbered more than 20. We noted our friends below thankfully passing by on the marked path, but it looked like others behind them were following the idiots who jumped the rope. I hope no seals got hurt or antagonized!
Our guide was waiting with the bus at the end of the trail, and when everyone was accounted for, he dropped us off in the city center where we met up with more of our group. We'd had in mind to go to a specific pub, but it was closed for the day, so we moved on to a pub called The Whaler. The wait was long due to a rugby game going on, bringing in lots of patrons, but once the food arrived, it was good. There was an excitement amongst our group tonight because in the morning, we would be splitting between early morning swimming with dolphins, or whale watching. The ones going to swim with dolphins were particularly thrilled.
When morning came, we split off into our groups, and mine was dropped off at the whale watching center. We were then taxied to the catamaran and boarded, but warned of the choppy sea conditions. Having worked on a cruise ship the last 2 years, I know that seasickness is not a problem for me. I learned this day that there's a massive difference between choppy seas on a large cruise ship as opposed to a catamaran.
The first part of the cruise wasn't too bad. When we came to our first stop, no whales were sighted. The boat moved on, but at faster speeds, and that's when everyone started feeling a bit queasy. The stops we made were brief reprieves, but with no whales sighted, the captain kept us moving at faster-than-comfortable speeds to find some. After 90 minutes at sea, there were still no whales, though we came across a massive pod of dolphins. Due to this, we received a chunk of our money refunded.
Christchurch
It was time to move on again, and we made our way to the south island's largest city: Christchurch. We arrived in Christchurch around noon and went for some lunch. A good number of us were in the mood for ramen and found an authentic Japanese restaurant called Ramen Ria that hit the spot for all of us. Those of us who wanted to met with our guide in the city center, where he took us on a tour of the city. He showed us the cathedral that was still being rebuilt after the 2012 earthquake, the cable car depot, and the shopping areas, giving us some pointers and tidbits about the city's history.
After checking in to the hostel, everyone scattered to do their own thing. I returned to the city center to explore a little bit more. I checked out the Bridge of Remembrance, an Irish pub for happy hour, browsed a few shops, and spent some time at the Riverside Market. The Riverside Market was an insanely cool place! There were over a dozen restaurants inside, but I held off since we had plans for dinner. I did, however, enjoy an incredible rum ball from Sweet Revenge. YUM!
I finally hopped a Lime scooter and rode around the city for a little bit. I had wanted to check out the cable cars, but didn't have enough time. I scooted to the hostel and hung out in the bar with a few of my friends from the group as we waited for everyone to show up. Our next event together was an extra special treat: a trivia night!
Our guide drove us to The Coaster's Tavern and we were all numbered off into groups. As a trivia host and writer myself, I felt a little pressure, as I was fully aware that the majority of questions would be about New Zealand, and I didn't know nearly as much as I wanted to. Still, our group banded together, and we gave it our best shot. My particular strength was pop culture, and found that most of the bonus questions were about the film The Godfather, which I thought was hilarious. We also received a little help from our guide every now and then, as he would send the answer to everyone via our WhatsApp group!
In the end, our team tied another for 8th place out of 13. Our guide had joined one of the teams, and of our entire Topdeck group, his team scored the highest, making it to 4th place. It was a lot of fun!
When the night was over, we piled into the bus again and most of us were dropped off at The Rockpool Bar pool hall. A few of the guys rented out some tables, and everyone who wanted to play was able to do at least one game. I used to be a decent pool player, but it had been years since I'd last played so I was a bit rusty. I still won my round, though!
A bunch of us decided to leave after our time ran out, and we took our time exploring the city at night. Around the corner of our hostel was The Central Art Gallery, which had an open plaza that we explored after one of the girls saw a sign for a paint and sip. The paint and sip was hosted at The Cellar Door, only available during the day, but we walked around the courtyard and found it to be an enchanting little venue.
Sadly, this was all the time we had in Christchurch. I will definitely have to come back here sometime.
