South Island day 5: Wanaka to Te Anau Downs (via Queenstown)

We took the Crown Range road (via Cardrona) from Wanaka to Queenstown. It looked shorter in distance than the route through Cromwell, although with roadworks etc. it may well have been similar in terms of time. In any case the road is quite interesting, with a series of hairpin zigzags at Arrowtown where it rejoins with SH6.

We got to Queenstown just after 10, and had an ‘interesting’ time finding a carpark. But the weather was, once again, perfect for biking and we scored a 4-hr unlimited pass to take us and the bikes up in the gondola for $39.


Bikes on the gondola


Admiring the view on the way up

We started with Hammy’s track, one of the few labelled ‘easy’. However it was more technical than Dean’s Bank which was classed ‘intermediate’ (which, based on my experience at Wainui and Makara, was classed correctly). There were a number of jumps that could catch you out if you weren’t expecting them or were going too fast. Being all downhill tracks, it is easy to build up speed! And lots of banked corners, some of which were lots of fun. And lots of rutty bits, which weren’t fun at all.


Bridget


Raewyn

Once at the bottom, we caught the gondola back up to do Hammy’s again down to the midway clearing, and then take another ‘easy’ track called Thundering Goat. We were maybe halfway down, with Raewyn going on ahead and stopping to take photos of me coming down, when she called out ‘you’ll like the next one’. So I headed down, rounded the banked corner I could see, then zoomed past her. Whoa, a jump, with a flat top. Ok (just)! Then all of a sudden, before I could slow down enough, another jump, the back wheel came up, the bike was vertical and I was toppling over the handlebars. Pretty much all of my other crashes have been sideways, so this was a first for me. I could see the ground coming up to meet me so I turned my head, let go of the handlebars and landed on my hands and the side of my face.


Last photo before the crash (jump in foreground)

It was probably a good thing it happened on a jump, rather than a flat part of the track, because after the collision I sort of slid down the hill a bit which likely lessened the impact and meant I didn’t break a wrist. At the time the worst thing was it felt like I had dislocated my jaw. We walked down the rest of the track to the 4WD road, which came out onto a street. We had seen the Queenstown medical centre on our way driving around looking for a carpark, so headed there. They took X-rays of my jaw and patched up the grazes on my knee and my chin (the other knee and the hand I landed most heavily on were just bruised). It turned out nothing was broken, nothing was dislocated; just some possible cartilage bruising around the joint. When we left 2 ½ hours later I was able to talk and open my mouth a bit, although my jaw still felt like it needed to click back into place (the same as after I had my wisdom teeth out).


Getting patched up at Queenstown medical centre

The rest of the drive to Te Anau Downs was mostly uneventful, apart from having to stop for a house. A house being moved on the back of a truck, that is.


Wide load follows. Indeed.

South Island day 4: Wanaka

The weather today dawned a bit chilly but otherwise perfect for biking. Completely the opposite to the weather report over the rest of the country...

After stopping at the police station to report the driver we saw yesterday (and hand over the photographic evidence we had collected) we headed off along the bike path that follows the lakefront, leading to the outlet track that follows the Clutha River. The poplars were in the process of losing their leaves, which made for very pretty scenery (and probably cost us about half an hour stopping for photos!).


Riding along the 'outlet track'


The Clutha River


Our destination was Dean’s Bank track, rated as one of the best in Wanaka. At 11 km it is quite long, and had a nice flow to it, although some parts seemed to take a while to get from A to B – a little too reminiscent of the Taupo cycle challenge course for my liking, but it had some really good sections with steep banked corners that were lots of fun.


Raewyn: brave


Bridget: nuts


Once around the track was enough for us so we headed back to the motel for a shower. Then off to Puzzling World, where we got lost in the maze and wandered around the optical illusion rooms.


A good place to get lost


Just when we thought we were the same height... we tried the Ames room illusion.


You’ve heard of toilet humour, how about a toilet optical illusion?


Tomorrow we head to Queenstown for some more mountain biking, before heading to Te Anau to get ready for the Milford Track (i.e. picking up hut passes, and packing). So far the weather forecast is looking promising, with no rain forecast for the first couple of days on Milford. Hopefully we will have good weather for crossing Mackinnon Pass... that’s all either of us really cares about!

South Island day 3: Franz Josef to Wanaka

When we opened the curtains this morning, we saw something that we couldn’t see last night – the glacier. Although it was still drizzling on and off, the cloud had lifted considerably. This actually made it near-perfect weather for our glacier ‘Ice explorer’ trip – not too hot. Raewyn and I both had turns sitting in the front of the helicopter – me going up, and her coming back. We were all jammed in there, and within five minutes we were on the ice.

Our guide turned out to be from Upper Hutt and was really chatty. After putting crampons on, we climbed up part of the ice fall, with the guide pointing out various features along the way. There were quite a few groups up there, but I guess part of that was because the trips scheduled for the day before had been cancelled due to poor visibility.

Here are some of my favourite photos from the trip:


Crampons on!


Climbing through the ice fall


Raewyn feeling a little bit blue but otherwise enjoying herself immensely


Having a break from taking photos


Hoping the crevasse doesn't close


Ice sculptures - looking up


Raewyn's second ride in a helicopter (the first one being a couple of hours before)


We had lunch back at Franz Josef before hitting the road and driving over the Haast Pass to Wanaka. The sun made a brief appearance and the scenery was spectacular as always. Unfortunately we were distracted from the scenery by a very, very bad driver (who, yes, happened to be Asian).


No, he hadn't just finished passing us. Yes, he was trying to pass the vehicle in front, on a blind corner. And nearly got wiped out by a car coming the other way.


Tomorrow we are ditching the car and taking to our bikes for the first time on the trip – heading for Dean’s Bank, Clutha river trail, and we’ll see what happens after that.

