|
|
|
|
…
over 100 companies featured
"It has long been known that one
horse can run faster than another - but which one? Differences are crucial."
-Robert Heinlein / Time enough for love @ 1973
Written by Luc Callebaut & Jackie Lee
on s/v Sloepmouche Compiled in April/May 2004 and written in December 2004.
This
special report reflects our own experience during our several tours in
New Zealand in April & May 2004 and is definitely subjective (whoever says
he writes something objective fools himself J). Not all products and services are equal, but
everybody enjoys experiencing the best quality at the best value! Too
often, people complain about their own poor experiences but do not recommend
enough those companies that met their expectations! We would like others to
benefit from our experience (local knowledge is always precious!) and to gather
great memories like we have. But like they say in financial circles, past
performances are no guarantee for future results … but a good track record
generally is a good indicator of top quality!
We hope to
avoid any inaccuracies, and with that goal in mind, we emailed a copy of this
report to all companies mentioned. Any comments they sent us was considered
before editing the final version of this report.
We think it
is important to let companies know what you think about their products and
services so they can ameliorate, and we can encourage those ‘top’ companies by
recommending them to many friends! And remember, tipping guides and
personnel who really made your experience a great one, are always appreciated
and do encourage them to keep up the good work!
Before
making these tours, we researched information about touring New Zealand
so we could decide which areas and which activities we wanted to experience. As
with any country, it takes years to fully discover NZ. But as typical cruisers,
our time was limited and we wanted to experience the best NZ has to offer
without becoming full time residents J We consulted several web sites on
the internet, from the official tourism sites to the commercial sites. We wrote
emails to many companies (more than 250!) to narrow down what we wanted to do
and to design several itineraries offering a maximum of interest with
the least hassle in transportation.
From the
beginning, we were very impressed by the way tourism is handled in this
beautiful country. They want our business and are ready to excel in their
services. Do not hesitate to email companies directly to ask them any
question you may have; we found them very helpful and prompt to answer. Prices
seemed to be about 30% less expensive than similar services in Europe or the US
for the same, or better, quality product.
So why not take advantage?
Splurge, and really enjoy ‘pure NZ’!
Several of
our cruiser friends seemed to spend too much of their time in the vicinity of
the marinas they were in and too little time touring the 4 corners of this interesting
country! Why part, wishing to have done more? Why not do it and leave without
regrets?
This
report, we hope, will give you many ideas and encourage you to discover NZ on
your own! Please, feel free, to disseminate this document as long as you don’t
alter it in any way and transmit it whole, as it is.
Have fun
Luc &
Jackie
We studied
and compared all different modes of transportation available for travel inside
NZ: plane, train, bus, car, camper-van & ferry. We decided to experience
most of them to vary our trips.
By plane:
Expensive
for the mileage you get (despite some regular promotions), fast if you are in a
hurry but does not allow any sightseeing!
Note: to
travel outside NZ, we used Polynesian Airlines.
Polynesian
Airlines
They
offered great service and low season specials to California, Fiji, Samoa &
Tonga.
By train:
Tranz
Scenic offers reliable transport on three main lines in the most popular areas
of the country. The trains are comfortable with large picture windows for
sightseeing. Fast Foods available, but there is no dedicated dining car. Some cars have paired seats around tables,
some are passenger seating only, as on a plane. Some have a comfortable public
lounge area. No beds on the night trains.
Tranz
Scenic
Ph:
0800-872 467
Unique
train journeys on three routes.
1)
Overlander/Northerner : This route traverses the North Island
north/south. Auckland to/from
Wellington during the day (Overlander) or the night (Northerner). The brand new, sparkling Britomart train
station is right in downtown Auckland at Queen and Quay St. It is also the
station for the city buses, and commuter trains. In Wellinton, the station is
on the waterfront right across street from the Interisland Lynx Ferry terminal
that crosses the channel between North and South Island.
2)
TranzCoastal: Picton to/from Christ Church along the east
coast of the South Island offering many coastal views. The train station is
within walking distance to the ferry terminal in Picton, but the station in
Christchurch is several km from the city center or the airport, and is quite
hidden and difficult to find if you drive there by car. Arranging a
share/shuttle or taking a metro-bus is the most economical.
3)
TranzAlpine: Christchurch to/from Greymouth. This route
crosses from East to West coast traversing the famous scenic Southern Alps of
the South Island (and may be the safest way to traverse the summit during the
snow season). In Greymouth the train
station is only a few blocks from the small town center, but may be some
distance from your accommodation, so get details when you book your stay.
By bus:
A myriad of
reliable bus companies offer regular connections and touring to the main
centers of interest. There is a formula
for every price range and range of service (and even Asian ethnic group!) These
are the ones we experienced:
InterCity Coach
Lines/ Newmans Line
Ph: 09-913
6100
NZ’s only
nationwide coach network. This bus line has routes to almost every town and
city on New Zealand’s road system. We booked all our bus travel on a 2 in 1
Travel Pass. (see below). We used this
bus line extensively for the majority of
our traveling in NZ, because the timetables offered so many possibilities
to get us to destinations, and in many cases, JUST in time to make a scheduled
activity. Some of the busiest routes
are transport city to city only, but many of the routes include interesting
commentary by the drivers on history, natural features, and the development of
areas on the route. Some of the drivers
have that great dry wit characteristic of New Zealanders, and most are very
helpful and accommodating. Some of the
routes, like those of the west coast and southern routes of the South Island,
and from Waitomo to Rotorua on the North Island included stops to visit sites
of interest, panoramas, coffee and lunch stops at quaint cafes and fruit
stands. In the remote areas in the low season, some buses even picked us up at
our accommodations when we requested ahead of time, or dropped us off at
activity location that was on the same road.
Most buses were new or well-kept, and very clean and comfortable. Surprisingly, most don’t have on board
toilets, so they try to make frequent enough stops.
Magic
Travellers Network New Zealand
Ph: 09- 358
5600
NZ flexible
bus transport network for the independent traveler. We used Magic Bus’s
Backpackers travel system. Used mostly
by the young adult, single, traveler-on-a-budget, (Called “Backpackers” in the lingo). This system is very flexible, in that it
allows people to make the tourist circuit of all of New Zealand by taking these
buses and hopping off wherever they want, and stay however long they want, then
taking the next bus to the next location they want, etc. The Magic Bus even books accommodations for
you, signs you up for tours and activities, and makes stops at places of
interest. It’s like having a big
brother to look out for you and take care of the bothersome details. Several multi-pass programs are offered and
you can tailor your whole itinerary any way you like. Not all routes are available every day in the low season.
We went
with them from Greymouth to Franz Josef making some interesting, fun stops,
arriving in time to get up on the afternoon glacier tour.
Magic Bus
Company was enthusiastic about supporting and having a presence on www.NOONSITE.com, the most important
informational world-wide website for sailing cruisers, and we thank them for
helping to keep this great information resource alive and growing. Look for their Gold page on noonsite. If you use them, please express your
appreciation for their support.
Kiwi
Experience
Ph: 09- 366
9830
Adventure
Travel Network of New Zealand This is
another company providing the same “backpackers” travel formula as the Magic
Bus covering basically the same routes and sights, with some variations in
schedules and who they book accommodations and activities with. They have a reputation for attracting the
really young (college-age), adventurous, night-life loving, crowds. We took the Kiwi Experience Bus for the 12
hr. day-trip to Milford Sound because they were the only company that included
the Milford Deep Underwater Observatory with the boat cruise on Milford Sound
in their package. The driver was a wild
looking Maori fellow who really knows every turn in that twisting torturous
route. He safely and cheerfully got us there and back to Queenstown on a foggy
rainy day, and showed us some incredible sights.
By Car:
Numerous
car rental companies to choose from, some more serious than others. Better
rental prices for longer rental periods. Beware of what is included and not
(liability, insurance, assistance in case of breakdown, drop-off charges,
…). Often the great advertised rates
won’t be so great when you add in those exclusions, and you may be better off
with the more well-known rental companies.
We found
the combination of renting a car and staying at B&Bs, hostels (called
Backpackers) or economy accommodation an excellent combination! Roads are good,
but narrow, and there are many 1-lane bridges even on major highways, some even
shared by the trains! Driving on the
left maybe dangerously confusing for “righties” at the beginning.
Hertz
Ph:0800-501
301
Nationwide
network of vehicle rentals. We went
with a well-known, quality company and paid by our Platinum credit card to get
supplemental insurance at no cost, although Hertz’s rates include the maximum
insurance that you can get in NZ. Be
aware tho, that no insurance covers windshield (wind screen) damage; (every
kiwi’s got a divit in theirs!) Neither
does it cover rubber components eaten by the alpine parrots, the Kea (no joke!)
Hertz came
through with their high quality service as usual, and even gave us 2 free
up-grades!
By Camper-Van:
We really
wanted to explore some of NZ by camper but we finally didn’t for several
reasons (confirmed later on, after our trip). The maneuverability on narrow
roads & in town is not as good as cars. The nights can be quite cool, so
you are warmer in an accommodation. Credit cards offering free car rental
liability insurance often do not cover camper-vans or other special vehicles.
The price is much higher than a car. You need to rent a minimum of 5
days, and if you rent Monday at 5pm and return the car the next Tuesday at 8am … the 3 companies we contacted would
charge us 9 days! Each partial day is considered a day, not a 24 hour clock
like on car rental. You can only rent and return in Auckland, Christchurch, and
maybe Wellington. On top of the rental price, you have to consider the extra
government diesel surcharge (by the km) and the cost for any hook-up in camper
grounds. The cost to take a camper on the ferry between islands is quite a bit
more than a car. This can be a false
economy. We found that you could do a
long-term rental on a car and stay at budget accommodations for the same, or
even less. Campers would be a better
solution if you go extensively into the wilderness areas, and sleep off road.
Some
friends planning to stay 1 year or more in NZ did buy a used camper-van … that
was a great solution for them wanting to spend a long time exploring NZ
wilderness!
Ferry:
To cross
between the North island and the South island, you will take either the
Interislander ferry or the faster Lynx ferry between Wellington & Picton.
The service is well set, good choice of food & drinks, and amusements
during the crossing.
The
Interisland Line
Ph: 04-498
3023
The
Interisland Line runs both the Interislander Ferries, and The Lynx. Frequent ferry service for foot &
vehicle passengers between both islands. We did not take a car across, going
only as passengers.
The 2
Interislander ferries take about 3 hours to make the Cook’s Strait’s crossing,
depending on weather. The ferry is
huge, and has many types of seating areas that you are free to move about
in. There is a movie theater on board
so you won’t be. (bored). There are
several refreshment areas. And areas to amuse kids, and souvenir shoppers.
The Lynx
Ferry – high speed catamaran. This
modern vessel provides a smoother ride and gets you across in about 2 1/4
hours. Though smaller, it also has
multi-levels, multi-refreshments, and multi-amusements.
Multi transport packages:
The Travel
Pass
Ph:
0800-339 966
Nationwide
travel passes designed for independent travelers of all ages. With our 2 in 1 Travel Pass covering 12 days
of travel by coach and 1 ferry passage, we made our reservations and payment in
advance with the Travel Pass company and called them on their toll-free number
every time we wanted to modify something. No fee for additions or changes made
24 hrs ahead. Very efficient and pleasant staff. It worked like a charm.
We were listed on passenger lists every time, even when we made changes
only the day before. You have several weeks to use your travel days. You can
also get packages including train and plane travel.
Backpackers
accommodation: An unfamiliar form of accommodation to most
Americans, Backpackers is a generic term for a budget-type accommodation
popular amongst young travelers generally traveling around by public transport
with backpacks as luggage. These are
the cheapest form of accommodation, originally based on a dormitory sleeping
area, bathrooms and showers down the hall, and communal kitchen
facilities. All these are still
available, but many Backpackers, now offer bunk, twin, or double rooms, and
even en suite bathrooms. They all
provide your linen, some give towels, some charge for them. Many are full-service
facilities and provide Internet terminals, travel, activity, and accommodation
bookings, laundromats, storage lockers, BBQ areas, cafes, sundries. Some even have saunas, thermal pools, or hot
tubs! Not just young people stay there…
we did, and we saw many seniors cooking a meal in Backpacker kitchens! We thought it was a great formula and wonder
why more countries don’t start Backpackers.
YHA
Budget
accommodation. This is part of the
internationally known Youth Hostel Assoc. They pretty much originated the
Backpacker idea. This membership
organization has 62 youth hostels in 25 locations all over NZ, almost anywhere
one would be interested in visiting.
You don’t have to become a member to stay, but there is a discount for
members and discounts at stores, activities, and services listed in the members
booklet. The best thing about YHA is
that there is a certain standard, and we found that all were well kept with
modern kitchen facilities and immaculately clean toilets and showers. The places we stayed varied a lot in age,
style, and ambiance. They varied in number of beds and size of rooms, whether
they had en suite, whether beds were pre-made or linen issued on check-in, or
whether they gave or rented or had towels available, but almost all were very
tidy and looked as if bathroom facilities were re-modeled frequently. The fun thing about the YHAs was that they
were all so different. One was almost like a motor lodge with some private chalets,
while another was an old house for Marist priests, another like a ski lodge
with sauna.
ACB
This
company has Backpackers in 3 very popular locations: ACB in Auckland, Pipi
Patch in Pahia, and Hot Rocks in Rotorua.
They offer the Backpackers formula, plus. Each has a Bar/Café on premises or just next door that have theme
nights or specials. They have many
rooms with private bathrooms, Pipi Patch has a pool and spa, Hot Rocks has 3
thermal pools. All will book travel, activities, organize shuttles, etc. See details in each geographical area below.
