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Hokitika and Hokitika Gorge

After several hours’ drive up New Zealand South Island’s West Coast we arrive at our campervan spot for the night in Hokitika, but we’re too late for the numerous art and greenstone (jade) galleries that the town is known for. Greenstone actually comes from the rivers near Hokitika, so it’s known as the greenstone capital of New Zealand. No worries.

It’s a beautiful end to the day, so we walk the beach to a waterfront restaurant for a quick near-sunset drink, try whitebait fritters because we’ve heard so much about it (not quite our taste and not entirely sustainable we learn), then continue on to the nearby old downtown, (originally founded during the gold mining days) and line up at the popular fish and chips place (Porky’s Takeaways) before heading back to tuck in for the night.

Next morning we’re up with rest of the camp, have our breakfast in the sun and head out to Hokitika Gorge. It’s a bunch or narrow roads getting there – and already crowded at the site, but we luck out and instead of hitting a dead end with our 21’ campervan and having to back out we find an overflow lot and take off for the gorge.

The scene is a lot like the Blue Pools from a few days ago, just a lighter shade of teal/turquoise and chalky compared to the clear Blue Pools.

We feel lucky that every day for the last eight we’ve woke, enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at our campsite and traveled to absolutely stunning scenery like this.

Lake Hawea to the West Coast

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We wake to yet another blue-sky day and are raring to go. On today’s drive is Southern Alps beauty. We’re on highway 6 heading toward Haast Pass. Mt. Aspiring National Park and South West New Zealand World Heritage Area is on our left and there are many places to stop and hike to gorgeous waterfalls and turquoise/teal rivers and pools.

We heard along our travels that the Blue Pools near Makarora are amazing so we’re hiking into them along with visitors from Germany, Canada and more. We get our first view of the pools and cross over the suspension bridge to a viewing platform, then to the water’s edge. It’s breathtaking.

Where we’re from, the Pacific Northwest, our glacial rivers are sometimes dark and murky coming right off the mountains. Most of the rivers coming off the New Zealand’s Southern Alps – at least in summer – are this beautiful teal color. 

But we have much more ground to cover today to make it half-way up the South Island’s West Coast, so we take in one more waterfall and pass by yet another teal river.

We continue our drive through tropical Hawaii-like Haast Pass and hit the coast at Knight’s Point.

It looks and feels like a Central to Southern California beach, a bit of a cool breeze hits our faces but blue sky abounds and ongoing series of Tasman Sea waves hit the beach.

From here, we know we could spend a few days exploring Fox and Franz Josef glaciers. We’re on the other side of Mt. Cook, where we visited earlier in our trip and sandwiched by two national parks – Mt. Cook and Westland Tai Poutini National Parks.

We make a note to spend at least a day or two here next trip and continue on, our goal for today is still about two hours up the coast, in Hokitika.

On the Road Again

Today we pull up stakes in Milford Sound and start the long drive back through Fjordland National Park, past New Zealand’s second largest lake and curving back east toward Far South.

Waiting at entrance of 1270 meter-long Homer Tunnel

There’s no other way (by car/van at least) than backtracking the way you came in but it’s gorgeous and we’re well rested after two rest nights plugged in at Milford Sound lodge’s campervan section.

Discussion of the morning is how nice our campervan facilities have been at the holiday parks we’ve visited. They are inexpensive (compared to a hotel/motel) and have clean showers/bathrooms, group cooking and eating areas and comfy lounge areas to use wireless, read or meet people from all over the world. Fantastic way to travel – we are new fans!

We could get used to this. Seeing beautiful scenery every day while driving to a new location. We’re stopping at pull-out after pull-out to take in a snow-covered mountain, a waterfall, a carved-out valley. I don’t think I can capture the beauty in words except to say that it’s awe-inspiring at nearly every turn.

I think that’s Mt. Tutoko, Fjordland’s highest peak, in background

I had intended to build in more “Freedom Camping” on this trip (if you have a bathroom and running water you are considered “self-contained” and approved for camping off the grid).

But I also knew we’d be traveling in New Zealand’s high season, learning along the way that kiwis take to the road right after Christmas – which is today – and we are already seeing more travelers on the road.

Not quite trusting, we opt to call ahead to Lake Hawea for a plug-in space and stop by Lake Wanaka for lunch and sauvignon blanc, which of course we’re also becoming fans!

Milford Sound

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It’s Christmas morning, and day 5 of our campervan adventure far from our Portland home. We’re now on the very Western edge of New Zealand’s South Island. It is as majestic as they say, and photos can’t capture all the pure natural beauty your eyes see.

I now have a new appreciation for waterfalls. And not your average waterfalls. It rained all night and into the morning as we donned our requisition where’s Waldo-striped long underwear and fleece, pulled over bright yellow rain jackets and tightened hoodies against the pelting rain.