Franz Josef
We departed Christchurch early and made our first stop at Springfield, a small town that had a Simpsons theme, as the city the titular family lives in is also called Springfield. There's a giant donut on display there that we all had to get in our photo ops with.
The next stop was at Arthur's Pass National Park, the highest national park, found along the southern alpine region. We walked around and took pictures, but the highlight of this stop was when one of the girls in our group wound up running into her aunt and uncle out here! Neither had had any idea that the others were visiting New Zealand at the same time!
We stopped in Hokitika for lunch, a town renown for its Wildfoods Festival. Some of the gals and I ate at a cafe that was next door to the Box of Delights shop where half of our group went nuts with buying different types of sweets, some of which had a Harry Potter theme. There was a good amount of candy swapping across the bus when we continued on!
There was a brief stop for pictures at Lake Wahapo before we made it to the small town of Franz Josef. Our main reason for being there was to take helicopter rides to the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, but it had been rainy, so there was a good chance that those excursions would be canceled.
While we waited for confirmation, our guide took us to the town of Fox Glacier where we would at least be able to view the glacier from a distance.
After this, we were taken to Lake Matheson, a lake that, when there was no breeze whatsoever, the surface would reflect the mountains as clear as glass. Of course, there was a breeze this day, so we weren't able to capture those pictures, but the ones we did take were still incredible.
However, this hike around the lake was easily one of the coolest I'd ever done. The forest around here was what our guide referred to as a "virgin" or "old-growth" forest, meaning it had never been cleared and all the trees in the area had undisturbed growth going back for hundreds of years or more. Walking through this area felt like walking through Jurassic Park to the point that I wondered if a dinosaur might pop out at some point!
We were brought back to the lodge afterwards where we all met at the on-site restaurant, Monsoon. There was a deal going on for the night that included all-you-can-eat pizza with 1 drink included. I was at a smaller table so we would be brought 1 pizza at a time to split. At one point, the BBQ pizza delivered hadn't been properly sliced, so the two guys at our table teamed up to stab and cut with the knives we had at our table in a hilarious display! Afterwards, most of the Aussies in our group got up and performed some line dances to the music playing over the sound system. That was a real treat.
By this time, the kitchen was closing, but the bar remained open, and karaoke would be starting soon. Half of our group left, and those of us who wanted to sing were joined by another Contiki group and at least two Kiwi Experience groups, 1 of which was on the same route as us for the next few days. A sign up sheet was passed around despite there not being a library included, so I picked my go-to song just in case. As it turned out, the system used here was Karafun, which has the most extensive karaoke library I've ever encountered.
One of the guys from my group opened with Tenacious D's "Tribute," kicking off the night with a great choice. I was up next, and the song I'd chosen, "Just One Dance," by Caro Emerald, was available. I love this song mostly for its intro, which starts off with "hey handsome, have you got the time?" I swear, that line gets the room's attention every single time! Sure enough, it had the same effect here. At one point, the lyrics disappeared from the monitor, but I didn't need them anyways. I kept up with the song, even to the point of the lyrics coming back. I not only got a standing ovation from many of the people there, but my performance was constantly brought up by my group throughout the rest of the trip!
Queenstown Adventures
As sadly expected, the helicopter tours were canceled. We woke up the next morning to a crazy downpour of rain as we departed for Queenstown. There was a brief stop in the town of Haast, and I wouldn't normally note this, but we came across the coolest public toilets I've ever encountered (at least I think it was here). We encountered the Exeloo toilets, which had an honest to God time limit for people to be in there and Star Trek sound effects! It had lights on the outside to let you know if the stall was occupied, the doors slid open and locked automatically, and they were incredibly clean!
Don't believe me? Watch this.
On the road again, the ride through Haast Pass was positively breathtaking with all the cascades flowing down the mountainsides with the rain. Our stop for lunch was at Lake Manapouri, where we conveniently ran into the one Kiwi Experience group I'd seen at karaoke the night before.
We made it to Queenstown shortly afterwards, and our guide gave us an overview of this marvelous city. He explained that they claim to be the "adventure capitol of the world," and if we opted to not to do any of the Topdeck activities, there would be plenty of other amazing adventures around to enjoy. We were dropped off at our hostel where, yet again, that same Kiwi Experience group was checking in as well! And this wouldn't be our last meeting.
