Roll Over

Time to sweep everything under the rug and roll over!

New Zealand Trip 2008

Kia Ora! It has been a wonderful time here in New Zealand for 17 days. This time round, my trip companion is my Mum! It is supposed to be Summer but the temperature is going haywire and it is still as cool as Autumn. Brrr…. The flight to Auckland from Singapore was largely uneventful, thankfully and when I saw the 90 mile beach coast line, I was so HAPPY! Very often, my body got fooled by the daylight as I was still seeing the sun up till 9.30pm, making me think that it was still 5-6pm. AHHHH!

12 Dec 08

Left Singapore for Auckland via Brisbane on Qantas. It was a red-eye flight as I was hoping to get some things done at least on the day of touch down. While flying over Australia, we flew over some populous towns such as Alice Springs.
Blurred Shot From The Air of Alice Springs
13 Dec 08

Alas, while the plane was flying in to Brisbane, I could not get a shot of the rising sun at 30,000 feet. Arggg. Brisbane Airport is small when compared to Changi but it will do for today. I had forgotten how small a 737 is and when I compared it to the 747 I arrived on, I groaned in disappointment of the plane bringing me into Auckland.
Qantas 747
Qantas 737
YEAH! Auckland, New Zealand! Finally I am here. After picking up my rental car, I headed over to Mount Eden. It is a now extinct volcano but the crater makes for a great walk. However, there are too many “landmines” while going up the Mount.

Distance of Singapore from Mount Eden, Auckland
14 Dec 08

Woke up early today to head up to Paihia for the cruise of the Bay of Islands. Took the longer route and felt that it was not worth it. Next time, I am sticking on State Highway 1. The cruise was really wonderful and we were able to spot dolphins and went to the “Hole in the Rock”. Unfortunately, the sea condition today was choppy and the tide was high, resulting in us not being able to sail through the rock.
Hole In The Rock
The cruise also had a stopover at an island called Urupukapuka. The lookout point is only a short walk from the cafe but the view was beautiful.

There were some people who had paid for the opportunity to “swim with the dolphins” and it was really hilarious seeing them dive down and swim around to see the dolphins. Hahaha!
Dolphin Arch

After the cruise, as there was still plenty of daylight, it was a good idea to head over to see the Haruru Falls. There have been some people who have claimed that the falls look no more than a drain. Well, here is a picture of it, you decide for yourself.
Haruru Falls
15 Dec 08

The destination for today is Cape Reinga. Situated at the Northern tip of New Zealand, it is the place where the Maoris believe that the souls of the departed will leave and return to their homeland of Hawaiiki. Along the way I visited the giant sand dunes and it was almost like a desert out there.
Standing On The Giant Sand Dune
Cape Reinga Light House
16 Dec 08

Headed over to the Coromandel Peninsula today for a trip through Road 309. It was a day of plus and minus today. I managed to visit the beautiful Rapaura Watergardens, went up to Castle Rock and saw the Waiou Falls on Road 309. It was a surprise to see the a statue of the God of Longevity, otherwise known as Shou Xing Gong to most of us in Singapore, at the Rapaura Watergardens. Haha. Drivers beware, Road 309 is a gravel road and the drive up to see Castle Rock is not for the faint hearted. However, the rewards for the bravery are beautiful sights.
Seven Steps of Heaven at Rapaura Watergardens
Shou Xing Gong in New Zealand?!
Castle Rock

There is a beach in the area known as the Hot Water Beach. Here, the geothermal energy in the ground heats up the water that is trapped in the sand as it is being brought in by the waves. Many folks come ready with their shovels at low tide to dig up their own private hot water spa.

Hot Water Beach
Sadly, I took a wrong turn later near the Hot Water Beach and got stuck at the beach at Hahei and had to pay to get the vehicle pulled out. Arggg.
Beached Car
After the car was rescued, I headed up to the lookout point to Cathedral Cove. No way was I going to give up seeing the sight just because my rental car got stuck.
Cathedral Cove
17 Dec 08

In the morning, while on the way to Rotoroa, we headed over to the Kiwi Capital of the world, Kiwi 360. Over here, the kiwis were sweet! Not the sour kind we find in our supermarkets back home.
Kiwi Plant
After that, we passed Okere falls while on our way to Rotoroa. It was a place where many come to do white water rafting and there happened to be a group who were being "dunked" at the falls while I was there. Nice.
Water Dunking
Next was to the region of the thermal energy, the place of interest for today, Rotoroa. Sad to say the Maori Thermal village that I visited previously, has begun to commercialized itself. The performance seemed to be shortened. Sigh. However, the guided tour was still a thrill to follow. The guide was really great and patient with all the visitors.
Maori Meeting House
Next up was the Buried Village. This was a Maori Village which was completely buried when Mount Tarawera errupted in 1886. Here, we could see some of the huts that were excavated since the eruption.
Excavated House at the Buried Village
On the way back to the hostel in Rotorua City, we passed by the Whakarewarewa Redwood Forrst. It was a redwood forrest with many marked paths which allows visitors to tak a walk amid the serenity of nature.

