Rotorua, New Zealand

Friday 1 June

Most of the last two days and nights were spent in Rotorua, the geysers, hot springs and mud bath capital of NZ. Yesterday was a very busy day with a start of the day at the Waiotapu springs including the Lady Knox geyser which spurts at 10.15 every morning. I was curious how the geyser can tell the time, and be so punctual every day, but it turns out a man pours soap flakes down the hole to break the crusty water surface. Soon after this oodles of suds appear like a demented washing machine and soon after that the geyser ofboiling hotwater shoots 20 metres into the air for about45 minutes.

The hot springs are worth a visit but there is a feeling of it being a very old quarry with lots of coloured smelly (sulphurous) water lying about. The best bit were the bubbling mud pools and the gloob gloobing noises.


After an early curry lunch I went white water rafting for the first time in my life. All togged out in wet suits, life jacket and crash helmet we (me three other paying passengers and the crew of 3) were plunged through a series of rapids culminating in the seven metre drop over the edge. (Photos not yet available) Happily the water is a reasonable 15 degrees C and the excitement was all about would we turn over or not. Although fully submerged at times and holding on for dear life we didn't turnover and I saved myself the trouble of taking another shower before going on the Maori evening later.

I'm not always a great fan of these cultural events, Maori evening. but in the end I couldn't resist the enthusiasm of our coach driver and host for the evening. Having us shout kia ora (which means all sorts of things but generally of approval) in response to his information on Maori culture and the invincibility of the All Blacks was beginning to grate but his singing of all the national anthems you could think of in the respective languages was strangely impressive. In a darkly lit forest we visited a replica Maori village where demonstrations and explanations were given, followed by a concert and then a big buffet dinner of food mostly cooked in the Hangi tradition (i.e. buried with hot rocks ). The highlight was nevertheless our coach driver and host for the return journey requiring us all to sing something of our own ethnic background so I tried my best with the Welsh national anthem and Its Not Unusual. Also driving the bus 4 times round and round a mini round about in the middle of town was Very Unusual.

This afternoon I've arrivedin Auckland, for 2 nights, by far the largest city in NZ with one-third the population of NZ residing here. On Sunday I fly to Santiago in Chile to start the S American, and final part of my trip.

Abel Tasman, South Island to Turangi, North Island, NZ

Weds 30 May

Last Friday I went sea kayaking and hiking in the Abel Tasman National Park, in the north of the South Island. It was a beautiful day, the sea was calm and it was easy to stay dry as we paddled about. We kayaked for about 2 hours around Tonga island to see the seals and then paddled slowly to Bark bay where a picnic lunch  was provided. This was disturbed by a very territorial gull who viciously chased off all other gulls to protect his patch and threatened me if I didn't hand over my sandwich which I, of course, refused to do.


After lunch I walked on the coastal track for two hours to a small settlement called Torrent Bay and waited for a pre-arranged sea-taxi to pick me up and drop me back to the camper van on the edge of the park.

That evening I drove to Nelson, where I'd stayed two nights previously and went out for a pizza and tried yet another Irish bar which frequently have live music. After a couple of pints of Guiness and chatting to one or two locals I completed a very satisfactory day .

On Saturday morning after killing a bit of time in Marlborough for a second breakfast and Picton town centre where there was a fascinating second hand shop with all sorts of bric a brac and rubbish where, I'm sure Id' have spent a lot of money if I'd been at home. I then drove to Picton, to catch the ferry across the Cook Strait, to Wellington, on the North Island, .

The ferry to Wellington took 3 hours 40 minutes and after spending a short time on deck looking at Queen Charlotte Sound as we sailed away, I settled down to watch "Happy Feet" and catch up with a few sleep intervals.

to the town centre. After a shower I set off by bus into Wellington city centre to find the Wesley hall,It was dark when the ferry arrived in Wellington after stopping at a petrol station for disrections I got to my intended camp site, the nearest where, I had discovered via the internet, there was a Ceroc (jive) night happening. In my perpetual quest to meet the locals this was a very good night. Although since travelling I'm somewhat out of practice my basic moves saw me through and it was a very enjoyable night out. The dance style of these Kiwis was very similar to my London experience except that they are much keener to do drops , which I usually avoid as I'm never very confident I can haul them back up again.

