3 days -complete remoteness to adrenalin time

7-10 Feb and 3 days of complete contrasts.........

The staggering scenery and remoteness of Doubtful Sound, adrenalin kicks in Queenstown and Franz Joseph Glacier -what a roller coaster of emotional cacaphony....

Well. its now 11 Feb and this is the first opportunity I have had for several days, 3 in fact, to stop and reflect on what has been a few days of amazing contrasts - high adrenalin kicks  in Queenstown and Franz Joseph and the absolute solitude,the remoteness and staggering beauty on Doubtful Sound.

It all started after the horizontal rain that lasted 24 hours and most of our LONG journey around the bottom of the island on the ‘detour ‘ ... however Te-Anau on the 7 Feb  was sunny and warm and we had time for a walk around the lake, gather supplies and head out to join our overnight jaunt on Doubtful Sound... an over night cruise... that sounded like a bit of luxury among the days and nights falling over each other in camper van ... don’t get me wrong... we are all getting along like a house on fire... its just a tincy bit limiting on the space when two out of four weigh rather more than we should and take up rather more space than we should.. then there is the little gas hob and efforts to conjure up gourmet cuisine to feed five thousand ... well we do have William on board...... not to mention the shower and loo which make airline loos seem positively spacious...I still haven’t worked out how on earth a dwarf, leave alone us larger mortals could shower in there... well maybe tiny people can....and Tim does scowl just a bit, at anyone who dare use the on board loo instead of running the gauntlet of the public toilets even in the early hours !

So a trip on a cruise ship? a little boat trip over Lake Manapouri which was fun, then into a coach over Wilmott Pass with  fab commentary and good photo stops... then there it was.... before our eyes... a vista like no other emerged between the trees and our home for the next awesome 24 hours.... it was a truly OMG moment... a view of Doubtful Sound in all its remote beauty..and before we knew it we were off the coach, climbing the gang plank and we were on our way....

A very friendly intro by the 10 staff looking after 61 of us... we were shown to our rooms.. well we were right down below in the cheap seats - the quad share sounded ok when I booked, it turned out it was 4 tiny bunks and yet it was all rather cosy...

back up on deck and fresh  warm muffins waited... and we were off.

Over the next few hours the boat pottered about up the main Sound, down the side channels... it stopped for kayaking and boat trips and anyone mad enough to swim... and no I didnt !!! it was freeeeezing....  we headed out to the Tasman Sea , saw fur seals on the rocks and then back into the undeniably awesome, tranquil, majestic,remote and extreme place to spend our night..

A buffet supper they said.. nothing had prepared us for what lay ahead.... and William thought he had died and landed in heaven ... local, fresh and a culinary masterpiece, as much as you could eat and all served by a relaxed and cheerful staff- gosh, how much we could learn from this lot... they have hospitality down to a fine art....

8 Feb

The next morning was misty as the sun rose- yes we all had to be up at 7 and they made sure by switching on the ships engines.... breakfast was again vast and fresh and yummy and we had another 3 hours pootling along among the towering peaks, mists and eery channels before finally coming to dock....

But aside from the really friendly atmosphere and amazing food, this trip was something really very special... it touched us all in different ways.... but for me this was the epitome of absolute oneness with nature.... the sheer remoteness of the place, the untouched forest, no other boats and a sense of us being at one with our surroundings was hugely powerful....the staggering beauty of the waterfalls, the mountains, the rain forest and cliff faces was beyond description......When they switched off the boat engines we really did hear the Sound of Silence..... it was spine tingling............

if you ever go to NZ and an do just one special treat... do Doubtful Sound.. and if you can... do the overnight.......LOVED IT, it will be etched on my soul forever !

So... disembarking the boat...and  all feeling strangely touched by the experience of the last 24 hours it was off to Queenstown... the activity hub of NZ....

We landed after a short 2.5 hour drive..it was late afternoon and we headed straight off to explore... up the cable car to the top of town and a stunning view of mountains and lakes . Lowenna loved the luge rides down and had great fun....then out of town to the campsite, supper and bed... big day tomorrow...

Feb 9th

Up early... Tim and Lowenna headed off for a jet boat ride along a canyon, William and I headed off to the get the bus ride to town then out to his bungy !!!

half an hour later up a long windy track and OMG - there it was.....a pair of cables over a canyon some 200m high, a little hut thing built half way along and the ominous long white elastics of bungy chord dangling below.