A subtropical rainforest, Milford Sound gets a reported 3-9 meters of rain a year – and we were sitting in all that fresh water as we pushed our boats onto the Harrison Cove. All this top fresh water sits on top of ocean water coming in from the Tasman Sea way beyond where we’ll go today – at least in these boats.

The torrential rain has spawned all types of waterfalls raging down the sheer mountain walls – some a long single line following a crack the vertical length of the wall. Others a gusher that can’t wait to get to the sound below. Some look like flower dumped from up high, beads landing on outcrops, vegetation and then the pool below.

We feel spray and wind from one of the big ones and have to lean into the wind or be pushed over. These are just a few of hundreds in this sound, which is really a fjord since our guide tells us this area was in a U-shape from glaciers rather than rivers, which are cut into more of a V-shape. This is just one of 14 in Fjordland National Park.

Where it’s hard to see in the morning, an afternoon cruise takes us further out, past the same waterfalls of the a.m. but in the clearing sun they look different – less runoff but still majestic and unlike most Pacific Northwest waterfalls we’ve seen.

Boat captain takes us right under a waterfall

These are up close, enough to not just feel the spray, but nearly get blown over by it (AKA a “glacial facial” as they say).

In the sun, the sound looks like Tahiti or Kauai, where mountains jut straight up from the water and where the weather changes quickly. We are easily falling in love with this country and the immense, nearly untouched beauty and terrain we’ve seen over just the last few days.

Later, we are invited to a Kiwi Christmas dinner at the lodge and meet folks from the Bay Area, a suburb close to Portland, England, Australia, Singapore and much more. So nice to be outside the American culture for a bit.

Queenstown to Milford Sound

After breaking camp at the Holiday Park Creeksdyle in Queenstown, we take quick break to check out the original bungy jump location outside town. It’s 141 feet off the Kawaru Bridge, where the teal water river rages below. 

Looking 142 feet down from bridge

You can take in the view from the bridge as if you were going to jump yourself – but I’m sure standing on the actual platform and jumping is a completely different thing.

Still, I’m tempted. You only live once, right? It’s kind of like when I tried skydiving even though I was afraid – it was something I wanted to do at least once in my life and I actually ended up feeling like the freefall – which I was sure would scare me the most – was actually really peaceful.

While not originally on my bucket list, bungy jumping may have made it onto this list because of this trip and seeing the original location. Another scouting mission for next trip…

We fuel up in Te Anu and we’re in Fjordland National Park, New Zealand’s largest. The terrain on our way to Milford Sound feels familiar – like entering Yellowstone National Park in Montana, some of Oregon’s Scenic Columbia Gorge, but with an occasional palm tree. Then like Utah’s white-capped Wasatch Range. Makes us appreciate that we’re seeing the best of America’s West in a condensed few hours.

Then the rainforest reveals itself. As we pass through the near 4,000-foot Homer Tunnel we enter Cleddau Valley, closing in on Milford Sound. It’s like the Hoh Rain Forrest in Washington’s Olympic Mountains. Variations of deep green and the beginnings of many waterfalls.

Queenstown Play

Above Queenstown

Day 3 in the campervan and our drive takes us from the Alps to the Central Otago region. We’re headed to Queenstown, a total outdoor playground. We have one full day and two nights, so we plug in at a Holiday Park (Creeksyde) and jump in for tandem paragliding in the morning and gondola/luge in afternoon.

Queenstown is like Lake Tahoe meets a Colorado ski town – or maybe Boulder. There’s something for everyone – rafting, paragliding and parasailing, jetboats, skydiving, hiking and this new thing called Hydro Attack – it’s like an enclosed jet ski that can submerge up to 5 feet then shoot straight up in the air. If you can’t do G-forces, it won’t work for you because they aren’t kidding about the rocket piece we’re told.

If you’re not into the outdoor adventure Queenstown also offers a great downtown shopping district and excellent restaurant options on the wharf, and a fantastic garden walk to a point that gets you out onto the lake for a 180-degree view of the town and the Remarkables mountain range.

Paraglide morning

Enjoying the moment

The windy uphill road takes us to Cardrona ski area where we’ll jump off the cliff from Coronet Peak – or as my paraglide captain Hansel says “you run and we just take off.” It is just like that – all geared up we take a few jogs, the kite picks up air and we’re quickly off the cliff – just floating. It’s easy and peaceful being the passenger as his Go-Pro captures the scenery and my constant grin, the lush green and brown landscape below. He takes us along a cliff line and catches a thermal. I can hear other paragliders echo my woo-hoos as they follow similar line. Then there’s the corkscrew like moves that get us closer to our landing path lower on the mountain. I see now why my captain and many of his compatriots have come from all over the world to live here – to fly every day in this gorgeous valley, and from the highest commercial take off in Queenstown .

Gondola & Luge afternoon

Switching gears, if you go up the Gondola right from town, definitely try the luge course if you like to go fast. When I first heard the word, I thought we’d be literally doing the luge, but in summer with wheels. You actually sit up in a hard plastic cart and can turbo it up, especially on the red course after you’ve done your first orientation run on the easier blue course.

