New Zealand Trip

Posted by geoff on November 3, 2008

In June 2008, Cathy and I did a three week campervan and skiing holiday in New Zealand. We flew from Brisbane to Auckland on June 24th and arrived at 1:30 am after our flight was delayed by two hours due to industrial disputation by baggage handlers at Brisbane airport. We got a taxi to The Sebel Suites in central Auckland and had a short sleep before enjoying a great breakfast on the harbour front overlooking all the yachts that we liked but definatly could not afford to buy. After breakfast we caught a cab to the Britz / Maui depot which is conveniently located close to Auckland airport. After a bit of stowing and a briefing we got under way in showery weather and headed north in our impressive Maui Mercedes Benz diesel campervan.

Geoff and Cathy

I can really recommend these as they are really comfortable and proved to be extremly frugal with the fuel. We regularly did around 700 ks to a tankfull which was great considering that diesel was over $2 per litre at the time. We had the model with the shower and toilet, cooking facilites, fridge and a large table at the back that converted to a double bed. We found the toilet and shower made a great place to stow the skis and suitcases and chose to use caravan park facilities for showering and cooking. There was also a gas heater which was very much appreciated as we had chosen to travel in the middle of winter. Yes, we are a bit silly aren’t we. On the first day we made our way north to Whangerai and found a nice caravan park to stay at.

On Wednesday we took a tour of the north end of the north island. We started by visiting the Bay of Islands

Boat harbour at the bay of islands

and the town of Paihia where we stopped for coffee on the waterfront and admired the view over the magnificent waterway. We then drove on to Waitangi and visited the treaty grounds where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between the Maori people and the British. It was all very interesting and I was absloutly gobsmacked by the huge war canoe carved from three huge kauri trees and then scarfed together.

Bow of War canoe

Huge kauri war canoe at Waitangi

Any modern shipwright with access to the best modern tools would have been proud of the result.

As I had always wanted to see a real New Zealand kauri tree we left the Bay of Islands and crossed to the West Coast and then started heading south into the Kauri forests. Here we stopped and saw “Tane Mahuta”, the largest Kauri tree surviving and listed as the second largest tree in the world. I must admit that i was not quite ready for awesome size of this tree and I stood below it in true amazement.

The second largest tree in the world

Unfortunately the weather decided it was time for us to move on as the rain and wind were both increasing. I also wanted to see the Kauri Museum so away we went. This museum is a must see for anyone visiting New Zealand. It is located near Paparoa and is well sign posted.

Slab from large Kauri tree

Huge board room table from one slab of kauri

Prepare to be amazed. This is a fantastic display and the history of the importance of the Kauiri tree in the development of New Zealand is traced through the Maori and European history of the country.

After this we drove to Orewa Beach and found a nice beachfront caravan park. Due to the time of year we could take our pick of sites wherever we went. The weather is deteriorating and we have warnings that roads in the vicinity of Taupo and Mt Ruapehu are closed due to ice and snow.

On Thursday, June 25th we drove back through Auckland and out to the Coromandel Peninsular. On the way we drove through the beautiful farming region of the Waikato befor following a narrow road that hugged the coastline travelling north towards the town of Coromandel. There is some truly spectacular scenery along the way and when you are nearing the town a roadside store offers fresh local seafood. We stopped and tucked into the local oysters and mussels and also stowed some extras in the fridge and then drove on to Coromandel where we stopped in the main street and found a fantastic restaurant called the “Peppertree” with a blazing open fire where we settled down to a long and enjoyable lunch. In the afternoon we drove south along the east coast of the peninsular through some really beautiful countryside. The weather was apalling. At times the wind gusts threatened to blow us off the road and the rain was coming down in sheets. This would quickly change to a quiet sunny day and then change back again. We spent the night at a really good van park at Waihi Beach and this was to prove the best park we found on the North island.

On Friday we drove to the city of Tauranga where we enjoyed coffe on the beachfront and after having a look at the Sebel Trinity Wharf we left the Bay of Plenty and headed inland to Rotorua.

Maori meeting house at Rotorua

We stopped her and visited the hot springs and pools of boiling mud and saw the geysers and the Maori heritage display. Once again the weather was against us and we gave the umbrellas a work our as we tried to get photographs between the rain showers. It was a very cold day and we were both wearing everything we had. Even though it was murky weather we would still recommend that every tourist should visit this region as it is one of the most active geothermal regions in the world, especially if you come from  Australia which is not  geothermally active at all. After all this excitement we drove on to Taupo which was shrouded in rain and not its usual pretty self, but we did brave a look at the spectacular Huka Falls after a drive trough volcano valley.  We found a cosy, new van park and settled down for a cold and rainy night. The early morning trip to the loo was put off as long as possible as it was not very nice outside.

On Saturday we had planned to visit Mt Ruapehu and do a days skiing however the weather had been so bad overnight that all the roads around that area were closed so we decided to go east to the coast and visit Hawkes Bay

Mission winery. Great wine and great restaurant!

View accross Hawkes Bay

and the town of Napier and we are so glad we did. The countryside was absolutely breathtaking. On the road across we travelled through spectacular gorges and across mountain ranges to reach a green oasis on the coast covered in orchards and vineyards. This is the home of some of the best Sauvignon Blanc in the world so after visiting the art deco city center in Napier we visited the Mission winery

for lunch and this proved to be one of the highlights of our holiday. The Sauvignon Blanc was memorable but unfortunately not available in Australia and the food and surroundings were fantastic. We stayed overnight in Hastings which was not one of our tour highlights.