Before we knew it we were harnessed up for the trip across and into the ‘cage ‘.I felt strangely confident all would be OK... I had packed some elastoplast just in case of accidents so felt prepared... but nothing, nowhere even begins to prepare you for seeing your offspring swallow dive into the abyss and fall 8 seconds and 134 m down into a canyon....

3.2.1 bungy and he went..... I had sort of expected him still to be standing there... a bit of hesitation perhaps... I remember when Tim did one on our honeymoon some 17 years ago..he sort of bent his knees before falling... as if that would make a difference !

But not Will... wow... full on  swallow dive that would have given Tom Daley a run for his money....and perfect... I gave him a score of 10.

Anyway, it was really William’s personal triumph, his own journey that he let me share and my goodness he did it in real style... I felt totally in awe and massively proud to have shared his journey...  and yes I had  checked first he didn’t mind me coming along  !

So a few shaking legs from adrenalin rush and it was back to town... we met the others who had an awesome morning shooting up canyons in the jet boat.... and Will and Tim had massive burgers for lunch from the famous Ferg Burger Bar... and after some discussion we decided that probably Queenstown was fab for a bit but we were ready to head on... an hour up the road we spent a really fun couple of hours at puzzle world where Lowenna was in her element....there were illusion rooms, puzzles and a giant maze..... we stayed till they closed the door on us, found a remote campground by Lake Wanaka , pitched there by the shore and had early nights.

Feb 10th

Next morning... 275 km drive to Franz Joseph Glacier via the Haast Pass.... everyone says the West Coast is the most amazing drive and we were not disappointed ,with Rain Forest,Mountains,Waterfalls, long sandy beaches littered with the driftwood from the mountains...oh.. not to forget ‘sandflies’ ...the drive passed quickly as there was so much staggering scenery to pass the time.We stopped by the famous Blue Pools where Glacier water   forms large azure blue pools that are crystal clear ( well so it said in the guide book ) so that involved a bit of a walk....  we were that underwhelmed we walked right past them.... more like bit of a blueish river going on... but hey ho...we had a lot of rain so maybe they were diluted 

Franz Joseph village, by the glacier and a place to stop for a couple of nights.Tim really ,really wanted to do a full day hike on the glacier, Lowenna and I decided that the mention in the leaflet of excellent agility and fitness required was a rather large hint in itself ,the mention of crampons to hire was the decider , enough said... Lowenna and I made 'plans' William booked a tandem skydive from 120000 feet....over the mountains ! as if the bungy wasn’t enough !

So, next morning we all went our ways...Lowenna and I did a bit of gift shop looking... and she finally finished Bangkok in the scrapbook !!!! hoorah.... scrap book and diary seem to be becoming more and more of a battle so am leaving it to her now....she has though read loads of books and giving her due there is actually very little down time in the frenetic moving between places and exploring when we get there....

We decided in the end to take the quick route to the glacier and did a very reasonable 30 minute heli flight to the top of the glacier, had 15 minutes on pristine snow on the top, then flew back down.... and I reckon we had the bet view of the lot....it was totally fascinating and staggering seeing it from above......

We met back in the evening down in the glacier hot pools - 38c of hot soaking in giant hot tubs and the first soak for 4 weeks -oh bliss !!!

Tim had had an amazing day climbing crevasses and steep ice slopes and steps and had made a new friend ( see pics), Will had an awesome tandem dive another personal triumph, and actually it had been good to have a few hours doing our own things...... a  bit of space is never a bad thing !

So, tomorrow we move again....a couple of days now of long drives and scenery looking ,that will take us to Hammer Springs then to Kaikoura- it will be long and quite boring for Lowenna after all one mountain and lake looks like the next when you are only 11, so we need to make sure we find lots to occupy her over the next 550 km or so we have to do !

Day 4 and Day 5 - Riding in Mount Cook NP, a long drive and Yellow Eyed Penguins !

Day 4 

Started early still at Mount Cook, with a VERY excited Lowenna waking us up to inform us of blue skies ,no rain and ideal riding conditions...so Tim kindly did the honors and off they went while William and I did chores and things..... sort of hot chocolate and buns chores while soaking up the view  !!!

They had a simply amazing time on a two hour trek on the foothills and Lowenna came back high enough to last a few days and counteract the long drives ahead ....

