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Winter in New Zealand

March 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

This post is part of my Blog4NZ series. March 21, 22, and 23 has been set aside by travel bloggers throughout the world as 72 hours of content generation about travelling to New Zealand in order to bring awareness to the fact that, despite the February 22 Christchurch earthquake, the country is still very much open for business.

Since I have taken my high boots from the closet today I could officially declare Autumn is here and it is not long before the Winter descend on us and the fun in the snow will begin.

Though it might seam as if New Zealand is more of a Summer destination (not that Summer doesn’t have its days when a fashion conscious girl needs to take her boots out of the closet) there is still lots to do during Winter and the South Island is a key destination for Winter sport aka Skiing and Snowboarding.

I think I have already mentioned our favourite ski field is Mt Hutt. Now, where was it that I wrote it? Oh, yes, in my guest post “The New Zealand You Discover Riding an 8 Wheel Amphibious Vehicle” kindly published by Over Yonderlust. We like it as it’s only an hour and a half drive from Christchurch, and taking the scenic route via Darfield there’s an added bonus of the beautiful drive. It has excellent snow (and as far as I know the longest season in New Zealand), the chair lifts are a breezer and the new covered Magic Carpet tunnel provides for a fun and sheltered ride up the beginner slopes. The beginner slopes was our main destination. It is about time for our boys to do their first steps down the slopes.

First thing, first – the drive

Coming from Christchurch you can either take the road to Methven, via Rakaia, and from there to drive to Mt Hutt. Or you can take my favourite, which is driving towards Darfield on the West Coast Road, then take Route 77  towards Mt Hutt. Adam Seper wrote the best description I ever read which explains why this route is so unique and why it is considered to be the Best Drive Ever.

Unlike other ski resorts around the world, NZ’s ski fields are literally in the middle of nowhere. It will take a good drive up the mountain before you start to see what it’s all about. One reward the mountain is offering is the view of Canterbury Plains.

Canterbury Plains from Mt Hutt
Canterbury Plains – a view from Mt Hutt

The road is not easy. Living in Christchurch we are used to strong winds, and it is often during Winter that when the winds blow I wonder how this will affect the ability to drive up the mountain. But the sight of the white, snow covered slopes is all worth the terrifying moments of driving on the edge (of both – the cliff and the seat…).

Snow on Mt Hutt

Arriving at the snow on Mt Hutt

Views from the top of Mt Hutt  are simply breathtaking and on a clear day you can see all the way from the Pacific Ocean to the heart of the Southern Alps. If your goal is hitting the slopes then you are rewarded with the largest skiable area in the South Island, a well developed trail network, a 10000sqm terrain park with halfpipe, triple black diamond runs and steep chutes, including one of the largest vertical drops in the South Island! How cool is that? Well, very, including the temperatures ;-)

 

Typical lunchtime view, Mt Hutt

Typical lunchtime view

Are you a Winter travel enthusiast? Share your winter memories with us.

Filed Under: Blog4NZ, Travel New Zealand

No Doubt About The Doubtful Sound

March 22, 2011 By 1 Comment

This post is part of my Blog4NZ series. March 21, 22, and 23 has been set aside by travel bloggers throughout the world as 72 hours of content generation about travelling to New Zealand in order to bring awareness to the fact that, despite the February 22 Christchurch earthquake, the country is still very much open for business.

“There are just a few areas left in the world where no human has ever set foot. That one of them should be in a country so civilized and so advanced as New Zealand may seem incredible, unless one has visited the south-west corner of the South Island. Jagged razor backed mountains rear their heads into the sky. More than 200 days of rain a year ensure not a tree branch is left bare and brown, moss and epiphytes drape every nook. The forest is intensely green. This is big country… one day peaceful, a study in green and blue, the next melancholy and misty, with low cloud veiling the tops… an awesome place, with its granite precipices, its hanging valleys, its earthquake faults and its thundering cascades.” Charles John Lyttelton.

British navigator James Cook saw the entrance to the sound on his first voyage in 1770, and named it Doubtful Harbour. As Captain Cook was uncertain whether the place could be navigated under sail, he did not enter it.
The Doubtful Sound is a place where you can feel the power of nature. The remoteness, the wildness and the peace are rarely found anywhere else.

In Maori legend, the godly figure Tu Te Raki Whanoa created this incredibly beautiful fiord with the assistance of four young sea gods who carved out its sheltered arms.

Fiordland National Park is probably the most famous of all NZ’s national parks and is on most travellers’ ‘Must Do’ list. The Milford Sound is the more visited sound, which is why we chose to go to the Doubtful. That and the added bonuses of the additional boat, the power plant and the bus ride.

