Wrapping up NZ

Alright. So we told you in the first Christchurch post that it basically sucked. Well, that was not true for our second visit so our humble apologies to the city and our viewers: it's ok to go there. Secondly, we moved back into the YMCA to get everything ready for our departure to Auckland and, ultimately Sydney, Australia. Oh, and in between, there was off course something called "Christmas".

To make our Christmas a little more festive (in a city that was not festive at all - no pun intended) and to make up for the fact that we could not be with our loved ones, we decided to do some "fancy" dining to get into that Christmas spirit. And while the food was wonderful (and again relatively cheap), we also decided to stop by the "nachtmis" in Christchurch's cathedral. Unfortunately, if we wanted to attend, we had to already take our seat and wait for 3 hours before it started. Now, we don't know about you guys, but we're not THAT holy so we decided to pack our bags that evening for the transfer to Auckland and ultimately Sydney.

New Zealand was a wonderfully diverse country with nature being the definite star (just like California). For all of you who still have clue how it really looks, go over the posts again and rent the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It was a 23-day blast and we can honestly say that we "tackled" this country in the given amount of time as best we could. Finally, pray for us as we commence on our next challenge: taking on the vast island-continent of Australia. (PS. And a big slimy holiday kiss from the both of us).

Punakaiki, NZ

Internationally known as THE place to see the famous pancake rocks and blowholes (don't get any dirty ideas), Punakaiki was our first stop after Franz Josef Glacier and along the way back to Christchurch.

Biology Lessons with Chel - Part IV (FJGL)

Drs. Chel is back, straight from the icey world of the Franz Josef Glacier. So sit down, put off your shoes, kick up your legs, and pick out your ears and look and listen... you might actually learn something for a change ;-)

Franz Josef Glacier, NZ

Welcome to the Franz Josef Glacier. After we visited the Fox Glacier we drove further down Glacier Country to the Town of Franz Josef where we got a nice room at Chateau Franz, a clean and cosy backpackers hostel. Upon arrival we immediately booked an all-day hike on the franz Josef Glacier for the following day. After an early wake-up call the next day, we went to the hike briefing where we got cool blue windbreakers, large woollen socks gloves, and a hat, leather boots, and some ice cramp-ons for better grip on the icy surface.

After a short bus ride, we started walking with a relatively small group towards the edge of the glacier. Now, FJ Glacier is current 12 km long and we were going all the way up to the first plateau. The guides had already chopped out some nice steps in the ice for the steep ascent of the first part of the glacier. Once up there, we navigated through and over some really nice cracks while our female guide (another one!) cut some more points to jam our feet securely into. We encountered some small patches of ice water and some of the blue-est ice you have ever seen (this is because the glacier presses out the oxygen of the ice which makes it turn blue).

We climbed further up the glacier (sometimes using a rope) to have lunch at the furthest spot we would go. it was a great place for some pictures before going back down. Now, as smooth as the ascent went, so long took the descent. Because the guides decided to take a path down less (or never?) travelled, it took a very log time before we got down. And since everyone had to get down before it became late, we had to wait a long time before we were back in the valley. However, this made it all that safer, but Sois still managed to almost fall down some icey stairs.

All in all, it was a great experience to walk among those giant ice masses. And besides ice, we also encountered one of NZ's coolest birds called the Kea (which makes a sound similar to ke-a, hence its name). It was just the cherry on the cake of a wonderfull day. It was our last real adventure before our time in NZ was almost over. Keep on checking back though because we're not done yet!

Follow the girl with the ice axe

More glacier than meets the eye

Fox Glacier, NZ

Because we've already mentioned Queenstown, we can fast forward to two other natural highlights of NZ. After an overnight stop in Haast (where we took some pictures of the beach in this otherwise ghostly town with NO food) to break the rather long and windy drive to Fox Glacier/Franz Jozef, we filled up the Mitsu and dragged it further towards our "icy" exploration.