Boutique
Hotel/ Bed and Breakfast/ Home stay: We
could never get an exact answer as to what exactly a “Boutique” hotel was. This is the hot word in marketing in NZ
right now. One of the characteristics
explained to us was that a Boutique Hotel has no Restaurant. Depending on the particular accommodation, a
cocktail hour drink and appetizers could be included, and all served beautiful,
plentiful breakfasts with a wide range of cold selections and toasts, and most
would offer hot cooked breakfast with eggs and the hearty New Zealand
bacon. All that we stayed at had a
couple who were owner/managers and were the most gracious of people and often
very interesting people too. Each place
has it’s own charm. What we found is
that all have a high level of cleanliness, and seem to be refurbished very
often.
NZ offers
an infinity of scenic routes and plenty of interesting hiking trails if one
enjoys calm and solitude. The roads are well marked and with a good road map
you can roam to your heart’s content. Don’t hesitate to take those unmarked
roads if you are in no hurry. One thing we remarked is that local people are
very friendly to strangers passing by. Often people will offer local info or
road directions spontaneously!
This may be
the (as yet) last unspoiled country of so many varied natural beauties in such
a small area. The air has a quality
that makes every where you look seem like one of those computer-generated back
drops for movie sets. The whole country
seems fresh and new and burgeoning with possibilities. Visit NOW, it won’t last
forever.
When you
want to enjoy sports activities, you have a choice of dedicated professionals
to take you white water rafting, ballooning, hiking glaciers, high-speed or
regular boating trips, guided nature tours, and much more. All Kiwi activities
have a laugh and a bit of fun in them!
NZ is the
land of original crazy activities, like tandem skydiving, bungy jumping, Xtreme
freefall, Zorb and others! They offer
well organized and safety conscious activities but without the same liability
exposure, as in the US! Once you sign the waiver, it’s your responsibility to
listen to directions!
We chose
those activities that we really wanted to try and they were the highlights of
our tours! Activities are highly
organized, efficiently and safely-run, well-thought-out to provide quick, easy
instructions even for novices, with the emphasis on thrills and a lot of humor
and fun. We found New Zealanders the
masters of high thrill activities...don’t be afraid to try something you
wouldn’t dare anywhere else.
If you come
from a marina outside Auckland, you may find the following useful when you go
to Auckland to catch an international plane, or if you or friends need
accommodations in Auckland:
Hertz
Ph: 09-256
8695
Car rental
at airport (may be extra charge to pick up a car). You can also pickup your car at the main office in downtown
Auckland very close to the famous Sky Tower, on 154 Victoria St. Oddly enough, office hours are only from
7:30 am to 5:30 pm at the downtown office.
ACB –
Auckland Central Backpackers
Ph: 09-358
4877
Right in
the heart of the action in Auckland.
Bustling high-rise Backpackers located just off Queen St. near the Sky
Tower. This is a major facility from
the amount of BP traffic we saw: at least 15 terminals for Internet, full
service Travel Center, walking distance to cheap, (and expensive) restaurants,
and all the night life of Auckland.
They
organize shuttles to the airport and arrange complimentary pick-up for many
tours.
We had an
ensuite double on about the 7th floor with a peripheral view of Sky
Tower.
Auckland
City YHA
Ph: 09-309
2802
The City
YHA was an older building and the double room was quite cramped. The lay-out
was a little strange, but all facilities were there, and the staff was
friendly.
Auckland
International YHA
Ph: 09-302
8200
Budget
accommodation. This YHA is a newly
built facility and more designed to serve the large amount of backpacker
traffic in this gateway city than Auckland City YHA. Both are about a 10-15 min walk to Queen St and the Sky Tower. The kitchen/dining/lounging area was
vast. There is a Travel Center, and
bulletin boards to help organize people that were going to the airport at the
same time to share and thus, reduce, the shuttle bus fare.
The
Devereux Boutique Hotel
Ph: 09-524
5044
Luxurious
Bed and Breakfast in the Remuera district of Auckland. This delightful fully restored historic home
from the 1890’s has ten “theme” rooms from around the globe, from luxury Master
suites, to Executive suites, to queen-size doubles. Theme décor is not wild and kinky, but tastefully subtle. The breakfast/coffee dining is on the patio
or in the enclosed “conservatory”. Mark
and Shannon are your hosts and can guide you to good nearby dinner restaurants,
and suggest local activities. Mark has
a regular full-time job in the city, but he still has time to put out a great
breakfast.
Auckland
Adventures
Ph :
09-379 4545
Auckland
Sightseeing, Rainforest, Beach Walks & Mountain Biking Adventures. This company offers a wide range of
activities in the Auckland area, or multi-days in farther regions of New
Zealand. We took a half-day tour that
picked us up at ACB Backpackers and took just us 2 (were not cancelled for low
number of pax) to a surprisingly diverse number of activities. The great weather gave us a fabulous view of
Auckland and surrounds from Mt. Eden, an inactive volcano in the heart of Auckland’s
districts. Our guide, Ernesto, catered
the tour to us, spending less time at winery visits and tasting, a brief visit
to a specialty pear orchard, and more time at Muriwai Beach on the west coast
where we viewed Gannet birds and the unique coastal geology that creates a
perfect place for nesting, for the formation of sea caves and arches, (the tide
was low enough for us to go explore), and directs wind currents for not only
gannet flight, but for the rainbow-hued flock of paraglide enthusiasts who were
circling, and gliding with the freedom of birds.
It’s so
much nicer to see so much with someone who knows the area, and who does the
worrying about the traffic and navigation instead of us!
Stardome of
Auckland
Ph: 09-624
1246
Planetarium
and observatory with shows. The
Stardome is a little hard to find if you’re driving, and about 20-30 minutes
drive from downtown, but the planetarium show was very interesting. The first show, The Sky Tonight was a
classic planetarium show with the star projector showing us what we could see
from Auckland that time of year. “Fire
in the Sky” was a fascinating
multi-media show combining the star projector and film that told the
story of an actual phenomenon of a fireball explosion that occurred over NZ in
1999, with accounts of actual witnesses and video footage from a tourist. The evening ended with looking at the actual
sky through telescopes, notably, the faint wisp of a comet that is coming into visible range.
Trip to explore the NORTH ISLAND
NORTH OF AUCKLAND
Since
almost all the yachts will make a stop or stay in the Bay of Islands area, they
shouldn’t miss renting a car (bus service is very limited) and /or taking
excursions throughout the area north of Auckland. There is a lot of nature and
history and legend here as well as great coastal scenery.
Lodge
Eleven YHA - Pahia
Ph: 09-402
7487
Budget
accommodation. One of the YHA chain,
this was formerly a motor lodge. There
is not a great deal of parking on premises, but street parking is safe and
easy. This facility had all the
features of the YHA hostels, and tour
buses picked up here as standard procedure.
Pipi Patch
Lodge - Pahia
Ph: 09-402
7111
Excellent
Backpacker Accommodation in Pahia This
Backpackers is part of a network that includes the ACB in Auckland, and the Hot
Rocks in Rotorua. The Pipi Patch is a
clean, sparkling motor lodge-type accommodation that has all the Backpacker
features and more. We stayed in one of
the ensuite doubles that even had a kitchenette in a quad unit that houses 4
single-level rooms per building. We
drove the car right to the room, no hauling luggage! The room was light and
airy with sliding glass door and full length windows. The premises had a hot tub and a café that featured a weekly low
cost BBQ with typical food of the area. One of the nicest Backpackers of our
trip. As in many places, most tour buses pick up clients right at the door
step.
Taipa Bay
Resort - Taipa
Ph: 09-406
0656
Resort with Accommodation, Facilities, Activities &
Restaurant/café. Located at the south end of Doubtless Bay, this resort has a
backyard view of the long beach and the bay. It is a recently built resort, and
so every thing is sparklingly new. The
suite that we had was like a small apartment with fully equipped kitchen, a
dining area, and comfy living room with sliding door patio looking at the
beach. The bed room with super king bed
had it’s own sliding door and patio.
They also have studios and apartments.
On the grounds, they have swimming and spa pools, tennis courts, and a
Restaurant/café serving breakfast and dinner. Internet terminals are located in
the reception area, and if you only need a phone socket, each room has
access. Taipa is an isolated and quiet place 1 hr north
from the tourist filled town of Pahia.
Activities / Attractions
4x4 Dune
Rider & Pahia Duck
Ph: 09-402
8681
www.dunerider.co.nz / www.paihiaduck.co.nz
Cape Reinga
Tour via 90 Mile Beach & Amphibious Land & Sea Tour, based in
Pahia. The Pahia Duck is a modern built
vehicle/vessel that was designed after the amphibious “Ducks” of WWII
fame. This trip is really a trip! Our Chauffeur/Capt Joe, and Hostess/Tracy
were funny and fun with their combination of banter and factual
commentary. The Duck is a great way to
see Pahia, Waitangi Treaty grounds, roll into the water and “drive” across the
bay to historic Russell, which would take hrs to get to by road, then drive
into the water again and cross to Opua, getting out at the ramp next to the
Opua Marina, and roll down the road again to Pahia. Great fun!
The Dune
Rider is another unique vehicle with a crazy look. The Cape Reinga tour is a long day (12 hrs) if you start out at
Pahia. It can be shorter if you board
at Keri Keri or towns more north along the route to the Cape. There are many tour buses that do this same
tour, at the same times, except that Dune Rider makes some stops that the
others don’t including a dinner stop at a “local color” fish and chip shop in
Mangonui that serves working-fisherman-size portions of fish and fries for a
price the fisherman appreciate. This saves you the hassle of finding your
dinner after the tour back in Pahia.
Fun features: Cape Reinga light house, boogie boarding down giant sand
dunes, driving on 90 mile beach at low tide, the Puketi Kauri forest, and Ancient Kauri Kingdom wood-craft/coffee
shop, and more. A tour like this is the best way to visit the Northern most
point of NZ and get fascinating facts without driver’s fatigue.
Culture
North - Waitangi
Ph: 09-402
5990
Treaty of
Waitangi – Sound & Light Show. We
thought that this would be a reenactment of the Treaty which is the most
controversial agreement ever made between the Maori tribes and the white
settlers of New Zealand, and is still debated to this day. But this theatrical evening is a wonderful
bit of storytelling where a Grandmother tells her grandson, Moko, the legends
of their people, the story behind the Treaty, dancing and games of the Maori,
and the challenges facing the Maori and their place in historic and modern NZ.
Throughout the play are flash backs and points of view of the Maori and whites
and it is filled with thoughtfulness, objectivity, and education and a
beautiful blending of humor and seriousness.
The author and leader of this troupe of mostly young volunteers from
towns all around the area, is a modest gentleman, Kena Alexander who is “just a
sheep farmer” whose passion to tell the story of the Maori situation in a
non-extremist and entertaining way, has
led him to create this seasonal theatrical performance which is now in its
fourth year. He accompanies the bus
that goes all around the Pahia area picking up the guests and prepares them for
this interactive evening. Really well
done.
Fullers –
Bays of Islands Cruises & Tours – Pahia wharf
Ph: 09-402
7421
Cruises:
Cape Brett ‘Hole in the Rock’ , The Cream Trip supercruise, Dolphin Adventures,
Excitor Fast Boat. Tours: Cape Reinga via 90 Mile Beach, Keri Keri or Russell
Mini Tours. Based at Paihia wharf. The
Fuller name goes way back (1886) to the early days of the first farmers in the
Bay of Islands area. Now they have a fleet of varied and modern boats and buses
that do every kind of tour in the Bay of Islands and surrounding area. We went on the Super Cream Tour, thinking it
was named that because it was the “crème de la crème” of their tours. Imagine our surprise when we found out that
it is essentially the original route of the first Fuller’s vessel that used to
make the rounds visiting all the dairy farms on the islands and picking up the
cream and delivering mail and supplies before there were roads. In fact, the now super sleek
state-of-the-art catamaran, still delivers mail and supplies to the modern
farmers still out on the isolated islands.
Capt. Geoff Bird was a floating encyclopedia of fascinating information about
the natural, historic, and marine aspects of the Bay of Islands. He gave us a good preview of calm anchorages
to come back and cruise with the sailboat. I thought he was a documentary
commentator in his former life! When we
saw his calm nerves of steel as he maneuvered into the jagged mouth of the Hole
in the Rock off the end of Cape Brent and held it there steady enough for us to
see the starfish on the rocks as 6-8 ft swells came sweeping through the Hole,
we knew he was not just a handsome face with a golden voice! He took us right up to breaking waves at
Black Rocks and other places that any sailboat person only wants to see from at
least 2 miles off! Amazing...these New
Zealanders are crazy daring!
Taiamai Tours - Pahia
Ph: 09-405 9990
Unique tour
… Here is another passionate advocate of the native peoples of the northern
area of the North Island. Hone Mihaka
is from a tribe called the Ngapuhi, and who according to legend, were already
here when the first Maori arrived. He
is creating a new tour/cultural experience that takes you to significant places
from Pahia to Keri Keri. We were
fortunate to get a preview of Hone’s
ideas, and to give input for development of the final product. In the Puketi Kauri forest that we had
already visited with a guide telling us the naturalist and white settler
history, we got an entirely different perspective, and were moved by the
emotion with which Hone spoke about his father, as he showed us his father’s
face in the weapon that he had carved to tell his story. The trip took us up the river by steam boat,
and to Keri Keri where we were taken back in history in a most surprising and
interactive way. I won’t spoil the
surprise, go for yourself, and learn the legends.