Next day, Sunday, the sun was shining again and I set off to see Wellington by daylight. First stop, was the parliament building where I took a very interesting guided tour. A few of the remarkable things about the NZ parliament that it has burned down twice in its relatively short history and the daring engineering feat of installing of new rubber foundations to the existing building in the 1990's to protect it from earth quakes. The NZ equivalent of London's Portcullis House is the building known as the Beehive which stands right next to the Parliament in a stark contrast.

After this I took the cable car up the hill for lunch with a brilliant view over Wellington harbour and a short walk around the botanical gardens. Ten back down the cable car to a jewel in Wellingtons' crown, Te papa. This is a very modern museum which feels more like a theme park than traditional museum The museum is split into sections which provide really interesting and original audio visual presentations.

I only had time for a short visit to Wellington, which may be a permanent regret, because my schedule required me to drive on that evening a couple of hours to Palmerston North, to reduce the journey the next day to my next destination

On Monday morning I completed the drive Tongariro National Park, or more specifically Whakapapa Village. This small tourist village lies under the Mt Ruapehu, a volcano active as recently as 1996. I took a short two hour walk to see some waterfalls that afternoon but the main purpose of travelling here was to undertake the Tongariro Crossing which according to Lonely planet is "reputedly the best one day walk in NZ".

This I did the next day, Tuesday, taking a shuttle bus to the start of the track with dozens of other 'trampers' and setting off on the 18km trek climbing 800 metres before decending 100metres to the return shuttle meeting point. On route you pass under the summits of Mt. Tongariro and and Mt Ngauruhoe. The latter was Mordor's Mt Doom in the film of Lord of the Rings. Also the route passes smouldering rocks emitting sulphurous gases and "emerald lakes'. Needless to say I was exhausted after this long walk, with a developing troublesome big toe, and was glad to get back to the camper van and an early night. As the village is 1150 metres above sea level the nights are cold, so I'm really pleased my camper van has a heater.

Today I have driven on northwards. First stop was to see a doctor in Turangi, about my big toe, and now have a prescription for antibiotics. Next was drive onto Taupo on the shores of Lake Taupo NZ's largest lake. And arriving in Rotorua in time to make plans for tomorrow's geyser watching and white water rafting

Dunedin to Abel Tasman, South Island, NZ

Thursday 24 May

My trip around NZ is possibly the most hectic of stage of the trip so far. Since leaving Christchurch I have only spent one night in the same place. My schedule to get around the country and see most of the main attractions in just over 3 weeks is proving to be a real challenge. But the distance between places is proving to be really quite manageable. A couple of hours drive can get you from the east to west coast and vice versa.

On Saturday I night I went out to explore the Dunedin night life on the east coast and was not dissppointed by the bars with live music and before the end of the night even managed to get some dance practice.

On Sunday I drove north with a short stop to look at the Moreaki boulders and later on to Mount Cook, the highest mountain in NZ, and approx 30kms as the crow flies from the West coast.

On Monday, after a windy night shaking the campervan on a lake side camp site, I went on a 4 hour walk to Hooker Lake, another lake, which sits below Mt Cook, and contains ice bergs from the glacial avalances falling off the mountains. The weather wasn't great; strong wind enough to blow me off the path once or twice, but no great drops to fall into. And rain, which tested my new waterproofs and they passed the test. The summit of Mt Cook was covered in cloud. After this bracing walk I drove back towards the east coast and reached the town of Geraldine as night fell.

Next day, Tuesday, I drove on to Christchurch for a pit stop and to drive around some its suburbs on the coast I hadn't been to when I arrived due to lack of transport. These are the Christchurch equivalent of Beverley Hills. Then afterwards I drove northwards along the eastern coast, where the weather is generally milder to Kaikoura for a half day whale watching trip the next day.

The trip on Wednesday was rewarding as I saw my first two whales (sperm whales) in the wild and the icing on the cake was a fantastic display of acrobatics by Dusky dolphins on the way back to the harbour. I was also smugly pleased to be one of the few passengers unaffected by seasickness due to a heavy swell.

From here I drove on to the North of the island , through Blenheim, arouind where where the famous Marlborough wines are produced. But I chose to forego this wine tasting opportunity and drove on to Nelson on the north coast to be accessible the Abel Tasman peninsula.

