As previously mentioned, it was a rather wet start and it didn't look likely that there would be any helicopter flights up onto a glacier, so we set off for the coast. Unfortunately, the further we got from the mountains, the better they looked, but it was by then too late to turn back:

Stopped briefly by Lake Pukaki to enjoy the turquoise colour which comes from the suspended stone particles “rock-flour”, created by past glacial action:

Then another stop on top of an impressive hydro-electric dam with huge sheets of water cascading from one lake into the next:

And eventually we got to the coast and stopped to look for some boulders. We didn't find them at first, but the spray from the Pacific breakers made a nice backdrop:

We moved on and found a nice cafe/restaurant above the beach we were looking for, with a pleasant decking terrace overlooking the beach:

The boulders here at Moeraki are a great deal more impressive once you get close up:

They vary in size:

And are almost all spherical, frequently with crazed patterning so that they resemble giant footballs:

This one is in the process off being eroded out of the mudstone cliff:

After being battered by the sea for many years, they break up to reveal an intricate internal structure:

Although there are quite a few here, it appears to be just this one stretch of beach, about 100 metres in length, with these boulders, adjacent beaches with the same mudstone cliffs were devoid of the boulders:

These are a couple of the largest we saw at high tide, there may be more visible at a lower tide:

Then we had to leave the roaring Pacific surf to find our campsite for the night in Dunedin:

It was quite a challenging drive into and through Dunedin in the dark and rain, negotiating rush-hour traffic and some very steep hills, but with excellent navigation skills, Barbara got us here without any wrong turns. Now, if it would only stop raining.........

written by  Saros on May 5, 2009 from Moeraki, New Zealand
from the travel blog: The Hairy Animal 2009 World Road Trip
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Still raining this morning, but Wilderness were thoughtful enough to equip the motorhome with a decent sized umbrella, so not too much of a problem. A nice feature of this campsite is that the picnic table adjacent to our site is rather fun:

A short walk to the nearby bus stop and a bus soon took us down (and down and down) into the town centre, where we wandered about for a bit, found the information centre and got a street map then bought tickets for another of the “Great railway journeys of the World”. But first a coffee:

And then board the train:

It was every bit as spectacular as the advertising promised, narrow rock cuttings:

a deep gorge with the river glistening at the bottom and precipitous viaducts:

and some bridges with minimal protection:

About half way up the gorge, the train came to a shuddering halt, and didn't continue. There didn't appear to be any points for the driver to change as with a previous stop, so we all got out to see what was happening:

I tease ..... the German couple sitting opposite us had put their baby down on the track to play at a planned stop where we were able to stretch our legs and enjoy the views.

After a while we came up out of the gorge onto a plateau and the limit of our trip today, where we picked up some passengers who'd been bused from Queenstown, and set off back down. The commentary added significantly to the enjoyment of the whole event, with all sorts of recent, and not-so-recent historical detail.

In due course we got back to the magnificent Dunedin Station:

And then went to find a bus to take us to the northern outskirts of the town where there is a rather strange street where things are a bit crooked:

I think this sign sums it up though:

And this view from the bottom gives a rough idea, but until you've been there, you don't appreciate just how steep it is.

The climb was very worthwhile and the view is impressive:

Then another couple of buses back to the campsite/motorhome with good views of the lights reflecting off the harbour:

Steak for supper, mmmmm.

written by  Saros on May 6, 2009 from Dunedin, New Zealand
from the travel blog: The Hairy Animal 2009 World Road Trip
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Very cold overnight again, a hard frost when we woke, but the bright sun soon melted it all and we had a quick game of snakes-and-ladders on the table by our motorhome; Barbara won by sneaking up a ladder at the last moment having trailed behind the whole game until then.

Set off in due course for a drive/walk around the Otago Peninsular, and were blessed with a bright sunny day, if a bit windy and with a slight southerly chill.

Down through the steep streets of Dunedin and out the other side, we were soon onto the winding coast road with fairly narrow lanes and significant drops in places, just a metre or so to the left of the vehicle, and no barriers.

The inevitable coffee stop with a quick check of the map at a pretty little cove called Portobello:

And then on to the very end of the peninsular and the albatross sanctuary and lighthouse and a windy clifftop walk:

Onwards and a brief stop for a photo of Mt. Charles:

Then down a very remote unmetalled road towards Sandfly Bay until we couldn't drive any further.

