Monday 17th February – Arrival in Auckland
We’re here!! Very very long flight but we’re finally here! We arrived at our apartment at 3pm today, could’ve been any time really, we’re so disorientated! We are staying in Parnell, a little village 20 minutes walk from the city centre. Our apartment is really lovely and has a little outdoor courtyard, it’s just right for us, better than being right in the city. We unpacked, showered and walked into Parnell village where there are a few shops and several restaurants. We had an early pizza and then crashed at 8.30pm! We’re 13 hours ahead here.
Tuesday 18th February – Auckland
Didn’t sleep as well as we would’ve liked, guess we can’t expect to adjust that quickly … After a delicious brunch at Biskit in Parnell we walked around the city centre, went to the top of the Sky Tower! 😳 It’s just slightly taller than the Eiffel Tower! Richard suggested we do the sky jump from the top … there was no way that was happening!!
We took a ferry over to Devonport in the afternoon, a really pretty little town. We walked to the top of Mount Victoria (a volcanic cone), the views over Auckland and surrounding islands were fabulous!
We had Greek meze in Parnell and were in bed by 10pm, had quite a full-on first day. Still adjusting ….
Wednesday 19th February – Auckland, Waiheke
After another delicious brunch at Brighton Cafe in our road, we caught the bus to the ferry terminal in the city and took a ferry to Waiheke island, about 40 mins away. Wow another beautiful island! We got around on the hop on hop off Explorer bus. We considered getting mopeds but glad we didn’t as we saw more this way and could take more advantage of the wine tastings at some of the 15 vineyards!
All the vineyards we visited were lovely but the last one, Mudbrick, was absolutely gorgeous in the late afternoon with views over the water and Auckland in the distance.
We didn’t only visit vineyards on Waiheke! We stopped at a lovely beach for a while too!
We got the ferry back about 7pm.
Thursday 20th February – Auckland
Took a cab today to Mount Eden, an extinct volcano, more spectacular views!
In the evening we went to Woodpecker Hill in Parnell for dinner and then to the Chocolate Boutique for dessert!
Friday 21st February – Auckland to Rotorua
After picking up our hire car and having a quick breakfast at Brighton Cafe, we left Parnell about 11.30am and drove to Rotorua, arriving at Silver Fern Motel about 3pm. We immediately went out to do Zorb, rolling down a hill in a big plastic ball! It was hilarious! We followed that with a mud bath at Hells Gate! Our skin feels amazing!
Saturday 22nd February – Rotorua to Whakapapa
After breakfast in our room (lovely big room with a huge spa bath!) we left just before 10am and went to Wai-O-Tapu, ‘New Zealand’s most colourful and diverse geothermal sightseeing attraction’. It’s also home to the Lady Knox Geyser which they force to erupt at 10.15am daily.
We wish we’d stayed in Rotorua a second night, we didn’t realise just how much there is to see and do there. When we left Wai-O-Tapu we drove for about 2 hours, passing Lake Taupo on the way, and arriving about 3pm in Whakapapa in Tongariro National Park. We are staying at Skotel Alpine Resort, New Zealand’s highest hotel and we would have great views from our room if the weather wasn’t so awful! Temperatures in Auckland were mid to late 20s and we’ve had a bit of a shock coming here, it’s really cold and hasn’t stopped raining since we got here! Fingers crossed the weather’s better tomorrow as we have a gondola trip planned.
Sunday 23rd February – Whakapapa
We left the hotel before 9am to get to base camp to take the Sky Waka gondola partway up Mt. Ruapehu (an active volcano 😱, one of many in the area). Once off the gondola we planned to do the skyline walk to take us further up the mountain which was estimated to take approx 3 hours return. I don’t know what I was expecting really! I naively didn’t expect it to be quite so rocky!😂
As it turned out, it was very cloudy and we were being advised to maybe not attempt the skyline walk as visibility was so changeable. So we started out and went a little way but when it got worse, we turned back. Such a shame, we have missed out on incredible views.
We had lunch in Pinnacles Restaurant at the top of the gondola and did a short walk after as the cloud had cleared a little. Some filming for Lord of the Rings took place in this area (Meads Wall).
We took the gondola back down and walked one of several trails in the area. It was a 2 hour walk which was very scenic and took in the Taranaki Falls. Fortunately the weather was a lot sunnier and warmer once we were below cloud level! We saw some beautiful scenery.