The road to Te Anau

The journey began at 7am out of Queenstown when it was still dark. Early morning on the road to Te Anau.

Crossing Lake Manapouri

Crossing Lake Manapouri - the fight between the sun and the clouds.

Lake Manapouri

The thick bush of Fiordland. The edge of the power station on the left hand side corner.

Doubtful Sound visitor centre

Arriving at the Doubtful Sound visitor centre the sun is declared a winner of the fight with the clouds.

First sight of Doubtful Sound

First sight of Doubtful Sound from the Wilmot Pass access road.

Natural life in the Sound

Natural life in the Sound - dolphins

Natural life in the Sound - seals

Natural life in the Sound - seals

Natural life in the Sound - albatros

Natural life in the Sound - albatros (siesta?)

Double the beauty

Double the beauty

Have you been to the Doubtful Sound? Share your experience with us.

Filed Under: Blog4NZ

Puzzling World Wanaka – Not Only For Kids

March 22, 2011 By 2 Comments

This post is part of my Blog4NZ series. March 21, 22, and 23 has been set aside by travel bloggers throughout the world as 72 hours of content generation about travelling to New Zealand in order to bring awareness to the fact that, despite the February 22 Christchurch earthquake, the country is still very much open for business.

Wanaka is one of my favourite places in the South Island. I have written about a few of the things you can do and why I find it such an amazing place in “For Adventure and Sightseeing Go To Queenstown and Wanaka.” The visit to Puzzling World is one that always brings smiles.

Go Get Lost at Puzzling World in Wanaka

Lake Wanaka Tourism describes Wanaka as the place in which you have “the freedom to do your own thing, away from the crowds, with breathtaking lakes and mountains as your playground.” Puzzling World is not a natural playground but the creation of one man’s dream. In 1973 it started just as a maze and expanded over the years to accommodate rooms with optical illusions, the puzzling café where you can try your ability to solve puzzles,  the Leaning Tower of Wanaka (which has a backwards clock that was started on the eve of the new millennium) and of course, the maze.

The Leaning Tower of Wanaka

The Leaning Tower of Wanaka

Usually, leaning towers are just optical illusions. In the case of the Leaning Tower of Wanaka the tower is balanced on one corner at an unbelievable 53 degrees! The Leaning Tower of Pisa only leans six degrees.

The Great Maze is the first of the world’s modern-style mazes. 1.5km of fascinating and enjoyable passages. The goal is to be able to visit all 4 towers. A word of warning – it is much more challenging then it looks like. There are emergency doors for those with limited time, patience or energy.

The Great Maze, Puzzling World, Wanaka

The Great Maze, Puzzling World, Wanaka

Even the toilets in this place are a Must Do! Apart from the obvious ladies and gents, there is a third room – the Roman-style toilets.

Roman Style Toilets, Puzzling World, Wanaka

Roman Style Toilets

Have you been to Puzzling World? Share your memories with us!

Filed Under: Blog4NZ

New Zealand Bridge Over Troubled Water

March 21, 2011 By 1 Comment

When I came to new Zealand I had no idea how this place looks like. It was a decision made from rational thought and facts (and having two of our best friends living here in Christchurch had a lot to do with it as well). On 22 February 2011 I took an emotional decision to stay in Christchurch. This city have gone strait into my heart and soul and it is my home now, a home I choose to stay in and rebuild.

Tourism is a big part of my country’s and my city’s economy. Hey, I feed my children from it. I can understand why people are scared off by the footage in the media. But I also know that if people will skip New Zealand and Christchurch it will make the recovery effort impossible. And I want to shout to the world – Look! we are still standing! Our beautiful South Island is still in tact. From the lush Canterbury plains to the snow in the mountains to the rain forests of Fiordland; from the sand beaches of the Abel Tasman to the rugged coastline of The Catlins. We are still the same friendliest little country at the end of the world which will give you a big warm welcome hug and show you all those amazing places we have here.

There is so much to see and do in New Zealand. Many many words have been written and will be written about this amazing creation of nature. I might not be the best blogger in the pond (as a matter of fact I know I’m only a small fish) but this post is written from the bottom of my heart and so it is dedicated to the South Island of New Zealand, as it is where I live and where I make most of my travelling.

Music is a big part in my life. I find happiness in it, I find my rhythm, I find comfort. It was only natural for me to go to the words of Simon & Garfunkel to find the words which will reflect what the Blog4NZ cause is for me. This effort is my Bridge Over Troubled Water.

