Kiwi Land

Location:
New Zealand

By Belinda Lloyd

I was in desperate need of a holiday, the time had finally arrived for an adventure around my home country's next door neighbour, New Zealand

It is the first day of the tour and I arrive at the airport, tired, excited and curious about the trip that lies ahead. There are lots of people around for the lions vs all blacks rugby match, which had amazingly escaped my knowledge, then again - I've never claimed to be a rugby fan. I clear customs and head to the shuttle bus feeling a little nervous about all the people i am going to meet.....but this is not the time to explain those issues, so let's begin with the night before the tour starts.

Auckland to Bay of Islands....

The tone was set by staying the night in the "red light" district of Auckland. I ignore this omen and the slight ribbing I have been receiving about it and go and do some souvenir shopping.

I wake up in the morning feeling understandably anxious about meeting everyone. Nevertheless i meet some fairly nice people on the bus. Later in the day we have to move around and change seats to get to know some of the other people.

We arrive in Paihia later that afternoon and have a fairly relaxing night. The Haka is performed at the pipi patch bar after the rugby. I am suprised just how intimidating it is to watch up close.

Tomorrow I have selected the Cape Reinga day package of activities which includes sand boarding, and a tour of 90 mile beach.

SAND BOARDING

After stopping off to look at the lighthouse and various sights along the way, we have finally arrived at the sand dunes ready for the moment everyone has been waiting for - the sand boarding. We make our way up to the top - not an easy task i can assure you especially when you seem to be navigating a 90 degree hill made of sand.

I sit and watch some of the other people on the tour make their way down at great speeds and wished I had more confidence, I am starting to lose my nerve and panic about going down the hill. I watch a couple more and eventually it is my turn. Lucky last but not least. I fly down the sand dune, and as i am nearing the bottom, without having lost much momentum, I panic about stopping. it is at this moment that I come off the board and do a semi flip in the air before landing on my shoulder. Ouch, you might be thinking - well yeah it hurt a little, but i think it was more embarrassment than anything else. However I was not the only spill or crash for the day, which i took some comfort in. I dunno (sic) is it wrong to take solace from other people's misfortune like that? hmmm probably......

90 mile beach is our next stop and this is great to wind down and take some good photos - the famous "hole in the rock" for one, along with plenty of other cool beach pictures.

Bay of Islands to Waitomo

Third day of the tour and we have new people joining us and others leaving the tour. Time to say goodbye and hello. It is also time for some interesting and memorable introductions over the microphone whilst travelling on the bus. We pass lots of farmland and, of course, sheep along the way.

Not having read my itinery very closely i am not sure where we are headed today until it is announced by the tour manager....Waitomo. It is pretty cool.

Here we had a choice between black water rafting and visiting the glow worm caves. Still not feeling incredibly daring I take the drier and warmer option of the glow worm caves tour. I plan to save myself for the adrenalin of sky diving or hang gliding later in the tour.

We also see the Maori Arts and Crafts institute where we get to watch maori woodwork being created.

.....To Rotorua....

As we make our way down to Rotorua we also stop off at the thermal areas. Tonight we are treated to a Hangi and concert where we get to witness a maori 'kiss' - the hongi. Sorry if the spelling is wrong there by the way, but it is basically a nose to nose 'kiss' or greeting. The traditional Maori war dance made famous by the all blacks rugby team 'The Haka' is also performed

After the concert and dinner we have the option of stopping at the Polynesian spas, which a few of us decide to do. The hottest outdoor pool reaches 42 degrees. The night is beautiful and clear and you have a view of the city lights across the lake from the pool. A perfect way to relax after the days travels and the dinner.

The highlights of Rotorua included a luge ride - there were collisions and grazed limbs as a result for some people, but it was still great fun - bringing out the little kid in most. There was also the option of the sheep shearing show at the Agrodome. This was a chance to see sheep from countries all over the globe.

I am still feeling a little shy and overwhelmed by all the people on the tour, but so far it has been fun. It has been an action packed few days with very little rest time, something i am starting to crave.