18 Dec 08

While on the way over to Waitomo caves, we headed over to Huka Falls and did the Hukajet and it was really really fun! Especially the 360-degree turns. FWAH!
View From The Base Of Huka Falls
A brief stop over at the Craters of The Moon was lacking as the geothermal evergy seems lower. Plus, you got to pay entrance now. AHHHHH!
Craters Of The Moon
Also covered the 3 caves in the Waitomo caves area "Aranui, Ruakuri & Waitomo Gloworm" and the limestone structures were really beautiful.
Lime Stone Structures in Aranui Cave
Lime Stone Structures in Ruakuri Cave
When we finished with the caves, it was still bright, so I decided to head on to the Marakopa Falls. The last time I was in this region, I tried looking for it but to no avail. This time, with the long hours of sunlight, I finally found it and it was fantastic.
Marakopa Falls
19 Dec 08

While on the way to Wellington today, a detour was made to the Te Apiti Wind Farm. It was grand and the wind was sooo strong! I am so small compared to the large wind turbines. Te Apiti Wind Farm is the biggest windfarm in New Zealand!

Te Apiti Wind Farm
The Kraori Bird Sanctuary in Wellington was a very nice place to visit. Took part in the guided night tour and it was a great experience. Only sad thing was I heard the wild Kiwis but could not see them. Ah well.
Kraori Bird Sanctuary
20 Dec 08

It was a very windy day today in Wellington. My rental car was being bounced around by the wind while waiting at the junction of Wakefield Street and Cambridge Terrace. Ooooh. Headed to Cape Palliser to find the seals at the seal colony, unfortunately there were no seals there at all. However, during the journey, I kept getting blocked by a huge herd of sheep crossing the road. All the time they kept baying and shitting all over the road! Hahaha.
Sheep Crossing

Cape Palliser
It was starting to drizzle on my way back to Wellington and I decided to head over to visit the Hau Nui Wind Farm. Hau Nui Wind Farm is the first wind farm to be built in New Zealand.
Hau Nui Wind Farm
When I returned to Wellington, it was raining heavily and my plans could not be put into action. In the end, only the visit to Te Papa museum could be done. Well, at least they had a great exhibit there today, the colossal squid which was caught last year by chance.
Collosal Squid Exhibit at Te Papa Museum
21 Dec 08

It was still raining this morning when I left Wellington on the Interisland ferry towards PIcton in the South Island. Finally I am in the South Island and heading down to Franz Josef township. Along the way, a visit to the seal colony at Cape Foulwind was done. At last, some seals at a seal colony and there were many seals there too!

There was also the customary visit to the Puanakaiki Pancake Rocks park as it was on the route along the way. Apparently, if I had come during the high tide, I would have gotten to see the magnificant water spouting from the blowhole.
Puanakiki Surge Pool
Along the way to Franz Josef, there were many strange road signs that will never appear in Singapore.

22 Dec 08

Woke up in the morning after a good rest and headed over to visit the glaciers. Although I did not managed to sign up for the glacier tours, I did my own walks and I got really great views of the Franz Josef and Fox glacier. The glacier river was so cold that I could not cross it properly as it was FREEZING!

However, over at Fox Glacier, days of rain has caused a rock slide and the front of the glacier had collapsed. The ice cave that I was at previously is missing too.

While on the way to Queenstown, I picked up 2 hitchhikers who happened to be on the way there too. Chatted with them in the car and found out that they were Apple and Ricky from Hong Kong. Apple was real chatty and looked cute too. Ricky was quiet though. We had a great chat in Cantonese and found out that they were on a 1 year work and tour visa and moving through New Zealand. WOW! If only I had the guts to do such a thing and put my life on hold. Queenstown is a small town with a very laidback charm. The mounntains nearby gives it an added blend of man in nature.
Sunset in Queenstown
23 Dec 08

Onward to Manapouri for the Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise, It is a cruise lasting the entire day and it was well worth it. Sailing through the fjords and enjoying the lush scenery and wildlife. Ahhhh.
Lake Manapouri




Doubtful Sound
24 Dec 08

Headed towards Bluff in the morning to get a shot of the coastline. However, I got caught by the police for speeding and got slapped with a NZD230 fine. Sigh. Money not well spent. Arggg. The view from Bluff was ok but the return trip walk to the lookout was a killer. I was panting very badly by the time I returned to the rental car.