Pub Crawl
Our evening excursion tonight would be a pub crawl, which would include pizza. We had some time, so I took a look at some of the brochures available, and did a little shopping for souvenirs. Of all the cities we'd been to thus far, this one was the best place to pick up decently priced trinkets.
The time came for us to gather for the pub crawl, but we were given a much earlier time than the actual start. We gathered at the Red Rock Bar and had to wait a bit before the pub crawl guides showed up, and by then, the pub was swarming with people, including that Kiwi Experience group we kept running into. Other groups showed up, these ones being rather rowdy. Once the guides were ready to go, they separated us into three groups.
The guide for my group was this wild-haired, fun fellow who was all about the dad jokes. He took us up the "stairway to heaven" to the Queenstown Ice Bar, where we were given massive parkas and gloves before descending into the bar. It was positively freezing in there, as expected, but it was so cool!
We were served shots of an apple-pie type of liqueur in thick ice shot glasses. When we were finished, we were to smash the ice glasses into a bin like we were at a Greek wedding. I made sure to yell "opa!" when I smashed mine. One of the girls in my group actually tried to eat her ice glass, but it was too thick. Thankfully, she was careful when she tried to bite the ice so she didn't hurt her teeth.
With it being so cold, we didn't stay longer than 20 minutes. Our pub guide led us back upstairs where we returned the parkas and gloves and moved on to the next pub. We were taken to an upstairs bar called Bungalow that the other two pub groups were brought to as well. It was crowded, but they had good dance music, so we all danced together. Eventually, the pub guides brought in boxes of Domino's Pizza, which we consumed while still dancing. Some of the guys in our group started climbing onto another's shoulders and dancing that way until the security guys quickly put an end to that.
When it was time to move on, all the pub guides took us to the alley where they offered a chance to win a prize with a small scavenger hunt. They listed off several items, including cigarettes and condoms, and the rowdier group rushed off to gather everything. My group's guide took us to our next bar, once again separate from the other 2 pub groups, during which time I chatted with him. He was a cool dude, still telling the dad jokes, so I told him a few "adult" dad jokes I use when I host Bingo. He told me I had him beat.
The next bar we went to, The Ballarat, was already busy as there was a live band playing. Most of the people in my group didn't even buy drinks here and just went right up to the stage to dance. I snagged a boozy blended drink, but by the time I could enjoy it, it was nearly time to leave. I had to down as much as I could without risking an ice headache.
We came to our final bar for the night, The World Bar, a restaurant that was converted to a club space for the night, met up with the other two pub groups there and amped up the party vibe up to 11. Most of my group wound up going outside because too many of the other pub crawlers were vaping around everyone, even inside, and we didn't want to be around it. Our hostel was right across the street, so even when we retired for the night, we could still hear the music and the partying. It was lit!
Whitewater Rafting
Breakfast vouchers were provided for our group in Queenstown, and the restaurant, Yonder, was right across the street. I met up with some of my friends and I ordered an egg breakfast, plus a cinnamon streusel muffin on the side. That muffin was easily one of the greatest I'd ever had! I would have taken a picture, but I consumed that sucker right quick. One of the guys took that as his cue to order one for himself and was equally as quick at eating his.
Today's weather was cold and rainy and had what looked like a storm on the horizon. This was annoying for me because I was scheduled to go whitewater rafting today, and I wasn't sure if it would still be happening with the weather. Some of the people in my group had scheduled sky diving trips that were canceled for this very reason. I hung out with some of the gals in my group that morning, then went to the pickup point at Real NZ. I was informed there that the rafting would continue as planned.
A small group of travelers joined me, and we were taxied to the rafting base. We were given our wet suits and gear and were told to stow all of our important items in the safe, so the cell phone was locked away. No pictures were taken during this trip.
