FIJI

We left our hotel early to catch our flight to Fiji with some trepidation.  We had booked our Fiji resort many months ago on Lastminute.com as it was the only thing we could afford.  The issue was that the trip advisor reviews were not good.  If it was going to be as bad as they said we would be stuck on a desert island in hell for 7 days, so we had all our fingers and toes crossed that it would be ok.

New Zealand had always been high on my list of places to visit and it had not disappointed.  We had certainly seen a lot during our 6 weeks however for the first time on this trip I was leaving a country with a feeling of still not having seen it all.  With some of the best sights several days hike away from civilisation a very different trip would be needed to truly see this incredible country.

We left New Zealand via Air Pacific and landed in Nadi which is on the largest island in the group of islands that make up Fiji.  Our accommodation for the week was on Torokirki Island some 20 km off the coast of Nadi which required a ferry or helicopter to get there.  Due to the flight times and ferry times not being compatible we needed to stay the night in Nadi before catching the 9am ferry the next morning.

We had booked our nights stay some weeks before choosing somewhere close to the airport.  Expecting a dirty flee ridden hostel we waited outside the airport for the hostel transfer bus.  The bus came and took us the 10 minutes down the road pulling into a walled compound looking not unlike an upmarket hotel.  We both looked at each other wondering what was going on as the mini bus pulled up to a large open reception area with well maintained gardens all around.  We checked in and was shown to our room, which was, well….nice.  It looked like a very large hotel that had been bought but the rooms were being sold at hostel prices.  It was certainly better than all the hostels we had stayed in in Australia.

The next morning the ferry company bus came to the resort to pick us up and transferred us to the docks, an hour later we were on a large Catamaran being whisked away to our desert island. 

After a few drop offs at other resort islands along the way it was our turn.  We transferred to a smaller boat and made our way to the shore.  First impressions were good, a large resort spread out along the beach, clean and tidy with a large infinity pool for those that did not want to sit on the beach.

As we neared the beach we could hear calypso style music being played by a small welcoming party.  We shook everyone’s hand saying hello and being introduced to the staff and was given a necklace of shells which Emma has not stopped wearing since.  The check-in process was swift and we were shown to our room.  Readying ourselves we stepped into a large (big enough to park 4 of our Campervans in), clean, smart room with working aircon and fresh flowers on each bed (yes, we had 3 to chose from) and of course, the obligatory TV.  We both looked at each other with a smile - we are going to be OK here!

The weather was sunny and hot at 30d but was not humid, making it nice in the sun.  We headed for the restaurant to get some lunch, again expecting the worst.  The trip advisor reviews had been especially critical of the quality and price of the food.  As you would expect for a desert island the food was a little pricy when compared with the mainland but not extortionate and the food quality was good and plentiful.  We had landed on our feet yet again.

The resort was large but with only 20 guests currently staying it was quiet and very relaxing.  The staff were friendly and extremely helpful and not once did anyone try to sell us anything we did not ask for.  We spent the rest of the week, kayaking, snorkelling and laying by the pool enjoying the sun and for the first time since Parition Islands doing absolutely nothing - a true holiday.

The evenings were filled with fine dinning and being forced to sing in the nightly karaoke entertainment.

I even won the award for the best male singer of the night (ED: I notice you haven’t told our readers that you were the only male singer!).  While my fiancé perfected her singing on a new and large repertoire of songs, the highlight being a particularly individual rendition of Alanis Morrisette - Ironic - it certainly was (video is available).

  After 7 days of sun, sea, great food and great company we checked out of our room for what was going to be the most challenging travel day of the trip.  We left the hotel at 11:00 and sat around looking at everyone else enjoying the pool.  The ferry came at 13:30 to pick us up and transferred us back to the mainland.  Next a short hour long bus journey back to Nadi International airport before a mammoth 7 hour wait just to board the plane to Los Angeles.  The airport was empty and we sat around reading and watching the world go by.  Check-in finally opened 3 hours before and we made our way over to the check-in desk a few minutes after it opened to find hundreds of people already queuing, we’ve no idea were they had appeared from.  We queued for more than an hour to check in with the queue behind us getting longer by the minute.  We eventually reached the check-in desk and began the process, only to be told that we could not check in as we had no visa to enter the USA.  We explained that we were only transiting via Los Angeles to London.  Unbeknown to us, the US does not do transit like the rest of the world, and so we would have to enter the country like everyone else #$%^&**()!!!!!!!

We ran to the only internet kiosk and applied for our US visa, a process that took 40 minutes for both of us.  With check-in due to close in 30 minutes (its amazing how we were hanging around for 7 hours and now we were in a rush!!) we pushed our way to the front and returned to the check-in we were originally turned away from.  Amazingly the visa details were already on her system and we were very thankfully allowed to travel.  We got on the plane not sure what was going to happen when we arrived in LA.  So after a 10 hr flight we passed through customs without incident and just as we left the departure area our bags were grabbed and TRANSITED to our next flight!