Today, Thursday I drove the short distance to Maharua, the gateway in the Abel Tasman National Park, I took a sea taxi a few miles up the coast and walked back to the camper van along the well marked pathways with wonderfull views of the coast line.

Tomorrow I hope to try sea kayaking and more hiking before beginning my journey to the ferry in Picton to Wellington on the North Island

Queenstown and Te Anau

Saturday 19 May - On Tuesday I drove to Queenstown, and despite my intentions not to do anything silly I was soon tempted to do the Shotover Canyon Swing. After a nervous night's sleep I set off early the next day to jump off a cliff, in freefall for 60 metres at 100 mph, then swing on out a rope on a 200m arc over the cold river and jagged rocks until winched back . This was so good I did it twice! The second time I was strapped to a chair and rocked it on the back legs (which you know you should never do at home) to tumble over the edge.

The guys who run the swing are real comics, always teasing about the company cut backs and worn out ropes and letting the rope slip when you try to climb back onto the platform etc. But they had a harder job trying to persuade an American girl who got cold feet, and never did jump.
Since then it has been much gentler activities. In the afternoon I took a steam ship, (TSS Earslaw built 1912) across Lake Wakatipu to visit a high hill farm, called Walter Peak. Here we were given a very interesting explanation , and history of sheep and deer farming in these high places, including a sheep dog and shearing demonstration's by a retired farmer called Richard who claims the have the world record (longest) time to shear a sheep, . For my Welsh readers the sheep breeds are either Merino, for wool, and a cross between a Cheviot and Romney for meat, called Perrindale, which is a recognised breed in its own right. This was finished off with a delicious high tea in the farm house over looking the lake before sailing back.

That evening I drove to Te Anau, 170 kms south on Lake Manapouri. This was my first long night drive and after getting lost for an hour managed to find the right road and make good progress. Next morning I went to the Lake to take ferry then a bus (on a totally land locked road built in the 1960's to construct a hydro electric power station) then another boat to cruise in Doubtful Sound, a fiord which is cut off from roads and any other form development except one fisherman's hut which predates the national park status. The cliffs of the fiord enclose the sound and there are a few rare flightless native birds, which due to the steep terrain have remained largely inaccessible to Eupoean imported predators such as stoats, foxes and rats.

On the way back from the Sound we visited the hydro electric power station travelling down a spiral tunnel in a coach for 2 kms.

In the evening I visited the Te Anau glow worm caves which is a strange experience. The glow worms live deep in watery caves glowing like stars on the ceiling to trap passing insects, who are fooled into thinking they are in the open night sky and then, attracted by the light, become enmeshed in the sticky silk like tentacles which the glow worms hang from the cave ceiling, in the same way as a spider does a web. It is a wonder to me that there are even passing insects deep in these caves. The evolutionary development of these tricky sticky glow worms is beyond all comprehension.

Today I've driven to Dunedin to chill out intensive tourism and hopefully to find a Saturday night welcome in the pubs.

Christchurch to Wanaka, South Island

Tuesday 15 May

On Saturday I picked up the camper van from Christchurch and set off to discover the real New Zealand. My fist stop was Arthurs Pass, half way between Christchurch and the West coast. The pass is surrounded by mountains (nothing new about that)and on Sunday morning after consulting the local information office, I set about a 'moderate walk' up the Scotts pass, toward Avalanche Peak It took an hour of upward slog to get above the tree line, with some great views over the range of mountains, and another hour to reach the clouds which I thought was a good time to turn back as the view wouldn't be any good. On the way down I had a nasty fall, as the edge of the footpath slipped away from beneath my foot and I fell into a gully. As I grabbed the nearest branch I spun around and twisted my knee and heard a crack. Fortunately the crack was a twig that got in my way and I landed softly (thank heavens) astride two parallel branches just below the level of the path. I sat there for moment to assess the damage. My knee felt sore and I was a bit shocked but otherwise no problems. I clambered back onto the path and found all in working order but a bit sore on downward inclines. I guess I slightly sprained my knee joint as I span around.