Waiwera
Thermal Resort & Spa - Waiwera
Ph: 09-427
8800
Holiday
park, Resort hotel, Spa, Naturally heated pools, Whirling rides &
waterslides. Waiwera is just outside of
Owera town, and is a family-oriented water activity park featuring a variety of
different swimming and sitting pools of
different temperatures. There is a
large public pool, a water slide complex of about 5 different slides, an
“adult” pool that was full of kids, and the hottest pool under a roof that was
40 degrees C. and a challenge even to the Japanese tourists. There is also a more exclusive Spa, and
fitness center. Entrance to the public
pools: $20 NZ, $8 (Seniors), $50
(Family of 4)
‘Darryl’s’
Dinner Cruise - Pahia
Ph: 09-402
8136
darrylsdinnercruises@xtra.co.nz
Dinner
cruises departing from Pahia. A
thoroughly enjoyable way to see Haru Haru falls (1 of only 2 horseshoe shaped
falls in the world?!) by cruising up the Waitangi River, and to enjoy a
delicious steak or fish BBQ, while meeting other interesting visitors to New
Zealand. The funky and fun vessel, “Huckle Ferry” will be sharing the limelight
with Darryl’s new larger vessel which he just took commission of during our
visit.
‘Only
Seafood’ restaurant in Pahia
Ph:09-402
7085
We love
seafood, and New Zealand has an abundance of it! Only Seafood’s selections are almost all NZ products and are
fresh and delicious. The presentation
of dishes is colorful and tasteful in many senses of the word. Entrees are
about $15-$17 average. We weren’t
disappointed by ordering one of the plates featuring a selection of goodies
like green mussels, oysters, etc. The
desserts listed on the blackboard were too tempting to pass up even after being
stuffed with seafood!
Makana
Confections – Keri Keri
Ph: 09-407
6800
“Boutique”
Chocolate Factory in Kerikeri.
YUM! This Confectionary is
newly-come to the small town of Keri Keri, but has made a big hit already. The sparkling facility has it’s chocolates
displayed to reflect the works of art that they are. The chocolates are sold only out of this boutique and thru
internet, and you can see these works of art being created by hand (and of
course, have a little taste of selected samples!) We loved the Mocha-damias!!
Trip to explore the
NORTH ISLAND
Famous for
the Glowworms which actually can be seen in caves everywhere in NZ and even in
the forest at night, Waitomo is worth more than zooming in on a tour bus
zooming through the Glowworm Cave and zooming away again. This area is very quiet in the low season,
and the caves and forest walks are wonderful.
Exploration can be quiet or adventurous, wet or dry. And DO NOT MISS Billy Black’s Kiwi Culture
Show!
Kiwi Paka
YHA – Waitomo Caves
Ph: 07-878
3395
Modern
economy accommodation. This was the
newest (<2 yrs) and most modern of the YHAs that we stayed at. It reflects a new trend in Backpacker-type
accommodations. We stayed in one of the
ensuite chalet units that are away from the main building. These units are less
than 1 yr old and rival resort motel rooms. There was private porch, with glass
door and large picture windows, a large room, and large bathroom that can be
used by handicapped. These ran $75 NZ as compared to the regular doubles w/
bathroom down the hall at $56 NZ. The kitchen was sparkling and spacious, the
dining area has a deck for al fresco and large windows to enjoy the sun. The reading room and internet terminal were
very small though, and access intermittent. The reception is large, staff friendly, and there is an on-site
Pizza restaurant/cafe which is very nice and has good pizzas. The YHA is about a 100yds up the hill from
the Museum of Caves and a small grocery and ice cream store in the center of
“town” (3-4 buildings) which is also the bus stop for Intercity and others.
Woodlyn
Park
Ph: 070878
6666
see below
The
Legendary Black Water Rafting Co.
Ph:
0800-228 464
Caving
adventures. We admit that even before
we set foot in NZ, we wanted to experience this adventure! These folks were one of the very first to
respond to our e-mail enquiries and were right there with prompt replies to
every question with friendliness and enthusiasm. Like many adventure activities in NZ, they provide EVERYTHING!
You show up in your swimsuit and bring a towel. They give you everything from booties, long johns, wetsuit, to
crash helmet. They take care of everything from pick-up to the Hot Showers and
toasted Bagels. We did one of several
different experiences offered, “the Black Abyss”. This is a non-stop fun adventure that is well choreographed to
keep you interested and moving. The
guides (ours was Fraser and another) give you brief easy training, make you
feel safe, and keep you laughing. The
half-day experience involves practicing abseiling (a kind of rappelling), then
the real thing dropping 100ft into the cave, scrambling, zooming on a flying
fox, bagels w/ coffee or tea, jumping into the frigid waters with your inner
tube, then tubing down the river and back looking at the incredible display of
glowworms, more scrambling, swimming, more hot drinks and chocolate, squeezing
through tunnels, scaling small water falls on your way back to the surface, and
the reward of hot showers and more food in their on-premises café. They have activities for every physical
level and make it more fun than challenging.
You’ll have a blast!
Waitomo
Adventures Ltd
Ph:
0800-924 866
Caving
adventures With the LBWR Co., these two
are the longest running cave adventure companies in Waitomo. Each company has it’s own cave systems and
choices of adventure level, so there is no competition since you experience
different locations. After the wet
adventure and a 100ft abseil, we wanted to try the 400ft, drop in day light to
the Lost World Cave, and the half-day dry caving experience. It was low season, and we were surprised
that they ran the trip for only us 2.
James was our personal guide, a mild mannered, totally competent young
man who instilled confidence in us just by his calm way and quiet attention to
our safety. Our 6am departure was
rewarded with an early morning panorama of the Waitomo area on our way to the
cave. The abseil was amazingly
effortless without any strain on my arthritic hands. The descent is so easy to
control that even with my uneasiness at great heights, I felt only exhilaration
and fascination to see the floor of the canyon and the sheer-sided deep
crevices around us. Looking up from the
bottom was more dizzying than the inverse!
The Lost World Cave was quite different from Black Abyss. There was lots of light from the outside
entrance giving an ethereal “cathedral” quality to the cave. We climbed out
straight up a 100ft ladder in the dark of the cave. Stopping half way and looking around was thrilling. At the exit is another Kodak Moment as you
ascend into the glowing daylight filtering through the trees through a rock
archway. Another innovative Kiwi idea
is sending the memory chip with the photos taken during the trip back to the
office by carrier pigeon so that the photos will be posted for viewing the
moment you arrive back at the reception center!
Waitomo
Glow Worm Caves
Ph: 0800-456 922
Glowworm Cave tour. This is the classic tour that made
Waitomo famous. Bus loads of tourists visit the caves as they are guided thru
with well-rehearsed Maori guides. The
cave is tiled and paved and hand railed to handle the heavy traffic thru the
dry cave and it’s huge caverns at the 15m underground level. At the end, you descend to 40+ meters below
the surface to the underground river to float silently, viewing the glowworms
which look like constellations of stars.
Waitomo
Museum of Caves
Ph: 07-878 7640
Excellent cave interpretation center. This is an excellent place to start
your exploration of Waitomo Caves, as it gives you insight into the area and
how it was formed, the geology, and the flora and fauna of the caves. The story of the glowworm life cycle is
fascinating. The curator, Kevan, was instrumental in developing the trails
through the Ruakuri area.
Woodlyn
Park
Ph: 070878
6666
Billy
Black’s Kiwi Culture Show, Drive yourself Jetboats and Unique Motel
Accommodation in Waitomo Caves. There
aren’t just caves and glowworms in Waitomo.
Billy Black’s is one of the most fun and clever shows that we saw in New
Zealand. This one-man show is entertaining, educational, historical and
hysterical! Billy, who looks like Robin
Williams in Kiwi clothing, keeps alive Kiwi heritage, and gives a good look at
Kiwi ingenuity and humor, and way of life from past to present. His menagerie of animals are a delight. He
involves his audience and keeps ‘em laughing!
The U-drive Jetboat was a real blast, as it’s the only place
you can drive these skittish beasts yourself.
It’s easy to learn, and work your way up to the timed laps to race
against the clock. I beat Luc’s time by
a hair’s breath! The rail car and WWII
plane accommodations are clean and modern and a fun way for a family to stay
“some where different”.
ROTORUA
The famous
geo-thermal activity area in New Zealand.
This place has not only the natural thermal parks and thermal spas, but
lots of Maori culture, white settler history, rafting, fishing, farm shows,
gondola, and new millennium amusement “rides” that are 3-dimensional
exhilarating experiences.
Tourism
Rotorua
Ph: 07-349
2641
Any help
organizing a visit to Rotorua. New
Zealand has tourism honed to a fine art, and Rotorua is the finest artist of
the bunch. They are located in the
heart of Rotorua in the new modern building which also houses the Intercity Bus
Station, and is a pick-up point for all the shuttle buses to the major
attractions. You can soak your tired feet in the Thermal Foot Pool outside as
you wait for your bus or shuttle.
Hot Rock
Backpackers
Ph:
07-347-9469
Budget
accommodation in Rotorua. One of the
best known Backpackers in Rotorua, this facility features it’s own thermal
pools, and plenty of hot water in the showers!
Most rooms have ensuite and balcony.
We had a family unit w/ two bedrooms and a kitchenette with mini-fridge
and full stove, overlooking Ruirau Thermal Park, and farthest away from the
on-site Lava Bar which has plenty of fun for those who wish. Hot Rocks is a regular pick-up point for all
major activities, and bookings can be done here.
Planet
Nomad B/packers
Ph: 07-346
2831
Backpacker
accommodation in central Rotorua Right
next to the Intercity Bus station/ tourist info center, this backpackers is
centrally located. Though smaller,
and less glitzy than the Hot Rocks, it
still has plenty of very clean and new toilets and showers and it’s location
and it’s bank of internet terminals make it a popular accommodation.
Activities
/ Attractions
Hell’s Gate
Thermal Park and Spa
Ph: 07-345
3151
Mud volcano
& geothermal park and Spa & Wellness Center, in Rotorua.
This
thermal area is more compact and more active than Wai-O-Tapu, and has different
features. Again, a rainy day, but we
were provided with umbrellas, and we were still able to enjoy the area, because
features are closer. Our favorite was
the forested hot water waterfall. We
had wished we were of the tribe that could shower and bathe in the curative
waters. The Spa and Mud bath/Sulfur
pools are accessed through the reception building and should be booked
ahead. The mud baths were not thick mud
as I imagined but were SS bathtubs of sulfur water with a thin layer of mud from
the thermal park in the bottom. After a recommended time, in the private warm
bath we took a COLD shower and then rushed to the warm public sulfur pool to
relax and tingle for as long as we wanted next to the tea and refreshment room. Towels, robe, hair dryer, and regular
showers provided. You may also book a
therapeutic massage. Café on premises.
Call for shuttle
service info, as this is also out of town past the airport, heading northeast
toward Lake Rotoiti.
Off Road NZ
Ph: 07-332
5748
Drive
yourself to the max! Sprint Car Racing, 4WD Bush Safari, Monster 4x4 Thrill
Ride & Claybird Shooting, Archery & Golf Hole-in-1. All these activities in one location! The facility is some ways out of town, but
the free Agrodome shuttle also provides service to here and Skyline Skyride in
the morning and the afternoon. We had a
very friendly welcome, and all the staff were enthusiastic and fun. Caleb, our
guide, for 3 events had a wide boyish grin with just a touch of wickedness as
he drove us over the 4x4 Maxi challenge course or briefed us for the impossibly
high “luge” slide on the drive-yourself
Bush Safari course. The race car sprint
course was a kick, and I beat Luc’s 10 lap time by a hair’s breath! (even with
my spin-out off the track!).
Polynesian
Spa
Ph: 07-348
1328
Hot mineral
bathing & Spa therapies. If you
want to be spoiled and pampered in a luxuriant setting right in the city limits
of Rotorua, this is the place to go. It
has family public pools, private hot pool nooks, or our favorite, the Lake Spa
Retreat featuring 4 rock-lined free-form pools of controlled temperatures
blended into the lake-side setting to give a relaxed escape into a soothing
natural ambiance. The retreat area,
with it’s up-scale feel and amenities is amazingly affordable. It also offers
unique Spa massages and therapies. Polynesian Spa is open early morning to late
evening. NOT to be missed.
River Rats
Ph: 0800-333 900
White-water
Rafting Adventures. River Rats offer several different rivers and grades to
cater to any skill level. We went on
the 3hr Kaituna Gorge trip. Our guides, Paula and Nev picked us up at Hot Rocks
Backpackers, and even tho there were only the 2 of us signed up, did not cancel
and were as up-beat and fun as though we were a big group. After a 20-25 min
drive to RR Base, we were provided ALL gear, we brought only swimsuit and
towel. Another 5 min drive and we were at the launch site. Got an explanation and simulation of
commands. The 45 min on the river
literally rushed by through a beautiful steep-sided fern forested canyon over
about 12 rapids from grade 2 all the way up to two grade 5s. At the ruins of an old power station, we
pulled into an eddy for the thorough briefing on our first grade 5, a series of
2 drops in rapid succession. I always
felt the utmost confidence in our guides. The ultimate, is the 7m waterfall! We
flipped the raft, but our instructions were so good, I just followed the rules
and popped up in the air pocket and waited for them to flip the raft back
over. The best part was looking at the
photos afterwards! The incredible high
speed shots of the pro-photographers were amazing. If I had seen the waterfall from the bottom side, I never would
have believed that we could have done it!
Or that it was us in the actual action photos! A great experience! I was worried about my arthritis, but the
adrenalin must have lubricated all my joints, I felt great for days!
Rotorua 5
Star Attractions
Ph:
0800-557 827
www.rotorua5starattractions.co.nz
5 star
pass. 5 of Rotorua’s most popular
attractions for one price that gives you 10% off the entry price. NZ Arts and
Crafts Institute, Polynesian Spa, Agrodome, Skyline Gondola, and Paradise
Valley Springs Wildlife Park.
Rotorua
Agrodome
Ph:
0800-339 400
Live Sheep
Show. The Kiwis have innovatively made
farming (actually ranching) a tourist attraction. The famous Agrodome Farm Show is an entertaining learning
experience with an awful lot of showmanship and great Kiwi dry humor. Here, the Farmers are the Hams, not the
pigs! Never knew that there were so
many kinds of sheep for so many purposes.
