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- Lisa Waddell
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Excellent point!
Apr 23
Day 13 in NZ - Doubtful Sound and Arrowtown
We finished our trip at 12am and then made our way back to Arrowtown for the night, this time to stay at the Arrowtown Motel.
New Zealand is the land of the motel and they do them rather well if not that cheaply. However, it is great to have a little kitchen because eating out is darned expensive and I am quite happy with gf muesli for breakfast. Also, almost all of them have laundries, sometimes even in your room and this has been most useful. All our overnight stays from now on are in motels.
Waiting for the last vessel to take us back to our car.
On the road back to Arrowtown
Day 13 in NZ - Doubtful Sound and Arrowtown
We finished our trip at 12am and then made our way back to Arrowtown for the night, this time to stay at the Arrowtown Motel.
New Zealand is the land of the motel and they do them rather well if not that cheaply. However, it is great to have a little kitchen because eating out is darned expensive and I am quite happy with gf muesli for breakfast. Also, almost all of them have laundries, sometimes even in your room and this has been most useful. All our overnight stays from now on are in motels.
Waiting for the last vessel to take us back to our car.
On the road back to Arrowtown
We haven't done South America yet
. Anyhow I want to hire a cottage for at least a month here and just relax and get to know the place.
I hadn't thought of NZ being expensive. That's a surprise (for some reason). What marvellous scenery you're showing us.
- Real Name
- Lisa Waddell
- Device
These are gorgeous images, Ann!
The first image of the clouds and mountain.... holy moly that is stunning.
What are those lines in the sky on the second one? They look like power lines but it seems so weird to see them in such a remote-looking natural beauty type of place.
So interesting about the motels. They seem so USA Americana to me, I'd never in a million years think they were prolific in NZ.
They are power lines. There is actually a hydro power station on the left which is not in the picture, much of it underground. It is the largest in New Zealand and was started in 1964.The first image of the clouds and mountain.... holy moly that is stunning.
What are those lines in the sky on the second one? They look like power lines but it seems so weird to see them in such a remote-looking natural beauty type of place.
So interesting about the motels. They seem so USA Americana to me, I'd never in a million years think they were prolific in NZ.
From the website:
The original construction of the Manapōuri hydro station was a huge engineering achievement. The project took 1,800 workers eight years to complete in extremely harsh conditions. The project involved constructing the power station 200 metres below a granite mountain in an underground cavern.
It is the only thing in this area that is out of place but as it is much more environmentally friendly than other forms of power generation I have no problem with this and especially as much of it is underground.
Yes, I was surprised about the motels myself when I first started looking at accommodation but I love the fact that they all come with a kitchen. We have saved a fortune on food because eating out is not cheap and often we just feel like a simple ham and cheese roll for lunch and muesli for breakfast. I haven't ever stayed in a US motel so not sure of the standard but although many of them in NZ look like US style motels from the outside they are pretty upmarket on the inside - well, the ones we have stayed in anyway. With all our luggage and golf clubs it has been great to park right outside the door!
Apr 24
Day 14 in NZ
We left Arrowtown at 8.30am to go to Wanaka, only about 1.5 hours away. We wanted to fit in some golf in Wanaka but also wanted to stop for breakfast at the famous Cardrona hotel, the oldest hotel in the country I understand. Many people stop, take photos of the outside and then drive on but the inside is just wonderful, as is the gardens so they are missing a treat. We had an awesome breakfast here and by being early missed the crowds.
Day 14 in NZ
We left Arrowtown at 8.30am to go to Wanaka, only about 1.5 hours away. We wanted to fit in some golf in Wanaka but also wanted to stop for breakfast at the famous Cardrona hotel, the oldest hotel in the country I understand. Many people stop, take photos of the outside and then drive on but the inside is just wonderful, as is the gardens so they are missing a treat. We had an awesome breakfast here and by being early missed the crowds.
Apr 25
Day 15 in NZ
Today was Anzac Day and as NZ are really strict about opening hours on public holidays it meant that little was open before 1pm which scuppered our plans to stroll around the town and look at the shops. So we decided to have a lazy morning and then go to the lavender farm before heading out to Franz Josef.
