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New Zealand

November - December 2016
A 31-day adventure by Vander Wonders Read more
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  • TravelerNew Zealand
    Day 1

    Breathtaking flight into Queenstown

    November 7, 2016 in 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}    Read more

  • TravelerNew Zealand
    Day 1

    Queenstown

    November 7, 2016 in 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}    Read more

  • TravelerNew Zealand
    Day 2

    Milford track day 1

    November 8, 2016 in 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}    Read more

  • TravelerNew Zealand
    Day 2

    Glade House

    November 8, 2016 in 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}    Read more

  • TravelerNew Zealand
    1
    Day 3

    Milford track day2

    November 9, 2016 in 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}    Read more

  • TravelerNew Zealand
    Day 3

    Pompolona

    November 9, 2016 in 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}    Read more

  • TravelerNew Zealand
    1
    Day 4

    Quintin Lodge

    November 10, 2016 in 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}    Read more

  • TravelerNew Zealand
    1
    Day 4

    Milford track Day 3

    November 10, 2016 in 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}    Read more

  • TravelerNew Zealand
    1
    1
    Day 5

    Mitre peak Lodge

    November 11, 2016 in 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}    Read more

  • TravelerNew Zealand
    Day 5

    Milford track day 4

    November 11, 2016 in 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}    Read more

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