The dogs really stole the show with their intelligence and training.
NZ Farm
Tour
Ph: 07-348
8683
Award-winning
premier farming experience, located in Agrodome – Rotorua. A tour of the actual working
ranch/farm/orchard on the Agrodome grounds.
Our guide Ken and his adorable little dog, Ben were our gracious hosts.
Rotorua Agrojet
Ph: 07-357 2929
NZ’s
fastest Jet-boating experience, located at Agrodome. The expert drives you around a heart-wrenching track and shows
you the meaning of centrifugal force!
Rotorua
Swoop & Bungy
Ph: 07-357
47 47
Amazing
adrenalin buzz activities, located at the Agrodome complex. New Zealanders have the most imaginative,
crazy, and scary activities found anywhere in the world! Here you can scare yourself silly by either
bungy jumping or the more gentle but still hair-raising Swoop which starts as
an incredible plummeting 40 meter fall that swoops into a giant pendulum swing
at the end. This 50 year old coward Swooped and whooped!
Freefall
Xtreme
Ph: 07-357
5856
Southern
Hemisphere Only Freefall Skydive Simulator.
A giant wind machine that has you defying gravity as you fly UP instead
of falling down! My idea of
anti-skydiving! This is the most
challenging of all activities because you control how well you do by your body
positioning. Crazy fun as you try to
fly without getting flipped out by the
blower or zoomed up against the top net.
Zorb
Rotorua
Ph:
0800-227 474
Dry-harnessed
and hydro zorb. What the xxx is a Zorb??
It’s a giant translucent vinyl ball suspended within another more
gigantic ball that rolls down the hill with you inside, either suspended inside
with a harness or sloshing around in soapy slippery water. The “wet” ride for 2 people was the most
hilarious and fun amusement ride I have ever done in my life. I was hysterically laughing the whole time
and couldn’t stop laughing for 10 minutes afterwards! There is no jolting or jarring unless you do the zigzag course.
DO IT!
Rotorua
Duck
Ph: 07-345
6522
Amphibious
tours. This is the Rotorua version of
the Pahia Duck (see Pahia section). The
90 min tour leaves from the tourist info center, and tours you on the roads and in 3 lakes, Rotorua,
Blue, and a third, where you can see Mt Tarawera and learn about the
devastating explosion of 1886. Everyone
gets a duck-beak whistle souvenir and quacks at the tourists and motorists on
the route! All Kiwi activities have a
laugh and a bit of fun in them!
Rotorua
Museum
Ph: 07-349
4350
Museum of
Art & History. This is a very
nicely done museum, which is set on the historic grounds of the Government
Gardens and looks like a Bavarian great
lodge, which can be seen for miles around.
There are the classic static displays, but there is also new technology
in the “sense-o-round” theatre presentation of the Mt Tarawera eruption, and
computer generated holographic narration in the basement of the Bath House
where their display, titled “Taking the Cure” brings to life the early days of
Spa therapy in the curative thermal waters. There are also well-done displays
of Maori culture from prehistoric to the Maori battalion that so impressed the
Europeans in WWII.
Skyline
Rotorua
Ph:
07-347-0027
www.skyline.co.nz
This
Gondola Ride company is associated with the Gondola in Queenstown, having the
same formula featuring the Luge ride, on concrete tracks. Some people we talked to said this luge was
more fun than Q-town’s (we got rained out on that one). It was a lot of fun and can be as hair-raising
as you want to make it, as they have tracks with 3 levels of difficulty, and
you control the braking (or “breaking”!)
The Gondola Ride itself is not as vertical and vertigo-inducing as the
Queenstown gondola, but the views of the Lake Rotorua and the surrounds is
supremely picturesque, especially in the late afternoon. Up top, they have other activities as well:
Sky Swing, a Shooting gallery, a simulator ride, and scenic walking trails.
There is a Gift Shop, and Café with terrace to see the view or watch the
Luge loonies. One of the greatest
features is the evening Buffet. A Super
Thumbs-up, AAA Winner! See below in the
Restaurant category.
Wai-O-Tapu
Thermal Wonderland
Ph: 07-366
6333
Walks thru
geothermal activity, in Rotorua . A
mini-version of Yellowstone US National Park.
Their “Old Faithful” geyser, called Lady Knox Geyser, is induced to blow
each morning at 10:15AM, since naturally, it isn’t so faithful and one can never
know when it will blow. We
unfortunately had a rainy cool day which had a lot of fog caused by the heat of
the thermal activity, so viewing was quite limited, and the colors of the
mineral muds were not vibrant. If you’ve seen Yellowstone, you may not be
impressed, but any one who has not seen geothermal areas, would enjoy
this. A shuttle service or rental car
is necessary to see this area which is 27km south of Rotorua and 53km northeast
of Taupo.
Cultural experiences
Mitai
Ph: 07-343
9132
Up close
& personal Maori Cultural Experience.
This was the smallest and one of the newest of the many Maori
Dinner/Performance nights offered in the area, but we thought it was perhaps the most authentic and educational of
all the performances we saw and we hope that it becomes a success while keeping
it’s goals of teaching the public about Maori culture. The performance was done at a small open-air
“village” site with the audience under a covered area. I thought it was the best performance
because it conveys most strongly the deep feeling that the Mitai family have
for their native heritage. The Chief/Narrator was the perfect combination
between serious and humorous. Warriors were clad only in fiber loincloths w/
G-strings, faces fully painted in tattoo patterns unique to each one, women
with the “owl” tattoo painted on the chin. Weapon demonstrations were actual
martial art matches, not choreographed, and you sense the seriousness of the
training. Musical instruments were traditional drums, flutes, noise
makers. Only once did they play the
guitar only to say that it helped to bring young people’s interest back to the
language and stories of the Maoris. The
“hangi” meal was actually cooked in an “umu” with good smoked flavor. Again, they stuck more closely to
traditional fare, and plenty of it.
After the dinner, we were treated to a night bush walk among glow worms,
culminating at their natural artesian spring where the huge fresh water eels
and trout seemed to be suspended in the air, so pure was the water. At all times the Mitai family were attentive
to our comfort providing, heat, blankets, umbrellas, and lights when
needed. Free Shuttle. A great
evening…if you do only one Maori night, and you want more tradition, do Mitai.
Tamaki Maori Village
Ph: 07-346
2823
Maori
Village Experience and traditional meal.
This evening performance at the Tamaki Village, about 20 minutes drive
out of town on complimentary buses, seemed to be the most popular and highly
attended of all the Maori Dinner/Performance shows in the area. Everyone, from
the bus drivers to the restaurant staff were part of the entertainment, which
begins as soon as you step in the bus. The only negative was that the ticketing
is done at the in-town site, and you must wait until everyone is ticketed and
assigned to buses, wasting almost an hour. But the bar and boutique is open to
pass time. At the village site, you witness the traditional Challenge/Greeting,
wander thru a firelit simulated village with traditional activities going on,
then see the performance in the Fare Nui
of games, weapons, songs, instruments, and dance. The meal is served in a huge dining area,
with efficient and bustling staff making sure everyone gets served quickly. The
meal was 90% hot Hangi dishes from the earth oven. A few salads were served and veggie meals were available. The
desserts were more traditional, steam pudding cake, and custard sauce. The bus
drivers did a Hakka dance complete with bulging eyes and protruding tongues as
a finale. Very funny.
Tamaki –
Realm of Tane
Ph: 07-346
2823
Dramatic
blend of guided tour, character theatre & story telling in a meeting house
& beautiful native garden, in Rotorua.
This day time performance takes place several times a day at the Tamaki
Visitor Center at 1220 Hinemaru St.
This is a very different contemporary kind of performance mixing
theatre, audio-visual, hot house garden walk, and food tasting. Well blended, it keeps moving. The native
bush teas and relishes were a unique tasting experience. There is a second
garden you must do before or after, called the Sacred Garden. The orchids and tropical exotics are
breathtaking, and the ambiance calming and artful. The gift shop offers the bush relishes that were tasted.
The New
Zealand Maori Arts & Crafts Institute
Ph: 07-348
9047
Walk around
the thermal reserve and experience Maori culture in Rotorua. Located on the grounds of a thermal park in
the Wakawerawera area, this facility has two beautiful geysers, and an
extensive boutique of Maori arts and crafts.
We went to the evening Mai Ora experience, in which you visit the
Fare nui, meeting house and participate in the Maori Challenge/Greeting
and see a performance demonstrating Maori culture. Afterwards, you enjoy the plentiful dinner buffet featuring
several dishes cooked in the thermal pit with natural steam, not fire. The
ambiance of the restaurant was lacking in Maori décor, but the array of food,
from cold oysters, prawns, mussels and smoked fish, to venison stew, leg of
lamb, and the thermally cooked pork and chicken and marvelous desserts, made
that unimportant. Complimentary shuttle bus included.
Whakarewarewa
Ph:
0800-924 426
Visit the
living thermal village, off Rotorua.
This is a real village where present day Maoris actually live in
contemporary homes, but still use the hot bubbling springs and steam vents in
everyday cooking, bathing, and health treatments. You can feel the heat beneath your feet as you walk. You can take
a guided walk which is very informative and greatly enhances your visit, or you
can just visit the small town and wander the streets and pools on your own.
There’s a beautiful view of the Pohutu and Prince of Wales Feathers’ geysers
from a distance. You must order a
naturally steam-cooked meal at the café, or at least try the geothermally
boiled corn on the cob… delicious!
Again, this is a more discreet thermal area than the rest, but
interesting because it’s different. Inexpensive shuttle from tourist bureau.
Mitai
Ph: 07-343
9132
see above
Skyline
Rotorua
Ph:
07-347-0027
www.skyline.co.nz
We are
gourmand Buffet Buffs and try them all if we can. We enjoyed the Queenstown Skyline Buffet, but the Rotorua Skyline
has them beat hands down! This buffet
had the most exotic choices of all the different ones that we went to: Giant crab legs, Slipper lobsters, clams,
mussels, prawns, Salmon (raw and smoked), octopus, and a freshly steamed mussel
bowl brought to your table on request!
Exotic hot foods, for example: rabbit, venison, rack of lamb, and
specials cooked to order before you such as whitebait fritters, a very rare and
special treat to New Zealanders. They
had different luscious desserts, unseen at other buffets, even Christchurch
Casino. And the coffee sweets and
cheese board……WOW!
Tamaki
Maori Village
Ph: 07-346
2823
see above
The New
Zealand Maori Arts & Crafts Institute
Ph: 07-348
9047
see above
Whakarewarewa
Ph:
0800-924 426
see above
On the E.
coast of central North Island. This
area is known for it’s wineries, the 1931 earthquake that leveled the area and
caused it to be rebuilt in the Art Deco Style of the era, and the only Marine
Land in New Zealand.
Napier YHA
Ph: 06-835 7039
Budget
accommodation. Situated literally,
right across the street from Marine Land, this YHA, though smaller than some,
was very pleasant, light and airy, with very clean kitchen and bathrooms. Our double room had big picture windows
overlooking the seaside across the street. There is a very nice patio in back.
While not in the center of town, the walks are not far to good eating places,
shopping, groceries & major activities.
Hawke’s Bay
Museum
Ph: 06-835
7781
Art –
Culture – Heritage, in Napier. Another
very fine museum with an emphasis on the Art Deco Era of Napier and surrounds,
the devastating 1931 earthquake with fascinating voice accounts of survivors,
discovery of dinosaur and extinct moa bird remains in the area by local New
Zealanders, and changing exhibits.
Marineland
of New Zealand
Ph: 06-834
4027
NZ’s only
marine zoo, swim with the dolphins, marine animal encounter. In Napier. Tho
nothing like the grand scale of Sea World in San Diego, it’s NZ’s only such
Marine Park. The facility is going on
40 yrs old, but is well maintained and continually up-graded. The people there really believe in what they
do, and animals and people alike are one great big family with all the joys and
worries that go with it. We discovered
this as Amanda, a long time employee, took us on the Behind the Scenes tour.
Most of the animals, such as penguins, birds and seals, are survivors of
injuries and unable to return to the wild.
The most popular activity besides the daily Show, is the Swim with the
Dolphins. The 2 stars of Marineland are
the 2 female Common Dolphins, which are now 36-34 yrs old, more than twice the
life expectancy of these animals in the wild, and are as lively and mischievous
as youngsters. Common Dolphins are much more sleek and
beautiful than the Atlantic Bottlenose of most Marine Lands. They got very excited and playful
when we dived and swam like them. They
come very close, but do not let you touch them. The sessions, 35-40 min, are very popular and
during the high season, must be booked months ahead. In early May, there was no waiting.
In the
Central North Island interior on the banks of Lake Taupo. You can make this a stop if you travel from
Napier to Waitomo, or from Tauranga, Rotorua, south towards Wellington or vice
versa.
Huka Jet
Ph:
0800-485 2538
Jetboat
ride from the Wairekei Tourist Park, 5-10 min drive north of Taupo. Jet boating is a high speed thrill, and the
drivers like to add a sense of “danger” as they pass within inches of trees,
posts, obstacles, and spin 360s on the way up to Huka Falls, the spectacular
high volume waterfalls, where you get up close and personal with the thundering
foaming cataract. The Prawn Farm is
located right next door in this isolated geothermal area.
Taupo
Tandem Skydiving New Zealand
Ph:
0800-275 934
Tandem
skydiving. We only spent an afternoon
in Taupo area, but Luc absolutely HAD to try this. There are several places to hurl yourself out of a plane attached
to a Jumpmaster, but these folks do more jumps than all the others and offer
heights of 9000’, 12000’($199) and 15000’($299), giving you a chance for long,
long freefalls. Everything was
efficiently and effectively done with emphasis on fun and excitement. They make it seem as easy as falling off a
log! About 15 min of instruction is all
you need, the Jumpmaster does the rest. Luc’s Austrian Jumpmaster, Freddie, has
25 yrs as instructor and was enthusiastic, fun, and attentive to the anxiety
level of his jumpers. You can have a
personalized video or photos of your experience. Luc was so exhilarated and jazzed that he wanted to go again! Almost every one we talked to said the
same. The staff was very helpful to me
to tell me when and where to position myself to video from the ground.