After our walk we rehydrated at the Chateau Tongariro, the hotel next door to ours. On arrival back at our room, the sun was on our balcony so we had to sit out there and enjoy some wine we’d bought in Waiheke 😉 We never imagined yesterday when it was cold and raining that we’d be able to do that!
Monday 24th February – Whakapapa to Palmerstone North
Woke up this morning to sunshine and clear blue skies! Such a shame it wasn’t like this yesterday morning …
We left the hotel soon after 9am and headed south. The roads were constantly twisting and turning as we were driving round mountains and volcanoes, the scenery was very beautiful and very dramatic! We saw very few other cars on the road today until we got nearer to the town of Wanganui on the west coast.
We stopped for lunch and a wander in Wanganui before driving for another hour to the Copthorne Hotel in Palmerstone North. There’s not an awful lot here – this is really just a good halfway point between Whakapapa and Wellington – apart from the All Blacks Rugby Museum which of course Richard had to pay a visit!
So next stop Wellington tomorrow, our last night on the North Island.
Tuesday 25th February – Palmerstone North to Wellington
After a hearty breakfast in our hotel, we left about 9.45am. The roads were a lot straighter and flatter today though throughout the whole journey we could see a mountain range to the east. Also passed through several small villages so a very different journey to yesterday. We returned the hire car near to Wellington Airport and took an Uber to QT Apartments where we were staying in Wellington. The hotel was lovely but I wasn’t impressed with our ‘accessible room’ which Richard had managed to book in error!! I asked at reception if we could change rooms and there was only a 2-bedroom apartment available which they offered us for only a £25 upgrade! So he was back in my good books!
In the afternoon we took a 5 minute cable car ride up through hillside terraced houses to a lookout perched high above the city for fantastic views over the city and harbour.
We walked back down through really pretty botanical gardens and rose gardens and headed to the waterfront which was really buzzing!
In the evening we had a drink at Mac’s Brew Bar and then a lovely meal at Shed 5 on the waterfront.
Wednesday 26th February – Wellington (North Island) to Marlborough (South Island)
We checked out at 11am, the latest we could so we could stay in our lovely apartment for as long as poss! Had a quick coffee on the quay and then took a cab to the ferry terminal for our crossing at 1pm. And that’s where I am now, blogging in the lounge on the ferry, on my second glass of wine! The crossing takes 3-3.5 hours and then we’ll be staying on a vineyard for 4 nights, will be nice to stay somewhere longer than 2 nights and actually unpack our cases!
Queen Charlotte Sound, Marlborough
And now we’re at our lodge on Walnut Block Vineyard and it’s so beautiful!
So this is how it all started! About 7 years ago we said “wouldn’t it be nice if we could cycle around the vineyards in Marlborough in New Zealand?”. It’s taken this long but we’re finally here!
Thursday 27th February – Marlborough
We were picked up at 10.30am by a bike hire company who took us back to their premises to be kitted out with bikes and vineyard maps and then we were off! We did a lot of cycling today which wasn’t always easy as it was so windy but it was so lovely and peaceful cycling amongst the vines with the mountains in the background. We went to the vineyards that were the furthest away and also happen to be the biggest and more well-known (Cloudy Bay, Allan Scott, Jackson’s Estate) and also Moa Brewery. We had a late lunch at Hans Herzog Estate (food and setting was nice but the wine wasn’t!) and then we had to make a mad dash back to the cycle hire shop for 4pm. They then took us back to our accommodation. Lovely day, lots of exercise and lots of wine tasted!
Friday 28th February – Marlborough
We were picked up again this morning at 10.30 for another day of wine tasting. Richard hadn’t told me he’d booked a tandem for us today! 😂
Today was a little more relaxed, not so much cycling, and not because I was on the back of a tandem! We visited several small family-run vineyards that were nearby (Bladen, Framingham, Nautilus, Giesen, Forrest), had some lunch at Giesen. The weather here in Marlborough has been lovely and warm and sunny but so windy! Unfortunately too windy to sit on our terrace.
Saturday 29th February – Marlborough
Our last day here in Marlborough and we didn’t really have anything planned. We walked to Saint Clair Vineyard for lunch, we didn’t realise quite how far it was, it took nearly an hour and a half, but there was a chocolate factory en route! 😂 Lunch was lovely.
Weather was hot again today though there was more cloud but the wind had dropped which meant that when we got back we could finally sit on our terrace with the wine made from the grapes growing right in front of our lodge. Walnut Block takes it’s name from the walnut tree standing amongst the vines, it’s the oldest walnut tree in Marlborough at over 100 years old.
