Nulstil søgning
New Zealand
  • Vander Wonders
nov. – dec. 2016

New Zealand

Et 31-dags eventyr af Vander Wonders Læs mere
FølgOversigtKalenderDelDelTræskoliste
Nyeste først
  • Start på rejsen
    7. november 2016
    Vander WondersRejsendeNew Zealand

    Breathtaking flight into Queenstown

    7. november 2016, New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    I would say, Queenstown airport and Bermuda's airport are the two most scenic touch downs I have every seen.

    It must be a spectacular view from the cockpit!

    Just before we reach the NZ coast you could not tell where sea ended and the sky began, then the breathtaking dramatic cost line followed by the majestic mountains still partially covered in snow even in the summer time.

    I think the pilot must have been enjoying the view a little too much, he did not keep his eyes on the runway as it was the worst landing I have ever experienced, it felt like we hit the ground so hard the plane bounced a couple of time on the runway before the wheels actually started turning.

    Like Bermuda airport, Queenstown airport you walk down stairs straight to the tarmac with the most beautiful panoramic views of the mountains surrounding the airport.

    I always thought the All Blacks was New Zealand best asset but, Queenstown make the All Blacks look like a bunch of ballerinas. It is so beautiful here.

    Interestingly enough going through customs in NZ has a completely different focus from other countries, other counties want to make sure you don't come in and stay there forever while NZ's main concern was do you have soil or other natural things on you that would contaminate NZ wildlife. They actually check under our shoes for soil and asked so many specific questions about things like shells etc. In true Isabel form she had a shark tooth and a shell from Fiji in her bag and only declared the shark tooth which meant they sent us to the bag search to look at the shark tooth which was fine. As we walked there Isabel started panicking about the shell she did not declare. They did not search all our bags in the end and just had a look at the shark tooth and put it ziplock back that we have to keep it in.

    {Roedolf}    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • Vander WondersRejsendeNew Zealand

    Queenstown

    7. november 2016, New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    With my tendency to be cold I was on frequent weather watch the past few days. On arrival in QT, I was delighted with the sunshine & blue skies. I think I have enough warm gear but as a sceptic eskimo, I mentally prepared for the worst.

    We had our hike briefing and then wondered around town. We soaked up the atmosphere with some flat whites (this is amazing milky coffee with espresso- kind off like a latte but different) . We sat on the wall next to the lake and were just mesmerized with the grandeur of the surroundings.

    It didn't take much to decide to go on a running adventure around the lakes. Well a brilliant decision - the scenery made us lose track of time.Roedolf moaned about my speed sometimes but its easy to get carried away. There were plenty of photo stops and wow moments. I continued a bit further along the lake then joined up with Roedolf again and we disappeared into the gorgeous sunset.

    I am ridiculously excited about my bucket list hike that starts tomorrow.

    {Issy}    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • Vander WondersRejsendeNew Zealand

    Milford track day 1

    8. november 2016, New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    An easy day, to kick off the 5 day hike. Happy so, as it is pretty much miserable weather, but nevertheless the scenery is beautiful. Rain in the Fjordlands are a given, we are prepared but still I am praying for dryness.

    An amazing drive to Te Anau and the ferry ride across to the start is picturesque. Just this on its own is worth doing.

    After a beautiful and pretty technical nature walk We settle in meet the other hikers and have an early night.

    {Issy}    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • Vander WondersRejsendeNew Zealand

    Glade House

    8. november 2016, New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Milford track day 1

    A 2.5 hour bus ride from Queenstown to Te Anau, where we had lunch and another 30 min in the bus, where we caught a boat at Te Anau Downs to the Head of Lake Te Anau where the track starts.

    It was only about 1 km walk to Glade House where we spent our first night.

    It rained from the moment we stepped on the boat, till we went to bed, the guides however said it was perseputation and not really rain ☔️ by Milford standards, apparently when it rains here, it pours.
    At this point I am so glad we took this option with hot water shower and a drying room for clothes.