Tired and already more than a little sick of travelling we now had another 7 hour wait for out next and final flight to London.  LA airport is not the best airport we have been to with literally nothing in the departure area, and everything including restaurants and duty free being landside.  We had something to eat and walked as far as we could around the airport to get our legs working again.  We boarded the flight on time and after another 12 hrs of sitting in once place and not moving we finally landed in a cold and wet Heathrow to a welcoming party from Emma’s family.  A final hour or so journey back to MK and we were home, sweet home.  The end but yet really just the beginning!

A big thank you

Just a quick blog to thank everyone who has sent a message of congratulation and well wishes on our recent announcement.  Due to limited time on the internet we are not able to respond to each of you but please be assured we have both enjoyed your comments and to be honest a little disappointed that we did not get more abuse!  I am sure that you are waiting to do that in person upon our return and we will prepare ourselves with a few witty retorts.

Before announcing on the internet we had a small bet as to who of our avid readers of the blog would be the first person to read the news.  Emma won the bet as I would have expected this person to have been working hard at 9:15 on a Monday morning - don’t worry your secret is safe with us.

One of our favourite comments we received was from a ex colleague of mine, Alex who said “Awesome! Just awesome! Congratulations Bill and thanks for making everyone else's proposals look a bit crap and impromptu in comparison :-)".  That, my friend, was the idea!! Ha ha

We are both very excited about coming home and starting the next big adventure of looking for jobs and planning the wedding.  Dear God, please help me!!!

Emma & Bill

Coromandel to Auckland

We left Rotorua heading for a peninsula on the East coast very close to Auckland.  The Coromandel is a relatively untouched part of New Zealand considering its proximity to its largest city and it being one of NZ’s most popular holiday regions.  The area is mostly national park with little access to its interior which is mountainous and clad in dense pine forest.  We headed to a DOC campsite which again was close to an old gold mine area which had been abandoned many years ago and we bedded down for the night.  The next day we woke and could not be bothered to move, our usual routine saw us up and on the road by 10am each morning.  Today, not wanting to get up, it took us until 12:00 to get ourselves organised.  Its not that we are bored, far from it, but the constant moving has taken its toll and we are definitely ready to stop for a while and just do nothing.

We headed north on the coast road again being presented with yet more dramatic coastline which we have seen so much of over the past 6 weeks.  It is probably hard to believe but all of it is different and spectacular in its own way and so never gets boring to look at.  We eventually reached a very famous tourist spot on this coast, the Hot Water Beach.  The Hot Water Beach is a geothermal anomaly which can only be enjoyed 2 hrs either side of the low tide.  As we walked on to the beach we saw loads of people all huddled around a small area on the sand digging holes.  We stood and watched them for a while until we worked out where a good spot might be and as the tide went out we started digging a hole in line with the other people but closer to the waterline.  It did not take long to hit gold, hot water rising up through the sand.

Underneath this bit of the beach is a spring of fresh water which underneath that is a pocket of magma heating the water above.  At low tide the sea water retreats enough to be able to feel the effect.  As you dig a hole it is filled with hot fresh water and if you dig a big enough hole you can have your very own hot tub on the beach.  However the water is coming out of the ground at 65d and it doesn’t take long before the water is scalding and too hot to touch let along sit in.  We had picked a genius spot right on the edge of the hot water so we could mix in cold making the temperature just right.  We spent a good few hours sitting on the beach in our hot tub enjoying the sunshine, the lovely beach and the spectacle of loads of people digging their own tub and jumping out like frogs when it got too hot.

Before finding a campsite for the night we headed to Cathedral Cove a few kilometres up the coast.

Cathedral Cove is a isolated bay with a stone arch cut by the sea through the cliffs to another isolated bay.  It was the sort of place you could bring a picnic and just while away a day. 

By the time we got back to the van it was nearly 18:00 and with all the DOC sites down long gravel roads and free camping spots being non existent we had little option left but to headed to Whitianga and into a private campsite which despite the high fee still including a separate charge for the showers!  After Emma’s rage about this issue in Queenstown it was now my turn to rant!  They certainly know how to milk the tourists in NZ.

The next day with nothing more we wanted to see we started our journey towards Auckland with the intention of finding a nice campsite close to a beach to clean the van and pack up our kit.  However as it always happens with the best laid plans we could not find a campsite that fitted the bill and after a few hours of driving ended up in one of the suburbs of Auckland at a Top Ten campsite close to the airport!  Not quite what we had in mind but never mind.  As I booked us in the receptionist asked if we where a pickup or a packup.  Due to the close proximity to the airport and all the rental companies they only get guests who have either just arrived or are just leaving. 

For some reason it took us a whole day to clean the van, wash all our clothes and pack everything away into our backpacks.  Maybe we were just making the jobs last as there certainly wasn’t anything to see where we were staying.  Spotting newbie campervaners we ran round the camp giving away stuff we no longer wanted and doing our bit for the fellow traveller.