When everyone was ready, we were transported to the Shotover River drop off spot via Skipper's Canyon Road, the most dangerous road in the country! Seriously, one look out the window and you were looking down a gorgeous yet exceptionally steep and rocky drop. The drivers were used to this drive, and I've been on some gnarly roads in my travels, but this one still made me a little nervous. Despite this, there were several old cabins from the Otago Gold Rush, some of which were also seen along the river when we rafted.
Our group was split between 4 rafts. My raft had one kiwi and three other Americans, with me being the only girl. The rafting guide was a cool dude who had a good sense of humor but also took the activity seriously, ensuring that we all knew and understood his commands before taking off, especially since there would be some class 5 rapids ahead. My past experience rafting had me doing rapids no higher than class 4.
As we took off down the river, our group developed good teamwork and were able to stay in rhythm for the majority of the ride. We went over class 1-4 rapids smoothly, often times teasing the other rafters as we passed, and vice versa. At one point, we had gone over a class 3 rapid with a slight drop, and came out with no issues, but the raft behind us got caught in the current and was trapped beneath the drop. We all had a good laugh, especially the other Americans since it was their friends in that raft. Our guide called us out on that, noting that none of us offered to help them out. My response was, "how are we supposed to do that with them being upriver? Turn into salmon?" He said I made my point.
When we came to the first class 5 rapid, all of the rafts came to a stop. One of the guides then went downriver to set up a rope in case we had another issue of being caught in the current; a class 5 current could cause serious damage or injuries if a raft got caught. Once the rope was set up, our raft went down first. For this one, we all had to get into the raft and hold on to the ropes until our guide told us to get up and start paddling! It was intense!
We made it through safely, and then our guide switched with the other for rope duty. He tied our raft to an anchor in the rocks while the other guide returned to his raft. The other three made it down with no problems, and we resumed. Once we came to a quieter part of the river and started getting to know everyone in the raft. He asked me where I'd had my prior whitewater rafting experiences, and when I told him the Sacramento area, he guessed the American River South Fork, and he was right! I had no idea that river was so popular amongst rafters outside of the States.
Eventually, one of the other Americans in the raft asked if he could try his hand at guiding. Our guide agreed, and he did a very good job of guiding us for his first time! He successfully brought us through some class 2 rapids, and inspired one of his friends in another raft to try his hand at guiding as well. That friend crashed his raft into the rocky side of the canyon, which his friends teased him mercilessly for.
We went over 2 more class 5 rapids; one of which we had to tie down for rescue duty again, and the final one through the Oxenbridge Tunnel, a 500-foot mining tunnel that had the class 5 waterfall drop at the other end. It was a fantastic way to end the trip! We paddled the brief distance to the rafting center, then returned the wet suits and changed into our regular clothes. The kiwi from my raft and I returned to the Real NZ shop and chatted for a bit before going our separate ways.
There were no major plans for the evening, so I went for a drink, then embarked on my travel habit: picking a direction and just keep walking. I wound up snapping some incredible pictures as I came to the lakeside and followed the path through the residential areas. I eventually came to the lake walkway's end, where it became a hiking trail. The sun had set by then and it was getting dark, so I returned to the city. Tomorrow would be another early morning wakeup that we would be picking up breakfast on our way to our day trip to Milford Sound.
Fiordland and Onsen Hot Pools
We were up at the crack of dawn when we loaded up into the bus and taken to Te Anau for a quick, and quite delicious, breakfast at The Sandfly Cafe. Our next stop along the way was at Eglinton Valley, where, on the suggestion of our guide, we frolicked through the grass. Yes, you read that right. This was the one point in our trip where I feel like we all embraced our inner child and let it all out. It was great fun!
The next place we stopped was at the Mirror Lakes, some very clear lakes you can see to the bottom and the reflections of the mountains, like Lake Matheson. Several other tour groups were here at the same time so the place was a bit crowded, but we managed to take some good shots.
Not too far ahead we stopped again at the Monkey Creek freshwater spring where some of us tried the water. There was one more stop before we reached the Milford Sound, and that would be the East Homer Nature Walk, just outside of the Homer Tunnel.