    We went for a little guided nature walk of about 1.6km and learned quite a bit about the NZ bush. Interestingly NZ never had any mammals until man arrived. Originally only has birds and most of which was non flying birds. The Europeans brought rabbits 🐰 to hunt but could not hunt enough to keep up with the rabbits breeding, soon they had a pest on their hands. Then they brought other mammals that was known to eat rabbits, but found that these catches birds easier than rabbits so their plan failed & it created more issues. Today NZ is trying to kill as many of these mammals as possible to save the birds. Everywhere along the walking trail there are traps.

    A part from learning quite a bit we got truly wet on the nature walk, but even in wet conditions this place is gorgeous.

    Had a very nice dinner and a briefing on the walk for day 2 before heading to bed for a good 9 hours and 20 minutes of sleep 😴.

    Woke up once during the night because of the heavy rain, it sounded like there was a waterfall coming down on the roof of the hut. I don't think I have ever experienced heavy rain like this before.

    {Roedolf}    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • Vander WondersRejsendeNew Zealand
    1

    Milford track day2

    9. november 2016, New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Feeling blessed to open the curtains and have clear blue skies. We crossed the suspension bridge over the Clinton river, after a few m's we enter the beech (tree) forest. We do a little detour on the wetlands and continue along the trial, covered with a crisp green moss blanket .

    We stopped to delayer, I am chuffed to walk only in a skin and a short sleeve body warmer (which I think is the best & worst item in my wardrobe). We are spoiled with countless waterfalls mostly because of the torrential rain last night. I jumped over a few puddles and streams to keep my Solomon's dry-ish. Amazed by all the different ferns and flora.

    We had a lunch break at the beautiful Hirere falls, the guides spoiled us with hot drinks. After another 4km hike the forest opens up to Breathtaking views of the permanent Ice fields at Prairie falls. Roedolf filled up his water bottle in the stream and we walked towards the waterfall. We spend some time here in awe with the abundance and diversity of scenery. A profound moment in nature I will cherish forever.

    I loved the fresh baked scones with jam & cream shortly after we arrived at the Pompolano lodge.

    Life is bliss! Dream it, plan it, do it!

    #neverstopexploring
    {Issy}    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • Vander WondersRejsendeNew Zealand

    Pompolona

    9. november 2016, New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Milford track day 2

    After heavy rain last night we woke up to a wet but sunny ☀️ New Zealand. Within minutes of leaving the camp it felt like the views was already worth it and we did not even walk much.

    Hundreds of waterfalls on every side of the valley due to the rain from the night before. The track had little streams everywhere, which I imagine aren't normally there. Basically running out of water was just not an option as you could just fill up you water bottle in any water stream, and the water tastes better than Bermuda rain water, plus it was ice cold, clearly snow that just melted.

    The group really walked very fast today. We found ourselves at the back of the group not long after we left the lodge. This was quite nice as we had the track for ourselves most of the day. The guides basically split into 3, one at the front one in the middle (social butterfly) and one at the back, so we got to walk with Grace at first. She showed us a little relaxing spot with great views next to the river and we just chilled out in the sun and had a snack.

    After lunch we were still at the back of the group and this time Kelly was the guide with us. He is actually the most experienced guide on the track at the moment with 223 walks on the track which beats the previous record of 220, he has been doing guiding on this track for 9 seasons now and still loves it here.

    We were still walking along and heard the sound of a bell bird, Kelly asked if we would like him to call the bell bird as its a friend of his. Obviously we said yes and he started what can only be described as kissing his 👊🏼 and after doing it for about a minute sure enough a bell bird came flying closer and landed on the tree branch just above us and then 2 more joined and they started singing away. Absolutely unreal! As we walked away from that spot he said: "had to do a lot of kissing to perfect that art". LOL

    We really paced ourselves well I think, as we got to enjoy every step of the way, like we laid under the waterfall and just drinked in the moment about 2km from the end just because we can.

    The days hike started just shy of the 1 mile mark and finished just shy of the 11 mile mark so give or take 10 miles.

    According to my gps watch ⌚️ I walked 17.81km at a pace of just under 20 min per km for the day which added up to 29,743 steps and burnt 4341 calories, not a bad workout.