First up, Fox Glacier. This Glacier is off limits to the general public but you can still view it. It's become all dirty from the rocks it grinds up to mash and drops in the glacier bedding/river. During the last ice age approximately 10.000 years ago, this glacier used to extend way further into the valley, cutting out a V-shaped form. On the pic below, Chel helps you guys out with locating the glacier in case you missed it. We also did some small hiking around temparate rainforest to get into shape for the real stuff: hiking on the Franz Jozef Glacier. Strap on those ice-sandals and sharpen your icepicks and come explore some icy cracks.

This is a g-l-a-c-i-e-r...

Rainforest pur sang

Come to the light Mowgli

Te Anau & Milford Sound, NZ

Milford Sound is actually the wrong name: the place isn't a "sound" but a "fiord". There you have it. Now you too can impress locals and tourists alike during your next visit to the Milford Fiord. But seriously, when it comes to beautiful surroundings, then this place certainly hits the spot.

We started of the day with a cruise through Milford because everyone told us it was the next best thing as opposed to walking the 3-5 day walking track (which's hiking permits were fully booked out until March 2007 BTW. Talk about a popular track). In Queenstown, we asked the National Park people for other tracks but they would take too long and be too unrewarding to undertake in our "meager" 23 days of NZ ;-) Anyways, the cruise took us past impressive waterfalls and nice mountains peaks (e.g. Mitre Peak or the "Mijter van Sinterklaas"). It is the wettest place in NZ and even one of the world's, but your dynamic duo had a bright sunny day (it's all about planning, baby).

Now when we drove into Milford, we came across a lot of other interesting places which we decided to visit on our way back later that day. We just wanted to be on the first boat of the day to experience everything in reasonable tranquility. The following pics give our loyal viewers a little glimpse into a very special place. Check back for more soon!

Chel's secret waterfall

Sois and his "mijter" mountain

Guess why they call this: Mirror lake

Queenstown (Part I & II)

Before we talk about our adventures, let me first tell you that this is a combined post of our 2 (!) visits to Queenstown, the adrenaline capital of NZ. This is because the first time, we didn't have the time to have adventures as we were using this nice little town as a "hub" towards te Anau and the Milford Sounds (or better yet, Fiord). Nor did we take pictures (shot some video footage though) but we did put some time and effort into updating this website (see "Greetings from Queenstown" post).

However, when coming back from Te Anau, we passed Queenstown again to take care of some unfinished business. The first picture is taken from the lookout over Queenstown. Being the cheap bastards that we are, we decided to hike up to the lookout, which, according to the Lonely Planet, would only take 30 odd minutes or so. Well, the lookout company changed the route, so now it took more than an hour to get up there along a VERY steep unpaved road. Covered in sweat and with calves the size of Parma-hams, we got to the lookout and indeed had a nice view (still, we took the cable cart down), especially from the bungy jumping wacko's that were jumping into the valley. For the crazies among you, go to QT when you want to jump off stuff.

We, however, decided not to jump but rather to go rafting down a class IV whitewater river with the Queenstown rafting company. Oddly enough, the drive to the river was even more adreline-pumping and butcheek-squeezing than the actual raft experience. We had to go up one of the mountains along a road where: (A) there was only a dirt road of approximately 2 mtrs wide (and there were several 90 degree turns, landslides, previous carwrecks, etc); (B) no rental cars were allowed (C) no caravans (D) no heavy vehicles; and (E) no trailers. And guess what we had: A fullly loaded 1979 bus with a large trailer carrying all the rafting boats as well. We have never seen a bus being "fogged up" that quickly nor so many sweaty and silent teenagers.

After thanking God and all the other spirits that we arrived in one piece, we still had to actually go rafting. There was a good briefing and we got a girl as our team captain. Heading along the river, the 7 of us encountered some nice rapids after we learnt the basics (and Sois had learned the difference between left and right yet again) of whitewater rafting. Nobody fell out, but of course Sois had to jump in one time to feel how cold the water was and he came to the conclusion that he'd rather stay in the boot. Hereunder, you'll find a very short clip of us going to the final rapids (bonus points for those who can pinpoint the both of us).



It was G-R-E-A-T and we were glad we did this instead of jumping off stuff with those rubbers on your feet. Finally, nature is calling again so look out for the next post on the Milford Sounds. May the force be with you! Sayonara!

