Our travels

8th December 2024 at 13:04 - Damian

Over the last four days we've made our way to Westland and are heading up the coast exploring as we go.

It was well worth waiting for a break in the weather as there's nothing better than the West Coast on a good day.

We've made it as far north as Hokitika and today the weather has packed it in so we're going to wait it out before continuing north again.

Oh, also. SANDFLIES! 🤬

Lake Hāwea heading toward Haast.

The last bit of the road south to Jackson was closed due to flooding. This is about 5km away looking north. I love the rugged beaches.

Mirror views at Lake Matheson. Behind the cloud is Mt Cook.

Tree tops walk just south of Hokitika yesterday.

5th December 2024 at 22:04 - Damian

Some numbers for November's South Island leg of the campervan trip for posterity:

1821km total averaging 9.1L diesel / 100km = $406 = $13.53/day (incl RUCs).

Accommodation = $654 = $21.80/day.

LPG = 260g/day = $1/day.

Food = $2771 = $92.37/day.

Total = $128.70/day.

We traveled less, used less LPG with the warmer weather and ate about the same. Tramping accommodation dramatically increased our nightly cost.

https://travel.peterson.nz/nz.html

Our route around the bottom of the South in November

4th December 2024 at 14:13 - Damian

Tonight we will eat like kings!*

*pending verification it's safe to eat, of course

edit: have checked and, as suspected, it's a horse mushroom. Sally's going to incorporate it into pasta along with wild thyme we picked down in the Roxburgh Gorge.

A huge mushroom that is probably safe to eat.

The horse mushroom chopped and ready for cooking.

The end result with penne pasta, sour cream, tomatoes, capers, parmesan and a tiny puff ball and spring fieldcap mushroom.

4th December 2024 at 11:35 - Damian

The weather in Westland is bad at the moment so we've paused a day or two waiting for things to clear before heading over the Haast Pass.

We had a lazy day yesterday in Albert Town and today we've walked up Grandview Mountain overlooking Wanaka and Lake Hawea. 1398m high and a 948m climb for us over 9km. 18km return. A perfect day with high cloud and warm(ish) wind.

Panorama of Grandview Mountain

3rd December 2024 at 18:10 - Damian

The last four days:

After the Catlins we went through to Riverton where we stayed in the carpark of the Carrier's Arms after having dinner there. We were underwhelmed by the town at first but the following day was sunny and we came around.

From there we went to Bluff (up the steep hill featured in the Tour of Southland) then to Invercargill where we caught up with Nick and Trina for lunch.

On to Gibbston Valley for a cycle ride then returned to our favourite campsite in Albert Town.

A stop along the Kawarau Gorge where we went to lunch at Gibbston Tavern and stopped in at Gibbston Valley Wines (and cheesery) which was a bit commercial for our liking.

View from the Kawarau Bridge where the original Bungy is based. They charge $320 a jump and crank through something like 200 people a day. Quite the money earner!

29th November 2024 at 15:37 - Damian

Blustery wind today which suited the terrain around the southernmost part of the South Island. We drove to Curio Bay (petrified forest on the beach), Slope Point (South Island's southernmost point) and Waipapa Point (a lighthouse and snoozing sea lions).

We skedaddled west to Riverton afterwards and will make our way back to Invercargill tomorrow before heading north back to Wanaka and then on to the West Coast and Nelson in the coming week or two.

Iconic wind-bent trees near Slope Point.

Fallen petrified logs from around 170 million years ago.

Sally at the Waipapa Point lighthouse. Made of totara and kauri with sections of rock ballast. The lighthouse is also made of wood.

28th November 2024 at 16:04 - Damian

Special mention to Peake's Kitchen in Papatowai for their superb pies. Delicious and lovingly presented. It's great to see passionate people doing their thing.

If you're ever passing through put it on your list but be sure to get in before they close at 1600!

Steak, bean, jalapeno and cream cheese pie as well as a toasted chicken, bacon, camembert and cranberry sandwich.

28th November 2024 at 15:41 - Damian

Today there's been a hot wind blowing and we've managed to visit a few spots on the way to Waikawa.

We backtracked to Matai Falls walkway then onwards to Florence Hill Lookout, Lake Wilkie, the Tautuku Estuary and Mclean Falls.

By the time we hit Waikawa the oven wind had turned to torrential rain. I suspect this is normal around here.

View from Florence Hill south.

Blasted rock slowly being reclaimed by nature. Part of a cutting in the derelict Catlins River Branch Railway.

The boardwalk at Tautuku Estuary

Mclean Falls

28th November 2024 at 15:29 - Damian

Yesterday we drove south to the Catlins and stayed overnight at the Papatowai DOC Campground (no phone reception).

We detoured to Nugget Point on the way. The weather wasn't great unfortunately but we were able to see a few fur seals down on the rocks.

Spitty weather at Nugget Point.

I only just cleaned this the day before!!

View from Papatowai down the tidal river and out to sea.

