le tour de burt

As far as I am concerned, tramping is called tramping for one reason only.  By the time you are finished hiking for several consecutive days through the searing heat, the pouring rain and the resulting mud you wouldn’t look wholly out of place in a gutter or sleeping on a park bench.

The Queen Charlotte Track is a 3-5 day tramp through the Queen Charlotte Sound, just outside of Picton.

We opted bravely for doing it in 3 days.  Mostly to save money but also to escape Picton.

Having arrived on the Sunday morning, we made enquiries and arrangements to start the walk on the Tuesday.  We passed the time by spending 20 cents (8 pence) each to ride the model railway and paying a visit to the Flying Haggis, a Scottish pub.  ‘Scotland on steroids’ is how the owner described New Zealand.  Och aye he’s right ye know.

With Pictons main attractions exhausted we were chomping at the bit to get tramping, but unfortunately Tuesday morning brought torrential rain and heavy winds, so we had to postpone until Wednesday.

Our water taxi dropped us off at Ships Cove at 10.30am.  We were fully loaded with water, scroggin and newly purchased waterproof kecks.  Even our backpacks were being delivered for us so all we had to worry about was tackling the first 27km and reaching our accommodation before nightfall.

There is little point denying that the first day was knackering… the track was wet and muddy from the previous days rain and there were some real killer climbs with little reward for the effort except for getting to the finish at Noeline’s homestay.  Noeline is 77 and shares her home with a small dog named Tuppence and each evening, backpackers .  We we greeted with scones and a pot of tea.  Someone described the experience as like staying the night at your grans.  Quite true.  Very homely and it was great to kick back and watch some mindless telly whilst Tuppence bit our toes.

Day two was shorter, just a meager 23kms.  However we had several climbs, peaking at 500m, which for NZ is like a speed bump, but after the third speed bump we were in need of an MOT.  The views from the top were well worth the effort though and seeing the kilometers ticking over spurred us on.  Luckily our accommodation was empty except for ourselves and we managed to sleep for 10 hours to re-energise for our final day.

The route from Torea Saddle to Anakiwa was the final push, a leisurely 20kms and a pleasant finish to the walk.  We smashed the estimated time and had to hang around for a couple of hours before our water taxi picked us up and returned us to Picton, where we enjoyed a curry and a beer (flying haggis again) for our efforts.  Jobs a good’un.

Today we boarded the inter-islander to Wellington, at the Sourthern most tip of the North Island.  Who knows what we will get up to here.

Kaikoura is a special place - 1km off the coast is an underwater canyon, that brings in the big fishes close to land. So our first stop naturally had to be a whale watching cruise - in a bid to see the resident sperm whales! We were lucky enough to see two whales just before they arched their backs and dived into the ocean - giving us that perfect tail in the air photo!

As Kaikoura is on the eastern coast it also gave us perfect opportunity to see the sun rise up from the ocean, luckily daylight savings time is here so we didn’t have to get up and some silly time of the morning. We just raced down to the beach in time to see the start of a day - it was nice to know we were one of the first people to see in that day in the world!

Now - Hapuku Lodge, very expensive, very out of our league, but an experience not to be forgotten. Our tree house was nestled high in the treetops, overlooking ocean from the balcony/shower and from the lounge we could see the Kaikoura ranges. The place was unbelievable, spa bath, ipod fully loaded with tunes, underfloor heating, and our own log fire (which we couldn’t get to light, but at least we gave it a go)! It was heaven to take a dip in the bath, in fact we used it that much we must have had a direct impact on the worlds water supply!

Dinner was served in the lodge after drinks with the manager (how posh is that!), smoked salmon sushi roll appetiser, followed by our starters of lamb sweet breads. For mains I tried the pork belly in a red wine sauce and roasted leeks (the meat was just delicious) and Neil tried out the Butterfish (which was also delicious). And for those of you who know Neil and I, the dessert, the most important part of any meal, did not disappoint - Jack Daniels and Walnut chocolate cake (yummy yummy yummy)!

