This is as close as we'll get as far as swimming goes today. It would be nice to be more adventurous.
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7th February 2025 at 19:48 - Damian
We packed up and left for the South Island (Part The Two - Kayak Edition) this morning.
On the way we stopped in Ngāruawāhia to walk the summit track to Hakarimata which was nice and shady on a sweltering day with incredible views over the Waikato from the top.
We ran into a tropical thunderstorm approaching Taupō just as we were arriving at the Whakaipō DOC camp. The dirt roads turned to rivers and people camped here were dealing with collapsed awnings and wet tents.
Tomorrow Hastings.
The view from the tower at the top of the summit. Ngāruawāhia and the Waikato in the distance.
1359 steps to the summit (plus a few for the tower at the end). We've lost a lot of our walking fitness in the last couple of months!
A recent purchase which we'll use to act as a checklist whenever we're passing an interesting walk. 100 of them.
4th February 2025 at 12:58 - Damian
We're off South again on Friday for two months.
This time we've removed the bike rack and loaded the kayak with the intention of spending a bit of time on the water in the Marlborough Sounds and Abel Tasman areas.
On our previous jaunt we were able to go three months off-grid but having the kayak mounted like this will stop the solar panels from functioning even with just the ends in shade. When parked we have the option to tilt the kayak up as well as lower it fully down.
The van with the kayak mounted on the roof. The kayak shades the ends of the solar panels which effectively makes them useless.
Edit to add a pic of the van with the kayak mechanism in the intermediate "up" stage before lowering down. This should suffice to get solar. It's a difference between 12W and 300-400W.
7th January 2025 at 14:38 - Damian
We've started planning for kayaking in the top of the South next month. Got these LINZ topo maps printed up on durable/waterproof A3 from Warehouse Stationery as a fallback in case my usual electronic solutions don't work. They came out pretty sweet.
Printed topo maps of the Marlborough Sounds and Tasman area.
5th January 2025 at 14:46 - Damian
Summary of costs for our 3.5 month South Island road trip. Compared to our recent trip to the USA this was a LOT cheaper per day (at $137/day vs $550/day when flights are accounted for).
And I have to say I much preferred this trip. There's still so much to see of Aotearoa.
See the USA summary for comparison: https://mastodon.nz/@peterson/112990247284582855
Breakdown of costs for posterity:
Total spent for 105 days was $14.390. Averaged $137 per day.
Food/Drink $10.5k, Diesel/RUCs $2.0k, Accommodation/LPG/Other $1.9k
5th January 2025 at 14:19 - Damian
The numbers for December's final leg of the campervan trip for posterity:
3580km total averaging 9.1L diesel / 100km = $799 = $25.80/day (incl RUCs).
Accommodation = $145 = $4.68/day.
LPG = 80g/day = $0.34/day.
Food = $2982 = $96.20/day.
Total = $127/day.
We traveled more, used much less LPG (due to warmer weather) and ate about the same.
Map of our route for December. 3580km.
28th December 2024 at 17:57 - Damian
We're finally back home in Auckland. The garden has been taken over by weeds and will need a bit of love and attention over the next couple of weeks.
It's been a fantastic three-and-a-half month road trip and we've seen a lot more of the South Island than we'd hoped to.
Here's our GPX tracks of the last four years of poking around NZ. It's starting to look like the shape of the country.
In the next day or so I'll crunch all the numbers for the trip.
Our GPX tracks from the last four years. It's starting to look a lot like the shape of New Zealand.
27th December 2024 at 06:29 - Damian
Preparing to cross on the ferry to Wellington we stayed nearby to Picton at the Whatamango DOC campsite 20 minutes further into the Sounds past Waikawa.
We were buffeted by strong winds all night and had no internet so didn't get the alerts from Bluebridge that the sailing was cancelled. We've since visited the terminal and rebooked for a 0230 sailing tomorrow morning.
Looks like a day in Picton and perhaps a bit of planning for when we return in mid-February with the kayak.
Our spot at the Whatamango DOC campsite.
22nd December 2024 at 13:35 - Damian
Winding down for Christmas in Rangiora hanging with family and friends, eating and drinking too much as expected.
Today we walked from Waikuku Beach down to Pegasus for lunch and back. 11km. In the futile hope that some of the calories will be cancelled out.
High tide walking south along Pegasus bay
19th December 2024 at 18:50 - Damian
Today's excursion was a short bike ride (16km return) down the water race section of the Wilderness Trail from Lake Kaniere. It's a nice gentle ride mostly through bush.
After that, lunch in Hokitika (if you're passing through check out the Hokitika Sandwich Company - very tasty), a bit of admin and a drive up to Arthur's Pass Village.