Unfortunately, the lavender had all been trimmed ready for winter, the beautiful purple flowers long gone but they had a field with some alpaca, which we had seen quite often on our travels through the countryside and here was a perfect opportunity to get some pics closeup.
This poor chap was having a seriously bad hair day.
Day 15 in NZ
Today was Anzac Day and as NZ are really strict about opening hours on public holidays it meant that little was open before 1pm which scuppered our plans to stroll around the town and look at the shops. So we decided to have a lazy morning and then go to the lavender farm before heading out to Franz Josef.
Unfortunately, the lavender had all been trimmed ready for winter, the beautiful purple flowers long gone but they had a field with some alpaca, which we had seen quite often on our travels through the countryside and here was a perfect opportunity to get some pics closeup.
This poor chap was having a seriously bad hair day.
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Apr 26
Day 16
Today we got up 'early' to walk to the Franz Joseph glacier to beat the crowds. The glacier has receded significantly and you can now only walk on the glacier or get close if you take a helicopter trip. However we found the 40 minute walk each way bracing and fleshing even if we didn't get that close.
Day 16
Today we got up 'early' to walk to the Franz Joseph glacier to beat the crowds. The glacier has receded significantly and you can now only walk on the glacier or get close if you take a helicopter trip. However we found the 40 minute walk each way bracing and fleshing even if we didn't get that close.
Apr 27
Day 17 in NZ
We woke up this morning in Punakaiki, famous for it's pancake rocks and blowholes as well as it's walks. We really pushed the boat out today and did four tourist attractions: the pancake rocks and blowholes, the Punakaiki River Walk (1.5 hour walk), the Truman Walk to the beach and an evening visit to the Petrel Colony. All of which were fabulous. It's hard to pick out the highlights but the starfish at the end of the Truman Walk and the Guided Tour of the Westland Petrel Colony were pretty special with a Petrel crash landing into Tom!
This pic was actually taken last night (we arrived just in time for sunset) as I mostly took video today
Tom on the Punakaiki River Walk
Starfish at the end of the Truman Walk
Petrels are fascinating birds. They only spend the breeding season on land otherwise they virtually live at sea. Their wings are especially adapted for this and are narrow and long like those of the albatross which are part of the same family. This means that they cannot land gracefully! They came back to their breeding burrows as darkness falls and we could hear them crash landing all around us. We were seated in an opening to watch the action and the next minute one came hurtling through the gap. Tom couldn't quite believe that it wouldn't evade him so he only ducked to the side at the last minute and it caught his shoulder and then sat on the boards catching its breath before waddling off to it's burrow! When they take off they have to climb up to a place where they can launch themselves off. We had climbed up the side of the hill up wooden stairs to get to their burrows.
Here you can see Tom's shoe to the right of the bird. His shoe size is a UK 9 so you can see they are quite big birds and extremely hardy firstly to be able to live at sea and secondly to endure those crash landings!
Day 17 in NZ
We woke up this morning in Punakaiki, famous for it's pancake rocks and blowholes as well as it's walks. We really pushed the boat out today and did four tourist attractions: the pancake rocks and blowholes, the Punakaiki River Walk (1.5 hour walk), the Truman Walk to the beach and an evening visit to the Petrel Colony. All of which were fabulous. It's hard to pick out the highlights but the starfish at the end of the Truman Walk and the Guided Tour of the Westland Petrel Colony were pretty special with a Petrel crash landing into Tom!
This pic was actually taken last night (we arrived just in time for sunset) as I mostly took video today
Tom on the Punakaiki River Walk
Starfish at the end of the Truman Walk
Petrels are fascinating birds. They only spend the breeding season on land otherwise they virtually live at sea. Their wings are especially adapted for this and are narrow and long like those of the albatross which are part of the same family. This means that they cannot land gracefully! They came back to their breeding burrows as darkness falls and we could hear them crash landing all around us. We were seated in an opening to watch the action and the next minute one came hurtling through the gap. Tom couldn't quite believe that it wouldn't evade him so he only ducked to the side at the last minute and it caught his shoulder and then sat on the boards catching its breath before waddling off to it's burrow! When they take off they have to climb up to a place where they can launch themselves off. We had climbed up the side of the hill up wooden stairs to get to their burrows.