Aoraki / Mt. Cook

Welcome to Aoraki or better known as Mt. Cook in NZ's Mackenzie District. Aoraki/Mt. Cook is the highest mountain in NZ measuring 3754 meters and is part of NZ's impressive Southern Alps. The Maori legend behind Mount Cook is about the story of Aoraki and his three brothers. They were the sons of Rakinui (the Sky Father) and were on a voyage around Papatuanuku (the Earth Mother) when disaster struck and they became stranded upon a reef. They climbed to the top side of the canoe and after a time the south wind froze them and turned them into stone. Their canoe became the South Island (Te Waka o Aoraki is the original name for the South Isand) and Aoraki who stood tallest of the brothers is now seen as the majestic Aoraki/Mount Cook with the Southern Alps as his brothers and other members of their crew. And now Chel & Sois are standing right between them.

It was already the late afternoon when we "gunned" the car onto the driveway of the Hermitage Hotel (the most famous hotel of NZ as we later found out) where we got a very nice room at a very nice price. we had planned to spend the entire nex day hiking but unfortunately, the weather gods were not cooperating (keep up the (naked)dancing everyone!) and we had to do the hiking right there and then (before dark). We did 2+ hours over the so-called "Hooker Valley" walk which was very cool because we walked through the valley floor which was full of plants and sediments from earlier glacier outreaches. The hike took us all the way up to the lake at the foot of the glacier and quire close to the base of Mt. Cook. As you can see on the pics, there were still pieces of ice in the lake and river. The water is so grey from all the rocks that are grinded up by the glacier.

We made it back before dark and decide to dine "in style" that night at the Hermitage's award winning restaurant (keep in mind that their prices were not more expensive than those of the crappy brasseries at the Vrijthof!). We had a nice romantic dinner overlooking the mountains and the oncoming bad weather. The next morning it started to rain and we decided to go on before things would get any worse. Besides, we also had a relatively long drive ahead to Queensland.

Lake Tekapo Pitstop

On our way from Christchurch to Aoraki/Mt. Cook, we came across beautiful Lake Tekapo, approximately 100 kms before our final destination. It's a highland lake at 710 meters (2300 feet) and surrounded by golden tussock grass (see pics). The name Tekapo comes from the Maori words "Taka" (sleeping mat) and "Po" (night). Finely ground rock in the glacial melted waters give the lake its beautiful turquoise colour. And here comes the best part: we already had "Californian Breakfast" along the Sta. Barbara coastline, now we had some Chinese takeaway food at the edge of an elevated lake. Ain't life great?

Christchurch, NZ

Remember the Santa Cruz post? Yep, that's right, Christchurch sucked kinda as well. We started off having problems finding a place to sleep. So after spending 1 and a half hours chasing a nice clean bed with a decent shower, we finally ended up in the local YMCA. And you know what... it IS fun to stay at the YMCA (or at least this one). The construction worker, indian, and moustached leather guy were all VERY friendly. Anyways, the place was cheap, clean, relatively central, and had a small gym.

From our new HQ, we explored the city a little and ran into a nice cathedral and got some Japanese food. However, since the city itself was a little boring, we went to the Antarctic Centre. Yep. Christchurch is the world's main gateway for Antarctic expeditions by various countries that do research there. Bet you didn't know that. The above pic is taken in this center where we both experienced a fake Antartic icestorm which was VERY cold and nasty (especially in shorts). OH, and we saw (handicapped) pinguins as well. These poor guys and gals couldn't survive anymore in the wild so the centre acts as a sanctuary first instead of attraction: Two "eco" thumbs up! As for the rest of our stay, well, we spent it laundry-ing (?) and planning for our "expedition" to Aoraki/Mt. Cook which is part of the famous NZ Southern Alps. So dress warm and come along!

Kaikoura, NZ

After the Tongariro Crossing was over, we headed further down the northern island towards Wellington. Here we had to hand in the ol' faithful RAV4 and take a ferry to the first place on the southern island called Picton. Now, there's nothing really spectacular to tell about both Wellington and Picton as we mainly used Wellington to do some laundry, grocery shopping, planning, and some Internet preparations (yes, we also face the struggles of every day life ;-) Now the ferry ride lasted 3 and a half hours and was (as Interislander promo material already highlighted) on of the most beautiful ferry crossings in the world. When we docked and got off, we took the luggage and hopped into our shiny Mitsubishi Outlander and headed of to the nearest motel. Sois had some takeaway, a burger with a even a red beet (=bietje) on it while the owner reminded everyone to please eat their veggies as well.