“When you’re weary
Feeling small
When tears are in your eyes
I will dry them all

The hand that Nourishes, Wanaka, New Zealand

The hand that Nourishes, Wanaka, New Zealand

I’m on your side
When times get rough
And friends just can’t be found
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down

Bridge over the Blue Pools, Haast Pass, New Zealand

Bridge over the Blue Pools, Haast Pass, New Zealand

When you’re down and out
When you’re on the street
When evening falls so hard
I will comfort you

Hokitika Beach, New Zealand

Hokitika Beach, New Zealand

I’ll take your part
When darkness comes
And pain is all around

Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down

Beach sunset, New Zealand

Beach sunset, New Zealand

Sail on Silver Girl,
Sail on by
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way

Lake Manapouri, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand

Lake Manapouri, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand

See how they shine
If you need a friend
I’m sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind”

Mt Hutt, New Zealand

Mt Hutt, New Zealand

Have you traveled New Zealand? Share your thoughts and experiences from the Land of the Long White Cloud in the comments below.

Filed Under: Blog4NZ Tagged With:

10 Things To Do In Auckland

January 4, 2011 By 4 Comments

When you think about New Zealand what do you have in mind? From my experience, travellers think about walking tracks, amazing scenery and sheep ;-) People are usually in a hurry to pick up their car and get out from the city.  If you take a closer look at what the cities of NZ has to offer you will discover there is plenty of attractions to enjoy before you head out to the great outdoors. If you are only on a short break you might have a problem deciding what not to do. This series of posts will help you discover the urban side of NZ.

Auckland. New Zealand’s largest city is a vibrant, modern, international centre set in a stunning environment of glistening harbours, lush rainforest, islands, volcanoes, sheltered bays and surf beaches. The city has a fascinating mix of theatre, art, fashion and culture.

1. Karangahape Road (commonly known as K’ Road) is one of the main streets in Auckland’s CBD. In this precinct, high fashion sits comfortably alongside retro and street-wear stores. This famous road is now known for its cafes, boutique shops and nightlife.

2. Take the ride up to the Skytower observation deck. At 328 metres, it is the tallest man-made structure in New Zealand and offers breathtaking views for up to 80 kilometres in every direction.

3. Walk to Aotea Square in Upper Queen Street. Aotea Square is a large public area in Auckland CBD. It is used for public events, including fairs, music festivals, rock concerts and the annual seeing-in of the New Year. It hosts a regular arts & crafts market on Fridays and Saturdays.

4. If you want to learn about New Zealand’s rich maritime heritage, visit The Voyager – New Zealand Maritime Museum located in the heart of Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour, on the corner of Quay and Hobson Streets. Viaduct Harbour also offers great nightlife or a fantastic setting for day-time sightseeing.

5. Visit Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki. Built in 1888 it is the largest art institution in New Zealand, housing a collection of more than 12,500 works. The Main Gallery is located at the corner of Wellesley & Kitchener Streets. Currently all exhibitions and events have moved to the New Gallery during the main gallery’s redevelopment, which is located at the corner Wellesley & Lorne Streets.

6. Visit Parnell Village, New Zealand’s oldest suburb where you can see the first settlers’ houses, church, and cemetery. Parnell is also famous for its galleries, cafés, restaurants and charming boutique-style stores. [the beautiful lady in the photo is my mum :-) ]

7. Within an easy walk from Parnell you will find the Auckland Domain – the city’s oldest park. Sculptures by some of New Zealands leading artists are installed in Auckland Domain as part of a permanent sculpture walk. Admire the Winter Garden, Tropical Hothouse and the outstanding Auckland Museum.

8. Follow the North West Motorway to Western Springs. The suburb is dominated by the large park featuring a lake with a variety of birdlife, the Auckland Zoo, Western Springs Stadium andthe Museum of Transport and Technology. The park is the location of the annual Pasifika Festival, one of Auckland’s most popular public events.

9. Rainbow’s End Theme Park. Just off the Southern Motorway at Manukau, Rainbow’s End is a must-do for kids of all ages.

10. People say laugh is good for your health, so have a good laugh at The Classic Comedy and Bar in Queen Street. Located in the heart of Auckland`s entertainment precinct and featuring local and international guest acts.

Have you been to Auckland? Share you experience with us in the comments below.

I have added this post as part of my Blog4NZ series. March 21, 22, and 23 has been set aside by travel bloggers throughout the world as 72 hours of content generation about travelling to New Zealand in order to bring awareness to the fact that, despite the February 22 Christchurch earthquake, the country is still very much open for business.

Filed Under: Blog4NZ, Travel New Zealand Tagged With: ,