Needless to say, we were pretty pooped after our trans-Pacific flight to Auckland. We picked up the hire-car and Andy heroically drove us to Rotorua, where we found a place to sleep. The car is a 1997 Nissan Sunny 1.3L automatic, which we've wittily nick-named “Sunny Jim”. Our rough plan was to speed through the North Island – spending only 4 of our 17 days there – before crossing to the South Island, as we have been told that the South Island is where it's at. We will then fly out of Christchurch to be in Melbourne just in time for Christmas.
Our first stop of Rotorua is famed for its thermal features resulting from volcanic activity (just like Yellowstone). However it seems that we can't have been terribly impressed by the bubbling mud and steaming fumaroles, as we apparently took no photos! You know how it is – been there done that... Instead, it seems that we were rather taken with the Maori wood-carvings that were dotted about Rotorua (no, Andy hasn't had a growth spurt – it's a sculpture).
Heading south-east, we found ourselves in the jungle of Te Urewera National Park. Andy got his first taste of driving on New Zealand's impressively serpentine backcountry roads, and loved every minute. We also got the first of many soakings, courtesy of the kiwi weather, which has nearly as many turns as the roads.
The jungle itself is just magical. Tree-ferns and other utterly alien-looking shrubs jostle for ground-space, while dripping mosses blanket every surface.
We made our way down the east coast of the North Island fairly swiftly and uneventfully, arriving in Wellington on 9th December, ready to catch the early ferry from there the following morning. Having expected to merely pass through Wellington, we were pleasantly surprised to find that it is a thoroughly attractive city. A visit to the lovely botanical gardens situated atop one of the city's many hills was followed by a stroll through the compact downtown and a visit to the Te Papa museum.
To get from top to bottom of Wellington we took the historic cable car. Although less elaborate than San Francisco's cable car system (having just 1 line with 4 stops), it was equally fun and far less hair-raising!
While at Te Papa, Andy was very excited to spot this little gem – the legendary Daytona-winning bike that was built in a garden shed by kiwi motor-enthusiast John Britten.
The next morning we drove Sunny Jim to the ferry terminal where the three of us boarded a ferry for Picton on the South Island. Amusingly, “Portsmouth to Cherbourg” was still visible on the side of the boat, depite having been repainted to read “Wellington to Picton”.
When we arrived on the South Island, we started west on the road to Abel Tasman National Park. On the way to the park we stopped at one of NZ's excellent tourist information offices to inquire about campsites. Somehow while we were there, a casual enquiry about hang-gliding lead us to book a tandem flight starting in 45 minutes time! So off we went, a few kilometres up the road to the airfield at Motueka for a flight. We each had a turn riding tandem with the instructor, with me going first. First they zip you into a body sleeve cum harness getup.
Then you are clipped in so that you are suspended from the wing of the hang-glider, with the instructor suspended below.
Once strapped in, the hang-glider is towed into the air by a microlight (a similar contraption to the hang-glider, but with the addition of an engine). The photo shows the view from the hang-glider ahead to the microlight (below are fields of those yummy NZ Braeburn apples we all know and love!). Being towed up was exciting, but hardly a novel sensation – it was just like flying in a plane, but in the open air. However, at 2500 feet, when the towing line was disconnected, it instantly became another experience altogether. Instead of being noisily tugged along and buffeted by the wind, as soon as the tow-rope fell away, we were gliding silently and effortlessly; literally free as a bird. It was just mind-blowing. The instructor let us control the craft ourselves for a few minutes, and then he did some awesome swooping and circling to really get the adrenaline pumping, before taking us down for a gentle landing. We couldn't wipe the smiles off our faces for hours.
We spent the next day in Abel Tasman National Park. As it's inaccessible by road, we took an hour-long water-taxi ride up the coast, spotting seals and black shags along the way.
From the drop-off point we took a leisurely hike through the verdant jungle, crossing one of NZ's famous swing-bridges along the way.
We followed the coastline track past rugged headlands and idyllic sandy coves for around 10km to meet another water-taxi, which then returned us to camp.
From Abel Tasman, we headed south and west, cutting off the remote north-west corner of the South Island, to hit the west coast at Westport. Driving south along the coast, we were presented with a new wild seascape at every turn.
We stayed a night in Punakaiki in Paparoa National Park. Here, the jungle sits atop karst limestone that has eroded to form chasms and potholes galore. Particularly fine are the “Pancake Rocks” that are exposed where the land meets the sea. It is thought that the pancake effect is the result of stylobedding, a chemical process in which the pressure of overlying sediments creates alternating durable and weak bands. Crashing waves have forced large blowholes through the stratified limestone stacks, creating spectacular spumes at high tide.
Otherwise, our time along the west coast has largely been spent on the great kiwi tradition of “tramping” (hiking) in the lush forests that cling to the coastal hills.
In the next episode, we will be exploring glaciers and going for another adrenalin-pumping adventure...