Rotorua to Taupo

Today was a day of pretty amazing sight seeing and some quite interesting smells. Yes, we stop off at the craters of the moon thermal area along with the hukka falls and wairakei valley. Some more amazing shots and for those game enough - the chance to bungy jump had finally arrived.

After careful deliberation I decided NOT to jump, but actually regretted it afterwards whilst watching some of the braver people having a go. I can hear you already, I know I know - not being terribly adventurous so far is she.....well maybe I'm not, but i came on holiday for much needed time out to recharge the batteries and to see some cool stuff. I didn't feel like I had to bungy to achieve that. (Sure, sure.....)

Tonight is our cruise on Lake Taupo, and it goes pretty well. We are joined by a popular couple who left the tour in Waitomo and have met up again with us for the night. All in all it is pretty fun despite the dodgy selection of 70s and 80s karaoke music we had to choose from and getting turned away from our first bar of choice once back on land after the cruise. Back in the hotel room about 3am ready for a 7.45 departure and 7am breakfast. Wake up 7.25 due to faulty alarm…..

{mospagebreak}

Taupo to Wellington

A day of driving today pretty much and a dinner later. We stop off to view the mountains of Tongario National Park and Mt Victoria.

With no optional activities planned we head off for some shopping and to enjoy some free time. Earlier that day we are informed there is a costume party at the end of the tour and we need to find a costume, so people are deciding what to do for this as it has been kind of sprung on us. Not everyone is impressed by this.......

Second day in Wellington and we head to the national museum, here we get to try a virtual bungy, earthquake and see all kinds of maori artefacts and fossils of ancient wildlife that lived in New Zealand. My favourite section is the insects - they have a gigantic vampire flea (a regular pet flea magnified to the size of a baby wombat) which i found fascinating to be able to see the detail of.

We have a night out in Wellington and this seems to go pretty well despite some of the group getting turned away for not having their passports on them. We try another bar instead.

At this point i will mention something about the group dynamics of the tour. There is no getting away from the fact that there is always at least one person in a group who gets picked on and it was never more apparent than this night when some of the boys tried to 'dance' with the particular target and she rejected them. Naturally the rest of the group thought this was hysterical......maybe it was funny but at the time I didn't think people deserve to be ridiculed on a holiday.

Onwards to South Island.

We head to the south Island by ferry. Again, not having read my itinery properly I didn't realise how we were to be getting to the south island until we had gotten to Wellington - maybe a little weird i know, but it had never crossed my mind. I don’t know why, but I wasn't really thinking ahead. Just focusing on what i was seeing and doing at the time.

The ferry ride is peaceful and quiet. I manage to get a couple of photos off the back of the boat, but sleep through most of it.

Once off the ferry we head to Christchurch and stop off here for an hour or so. Get some photos of the city centre and botanical gardens and park areas and do some souvenir shopping. Christchurch is a very pretty city, and reminds of England - at least from what i have seen in photos and on television, not to mention the street names of Oxford Trce, Glaucester and Worcester for example.

We stop off at a seal colony along the Kaikoura coastline as well and are lucky enough to be able to get some fairly close up shots.

Once again a lot to take in and so little time, but I am instantly struck by the amazingly beautiful scenery. More so than the North Island. Not to mention is quite noticeably colder once we arrive over in the South as well.

It is day 8 of the tour - I am tired and actually feeling homesick which surprises me but I am happy to be seeing and doing some pretty cool stuff. That doesn't mean the people on the tour aren't nice, don't interpret the comment that way please. I am someone who likes to travel alone and needs space.

Fox Glacier

An awesome glacier hike awaited up here. 2 hours up to the top of the ice glacier and two hours down. The verdict was unanimous though, something well worth doing despite the total exhaustion you feel when you are finished.

A visit to the Hokitika Jade factory is scheduled as well. Here I purchase two jade necklaces, having lost the one I purchased in Auckland before the tour started. A bad omen for the trip, I don’t know but apparently you are meant to give them away as presents and not keep them for yourself. Different shapes mean different things - good health, friendship, infinity, luck.........and it is good if you wear it first and then give it away. This is according to one of the maori locals I spoke to and note, these are some of the things that are unique and famous to New Zealand - Jade, Paua shell, the haka, teiki, thermal mud, the kiwi and the fern leaf.

