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The Big Adventure

January - March 2025
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We are sharing our adventures as we travel from leafy Surrey to Singapore, Australia and New Zealand! Will try to keep the "footprints" short and easy to click and read...and no pictures of what we had for breakfast! No need to comment/like, enjoy! Read more
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  • 58days
  • 227photos
  • 254likes
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  • New Zealand
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  • 21footprints
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  • The Big Adventure
    Day 54–59

    The North Island Part 1..

    March 9 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    The ferry trip to Wellington lived up to expectations with wonderful views of the Marlborough Sounds bays, inlets and inland from the ship before entering the Cooks Straits.

    We had a jam packed day and a half in the world’s windiest city, Wellington (which was not at all blowy when we were there!) visiting Zelandia, walked along the Quay in the sun and visited Te Papa which is NZ National Museum. The exhibitions were fantastic giving us more insight into Māori and European history and how NZ came about along with the facts and figures of the country’s native animals, birds and sea creatures.

    We picked up a car and drove to Tongario National Park with its many mountains 🏔️ and multiple walks. Day out in Taupo visiting the Huka Falls and cruised on NZs largest lake (100 miles to drive round) to see Māori carvings.

    The BIG day was walking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing…it was on our list, but we knew it would be tough. Climbing 1,887 metres up (and down) the side and across a volcano 🌋 was one of the best walks we have ever done. Up early 😇and started at 7am for our 22km walk where we rewarded with sun ☀️ to see the Red Crater, Emerald and Blue lakes. It was stunning and soooo worth the 8 hour one way trip 👍.

    Our final destination is the Bay of Islands right up in the north of The North Island for some R&R…    Read more

  • The Big Adventure
    Day 49–54

    Goodbye to The South Island

    March 4 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    We’ve had a fabulous final five days in The South Island. We got on the Coastal Pacific train from Christchurch and travelled along the coast to Blenheim in the Marlborough Region. We saw dolphins 🐬 in Kaikoura from the open viewing carriage along with beautiful scenery as we made our way to the eclectic Peppertree Hotel, which was an old Edwardian building with its own vineyard, orchards, homemade bread, jams and cakes 🍰.

    Obviously we had to take bikes 🚲 to do an all day wine tour which exceeded expectations…who knew the region produced 70% of all NZ’s wine?! We visited 5 of the vineyards with a lunch outside in the vines to keep us going.

    We caught a bus (along with all the oldies) to Picton to catch the water taxi to our hotel in the Marlborough Sounds which had walks to the Queen Charlotte Track. The Sounds are vast and we arrived 90 minutes later to Furneaux Lodge in sunshine ☀️ and instantly relaxed 😎.

    We walked 2 of the tracks to earn a well deserved Sauvignon Blanc or 2, kayaked on the water and nattered away to the other walkers, bike riders and locals.

    We have had the most wonderful and memorable time in The South Island with a ferry trip to Wellington and The North Island through the Cooks Straits tomorrow. 🌊    Read more

  • The Big Adventure
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    Day 46–48

    Wet West Coast

    March 1 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    We left Wānaka for the long scenic drive to Franz Josef, passing through Mount Aspiring National Park and the winding roads. The weather was a little grey/cloudy but that did stop us from visiting the waterfalls, sea views, forest 🌳 walks and lakes before arriving in FJ with a glimpse of snow on both glaciers and Mount Cook in the distance.

    With rain forecast (and it came ☔️), we made the most of the glacial walks to see what is left of the glacier. No helicopters 🚁 were flying and we felt that FJ was looking quite “sad” as it fights a losing battle against the impact of climate changes. We vowed to do more to reduce, recycle and reuse as they were poignant messages throughout the small township.

    We experienced our first glacial water hot tub in the depth of trees and ferns which was surreal as we chatted away and eased the various sore muscle we had from our hiking. Perhaps Lynne was a little too relaxed/got a bit hot as she had a “turn” and blacked out for a good 10 seconds with Nicky having to call for help a couple of times. Lots of water and chocolate saved the day and the hot lady was soon up walking (and talking) with no ill effects.

    We packed up to drive to Greymouth via Hokitika to join the Tranzalpine train going west to east of the South Island, cutting through the Southern Alps to Christchurch across via Arthur’s Pass.

    Lots of great scenery on the 5 hour journey despite low cloud cover. The open viewing carriage was fun/a first and we enjoyed the Scenic Plus ticket…imagine first class with fab food and a well stocked drinks trolley…😉    Read more

  • The Big Adventure
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    Day 44–46

    Wonderful Wanaka!

    February 27 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Driving from Queenstown to our next stop Wanaka may only be a 2 hour drive, but it goes through fantastic landscapes of the Crown Range and Cardrona. So clearly it takes us a lot longer as we stop at multiple look 👀 outs!

