We left Whakapapa and continued further north for Taupo – where two brave souls had the urge to jump of a cliff – only secured by a bungy cord.
Afterwards we continued to Huka Falls – where some of us continued for a walk starting at the falls to a natural hot spring – for a well deserved soak (especially after the big hike yesterday).
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We were once more lucky with the weather; we had about the best conditions, one could ask for to do the Tongariro Alpine Crossing hike. The main hike covers a total distance of 19.4 kms, starts at an elevation of … Continue reading
We left Wellington in the early afternoon, following the west coast (with a rare view of Kapiti Island on the way) straight into the – warm and beating – heart of the North Island – the central plateau with the distinctive peaks of Mt. Ruapehu, Mt. Ngauruhoe (starring – and better known – as Mt. Doom in the Lord of the Ring trilogy) and Mt. Tongariro – all active volcanoes.
We had had half a day in Wellington – I decided to jump on a Lord of the Rings tour to see some of the places that had been used when the trilogy had been filmed – and are still used today for The Hobbit.
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Our time on New Zealand’s South Island came to an end … we made our way up to Picton to board the Interislander ferry to Wellington on the North Island.
We used Nelson as our base to make it into Abel Tasman National Park; many of us were booked on the Gourmet Platter – meaning a half day kayaking trip through the park, a water taxi transfer to the starting point of a half day hike (actually more a 2.5 hours walk) – and transport back to the base.
Weather once more was fantastic, making this day one of the highlights of the trip.
We continued from Kaikoura to Nelson in the early afternoon, after we all got back from our dolphin encounter. On the way we – again – had a number of stops – most notable the one at a roadside seal colony, another one at a winery – not to forget the stops at the chocolate factory (good chocolate … but pricey) and the rude fudge lady.
A highlight was ahead of us today – swimming with the dolphins.
We got to the center in the morning, changed into wetsuits and made our way into the auditorium for an introductory and safety briefing. Once the briefing was over, we were warned about rough sea and told that we would get a full refund, if we decided not to go. No one of us took the warning seriously … we all went … with the result that many of us (as well as the other people on board) ended up with a bucket in front of them at some point (including myself).
Nevertheless everyone who wanted to get into the water to actually swim with a school of wild dusky dolphins, did so – and the experience of being in the water so close to them was an amazing one – with or without bucket.
No photos here … unfortunately.
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The second part of the tour had started; we were heading north, we also lost four family members and gained a new one. We made it into Kaikoura midday; Katherine (our newbie), Arie, Michael and myself headed off for a … Continue reading
It was raining today – nevertheless eight brave souls were eager to go out for a hike along the Hooker Valley to get a glimpse of Hooker Glacier’s icebergs in Hooker Lake – all in all a simple, flat three hours hike.
However as mentioned – it was raining … and that rain really was a test on all our outdoor gear … most of which did not work – waterproof does not mean waterproof, it merely means waterproof for an hour – after which all depends on your luck – I was drenched to my underwear – and got myself a new rain jacket straight after I got home.
After the hike – and a short stop in the National Park visitor center (respectively a cafe to warm up again) – we made our way back to Christchurch and the Jailhouse hostel, where washers and driers had good business thanks to our wet cloths.