Neil decided that he would have a spa bath before bed (hangover prevention he told me) and I drifted off to sleep. Next morning we were woken early by the winds battering the tree house, and yes it moved, so we decided it was time to make use of all the little extras, like coffee grinder and press to make fresh coffee - it was silly, but you have to make use of everything on offer! Sadly after breakfast it was all over and time to head back to our backpackers, Sunrise Lodge (which was lovely) and head out for fish n chips for lunch…freshly battered blue cod for me and groper (maori name hapuku) for neil!! We had just enough time to stop at the local winery and discover that we are much better at beer tasting than wine tasting!

Next stop was Nelson, a city (it has a Cathedral) that boasts the jewellers, Jens Hansen who made the ring for the Lord of The Rings films….in all honesty, they made a selection of them, for all different cast members!

We didn’t hang around for long as we were keen to get on to Abel Tasman National Park and our sea kayaking trip. It was a great two days out in the park, water taxi out to Onetahuti beach, then sea kayaking out from there, around Tonga Island to see the seals and little blue penguins before heading along the coast to a lagoon for a spot of lunch. At this point I think the sandflies got their spot of lunch as I am now covered from the waist down in bites (including the soles of my feet)!

Our afternoon was far easier ,cruising down the coast, through rocks (and hitting them most of the time) before taking it easy down the river. Final stop was Anchorage bay where we were spending the night on a house boat, converted catamaran that now houses backpackers like me who do not want tp spend the night out in a hut with a long drop loo and no electricity. We were treated to a bbq as the sunset and quiet fell in the park - heaven!

The second leg of our Abel Tasman National Park experience was walking back along the coastal track from Anchorage to Marahau. It was nice to be able to divert off the track onto a secluded beach for a break, just take in the surroundings, sandy beaches and crystal blue waters. Sadly it was all over to soon, and before we knew it we were on the bus heading back to Nelson - the only plus point being the Tasman Bay Backpackers free chocolate pudding and ice cream at 8pm!!

However the 2 day trip into the National Park gave us the tramping in style bug, so we are now heading off to Picton, hoping to undertake the Queen Charlotte Track before we head overseas to the North Island.

Ok so we lied about leaving for FJ straight away.  Two nights were added to the Wanaka Backpacka diary whilst we waited for good weather for one of us brainless idiots to jump out of a plane at 15,000 feet.  Sadly it wasnt to be.  

Tuesday morning brought rain, lots of it.  Luckily our 7 hour journey to the West Coast was spent relaxing at the back of Jim’s Intercity Coach.  By the evening, someone up on high had turned the tap on full blast and we had torrential rain (1″ per hour) accompanied by some thunder and lightning. 

Unfortunately we had pre-booked our heli-hike for the following day and having checked with the tour operator it appeared that rain may have stopped play, with the weather forecast not looking so hot.  However by morning the sun had come out to play and our guide made the decision to ‘chance it’. 

Its amazing what you can see from a helicopter, even when you are shoved in the back.  Laura rode shotgun but failed to fully appreciate the scenery from behind two hands.  

Equipped with crampons and a quick guide on how to walk on ice (John Wayne stylie) we set off to explore the glacier and its ice caves.   We did check with the insurance company to see if it was covered but im not sure they realised we would be sliding on our backsides through holes in the glacier whilst parts of the ice collapsed here there and everwhere around us… (our guide was ace)…. it was fun though until the weather turned and we found ourselves standing in a cloud with sleet hammering down. 

The chopper was called in before we got stranded and it was back to base.  

Helicopter lessons next me thinks :o)

Leaving FJ we headed up to Greymouth where we would catch the train back to Christchurch.  Our comfort stop was in a small town called Hokitika where we stumbled upon Sweet Alices Fudge Kitchen… it would have been rude not to me thinks.  Loaded with some chocolate caramel fudge we continued on to Greymouth and to Neptunes Hostel which is very (un)tastefully decorated with a fishy theme.  Nevertheless, one can forgive and forget these little matters when they provide you with enough free cakes, bread and pies to feed Laura for one meal :o) 

Two days passed by relatively easily with a visit to the Monteiths Brewery, where for $25 we got a tour, seven small beers to taste and then a minibus to a local pub for a free BBQ and a Pint.  Nay bad.