The next day we drove about 2 hours to Kaikoura where we expected to do some serious whale watching. And guess what: we had 5 whale sightings (all on camera, yessirree) and also spotted a large pack of playful dusky dolphins. Here's how the caper went down: Immediately after arrival, Chel hooked us up with some tickets for the afternoon spotting. We were transferred by bus to a new, hightech, catamaran type of vessel. Now the sea was a little rough, and we both felt a little sick the whole tour (but only the real "mietjes" on board puked, not us ;-). Anyways, our "spotter" told us everytime when we saw a while when it was going to dive. You can see from the pictures how their tails came up (we also got some nice video footage). These whales are called "Sperm Whales" (now don't laugh just yet, wait until you hear how they got their names) and can age up to 70-80 years and grow up to 20 meters long (there are bigger ones, but they're elsewhere). Back to the sperm. The first whalers catched one of these whales and sliced upon its forehead and out came an enormous amount of oil (they've got a huge reservior, +/- 10000 liters, have no idea exatly for what, in their forehead) which was whitish exactly like... you het the drill. Now these guys thought it was sperm but which man or beast would need (A) so much, and (B) put it then in their foreheads. Nevertheless, the word got out across the region (and ultimately the globe) and that's how they got their wrong name. Cool.

As a little dessert (while Sois was seriously considering grabbing on to one of them pukebags), we also got to see a pack of Dusky dolphins which grow up to 1-2 meters, have a white belly and can be considered as "clowns of the sea". They jumped and went up along the boat and went just plain crazy. Another nice fact about them is that they are so "sjerrep" that they "mate" 10+ times a day with their several partners a day. Now I know what you guys are thinking, but probably only the gals could handle that one. Alright, hope this post left a smirk (=faint smile) on your face (we sure had a smile from ear to ear) and Chel could refrain herself this time from jumpin next to the dolphins and whales so alls well that ends well. And with that jabber, we close this post. Peace!

The Tongariro Crossing

Hi to all! Its major hiking time with Frodo and Schmiegel as we geared up and did the Tongariro Crossing, NZ's best 1-day hike bla bla bla. No words can describe how nice this walk was but here's a general description for starters: The Tongariro Track is 17km long (one-way) and passes through several vegatation zones ranging from alpine shrubbery to places at higher altitude where there is no vergetation, to the lush podocarp forest as one descend from the Ketetahi Hut towards the end of the track. You pass several vulcanic craters with some nice crater lakes. OK, now that we have established the basics, let's talk about our own experience on the track.

From Napiers we had a 3-hour to the Discovery Lodge right next to the mountain range. We had bought some powerfoods and got up at 5:00 AM to get ready for the our transfer to the beginning of the trail. It was cold and windy at the start and we had to get fully covered before we could start the walk so we started as the last ones of our group. There we went, Frodo and Schmiegel up into mountains that could be taken right out of the LOTR. The first parts were rather steep and we had to considerably strain ourselves to pass the other group members. However, at the first peak, we were getting ahead. All alone we walked a big plane (=vlakte) between the vulcanoes which was as spooky as impressive. Then the wind started to blow violentlty so we strapped up as we went up the steepest hill along the Red Crater. There was loose gravel everywhere and the wind was so strong that we nearly were blown off the mountain. Little piece of dirt and rock flew by our ears and we had to hook our arms into each other and keep low to avoid a serious fall down. After that, we still had to descent with the same wind. We glided, hanging into the wind, down the loose gravel towards, the beautiful volcanic lakes like Emerald Lake and Blue Lake. The rest of the walk was more relaxed and we got the chance to touch some of the volcanic stones which were WARM(!) (the volcanoes are still active so that's why there are hot water springs and the like). The rest was more a less a cruise down and we increased the gap with the others. The surroundings were beautiful but our photocamera was empty and we only managed to get this picture of Sois just over the highest top. The real die-hards of course know that we DID shoot a lot of video footage which you can come watch when we're back. Then, you'll really know how windy and nice it was.