    The Lodge was lovely again, with nice comfortable rooms, warm water and laundry facilities with a drying room. After a long day of walking I am really glad we do not have to come home to a cold room with 20 bunk beds with only cold showers like the independent hikers have to endure, I am sure thats an experience in it self but one I am happy to not get. "Ek kamp graag in a chalet"

    {Roedolf}    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • Vander WondersRejsendeNew Zealand
    1

    Quintin Lodge

    10. november 2016, New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    Milford track day 3:

    Today is said to be the toughest day of the track, starting just shy of the 11 mile mark and ending just past the 20 mile mark making it only 9 mile (the shortest of the 3 "long" walking days) It takes us from about 400 meters above sea level to 1154 meter at it highest point of the Mickinnon pass and then back down to Clinton Lodge which is about 200 meters above sea level.

    Whilst a really hard walk it was one of the most breathtaking things I have ever done. The views was just spectacular and no camera can reproduce the atmosphere we experienced while doing this. We literally went from shorts and t shirt weather at the bottom to a proper winter jacket at the top, where we were higher than some of the permanent ice fields.

    The one thing that kept resonating in my mind was, how on earth can anyone experience this and not instantly believe in God? The beauty and majesticness of the mountains can only be created by God! No human would be able to create anything half as magical.

    To make the experience even sweeter the guides had a cup of hot milo and pineapple lumps (awesome NZ sweet) waiting for us at the top of the mountain. After a short walk further up, we enjoyed our packed lunch while sipping on milo before heading down to our next lodge. On the way down we saw more amazing waterfalls everywhere, so lucky with the weather absolutely playing its part with the rain before we really started but nothing since.

    We arrived at the lodge a bit battered and bruised after that walk but only had time for a quick coffee and to drop our packs as we had to soldier on for another 3 miles to and from the Sutherland falls, the highest waterfall in NZ at a 580 meter drop. We walked a couple of metres from where the fall hit the valley floor and got soaking wet from the mist ofthe falls, it was ice cold ❄️, but who could resist the chance to get so close to a waterfall like that!

    This was some day of walking and would be hard to ever top not only the views but also the work we put into the walk. According to my gps watch ⌚️ I walked 17.82 km at a speed of 20 minutes per km and a total of 38,514 step to burn 5534 calories.

    Must be one of the best days of my life!

    {Roedolf}    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • Vander WondersRejsendeNew Zealand
    1

    Milford track Day 3

    10. november 2016, New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    A bright and early start , we make a packed lunch, have brekkie and hit the road at 7.30.

    Its a bit chilly but the spectacular scenery keeps my mind off it, you warm up very quickly so I didn't bother with too many layers. A big climb starts right after Mintaro hut, over Practice hill. It's really incredible to see all the angles of the snowcap mountains & the lush green valley.

    The 360 views at Mackinnon's Memorial is absolutely worth every bit of the effort. I did the usual jumps with every possible majestic angle. We saw some Kia's which almost flew into me. They are known to have the intelligence of a 3 year old, and they work in pairs to nick peoples boots etc. (P.S. kia is a type of bird) Kelly, the guide, had some Milo ready on top of the mountain. Ultimate hikes really have the finer touches in the middle of nowhere.

    After lunch we made our way to Clinton lodge, it is a very steep downhill with more dramatic scenery and waterfalls. My legs are dragging a bit towards the end, I find the uneven rocks & descent hard on my knees.

    We arrived at the lodge just after 2pm, had a quick breather, dropped our packs and made our way to Sutherland waterfalls, the tallest In NZ. The water forces it's way down the mountains into a magnificent water orchestra. I manage to find some reserve energy and ran the last few miles back.

    Riverdeep mountain high! A breathtaking day in nature with Roedolf.

    P.S. The food is on par with the scenery. I was pleasantly surprised, I expected basic meals, but they serve gourmet meals with NZ hospitality. It's a treat after a long day of walking, especially the dinners. I mean mouthwatering stuff like fresh wild mushroom soup, grilled salmon with asparagus and almonds, ribeye steak, creme brûlée, fresh baked croissants one morning. All dishes are made from scratch, cooked per order.

    {Issy}    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • Vander WondersRejsendeNew Zealand
    1
    1

    Mitre peak Lodge

    11. november 2016, New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    Milford track day 4:

    This morning was the hardest to get up, after walking just over 20 miles the previous few days. Today's walk will take us to the last 13 and a bit miles to Sandfly point at the 33.5 mile marker where a boat will meet us to take us to the final Lodge overlooking the Milford sound and Mitre peak.