The next day we dropped the van back to the rental company and with the deposit returned successfully we had the final grand reveal of the total mileage in NZ…..7000 km in 40 days, even the rental representative asked if we had driven the thing back home!  We made our way back to the Airport and caught the shuttle bus into town and to our hotel.  With the budget looking not so great for November a hotel seemed a little extravagant however surprisingly it was only a few dollars more than the hostels, was in a central location and stuff it, we deserved a bit of luxury for a change.

Auckland is the commercial heart and largest city in NZ and has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world.  Compared with most cities we have been to on this trip its not a big place with the main CBD pretty much occupying a single street down to the waterfront, however its urban sprawl stretches for nearly 20km with people mostly living in single story houses rather than apartment blocks.

NZ has surprised me, especially when you compare it with Australia.  With them being so close and having a very similar history they could not be more different.  NZ is a much more multi-cultural place with a large population of South Islanders and Maori all having an active part in the society unlike the Aboriginals in Australia.  NZ seems to look a little more towards the UK, with news and newspapers reporting on events in the UK and for that matter, in the rest of the world.  Whereas in Australia unless it happens in their own land or the US they are not interested.  NZ and Australia are commercial and political allies however they seem to be very nationalistic towards companies from their own side of the Tasman Sea and both sides will not hesitate to take the micky out of one another in their advertising giving the feeling that there maybe a bit of rivalry. 

So we spent our 3 days in Auckland looking around the shops, sleeping, making the most of having an en suite bathroom and not having to get dressed to go to the loo, showering in the lovely shower and catching up on our TV quota by watching anything that was on.  We even got a chance to watch the final F1 race of the year although having to get up at 02:00 was probably a little extreme.  As we walked around the shops enjoying the summer sun, we were finally reminded what time of year it is and that Xmas is creeping up on us.  It was an odd feeling looking at the Xmas decorations going up all over Auckland whilst being in a t-shirt and shorts!

With the trip now over the journey home begins.  However after such a gruelling journey and not having had a holiday in nearly 8 months we have planned 8 days on a tropical island in Fiji to rest and relax before finally returning to the UK!

Wellington to Rotorua

We now had 7 days left before returning the van to Auckland so with no time to waste we headed for Napier, a massive 6 hour drive north.  The route was a major road for NZ and meandered through small towns that got smaller the further we travelled from Wellington.

We reached Napier in good time however wanting to keep clocking up the miles we did a drive by instead of stopping to look at the town centre and its Art Deco architecture.  The place was re-built in the 1930’s after an earthquake all but destroyed the original city centre.  With most of the buildings remade with concrete god help them the next time a major quake hits.  We continued our journey north heading for Lake Waikaremoana and a DOC campsite that was on the way.  At the end of a very long unsealed road was a overgrown plot of land next to a dirty river, not one of the best DOC sites we have stayed at.  We left early the next day with plans to spend a day at Lake Waikaremoana doing some walking and then using the back roads to head to Taupo.  After referring to two different maps and the bible they all confirmed that the road was sealed.  After a 2hr drive to the turn off we were presented with a road sign warning us that there was 105km of unsealed road ahead - bugger.  With no other road options we had no choice but to drive 3 hrs back to Napier and pick up the only other road over the mountains to Taupo.  This unfortunate oversight cost us nearly ¾ of a tank of fuel and half a day, but this was the first time in all the miles we have done that we have had to retrace our steps so not bad going really.

We arrived in Taupo by late afternoon to a spectacular view of the lake and snow capped mountains in the background, with both of us saying “Mountains” in a Bilbo Baggins style (I got LOTR1 DVD for my birthday and have been watching it recently).  Lake Taupo is the largest lake in New Zealand and another must see on the tourist trail.  The town of Taupo was small but with lots of cool restaurants and pubs overlooking the lake and the 2500m high mountains beyond.  After a little look around town we headed for Huka Falls, an impressive waterfall close to town and on the Waikato River.  As we stood looking at the falls, a Kayaker came down the river and over the nearly 10m drop.  The picture would have been amazing however by the time we worked out what he was doing and got the camera ready he was already safely over.

Our night stop was close to the falls and we appeared to be sharing it with what seemed like hundreds of other vans, many more than we usually see in these free spots.  The sand flies that had plagued us on the South Island seemed to have gone allowing us to enjoy the warm spring evening.

The next morning we headed for our next big adventure, Jet Boating.  Along with Bungee Jumping and Zorbing, Jetboats are a Kiwi invention.  We selected a company called Rapids Jet as they actually went over some of the Aratiatia Rapids in the lower part of the river rather than just racing up and down the flat river throwing 360 degree turns.  The boat held ten paying customers and for a change it was a sell out. 