I love waterfalls and went positively nuts at how many waterfalls and cascades were around us! It was raining, which kept the flows strong, making the area feel magical! Although there were buses blocking some good views, I took as many pictures and videos as possible to remember this place.
We reached our final destination of the Milford Sound cruise, once again running into the Kiwi Experience group we kept meeting. After boarding, we all lined up at the snack bar to pick up our pre-purchased lunches of meat pies with crisps, mandarin oranges, and cookies. There was a coffee machine there too that dispensed coffee, lattes, mochas, and hot chocolate. The hot chocolate proved to be a favorite amongst the cruisers as most of the people aboard had a cup at one point.
The views here were breathtaking! The rain kept picking up here and there, and since there had been heavy rainfall the day before, the waterfalls and cascades had strong flows. Sometimes we would be piloted close enough to the falls to feel the spray! This also made for a slippery deck, but thankfully, everyone was careful up top this time.
As we cruised along, we also were able to see seals napping ashore, a small cove where there was an old mining cabin, and the best of all the waterfalls in the area: Sterling Falls. The videos and pictures cannot do this area justice, so I recommend everyone come here and see this place for themselves. It may have been an hour and a half cruise, but it was well worth it.
We made a few stops on the way back, notably one where there were alpacas outside of the service station. There was also a machine that dispensed alpaca snacks, and some of my friends bought some handfuls and distributed them amongst the group, including me. I was able to feed one and get in some scritches too.
Back in Queenstown, we all changed and headed out to celebrate one of the friend's birthday! As we headed for the restaurant the birthday girl picked, we watched some of the buskers and street performers dazzling the tourists. There was one musician in particular who was hosting a "silent disco," in which he had a few dozen headphones out, and his music would only be heard through the people who wore them. I listened for a bit, and he was talented! Unfortunately, while I left him a generous tip, I didn't take down his information.
We eventually found the restaurant, Surreal, that the birthday girl had picked. It had live music, which eventually was replaced by a DJ, intending to turn the eating area into a mini club later into the evening. I unfortunately had to leave early as I had booked an appointment at a highly recommended spa. I bid my friends farewell and went to the pickup spot, where the shuttle arrived shortly afterward.
I had a fantastic evening at the Onsen Hot Pools, where I was booked for my own personal hot tub with a view of the river, a glass of wine, and chocolate ice cream! After all of the adventuring I had been doing these last two weeks, from hiking crazy trails to cycling greater than normal distances to whitewater rafting, I needed this. The night sky was partly cloudy, but still clear enough for me to finally do some stargazing. Having never been to the southern hemisphere before, I was staring at a sky with unfamiliar constellations.
Viewing this over the lovely gorge down below, I was completely in my element.
Shotover Jet, Skyline, and Evening Fun
The next morning had a group of us doing the Shotover Jet, a large motorboat that speeds over the Shotover River, giving participants a rare look at the canyon this river flows through. I had some time to kill beforehand, so while many of our group slept in, I went for an early morning walk. I found a small hike that was promoted a waterfall, but when I reached it, it was barely more than a trickle. I did manage to take some good pictures of the area though.
When the time came, I met up with the friends who were also doing the Shotover Jet. The boarding area began where my rafting trip had ended, so that was cool. We put our valuables in lockers since we would be getting wet, then boarded the boat. We rocketed off right away, showing us right away that these pilots are insane! Not only were we going about 55 miles per hour, but he was taking us super close to the rocks and doing full 360 degree turns! There were several instances where we ducked, despite still being a safe distance away. It was an adrenaline filled, wet ride!
We split from there, and I took the Skyline Gondola up the mountain to go luging. I grabbed lunch first and took some pictures before heading to the luge track. There's currently only one track open, and with the second still under construction, it was a bit of a walk over stairways to make it to the next gondola.
The first thing every rider had to do was to take a helmet, which also had a bar code on it so that you could access pictures taken as you went. I took the smaller gondola up to the top of the track where the line split between first-time riders and returners. I went to the first-time side where one of the attendants made sure I knew how to operate the luge properly before I went down. It was a fun ride, albeit short. I took another ride down, this one a little faster than the first time. I purchased one of my pictures, then lingered around the Skyline center a bit longer to check the shops and take more pictures with Wash and Heihei.