South of
Auckland on the main highway, Hamilton is not really a tourist city, but more a
center of commerce. It could be a good stop-over to or from Auckland and the
other tourist regions of the North Island.
Helen
Heywood YHA – Hamilton
Ph: 07-838
0009
Budget
accommodation. We zoomed in late and
left early, so did not get a good chance to know the facility, but our Host was
very helpful in accommodating our tight schedule by streamlining the check-in
and out procedures. The double was
roomy, though the rest of the facilities were some what cramped down the long
narrow building.
Waipa Delta Cruises
Ph: 0800-472 335
Paddle Boat
cruises : lunchtime, afternoon tea & evening/dinner cruises out of
Hamilton. This was a very nicely done
little dinner cruise on the Waikato River.
The replica Riverboat has indoor and open-air decks, so can accommodate
any weather. The rainy evening we had
was no hindrance as we felt cozy and comfortable, and in between sprinkles, we
could go out doors and view the villas and wooded banks and the 3 magnificently
lighted bridges that cross the river, each a different color and design. Though we were a small number of people that
night, the buffet was still beautifully presented, copious and delicious, and
the carvery board not lacking. Keith,
our entertainer and crew, had a very nice voice and just the right kind of
music for a dinner cruise, not too sappy, not too loud or harsh. Hamilton is a cross roads if you’re
traveling to/from Rotorua/Taupo/Napier or Wellington, and this could make a
nice stop-over activity.
The actual
Capitol of New Zealand. This windy city
was quite calm and balmy the 2 times we went thru in April and in May. It’s more low key than Auckland, but there
are pockets of color like the Cuba St. district for restaurants, and the
biggest treasure for me was the ultra-modern Te Papa Museum. We spent hours there.
Downtown
Backpackers
Ph: 04-473
8482
Hostel in
historic Art Deco Hotel Waterloo. This
is a well-known Backpackers. It is
located very close to the train station, and Lynx ferry terminal, with shuttles
to the Interislander Ferry. Our ensuite
double had tub/shower, couch, big vanity w/ mirror, and coffee in the
room! Temperature control was perfect.
There is even a café right in the dining area, next to the self-serve
kitchen. Unfortunately, the building
and furnishings are getting a little thread-bare and the staff and ambiance
were more cool and sterile compared to others.
The kitchen had the barest essentials and from the signs posted
everywhere, seems like there are often guests that like to help themselves to
things permanently. Welcome to the big city.
Rowena’s
Lodge Backpackers
Ph: 0800-801
414
www.wellingtonbackpackers.co.nz
Backpacker
accommodation. This backpackers has
seen better days. It’s true that they offer a free shuttle from the ferry
terminal, but we had to ask every other shuttle where was the Rowena shuttle
before we were directed to a sloppy looking fellow who had his sign reversed so
it couldn’t be read, and he brusquely directed us to a rickety van. This was the only accommodation that wasn’t
spotless.
Karori
Wildlife Sanctuary
Ph: 04-920
9200
Rare endemic birds sanctuary in
Wellington suburbs. A short public bus
trip from the center of Wellington, this is a nature Sanctuary in the middle of
the suburbs. Situated around two
old reservoirs that in earlier days supplied Wellington's rapidly growing city
with water, it has now
been preserved to provide habitat to many of the unique endemic song birds of
New Zealand. The deep valley,
formed by the Wellington Fault, was also the scene of an unfruitful gold rush
in 1869. One of the claim tunnels, the Morning Star, has been restored for
visitors to explore. This
non-profit organization survives only on entry fees and donations or membership
dues. There are kilometers of walking
trails, historical sites, interpretive displays, and beautiful views of the
valley and lakes.
Museum of
Wellington City & Sea
Ph: 04-472
8904
Museum
about Wellington history, maritime past,
early Maori & European settlement. While not nearly as extensive and
glitzy as Te Papa, this maritime museum is of interest to us hardy seafaring
folk, and since it is nearly next door to Te Papa and is also Free Admission,
is worth a visit. It inspires, as well as awes us as the exhibits show us the
triumphs and tragedies of the maritime experiences around this island nation.
Te Papa Museum
Ph: 04-381 7000
Modern
museum with fun interactive learning & entertainment. This is the most state-of-the-art, exciting,
interactive museum that we visited.
Admission is FREE to the museum proper. They have a myriad of things to
see and do. The Time Warp is their version of Disney’s Epcot Center, in which
they have “rides” for which you buy tickets and experience the “future”, the
past, or virtual bungy jumping or other Kiwi adventure activities. There’s also a fun cinema taking you back
through the immigrant experiences of New Zealand. There are plenty of restaurants, cafes, or picnic areas so you
can stay all day. You certainly will
want to, with 3 stories of exhibits to visit, as well as the native Bush
Garden. You can also book guided tours or purchase self-guiding materials. This is a top award winning Museum, and
deservedly so. Located on the water
front of central Wellington.
R&S
Satay Noodle House
Ph: 04-385
1496
148, Cuba
Street, Wellington
Excellent
& inexpensive Malaysian restaurant.
There are many noodle houses like this all over the big cities of New
Zealand, but the owners of the R&S are so welcoming and enthusiastic, that
you may go back again to try another round of selections from their extensive
menu and blackboard specials. We had
Nasi Tomato, fried chicken wings, and a noodle dish, Hokkien Char, chosen for
us by Rose, the « R » in R&S.
You can choose the degree of spiciness!
WOW! At $4-$8 NZ price range for dishes, you can
order many dishes and have left-overs to take back to your Backpackers!
NORTH
ISLAND – THE COROMANDEL
The
Coromandel is one of the most scenic
natural areas in the North Island. The
bush forests are strange and primitive, the coastline has dramatic views, and
beaches, including a Hot Water beach south of Whitianga.
Aotearoa
Lodge, Tours & Adventures - Whitianga
Ph: 07-866
2807
Whitianga
accommodation and 2/3 days Coromandel tours.
If you have your own transportation, or book a tour with them, you’ll
find Aotearoa Lodge is an isolated and peaceful place about 3km north of
Whitianga. The Lodge is like a cross between a motor lodge and B&B. There are studio rooms and family suites
housed within the main building, or self-contained units that can communicate
for families, or be separated. There’s
a breakfast area, (included), 2 lounges, Laundry and internet hook-up
possibility. Rennie is your hostess, and can provide a tour or suggest places
to see. The citrus orchard on the
premises ensures you fresh orange juice at breakfast.
The Estuary
– Whangamata
Ph: 07-865
8841
Luxurious
accommodation Home-stay B&B in Whangamata, a small town that is a summer
retreat area for many NZ-landers. There
is peaceful seaside scenery and beautiful villas. One of the most gracious and genuine welcomes we got was here at
the beautiful home of Don and Robin Tate who offer a delightful bed and
breakfast experience with calming pastoral views of the estuary in a park-like
setting. There will be no crowds to
contend with as there are only 2 luxuriously spacious units with private
terraces set to one side of the house so you can come and go as you please.
Kiwi Dundee
Adventures
Ph: 07-865
8809
World
famous nature walks & eco-tours. Whangamata and the Coromandel
Peninsula. Doug Johansen has been
fighting for the preservation of the wilderness of this area, as he has a
family history here and has explored extensively since childhood. He won a NZ competition to find an
equivalent to Crocodile Dundee, thus the name of his company. With his wife Jan, he organizes personalized
tours of any duration, from a couple hours (which unfortunately was all we had)
to New Zealand-wide multi-day expeditions.
They can even arrange to pick-up a group of people from any marina from
Auckland to Tauranga for the longer tours.
Doug and Jan’s extensive knowledge of historical and natural NZ, plus
Doug’s sense of fun and surprise would make any tour rewarding.
The
gateway town to the South Island at the head of Queen Charlotte’s Sound.
Edwin Fox
Society
Ph:
03-573 6868
http://members.xoom.co/edwin_fox/
Preservation
effort to save the Edwin Fox vessel next to ferry terminal in Picton. Located
right next to the Seahorse Aquarium. New Zealanders are restoration buffs, and
the Edwin Fox Society has rallied around this teak wooden vessel launched in
1853, which since has had a very colorful history, and unfortunate old
age. As yachtsmen, we can see an
insurmountable task ahead, but admire their gumption, and were impressed with
the museum, and their research into this and other ships of her time.
Seahorse
World
Ph :
0800-800 081
www.seahorseworld.co.nz
Aquarium
close to ferry terminal and the train station in Picton. If you've got some time in Picton before or
after your ferry crossing, this is a nice little aquarium to visit to see
seahorses and learn about their plight, also to see some local species of
Malborough Sounds, including their version of the Flying Gunard.
KAIKOURA
This was
once a sleepy little fishing town, but has now become a booming tourist spot
and a much desired spot for the new homes of foreigners moving to NZ. The marine life is unique and prolific as a
deep water trench lies just off shore.
Whales stay here year-round, lobster fishing is re-known, many types of
albatross normally far out in the ocean come here, and pods of dolphin in the
“wild” cavort freely with boat loads of snorkelers.
Maui YHA - Kaikoura
Ph:
03-319 5931
www.stayyha.com
Budget
Accommodation. Again, a different look
from the other YHA’s, the Maui YHA, as it is called, has an open airy, coastal
motor-lodge look. There are lots of
picture windows looking out to the sea. The place is bright and cheerful with
pastel wallpapering. The kitchen/dining/internet area has great views of the
coast, and towering mountains behind.
The lodge is small with only 10 units, but our double was large compared
to many YHA’s, newly papered and carpeted.
This facility is located on the E. end of town, about 2 km from the town
“center” out towards the wharf and the peninsula.
Ocean
Wings
Ph:
0800-733 365
www.oceanwings.co.nz
Albatross
Encounters & Dolphins boat tours off Kaikoura. The Ocean Wings folks have been in business for many years, and
they contribute moneys from souvenir sales to bird and marine wildlife
conservation/preservation and research funds.
Last year, they donated $3000 to help long line fishing boats equip to
avoid catching albatross. We went on
the Albatross Encounter, and the guides were very knowledgeable and
enthusiastic about the different Albatross species and the myriad other marine
birds. We saw 5-6 types including 2 rarely seen Yellow-nosed, normally found in
the Indian Ocean. As an additional
treat, the dusky dolphins came around and did high jumps and splashes amongst
the birds as if to try to out shine the major attraction! The boat also took us to see fur seals, and
we got to see a sea lion “playing” with an octopus that he had caught, and rare
Hector Dolphins, the smallest species.
Great day out, and great photo and video opportunities! Unlike in larger metropolitan areas, this tourist activity did not do pick-ups at
accommodations. It is located in the
“center” of the small town that runs lengthwise along the coast.
Wings
over Whales Limited
Ph:
0800-226 629
www.whales..co.nz
Whale
watching flights, Kaikoura
Airstrip. One of the best ways to
quickly get to and see the resident whales is by air. It is somewhat more costly than boat trips, but there is something special about flying, and
you get the added bonus of viewing the Kaikoura coast as well. Only about 10 percent of the time do they
not see Whales because they know whale behavior, and the boats inform them if
they spot some. We were in the
unfortunate percentage because there were a lot of low clouds and fog. The company does not guarantee sightings, as
these are wild creatures, but they can, at their discretion try to give you
more flight time, or get you on another space-available flight.
The
Craypot
Ph:
03-319 6027
www.craypot.co.nz
Seafood
Café & Bar in Kaikoura center.
Kaikoura is renown in NZ for it’s seafood, especially the spiny lobsters
that they call “crayfish”. This
establishment has been around for 40 years.
I’m sure the “look” has evolved over those years from a salty local’s
chowder house to the sophisticated warm décor that it has now. The chowder is still hardy and thick with
mussels and scallops and is one of the favorite menu items. Of course, the main attraction is the
crayfish. Luc had the half Kaikoura
crayfish served thermidor style. Quite yummy!
This is
the largest city in the South Island, and we used it as a base to make a couple
different excursions. We rented a car to do a tour to Geraldine for white water
rafting, and then on to Mt. Cook, before both these activities shut down in May
for the season. Later we took trains and buses on a circuit from Christchurch
to Greymouth and down the west coast, over to Queenstown, a side-trip to
Milford Sound, back to the east coast to Dunedin, a side trip to Invercargill
and the Catlin Coast, and back to Christchurch. We enjoyed this city and it’s
many activities around the area, and it’s many varied choices of eating places.
Abel
Tasman Motor Lodge
Ph:
0508-669 669
www.abeltasmanchch.co.nz
Affordable
accommodation and car rentals close to the center of Christchurch. To us, a
more economical way to travel NZ than by camper van is to go by car and stay at
B&B’s or motel facilities like this one that offers kitchenette, and
multiple sleeping rooms. It’s fairly
close to town center and they have their own car rental agency.
Christchurch
City Central YHA
Ph:
03-379 9535
www.stayyha.com
Budget
accommodation. This YHA is within a 10
min walk to the Cathedral, and central CC.
The staff was friendly and helpful.
There was a very large clean kitchen, a good number of showers and
toilets, and a nice laundry facility.
Close to restaurants and walkable to the CC Casino.
Balloon
Adventures, Up Up and Away Ltd.
Ph: 03-
381 4600
www.ballooning.co.nz
Hot Air
Ballooning over Christchurch plains.