The final part of the walk was only downhill and we ended with forest walk. We did it in 5 and a half hours instead of the normal 7-8 and in our enthusiasm were 2 hours too early for our pickup back to the lodge. So we chilled a little and watched our DVD to pass the time. Man... this was one of the highlights of our entire trip so far. Our apologies that we only have a single picture but video footage is nice. Guess you'll have to wait. Thank you for reading this rant and on to the next "Chel and Sois' WorldWide Adventure"!!! (And many thanks to our sponsors as well ;-).

Biology Lessons with Chel - Part III

It's simply amazing the range of topics our good old Drs. Chel is knowledgeable about. Today she has a special treat for us straight from Wai-O-Tapu thermal reserve just under Rotorua, NZ. Drs. Chel, the stage is all yours...

Taupo & Napiers, NZ

After Rotorua, we drove (imagine long stretches of green mountains, green plain, green trees, and white sheep) 27 kms further down to the coolest thermal wonderland called Wai-O-Tapu. Here they had the lady Knox Geyser (which spewed up to 15-20 meters high after the park ranger threw a bar of soap in it) and some really cool thermal lakes and mineral deposits. Just check the pics and further on, Drs. Chel's cool lesson about the so-called "Champagne Pool" with its bright orange/red mineral deposits alongside its edges.

After this exciting visit, we headed towards Taupo were we visited the Craters of the Moon (another thermal reserve with only warm craters) and the Huka Falls (one of the most potent falls around). Just check the pictures to get an impression . Again, the town was small and dead but we actually wanted to come here to make NZ's best one-day hike: the Tongariro Crossing. Unfortunately, the weather gods were not on our side (c'mon people, keep up the naked dancing!) and we had to find an alternative for the weekend (which ended up being the earlier mentioned sites). Because we heard the town of Napiers (on the East Coast) should be nice we went there. There were some nice Art Deco buildings but that was about it (although Sois found a place were he could get a real "friet speciaal" and even "kroketten" so guess it wasn't all for nothing then ;-). From Napiers we arranged to do the Tongariro Crossing on Monday the 11th of December as it would be our only chance before we would take the ferry from Wellington to Picton on Wednesday. We booked a lodge as close as possible to Tongariro National Park so we could be as early 6:00 AM on the mountain. Now that was an adventure... so keep checking and you won't be disappointed!

Visiting the Mitai Maori Village (show)

As impressive as thermal activity is, we also came to Rotorua to get up and close with Maori culture (the first inhabitants of NZ which came from Hawaii and Polynesia in big double-hulled canoes). You know, the guys with the great facial tattoos and the funny faces. You can laugh what you want, but this all serves a purpose. We had the chief of the village explain to us all that you only get those tattoos if you have achieved something (for instance, as a warrior). Men can earn a kiwi, a bat, parrot, and ehmmm... ok, we forgot (sorry!) which combined covers their entire face. Women can get an owl on their chin. The chief also taught us other rituals, beliefs, and protocals of the Maori culture. It was fascinating, especially the warrior poses where the men scream very loud and make strong facial expressions to intimidate the enemy. Check out the video and freak out (and giggle)!

In addition to this class-act, we also had a traditional Maori dinner which is cooked in the ground on warm stones plus a bush walk explaining about what natural resources the Maori use and what is considered holy in nature. All in all a very nice experience, especially because the chief was a very engaging man who seemed to have a sincere interest in furthering the understanding of his people. Great culture, great traditions, great tattoos, plus some of own Maori warrior screaming made this a nice visit (check out http://www.mitai.co.nz" as well). Keep an eye out for more babbling! Greets!