On Sunday we decided to explore and so we drove out to Whanganui. The town of Bulls on the way provided some light hearted entertainment with thier signage. The Police station was called Constabull, the B&B “Comforabull”, the truck place “Towabull” and the school Knowledgabull” etc. One short lap of Whanganui and we decided to head for Wellington early as this time the weather was really getting bad. As we approached the wind was increasing and by the time we got there it was blowing 70 to 80 Knots. One small car was actually blown off the motorway into the harbour and windy Wellinton was really living up to its name. We decided that discretion was the better part of valour and that a nice cosy motel with a nice restaurant sounded much better that rocking around in a windswept campervan so we parked outside a likely looking establishment and were soon enjoying a hot spa bath and a cold beer.

We now had an extra day in Wellington so we spent one day driving out into the Martinborough winerys and on to Cape Palliser to see the seal colony. Unfortunaty a flooded creek only 300 meters from the Cape prevented us from reaching our destination. The local fisher folk are obviously a hardy breed and the boat ramp

Bit more grunt than a land cruiser need here!

here leaves something to be desired. The next day which was Tuesday was spent exploring Wellington. We visited Te Papa which is the national museum and one of the best I have ever seen. The History of New Zealand is beautifully cataloged. we also rode up the cable car to the botannical gardens and enjoyed the views over Wellington and the harbour.

View over wellington from the Botannical Gardens

On wednesday, July 2nd we took the early flight ot Christchurch on the South Island after leaving our trusty campervan behind. I must admit that this winter soujourn will not be remembered as the favourite part of our holiday as it is really cold in New Zealand in Winter and this type of holiday would be better enjoyed in warmer months. Having said that we really did enjoy our tour of the north island and we would definatly go back there again.

After our campervan tour of the North Island Cathy and I flew to Christchurch on Wednesday the second of July and arrived bright and early to pick up a hire car and then drive down to Queenstown. We decided to drive down the coast first before heading inland as on our trip the year before we drove to Lake Tekapo and stayed overnight before driving out to Mount Cook which was an absolutely awesome sight. This time we drove straight to Queenstown

Lake wakatipu after the snow

Cathy dressed for the snow in Queenstown

as the weather forcast was not brilliant and we wanted to get there before the next snowfalls. It took about 6.5 hours for the drive which has to be one of the most spectacular in the world. We checked in to Oaks Shores resort where we had booked a fully self contained apartment right on the lake front with spectacular views up and down the valley and over Lake Wakatipu. It dosn’t get much better than this! we had a great meal in the restaurant in front of an open log fire.

On Thusday morning we visited the supermarket for supplies and then spent the afternoon skiing at Coronet Peak.

The front slope at Coronet Peak

The snow was awesome and more forecast. Our new skis that we had bought in Canada at christmas got a really good workout and we returned to our apartment exhilarated and ready for a good scotch and a steak dinner.

Fridays weather forecast was not good so we decided not to ski and spent the day in Queenstown exploring restaurants and shopping. We did a long walk along the lakefront which was really enjoyable. Last year when we stayed in Queenstown we did a day trip out to Milford Sound which is an incredibly beautiful place and the drive out through the valleys, lakes and mountains is absolutely awesome. If you get the chance dont miss this trip. Real Journeys also run a day tour if you dont want to drive yourself. We joined Real Journeys on Friday night on their dinner cruise on the steamer “Earnslaw” across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak station for a fabulous buffet dinner. This is another tour that everyone should do.

Another view accross lake Wakatipu

The steamer Earnslaw departing from Queenstown

On Saturday morning it was snowing in Queenstown and we were delighted. The mountains were covered right down to the lake and everyone was having a ball making snowmen and playing in the snow. The mountains were closed to skiing so we just spent the day enjoying Queenstown in its mantle of white.

Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny and we drove out to Cardrona for the day. We needed chains to make the trip as the roads were covered in ice and snow. The drive took us about an hour and a half in the conditions and when we got there the mountain was covered in thick cloud. We did one run down the beginners slope and decided it was too dangerous as you could only see about 10 meters in front of you. We decided to have coffee and wait to see if the cloud would lift but it never did so we left early. We found out later that Coronet Peak and The Remarkables both had a clear day with great skiing so I guess we went to the wrong place on the day. We decided the day could be improved so we went to Prime restaurant for dinner which is really great.

Cardrona, our favouite ski slope

Cardrona, agreat place to ski

Monday was cloudy again so we chose to ski Coronet Peak again. This was the right choice as we discovered later that Cardrona was again shrouded in thick cloud. The weather slowly improved all day and the skiing was really excellent. Tuesday dawned bright and sunny so we headed for Cardrona again. The mountain was clear and blanketed in fresh snow. All the lifts were running and we had a superb day at one of the best ski resorts we have ever visited. It was school holidays so the lift queues were a bit long and I would suggest you come outside of this period if you can. There is a fantastic range of terrain so you can choose a standard that suits you. This was our last day on this holiday as we were flying home tomorrow. Last year we drove back to Christchurch via the Fox and Franz Joseph glaciers on the west coast and then cut accross the island through Arthurs Pass to return to Christchurch. This is a wonderful trip if you get the opportunity as the drive will take you through some of the most spectacular scenery in New Zealand. This year we decided to fly home direct from Queenstown which was very convenient.

Snow covered garden in front of our Oaks Shores apartment

driving up the mountain at Cardrona