ANZAC Day is New Zealand's Memorial Day, which they take seriously, as
just about everyone gets up at dawn for the memorial services. We too arose at dawn, but to celebrate the
dawning of another beautiful day by soaring over the Canterbury countryside,
witnessing the people gathering, the fall colors as we just cleared the tree
tops thru the lifting fog, the mosaic of patterns of the fields and ranches,
and the terrified herds as we landed in whichever field was at the end of our
drift with the morning breezes. Our
pilot, Chris Johnson, displayed the dry, crisp, Kiwi wit we found so prevalent
throughout NZ. In a fun way, he put us
through our paces in setting up the balloon and practicing landing procedures,
and at the end blessed us with a champagne toast that is the balloonist’s
prayer. This company flies more
balloonists than all the others and has a branch company in the Black Forest in
Germany. They have balloons of many
sizes to accommodate any size group.
Black Cat
Cruises
Ph:
03-328 9078
www.blackcat.co.nz
Littleton
Harbor and Akaroa Cruises. Littleton is
the busiest port in the South Island for commercial traffic. The locals do a lot of sailboat racing in
the bay on the weekends. Even with the
busy, bustling port, just out by the mouth of the bay, one can see the smallest
and rarest dolphins, the Hector Dolphins.
They are so cute with their rounded dorsal fins and black and white
faces and markings. They could be the
"pandas" of the dolphins. We
were lucky to view a few in late April, but there were more during the summer.
When lucky, you may also be able to see the smallest penguin, the Little Blue
Penguin. Besides the wildlife, we saw
almost a dozen sites of interest during the cruise. Littleton is about 20 min drive out of downtown in the other
direction of the Antarctic Center. If
you drive or take the shuttles, you can combine this with the Christchurch
Gondola ride which is between Lyttleton and CC. This company also operates a catamaran wildlife cruise from
Akaroa, about a 90min drive from CC. We
were sorry not to have enough time to go there, as it sounded even more
interesting for wildlife and scenery.
Canterbury
Museum
Ph:
03-366 5000
info@cantmus.govt.nz
Visit the
following exhibitions: Antarctic heroes, Moa hunters, Tarantulas, Early city of
Canterbury, Transport Gallery and more. Located in Christchurch.
Christchurch
Casino
Ph:
03-365 9999
www.christchurchcasino.co.nz
see below
Christchurch
Tramway
Ph:
03-366 7511
www.tram.co.nz
Tramway
tour in historic central Christchurch leads to several attractions. A quaint
tram with commentary that makes stops at several attractions such as Cathedral
Square in front of the "i" site and aquarium, arts center, botanical
garden, specialty shopping, Christchurch Casino and weekend outdoor markets.
International
Antarctic Centre
Ph:
0508-736 4846
www.iceberg.co.nz
Fun,
exciting & interactive experience about Antarctica, located near
Christchurch. The exciting thing about
the Antarctic Center is that it not only is a fun, informative, activity center
that gives visitors a "feel" for the southernmost continent, but it
is a real staging point for actual Antarctic expeditions! Altho located about 20 min out of downtown,
there are shuttle buses from Cathedral Square, or free shuttles from the CC
airport if you book at the Antarctic Shop there. It's a fascinating place that gives you a sense of the spiritual
"draw" that has lured explorers like Shackleton and Scott and today's
modern scientists, and gives you an idea of what they experienced and are
experiencing. There is a calendar with actual entries and photos made by those
in the Antarctic on that day. Your heart will swell in your breast when you
view the images in the panoramic theatre with the most breathtaking views of
this formidable land. Our tour guide,
Lindsay, was articulate, enthusiastic, and fun, and was anxious to get his
turn, as all the long-term guides actually get to experience the real
thing. This award-winning attraction is
worth 2-3 hours or more of visiting time.
Rangitata Rafts
Ph: 0800-251 251
www.rafts@xtra.co.nz
Full day
white water rafting tours and lodge. Located in Peel Forest, South Canterbury
If you’re
driving, Rangitata is a 2 hr drive from CC, and you should get the
well-explained directions from someone at the rafting base when you book
ahead. You can also arrange round-trip
transport with them out of CC as a full-day excursion. These folks have been rafting the river
since ever, in fact, Alexandra’s and Tussock’s family has a long history in the
area. The camaraderie of the staff is
so strong that the guides come back year after year for the rafting
season. Bob, Ben, Kohri (Japanese),
Kieran, the swift-of-foot-and-shutter photographer, Cam the driver, and Justine
who coordinated feeding us not once, but twice, all form such a unified team,
that we immediately felt at ease, and
enjoyed the whole experience, not just the excitement on the river. Their crazy humor and wry wit had us in
stitches, as we were bundled and totally equipped and hustled into the van to
the starting point. The scenery was
wide open and magnificent on April 26, four days before the close of the
season, and snow was visible on the distant mountains. This trip is perfectly designed for those
who have not white water rafted (like us) before. The river starts out flat and lazy and our guides had us laughing
and well trained (well, sorta, in the over-40 “masters”raft) as the river grew
more and more exciting finally culminating in 4 and 5 rated rapids at the
end. We never felt scared in such
competent hands. Looking at the photos
afterward, we couldn’t believe what we had done! The day includes pre-raft lunch and after-raft hot showers, hot
drinks and a BBQ with photo show of our trip!
As veterans in the adventure sports (SCUBA) business, we could see the
experience and thought that these folks put into this operation to have it run
so smoothly, safely, with so much humor and fun! A great experience. Thumbs up rating!
Southern
Encounter Aquarium & Kiwi House
Ph:
03-359 0581
www.southernencounter.co.nz
Aquariums
and kiwi observation station in the heart of Christchurch. This is a beautiful
aquarium right in Cathedral Square and is one of the stops on the Tramway route. The entrance is located in the "i"
Site, the visitor's information center. It is not a huge facility, but is very
tastefully done, and the displays are interesting and informative. The kiwi "house" is a
terrarium-like set up that controls the "day-night" schedule of the
kiwis so that people can view them under red light with the supervision of a
docent. They are working hard to
sustain the dwindling population of these shy, vulnerable "national birds"
of New Zealand.
Willowbank
Wild Life Reserve
Ph:
03-359 6226
www.willowbank.co.nz
Wildlife
Reserve and Restaurant, outskirts of Christchurch. We had dinner at the restaurant buffet and attended the Ko Tane
cultural performance, and had a quick walk around the wildlife reserve before
the sun went down. The reserve is
small, and seems to have a small budget, but it is pleasant, and the night
tour, after the Ko Tane was the most interesting, visiting the Kea parrots and
the Kiwi habitat, which was the best of those we visited. The gift shop and restaurant are very nice.
Christchurch
Casino
Ph:
03-365 9999
Casino
with buffet restaurant. New Zealand
Casinos will never challenge Las Vegas for glitter and glitz, but they offer
the major types of gaming, and try to keep a certain standard of dress, (casual
but neat is fine). Christchurch Casino is the largest and nicest in the South
Island. The best part of the Casino is the
buffet restaurant, The Grand Cafe. This
buffet DOES challenge Las Vegas! The
abundance of seafood and sheep, cattle, and venison ranches, in New Zealand is
all on display in the most fabulous presentation we saw of any other buffet. The selection of cold foods and salads, hot
dishes and carvery, cheese platters and fabulous desserts is staggering and the
attentive personnel are continually renewing platters and tidying up the buffet
area, cleaning away used plates from tables and refreshing your drink glass. Everything is upper class (except the
price), and this a great place to treat yourselves to a fun evening. This is especially true on your Birthday, as
the lucky birthday person will get a free meal if they show documentation. The price of $36 NZ, when translated to US
dollars makes this a treat even for your pocket book. Great value for money, as they say in New Zealand!
Tandoori Palace
Ph: 03-365 7816
www.tandooripalace.co.nz
Indian
cuisine restaurants & takeouts in Christchurch. There are 5 Locations around Christchurch and one in Dunedin of
these authentic East Indian restaurants.
There is a cultural richness in New Zealand, especially from the Middle
and Far East. The Tandoori Palaces take
the freshest ingredients from NZ and use them with their exotic spices and
methods to create classic curries such as masala, vindaloo, and korma,
accompanied by chutneys, roti breads, or naan bread. We like fiery, but of course, they can tune down the hotness to
your taste buds. Take-aways are also
offered at about $4NZ less for a main than in the restaurant.
Willowbank
Wild Life Reserve Restaurant
Ph:
03-359 6226
www.willowbank.co.nz
see above
Christchurch
Best Attractions Bus
Ph:
0800-484 485
Book at
Cathedral Square Visitor Information Center
Bus
service to/from several main attractions in Christchurch. Many interesting things to do in the
Christchurch area are 15-20 min drive from the town center in many different
directions. This bus does a circuit to
get you to these attractions in the most efficient way. They have package prices for combining
transport to different places.
Highest
of the mountains of the Southern Alps of the South Island, this is on the
eastern side of the range in the interior, and the area is a National Park. As
mentioned before, we rented a car in Christchurch to come here, because once
off highway 8 between Timaru and Queenstown, the road to Mt Cook is a dead-end
at the Park. Public transport schedules were too restrictive for what we wanted
to do in the time we had. Disadvantage:
long drive on rural roads, and no gas station in Mt Cook. We were driving on vapors by the time we got
to a gas station! Advantages: Arriving
late in the day somewhere along Lake Pukaki, we saw the most awesome sunset
colors reflecting off of Mt. Cook, and we could pull off the road and take a
series of photos to our heart’s content.
Accommodations
Mount
Cook YHA
Ph:
03-435 1820
www.stayyha.com
Alpine
accommodation. There are very few
places to stay right at the foot of Mt Cook. Until recently the only choice was
a very expensive hotel/lodge. The YHA
is new and built in knotty pine with a ski lodge feel. There is even a sauna. Although it is newly built as a YHA, the lay
out is not very practical at times, as the hallways and stairs are narrow and
confusing, the bathrooms, showers, kitchen and dining are small, and can get
crowded. The kitchen is valuable, tho because restaurant choices are limited,
and at the end of April, the big Hermitage resort’s dining hall was already
closed for the season. Bring goods with
you, as there is no town or groceries at Mt. Cook.
Glacier Explorers
Ph: 03-435 1077
www.glacierexplorers.com
Walk and
boat tour on the terminal lake of the Tasman Glacier. We came to Mt Cook especially to do this trip before the close of
the season, the first of May. On April
27, there was already a fine layer of ice that the boats had to break
thru. The tour bus picks up at the YHA
and Hermitage Hotel and other lodges in the village. We took about a 15 minute drive to the Tasman Valley trail head,
and walked about 15-20 minutes to Tasman Lake, all the time getting comments
and observations about glaciers, and the area from the personable young
guides. When someone says Glacier Lake,
we novices have a mental picture of a turquoise blue lake surrounded by white
glacial ice. Imagine our surprise to
see an opaque body of milky gray water surrounded by what looks like dirty snow
piled up by a snow plow. The lake is
caused by the terminal end of the glacier crushing and grinding the rocks to
fine powder and gravel, which creates a dam. Thus the water is milky with
suspended powdered rock, and the only ice that is not melted, is the ice under
the protective shadow of the gravel and dirt that covers it. It’s an ominous, stark scene, at first
glance, but once we boarded the rigid-bottom inflatable-type boats and went out
to view small icebergs, and walked on the stable ones, we could see isolated
pieces of bergs looking like crystal lace, and we let the water trapped for 500
yrs frozen in the glacier, now melt in our mouths. The boats took us up to the glacier to see where the big chunks
break off, and show their blue bottoms.
Awesome scenery.
Kainga-ra YHA
Ph:
03-768 4951
www.stayyha.com
Budget
accommodation. This older building was
originally a Marist monastery, so as you can imagine, the rooms were very basic
and small, with tight hallways and stairs, and a small, but clean kitchen and
dining area. No ground floor rooms. As
with all YHAs, the bathroom/showers facilities were immaculately clean. Many tours and Backpacker bus services, pick-up
here.
Kea West
Coast Tours
Ph:
0800-532 868
www.keatours.co.nz
Tours:
Punakaiki-blow holes, Shantytown-gold strike, Glaciers & Monteith’s
heritage trail. Located in Greymouth.
This tour’s schedule is built around the arrival times of the Trans
Alpine train and Intercity Buses, and they pick up at any of the major
accommodations in the town proper. We
went on the Punakaiki & Pancake Rocks Tour, which takes you North, up the
coast from Greymouth for 45kms, stopping at points of interest and view points.
The Turner Track was a walk with our guide through an “ancient” rainforest,
unique to this region of NZ. We walked down to a dramatic beach, and then went
to the highlight of the tour, the Pancake Rocks and Blow hole area. The geology of this area is very, very
unique and dramatic, getting it’s name from the formations that look like
towers of stacks of pancakes. The
erosion of the area by the rains and the seas creates caves and tunnels and
blowholes very different to anything we’ve seen before. The Parks Dept. has a Visitor Center,
souvenir shop, and ice cream shoppe.
On Yer
Bike
Ph:
0800-669 372
www.onyerbike.co.nz
Fully
guided 4 WD bike tours. This tour would
be good for anyone who has never ridden a quad-bike or done any off road
driving. For the rest of us, it was a
little too follow-the –leader. Of
course, knowing how tourists sometimes have no regard for rental or hired
property, the guide, who was also the mechanic, was anxious to preserve the
machinery!
Wild West
Adventures
Ph:
0800-223 456
www.newzealandholiday.co.nz
Dragons
Cave Rafting & Chasms Underworld Whitewater Tunnel Rafting. Paul, the owner of WW Adventures has, I
believe, 8 different rivers that he offers tours on, At the end of April, not every tour was offered. We were able to do the most popular, the
Dragon Cave Rafting. The tour involves
a walk of about 20 minutes through the native rainforest “bush”, sometimes on
walkways that Paul’s company built over the swampy areas, to the cave entrance.