The Catlins coastline was my next destination and I found some interesting places of visit. Like Slope Point, the South most point of New Zealand and Curio Bay where there lies a fossilised forrest. It was a rock shore where many fossilised remains of shellfish remains. Found a seal resting there too. Penguins were expected at the Curio Bay but they are out fishing, although there was a very clear stench of penguins and signs of their "projectile shitting". Driving the Catlins coastline explorer route is risky as it was all loose gravel roads and I felt the car slipping a few times too!


Just before heading for my rest stop for the night, the final place of visit was the Moeraki Boulders. These are round boulders that happened to be at the shoreline. Nobody knows how they got there and they sort of look like dinosaur eggs. I could not resist and started jumping on them. Haha.




Moeraki Boulders
By the time nightfall came, I was tucked in nicely at The Hermitage in Mount Cook Village on Christmas Eve. The village is situated at the base of Mount Cook. I had hoped to so stargazing the evening I arrived but alas, it was very cloudy. Even the view of Mount Cook was obscured. What a waste especially since I had a floor to ceiling window view of Mount Cook. Sigh.
The Hermitage
Mount Cook Obscured
25 Dec 08

Rise and shine and still the cloud cover was on Mount Cook. Ah well. After a hearty breakfast at the Alpine restaurant, it was a nice relaxing drive to Hanmer Springs. Along the way, the sjy was still threatening and the rain was sporadic. However, I made some discoveries along the way. Farmers had built culverts or tunnels below roads to allow their cows to move from one grazing field to the next.

Lake Takapo was a nice little village at the bas of Mount Cook. A good place to take a break before heading on. However, I guess I must have been very drained by this point with all the driving and did not managed to visit the thermal pools when I reached Hanmer Springs. Anyway, I guess they were closed, since it was Christmas Day.

26 Dec 08

The early rest was good for me as I felt really recharged this morning. Heading to Kaikoura for the Whale Watch, I had forgottened to call them up prior to confirm the sailing. Alas, when I arrived, the wind was blowing too strongly and the sailing for the day was cancelled. I rearranged to return the next day and headed over to the Seal Colony to see the fur seals. Previously, the fur seals would be situated at the colony near the car park. However, this time round, they have placed themselves at the colony further at the tip of the peninsula and I had to walk through a bird nesting colony to get to them. While walking through the nesting colony, the birds must have thought that I am a threat and made lots and lots of noise.
Kaikoura Fur Seals
Garnet In Flight
Southern Alps
Since there was not much to do for today, with the cancellation of the whale watch, we headed down to Christchurch to do the Gondola ride. As I have said during my last visit, the Gondola is actually the same as our Cable Car. The "gondola" which we are so familiar with in terms of italian folklore is called Punting here. They have revamped the Heritage trail since I was last at the Gondola Station back in 2006 and now it is a ride. Not too bad if I may add. Sadly it was ruined by the noisy people in the ride. Sigh.
View of Christchurch from the Gondola
Shopping in town was up next and since it is Boxing Day, they have very very big Boxing Day sales going on. I got a couple of All Blacks merchandise for myself, fleece, long and short sleeved jerseys, jacket, key chains. Haha. Go nuts buying All Blacks stuff.
27 Dec 08

While waiting to reconfirm the sailing for the days whale watch, we went to visit the Christchurch Cathedral Square. There was a bazaar, people playing chess with the gisnt chess set, street performers and everybody out on a day just to relax and have fun.
Christchurch Tram
Giant Chess Game
When I confirmed the whale watch, it was a two and a half hour drive up to Kaikoura again. We managed to see 2 whales but they did not do the traditional dive with their tail fins up in the air. ooking at the whales, it almost seemed like it was just a log there, if not for the occasional spouting of water from their blowholes.
Saddleback Whale
Heading back to Christchurch after that, I began the process of packing my bags for my return home. Sigh. I really really don't want to return to Singapore. Anyway, there was a lost sheep while I was heading back to Christchurch. In fact I saw many lost sheep during my trip, many of them escaping from the farms and running around outside on the road. Hahaha.

28 Dec 08

On my flight back to Singapore, something nice happened. I got bumped up to another class in Sydney after arriving from Christchurch. This will never happened on an SIA flight as their flights are never full. Thank goodness I flew Qantas this time. The welcoming steward even pulled a fast one on me when he mentioned that I could not board the plane with the shirt I was wearing. I was stunned for a moment before realising that I was wearing my All Blacks jersey while boarding an Australian carrier plane. Hahaha. The service was great and I can grow to like it. Alas I am not rich and usually can only barely afford to fly Economy. However, thanks Qantas. You made it a nice ending for my holiday!

Well, that just about wraps up my journey this time in New Zealand. Till the next time. Kia Ora and Harae Ra.