We instantly turned to kids who grew up loving to drive the cars on the rail course at Disneyland, then learned to alpine ski and instantly bombed the hill. Adrenaline kicks in, we gain courage and catch air the next run, up on two wheels around the sharp curves on the next. After 3 runs it’s growing hot on the course.

All the better to check out the Stratosphere restaurant and view. Paragliders jump from the mountain tip above us and pass by our window overlooking Queenstown. Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand’s third largest lake, glistens below. Boats look small. Two more luge runs and we’re done with our active day and head to dinner on the wharf (many good restaurants to choose from by the way.)

New Zealand Campervan: Lake Tekapo to Queenstown

Today we head right into the heart of New Zealand’s Alps after leaving Lake Tekapo, past the teal blue Lake Pukaki and up to Mt. Cook National Park. Both lakes, glistening in the morning sun, remind us of Northern California’s Clear Lake or even Lake Shasta. In the distance we see the snow-covered Mt. Cook and as we arrive in the village I’m reminded of a similar scene growing up.

Mt. Cook to seems very similar to Washington’s Mt. Rainier. Just like the latter’s Paradise entrance, you can drive almost right up to the glacier and stay at a mountain chalet/lodge. Feels like I could hours just taking in the view of New Zealand’s tallest mountain. There’s something about being in the presence of glacier-covered mountains that soothes my soul. It seems to be the subconscious acknowledgement of lastingness. I can’t put exact words on it today, but hailing from the Pacific Northwest and spending weekends at my family’s lakeside cabin fed by Mt. Rainier’s east flank glaciers – there is a strong presence of a tall mountain that is reassuring to me.

But today, we have much ground to cover if we’re to make it to Queenstown, the outdoor playground of New Zealand’s South Island. We head down the mountain to Lake Wanaka, a small but bustling lakeside town before heading to Queenstown.

Feel of the day
Civil. Everywhere we’ve been so far in NZ has been clean, safe and full of nice and respectful Kiwis who seem to appreciate life and have an acute awareness of their surroundings. So refreshing.

New Zealand Campervan: Christchurch to Lake Tekapo

Lake Tekapo

It’s day 1 of our 10-day adventure around New Zealand’s South Island. We’re surprised all our clothes and groceries fit into the Sprinter van’s roll-top cabinets and efficient nooks. We’re moved in and rolling, remembering the “wide right, tight left” from numerous training videos on driving in New Zealand.

Sheep! Everywhere on our way from Christchurch to Lake Tekapo, about 2.5 hours from the city and into New Zealand’s  Southern Alps. We check in at our first lakeside holiday park, get our spot, plug in the van and immediately set off to hike Mt. John to the observatory. It’s a 360-degree view on top, deserving of a panoramic photo (above). This place is known for spectacular night star viewing, but unfortunately it turns overcast as we descend and the evening begins, so we use our imagination until I find this great video that shows us what we missed!

It’s our first of many bright blue glacial lakes. And the holiday park has hot pots for soaking and stargazing. The winter skating rink has even transformed to a huge blow-up water slide within the hot pool facility.

And then there’s the new word of the day: Plunger. As in the French Press we break from our van after learning first lesson to be sure to secure everything when in transit.

On the way back from hiking, we meet a retiree from the North Island on her way to hike the Milford Track, one of many multiple day backpacking hikes in New Zealand. This one is 4-day, hut-to-hut hiking, or in her case lodge to lodge where guides cook and carry your heavy gear. We’re liking hearing this as we’ve long left our backpacking days but still enjoy hikes that take you into the wilderness and an adventure.

 

Christchurch: A City in Reinvention

Such a contrast – very old with earthquake retrofitted architecture. A city devastated by the 2011 earthquake rebuilding itself, determined to reinvent itself given the opportunity to rethink and recreate its City Center.

Vibrant public art dots sections of the city against construction cranes and rerouted pedestrian paths along the Avon River. Most touching – Solidarity Lamps – unique lamp posts sent from cities and countries around the world as a gesture of hope post earthquake. Seattle. Boston. Mexico City. Austria. Poland. China. They line the walkway along Hagley Park that I now view from our hotel.

Very walkable, Central City can be done easily in a day by jump on/off double-decker tour bus or take a map and point a direction by foot. On a grid, if you get lost or disoriented there’s always a friendly Kiwi to ask or a nice city guide.

A Day, and Counting in Transit

Bula!

We’re 24 hours in transit and counting after a 5-hour delay out of SFO last night. Caught a few winks on the plane, now a quick layover in Nadi, Fiji this morning has all already missing our direct flight to Christchurch, so now we’ll get to see Auckland first before heading south to Christchurch later tonight – oh and we’re a few days ahead of everyone back in Portland – we’ll catch back up to you on the way home for New Year’s! Internet running out, so more later as we land on the South Island and sleep off our jet lag and check out Christchurch.