After lunch I completed another shorter walk which had hundreds of steps but had no serious worries and later drove to Greymouth from where I booked myself onto a half day walking tour of the Franz Josef Glacier, for the next afternoon. That night the soreness of my knee became stiffness and I could hardly put my weight on my knee. For a while I was envisaging an early flight home. When dawn broke I tried the knee out properly and found it started to loosen up after I'd walked a while. I drove the 12okms to the Franz Josef village and signed up for the walk. "any medical conditions to declare?". I answered "Just a sprained knee" which then led to dire warnings of the helicopter rescue fee. I was confident and so it worked out that the more I use the knee the better it was. The walk although marred by continual heavy rain was fantastic. The equipment supplied stood up the conditions well except the boots which were leaking but, hey, it was only four hours of cold feet amidst the wondrous sight of the glacier crevasses and valley floor below.

Today, a lovely sunny day, I have driven south and inland to Wanaka, past some of the most beautiful scenery of the NZ southern alps. Tomorrow its a morning jet boat trip around the lake and then on to Queenstown, the NZ capital of extreme sports, where i won't be bungee jumping because of the knee, and any other excuses I might think of.

Arriving in New Zealand

On Wednesday evening I flew from Melbourne to Christchurch gaining another 2 hours, and I'm now 11 hours ahead of UK. The flight was uneventful except for a a lot of turbulence on the descent to Christchurch, but I was confident I could parachute to safety if I had to.

On arrival at Christchurch I went through immigration and a thorough ecological security check carried out by a very cute Beagle looking in my backpack, detecting the fruit I had eaten four hours previously, and having my walking boots inspected for alien species in the tread.

I then took the airport shuttle bus to Charlie B's backpackers, an ex YWCA building. I arrived just after midnight and found the all night reception wasn't answering the bell. I waited patiently for ten minutes as requested by the sign and then rang again after another ten minutes I started tapping on the windows and a helpful guest let me in and got in touch with the night staff who apologised that the bell wasn't working! Still it was a mild night so a night on the steps wouldn't have been too uncomfortable.

Next day I set about exploring central Christchurch and doing some shopping. I shopped around for a new day sack as the zip on my old one has finally gone beyond use. I also bought some thermal underwear as over the next few weeks I expect it to be close to freezing in the mountain areas.

It takes about an hour to walk around central Christchurch. With only a few high rise buildings and not that high compared to Melbourne or London. The centre is Cathedral Square. A church with a cornet sculpture. They have nice arts centre from concerted Christ college buildings with 2 cinemas concert hall, theatre and probably more beside. The botanical gardens surrounded by the Avon River on three sides (is it only in UK we say River XXXX, while every where else says XXXX River?) are exceptionally good and enhanced by the autumnal colours of the trees, something hardly noticeable in Australia.

I tried a bar called Dux de Lux as recommended to me by those three Irish girls on a train in Vietnam three months ago. For a change I thought the home brewed bitter was excellent.

Melbourne

On Saturday I drove to Melbourne and returned my hire car and checked into Spencers Backpackers, which is a typical old Australian hotel just on the edge of the city centre in a light industrial /warehousing / commercial area. The above ground floor of Spencers Hotel now used for backpackers.

On Friday evening I went to the inner city suburb of Richmond to meet Owen's friends from Amsterdam, Anna (US) and Aleks (Dutch). They moved Melbourne 7 months ago. Aleks is in IT and Anna a reception class teacher. We went out for a Burmese meal in a very trendy restaurant near their home and then a couple of drinks in some local bars before tiredness overcame us. It was really nice to meet them both and they gave me some tips for my visit top Melbourne and a new perspective on Owen!

The next day I wasn't feeling too good, aching muscles etc, so I took an easy option of a tram to the suburban beach resort of St Kilda. It was pleasant warm sunny day and I enjoyed the stroll in along the esplanade craft stalls and visiting the cafes in Acland Street.

In the evening I discovered the real strength of Spencers Backpackers is the separately managed restaurant/ bar downstairs. For very reasonable prices the bar serves excellent restaurant quality food. During this first visit I had delicious belly pork with mash and green beans. During this delight I got talking to an older English couple at the next table, John and Carol, from Cheltenham, who were also knocked out by the food. They are shortly to return to England after staying a few months in New Zealand and returning via Australia.