South Island day 2: Westport to Franz Josef

We gained an extra hour today (thanks to daylight savings ending) and were on the road by 8:30, aiming for an attraction that had its first tour at 9:00. We needn’t have rushed though, because it turned out that they actually didn’t open until 10. So instead, our first attraction for the day was the Mitchell’s Gully gold mine in Charleston, which was really worthwhile. The track is literally that – a set of tram tracks, which takes you around through the bush and through tunnels etc. to an old stamper where the gold was extracted, collected, and refined. After that it was back to the Nile River Train for 10:00. They do caving and rafting tours as well, but in the interests of getting to Punakaiki by the afternoon we just did the 90-minute version, which involved a miniature train ride and bush walk up to the entrance of the caves, passing various limestone formations on the way.


Mitchell's Gully gold mine


Limestone cliffs at Nile River


Shot of the day, along the bush walk at Nile River


Constant Bay, Charleston


The scenery driving down the West Coast can be pretty wild in places. I’ve lost count of how many one-way bridges and sections of road we’ve encountered. But this generally hasn’t been a problem, as there hasn’t been too much traffic – apart from cyclists, who don’t seem to understand that riding in the middle of the road is not a good idea.


Local wildlife on SH6


Both Raewyn and I have been to Punakaiki before, but it’s always worth a visit. There was enough swell today for the blowhole to be blowing. Just before getting in to Punakaiki, we pulled over to walk along the Truman track down to the beach. I guess there are loads of these, all beginning with dense bush and giving way to the shoreline where the surf is pounding against the rocks.

By the time we left Punakaiki it was around 3 pm, and the rain found us as we got to Hokitika (a refuel stop). Tonight we are staying at a motel/backpackers at Franz Josef, listening to the rain falling on the roof, and praying it clears by tomorrow morning!


Punakaiki pancake rocks and blowhole doing its thing!

South Island day 1: Wellington to Westport

Today we were on the road at 7:20 am, heading for the ferry terminal to catch the 9 am ferry to Picton. It was a smooth sailing which is always a relief! Then Blenheim for lunch, before driving up the Wairau valley, through St Arnaud, and over to the Buller Gorge. We stopped at the swingbridge for a walk around. Then when we arrived at Westport, we dropped off our gear and bikes at the motel and headed out to Cape Foulwind to see the seal colony there.

Tomorrow we drive from here to Franz Josef, stopping at Punakaiki, Shantytown, and anywhere else that takes our fancy on the way.



Scenery through the Wairau Valley.



Our mode(s) of transport, at Lake Rotoiti (St Arnaud).



Swingbridge at Buller Gorge. Raewyn modelling her 'Keep calm and kiwi on' T-shirt.



Cape Foulwind.

South Island trip: Packing

Two sleeps to go!

It's not easy packing for a holiday, a tramp, and a 6-day bike ride, all in one go. Especially when some items will be used for multiple parts of that. I won't bore you with the details of everything on my list. Instead I'll show you some pictures and you can see for yourself.


This is everything collated (apart from my pjs, my Bible, computer, and a few other bits and pieces I need between now and Saturday):




And this is everything packed, ready to load in the car tomorrow night:

Our next adventure

Four sleeps to go! On Saturday Raewyn and I launch off on our next adventure. After having walked two marathons, the Queen Charlotte track and the Abel Tasman track (which I had forgotten to write about until just now), we are now going to really put our friendship to the test by embarking on a 3-week road trip of the South Island. We have been planning this trip since last July.

I’ll try and update this blog as often as I can, i.e. as often as we have reasonably priced (preferably free) internet, while we’re away. Some places it just won’t be possible. Did I mention that we are walking the Milford Track?

Here is a map of roughly where we are going. Colour codes are as follows:

Red: Interisland ferry crossing. The part we will both be glad to get out of the way.

Blue: Driving. This line according to Google maps is 2,256 km. I’ll see how that compares with the GPS!

Orange: Milford Track. 53 km of spectacular scenery that we will walk over 4 days from 10-13 April.

Pink: Day trip to Stewart Island, so we can say we’ve been...

Yellow: Otago Central Rail Trail. Biking 160 km of completely different scenery from 20-25 April. Raewyn’s parents will join us for this.




Other highlights will be:
- Heli-hiking the Franz Josef glacier
- Mountain biking in Wanaka
- Mountain biking in Queenstown
- Glow worm caves in Te Anau
- Day trip to Manapouri and Doubtful Sound
- Various sights in the Catlins

Abel Tasman

Here are some photos from the Abel Tasman Coastal track, one of the ‘Great Walks’ of NZ, which Raewyn, Jen and I thought we would tackle, having done the Queen Charlotte together last year.
We enjoyed it a lot. Maybe the Heaphy track next year? Watch this space!


At the Marahau carpark at the start of the track, ready to go!


Overlooking Astrolabe, before descending to Anchorage Bay.


Walkers crossing Torrent Bay estuary.


Our Torrent Bay estuary crossing - eerie. Like a ghost bay... something is missing - the water!


Walking along the beach at Anchorage Bay, start of day 2.


View just before arriving at Bark Bay.


Walking along Onetahuti beach.


Awaroa Inlet.


Raewyn at Awaroa hut. Relieved that day 2 is over!


A rude early morning awakening on day 3: having to cross Awaroa Inlet at low tide, not long after sunrise. Brrr!


Having a break on the way to Totaranui.


Separation point. Well worth the side trip!

After finishing at Wainui Bay, we got in our car (relocated from Marahau by Trek Express) and headed for a holiday cottage we had booked just out of Takaka.

The next day we went on a tour to Farewell Spit.


Having fun at Cape Farewell.


Local wildlife on Farewell Spit.


Did someone say sand dunes?