Here you can see Tom's shoe to the right of the bird. His shoe size is a UK 9 so you can see they are quite big birds and extremely hardy firstly to be able to live at sea and secondly to endure those crash landings!
Goodness Ann, so much to see and photograph. You must be exhausted! It's so wonderful to be making this trip with you. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Thanks, Jilly. Tom likes to do all the driving so it's easy for me. I try to stay awake to keep him company but do get in the occasional power nap
. We still seem to fit in quite a lot of relaxing time. We eat early tonight so we will have a good 3 hours to relax which is giving me a chance to at least catch up my thread!
I absolutely get it...especially when traveling for long lengths of time. Having a kitchen and laundry is priceless.
How cool! Again, a sort of old American feel, kind of like the Old West. And..... Garlic Whiskey??
SO cute!!!!!
I'm completely in love with NZ. Those walks you went on look amazing. And I had no idea there were glaciers!
Also, starfish? I thought you could only find them in the ocean (were you near the ocean?) or are these a different type?
I was LOL imagining the sound the petrols made when landing!
At first glance it looks like a pigeon, but with the foot for reference I can see how large they are.
Those walks you went on look amazing. And I had no idea there were glaciers! Also, starfish? I thought you could only find them in the ocean (were you near the ocean?) or are these a different type?
I was LOL imagining the sound the petrols made when landing!
At first glance it looks like a pigeon, but with the foot for reference I can see how large they are.
That's my perfect partner. I love being the passenger. Being single, that part sucks because it's hard to look around and drive (for me, anyway).Tom likes to do all the driving so it's easy for me. I try to stay awake to keep him company but do get in the occasional power nap
Kmenglee
MobiPassionista
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- Lee Kuan Meng
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Is the glacier still moving
Heard that some of them does
- Real Name
- Lisa Waddell
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Wow! What an amazing adventure you are on! I'm loving every one of your images/info. I am, however, sad to hear that the glacier is receding. That probably does not bode well for future generations.
I've just realised, you're in the land of some extraordinary wine and we haven't heard you waxing lyrical yet. Are you abstaining?
Funny you should mention that because tomorrow we are booked on an art and wine tour! I avoid wine generally because it doesn't make me feel great but Tom loves wines and is quite knowledgeable about wines across the world. He says that NZ are well known for their Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir and he says these are definitely the finest in the world although not really his favourite. When he retires he intends to do some courses on oenology.I've just realised, you're in the land of some extraordinary wine and we haven't heard you waxing lyrical yet. Are you abstaining?
Tomorrow will be great for him because we have a guide who will do all the driving so he can taste to his hearts content. We had hoped to do some wine tasting in Auckland on one of the islands using the hop-on hop-off bus but the weather put paid to that.
It's the same the world over. Reading on the internet it seems that only some in Asia are still growing.
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Yes, this glacier plus the Fox glacier just down the road are the fastest moving in the world although since 2009 they have been retreating. In 2006 the Fox glacier was moving one metre a week. I think it depends on how much snow gets dumped in winter.
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Yes, the Truman Walk ends at the beach. Here is a photo looking down onto the beach. It has very fine pebble stones and it is hard work walking on them because your feet sink into it. The starfish were on the rocks right at the far end of the beach.I'm completely in love with NZ.
Also, starfish? I thought you could only find them in the ocean (were you near the ocean?) or are these a different type?
I was LOL imagining the sound the petrols made when landing!
It seems to me that there are quite a few ladies who Tour NZ on their own, often in a little camper van. We must have passed about 5 ladies on the forest walk, walking by themselves. I was quite surprised. The South Island feels particularly safe.
I have to say that the scenery and vegetation is truly different from any where else I have been in the world. Time to start saving your pennies for a trip here. One of the best destinations I have ever been to.
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