As throughout NZ, the guide was very good at making the experience safe,
guided, but not militaristic, and funny with his Kiwi dry wit. We scrambled, climbed, crawled and slid in
the stream within the cave, and at the deepest penetration point, jumped into
the river with our “rafts”(inner tubes).
We drifted through the amazing glowworm chambers, gazing at living
constellations that give off so much luminescence that we could see our way!
Too bad the time in the cave was only a fraction of the total tour. Back at the
Wild West Adventure Center, we stripped off the muddy gear that was all
provided and fitted to us at the beginning, and we sank our chilled bodies into
their spa/jaccuzi! AHHH! And to top it
off, they served us hot muffins and hot drinks as we soaked! THAT was a class ending to a fun experience.
Priya Indian Cuisine
Ph: 03-768 7377
84 Tainui
Street, Greymouth
Restaurant
& Takeaway. Greymouth is only
beginning to get an influx of non-white residents, and there are few ethnic
restaurants. It’s interesting that many
highly educated East Indians give up their profession to start restaurants here
in NZ. The owner and his wife were in
the medical profession originally. They were very personable and eager to
please, and had good, basic Indian dishes.
FRANZ JOSEF
Westwood
Lodge
Ph:
03-752 0112
www.westwood-lodge.co.nz
Accommodation
in Franz Josef. If you really would
like to indulge yourself and stay in a spacious, modern, mountain lodge
atmosphere with the most gracious hosts who also prepared the most delicious
salmon fillet and coffee cheese cake, contact Janet and Bill Gawn. At that time of year, the electric mattress
pad, and heated towel rack made our huge king-size unit even more cozy and
warm. The fire place lounge is open and
airy with panoramic views but still gives off a comfortable wood-warm feel that
puts you immediately at ease as Janet and Bill make you feel like long-time
friends, serving you before-dinner drinks, a fabulous meal, and after dinner
coffee and sweets by the fire place.
What a contrast from the sailboat tropical seasonless-ness!
Franz
Josef Glacier Guides
Ph :
0800-484 337
www.franzjosefglacier.com
Glacier
Experience, Glacier Eco Tour, Glacier Adventure, Glacier Heli Hike. We booked the afternoon half-day Glacier
Experience independently, although the Magic Bus tour company, which we took
from Greymouth on the tour to FJ, will book the Glacier Experience and
Heli-Hike for you as part of the Magic Bus experience. Being at the very end of summer, the glacier
had receded to it’s furthest point for the year, so we had a good hike over the
glacial moraine before getting to the point where we needed the Ice Talons and
hiking boots and thick socks that are provided. The views were breathtaking, and there were waterfalls cascading
down the sheer gullies of the mountains that towered all around us. Once on the ice, we were fascinated by the
blue walls of ice, the cracks and crevasses, the wild and irregular
ever-changing glacial terrain. The
guides are constantly cutting steps in the ice, and looking out for newly
emerged hazards. We walked around some
really deep cracks, over crystal clear ice, and ultimately, through an “ice”
blue tunnel that really was an ice slide!
These folks know their business. They made it fun and safe for
everyone. We were in the “National
Geographic” Group, (the slow-pokes).
There was the “Summit Group” (the youngest machos with no interest in
other than the farthest distance they could achieve). If we’d had the budget, I imagine that the Heli- Hike would have
been a real ultimate experience. If you
don’t like to be in a crowd, check with the company for times when the tour
buses spew our their droves for tours, and choose another time. We were told by the Magic Bus driver that this
company is the most reliable and well-done of the Glacier tour companies in FJ.
WANAKA
This town
is located on the highway between Fox Glacier and Queenstown, where the road
descends from the west side of the Southern Alps into the interior. Set on the
shores of Lake Wanaka, it is a ski village in winter. Being a small community, there are not the shuttle bus services
as in the larger centers, such as Christchurch. There is occasional bus service to the airport, where you will
also find the Air Museum, Toy Museum, and Micro Brewery. We made the mistake to take a taxi, because
in this town, they meter the miles for the fare. $31 NZ for something like 9km was a nasty surprise. Be warned!
Te Wanaka Lodge
Ph:
0800-926 252
www.tewanaka.co.nz
Alpine
accommodation in central Wanaka. A cute
and compact modern ski chalet run by a couple who also are experienced sailing
enthusiasts, Te Wanaka is a bed and breakfast that is suited for those who like
to feel at home enough to serve themselves to coffee and drinks, and still be
pampered with hearty breakfasts and a soak in the hot tub. The décor has a lot of sailboat prints, and
publications, as the Oxleys are involved in the Lake Wanaka yacht club that organizes a lot of racing
and regattas in the summer months. They are busiest at ski season, but also
specialize in lodging fly fisherman who regale in the lakes and rivers in the
area.
NZ
Fighter Pilots Museum
Ph:
0800-927 247
www.nzfpm.co.nz
WWII
fighters and Computer flight simulators at Wanaka airport. Great place to be every even numbered year
around the latter part of summer for the Warbirds Airshow. We missed it, but I’ll bet seeing the museum
pieces actually performing in the air must be a lot of fun, and certainly a
unique experience. Ian Brodie, the man
who started it all, has also put together a book on where to see all the
filming locations for the Lord of the Rings movies, since he was involved in
transporting the actors and film crews.
The
Puzzling World of Stuart Landsborough
Ph:
03-443 7489
www.puzzlingworld.com
Unique
theme of eccentricity with Illusions rooms, the Great Maze (Labyrinth) and
more. At outskirts of Wanaka. Querky,
fun, and crazy. This is a great place
to spend some time if you are waiting for weather, or you have children or you
love puzzles and curiosities. The most
interesting is the story of the evolution of the place. I most enjoyed the World of Illusion, esp.
the Wall of Faces where the visages never take their eyes off you! If I hadn’t cheated on the Maze, I would be
there still!
Wanaka
Transport & Toy Museum
Ph:
03-443 8765
www.wanakatransportandtoymuseum.com
Amazing
collection on display at Wanaka airport.
Wanaka must have it’s share of eccentrics. Never saw such an endless collection of toys, and cars and “stuff”.
I thought my father was bad at buying everything ever made!
QUEENSTOWN
Queenstown
is one of the most touristy areas in the South Island, and little wonder as it
is nestled in a valley where Lake Wakatipu meets the Kawarau and Shotover
Rivers. Surrounded by towering
mountains, one group, aptly named The Remarkables, Queenstown is the setting
for a diversity of accommodations, adventure activities, tours of incredible
scenery and views, and your choice of fun evening activities or quiet seclusion away from the center of
town. This is where today’s Bungy
jumping got it’s start, and where many of the most dramatic scenes from the
movies of the Lord of the Rings series were filmed. In fact, when you gaze at the surreal panoramas all around, it’s
hard to believe that it’s natural and not a painted backdrop created in
Hollywood. You can also make a day trip
from here to Milford Sound to get a taste of the Fiordlands area. Plan to spend at least a week here if not
more!
Browns
Boutique Hotel
Ph:
03-441 2050
European
style boutique hotel in Queenstown. A
little further from the center of town than Mountvista, but close to the
Gondola base, Brown’s 10-unit hotel overlooks Lake Wakatipu and the terrace of
each unit affords a really great view of the lake, town, and Remarkables Mtn
range. On sunny days, the patio is an
inviting place to soak in the sun and the view with a European breakfast. Nigel
and Briget Brown are longtime Queenstown residents and skiing and sailing
enthusiasts.
Ferry
Hotel B&B Guest House
Ph:
03-442 2194
www.ferry.co.nz
B&B
outside of the hustle & bustle of Queenstown. Ferry is a quaint, historic establishment from the hey day of
mining and farming activities and is 11 km outside of Q-town and 5 km from Frankton on the Lower Shotover Rd. This a
quiet get-away out in the country, offering two units for 2 couples or a
family. The fireplace in the lounge was
certainly welcome on the crisp autumn night that we were there. The living room feels like home with it’s
comfy furnishings and old-time photos and memorabilia highlighting the history
of the hotel. The large friendly kitchen also has as an historic feel, as you
can imagine warm biscuits and slabs of bacon being served with steaming coffee
to dusty travelers. The ensuite room
was also quaint, and we enjoyed jumping into the bed with the electric mattress
pad. Glenys Reynold and husband Kevin were lured here from Australia, and she
keeps the place alive with flowers and gardens.
Mountvista
Boutique Hotel
Ph:
03-442 8832
www.mountvista.com
Luxury
accommodation in the heart of Queenstown.
The only 5 star accommodation in Queenstown proper, Mountvista IS very
luxurious, and Rae McGill and Michael Kelly, are the MOST sophisticated and
gracious hosts whose welcome makes one feel like a celebrity. Some of the 5 Star touches were: the heated
bathroom floor, two-person tub with bath-side candles and lavender scented
crèmes, soaps, bath salts, and lotions, and the incredibly soft possum-fur
throw on the king bed! A boutique hotel
has no restaurant on premises, but they did serve canapés and wine or drinks,
in the early evening in the lounge, and a great gourmet breakfast in the
morning. The Town Pier is only a
beautiful 5 min walk away.
Queenstown
YHA
Ph:
03-442 8413
www.stayyha.com
Budget
accommodation. Q-town has a place for
every budget, and the YHA came thru again with it’s standard clean bathroom/showers
and kitchen facilities. This is a
recently built accommodation about 20 min walk along the lake side to the Town
Pier. There are 2 dining areas on
either side of the large kitchen. Some
rooms have views of the lake, and some are far from the bathroom. If you request ahead, tour buses and the
Intercity buses will pick-up here, but be sure to confirm this the night before
an early AM departure.
Kawarau
Jet
Ph:
0800-529 272
www.kjet.co.nz
World’s
first commercial jetboating. Located in Queenstown on the Main Town Pier. The Jet boat was invented by a New Zealander
to allow the ranchers to get up to the remote areas on the super shallow
braided river systems that sometimes sport only a handful of centimeters of
water. Since the boat is pretty much
riding on air, it can obtain speeds of 80-90 km/hr and slide around curves and
obstacles or spin out 360’s like a hockey puck! Kiwis are incurable dare devils anyway, and the Jet boat drivers
are no exception. I had white knuckles from gripping the hand rail so
tightly! Kawarau Jet takes you out of
the lake onto the Kawarau river, then up the Shot Over, and back, with your
heart in your mouth the whole time. There
are many trips a day, so you can fit in a ride between activities. Try to avoid Jet boating if there is even
the lightest drizzle, as even a tiny raindrop traveling at 90 km/hr can make a
stinging impact!
Nomad
Safaris
Ph:
0800-688 222
www.nomadsafaris.co.nz
The
original 4WD Adventures: Safari of the Rings, Skippers Canyon, Macetown, The
Nomad 4WD Experience. Located in Queenstown. This company had already been the
major company doing tours in the mountains and river valleys all around the
region when the Lord of the Rings, made Queenstown and environs famous by
turning it into Middle Earth, and the Road to Mordor. They have two ½-day tours taking you to many film locations,
telling you the stories to go with them.
They also have tours deep into the rugged terrain of river canyons that
produced the richest gold deposits in all of New Zealand, visits to a ghost
town, and they’ll let you try your hand
at panning out some dust, or maybe even a nugget. Refreshments are
included. We did the 2 Safaris of the
Rings, and had one day of spectacular panoramas, and the next day of rain and a
dusting of snow where we had tread the day before. One of our guides was an extra in the movie, and had great
on-the-scenes stories about the cast and the filming, including a real-life
drama where the actors actually pitched in filling sand bags to stem a flood
that really was threatening Queenstown, (instead of opting to fly out til the
nasty business was over.) This gained a
lot of respect from the pioneer-spirited New Zealanders.
Queenstown
Maori Concert & Feast
Ph:
03-442 8878
qtownmaori@paradise.net.nz
Dining
Buffet style incl. Hangi cooked meal & Maori Concert. We love the Polynesian culture, and go to
every cultural show and meal that we can. This Maori group has been in
operation for over 10 yrs. The city is
booming all around it, and it’s a little hard to find now because there in a
huge fitness center built over the top of it.
For the money, it is a pretty good buffet. Cold cooked mussels, salads,
soup, Maori bread, Smoked cooked hoki fish, lamb, chicken, pumpkin and veggies
cooked in the underground pit (hangi-style).
The performance was good, and you see the performers have a lot of fun
and smile or look bug-eyed and fierce as needed. There is humor and audience involvement to add to the fun.
Real
Journeys - Queenstown
Ph:
0800-656 503
www.realjourneys.co.nz
TSS
Earnslaw Vintage Steamship & Walter Peak High Country Farm Tour. This was a surprisingly fun and informative
trip. I was thinking that this was
something for grandma and grandpa, but it really was a lot of fun to travel up
the lake on a working steamship, and had an added bonus of keeping us toasty
warm on that day that broke with a light dusting of snow on the surrounding
peaks. The sun peeked thru occasionally
giving us those qualities of light rays beaming through the dark clouds on to
the glistening snow, that make us think of loftier beings than we. Watching the
activities in the engine room was fascinating.
Of course this 91 yr old vessel is decked out in warm wood furnishings
and has a piano bar, and snack bar, and also does BBQ and Dinner Cruises
combined with the Farm visit. The high
country farm nestled under Walter’s Peak is an actual working farm set up to
give demonstrations and host meals and tea and refreshments of homemade baked
sweets. The older couple who caretake,
and handle the visitors from the Earnslaw are salt-of the-earth folks with a
natural built-in hospitality. The main
building was immaculately manicured, surrounded by flowers blooming in profusion
even as the first snow had fallen. The
sheep dog demo was great. The dogs are so eager to go and so intent while
working! The sheep, on the other hand,
look so stupid! Different types of sheep were shown and shorn. The results were the finished products in
the Wool Shop. Never knew there were so many wools for so many purposes.