With it being cheaper to hire a car for a day than to take the bus, we took a Mazda Familia up the road to Pancake Rocks, which are blowholes in the rock that spurt out water at high tide.  Quite cool to see.

18 holes of crazy golf helped to kill some time the following morning before we boarded the Tranz Alpine train back to where it all began, in Christchurch.  It is supposed to be one of the top 5 most scenic train journeys in the World, but with low cloud and rain it failed to live up to the hype.  However at its highest point, at Arthurs Pass it was snowing quite heavily which got everyone rather excitable. 

So with the loop complete, we have headed North to Kaikoura… next weeks exciting installment :o)

The Jucy Compact was our rental vehicle of choice for our third and final road trip in the South. Jucy Compact in reality is a Diahatsu Sirion, a little box on wheels (which I sadly admit - I enjoyed driving!). Driving out from Queenstown we were heading to Lake Tekapo, which took us through Cromwell (fruit farming territory) and the place where we happened to stop for our sweeties (Jucy don’t give away complimentary Mint Imperials)!

Just out of Cromwell we lost the radio, and noticed the noise that this beasty vehicle was making…..and upon close inspection we realised that the underside of the bumper/wheel arch was detached from its original location and rubbing on the tyre. So, what do you do in the middle of nowhere, no reception on your mobile phone and a dodgy car….just rummage around in your rucksack for some duct tape and make some temporary repairs! I was personally very impressed with my repairs (we all know Neil isn’t one for manual labour!!).

Repairs carried out we were cruising along in the beast (we named the car this for its supreme acceleration), slowly making are way over the Lindis Pass, a fairly dramatic alpine road, with lots of steep inclines that caused tailbacks as we struggled over the pass. Once over it was downhill all the way and on the the open road, with nothing but views of the Southern Alps to keep us company. The drive to Tekapo brought us to Lake Pukaki, a turquoise blue lake fed by glacial waters, with a backdrop of the Alps, and Mount Cook, the cloud piercer coming into view. A short drive up the road brought us to Tekapo, a small town on the lakefront, with a good backpackers called Tailor Made (they did free soup, so it got my vote!) and some pretty amazing views. We headed up to Mount John Observatory, where I let Neil loose with the camera, and we now have a very extensive collection of Southern Alps/Lakes pictures!

Day 2 - We headed out from Tekapo, to Mount Cook village. Luckily I was the passenger and therefore got to marvel at the scenery before we parked up and headed out onto the Tasman Valley to check out the Alps up close and personal. I don’t think I have ever been anywhere as windy as the Tasman valley, we struggled to stand up at times as we attempted to take pictures of the icebergs in the Terminal Lake. It was a truly amazing place to be in, and to see, its just such a shame that our photos won’t do it justice! We then took to the road, heading back South to Wanaka, for our fish and chips by the Lake!

Day 3 - After two days of perfect blue skies, we awoke to a cloudy Wanaka. By the time we hit Arrowtown in search of hobbit land we were in the rain! We didn’t find any hobbits in Arrowtown, but did come across an old Chinese Settlement, complete with old toilet and shop!! Never ones to let the weather stop us we headed on to our next stop, Glenorchy, with roads that really weren’t a good idea just after lunch! We managed to sneak a little walk in at Glenorchy around the lagoon, and to up our spirits headed for afternoon tea and cake (well it was raining - and we were wet!)! Our place of rest was Kinloch Lodge, a little further up a dirt track from Glenorchy. Had it not been raining there would have been some lovely views on offer, but instead we retreated to the bar for happy hour, enjoying a bottle of Monteiths (the West Coast beer/ale), before sitting down for our first meal out since arriving in NZ! Yep, you guessed it - Lamb!

Day 4 - The day started off in an interesting manner, Neil had a visitor in the bathroom, in the form of a frog, and neither of my credit cards would pay the outstanding bill from our meal. However the staff of Kinloch Lodge sent us on our way - just asking that we paid the money into their account back in Queenstown (very trusting indeed!). So we headed out, managing a couple of short walks, before attempting to drive the beast to Paradise. This was another dirt track affair, and sadly we were stopped in our tracks by a small stream that I was too scared to cross! I had the pleasure of driving the road back from Glenorchy to Queenstown, ensuring that we were in good time to pay our debts and return the beast for 5pm! 