    Today's walk was basically the distance of a half marathon which just confirmed to me that I will never attempt a half marathon, as walking alone was quite hard. Yes our legs did have some miles on them already, but this was quite an easy walk that was seemingly flat. The first 12 or so km I thought this is a walk in the park and somewhere between km 12 and 13 things changed and started to get aches and pains in my legs that made walking less fun. Naturally the last 5 km's it was head down and walk, I could not care less about the beautiful scenery. Once we reached the final mile the enjoyment of the whole experience just drowned out any aches and it was really a lovely ending to 4 spectacular days on the track.

    According to my gps ⌚️️I walked 21.67km's at 18 minutes per km which took 40,420 steps and burnt 2659 calories.

    Ultimate hikes really surpassed our expectations and I would recommend anyone planning to do the Milford track, the Route burn or Grand Traverse tracks to use them.
    When we originally booked, we compared the all inclusive option with Ultimate hikes & walking this track independently. First of all as an accountant I had a spreadsheet costing out an independent hike of the Milford track, taking into account that we will have to buy all the gear like sleeping bags, pots and pans for cooking and we would have to carry all our food etc with us. Further you would have to find your own way to Te Anau downs, pay for the boat trip across to the start of the track, pay for boat tickets accommodation in Milford sound after the walk. All and all it would have been only about $200 cheaper to do it independently and we would have probably not showered for 4 days as the independent huts only have cold water and let me tell you the mountain water was freezing.
    Ultimate hikes not only made the logistics of getting to and from the track so easy, they also provided gear like walking packs rain coats etc. as part of the booking cost. The food absolutely stunned us, it was on the same level and quality of the cruise, hence we never felt hungry on the track. We were able to pack lunch every morning before leaving the lodge. The accommodation with laundry and drying facilities was so great you could only pack one set of clothes to walk in and one set to use at night as we were able to wash as dry everything everyday. The biggest bonus at the last lodge was the automatic washers and drying rooms, so we washed everything so we start our camper van living clean and fresh. Then the guides made this such a rich experience with insights about anything and everything on the track and a "hot drink and warm smile" just when you needed it most. Kelly, Grace and Ellis were fantastic!
    Lastly we were lucky to be in a small group of 24 people who all enjoyed each others company and it was really special to finish this journey together, and you could really see how happy everyone were for each other with the accomplishment when the guides handed out our certificates of completion at sun set on the last night.

    What an experience, I think hiking is a new sport/hubby that Isabel and I will share for a long time to come.

    {Roedolf}    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • Vander WondersRejsendeNew Zealand

    Milford track day 4

    11. november 2016, New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Today was unbelievable, we hiked into a new valley with bigger ferns and different fauna. We were spoiled with two more waterfalls, one, the most photographed waterfall in New Zealand (on Roedolf's Pictures of day 4 with me sitting on the rail) and the other one happen to be the ideal idyllic lunch spot.

    Towards the end of the hike I couldn't help to be overwhelmed by the fantastic memories and absolute grandeur of the scenery the past few days. I am so happy that Roedolf enjoyed the beauty as much as I did. I am VERY VERY thankful that his back/hip didn't act up.

    We completed the 53.6km hike at Sandflypoint, it is called Sandflypoint for a reason, there are a million kazillion annoying sandflies. I was covered up from head to toe and wore insect repellent underneath my clothes but one still managed to bite me on my eyelid.

    New Zealand's finest walk, you exceeded all my expectations.

    {Issy}    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • Vander WondersRejsendeNew Zealand

    Milford sound cruise

    12. november 2016, New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    A magnificent last day in the Fjordlands Nasional Park. I consider myself extremely lucky to see Mitre Peak and the majestic awe-inspiring fjords on a postcard like day. Given the natural rainfall of 8-10 meters in this area of South Island I realize sunshine and blue skies is the exception rather than the rule. The rain has to fall at same point right?

    I go to nature to be soothed and healed and to put my senses in tune once more. Nothing humbles me more than to look up to the majestic mountains and enjoy the abundance of wildlife around here.

    I had natures facelift, when our boat cruised underneath a waterfall that is known (or what the Maori's and I believe😉) to take 10 years of anyone that is sprayed with the water.

