Pacific and New Zealand Flythrough
We had a marathon trip to our next destination; Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo to Santiago to Auckland to Tahiti to Bora Bora. Fortunately on route we got to spend the night in Santiago, and a very productive day in Auckland (arriving at 7am, visited the post office, had an eye test, a hair cut each, some camera shopping research, some Christmas shopping (in November, a first for me!) and then back to the airport by 4pm).
Although we were exhausted by the time we reached Bora Bora, you couldn't help be happy in a place that beautiful. Turquoise waters, Lost-style island backdrop, and easily the most scenic of hotels we'd ever stayed in. It's a very French place, but then it is part of French Polynesia (and I think techincally therefore part of the European Union, though with its own currency - no stamps in the passport anyway). Bora Bora was a good place to relax and dive (we did another six dives each, swimming with rays, sharks and little nemos).
After five days of luxury we headed back to Auckland to begin our month of activity-based travelling. First we met Esther's parents who had arranged to travel through the country at the same time as us (meeting them in the beginning, middle and end of the trip). We both picked up campervans and headed out to the Coromandel Peninsula where we found we hadn't lost all our hiking fitness since the Inca trail and then went our separate ways, with us heading for Hobbiton (well, the set from the Lord of the Rings film) on the way to Waitomo, home of the glowworms. To see them, we donned wetsuits, and threw ourselves, armed with tyre inner tubes, into a cave system with an underground river for a bit of blackwater rafting (actually much more relaxing than it sounds).
Our other North Island highlight was the Tongariro Crossing, a 17km (11 mile) trek over a volcano range. The view should have been stunning, but instead we got wet and spent most of the day walking through thick cloud and fog. Enjoyable all the same.
After meeting Esther's parents again to cross the Cook Straight to the South Island, we took a break from the physical exertion and relaxed at a few wineries in the Marlborough town of Blenheim before heading up to Abel Tasman National Park. We could have done with more than the two nights we had there, as half a day's kayaking and half a day's waking wasn't enough to do this beautiful area justice.
We passed back through Blenheim on the way to Kaikoura, famous for its whale watching. Although strong winds were forecast, we were lucky and the boat headed out to find Moby Dick and friends. We saw four sperm whales, who obligingly gave us the classic tail-camera-shots as they dived.
Back on land, our route took us back across from coast to coast travelling west through Hamner Springs (a bit more thermal spa relaxation), until the heavens opened as we arrived in Franz Josef, home to an impressive glacier we hoped to climb. This was frustrating, as we'd been here six years previously and had to abandon the glacier walk that time due to the weather. Not really surprising though, given that the west coast of the New Zealand South Island is one of the wettest places on Earth.
As we headed south towards Queenstown we had a change of fortune. As we approached the town of Wanaka on a glorious morning, I got it into my head I wanted to try a tandem skydive. Before I had time to think things through, I was strapped to an instructor 15,000ft above the mountains and lakes and being hurled out of a plane, a truly fabulous experience.
After spending a night and some money on the Jetboats in Queenstown, we headed for another place we'd had to skip on our previous NZ trip, Milford Sound. The drive there was a bit depressing as the weather again turned foul, and the rain came down. But on passing through the tunnel into the steep sided valleys that surround the Sound, we realised this was the best time to visit. The rain turned almost every steep hillside into a waterfall, and we were surrounded by cascades in every direction. The Sound itself is impressive, especially when you see a boat passing the cliff-face and you realise just how high the mile tall rock is.
We passed back through Queenstown on the way to Dunedin in the South East of the island, and then onto the Otago Peninsula, home to colonies of Albatross and an old fashioned pub where we played pool while waiting for our fish and chips from the shop over the road. We headed north to Akaroa near Christchurch and finally managed to do something I've always wanted to do; swim with dolphins. Granted, we couldn't see much as it was a bit murky, and they're so fast you have difficulty keeping them in view, but Esther's stone clicking seemed to interest them and they swam with us for a good 45 minutes.