Rotorua, NZ

After Hahei and HWB, we drove straight down along the cheesily named "Thermal Explorer Highway" of the North Island towards Rotorua. This place is famous for its thermal activity and strong Maori heritage. There are several parks were you can see thermal activity up close and personal (and smell that damn rotten-egg smell of the sulphur pools and deposits. First up was a visit to Te Whakarewarewa thermal reserve (full name: Te Whakarewarewa o te Ope Taua a Wahiao which means "The Gathering Together of the War Party of Wahiao.. pfeww!). The main attraction is the Pohutu geyser and of course some bubbling mud pools, sulphur lakes, etc. Just look at the pics to get a good idea.

We also went to a place called Hell's Gate were we again explored a thermal reserve but also got the chance to dabble in some of the mud in their worldfamous spa (which were just concrete basins with mud and mineral baths but an experience nonetheless). I think we still have mud coming out of all our bodily cracks and it wasn't probably the best idea for Chel's bladder as she was just recovering. On top of this, we also went to Te Puia which is yet another thermal park full smelly activity and bright colours you would normally only see in your Chemistry books from high school. They also factored in some Maori cultural exhibits and shows but we already had a great share of this when we visited the "Mitai" Maori Village (see Mitai post).

Finally, about Rotorua itself, there's nothing really to mention. They have some famous spas but everything is very small (even smaller then Mestreech) and closes early. However, before leaving Rotorua, Sois still wanted to "Zorb" (for those interested, just type "zorb" into google.com") but the wind was too strong and he didn't want to take the "pansy" alternative (not the he would go bungy or anything anyways). Finally, from this thermal and foul-smelling wonderland, we headed on to a place called Taupo. And what happened there, lieve kijkbuiskindertjes, you will get to know in another post...

Hahei & Hot Water Beach, NZ

So we've started driving through NZ and the first more distant location was situated on the Coromandel Peninsula. The places are called Hahei and Hot Water Beach. The first one is famous for its beautiful white sandy beaches, limestone formations, very large marine and island reserve, and one of NZ's greatest snorkling trails. A nice fact about Hahei is that the islands off its coast are so well protected that no one is allowed to anker within 50 meters of them. The islands' ecosystem are untouched and still the same as 100s of year ago. You will plants and animals there that are no longer found in the "mainland" of NZ. Just look at the pictures and be convinced by the natural beauty (and you guys thought, including us, it was mostly going to be sheep, hills, grass, and g'day mate all the time. Well, guess again... simply stunning. Yep!).

We moved a few kilometers further to Hot Water Beach were there a spot on the beach alongside some rock formations were you can dig a hole in the sand and it will be so warm you can build your hot water pool with the help of the incoming tide. NZ still has so much geothermal activity (more on that later) which makes quirky things like this possible. We didn't a hole ourselves because we had to head back to Auckland later that day. More info soon!

Kia Ora to New Zealand !!!

After a relaxed 3-4 hour flight from Nadi, we landed in Auckland, New Zealand. Those guys have a nice airport, we rented a red RAV4 after some bickering with the rental companies. and we got a cheap place to stay in the city center. Needless to say, we were now hooked up for our 23-day adventure in probably our furthest destination (as compared from the Netherlands). There was only one little thing... these people drive on the left side of the road. Wew! It was a little awkward in the beginning to drive on the left hand side and Sois drove like "bompa" in his later driving days.

Auckland is the country's largest city with over 1 million inhabitants. It wasn't much to look at so we just strolled around the next day. In the meantime, Chel had gotted her bladder/urinary tract infection back. So we set out to get a doctor and had to skip any activities including water and too high exertion. We decided to go to Hahei and Hot Water Beach the next day instead of the Waitomo Caves as our old faitful Lonely Planet (well, this edition is rather crap) informed us that glowworms were abound in NZ. Finally, we were so busy with the doctor, laundry, etc. that we didn't get to update the blog so sorry for the long wait (plus these guys here close really really early. It's like being back home). Oh, and before we forget.. our first impressions of NZ are nicely summed up by Sois during our first drive: "Man, this place is SO green, it makes me wanna eat grass!" (Little did we know what beautiful surprises those damn "Kiwi's" (that's the nickname of the people here, btw) had in store for us). And on that bombshell, we're ending tonight's post. Keep visiting our site and discover NZ along with us. Thanks and goodbye, your dynamic (left-driving) duo! (and watch out for those damn Kiwi's crossing the road)