    I am happy beyond believe to have been so close to nature the past few days. We expect so much from everything & everyone and then, when we find ourselves in complete remoteness we realize that its all perceptions created in our minds. Nature is pure and simple and whenever we need perspective the answers are right here.

    {Issy}    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • Vander WondersRejsendeNew Zealand

    Milford sound

    12. november 2016, New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    Milford track day 5

    The cherry 🍒 on the cake so to speak, today we don't have to walk anywhere and we get to do a 2 hour cruise on the Milford sound and experience the majestic scenery of the surrounding mountains one last time before we head back to civilization (yes no cell phone coverage or wifi here).

    We saw some See lions (evening gowns, internal blog joke), bottle nose dolphins 🐬 and best of all we found a penguin 🐧! We were fortunate enough to spot a Fiordland Crested Penguin, there are only 2000 breeding pairs left in the wild of these little creatures.

    It was a perfect end to an unbelievable few days.

    I ran out of words to describe this beautiful place, all I can say is if anyone wants to come here I am happy to come join you again 😄!

    {Roedolf}    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • Vander WondersRejsendeNew Zealand

    #lovetorun

    13. november 2016, New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C

    I decided to juggle an Issy long run adventure, along the lake this morning, I can't think of a better way to say goodbye to Queenstown, the adventure capital of the South Island.

    I had the trial for myself most of the time... running free with a happy heart, surrounded by beauty. Thrilled when I randomly discovered the flowers I saw on postcards and ads about New Zealand.

    It's wonderful to know I don't have to worry about safety here. I had my phone with me but more to check out google maps in case I get lost.

    My quads slowed me down on the hills but I am forgiving, they covered quite some distance with the hike.

    Ps.
    ( It's great to travel in a first world country where you pop a local vodafone simcard in your phone & 2G fast data is included in the $29)    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • Vander WondersRejsendeNew Zealand

    Fergburger Queenstown

    13. november 2016, New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    A burger is a burger is a burger. Or not!

    When I first saw the queue going up the street to get into Fergburger, my first thought was how good can this really be?

    To put it into perspective, Isabel normally start moaning just when I mention Mac Donald's or KFC and this time was not much different until she took the first bite of this burger. As soon as she tasted it, she broke out in songs of praise for the flavor explosion in her mouth.

    Wow what a burger! #Westwoodtours

    {Roedolf}

    True story!! Ek raak nie sommer liries oor 'n takeaway nie. Die lang ry spreek boekdele oor die smake en popularitiet van die plek. 'n Westwood tour en Andre recommendation. Die burger was amazing, die pattie was alles. So vars en nie oily nie. Na 'n bietjie wag het ons burger gevat en op die beste spot langs die lake gaan eet. Ek was nie gou weer honger nie...

    A burger to die for🍔!!    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • Vander WondersRejsendeNew Zealand

    Lake Wanaka

    13. november 2016, New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Our road trip kicked off from Queenstown this afternoon. At our first stop we watched some crazies bungee at Kawarau Bridge, home of the world's first commercial bungee. Roedolf pulled in at a local farm ("padstal") we tasted some dried fruits, I'm amazed how yummy dried papaya is.

    Coffee time at Lake Wanaka, life is good with a double shot espresso. Enjoyed the small town vibe and Sunday afternoon buzz.

    I love our 1c flexibility so far. We got a brilliant car relocation deal from Queenstown to Christchurch. We are making our way up to Lake Tekapo where we plan to find a place to stay tonight. Open ended & random where the road takes us.

    Freestylin South Island

    {Issy}    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • Vander WondersRejsendeNew Zealand

    Earthquake

    14. november 2016, New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 8 °C

    We woke us at 12h15 from the Motel building shaking and it sounded like roof tiles moving. It lasted for about 30 seconds.

    My first thought was its got to be a earthquake, but does not feel that bad. Isabel originally thought there were people running on the roof above our room and she wanted to go and tell them off😜.

    Seconds after we saw on breakingnews.com that it was in fact an earthquake.

    Weird experience, it shows the power of the forces of nature. Wind, fire, water etc all very scary if it goes bad!