So, finally to Christchurch, where I managed to crunch the top of the campervan on the overhang of the hotel where we dropped our luggage, only 30 minutes before handing it back to the rental company. Not an expense we wanted, especially as roof damage was not covered on any insurance and not capped. Still we had a nice time in the city (sunny again!) and said goodbye to Esther's parents before boarding yet another flight bound for Tasmania.
Although we were exhausted by the time we reached Bora Bora, you couldn't help be happy in a place that beautiful. Turquoise waters, Lost-style island backdrop, and easily the most scenic of hotels we'd ever stayed in. It's a very French place, but then it is part of French Polynesia (and I think techincally therefore part of the European Union, though with its own currency - no stamps in the passport anyway). Bora Bora was a good place to relax and dive (we did another six dives each, swimming with rays, sharks and little nemos).After five days of luxury we headed back to Auckland to begin our month of activity-based travelling. First we met Esther's parents who had arranged to travel through the country at the same time as us (meeting them in the beginning, middle and end of the trip). We both picked up campervans and headed out to the Coromandel Peninsula where we found we hadn't lost all our hiking fitness since the Inca trail and then went our separate ways, with us heading for Hobbiton (well, the set from the Lord of the Rings film) on the way to Waitomo, home of the glowworms. To see them, we donned wetsuits, and threw ourselves, armed with tyre inner tubes, into a cave system with an underground river for a bit of blackwater rafting (actually much more relaxing than it sounds).
Our other North Island highlight was the Tongariro Crossing, a 17km (11 mile) trek over a volcano range. The view should have been stunning, but instead we got wet and spent most of the day walking through thick cloud and fog. Enjoyable all the same.After meeting Esther's parents again to cross the Cook Straight to the South Island, we took a break from the physical exertion and relaxed at a few wineries in the Marlborough town of Blenheim before heading up to Abel Tasman National Park. We could have done with more than the two nights we had there, as half a day's kayaking and half a day's waking wasn't enough to do this beautiful area justice.We passed back through Blenheim on the way to Kaikoura, famous for its whale watching. Although strong winds were forecast, we were lucky and the boat headed out to find Moby Dick and friends. We saw four sperm whales, who obligingly gave us the classic tail-camera-shots as they dived.Back on land, our route took us back across from coast to coast travelling west through Hamner Springs (a bit more thermal spa relaxation), until the heavens opened as we arrived in Franz Josef, home to an impressive glacier we hoped to climb. This was frustrating, as we'd been here six years previously and had to abandon the glacier walk that time due to the weather. Not really surprising though, given that the west coast of the New Zealand South Island is one of the wettest places on Earth.
As we headed south towards Queenstown we had a change of fortune. As we approached the town of Wanaka on a glorious morning, I got it into my head I wanted to try a tandem skydive. Before I had time to think things through, I was strapped to an instructor 15,000ft above the mountains and lakes and being hurled out of a plane, a truly fabulous experience.After spending a night and some money on the Jetboats in Queenstown, we headed for another place we'd had to skip on our previous NZ trip, Milford Sound. The drive there was a bit depressing as the weather again turned foul, and the rain came down. But on passing through the tunnel into the steep sided valleys that surround the Sound, we realised this was the best time to visit. The rain turned almost every steep hillside into a waterfall, and we were surrounded by cascades in every direction. The Sound itself is impressive, especially when you see a boat passing the cliff-face and you realise just how high the mile tall rock is.
We passed back through Queenstown on the way to Dunedin in the South East of the island, and then onto the Otago Peninsula, home to colonies of Albatross and an old fashioned pub where we played pool while waiting for our fish and chips from the shop over the road. We headed north to Akaroa near Christchurch and finally managed to do something I've always wanted to do; swim with dolphins. Granted, we couldn't see much as it was a bit murky, and they're so fast you have difficulty keeping them in view, but Esther's stone clicking seemed to interest them and they swam with us for a good 45 minutes.
So, finally to Christchurch, where I managed to crunch the top of the campervan on the overhang of the hotel where we dropped our luggage, only 30 minutes before handing it back to the rental company. Not an expense we wanted, especially as roof damage was not covered on any insurance and not capped. Still we had a nice time in the city (sunny again!) and said goodbye to Esther's parents before boarding yet another flight bound for Tasmania.
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