28th November 2024 at 15:21 - Damian

We spent a further three days in Dunedin. Mostly eating, drinking and catching up with relatives.

We parked up at the Otago Yacht Club not far from the stadium and only a short walk into town. The only downside of this location is the gull colony and the subsequent coating of gull shit on the van. On our last day we took the van to one of those self-service car washes and gave it a good wash.

We really like Dunedin; it's the Wellington of the South Island.

View from Signal Hill

The splendid railway station

Lunch at Ardø on George Street (which is now semi-pedestrianised and quite pleasant to wander down these days).

24th November 2024 at 16:13 - Damian

Yesterday we took a wildlife boat tour at the end of the Otago Harbour. We saw Hector's and Dusky dolphins, rare shags, a mean Giant Petrel, fur seals and, of course, the magnificent Southern Royal Albatross. They're incredibly well adapted to gliding without having to flap, using dynamic soaring to fly into head winds and using land features to gain height.

Today we took a small ferry from Portabello to Port Chalmers and cycled 32km around the harbour eating everywhere we could!

A still morning today at the mouth of the harbour. There was a fur seal on this groin yesterday. Freaked me out as I didn't see it until I was almost on top of it.

The ferry from Portabello to Port Chalmers.

Cute little bus shelter on the coastal road to Portabello.

22nd November 2024 at 18:34 - Damian

The ride from Roxburgh to Beaumont today was an easy 40km on smooth track following the Clutha (which is quickly becoming our favourite river).

$50 for a shuttle to transfer me back to Roxburgh to pick up the van, a quick scoff-down of a couple of Jimmy's Pies and we've made our way to Brighton just South of Dunedin.

Horseshoe Bend Bridge on the Clutha. Built in the early 1900s to replace a seat-on-a-wire that school children found difficult to operate due to one end being higher than the other.

21st November 2024 at 13:27 - Damian

This morning we drove from Wanaka to Alexandra and cycled the 10km section down the Roxburgh Gorge following the Clutha to Doctors Point (and back). Nice, easy ride with changing scenery.

Tonight we'll base ourselves in Roxburgh and cycle 40km down to Beaumont and take a shuttle back to retrieve the van. Weather looks good.

The cycle path alongside the Clutha.

Thyme and wildflowers (they close up at night and when there's not much sun).

21st November 2024 at 12:41 - Damian

Yesterday we drove an hour up to Raspberry Creek which is on the way up the valley to Mt Aspiring.

I have to say that the splendor of Milford has taken some of the sheen off subsequent tourist areas but the drive up the valley and 20km return walk to Aspiring Hut restored that feeling!

Kea sculpture at the start of the walk up the valley.

View from one of the swing bridges. Huge boulders and glacier-fed water.

The walk back down the valley from the hut is easy going. A friend recommended we take our bikes but their lack of suspension and skinny tyres would have made this a little too difficult. Besides, we needed the walk.

21st November 2024 at 12:24 - Damian

We've been based in Wanaka/Albert Town the last five days. It's been a nice break from Queenstown.

Wanaka has a huge selection of great eateries and breweries and we've done our bit attempting to get around them all!

Our park up at the Albert Town Campground. $20 per night and a cyclable distance into Wanaka.

Just one of many excellent meals. This one is a healthy example from Federal Diner. We also went to Francesca, Kika, The Albie, Pembroke Patisserie, Now Bao, Rhyme X Reason.

18th November 2024 at 15:31 - Damian

We ran out of LPG while we were at Cascade Creek and when we got to Queenstown the traffic was so bad that we put off refilling for a couple of days. Unfortunately it was a bit cold in the mornings but we were able to use the MSR pocket rocket to brew the essential morning caffeine.

A stovetop coffee maker on a camp cooker.

16th November 2024 at 11:37 - Damian

Naomi is using her magic powers to give strength to the Queenstown marathon runners.

Giving out the high fives

16th November 2024 at 10:11 - Sally

Met this guy at Cascade Creek. Love the Robins. Surely it's time they had a win in the Bird of the Year election.

13th November 2024 at 20:20 - Sally

But, all and all, the feeling of being exhausted but waking up to do it all over again wins out and it really is worth the aches and pain. We saw heaps of birds, a Kea working the camera being the highlight, and not seeing the Whio being the low light. We had a 72 year old Japanese man in our group and the joy on his face the whole way around was delightful. We met so many interesting people and saw so many beautiful vistas and waterfalls and rivers and plants. Highly Recommend!

Kea posing for the camera

13th November 2024 at 20:12 - Sally

The DOC rangers were great and had a hard week with the floods just before we came in and
some walkers on our 2nd to last day who came in after 9pm causing a bit of angst. They all had interesting info to give us and good advice such as going up to McKinnon's Pass on the 2nd day). The huts are a hotbed of sandflies, rustlers, midnight toilet goers and snorers (me included). So, a good night's sleep was not that easy.

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