New Zealand 2008

Hein and Wil website

Our trip to the South Island of New Zealand
March 23 - April 28, 2008

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Last updated October 27, 2008

Yes we did like our last trip to New Zealand in 2006 very much. We decided to focus solely on the South Island this time, flying directly into Christchurch.
We rented again a campervan from the same folks as in 2006: Gateway, who treates us well.
This time we had less of a program and were more open to spur of the moment decisions.

The first few days in Ch.ch. (Christchurch) we looked around this town and did a hike down the volcanic rim to Lyttleton

We decided to give Mt. Cook another try after the 2006 rained out attempt. Passing through Lake Tekapo with its romantic little church and Twizel: home to the almost extinct Black Stilt blind we were very lucky with a cloudless sky for Mt. Cook and the Kea Trail hike.

Overall the weather was far nicer than in 2006 although the NZ fall was in the air, the grapes were ripe, leaves were turning and even we got a night frost at our next stop at Lake Wanaka.

From Lake Wanaka it was on to Queenstown. Although touristic it is neat. From here we visited Arrowtown the old gold mining town and purveyor of good lattes.

As the weather promised to hold we gave Milford Sound another try as well. In 2006 the trip was cut short because of stormforce winds, rain.
This time it was good weather (for Milford) some clouds, some sprinklin', some sun.

Along the Milford Road.

At one point one can go underwater and admire the marine life outside the tank and in the open water of the sound.

These are two of the indigenous bird species of New Zealand photographed in a bird reserve in Te Anau, the jumping off point for Milford Sound.

Left the Kaka, above the Kea

As mentioned it was the NZ fall, hence roadside fruitstands are in some places a dime a dozen with a cardboard box as cashier.

Our trip led us from Milford Sound on the west coast through the interior of Otago with the fruit stands and old gold mining towns back to the east coast where a visit to the Moeraki boulder beach (right) is always a nice place to stop.

The next stop of interest was Oamaru with Blue and Yellow-Eyed penguins, always an attraction to us.
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