    We arrived at Wanaka and immediately felt at home; sun, warmth, the hotel by the lake, cafes and shops! We had booked a half day bike 🚲 ride so we get to see and familiarise ourselves. What a ride too, around Lakes Hawea and Wanaka, finishing up on the boardwalk for tea and cake…life cant get better than this !

    We had a massive apartment with a view over the lake, sun loungers which we actually used so we could watch and comment on the world going by.

    Day 2 saw us forgo the hike everyone does (Roy’s Peak) as it was very warm/exposed and so we travelled out to Diamond Lake and Rocky Mountain. It was much tougher than we thought, lots of scrambling but with the reward of lunch at the top before making our way down…quite pleased with ourselves. We have now worked out that NZ Dept of Conservation (DOC) grades their walks on the type of path v how difficult…😉! Love the DOC…imagine combining the National Trust & Dept of Environment with power and funding. 👍

    We loved Wanaka, made the most of our 2 days and met some lovely people along the way.😍

    Next up is the drive up the West Coast and Franz Josef ( I’m melting) Glacier.    Read more

  • The Big Adventure
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    Day 39–44

    Queenstown !

    February 22 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Our five days in the “adventure capital” of New Zealand has flown by.
    There are plenty of outside, sporty activities and things to do here. We arrived at the hotel and discovered we had a massive apartment with fantastic views across Lake Wakatipu, the longest lake in NZ and the third biggest. See the pic…room with a view !

    We had a days cycling 🚴‍♀️ around the bike trails and wineries of the area and visited Arrowtown, a small town which grew out of the gold rush about half an hour from Queenstown. We took electric mountain bikes 🚲 and whizzed around which meant we could visit all the vineyards in the area! 🍷We saw the bungy jumpers doing their thing (we didn’t partake …😎, but had a good watch at the brave and not so confident ones.).

    Our highlight was zip wiring down a gorge in Glenorchy. We found this via a recommend and it was exhilarating flying through the forest, trees and rivers along 8 different zip lines. We finished the day driving through Paradise Road, a stunning journey, flanked by mountains and gorges, many of which were used for locations for the Lord of the Rings and Mission Impossible 2 films.

    As the lake is such a centrepiece of Queenstown, we took a trip on the TSS Earnshaw a steam ship ⛴️ over to Walter Peak High Country Farm which enabled us to see the town from the water and got closer to the Remarkables mountains and see a most beautiful sunset 🌅.

    Our final day was planned to climax with a half day of white water rafting. At short notice this was cancelled as the Shotover River was too low due to rainfall being limited in the last two months. So we climbed a mountain instead (!), the saddle of Ben Lomond (1,380 metres/4,100 feet), had panoramic views down onto Queenstown and a great gondola 🚠 trip down.

    On more mundane matters we got a puncture and somehow managed to get it fixed for free ahead of our next lot of miles north. We do like New Zealanders! 🥰 (especially Sam at the garage 🙏).

    Next stop Wanaka via the Crown Range and Cardrona.    Read more

  • The Big Adventure
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    Day 35–39

    Trips & Tramps

    February 18 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Fiordland National Park which is in the southern part of The South Island has been another superb experience and adventure.

    An area bigger than the Yeosimite and Yellowstone National Parks combined, it is dominated by the weather being one of the worlds wettest regions with 7-9 metres of rain/year (+200 days/year)… and yes we experienced some of that!!
    Before leaving UK we had signed up for a 3 day trekking (called tramping in New Zealand) trip to experience sections of three of the Great Walks.

    Day 1 saw a helicopter ride across Lake Te Anau to join the Kepler Track at Mount Luxmore. We summited the 4,300 feet and stopped at the mountain hut for lunch. Then there was a 800m decent to Brod Bay, back to the tree line through the bush and beach forest to the shoreline where we picked up a water taxi to cross back over Lake Te Anau and to the hotel.

    Day 2 was an easier day (thank goodness), as we had aching legs from Day 1. A flat walk on the final section of the Milford Track and then a boat tour up/ down the Sound. This was stunning scenery but the weather got the better of us and Lynne had to brave sleeting rain and wind to get any photos at all. What was impressive was how quick the rainfall creates many waterfalls around the area with the locals thinking this is the best time to visit Milford.

    Day 3 took us on part of the Routeburn Track. This was our favourite day as it took us through meadows, reflective tarns and alpine gardens and we were then rewarded with spectacular vistas over vast mountain ranges and valleys. We went to the local cinema to watch Ata Whenua, a short film which vividly brings to life all 4 seasons of the Fiordland…spectacular and a great restaurant too 🍴🍷.