An interesting walk with a few challenges, but very worthwhile once we eventually got to the almost deserted beach. A few other like-minded visitors were just leaving, so we had the beach to ourselves, well, us and the wildlife:

Then Barbara spotted a strange lump of seaweed floating in the surf just off the beach:

I wasn't convinced that it was seaweed, and was even less convinced when the seaweed hauled itself out of the water:

The seaweed looked around, saw us and decided that we weren't edible or a threat:

And then decided that that bit of beach wasn't to its liking after all:

The seaweed floated off down the beach a little way and came out of the sea again:

I'd decided that it wasn't seaweed, but actually a sea lion so ambled down to make its acquaintance:

It was having a very pleasant roll in the sand, and clearly knew I was there, but wasn't in the least concerned, and concentrated on scratching itself, or whatever it was doing.

After a while, it flollopped off up the beach to investigate the sand dunes:

By that time the day was getting on and we needed to shop before getting back to the campsite, so we negotiated the complex dunes back to the motorhome and had pleasant drive back.

Once refreshed, we set off for the:

Which is a very impressive church, and when you see that a hill was removed to make a base for it which would have reached to the top of the main windows, it is all the more impressive:

It's nice inside too:

And for the ringers who might be reading this, here are the bell details:

But most importantly, the treble is the most southerly ringable bell in the world, and here is Barbara ringing it:

And these are her friendly fellow ringers (thanks everyone):

And she has the polo shirt to prove it:

With a nice logo:

And that about finishes today. Sounds as though tomorrow may be interesting, weather-wise.

written by  Saros on May 7, 2009 from Portobello, New Zealand
from the travel blog: The Hairy Animal 2009 World Road Trip
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A day for moving on. The usual coffee stop had some unusual entertainment:

And then a brief stop to look at Roaring Meg (it's the river in the background by the way):

It's big and fast and they drive jet boats up here:

And in due course we arrived in Queenstown and found Shotover Park (www.shotoverholidaypark.co.nz) and raised the flag:

Tomorrow hopefully, a bit of fun!

written by  Saros on May 8, 2009 from Queenstown, New Zealand
from the travel blog: The Hairy Animal 2009 World Road Trip
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It was snowing when I first stepped out of the motorhome at about 8:00 in the morning, not the best weather for what I was intending to do rather soon. You might just see the blurry white bits in this shot across the campsite from our motorhome:

But I'd already paid so there was no turning back now. I left Barbara snug and warm in bed and walked ½ a kilometre down the road to the first activity. Does this give you an idea of what I'm about to do?

A nice gentle little boat ride!!!! Here's a previous boat loading up:

The boat then sets off:

And comes back a few seconds later for a photo opportunity:

It may not be too obvious, but the boat is travelling sideways at great speed, the driver is also waving while steering with the one hand, and the rest of us were trying to hang on with just one hand while waving to the camera. That's me nearest to the camera in the second row:

And then we go belting off through the frighteningly narrow Shotover Canyon, missing the very solid rock outcrops by inches:

skimming over shallows with just a few inches of water:

and bouncing hard across the white water where rocks punctuate the river's progress:

You take the warning to keep your hands inside the boat, very seriously after your first close encounter with a rock wall; in fact, I was frequently ducking in case the overhanging rocks hit my head!

But it was really cold. Snowing some of the trip, and getting wet whenever we did a 360° spin, then blasting across the water at 50mph. It took me some time to recover the feeling in my hands in the adjacent cosy café:

And then the minibus came to take me away,

and after a really hairy drive up a narrow mountain dirt track with a sheer drop on the one side, rock walls on the other, and only just enough width for the minibus, we got to a relatively safe area. I got trussed up in something akin to a straight-jacket and then these mad New Zealanders pushed me out to the edge of a platorm very high above the Shotover River I'd previously been uncomfortably close to:

And then laughed when I fell off!!!!

Fortunately, even though I fell 180 feet straight down, the thin cable I was attached to eventually started arresting my fall and converted it from rapid downwards motion, to rapid horizontal motion across the canyon and up the other side. When I'd finished swinging, they winched me back up, and I was so upset by the experience, that I actually asked if I could jump off again!