Sunday 1st March – Marlborough to Kaikoura
We checked out of Walnut Block at midday and took a cab to Blenheim. Our train from Blenheim to Kaikoura was at 2.45pm, there’s only one train a day. We left our luggage at the information centre and went for a wander round Blenheim, not much to see and most of the shops were shut being Sunday. Lovely comfortable train journey, mainly along the coastline, the effects of the 2016 earthquake were pointed out to us and there is still work going on at various points on the track. The journey took about 2 hours 15 mins and now we’re in Kaikoura.
We are staying at Bendamere House Bed and Breakfast for 1 night, great location and great views again!
We walked into town for something to eat, it’s a 5 minute walk and Kaikoura is like a small seaside town. It’s really windy again today, we’re hoping for calmer weather tomorrow as we’re going on a boat trip whale watching!
Monday 2nd March – Kaikoura to Christchurch
After breakfast, Julie, the owner of Bendamere House, very kindly took us to Whale Watch for 10am. We must’ve been at the best B&B in Kaikoura because she told us she’s hosted Prince Charles and Boris Johnson!
The weather was still quite windy (apparently they cancelled the whale watching tours yesterday afternoon) and they suggested that those prone to travel/motion sickness should take tablets beforehand, which I did to be on the safe side … Whale sightings obviously can’t be guaranteed but we were lucky, we saw 2 sperm whales, some dolphins and some albatross! It’s hard to be quick enough to take a decent photo, especially with the whales. Not only are they quite far away, they are only on the surface for 5-10 mins before they dive down again (and then they don’t resurface for up to 2 hours!) so the best photo you can get is of the tail as they dive back down.
We were out there for over 2 hours and eventually it became too much and I, along with several others, suffered sea-sickness immediately followed by a migraine 😢
The rest of the day was a bit of a blur. We caught a train at 5.15pm and arrived at Hotel 115 in Christchurch at 8.45pm. We dumped our cases and immediately went to a bar round the corner and shared a platter. Then to bed to hopefully feel better tomorrow for a full day exploring the city.
Tuesday 3rd March – Christchurch
One way to explore the city is by tram, the ticket lasts the whole day and you can hop on and hop off as you want. We really enjoyed this and the commentary was very interesting.
We learnt a lot about the devastation caused by the earthquake in 2011, how they are rebuilding and their future plans. One building badly affected is the cathedral. No renovation has begun on this yet and when it does, it will involve removing the bricks one by one which will take several years.
Apparently buildings constructed from brick and stone collapsed much more readily than buildings made from wood!! Amazingly, the Old Government Building just behind the Cathedral suffered little if no damage as it was reinforced just a few years before the earthquake. It’s now a hotel and bar where we ate last night.
We were told that 70% of the central business district (1,100 buildings) suffered significant damage in the earthquake and had to be demolished! There is now a height restriction of 28 metres on new buildings which are now being constructed from glass and reinforced steel to make them more earthquake resistant. They are also being built with small gaps in-between to prevent a domino effect. This is giving the city a very different look and it will certainly be a very low-rise city in the future. In some cases they have managed to salvage or reconstruct the front of the building and examples of this are seen throughout the city.
New Regent Street is a lovely little pedestrianised street that sustained damage in the earthquake and was completely cordoned off but it was restored to it’s former glory and re-opened in April 2013. The tram also runs along this street.
All in all, we really enjoyed our day in Christchurch and were fascinated by everything we learnt regarding the earthquake and how they are redesigning the city. They have already come a long way but it’s clear they still have much to do and it’s going to take several years.
We ate in a Mexican restaurant tonight on the River Avon and stopped in a bar on the way back in New Regent Street for a nightcap.
Wednesday 4th March – Christchurch to Queenstown
We took a flight this morning at 10am from Christchurch, arriving in Queenstown at 11.10am. From the moment we landed the scenery was spectacular. The airport was surrounded by mountains. We took a cab to our hotel, Blue Peaks. On the way there the views were lovely over Lake Wakatipu and the mountains. Queenstown immediately became our No.1 city spot, pushing Welly into second place!
Blue Peaks Hotel was ‘ok’, perfectly adequate but in need of refurbishment, but no problem as we were only staying one night. We checked in around midday and then walked through the town to the gondola to go up the mountain. It was so steep and high! Once again, I was really brave 😂 I hate heights! But I knew the view would be worth it. Once at the top we had booked to do the Luge but what Richard hadn’t told me was that we needed to go on a chairlift further up the mountain!! I really wasn’t happy about that but I did it (albeit with my eyes shut). The Luge was fun! We had a snack at the cafe at the top of the gondola to stay longer and enjoy the views.