We jumped into the boat which due to the speed of the water racing down the river already seeming to be running just to stand still.  The driver gave us the usual safety talk, turned round and then punched the throttle.  The sensation was like being fired out of a cannon as the boat literally flew up the river against the strong current.  Every now and then he would twirl his finger to indicate he was about to spin the boat and then on cue the boat would turn doing an almost 360 degree turn stopping the boat instantly to howls of screams and laughter as everyone got covered in water.  Next we headed down the river towards to the rapids.  He picked his line carefully avoiding any protruding rocks and changing direction at great speed to navigate the rapids.  The biggest of the rapids were at the end of section of the river that we were travelling and he went back over them several times trying to get as much air as he could on one particular large drop off.

Did we mention the Dam?  A few kilometres up the river was a Hydroelectric Dam which controlled the flow and controlled the water to the other 35 Hydroelectric stations further down stream.  Just after our journey began the Dam gates were opened letting 85,000 litres of water per second into the narrow river.  We raced back up the river to watch the rapids sink below the rising water.  When we reached the dam we saw the water heading over some large rocks which were a few metres high creating a small waterfall with a white cauldron of foaming water at its base.  Our driver edged the boat ever closer until the engine could not keep the boat stationary against the flow of the water.  We have both been in some quick machines in our time but we have never experienced the sensation of speed so much as when we were in this boat - simply awesome.

After a little rest and some calming down we got back on the road and headed to Rotorua, one of the most geothermic active places on the planet.  As we drove into town the pleasant pine tree smell that had accompanied us for most of the journey now gave way to the smell of rotten eggs - the very unpleasant smell of sulphur.  That night we stayed in a paid campsite close to town and enjoyed the very strong smell which at times was quite uncomfortable to breathe causing coughing fits from not only us but also the surrounding tents and vans….is this actually OK to breathe??!  The area is so volcanic that even the manhole covers had steam coming out of them.

The next morning we prepped for another adrenaline fuelled activity - White Water Rafting.  Stupidly Emma had mentioned that she had never done it before and as I had done it several times I decided as part of her Christmas present to pay for a rafting trip.  But not any old rafting trip, a grade 5 trip (the hardest you can do on a commercial trip) with a 7m waterfall to boot (before the hate mail begins, Emma picked it).  We arrived at the rafting centre early with Emma visibly nervous.  Our guide seeing our van popped out to say hi and explained that we were their only customers today and so we could start any time we liked.  Well, the look on Emma’s face was a picture thinking that she had more time to mentally prepare.

With two guides and just us we had a private rafting experience.  The first few rapids got Emma used to the idea and the instructions being shouted from the back.  The first waterfall we encountered was small at only 3m high, but Emma was now very nervous.  As we went over, Emma being the trooper she is, whopped and hollered especially on realising we had landed the right way up. 

30m down the river was the next and big 7m high monster.  We sat at the top just a few metres from the edge to be given the very serious talk about what to do if we fell out and got stuck under the masses of water that would be pushing us down.  Trying to look over the edge and not being able to see the bottom even made me reconsider my options for a minute.  Safety talk over, we were off and free falling nose first into the cauldron of white water at the bottom.  The boat popped out the right way up but full of water and floated to the side.  I looked round to see Emma beaming from ear to ear.

The rest of the trip was down a few more rapids with us stopping at the bigger ones to stick the boat’s nose back into them to get us properly wet and unable to breathe with the force of the water. 

Great trip, short at 45 minutes but a perfect introduction for Emma to Rafting and she loved it (thank god).  With our trip budget now almost spent and us now living on soup, we bought the obligatory pictures of our rafting experience for our loyal readers as they really give a sense of what we have done and there are some very funny pictures of me (as per usual).

We had one final place to see before leaving Rotorua which was Hells Gate Thermal Park.  As part of the Rafting price we got free entry to this Geothermal park.  The one hour walk around the alien landscape was certainly interesting.  Created by the hot sulphurous water coming out of the ground, the place looked like it had been used in every SciFi film in the last 20 years.

The hottest pool was 140d complete with bubbling hot mud.  It was weird to think that we were wandering around this place looking at the various volcanic formations like you would in a exhibition but potentially at any minute this place could actually erupt!

With just about enough excitement for one day we started our journey north towards the Coromandel Peninsula.

Franz Josef to Wellington

We left Franz Josef the next morning with fairly substantial headaches (it must have been dehydration from the Helihike trip) and headed north to nowhere in particular.  We now have just over 7 days to get back to the ferry in Picton and only 2 weeks left in the van.  Time is certainly flying!  The road continued to follow the coast and with the weather now affording us bright blue skies, we were able to enjoy the scenery.  We made good progress only stopping at Hokitika for a much needed pie and soft drink to ease our “dehydration” (we now know the answer to the question who ate all the pies!)  Feeling a lot better after some stodge we continued up the coast to the Pancake Rocks at Punakiki, another NZ only geological formation.  The Pancake Rocks are a section of sea cliffs that have eroded displaying the very distinct layers running through them, looking not unlike a pile of pancakes.  It’s amazing just how imaginative the names are here!