Skyline
Queenstown
Ph:
03-441 0101
www.skyline.co.nz
Gondola - Restaurant – Luge. There are other
gondolas around New Zealand, but this probably has the most spectacular views
of all. The ride up seems almost
vertical and looking down gives you vertigo!
Almost to the top, you see the AJ Hackett’s Bungy Jumping station, and
get a jumper’s eye view! NOT for me! The dry Luge ride is a hair-raising race
down different levels of winding twisting concrete tracks on a
polyethylene cart that sits about 3
inches off the ground and has one control.
There are more adventure activities, such as paragliding. For the more
sane, there are walking tracks, coffee and gift shops, and a restaurant that
serves a 6 course buffet every night of the year”, with live
entertainment. The buffet was pretty
impressive, especially the cold seafoods selection. (Altho it is more expensive than the Christchurch Casino and was
not as well presented or freshened.) The view of the sparkling lights of
Queenstown, tho, was magic.
The
Internet Depot - Queenstown
Ph:
03-442 8581
Internet
services. Every place you go, you need
one. This one has two stories of
terminals! Competitive rates, a variety
of complimentary services, and is in the heart of town.
The Wharf
Casino in Queenstown
Ph:
03-441 1495
admin@wharf-casino.co.nz
Gaming
machines, roulette, blackjack, mini baccarat & bar. Located in the same complex as the Wai
Restaurant, this is a very small casino. A place to game and win (?) a few $ if
you’re wait for a place at one of the restaurants in the Wharf Complex. (See
Wai Restaurant, below)
Queenstown
Maori Concert & Feast
Ph: 03-442
8878
qtownmaori@paradise.net.nz
see above
Skyline
Queenstown
Ph:
03-441 0101
www.skyline.co.nz
see
above
Wai
Waterfront Restaurant
Ph:
03-442 5969
www.wai.net.nz
Excellent
waterfront restaurant with superb seafood & NZ beef & lamb. Located right on the Main Town Pier in the
Wharf Complex. This is a contemporary
eating establishment that has the feel of the young corporate crowd. It’s casually elegant, with a youthful
management staff. The foods are what I
call innovative gourmet. They take the
fresh ingredients of NZ and combine flavors, spices, and herbs resulting in
creative dishes. Upon reading the irresistible description in the menu of The
Chef’s Degustation, a 7 course (!) dinner of specialties highlighting the
bounties of New Zealand, we had to have it!
The menu has 2 options, the second includes a glass of NZ wines that the Chef matches to each of
the courses.($145 NZ) We went for food
only.($95) The meal swept across the
country side of NZ opening with oysters from Bluff, thru cevice of fish and
scampi, comfit de canard (duck), sorbet of lime, venison, an incredible local
cheese reminiscent of a Port Salut with caramelized onions, and a flan w/
bitter orange sauce. VERY delicious and
tastefully presented portions of exactly the right size. This was one of
the most unforgettable dinners of our stay in New Zealand.
Milford
Sound Red Boat Cruises
Ph:
0800-264 536
www.redboats.co.nz
Scenic cruises on the Milford Sound. Unfortunately, our time was limited so we chose to visit Milford Sound with the hordes of other tourists on a 12 hour round-trip marathon tour from Q-town. There are many different bus companies doing this tour, but the Kiwi Experience Bus which reputedly caters to the college-aged-party-hardy, and pierced-body-parts crowd was the only to offer the Red Boat cruise on the Sound and a stop at the U/W Observatory too. The bus trip was described under the Kiwi Experience heading earlier. On May 4, 2004, Milford Sound was true to form having one of it’s 3 out of 4 rainy days, but this day was particularly wet, and the mountain passes even threatened snow. The Sound was full of mist and fog and blowing rain that prevented us from seeing the tops of the surrounding peaks, but seeing the tons and tons of water pouring out of the mist down every face of every mountainside was spectacularly impressive. We had N winds up to 35 kts blasting and howling thru the Sound and were particularly glad not to be there on our boat. The Red Boat company’s spacious, stable, dry boats were the way to see it and to choose to be out in it or not. We went all the way to the entrance of the Sound to get a feel for the Tasman Sea, (which sent in huge swells), then came back along the other side of the Sound, passing literally into Stirling Falls which was thundering 10’s of thousands of gals of water/min engulfing the boat in swirling stinging mist. It was incredible to see some of the smaller cascades actually falling UP as they were caught by up-drafts of air in mid-descent and blown back up the mountainside! WOW! Even the waterfalls in New Zealand bungy! 2hr 45min tour.
Milford
U/W Observatory
Ph:
03-249 9442
www.milforddeep.co.nz
Interesting
stop if you are interested in Marine biology.
The marine life in the Sound is unique because of the volumes of fresh
water that cover the salt water and block out the natural light so that some
marine forms such as black coral and red coral which usually grow at much
greater depths are found at shallow depths.
The viewing tube descends about 10 meters deep from the floating
platform at the edge of the sound.
I really
like this city with it’s Scottish roots and old historic buildings and The
Octagon at city center. This was our
base for a variety of activities very different from one another. There was a
unique train trip, viewing of rare and endemic marine life, a trip along the
Catlin coast between Invercargill (the southern-most city) and Dunedin, the
Speight’s Ale Brewery tour, and activities in the city such as indoor games and
outdoor lunch concerts at the Octagon.
Dunedin YHA
Ph: 03-474 1919
www.stayyha.com
Budget
accommodation. This was the old Stafford Gables building, and like many old
buildings, is a maze and labyrinth of stairs and hallways and funky irregular
shaped areas. We had the “honeymoon”
room with luminescent hearts on the ceiling and a great view if you stood on
your toes to reach the window! Ample
kitchen, but tiny dining room, small rooms, short toilet doors, but huge showers! Rooftop picnic table with a great view of
Dunedin. And like all YHAs, facilities are very clean and sanitary.
Grandview
Bed & Breakfast
Ph: (64)
03-474 9472
Accommodation in Dunedin. As the name implies, this B&B is located on
a hill overlooking the city. It is a
huge old rambling house with a décor that is a crazy, fun mish mash of colors
and styles. There are no ensuite rooms at the moment, but if the place is not
full, you may be placed in a room where you are the only ones using that
bathroom. Steve, Owner/Manager is
continually updating and renovating, and hopes to offer different classes of
rooms. He is an ex-referee of boxing
from Australia, and has a lot of boxing décor, and colorful stories to tell
while you relax in one of the two lounges.
Nature
Guides Otago / Nisbet Cottage
Ph:
03-454 5169
Guided
Wildlife Tours & Superior Accommodation at the beginning of the Otago
peninsula. Hildegard Lubcke, and her husband Ralf have been nature guides with
over a decade of experience. Their
specialty is to provide accommodations at their cozy Nisbet Cottage bed and
breakfast, and set up customized nature tours for small groups with emphasis on
personalizing these for greater intimacy with the rare, and sometimes, shy,
wildlife. Hildegard is very savvy about
what it takes to make a combination like this work. She pays attention to details such as the very best guides,
comfortable vehicles, and those special touches in the accommodations, such as
a complimentary glass of NZ wine with nibbles in the evening.
Catlins
Coaster - Dunedin
Ph:
021-682 461
www.catlinscoasters.co.nz
Wildlife
encounters, bush and beach walks. NZ
caters to tourists with limited time. This is another one of it’s 12 hr
do-it-all-in-a-day tours. We were picked-up at our accommodation and taken to
the bus terminal by our driver/guide, Steve. On looking back, this trip would
be better done as a one-way, as a scenic leg to get from Invercargill to
Dunedin, because the real “tour” only started once we were at the Museum in
Invercargill at around 11:30 AM. From there, we took roads along the Catlin
Coast area with it’s dramatic lonely coast, native bush, and stories of the
rugged, individualistic “Southern Man”, the spirit of the people who carved
their living out of this harsh environment.
Also saw petrified remains of ancient species of trees in the coastal
rocks. Steve was interesting because
his family had roots in this area and he has boyhood stories of life in this
isolated outback. We dilly-dallied a little too long in some places and were
too late to see the penguins doing their hoppety-hop back up the hundred foot cliffs
to their nesting sites. Luckily we saw
them on the previous tour. We did see
fur seals and the lighthouse in action, as it was dark by then. The only draw back is that the distance to
travel and the sights to see is so great, not much time can be spent at any one
thing. Be sure to bring a lunch or buy
makings in Invercargill ‘cause there is NO place in the Catlins.
Dunedin
Casino
Ph:
0800-477 4545
www.dunedincasino.co.nz
see below
Elm
Wildlife Tours / Monarch Wildlife Cruises – Otago Peninsula from Dunedin
Ph:
0800-356 563
Close
encounters with nature: penguins, sea lions, fur seals and plenty of native
birds. We were picked-up in front of
the info center at the Octagon. We made a half-day tour that combined the
services of these two companies and we recommend this combination if you have
only one day available. Elm can make
all the arrangements. Elm’s bus picked us up and drove us out to the Otago
Peninsula. We observed some wetland
birds, then were dropped off at a small pier to catch the Monarch boat which
took us out to Tairoa Head. Even tho not nesting season, we did see 3-4 Royal
Albatross chicks, then went out to sea about ½ to ¾ mi and saw 2 more species
of Albatross and a tiny Blue Penguin floating on the waves. There were some fur seals at the base of the
headland under the light house. It was a nice little cruise for an hr. Good
wind/rain jackets and auto-focus binoculars were provided. Narration was enthusiastic.
Back with
Elm, we drove to a private farm on the coast where we walked to blinds to
observe fur seal pups, and then along the beach at dusk to see the Hooker Sea
Lions waking up to go fishing, and the rare yellow-eyed penguins exiting the
sea and waddling, hopping and climbing up the steep hills back to the roosting
sites after a day of hard fishing. They
are really adorably cute, and we were lucky to get within almost touching
distance of a couple for up-close photos.
We also got a close-up view of a tiny Blue Penguin hiding in a
hole. Good wildlife viewing and ocean
views. The guide really knew his timing to catch that fleeting moment when the
sea lions and penguins make their moves.
We finished the tour back in town at 6:30.
Laser
Force - Dunedin
Ph:
03-474 9179
laserforce@paradise.net.nz
Live
action laser game, bowling, mini-golf and more. Great rainy day or group activity for families. The Laser Force game is fun for a group as
it is a multi-level maze in which folks chase or stalk each other and try to
bombard them with as many laser “shots” as possible. Mini-golf and mini-bowling are fun for the more sedate!
Nature
Guides Otago / Nisbet Cottage
Ph:
03-454 5169
see above
Speights
Brewery Tours
Ph:
03-477 9489
www.speights.co.nz
Brewery
tours. Speights has taken the Brewery
Tour to new heights. Not only do you
see the brewery at work, but you learn about the history of beer making and the
historical heritage of Speights as it grew along side New Zealand’s blossoming
into a nation in it’s own right. Their
image and ad campaigns are so affective that The Southern Man commercials have
made it’s Bogart-type figure as well known as Spuds McKensie in the
States. New Zealanders can quote every
commercial. The beers are dam—d good too!
They have several lights and darks.
And even a Speights Ale Ice Cream!
Taieri
Gorge Railway
Ph:
03-477-4449
www.taieri.co.nz
Excursion
train in the beautiful Taieri Gorge. Departure from Dunedin Railway
Station. As usual, we arrived by
Intercity Bus just minutes before the 12:30 daily departure of the Taieri Gorge
train. By luck, the bus station was
just minutes from the Railway Station.
Murray, who had been forewarned of our tight arrival by e-mail greeted
us graciously and expeditiously got us on the train with Joe, our
conductor/guide personally showing us to our car, a newer one, well appointed
with settee-type seating. We were able
to have a nice lunch in the snack-bar car, (Very reasonable prices) with
Speight’s Ale ice cream for dessert!
The day was gorgeous and once out of Dunedin, the sights got more and
more dramatic and wild as we progressed up the Gorge. The autumn sunlight angles and colors were stunning and
highlighted the rugged scenery which was enhanced even more by the fine
narration. We made about 4-5 stops for
photos, and saw a splendidly isolated x-ing station (now a quaint holiday
home), crossed impossibly high viaducts (bridges), and got more and more great
photos, crescendo-ing at The Notches,
the most breath-holding of passages through rock formations seemingly barely
holding on the hillside above the Gorge so-o far below. Reconstruction of the real-life Otago
Central Railways line so vital in the pioneering days, has opened up 45 km of
the route, and the now privately run Taieri Gorge train does a round-trip every
afternoon. We highly recommend it!
Dunedin
Casino
Ph:
0800-477 4545
www.dunedincasino.co.nz
Casino
with restaurant a la carte. Located in
the former Grand Hotel of the late 1880’s era, which has been restored as the
new Southern Cross Hotel, the casino has the architectural grandeur of the
times, with it’s “sweeping grand staircase gilded light fittings…and glass dome
roof”. The emphasis is on the slot
machines, but there are also table games such as roulette, black jack,
baccarat, and Tai Sai. The Grand Café
offers very nice meals for very reasonable prices: Light meals: $11-13, Regular
meals: $12.50-$19.50, Wines: $5-6/glass.
We ate there twice!
The Ale
House
Ph:
03-471 9050
Speights
Brewery, Dunedin
Bar &
Restaurant We took the 7:00 evening
brewery tour, so we had dinner at the Ale House to get a pre-view. The place has an up-dated warm, wood, feel
of an olden drinking establishment. The
menu was very reasonably priced and the dishes were well presented and nicely
proportioned. Each dish had a suggested
Speights beer to accompany it. I don’t
normally like the taste of beer, but I did like the dark beer.
Check
it out! They even propose driving itineraries!
Check the
latest info on NZ including Marine Services and Shore Services. Updated daily!
Check the
latest Commodore’s Bulletins for articles about NZ. If you are not a member
yet, you can join on-line.
bravenet.com