Here I am, looking very windswept, about to jump off facing downwards this time so that I can see the drop:

Every bit as alarming as falling off backwards as I did the first time.....

And then I found Barbara who had been to Arrowtown:

Straight from the wild west – of America! You could pan for gold, and the buildings looked as though they were from the set of a Western film. Not as exciting as Cha's day, but better on the nerves.

Then it was time to move on up the west coast. Up some alarming hairpin bends:

This involved going over the Crown Range Summit Pass, at 1,076 metres, the highest sealed road in New Zealand, hence we were up above the snow line:

And Barbara found that we'd parked next to a car with a very appropriate numberplate, given that her email address is baa.lyne@gmail.com ....

And we've finished up at Haas (http://www.haastlodge.com) for the night.

written by  Saros on May 9, 2009 from Queenstown, New Zealand
from the travel blog: The Hairy Animal 2009 World Road Trip
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An unremarkable stay at Haast, and we moved on reasonably early after panicking a bit as we hadn't got a phone signal and needed to rebook our ferry crossing to North Island, which was due later today. But the internet came to the rescue and an email was all that was needed fortunately.

On up the west coast of South Island, with the Tasman Sea to our left, very close at some points, and the Southern Alps equally close on our right at others. Barbara was driving, which left me free to take photos of some of the hazards we encountered:

And then we found a nice view of the Fox Glacier:

And then after a short drive, and a short walk, we were quite close to the base of the same glacier:

We had to ignore the odd warning sign (as were many others), but were rewarded with an even closer view:

but it wasn't too easy to get right up to the glacier, as this was the province of experienced guided parties, but this was just a few hundred metres away:

Then back into the village of Fox Glacier to go for a ride in a little red:

Jason took our photo (I couldn't persuade Barbara to come and had to snuggle up to two other attractive young ladies in the compact helicopter):

And then after some further nice views:

Then back to the motorhome to drive a little way further up the coast to Franz Josef Glacier Village where we found our campsite for the night. It has some rather good views. These were all taken just a few metres away from the motorhome:

On northwards tomorrow.

written by  Saros on May 10, 2009 from Fox Glacier, New Zealand
from the travel blog: The Hairy Animal 2009 World Road Trip
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Another cold clear night with a hard frost and plenty of ice on the windscreen, but the day dawned bright and sunny and the warmth of the sun was soon dispelling the chill.

After a leisurely start, we drove the short way into Franz Josef village and parked outside one of the many buildings offering activities. This particular company was the same as I'd flown with yesterday, but in addition to a variety of helicopter flights, they also did guided 'walking' tours. I put walking in quotes because there were some reasonably steep slopes involved:

We were too late to join the full day tour, and probably not fit enough either, so opted for the more gentle 'half-day' tour, which we thought would probably be a nice gentle 3 – 4 hour ramble with good views of the Franz Josef Glacier.

As it turned out, it was a bit longer than that, the glacier views were most certainly good, and it was definitely not a gentle amble; two more elderly Taiwanese ladies had to give up when the going changed from rugged to serious.

But going back to the beginning, once we'd booked our walk, we had an hour or so to kill so (more) coffee was definitely a priority, followed by a bit of retail therapy. In due course, we all started reassembling at the centre:

where we were given a numbered tag to hang around our necks:

All the procedures were explained to us and it started with being kitted out with serious walking boots, if you weren't already wearing something suitable. I was, but Barbara's new shoes were clearly unsuitable so she and most of the others queued up for boots and good thick socks:

Suitably shod, crampons were next on the list, complete with a sturdy carrying bag, then on round the building for overtrousers, raincoat, and even a woolly hat & gloves if conditions required them, which we were assured they wouldn't.

Eventually, we boarded the big red bus:

for the short drive up to the parking area below the glacier. Many kilometres before we got anywhere near, we passed a sign showing where the glacier ended in 1750, but this one is apparently growing at the moment. Once parked, off we went into the 'rain-forest':

Rain-forest? Yes, genuine rain-forest, seriously wet and dark with all manner of exotic plants, though less wildlife than might be expected, but it was a much used tourist trail. There are only three places in the world where glaciers come down low enough to penetrate into rain forest apparently: Franz Josef Glacier, Fox Glacier (just down the road) and somewhere in Argentina. Anywhere else you'd have to climb very high to be able to walk onto a glacier.