Once back on the road we headed to Westport and then turned the van once again inland to Inangahua.  The scenery instantly changed from the coastal views and high mountains to much smaller wooded hills with tight winding valleys which the road now followed.  We found another free campsite high in the hills at the place of an old gold mining town that had been demolished when the road was built.  In the end we had done nearly 500km today, not bad considering we had no plans and did not feel at our best.

The next day we got up late and meandered 100km up the road to Murchison.  Whilst stopping for a loo break I picked up a leaflet telling us all about the town and what to see.  On the leaflet was a picture of a waterfall that had been created during a earthquake in 1923.  The picture so impressed us that we even went back 20km the way we had come to find it.  The waterfall fell into a large crack in the ground where the river now ran, clearly marking the fault line.  It was only about 10m high but wide and at its base was a whirlpool that had caught up in it logs that had washed down the river making an interesting visual sight. 

After our mini detour we continued our journey to another free campsite, this time at the site of an old railway station and platform just outside Kawatiri Junction. 

Next morning, we again woke late as both of us were feeling rather lazy.  Maybe we are starting to run out of steam which wouldn’t be surprising after 7 months on the road.  Once we were back on the road again we headed 200km north to a small seaside town just outside of Motueka called Kaiteriteri to do some jobs.  We arrived at the campsite and washed everything (including ourselves), filled the van with food and published three blogs which included the big news.  The campsite was privately owned and was right on the beach, another beautiful location made better by more clear blue skies.  After looking at the bible and working out what was worth seeing en route to the Ferry, we realised that we had a new problem….too much time to fill, so with a working internet connection for a change we brought forward our Ferry booking by two days.  After all the hard work of the day we did not fancy cooking so went to find a pub.  Five minutes later we returned to the van having found the pub but it closed at 18:30!  It’s still not high season and these places are ghost towns the rest of the year, how they make money is anyone’s guess.

The next day we headed for the most northerly point on the South Island, Farewell Spit.  Farewell Spit is basically a strip of sand that has formed off the rocky point of the South Island.  It runs for 27km and is made up of large sand dunes providing unique animal habitats.  Due to its size and isolation you can only walk so far, otherwise you have to take an organised 4x4 tour.  We parked the van as close as we could and walked up the beach looking out to the mud flats that seemed to be never ending.  Before we even reached the sand dunes, we came across a path that headed inland but took us to the outer beach of the spit.  The outer beach was wide and the wind had created mini sand dunes only a metre high making the landscape look very unusual.

The place was almost deserted and so we just sat for a while on a dune, in the glorious sunshine, looking at this stunningly beautiful and isolated place.  However, we soon had to bring ourselves back to reality and head for our planned night stop, another DOC campsite at Totaranui.  The site was situated in a very isolated bay within the Abel Tasman National Park and it was a 11km van breaking journey on gravel roads, up and over the mountain to get to it, however it was definitely worth it.  Abel Tasman National Park is a large wilderness area with a legendary coastal walk which is reputed to be one of the great long distance walks in the world.  We weren’t going to get chance to test this assertion but from the little we saw it did indeed look great. 

The rest of the journey along the northern coast took us through Nelson where we stopped briefly to wander the town centre and get on the internet read the Engagement abuse!  Now experts at sight seeing, the towns that the bible had dedicated several pages to we managed to despatch in a few hours moving on to the next “must see” sight. 

With only one more night left in the South Island we headed for the Queen Charlotte Drive, a road that literally took you along the edge of the Charlotte Sound.  After the extreme roads we have traversed thus far it was a fitting drive for our journey back to Picton.  Another plus was that there was a DOC campsite half way long.  It was very small with only space for a few vans but again we were wowed with amazing views, being only a few metres from a large fiord which also was home to a large family of ducks whom became rather attached to our van after I fed them with bread (bribery with food works every time).

The next day was the ferry to Wellington.  Our journey through the Cook Straits last time was marred by cloud and drizzly rain, so after having a couple of beautiful sunny days we hoped for better this time around.  We awoke to guess what, rain and low cloud.  The ferry was half empty so allowing us a front row seat.  Luckily the weather lifted as we crossed the Straits and we arrived to a sunny Wellington.  After bypassing Wellington on the way down we planned to have a look around for a day and then continue north.  However with the campsite costing $50 per night (new record) we decided to do a free stop first and then pay tomorrow.  So, we headed for the site we had used on the way in and had an interesting evening watching the plethora of cars coming in that were waiting for their clandestine meetings.  Most would wait in the car, others would wait in the male toilets to wait for their friends, using the back entrance as there was a surveillance cameras on the front.  I decided not to use the back entrance preferring to stay in full view of the surveillance camera.  It was not the greatest place to stop for the night and we weren’t quite sure how we had missed all this the first time round but at least it was free and it was a “camp” site after all.