    On the flip side, we have seen the dramatic landscapes in the South Island which was all formed by some force of nature like water or ice and its just beautiful.

    {Roedolf}    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • Vander WondersRejsendeNew Zealand

    Banks Peninsula

    15. november 2016, New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    To kick of our Camper-van adventure we stopped of at Akarua, a beautiful, french, coastal town, east of Christchurch. We decided to go bare basic tonight and test the NZ's free campsites. I was in ecstasy with the picturesque picnic spot 50m from our camp spot.

    On our drive down we stopped at the local cheese farm. The balsamic vinegar& onion and the smoked Havarti seemed like a fine choice. Pinor noir from Nelson, a view and delicious cheese makes it a perfect way to start our tramping.

    {issy}    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • Vander WondersRejsendeNew Zealand

    Boat ramp Akarua

    16. november 2016, New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Our first night in the camper-van, we drove to Akarua and found a free camping spot for self contained vehicles (vehicles with running water and onboard toilet 🚽). It only had 6 spots and we were lucky enough to get one.

    There was public toilets about 500 meters away and a drinking water fountain but that was it, we learned quickly that free means you only really get a free legal place to park and sleep.

    We made the best of it by enjoying some wine and cheese, see Isabel's blog. And of course a braai with NZ lamb and veggies, food was amazing!

    Then we retired early and slept about 11 hours, clearly the bed in our camper is as comfortable as you going to get in a camper.

    {Roedolf}    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • Vander WondersRejsendeNew Zealand

    Around the mountain

    16. november 2016, New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Wake up climb a mountain crash. We were probably a bit over ambitious, with the route we picked, this morning. It was hell of an incline without zigzags. We were both huffing an puffing. It morally broke Roedolf that there were no mile markers on the track and I slipped about 6 times which was terrifying. Close to the top we both just crashed in the grass. Luckily i am still in one piece. The view over the lush green valley and town was beautiful. I am over steep hills for a bit.

    New Zealand is geared for tourism, even the tiniest place has an i-Site tourist information site which is funded by government. The lady at i-site suggested there suggested the hike for us- I doubt she has ever walked it herself.

    {Issy}    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • Vander WondersRejsendeNew Zealand

    Akaroa to Okains Bay

    16. november 2016, New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    We took the scenic "tourist" drive from Akaroa and ended up at a lovely secluded camping site at Okains Bay.

    We had delicious peanut butter sandwiches in the misty mountains, it was heavenly after that hike. Roedolf rescued a tiny hedgehog, that was trying to cross the road on our drive. Okains is clearly off the beaten track for most people, we went for a walk on the beach (like we didn't have enough) and found nothing but heaps of shells and a seagull.

    Next we put all our devices on charge, a necessity after 24 hours without electricity.

    Thrilled that it's shower hour. Hot showers are $2 for 4 minutes- (another first) I was devastated, when my shower was jammed and I am standing there but naked without another $2. Not exactly perfect to have a cold shower but I did. I will never take a hot shower for granted again. I had a generous glass of port to get over the tragedy, while Roedolf started the Braai.

    {Issy}    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • Vander WondersRejsendeNew Zealand

    NZ on a shoestring budget

    17. november 2016, New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    NZ is really quite affordable even with a South African Rand budget.

    However you will need to be smart about it. I don't care if everyone tell you to do the north island first because the south island is so much more beautiful than the north island. Don't do the north Island first if you want to do it on a budget, as you won't be able to take advantage of relocation deals. I promise both islands are amazing in their own way, as long as you expect it to be different you won't be disappointed.

    So starting south you should study the relocation websites for specials on cars and campervans and you can get great deals.

    We relocated a car from Queenstown to Christchurch for NZ$0.02 and we had 3 days to do so, which meant we were able to have a car the last day in Queenstown and do a little road trip to Christchurch. Then we relocated a campervan from Christchurch to Auckland for only NZ$1 per day for the first 4 days and NZ$45 per day for the days after that to a maximum of 16 days. We took 14 days that gave us plenty of time to do everything in the South Island we wanted to do and see enough of the north Island before we got to Auckland. This saved us about NZ$3,000 compared to renting a camper from Auckland to Christchurch over the same time.