Ned, our genial, knowledgeable and caring young guide for the mouldy-oldies party (you can tell which he is in the photo, as he's not quite so well dressed as the rest of us), stopped frequently to check that we were all okay, and to tell us yet more interesting stuff about our impressive surroundings. One such snippet was that, even when we'd emerged from the rain-forest and the glacier looked quite close, it was still 2.2 kilometres away:

Another nice touch was that while we'd been still cosy in bed at 8 o'clock that morning, some of the guides had already got out to the glacier to check the routes for us and cut steps in the ice walls - a very thorough operation!

Soon enough, we got to the end of the rocky morraine and the start of the rocky ice, where we donned our crampons:

It was getting serious now:

The first ice was a bit dirty, with much accumulated rock scoured from the valley floor & walls:

But as we climbed, it got cleaner and more photogenic, and Ned continued to carefully shepherd his flock up the rugged ice faces:

At one point, we arrived at an apparently impossible cliff of ice, at least for us seriously inexperienced ice climbers:

But it seemed that we had a particular 'treat' in store: an ice tunnel:

The half-day trips rarely get to do this apparently, so we were quite privileged. And this is what it was like inside, a bit cramped, wet and cold, but beautiful:

And on up, past deep blue (and dangerous) crevasses:

Near to precipitous waterfalls:

And eventually to our high point for the day:

With great views:

And time for a snack, with hot chocolate even offered by Ned, what a star, and he'd been cutting/clearing steps in the ice as well.

Then back down, following a different route so that we didn't get too bored. Going down is definitely the more tricky, and some of the slopes were quite serious:

More crevasses to avoid, and some we had to squeeze through:

And we were very grateful for the fixed ropes placed by the guides to assist our passage up and down:

The glacier didn't get any less beautiful and was ever changing:

And even near the end of the glacier, Ned was still swinging his ice ixe to ensure our safe passage;

Then back out onto the rocks and more warning signs for the unwary:

Crampons off to be checked by Ned:

And the long(ish) march back to the bus:

With the sun already setting on the mountain peaks high above us:

A last glimpse of the glacier in the fading light:

And some of the high snowfields still bathed in the fast-setting sun:

Then back to the bus through the, by now, almost dark forest, and our motorhome for a night drive to our next stop.

written by  Saros on May 11, 2009 from Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand
from the travel blog: The Hairy Animal 2009 World Road Trip
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Yet another cold clear night with a hard frost, but we didn't care in the slightest as we were even more warm and snug in Helen & David's lovely new house near Hokitika.

After a rather later than planned arrival yesterday, we enjoyed much socialising and a lovely meal – what a treat not to have to cook for ourselves or even wash up (the dishwasher took care of that).

A leisurely breakfast followed by a trip into town for Barbara and Helen to look at the greenstone (jade) shops. Jade almost grows on trees around here apparently!

Then after lunch, we were treated to a tour of the local sights, and wonderful they were too. Everywhere we go, it seems there is something totally different and fascinating to see, and Hokitika is no exception.

We went first to the Hokitika Gorge, where the Hokitika River escapes from the mountains before crossing the plains. Thrill seeker Barbara enjoyed her first view of the river and gorge from the chain suspension bridge and positively shrieked with excitement when I bounced onto the bridge!

And this is the view from the bridge, and the river really is this colour:

A short walk brought us out onto rocks above the bend in the river with a good view of the bridge:

And it seemed like a good place for a group photo with Helen & David:

And this friendly little fantail kept flying all around us:

And landed within inches (sorry, centimetres here) of us:

Next we got to see Dorothy Falls:

It's difficult to see the scale of the falls in this photo, but they were rather nice, and high enough that you really wouldn't want to fall from the top:

There were various attractive fungi:

And a lovely placid lake that the dogs really enjoyed:

Followed by a tour of the estate:

the mountains in the background may not be too easy to see in the above photo, but the blue mushroom was really fascinating, and quite rare we understand:

Interesting spider's webs too:

And friendly goats:

And a lovely meal with Chris & Tom over as well. And so to bed ......

written by  Saros on May 12, 2009 from Hokitika, New Zealand
from the travel blog: The Hairy Animal 2009 World Road Trip
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A relaxed breakfast with Helen & David before saying fond farewells then off to see yet more of this lovely country. We were sorry to leave as they had really spoiled us in their lovely home.