The next morning we headed for the centre of Wellington and the paid campsite.  The site was new and opened by the council in preparation for the 2011 World Rugby.  It occupied a small lot on Wellington waterfront less than 5 minutes from the centre of town and the parliament buildings!  The site looked like a car park (well, was a car park really!) and they had constructed toilet and shower block with a very fancy touch screen IT system to control entry.

This has to be the oddest place we have stayed but you could not get a hotel room anywhere this close to the city centre at this cost.

We parked the van, showered and spent the day wandering around the “World’s coolest little capital” (as described by Lonely Planet).  First we wandered up to the Parliament buildings and after saying hello to the solitary security person we walked right up to the front door.  No where else in the world could you imagine doing that. 

Next we took a look around the shops taking the opportunity to look for ideas for an engagement ring and buying a bridal magazine (oh how I have changed).  After an afternoon of sightseeing, we ended up at a cool little Italian restaurant on the waterfront to celebrate our 1 week anniversary of being engaged and to watch the fireworks as it was Bonfire night. 

After a lovely evening out, we went back to the van, closed the curtains and listened to the sirens of the police cars, the incoming ferries and the hundreds of people walking back from town to the railway station and quietly fell to sleep!  Wellington is not a big place and you would struggle to spend any significant time here, but its got a really nice feel about it, friendly, relaxed and even at lunch time when all the offices empty out for lunch its not very busy.  Its reputation as the coolest capital is definitely well earned.

Next:  The journey back to Auckland

Queenstown to Franz Josef Glacier

We left Queenstown and headed north on another big drive day.  The weather was grey and drizzly however we felt ourselves lucky with the recent spell of good weather.  The route made its way through the northern edge of the Southern Alps region with snow capped mountains still dominating the landscape.  The road wound its way along the only practical route through this area, the Haast valley.  The valley stretched for nearly 100km following the lake shores of Wanaka and Hawea.  The road now turned towards the coast and just before Haast (a small coastal town) the mountains and hills that had dominated our journey for the past few weeks abruptly ended and a flat delta now led us to the sea.  The road quickly turned north following the coast and no sooner than it did we were presented again with more snow covered mountains inland of the road. 

Our first stop was the Fox Glacier.  Since this trip was in the planning stages we had promised ourselves that no matter what happened we would do a HeliHike up one of the glaciers.  Using the bible as our guide we decided to do the more northerly Franz Josef glacier rather than the smaller Fox.  But seeing as we were here and not wanting to miss out on visiting this glacier we decided to do the tourist walk up to the face of the Fox and along with the bus loads of Japanese tourists we spent some time gawping at a safe distance at the majesty of one of natures finest geological creations.  With a full day already behind us but not wanting to waste any time we headed for Franz Josef some 23km up the road to book our trip and then we headed to a free camp spot to prepare for the next days adventure.

  We woke on the 29th October with the cloud started to disperse and the overnight rain coming to an end.  The trip was not until 11:15 giving us time to prepare for our big adventure.  We arrived at Helicopter Line’s office and was told that they had to do a final weather check in 15 minutes.  We waited patiently hoping that our dream to do this trip would not be dashed.  The 15 minutes past slowly but then they announced we were good to go. 

Our group was a total of 12 people split into two groups of 6 which was all the helicopter could hold.  We kitted up with waterproof clothes, snow boots and crampons and then jumped onto the helicopter with some trepidation as these things have got a reputation for not being the most reliable machines man has ever made.  The flight was only 10 minutes and took us right to the top of the 10km long glacier before setting us down on a flat bit just in front of a formation called the Black Hole some 800m up.

The previous group to ours was ready on the ice to be taken back down and the transfer was very quick and slick.  Once the helicopter noise had been lost in the valley below, the true scale of where we were struck us….simply breathtaking.  The Black Hole which dominated the front of the glacier was exposed bedrock that the glacier now made its way round.  The bit we were standing on was 150m deep, whereas the bit flowing round the Black Hole was just a few metres thick and moved at a speedy 4m per day.  To prove this point just as we started to get our crampons on a massive rock/ice fall broke off the top of the glacier and crashed down the face of the Black Hole making such a loud noise it was quite alarming.  This transpired to be one of the many spectacular icefalls we witnessed during our time on the ice.

Our two groups were introduced to our guides who were already on the ice and off we went to explore.  We were standing on a relatively flat shelf of the glacier a few kilometres square, with a high ice cliff in front which also contained the face of the Black Hole and a very large drop off going down the valley.  To the sides were higher, larger blocks of ice which made wild patterns and shapes…this would be our playground for the next 2.5 hrs.  The guides explored the area looking for cool things to climb through or look at and explain how they were made.  First they found an ice cave for us to crawl through which was a perfect introduction to the incredible blue ice.