Yesterday I took Anna's advice and went on a day trip up the Great Ocean Road which is spectacular stretch of coast line for surfers and tourists because of the cliffs and rock formations on the coast. Bells Beach is used for annual world surfing championships. the surf was described as average but there were scores of surfers like flies on a pond making the best of the surf. Near Bells Beach is the memorial arch to the people who built the road. The road was publicly funded after the first world war to provide work to returning soldiers. The arch has been replaced twice since the original. First because of the road widening and secondly following a bush fire which swept down to the road.
On the way west we stopped at small resort called Kennett River. Here I at last I saw my first wild Koalas, and were they cute? Judge for yourself.

Most famous part of the Great Ocean Road is a series of sandstone stacks just off the coast called the 12 Apostles. However there are now less than 12 as some have succumb to the pounding of the sea. This stretch of coast is also known as the Shipwreck Coast due to the large number of shipwrecks that used to occur in the days of sailing ships. One particular cove is known as Loch Ard due to the story of a ship wreck in 1878 which foundered on the rocks on the final night of its voyage from England to Melbourne. The only two survivors from 55 crew and passengers were the ship's apprentice and an Irish girl, both aged 18. There was no romantic ending. She went back to Ireland to the disappointment of the press.

Today I went on a pilgrimage to see the pub, the Polo Club, Ascot Vale, where my late Uncle Tony lived for a number of years prior to him returning to UK. This is a pleasant suburb just a few stops on the train north of the city centre

Tony was a keen sportsman, including being a National Hunt jockey and the Polo Club is close to the Flemington Race Course where the world famous Melbourne Cup is held every year. Unfortunately I found the Polo Club is now closed and boarded up, presumably awaiting redevelopment so no drinking pictures from this trip.

Snowy Mountains and Wilson's Promontory

After my one afternoon and evening in Canberra, on Wednesday I drove on to Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains. I arrived mid morning and shortly I was in the National Park walking in the mountains. The weather was windy, cool but dry. I set off on a walk and soon bumped into another walker called Paul and his wife Patricia. Paul was a very nice retired bloke from Sydney who visited the mountains regularly for family skiing holidays. He shared with me lots of knowledge of the mountains which was really interesting. He was something of a mystery as he kept his face well hidden under a hat, sunglasses and nose guard. I fear he had some disfiguring illness but I felt it inappropriate to ask him about this.

After we completed this walk I drove on a few kms to Charlotte's Pass and took a short but steep walk down to the Snowy river. From the pass, when the clouds allowed, it was possible to see Mount Kosciuszko, 2228m, the highest mountain in Australia. The ten highest mountains of Australia are within 6 kms of each other. Apparently it can snow on any day of the year and in the summer months tourists frequently get caught out when walking in these mountains.

After another walk to a waterfall in the afternoon, just before dusk I was making myself a cup of tea on my camping stove in a picnic area . Suddenly I noticed a group of about 8 kangaroos had quietly joined me in the picnic area. For the first time I saw a young Joey hanging from its mother's pouch, as its mother was grazing the Joey also grazed the grass without getting out of the pouch. A great moment. Sadly I couldn't get a good picture of it in the fading light.

On Thursday I was mostly driving. I drove about 570kms into the State of Victoria to get to a town called Foster which is South East of Melbourne and close to Wilson's Promontory National Park, the most southerly point in Australia. You may have heard that Australia is suffering from a serious drought affecting agriculture and they are taking drastic measures to conserve water. However my experience of the last week , from Byron Bay to Melbourne makes me think I am solving the problem as I seem to find rain every other day. I may apply for a government grant before I leave

Fully intending to use my tent as I arrived in Foster there were storm warnings issued on the radio and black clouds overhead. I enquired after more substantial accommodation and was offered a cabin (shed with TV) for a few dollars more which seemed a good idea. Before I'd had time to cross the campsite the rain was ricocheting off the ground. I knew I had taken the right decision.

Thankfully next day although it was cooler and cloudy, the strong winds were keeping the rain at bay. If drove the 40+kms to the Wilson's Promontory National Park On the way to the walk starting point I saw my first wild wombat. I was surprised how large they are. Roughly the size of a badger but more like bear walking on all fours.

I had some good walks which included walking up two mountains for some great views, a forest walk , where I managed to startle (unintentionally) a kangaroo and, a finally beach walk. I was pretty tired after all this and fell asleep listening to the radio before leaving the car park.

Next day I drove to Melbourne, my final destination in Australia before I fly to New Zealand next Wednesday afternoon. More of Melbourne later.