Barbara driving again, so I could photograph one of the older road bridges on South Island, predominantly made of wood, and being single lane as many are, from our direction we have to give way not only to oncoming road traffic, but to trains coming in either direction as well!

A very pleasant drive up the north-west coast with few places but terrific views:

The lowest level mist is in fact spray from the breakers rolling in from the Tasman Sea. And here's another atmospheric shot:

And another:

And this one gives a good idea how close the hills/mountains are to the sea in some places (it is just out of sight to the left):

There were some unusual (to our eyes) trees by our coffee stop:

And then on to our major target for the day, the Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki. This gives some idea as to why they are so called:

But one of the most interesting features is the various holes and gullies that have been carved out by the big waves. At high tides (when we'd arranged to arrive) the biggest waves smash into the caves and the spray exits vertically, in this case from a relatively small vent called the “ChimneyPot”, which describes it well:

Other rock formations are curious:

And the breakers are dramatic, especially considering it was a relatively calm day:

Then on the walk back to the motorhome, Barbara noticed that someone had plaited a couple flax (phormium) plants:

And on to a nearby wildlife reserve where a very tame Keka strutted past us:

Another another pleasant walk through rain-forest type jungle, and we came out onto a cliff-top viewing platform. At first glance there were just rocks below us, but looking longer and harder rewarded us with views of dozens of fur seals. Here's one just going back into the water, judging the best moment to brave the rough waves:

He made it and swam out through the breakers before diving into the safety of the deeper water:

There were mums & pups:

Some were active and others less so:

And many of the pups were obviously bored and wanted to play rather than sleep:

But the adults were clearly enjoying the winter sunshine:

And a last view of the seals' rugged retreat before moving on to Westport for supplies and Murchison to camp for the night.

A rubbish campsite last night at Murchison (Riverview Holiday Park) which adjoins the cemetery, but we hadn't seen that when we rolled in late last night. We were surprised to find that the indoor cooking facilities had been shut for the winter, leaving us only the outdoor facilities, which in the cold & dark was not our preferred option, but marginally better than cooking in the motorhome and getting it all steamed up. And it was expensive – not recommended!

Enough grumbling; we'll get known as 'whingeing poms' at this rate! We set off soon after 9am for St. Arnaud and somehow managed to arrive spot on 10am as arranged, where Margaret & Ashley were waiting to meet us.

They took us back to their lovely rented lakeside chalet where we properly introduced ourselves, only having met previously by email. Then a pleasant walk down to the shores of Lake Rotoiti:

It looks relatively small on the map, especially compared to the nearby Lake Rotoroa, but it looked fairly sizeable to us with some wonderful views:

Along the beach a little way, some hardy youngsters were actually swimming, as were some other foreign visitors (from Australia):

Time to move on as we'd be seeing Margaret & Ashley again in Wellington in a few days time.

A lovely drive north through some tiny places like Woodstock and into Motueka – bit busy for our liking so we pushed on over a dramatic high pass through the Abel Tasman National Park. For miles and miles, I never got out of second gear because the hairpin bends were so tight, and then we found parking for a viewing spot:

It was a very dramatic view out over the whole of the Tasman Bay, but marred somewhat by a pylon. Then Barbara discovered a path to the proper viewing area, and after a pleasant ten minute walk, we arrived at an absolutely stunning platform, clinging to the hillside above a frightening drop, with a really good view of the bay, with absolutely nothing in the way:

And some nice little rocks all around that had been rain-sculpted to look like miniature mountains:

On down the other side of the pass, hoping that the brakes wouldn't overheat as there were some terrifying drops off the frequently unprotected hairpin bends. Through Takaka for a last coffee stop and into Pohara to find our campsite for the night (www.poharabeach.com). It's literally on the beach; I expect we'll hear the breakers rolling in when we turn off the electrics for the night.

written by  Saros on May 14, 2009 from Takaka, New Zealand
from the travel blog: The Hairy Animal 2009 World Road Trip
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