As we got higher up the banks the ice became more fractured producing even more caves and ice formations to explore.  We turned a corner and saw the largest ice cave so far, which had a steep slope down to the bottom and its exit.  The guides produced a rope and using an ice screw attached it to the ice wall.  We then slid down the 10m slope feet first trying not to stab the guide at the bottom with our crampons. 

As we exited the cave we entered an area hemmed in by ice making it like a mini frozen football stadium.  Once our group had finished the ice slide adventure we stood around for a while chatting whilst the guides went to find an appropriate route through the ice.  I passed my camera to an English guy who was with his wife on their honeymoon and asked him to take a photo of us both.  With myself and Emma now standing on a platform of ice within the stadium of ice I asked him to hold on for a second whilst I reached into my bag and produced a ring.  Turning to Emma I asked her to marry me!  She burst into tears as if someone had just stabbed her with a crampon and she said yes instantly (I know, I was surprised as well).

My original plan was to fake a shoe lace incident and get down on one knee, however at the last minute I decided that a nasty accident could have ensued what with standing on a narrow ledge, wearing crampons and with so many people around.  Once everyone had realised what had just happened (including the photographer!) there was a round of applause and congratulation from all.  The rest of the time on the trip felt like we were walking on….well, ice and certainly made the adventure one to remember.

That night after a much needed shower we went out for dinner in Franz Josef township to celebrate our engagement with Emma telling anyone who would listen that she had just got engaged (I kid you not, poor barman).  I had chosen the place I wanted to propose nearly 7 months ago, but when it would happen I did not know and was down to when we got there.  The ring was purchased in Sydney airport during a delay to the flight and in a gap of 20 minutes were I had convinced Emma to read her book while I looked at gadgets.  The ring is a temporary one designed purely for doing the deed and once we get back to the UK and I get a job we will go out and buy something Emma chooses.  Surprisingly the temporary ring is already much loved and fits perfectly (luck more than judgement).  She wears it all the time as if modelling jewellery for a magazine shoot and I have already caught her talking to it like Gollum.

For so many reasons it was certainly a day to remember and is obviously the highlight of the whole trip.

Editor Comments:  Editor here and Chief of Staff.  Bill has written a wonderful rendition of the magical event, but I just wanted to add that I can honestly say that Bill asking me to marry him has made me the happiest women on the planet.  The beginning of this new phase in our lives is the most exciting and joyful in my whole life and I just cant wait to become his wife.  I would also like to reiterate that I am extremely pleased with my temporary ring…My Precious (as it is now known) will live on even after it has been replaced!  

So just as one adventure is ending, another begins - it looks like life is never going to be boring again!

Slope Point to Queenstown

From Slope Point we headed to Colac Bay as Invercargill had nothing worth stopping for (sorry Invercargill).  With the recent bad weather and cold nights the whole campervan thing was starting to take its toll so we decided to break our own “try to save money” rules and headed for a campsite.  We booked ourselves into Dusty’s Pub which had an attached camp ground (or it might have been the other way round), parked the van, located the open fire and promptly sat next to it with a beer in hand.  We ended up having a good chat with the locals and amused them no end trying to swing a hook onto the bulls nose (not a real bull just a local pub game).  We even pushed out the boat and had some pub grub rather than cook ourselves.  It was a much needed pick me up (nothing to do with the beer though).

The next morning was warmer and drier and with us generally feeling much happier we headed for the Fiordland region of New Zealand and Milford Sound.  As we pulled out of the campsite and started our drive you could see the massive mountain range ahead that was to now dominate our journey up the west coast and just beyond, clear weather….hooray! 

We headed straight for Te Anau, the gateway to Milford Sound.  As we made our way along the quiet roads looking at the scenery I spotted a very distinctive hill shaped a bit like a horses back and surrounded by snowy peaks.  As we drew closer I realised where I had seen it before…..LOTR (Twin Towers).  Beside the fact that the castle and village were missing it was, not surprisingly, identical to the scenes from the film.

Once we reached Te Anau we took the opportunity to re-supply the van and then headed out on the 120km road that connects Milford Sound to the rest of the world.  The road meanders up the Eglinton valley along some of the most dramatic scenery you could possibly imagine.  We stopped at a DOC campsite for lunch which was nestled in the woods.  As we pulled up we saw something through the trees and so walked the 10m or so whereupon we found a pebble beach bordering a very large glacial lake with green hills and the snow capped mountains of the Southern Alps behind.  We rushed back to the van to make lunch and then dragged our camp chairs to the beach for THE most spectacular lunch location you could get.

We continued our journey stopping at a number of incredible “brown sign” sights along the way to the last DOC campsite on the road before entering Milford Sound at Lake Gunn.  The site was small but instead of the million dollar view that we had become accustomed to, we had an even better money can’t buy view of the mountains surrounding the lake with our spot being just metres away from the water edge.  Unfortunately even paradise has its problems.  The weather was sunny and warm however it was impossible to enjoy the great outdoors as God had intended and eat our sumptuous meal outside due to the sandflies and these buggers bite.  As soon as you opened the door hundreds would enter the van and begin biting anything they could find.  Emma went on a killing spree to clear the van after a rather painful episode with one of the little blighters, sealing us in for the rest of the night.