More beautiful scenery as we make our way to the part of the trip meant for all the adrenaline junkies out there....

Queenstown.

Three days of adrenaline awaits us in Queenstown. Sky diving, hang gliding, canyon swing, rafting, skiing you name it.

The skiing included a lesson in the morning and then we had the afternoon to hit the slopes and practice our moves. We learn gliding and stopping as well as turning and a little jumping in the lesson.

The afternoon was awesome despite some spectacular crashes. Not having skiied or ice skated since high school I was a little nervous at first, but managed to get through the day without to much of a drama except a slight niggle of the shoulder injury i acquired sand boarding way back in Bay of Islands. Tour casualties - one broken wrist.

Day two - Hang gliding.

Having previously made up my mind to do sky diving but feeling a little anxious about the decision, I had been delighted to hear they were offering hang gliding as well. I had wanted to do this for a while and it didn't take much for me to change my mind and decide to do this instead. All suited up and ready for my glide, i am taken through the take off procedure and shown what to hold onto and talked through the correct landing position. I am nervous especially after watching two girls take off before me. I close my eyes as we take off but once we hit the air I am astounded at how safe I feel. We are 600 feet off the ground and i feel totally secure. I had been worried I would feel like I was going to fall and when the glider does a deliberate stall, my heart seems to stop for a second before we start again. I get to 'drive' or steer the glider for the middle part of the glide. I take over nervously at first but it is surprisingly light and simple to steer. Whilst I don’t know about 'adrenaline' rush, it was definitely well worth it. For want of a better word you feel completely weightless, yet safe and that is indescribable.

I spend the rest of the day shopping/browsing and have lunch with some of the others on the tour.

Milford Sound

Perhaps the most beautiful spot we have seen on the tour, with the waterfalls and canyon like mountains the view is breathtaking as we get to watch the sun set. There is also the option of kyaking for a while once the boat stops.

We can walk around the boat for some amazing photo opportunities and stunning scenery. Those who have read or looked at travel magazines/books about New Zealand would be aware of Milford Sounds beauty. A definite must see if you go, not wanting to sound too much like a travel agent.......

On the way to Milford we stop for some more bungee jumper action. This time we get water dipping, a naked Billy Connolly style jump and a tandem jump from some of the people on the tour. I almost decide to give the jumping a go, but we run out of time before i get up the nerve. I may well be one of the only people who has been to New Zealand and not bungee'd. Never mind.

We pass though the one way tunnel complete to Batman soundtrack - the reason to which escapes me, but it added to the atmosphere.....

Lake Ohau

We pass once again through the one way tunnel out of Milford Sound complete with soundtrack to Batman, and make our way through to Lake Ohau for a night with some stops long the way for photos. The tour is almost at an end and people are starting to get a little sad to be nearing goodbye. Not to worry, tonight is the costume party/goodbye party. We stop for some photo opportunities along the way and also for pictures of the lake. Another beautiful spot of the South Island.

I am partly looking forward to the end of the tour, and partly sad at the same time. 15 days has gone fast, but it seems like yesterday we were in the Bay of Islands......

.....Lake Ohau to Christchurch.....

We arrive back in Christchurch after sleeping and nursing hangovers through most of the bus trip. Today is it. Time to say goodbye to everyone who is leaving and even those who are staying on for a bit. I catch the bus to Invercargill tomorrow morning so say goodbye here.

I arrive in Invercargill sleepy and tired after the trip and still feeling a little sick and sore. It is good to be able to relax and unwind and catch up with a friend before heading home to face reality.

One more night and afternoon in Christchurch before flying out, so i go for a walk around the city centre and take some more photos and the free tram around to see all the sights. I am starting to fall in love with this city. It is simple, elegant and old looking yet modern at the same time. Hope that makes sense....

Back to Melbourne and reality again, yes all good things must as they say come to an end i guess. Or maybe it should be 'where to next?'