Tomorrow we're back on North Canterbury in the run up to Christmas before skedaddling back to Auckland.
Hard to see but the water race is to the left in this photo. Very chilled out ride.
My New York Style sandwich with corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss cheese and probably other things. Whole pepper berries, too. Yum!
18th December 2024 at 12:53 - Damian
Last night we parked up at Lake Brunner and this morning cycled a section of the Wilderness Trail from Kumara toward Milltown (40km return). The trail was one of the nicer ones we've cycled and we're considering doing another section of it tomorrow before heading to Arthur's Pass.
Sunset at Lake Brunner. We went for a very brief dip. Cold.
A short boardwalk section of the Wilderness Trail.
An outlet on one of the reservoirs. Much of the cycle trail was alongside reservoirs that were originally created to provide water to sluice the gravels in the gold days but now have been converted to hydro dams.
17th December 2024 at 20:18 - Damian
We've left the region now but while in the Motueka area we cycled out to Kaiteriteri and drove to the Riuwaka Resurgence which is where the Riuwaka River appears out from beneath the mountain.
It's a nice region. Plenty to see and do, plenty of great beer and it's nice and warm.
We're going to come back in February/March with the kayak this time and thoroughly explore Nelson/Marlborough.
The Riuwaka Resurgence. Crystal clear and very cold.
Us on the beach at Kaiteriteri. Not too busy yet.
17th December 2024 at 12:06 - Damian
Also in the shop their PO boxes have all the keys left in them because why would anyone want to steal someone else's mail?
PO boxes where every single slot has its key left in.
17th December 2024 at 12:03 - Damian
The biggest and cheapest ice creams we've ever had are from the On The Spot at Ikamatua on the West Coast near Greymouth. $4 for two giant scoops.
I ended up decanting mine into a dessert bowl when we got back to the van.
Sally had already been working on hers for a couple of minutes before this photo.
14th December 2024 at 08:47 - Damian
We joined the NZMCA in 2020. As members, you get exclusive access to something like 2000 properties around the country, 60 of which are NZMCA-owned, the rest member-owned Park Over Properties. You also get discounts from various companies.
NZMCA properties cost $5pp/night and tend not to have facilities. POPs range from free to $5.
Your vehicle gets a sticker (red wings) with your member ID which keeps everyone accountable because you can be reported for bad behaviour.
Our POP in Riwaka. It's got a shower ($2), toilet and washing machine ($4). $5pp/night.
Honesty system for showers and washing machine. Saves on having to install coin machines.
12th December 2024 at 17:38 - Damian
Yesterday we made our way from Murchison to Motueka/Riwaka stopping on the way at Spooners Tunnel for a walk in the dark (1.3km long) and at Wakefield for yet another pie.
In the afternoon we caught up with old brewing buddy Barb who's only a 5 minute cycle ride up the road from where we're staying. And later had dinner with her at the Sprig and Fern.
Today we cycled 42km from just south of Motueka to Mapua and back on the Nelson Great Taste Trail.
Tomorrow we catch up with 3 x aunties.
Spooners Tunnel.
Fuzzy things. They were selling little bunches of these at a fancy gift shop in Mapua. There's a sucker born every minute!
The cycle route to Mapua.
10th December 2024 at 19:15 - Damian
Speaking of pies. Some days our diets consist solely of coffee, pies, cheap Tip Top ice creams and beer. We try to make up for it by walking a lot and being cheerful (which the aforementioned help with).
Our number one tip for beer when touring the South Island is this tasty Behemoth hazy that's only available in Four Squares at the incredibly low price (by Four Square standards) of $19.90 per 6 pack. We've gone through a ridiculous amount of these.
Behemoth Hazy Of The Century Four Square edition. Cheap and incredibly drinkable.
10th December 2024 at 19:09 - Damian
This morning we walked the first bit of the Heaphy Track and back. This is perhaps my favourite place in the entire world. There's something about the Kahurangi National Park.
From there we drove south again to Westport stopping at a couple of pie places (yes, two pies each in one day). I didn't rate them as highly as others. IMO you can't just use flakey pastry top and bottom.
From Westport up to Murchison driving the splendid Buller Gorge.
Scott's Beach
Tannin-laden river water. It looks kind of manky but is pure.
10th December 2024 at 07:01 - Damian
Yesterday we drove as far north on the West Coast as you can go to Kohaihai which is at one end of the Heaphy Track and further north than Wellington.
There was a motorcycle fatality on the road ahead of us just south of Karamea which involved a four hour wait for the accident investigator to arrive and clear the scene. Quite a sobering experience.
Our park up for the night at the DOC campsite
Wild and woolly at the end of the line.
Spiced Wild Nanny Goat pie from the West Coast Pie Company in Westport.
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