The next morning we made the final hours drive to Milford Sound.  The road continued up the valley and we started to climb towards a very large mountain at the end.  The road signs warned of avalanches and instructed us not to stop and with the continued ascent of the road we eventually reached the snowline at nearly 1000m high.  Finally we could see our escape, a small tunnel entrance high in the side of the mountain called the Homer Tunnel.  As you reached the tunnel you could see that it had been dug out at quite a steep gradient down through the mountain.  The tunnel entrance looked like it was just big enough to get the van through let alone the hundreds of tour buses that make this journey every day.  Hoping that we would not meet anything larger than us we raced through the tunnel to the other side.

The road now dropped dramatically in to the next valley using switchbacks to lose the height we had gained eventually bringing us back to sea level and the Milford Sound.

Milford Sound is a very long and deep flooded valley nestled between snow covered mountains and open at one end to the Tasman Sea.  Before the road was built it was impossible to get here other than by boat.  Milford Sound is actually named incorrectly as sound means cut by a river, whereas Milford was cut by a glacier so it technically should be called Milford Fiord.  It was first discovered 50 years after Cook came to the area by Welsh whalers who named it after their home town of Milford Haven.  Because Milford was cut by a glacier the sides are incredibly steep and it is home to the highest sea cliff in the world at 1600m.  The area gets over 7m of rain a year thus guaranteeing many permanent as well as temporary waterfalls which cascade into the sound from the surrounding mountain range.  The fact that there are so many mountains this high and so close to the sea is what makes the New Zealand landscape so unique and this place in particular so incredible.

Being long and filled with water the only way to see the place is via a boat trip so taking the bible’s advice to get on the early morning trips before the coaches turn up, we selected a small tour company who only had 16 other customers and set sail quick before having to fight for viewing positions with the elbow nudging Asian tourists and their plethora of cameras.  The boat trip was 2 hrs in duration and sailed out to the entrance of the sound into the Tasman Sea giving you a Cook eye view of the place where he sailed right past.  To top off our sailing trip we were yet again visited by a large pod of dolphins who swam in our wake for a good 20 minutes wowing the tourists as well as the boat staff who said that this rarely happens.

  We left Milford the only way we could back through the Homer tunnel.  Feeling that there was more still to see of this impressive landscape we decided to climb to the top of Key Summit, a 3.5 hour walk with impressive views of the Eglinton valley and more views of the Southern Alps that were inaccessible by car.  We have to say that the Milford Sound and the surrounding mountains is one of the most incredible places either of us has ever been.  It definitely lived up to its reputation - a must see for everyone.

Next morning we headed for Queenstown, the journey not being too long in distance but was extended due to the constant stops to take pictures or just to stare open jawed at the epic scenery.  Queenstown sits on the shore of a very large, dog legged shaped lake called Wakatipu and is situated pretty much half way along.  Queenstown is not only NZ premier ski resort but is also the world capital of adrenaline fuelled activities.  The best or worst we saw (depending on your view) was a canyon swing, 200m up with a 150m freefall and doing about 150km/h.  Needless to say neither of us felt the need to experience that and felt happy just to explore the town and the surrounding mountains! 

We headed for the only campsite in town which also happened to be a 5 minute walk from all the pubs and restaurants.  Emma went to check us in returning with a face like thunder, not only was it the most expensive campsite EVER, but they also had the cheek to charge $2 per shower on top of the campsite fee.  To finally round off the picture the campervans were packed in like being in a Tesco’s car park.  Madame was not amused (the actual diatribe is unrepeatable but bar stewards was used a lot).

With so many mountains and walks right on the doorstep we planned our biggest and most adventurous walk so far.  Ben Lomond summit was 1748m high and thanks to the ski cable car which took us to the beginning of the walk we only had to do 1000m of the assent.  This was a 5 hr epic and one of the toughest walks in many a year with a full on 2.5 hr assent to just above the snow line.  However the views from the summit of a 360 degree panorama of snow covered mountains for as far as the eye could see was quite frankly breathtaking (or maybe it was the climb).

To celebrate achieving the climb and someone’s birthday in two days time we headed to the Cow restaurant.  The Cow was housed in an old cow shed (hence the name) and was famous for its Pizza & Pasta having the same menu since 1976.  And good pizza it was!

We spent a few more days in and around Queenstown with a small excursion up the lake to Glenorchy where we went for another hike, this time a 14km jaunt along the start of the Routeburn track which is very famous in NZ.  I also got to finally see my birthday presents which Emma had been hiding from me since Christchurch, although I have no idea how I am going to get any more stuff into my rucksack.  A perfect birthday indeed.

Next:  Continuing our journey North to the Franz Josef Glacier.