    Off to Queenstown next, the adventure capital of NZ for bungee jumping, tandem sky diving and biking …🥰    Read more

  • The Big Adventure
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    Day 32–35

    The South Island - Mount Cook

    February 15 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    
    Our first experience in The South Island has been fantastic. After landing in Christchurch we picked up our hire car and drove 350 km to Mount Cook, via Lake Tekapo and Pukaki with beautiful glacial moraine waters. Mount cook is New Zealand’s highest Mountain (3724m) and has snow on the peaks all year round. We have been surrounded by huge mountains for 3 days and lucked in with some beautiful weather.

    The walking boots have finally made it out of the suitcase and onto our feet ! We walked many of the local treks with the highlight being The Hooker Valley track which took us past alpine streams and glaciers in the shadow of Mount Cook taking in 3 swing bridges on our way to Hooker Lake.

    We took advantage of there being no light pollution and did some star gazing in the early hours, seeing stars of the southern hemisphere you would not normally see eg. the Southern cross, along with various constellations and star clusters all viewed through a huge telescope.

    The highlight of highlights was a day trip glacial kayaking, a spur of the moment decision. We paddled on Lake Tasman which was huge in its own right, drifting through and touching multiple icebergs as we could get up close to some, roll tiny ones and also see how some had cracks and moved whilst we were on the lake. ❄️. What we have experienced so far is just a glimpse of what we thought The South Island would be like.

    Next stop, a 3 day walking 🚶 tour in the Fiordland in the south.    Read more

  • The Big Adventure
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    Day 28–32

    Goodbye Australia, Kia Ora New Zealand

    February 11 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    It was back to Vanessa’s in Sydney for our last couple of days in Aus…🙃 and as you’d expect, we were up early and out for the a trip on the last day by bus to do the Coogee to Bondi Beach 🏖️ walk. Scenery, sea and sandy coves for miles with purpose built swimming areas along with the “beautiful “ people on the beach.

    We had tea and cake at Jackie’s who used to lodge with Lynne’s family and spookily lives literally in the next road to Vanessa. It was lovely to chat (a lot) about family, friendship and the importance of being healthy and happy. 😊.

    Early plane to NZ where we met by Chantal (Nicky’s childhood friend) who whisked us off to her new home outside Auckland. With only 18 months of living there after a move from the UK, the house, apartment, gardens, bush, gullies have been transformed. Relaxed by the pool, visited Tawharanui National Park and learned a lot about the native birds and trees along the Ecology Trail.

    A Valentines 💌 Day for 4 was special when you spend it with such good friends …and food and wine 🍷    Read more

  • The Big Adventure
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    Day 27

    Daintree Forest and all things tropical

    February 10 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 29 °C

    Our last day in the tropical north centred around a full day at the Mosman Gorge, Daintree Forest and a visit to Cape Tribulation to walk along the beach where the reef 🪸 and the sea meets the trees, flora and fauna of the forest. We had a great guide who took us off the beaten track/boardwalk to explore the oldest rainforest in the world. We learned about how animals and the multiple trees 🌲 grow, survive and protect themselves. It was hot and humid and the leaves were glossy and just glorious, We saw wallabies, Cassowary, spiders, lizards and of course a crocodile 🐊 on the river trip which was just close enough for us to admire !

    Mosman Gorge had a fabulous visitor set up (we do love an Information Centre 😍) and we wandered the gorge circuit learning all about how rainforests establish themselves over thousands of years.

    Final stop was Cape Tribulation which we just about got to after the cyclone and floods of Dec 2023 meant that many roads are still closed/being repaired. The name Cape Tribulation can be traced back James Cook who was trying to find a way through, what he described as ‘the insane labyrinth’. His ship ran into Endeavour Reef, north-northeast of Cape Tribulation. He wrote: “I name this point Cape Tribulation, because here began all my troubles.”. It was a beautiful place, beach, rainforest as far as the eye could see and very few tourists !    Read more

  • The Big Adventure
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    Day 25

    Great Barrier Reef 🪸

    February 8 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 29 °C

    The Great Barrier Reef is always on the list for many people “to go see” and experience…and our one day trip on an eco marine boat ⛴️ was one of those lifetime experiences. How lucky are we!?
    We were worried about the weather, but lucked out as it was mix of blue sky, fluffy clouds, very little wind and no rain.
    We had 3 separate dives across the Outer Reef 🪸 exploring and learning more about the unique eco-system in which the coral, 🐟 and reptiles all live and survive. We wore Stinger suits which clearly made us look even more gorgeous and got the hang of snorkelling again quickly with the boat buddies.
    Here’s a few snaps (thank you to Simon & family for Nicky’s Go Pro as a Christmas present🥰). So many more we can share when we see you all.    Read more

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