Read all about our New Zealand South Island trip right here on our New Zealand travel journal.Hi, and welcome. We hope you enjoy our New Zealand travel journal. It's August 2010 and we (Dave, Kim and son Tim) are about to kick off our two week trip around the South Island. We can't wait. The scenery will be amazing (lots of snow). Every day we will record the highlights of our trip, and hopefully show you lots of photos of this spectacular country. Our trip takes us from the beautiful garden city of Christchurch, then north to the whale watching hub of the South Island, Kaikoura. From there we head North East to the lovely seaside village of Marahau, gateway to the wonderful Abel Tasman National Park. Five nights there to visit family and friends, then South West to Punakaiki on the rugged West Coast. From there it's off to Franz Josef for the night then on to Wanaka. A night there then a short drive over the Crown Range to Queenstown, the adventure capital of New Zealand for a jam packed five days. Finally on to Mount Cook for a night before returning to Christchurch for another night, before flying home. We hope that our New Zealand travel journal inspires you to visit this great country. Regards Dave, Kim and Tim.
Today we flew into
As always, the flight into Christchurch was amazing, with lots of snow on the Southern Alps. We flew on Air New Zealand and their service was very good. The flight attendants were funny and attentive, and the meals, although basic, were full of flavour and just about the right size. One area where Air NZ have improved over the past few years is their in flight entertainment. The choice of movies, music and games is extensive, and each seat has its own small screen, so you can choose what you want to watch or listen to. Well done Air New Zealand. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to watch a new release movie. We collected our rental car from Hertz. A few minutes to complete the paperwork, and off to our motel for the night, Pavilions, on Papanui Road. We chose Pavilions because it's easy to get to from the airport (about 6 kilometres from the airport), and it's close to the various restaurants in Papanui Road, and also close to Christchurch CBD. When we arrived we found that the good people at Pavilions had turned the heaters on, so our room was toasty warm. Our 2 bedroom suite was spacious and comfortable, and although we were only there overnight, it would have made a perfect base for a longer stay, having basic cooking facilities and kitchen. We have also booked to stay at Pavilions on the last night of our New Zealand South Island trip. Around 7 p.m. we wandered
After dinner it was back to Pavilions for an early evening. Tomorrow we are off to Kaikoura, the whale watch capital of New Zealand!
Today we were up early for our drive north along the east coast, to the stunning township of Kaikoura. Kaikoura was once a whaling port, where thousands of whales were slaughtered. Thankfully, those days are long gone, and today, Kaikoura draws tens of thousands of visitors annually to view these amazing mammals, along with a range of dolphins, New Zealand fur seals, birds and other marine life. The trip from Christchurch to Kaikoura
Around 30 minutes south of Kaikoura the
The snow covered Seaward Kaikoura
Before heading into town, we stopped off at South Bay for a walk along the shore and a look at the boats used by
Whale Watch Kaikoura.
And so confident are the operators, they guarantee that if you don't spot a whale on your trip, they will refund you 80% of your trip cost! We then headed into Kaikoura and checked into our accommodation, the
Anchor Inn.
Over the years we have stayed there several times, and it's just a beautiful motel. Located directly across the road from the ocean,
After check in, we headed along the waterfront to the seal colony on the peninsula. Lots of seals and they were really close, so lots of photo opportunities. While we were out that way we stopped at the historic
Later we headed down town for a late lunch / early tea, and decided to eat at one of the local pubs, the Adelphi. Tim and I had a burger. Very tasty and good value, and Kim had the first of many a meal of New Zealand green lip mussels. A local beer and wine washed our meal down and renewed our energy for a walk around the local shops, and to take a snap of the huge mural on the outside wall, showing two Sperm Whales. This must be one of the most photographed murals in NZ!. In the centre of town, there is a good range of gift shops, cafes, banks, and a small supermarket. Out on the highway there is a larger New World (supermarket) with a full range of groceries and alcohol, and a range of other shops. Throughout New Zealand, you will find that the major supermarkets (New World, Fresh Choice, Countdown) are the best place to top up your supply of New Zealand wines and beers. They have a good range and cheap prices. Time then to head back to the comforts of the Anchor Inn in readiness for an early start tomorrow. Day 3 Kim was
This really is a beautiful spot, and although low cloud prevented us from getting some photos of the snow capped Seaward Kaikoura ranges, the rugged Kaikoura coastline always offers lots of great photo opportunities. Thank god for digital cameras! Today we were off to one of our favourite parts of New Zealand, Marahau. Marahau is a small village located at the start of the world famous
Abel Tasman National Park,
Kim's family have lived in the area for 70 years, and we regularly visit to catch up with them and with the many friends that we have made over the years. The drive today takes around 4 hours, and takes us through Blenheim, Havelock, Nelson, and Motueka, before arriving at Marahau. As we leave Kaikoura and head north, the first couple of kilometres are pretty uninspiring as we make our way out of town. But soon, that all changes, and as we round a bend in the road, we are met by the Pacific Ocean.