    Along the way there were plenty of free campsites and also paid sites (average NZ$15 per person per night which is not that bad). The paid sites mostly offered showers, power, wifi and more, while the free sites often only had a long drop toilet but worth staying for free if you have a self contained vehicle. You could stay in a paid site every other day just to get a shower and charge phones etc. on a regular basis.
    More often than not the free site are located best next to the beach or some view so not bad.

    The One card from AA in partnership with Countdown, BP and Caltex. This safes you between 6 and 12 sent per liter on fuel which basically saved us $35 over the 17 days we had vehicles.

    Buying groceries at Countdown, a grocery store, not only help you to get more discount on fuel with the one card but also the quality of the meat and veggies are brilliant and don't forget the great selection of wines. If you shop smart you can even save more on marked down stuff, for example an average bottle of wine cost about NZ$15 and we just looked for specials and managed to buy bottles for about NZ$10, saving us about NZ$5 per day 😜. This way you will save a ton of money by not eating takeaways or in restaurants all the time.

    You might ask how do you cook all the groceries. You can rent a portable gas Braai/BBQ (which has a grill and stovetop for one pot) with the campervan for only NZ$35, well worth it as you can basically cook anything on it from boiling water for coffee to cooking gourmet pasta dishes and of course braai some lamb chops.

    Yes excursions like heli hiking or wine tasting etc will set you back a couple of dollars, that's unavoidable. However there are so many free things to do and see in NZ that you don't have to spend an arm and a leg on stuff to do. If you mix it up and do some free stuff and some stuff that cost money you will get a full experience of NZ without breaking the bank.

    All and all a very affordable awesome trip!

    {Roedolf}    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • Vander WondersRejsendeNew Zealand

    East to west drive via Arthurs pass

    17. november 2016, New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 6 °C

    We woke up to a rainy south island east cost, with no cellphone reception to check the weather elsewhere. We started driving west in the hope that we will have better luck weather wise.

    We drove through Arthur's pass which is renowned for its scenic views of the so called southern Alps, but we saw only the foot of the mountains and rain clouds.

    After 6 hours of driving we arrived at the west coast where the sun was shining. We could only look back and see the beautiful mountains behind us. Its a shame we did not get to see it in the pass, some you win some you lose I guess.

    {Roedolf}    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • Vander WondersRejsendeNew Zealand
    1

    Cloud 9

    17. november 2016, New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    Time to settle into our new campsite called cloud 9 lifestyle park, great name for a great facility.

    This site is as close to a hotel as you will ever get in a campsite based on our 3 day experience. We have electricity for the first time and we have wifi. Then the showers and kitchen facilities are basically 5 star ⭐️ and that all for only NZ$35.

    We settled in with a quick workout before enjoying yet another NZ lamb chop braai and a beautiful wine.

    It is quite cold here compared to the east coast so I suspect Isabel might be clinging on to me tonight 😜.

    {Roedolf}    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • Vander WondersRejsendeNew Zealand

    Cool little town

    18. november 2016, New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Today was jam packed, we planned nothing but the vicinity of our end destination . Got up, went for a run on the small farm road (I kinda did mile repeats as the road ended in a private property with scary looking cows) , utilized the amazing hot showers, organized the camper-van (this is a mission - find a spot for everything without driving each other nuts) and BOOM the days adventure starts.

    I did a blitz analysis of the must do's in Hokikita, also known as the cool little town, and navigated Roedolf with a pretty basic map. Google maps are very handy till you lose cellphone reception, which happens pretty much all the time in NZ.

    This is one beautiful country. The diversity of scenery is mind blowing. From Hokikita, the drive around lake Kaniere offers the following: walk into the Kahikatea forest, a bench in the water; access to Dorothy's falls and many beautiful viewpoints. I also got up close and personal with a Lama. A short detour from the lake got us to the vivid turquoise waters of Hokikita's gorge. The lush forest surrounding it also made it a good lunch stop.

    Filled up at BP (ons laat die wiele rol) and then drove to state highway 6 to Franz Josef in search of a glacier.    Læs mere

    Se oversættelse
  • 2025© FindPenguins
  • Hjem
  • Om os
  • Gruppesporing
  • Presse
  • Betingelser
  • Privatliv & Cookies
  • Hjælpecenter
  • Aftryk