After I took the gondola back down the mountain, I grabbed some gelato at Anita Gelato, went shopping for a bit, then went to change. A WhatsApp message was sent about where we were meeting for dinner, and since it was a later dinner, I went out for some drinks. I checked out the Beech Tree where I picked up a flight of brews. I had a fun interaction with the bartender too, as he asked my opinion on the music playing. It was his own playlist, and his coworkers weren't a fan, so he asked me to tell them I liked the music. As it turned out, his playlist was comprised of American classic rock, Motown, and crooners, and I legitimately liked it. I made sure as I was leaving to declare loudly around at least one other coworker heard that the music here was great.
When it was time to meet for dinner, we went to The Bavarian, a German-themed restaurant next to the ice bar we visited during the pub crawl. Two of our guys went head-to-head with flights of shots, but both managed to hold their liquor. Afterwards, we went back to the waterfront where we went to get gelato at Patagonia and watched street performers again, notably a chap doing a balancing act while juggling flaming batons. The silent disco performer was back, so a bunch of us hung around to enjoy his music into the night.
Lake Tekapo
It was our last full day together, and time to leave Queenstown. Our first stop was in the small town of Arrowhead to have a quick look and pick up coffee. It was a cute little town, and featured one of the few shops licensed to sell official Lord of the Rings jewelry. Afterwards, we went to the AJ Hackett Bungy for one of our friends to do his bungy jump. We all watched and cheered for him as he took that leap of faith.
We continued on and stopped for a quick lunch, then moved on to Lake Pukaki. This area in general was used for multiple filming locations for both LOTR and The Hobbit, specifically the Trollshaws for both series, the Misty Mountains, and Lake-Town. Mt. Cook/Aoraki in the background was the inspiration for the Misty Mountains was also where Sir Edmund Hilary trained for his historic Everest ascent. The lake itself was beautiful and very cold, though I didn't know from experience, but from the guys that stripped and jumped right in. They practically turned blue!
We arrived in Lake Tekapo, considered to be on of the most Instagram-able sites in the world with its sapphire blue waters. We had several options for the next few hours, including exploring the town, going to the nearby spa, or hiking up Mt. John. I opted for the hike, but unfortunately, no one else joined me. There were two paths, one going directly up, and one going around and up, taking a longer time. I chose the more direct hike, which was challenging, but not too hard.
The mount itself had two summits, and I made sure to check out both. The views from both were incredible! The north summit also had a coffee shop up top, but it closed at 2pm, and I was up there around 5pm. I stuck around for a little longer, then made my way down and continued to the town to do a little shopping.
Our final dinner together was held at the home of a lovely couple who lived next to the lodge property. We were welcomed in and served with a home cooked meal comprised of beef patties, sausage, potatoes, buttered rolls, a variety of vegetables and greens, and other side dishes. After having eaten out this entire trip, having a home cooked meal was an exceptionally welcome experience. Everything was delicious, and I could really taste the love poured into it.
Dessert was a meringue cake with fresh fruit on top. So yummy! We all thanked them very heartily for the wonderful meal.
For the last night together, we decided to take it easy. We all brought out bottles of wine and beer and hung out by the lakeshore. We watched the sunset, told stories, talked about the favorite parts of our trip, and upcoming adventures or returning to the working world. I managed to down an entire bottle of Savvie B and only felt a little buzzed afterwards.
Homeward Bound
The lovely couple who provided us with dinner the night before came to the lodge and brought us breakfast of homemade bread and granola, eggs, and yogurt. We made sure to thank them again for their hospitality. We also made a quick stop in town for come coffee at a place called The Greedy Cow, which was a fun shop to visit.
Our ride back to Christchurch was more quiet than I was expecting. Some of us, like myself, were leaving the same day, while most were sticking around overnight or at least a few more days. We made a stop in the small town of Geraldine, where I hit up the Geraldine Cheese Company for samples, and purchased a block of mozzarella. And yes, I ate that block all by myself!