Another "institution" along this stretch of road is Nin's Bin, a small roadside caravan that has been selling local crayfish for many years. 30 or 40 kilometres south of Blenheim, the road heads slightly inland and starts to climb through the hills. As you head down the other side,
On the road again towards Nelson, we drove through the small village of Havelock. This pretty little village has a large marina and is the gateway to the
Pelorus and Keneperu Sounds.
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down Papanui Rd and decided to eat at a Thai restauarant named Keo Thai. It was only 50 metres or so from our motel, and had a wide range of reasonably priced meals, wines and beer. Although it was a pretty cool evening (around 5 degrees celsius) we decided to eat outside under the gas heaters. It was great, and our host Francis made us feel very welcome. The food was fresh, tasty, and the service was excellent. We highly recommend Keo Thai if you are staying in Papanui Road.
takes around two and a half hours. As you leave Christchurch you travel through farmland and rolling hills that seem to go on forever. They are unbelievably green, and although there was low cloud shrouding the higher peaks, we caught our first glimpse of snow on the peaks about 30 minutes out of Christchurch. As we headed north we passed several vineyards including the Mud House and Pegasus, and about half way to Kaikoura we passed through the small village of Cheviot, a good stop for a snack, fuel and potty break.
sea came into view, and from there to Kaikoura the road hugged the coastline, giving lots of opportunities for great photos. We stopped at Goose Bay for some pictures, and spotted our first New Zealand fur seal of the day. The coastline north and south of Kaikoura is home to several seal colonies, and it's possible to view them up close (don't go within about 10 metres though as they can be dangerous!).
mountain range hugs the coastline and it's amazing that the clever New Zealanders managed to run not only a road, but a railway line between the mountains and coast. Just south of Kaikoura we passed through some road tunnels, and before we knew it, we had arrived at Kaikoura.
Their information centre and booking office are located just north of the town centre, but their boats depart from South Bay. As we watched one of their boats depart we wished that we were on it. Unfortunately this time it was not on our schedule, but having done the trip before, we can highly recommend it.
the Anchor Inn offers a range of room configurations, and stunning views. We chose a 2 bedroom suite with full kitchen, living area downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs (the main looking over the sea). Hosts Craig, Jacqui, Keith and Pauline made us feel very welcome, and we highly recommend the Anchor Inn if you are in Kaikoura.
out of bed early today for a walk along the beach and some photos of the sunrise.
and is located towards the top of the South Island, near Nelson.
For the next 50 or 60 kilometres, the road hugs the Pacific, and the views are amazing. This has to be one of the great drives anywhere in the world. If you have a chance, stop off at the roadside seal colony, and a bit further on, the Kekerengu Store, ideally positioned to catch ocean views, a coffee and a snack.
various wineries start to appear, and just before Blenheim you pass one of New Zeland's best known wineries, Montana.
Blenheim is the the major town in the Marlborough region, and home to dozens of wineries. Blenheim is around 28 kilometres from Picton, the South Island arrival and departure point for the
We stopped off in Blenheim for a break and a look around the shops. One of our favourites in New Zealand is The Warehouse, a large discount department store. Their large red stores are scattered throughout NZ, and we find them handy for CD's and DVD's and other bits and pieces.
It's also famous for the Muscle Pot, a cafe selling New Zealand green lip muscle products, and we couldn't pass without picking up a couple of their muscle pies for Kim's uncle (not my thing, but he swears by them).
