Well isn’t this a surprise, a sudden detour methinks. A few hours before my departure to the Great Ocean Road I book a last-minute trip to New Zealand. Flying out of Sydney to Wellington, when I get to the end of my road-trip.
I hadn’t been to Wellington in a few years but the city seemed different. I still remember the same high hills lined with cable cars. I also had a vague, fond memory of a drunken St Patrick’s Day with my brother the last time I was here. Yet, this time, I was on my own and started my experience at Zeelandia - a protected forest enclosure built to replicate New Zealand before the Europeans arrived. It was here, at Zeelandia, I felt so close to the wonderful nature of this far-away place. The pleasant song birds, the lush undergrowth, and the amazing views.
The next day , after having met with my tour group, we made our way to the ferry and the South Island. Due to delays we didn’t arrive at the Abel Tasman National Park until late. We arrived late to the park to catch a boat into the bay yet, due to our earlier delays the tides had already left the shores, we were unable to leave.
We all board a speedboat and a local farmer tows us, by tractor, to suitable depths - high enough to float - and we were off.
We spent the night aboard a larger, sleeper boat after a refreshing evening swim and we wake up bright and early to hike out of the park, back to where we had left the bus. We spent some time at the Venus Pools, a fantastic secluded lagoon just for us to enjoy. Moving on we stopped for lunch at a bay and had a swim in the ocean - quick and cold.
Feeling the summer heat and the afternoon winding on we finally make it to the pub, and the finish line, to enjoy some delicious, cold cider.
The next night we spent at Punakaiki at a rainforest lodge near the Pancake Rocks. The group prepared dinner, homemade fish tacos and lots of wine, and we partied through the night.
The next day on to Franz Josef. For me this was to be one of the highlights of the trip because I’d get to go on a helicopter ride to the top of a glacier and a hike across the ice - but sadly the weather drowned us out and the rain meant it was a no-fly day. Grounded, but not perturbed we hiked to the lookout to try to catch a glimmery glimpse of the iced wonder.
It was unfortunate that we had no luck with visibility but we did have a nice hike there and back as well as a treat to hot chocolates around a roaring fire pit upon our return.
The next morning more than made up for the bad weather, beautiful views overlooking Mount Cook.
And a pre-lunch trip down the shallow river in a jet boat before making our way to Queenstown.
Beautiful sunshine and stunning mountain vistas in the adventure capital of the world. A few days are spent here doing all manner of adventure activities: downhill mountain biking with a few nasty cuts and scrapes; white water sledging - think white water rafting without the rafts; and go-karts down the mountain-side.
After an adventure filled few days, and an infamous Ferg Burger, we move on to the Doubtful Sound, actually a fjord, and named so because Captain Cook was doubtful he’d be able to sail back out. He also commented on the sheer deafening noise of the local song birds.
We hike through the park, looking for seals, and have an early morning kayak through the fjords; dead arms by the end. The evenings we spend in silent darkness, outside, waiting and watching for the elusive Kiwi.
To get into the park we had to take an hour by van, bus and boat but we leave in style. We phone up a local sea plane operator and are flown over the fjord on a scenic, aerial flight around the Doubtful Sound, out to the coast, over snow capped mountains and finally dropping us off at the bus stop for our journey to the next stop - the Otago Rail Trail.
The Otago Rail Trail is a 35km bike ride through a historic, and beautiful, part of the country, ending up at a quaint little English-style pub for dinner and a nights sleep.
Our last few days we travel up the coast and back to the ferry-port, Wellington and eventually my flight to Melbourne. We stop in Christchurch and witness the collapsed city still in tatters and make our way to the seal capital of the South Island around Kaikoura.
New Zealand is truly beautiful and I loved every minute - even the early mornings. Do have a look at the rest of my New Zealand photo set is on Flickr, there’s so many amazing pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/omgaz/sets/72157641540096374/