The next stop was in Rakaia. We were given some time to stretch out legs and to check out the Giant Salmon statue. In that same park, there was an impressive playground, with a "hamster wheel" that our guide warned us could cause some injuries, as demonstrated by previous groups.
Everyone in our group played on at least one of the playground implements, and yes, a bunch of the guys got into the hamster wheel. Thankfully, no one got hurt as our guide feared. There was another spinning wheel sort of machine that a few of our group played on, but it looked like it would leave the riders too dizzy.
And then, too soon, we reached Christchurch. It was a bittersweet goodbye as we dropped off most of the group at the same hotel we stayed in when we first visited. The rest of us were either dropped off at a hotel closer to the airport, or at the airport itself, which was where I got off. I had to wait for a few hours, so I did some shopping and got a late lunch. I found a meal deal of a semi-charcuterie board with sliced bread and four different dips, with two small bottles of sparkling wine in the side.
When the time came for me to board the plane, I waited in the gate where I heard the overhead announcements. As it turns out, the airline crew here in Christchurch had NO chill when it came to late passengers. There was a party of people being summoned to their gate, with the person on the PA system saying "the crew and passengers are waiting for you to board, and you are making us late." I had to applaud those workers for doing that! I don't know if that party of fliers ever made it.
Boarding the plane was far more interesting than I expected. The jet bridge featured a full moon painting on the walls, and the rest of the corridor featured a galaxy complete with lights as stars and had astronomical information as well! I never knew such a cool jet bridge existed! I also lucked out in that no one else was in my row on the plane, so I was able to stretch out for the 90 minute flight to Auckland. The only downside was that this Air New Zealand flight used to have a safety video that was Middle Earth themed, but was changed within the last few years. Oh well.
I landed in Auckland and had to collect my luggage, but that took far longer than expected, and by the time I reached the international terminal, the Latam Airlines desk was closed for the day. I had to spend the next few hours waiting in the terminal for the line to open up, which was an hour later than my phone notifications reported. Thankfully, I was the first person in line, and was able to go through security to the gates.
For breakfast, I snagged a bagel with schmear before heading to my gate. When I boarded, I immediately picked out a movie to watch, the British animated movie Mummies, and fell asleep within five minutes, even before the plane took off. I awoke when the movie was coming toward the end, where Nickelback's song "Far Away" was playing. Immediately, I looked out the window and felt deep sadness that I was leaving New Zealand. I had loved my time here and would have loved to have stayed longer, but I usually don't feel this level of sadness leaving unless I'm flying out of Ireland. And Nickelback triggering that? Did not see that coming!
Australia
There was one more stop on the way back to the US: Sydney, Australia. In my rescheduling of the flight back, I only paid an extra $35 for a seat upgrade with more legroom, and a layover in Sydney! The layover was only 5 hours, so leaving the airport was out of the question, but hey, it's Australia!
I fell back asleep on the flight, and felt decently rested by the time we landed in Sydney. Unfortunately, it was a busy day for flights, so we had to wait on the runway for about an hour before we could disembark. I spend that time chatting with my seatmate, a friendly Aussie who had just returned from Chile visiting his girlfriend. He wished me safe travels when we were allowed off.
By then, I was already overflowing with my carry-on, under seat bag, and another bag full of souvenirs and wine from the Auckland Airport, so I had to tote everything with me. I went through immigration first, which didn't take too long, then went through the terminal to find my gate. Once I found the right gate, I grabbed a quick lunch and did a little more shopping. While looking around, I bought a stuffed wombat named Benny for someone special. I thought about buying a second one for myself, but declined in favorite of an entertaining boxing kangaroo pen. I do regret not buying that second wombat, but I do love the pen.
As I explored the terminal, I also found this robotic face that was on display at the Sephora store.
I decided to take a selfie with it, which I also take with a timer, and right as I started the timer, that face turned to look at me! That started look on my face was completely legitimate, as I was completely caught off guard.