We are now back in Wanaka, again at Wanaka Backpacka, just chilling out. Neil played a round of golf on the local course yesterday were we were chased around by some nutty bird (no, not me!) and this morning we headed to Mt Iron, for a gentle stroll and to ease the shame of not making the ascent of Mt Roy last weekend!

Tomorrow its off to the West Coast, Franz Josef Glacier being our first stop before Greymouth, where we will have to stop at the Monteiths Brewery (well it would be rude not to)!

Fiordland (nz spelling) is apparently more prone to the occasional downpour than even the UK.  On average they reckon 8m falls each year, making it (one of) the wettest place on earth.

Fascinating fact out of the way.. on with the blog.

With us being in the area for the best part of a week, it would have been rude not to pay a visit to the other major fiord in the region, Milford Sound.  Its not really a sound, but instead was named so by the European explorers that discovered it.  (f.f no.2 !)

Much more rugged and visually impressive than Doubtful Sound, it was worth the 100km bus journey from Te Anau.  Surprisingly it rained all day.  However we caught a glimpse of some sleeping dolphins and got to taste some fresh water from the ‘Lucy Falls’.  Indeed we even got to take a fully clothed shower underneath one of them too.

After spending the night out at Milford, we caught a coach to Queenstown.

The weather wasnt really in our favour and the ‘Remarkables’ failed to appear from behind a mass of dirty clouds.  Aiming to make the most of our two days, we ventured up Bobs Peak ( nearly died of exhaustion ) and had a couple of runs at the luge ( not on ice, but little cars that you race down a windy track ).  Needless to say, Laura cheated and stuck a motor in her car and beat me by a country mile.

We took the decision that with rain forecast for the remainder of our stay, we would be better hiring some gear and heading up to Cardrona Ski Resort for some boarding.  Luckily the rain fell as snow and we got a few good hours practicing for Japan.

We are currently in Wanaka, just 90 minutes up the road from Queenstown, where we have been since Friday.

Its a slightly more relaxed pace here, so we took a leisurely walk to Rippon Vineyard to do some free wine tasting :o) and then made a failed attempt to ascend Roys Peak (1600m! - still has snow on).  Unfortunately we are still too unfit and fat (please note Laura wishes to state the ‘fat’ part only relates to Neil) to get more than half way up - but the views were still rather good).

We are heading back to Queenstown later this afternoon to pick up a little car for a few days.  The plan is to head up to Mount Cook and then around some nice Hobbit territory to get some nice photies and maybe join some geeky Lord of the Rings tour :o)

home sweet home!

So we left Hong Kong and headed South across the equator and in to Winter.  The rain in Auckland was torrential and the bleak ocean view wasnt quite how we hoped touchdown in New Zealand to be.

After a brief internal flight we landed at our first stop, Christchurch; the ‘garden city’ - which was equally bleak and soggy, but nevertheless quite quaint to walk through during the daytime.

We managed to catch a bus to New Brighton which lies on the pacific coast.  Hoping for an improvement on its Wirral equivalent, we were pleased to find it to be a pleasant if not slightly run down town complete with its own museum run by a chirpy and highly enthusiastic chap whose family originate from West Derby.

Glad to finally escape the bright lights and chinese restaurants, we took the bus to oamaru, which is much more like the New Zealand we came to see.  Despite the continuing bad weather, there was a break in the clouds during the 3 hour drive where we managed to get a peak of the Southern Alps and what is to come during the next few weeks.

Oamaru is a ‘one night town’ according to its resident Scot, whom we met whilst penguin spotting at bushey beach.  We stayed for two and were duely rewarded with some fine, sunny weather and some nice photo opportunities with the local penguins, fur seals and ocean views.

We even stumbled across world famous fush n’ chups in a small town called hampden, where we sampled some rather tasty elephant fish and beer battered chips.

We are currently updating this blog, whilst under the influence of a mighty fine ‘Speights’ Brewery tour and Cadbury experience in Dunedin.

Our clapped out banger is booked for Monday, which we hope will see us through the Southern most corner of NZ.

Good as gold.