On the way to Queenstown

Today we went to the blue pools of Haast Pass and found a yellow feather of an endangered bird.  The deep azure blue water is from the glaciers, and is so incredibly clear I could see right to the bottom.  The fish looked like they were suspended in the air!

Blue Pools of Haast Pass

Kawarau Bridge Bungy

We then drove toward Queenstown.  On the way we stopped at the world's first commercial bungy jump place - The Kawarau Bridge Bungy.  AJ Hackett and Henry Van Ash set up the 43 metre jump in 1988.  My family and I watched in awe and excitement as people plummeted off the bridge.  Who knows ... maybe I'll come back here and give it a try!  I don't know if I could ever make that first step after a count of three.

Queenstown is the most beautiful city I have ever visited!  It is surrounded by The Remarkables.  The mountains were named this because they are one of only two mountain ranges in the world which run directly north to south.  An alternate explanation for the name given by locals is that early Queenstown settlers, upon seeing the mountain range during sunset one evening, named them the Remarkables to describe the sight.  We walked around town and ate dinner at Pog Monhogan's Irish pub/restaurant.  I had delicious coconut and pumkin soup and salmon and portobello mushroom risotto.  SO GOOD.  Back in the campervan we watched some a house swap episode on television.  I never knew crazy people could be so obsessed with coupons.  Hahaha.

Franz Josef Glacier

We began this morning with some world cup action!! We watched Brazil beat Chile in the campervan lodge lounge before venturing over to the Franz Josef Glacier Tour. This was the highlight of the trip so far, and I doubt anything can beat it. Our tour began with a hike through a rainforest. There are not many cold rainforests in the world. We then walked 2 km across the riverbed where the glacier had retreated to get to the base. The 12km long glacier is one of the most incredible sights I have ever seen! We put on our cramp-ons and walked up the blue glacier, through tight spaces, and under hollow openings.

After our awesome glacier adventure, we drove south and had a good view of the 13 km Fox Glacier. We stopped at Gillepsies Beach where we found lots of driftwood and stones and the weather was gloomy.

Pancake Rocks and Hokitika

This morning the sunrise was beautiful and pink!! Our first stop was the Punaiki Pancake Rocks and blowholes. The limestone rocks are 30 million years old and they literally look like stacks of pancakes! It was a nice day today but when it's stormy, heavy ocean swells crash into the caverns under the rocks and huge water spouts blast up through the blowholes.

Afterward we visited Hokitika, translated to "the place of return." It is a very nice town on the west coast where we purchased necklaces made out of New Zealand's famous greenstone. Greenstone, also known as ponamu, is nephrite jade that comes from the South Island. It has much significance in Maori culture.

After a nice afternoon exploring the town and beach, we drove two hours to Franz Joseph. The drive from Westport to Franz Josef along the coast is one of the top ten drives in the world! It was incredible. I couldn't take my eyes off of the beautiful countryside, beaches, and snow capped mountains. It hardly looked real!

The Interislander

Today we jumped on the Interisland Ferry which took us from the North Island to the South Island. The 92km voyage took 3 hours and has been described as "one of the most beautiful ferry rides in the world." It definitely beat every ferry ride I have ever been on! Right away we found a television that was playing the USA vs. Ghana world cup game. Ghana won in extra time. I am sad USA is out but I hope Ghana does well. After the soccer we watched the All-Blacks play Wales. The Haka gives me chills every time! Our first day on the South Island was mostly spent driving. We stopped to walk a trail, see some seals, and watch the sunset near a beach. After that we stopped at a supermarket and found out shopping carts are called Trundlers!! haha. We had a roast at a restaurant called Portabello. The moon tonight was very bright and had a beautiful halo surrounding it. What a start to our South Island adventures!!

Wellington

Today was mostly spent driving toward Wellington, the capital, and enjoying the scenery. On the way we had lunch with one of Dad's work colleagues in a cafe. New Zealand is magical!! I love just gazing out the window at the beautiful land - the hills and snow capped mountains and towns. Also, tourism radio plays 24/7. It uses an integrated GPS system that automatically transmits history and anecdotes about our surroundings. Its pretty sweet but I know I'm going to get sick of the songs because there aren't enough on the playlist. We passed through a town called Upper Hutt and tourism radio told us that it has more soccer players than rugby players - now that's my kind of town!! When we finally reached Wellington, it was downpouring and blowing a gayle!! Apparently that's typical Wellington weather. New Zealand's national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa Museum was the perfect place to visit. We went in a virtual earthquake room, saw a collosal squid, and learned so much about New Zealand history through fun, interactive exhibits. Afterward we got some dinner at a mall and I made Lindsey try bubble tea for the first time! We got coconut flavour - she loved it.