And far too soon, it was time to board the flight back to the US. It would have been nice to stay longer in both New Zealand and Australia, but sticking with my budget wound up being a wise move. I flew back to the US and prepared for my return to the seas.
What Adventures are You Looking For?
I loved New Zealand far more than I had expected. The history, the scenery, and the overall vibe there was incredible. There were so many things I was able to do there, and yet so many left undone. I can honestly say that in my travels, New Zealand has zipped to the number two spot on my list of favorite countries (Ireland will always be first).
Between the north and the south islands, I definitely prefer the south with its untamed lands, and, if I'm being honest, amazing wines. This being said, the entire country was unique in that it embraces the wildness of the islands and utilizes it for adventures. Here's some ideas of what you can do while you're there.
Hiker and Backpacker's Paradise
If you've read my posts, you know I'm all about the hikes. Here, there are not only hikes everywhere, but signs on paths detailing the lengths of the trails. The most challenging ones, like Tongariro Alpine, will warn you about the conditions of the trails. As stated earlier, there are even snow hikes that are used for Mt. Everest training.
One of the things I noted while I was here was how the majority of the hostels out here used the word "Backpackers" in their names. As we stayed at various hostels and lodges throughout our trip, I witnessed dozens of travelers who were backpacking across the country. This is the place to be if you get your kicks from hiking and/or backpacking.
It is also worth nothing that when I hiked the Kaikoura peninsula, one of the girls in my group was from Switzerland, one of the most beautiful countries on the planet. She and I marveled at the views of the bay, and with her sharing the wonder, I knew that this country was something special. Especially when she showed me a picture of what the views from her front door looked like!
Canyon Swings
Based out of Queenstown, the canyon swings secure their adventurers to a chair, and then they are either pushed, released, or even kicked off "Sparta" style.
This was one adventure I had hoped to do, but was outside of my budget. Everyone I spoke to who had done it admitted it was one of the most frightening things they had ever done, but would easily do again. One company in particular rated the swing experienced by the number of underwear and how many pairs are recommended you wear for when you wet yourself from fear!
Bungy Jumping
Did you know that commercial bungy jumping originated in New Zealand? What better place to try it if you haven't yet? I for one have bungy jumped before, so this was another activity I skipped, but around here, you can bungy from the Kawarau Bridge, the original location of AJ Hackett's first bungy jump, or at another incredible site.
Glaciers
Glaciers are sadly becoming fewer in this world, but New Zealand is home to some of the most accessible ones. Franz Josef, Fox, and Mt. Cook at the top there around here, and can be accessed via helicopter. Franz Josef also offers the option to do a glacier hike!
Zorbing
What the heck is zorbing?
Also originated in New Zealand, it's a sport that involves riding down a hill in a giant, inflated ball. The ball itself also has water inside of it, so you will get wet when you do this. Depending on the company you book with, it can be a short ride, but it's a one-of-a-kind experience that's picking up traction across the world. Why not try it here, where it was first created?
Zip-Lining
Another activity I sadly had to put off, but yet another item of the list of things I need to do in New Zealand. Zip-lining, if you haven't done it before, offers a breathtaking means of viewing the local scenery from above. All of the friends who participated told me they were blown away by the views.
Hot Springs Spas
Did you know that a percentage of New Zealand is powered by geothermal activity? Well, where there are active volcanoes, there are also hot springs. The ones that are safe to use are a highly recommended visit. The naturally heated water is soothing on limbs and good for the skin. The mud packs are also said to been extremely nutrient-rich for skin issues. If there's one nearby, take the time to make reservations at it!
A word of advice: don't wear your favorite swimsuit when you go. It will smell of sulfur when you leave and it take forever to lose to odor.
There and Back Again
Well, I'm back.
I cannot express just how much I loved this country and cannot wait to return. Who knows, maybe I'll even work a cruise ship that goes there someday! Until then, I'm working on a few other posts that may take some time, especially being back aboard a ship. So, keep an eye out, and before you know it, I'll have another travel diary ready with a new adventure.
Pictures taken by me, my device, shared by a friend, or purchased from the vendor and not to be used without permission. Gifs courtesy of Giphy.