After lunch we wandered through the town and along the waterfront, it was all so pretty and fab views again over the lake. We sat and had a drink by the lake and just took it all in …
We walked around Queenstown Gardens which are on the other side of the lake which then gave us views over the actual town. Also the gardens jut out into the lake so walking round the other side gave us more lovely views!
Early evening we went to the Sundeck Rooftop Bar for a drink before dinner but views were limited.
We ate at the Pier on the waterfront. We sat outside because it had to be done but the temperature had dropped quite a bit and it really was quite cold! There were heaters but they weren’t very effective!
Thursday 5th March – Queenstown to Manapouri
We checked out at 10am, had breakfast in town and then went to Queenstown Airport to pick up a hire car to drive to Manapouri. From there we drove south down the east side of Lake Wakatipu. The drive was beautiful, sorry to keep going on about the views!
At the end of the lake we turned west to Manapouri arriving mid-afternoon. There’s nothing here, it’s a very small village, but our reason for staying here is to join a boat trip tomorrow morning at 9.30am. We did take a wander out regardless.
In the evening we drove to Te Anau about 20 minutes away. This was a bigger town with a few shops and restaurants. We had a lovely meal at the Redcliff Cafe.
Friday 6th March – Doubtful Sound
An overnight boat trip on the Doubtful Sound had been highly recommended to us as opposed to going to Milford Sound. Everyone tends to go to Milford Sound and it’s much more commercialised. We met our organiser at 9.30am along with the other 9 people who would be on the boat with us. One of the reasons that the Doubtful Sound might not be so appealingly to some is that it’s quite difficult to get to. First we had a 45 minute boat trip across Lake Manapouri and then a 45 minute drive in a minibus over Wilmot Pass.
We boarded our boat, the Seafinn, around midday and a lunch of fresh crayfish and salad was prepared for us by our hosts Chris and Travis who did everything between them, Chris mainly steering the boat and giving us commentary, Travis did the cooking and cleaning. Both looked after us all really well.
The weather was quite good though a little chilly, but at least it was clear so visibility was good and the water was calm (phew!). We moored up for a while so that the kayaks could be used and later there was opportunity to fish from the deck. Loads of fish were caught, Richard caught 2 tarakihi!
We also saw seals, albatross, penguins and dolphins!
The meal on the boat in the evening was venison and blue cod with roast potatoes and mixed vegetables. Some of the tarakihi fish that Richard caught was served as sashimi.
We slept in a cupboard! 😂 with a curtain separating us from everyone else, very cosy!!
Saturday 7th March
Chris set off again at 6.30am and breakfast was 6.30-7.30am! Today is cloudy and raining so we were lucky that we had better weather yesterday. We arrived back in Manapouri around midday and then drove for 2 hours back to Queenstown. Fortunately the weather improved. We had a last look there and a late lunch on the waterfront and then drove to the airport. Our 2 hour flight from Queenstown to Auckland was at 7pm. Auckland Airport was so quiet, hardly anyone around, apparently all down to the coronavirus!
Our flight for Singapore left at 1.20am and took 10 hours, arriving Singapore time 6.15am. We then had to hang around the airport for a while (again, not many people about!) as our ferry crossing to Bintan Island wasn’t until 11am. The crossing took an hour and then we were met by a gentleman from The Residence who drove us there and that took another hour! We finally arrived at The Residence about 2pm, Bintan is an hour behind Singapore.
So I’m coming to the end of our blog … we’ve had an absolutely brilliant time, we’ve seen and done so much, we really did cram a lot into 3 weeks. But we’ve also realised that there’s a lot we missed!! Given what we know now and if no time and budget constraints, it would definitely be worth spending more time there. To only spend one night in some places was too rushed. I also would not recommend commencing a long journey by car, 2 planes, ferry and car straight after an overnight boat trip!! We were shattered when we got here and desperately needed a shower!!
We’re pleased though that we decided to have a few days relaxing here, halfway home, it’s such a long journey otherwise! This resort is beautiful, made even better by the fact that there’s hardly anyone here, again due to the coronavirus!!
So I’m signing off now, thank you so much for reading our blog and following our adventure, I hope you’ve enjoyed it, I’ve enjoyed doing it! 😘
Karen and Richard in New Zealand 