Rotorua to Te Awanga

Polynesian Spa

After breakfast we went to the Polynesian Spa at 8 am. The water we bathed in comes from geothermic acidic and alkaline hot mineral springs. The acidic water remains in its natural state so there is no control over temperature or clarity. It is renowned for its therapeutic properties offering relief from tired muscles, aches and pains, arthritis and rheumatism. The alkaline water is characterised by its normal clarity and soft feel. It emanates from a deep boiling spring and is cooled to bathing temperature by the addition of town supply cold water. The clarity of the water can change under some atmospheric conditions. The bland, soothing, antiseptic action of sodium silicate makes this water very pleasing on the skin.

Poi Dance

Dad doing the Haka

Mud Pools

I felt incredibly relaxed, soft, and happy after our bathe! While in Rotorua, we visited Te Puia – home to the internationally renowned Pohutu geyser, the National carving and weaving schools, and the world famous Whakarewarewa guides. The Maori cultural performance was exceptional! We gathered outside the main entrance to the Marae witnessed a traditional karanga (welcome). Inside the meeting house we were surrounded by beautiful wooden carvings and treated to song and dance. Lindsey, Mum, and I got to try a poi dance and Dad got to perform a Haka!! After the performances, we took a tour of the ancient valley where we saw the world-famous Pohutu geyser, mud pools, and boiling waters. Then we took a walk through the Kiwi House where I saw my first Kiwi Bird! They are much bigger than I had anticipated. And very cute!

Prince of Wales Geyser

Finally, we hit the road again and headed toward Te Awanga (which is near Hastings). We made a few stops along the way.

Huka Falls

The Huka Falls are the largest falls on the Waikato River, near Taupo. They are the most visited natural attraction in New Zealand! The Waikato River is one of New Zealand's longest rivers and it drains Lake Taupo - the largest freshwater lake in all of Australasia. At the Huka Falls, the Waikato River, which is normally 100m wide, is squeezed through a 20 metre wide gorge, crosses over a hard volcanic ledge, and drops over a 20 metres. Every second up to 220,000 litres of water gushes through the gorge and shoots out over 8 metres beyond to create a beautiful blue/green pool. The name Huka is the Maori word for 'foam', which is appropriate as the falling water and rapids certainly resembles foam. After some more driving we stopped in a town along Lake Taupo. We went to an All-Blacks store, a wine store, and Mum was facinated by the McDonald's airplane. Haha.

Roger and Family Dinner

When we finally reached Te Awanga, we had dinner with Roger and his family (Helen, Thomas, and Philipa). Roger and Dad grew up together in Berwick. That night we camped in their driveway.

Waitomo Glowworm Caves

Today we woke up early to retrieve my bag at the airport and then drove to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. While we walked and floated on the water through the caves, our Maori tour guide commentated on the Caves’ historical and geological significance, and shared stories and cultural legends. The Waitomo glowworm, Arachnocampa luminosa, is unique to New Zealand. Thousands of these tiny creatures radiate their luminescent light through the majestic and ornate cave decorations, the deep limestone shaft known as the Tomo, and the magnificent Cathedral cavern where New Zealand’s own opera diva Kiri Te Kanawa once performed.

Afterwards, we drove two hours to Rotorua. The place stinked of sulfur!! There are many geysers and natural hot sulfur and mineral pools here. We made dinner and went to sleep.

Traveling

Air New Zealand

View of Grand Canyon from Plane

At 12:30 pm on Monday (June 21), Mum, Dad, Lindsey, and I left our house to begin our journey. We flew five hours to LAX (we saw the Grand Canyon from the plane!!! And we flew over the International Date Line where time jumped forward 24 hours!) and got a connection on a huge double decker air New Zealand plane to Auckland where we arrived at 6 am on Wednesday.  Unfortunately one of my bags was left at LAX so we had to return to the airport the next morning. The first thing Lindsey and I got excited about as we stepped into New Zealand for the first time were the super big Toblerone bars! Yum!! The Kea camper van company came to pick us up at the airport at 7:30 am after we drank some free tea. We were the first ever customers at their new facilities. After an hour of signing paperwork and learning how to work the van we headed off on our epic journey through the country. The first thing we did, of course, was stock up on food and then we visited Gillian and her baby Erin. Gillian is mum’s cousin’s daughter and this was the first time meeting her! We then met up with dad’s work colleague, Caroline Gray, and she brought us to One Tree Hill. At the top we could see all of Auckland! After, we went out to dinner with her and her husband at Fox’s Ale House. It is true that the best wine comes from New Zealand! It was a great atmosphere to watch the All-Blacks play Wales. The Haka is so intense! Exhaustion set in as we returned to the camper van and conked out at 10:30 pm.

View of Aukland from One Tree Hill

Beginning

Adventures begin monday 6/21/10 !!!