So- off to Dunedin >>

298 km later after driving through what looked like Dartmoor with a hint of American Gold rush towns, and we were there -  though we had a couple of stops one of which at the rather weird and mysterious Moeraki Boulders -Round stones  varying in size from 1m to 2m in diameter on the beach which are really rather mystical and about 125 million years old and we couldn’t help but mess about on them for a bit.....

Day 5 

Next day after a good catch up on sleep we headed into Dunedin- a bit like Edinburgh(the station is the most photographed building in NZ so Tim thought it best he kept up with tradition!!) and had a good look at the Farmers Market- fab fruit and veg but pricey......

Later in the day we headed out on a Tour of Wildlife of the Otago Peninsula... supposed to be a bright sunny evening to view The Royal Albatross, Yellow Eyed Penguin, Blue Eyed Penguin, Fur Seals and Sea Lions.. Yes we saw them all, and the penguins really were amazing... seemed totally weird to se them waddling up the sandy beach to stand on the grassy cliffs and just for a moment I felt like like David Attenborough.... but as is the weather in  NZ it changed from sunny 25c to rain and wind in an hour.. not to mention the very steep and long hikes up and down the grassy cliffs. But seeing these endangered species so close is staggering and very humbling.William was utterly entranced by the little pingus... he has always loved them and Lowenna once again enjoyed every minute and despite the very long steep hikes and wet rain ...never a muttering of a complaint... she really is up for anything on this trip ....makes a world of difference having big bro’ to encourage her along....

Day 6

Bright and sunny morning... and thats about the best it got today!!

This was the day of the long drive -390 km, and Tim decided to do the Southern Scenic route just to take a little bit longer -around 2 hrs and 100 km longer !! 

First to Nugget point but this was no gold choice . sea lions from 200ft up a cliff and an old lighthouse. Then on to Curio Bay to see a petrified forest.Not too sure what petrified them but we all decided to stay in the dry just in case it happened again....and  by the time we arrived it was pouring with rain anyway. However having got us there, Tim put on his sun hat and pac-a-mac with shorts and crocs and disappeared down the path to the beach... nobody else followed,I wonder why ??!!  When he returned looking like the proverbial drowned rat he obviously had seen and enjoyed the trees of 150 million years old turned to stone.... they were of appeal to him so that was good! Took a few pics of the team along the way....

He sleeps and eats... he eats and sleeps

Our Driver !

Navigator

Lowenna keeps tab on those of us bringing shoes into the camper van - three hits and its floor washing duty ! 

Good to hear from our driver we were as far South in NZ that you can drive - how about that... we had all rather lost the plot by this point so- Invercargill- Te-Anau here we come....

So.... after a snack lunch in the van we continued arriving in Te Anau after 9 hours and 451 kms.....mmmmm... and still it rains ! 

but tomorrow is another day and its going to be amazing- we are off on an overnight cruise on the mystical and awe inspiring Doubtful Sound... Can’t wait..

NZ days 2 and 3 -Mount Cook and Magnifico Southern Alps

Day 2

Long drive today- so chores done... timetabled and organized by Lowenna’s rota  and Williams arrival and leaving -  ’ things to do list ‘....  ( what would we do without them both )...we were off to Mount Cook.

We knew we had to shop en-route and food gathering done the mountains came into view.... the magnifico Southern Alps in the distance and a stop at the stunning pale blue Lake Tekapo.

 9 hours and 365 km later a Glentanner Park just below Mount Cook. A good choice of available sites among the trees,so in usual Tim style the site furthest from all the facilities was chosen which was fine as no one else parked anywhere near us.We did have a cracking view of Mount Cook out of our back window tho’ !

 

A barbeque and a bottle of vino later and bedtime... so once again the bed sorting got done... William managed in record time without falling between gaps... and off to sleep... well nearly...it’s a bit like my memories of pony club camp... everyone shouting goodnight... lots of giggling and debates about lights on or off....

but then......... one of those magical moments when I realised on looking out how incredible the night sky was, so we all piled out, in our jim jams and stood in awe looking up at the clearest bright starry sky I have ever seen.... Oh we so needed the lovely Brian Cox from the telly... to tell us what everything was,  but between William’s pretty good star identikit and Lowenna with the Star Walker app for i phone we managed quite well.... got a bit chilly but what a fantastic moment of family fun and shared awesomeness......

Day 3

Bit of a rush again today ....we are still working on the departing in a hurry plan...... but it was lovely and sunny under the white glistening Mountain .... Trip booked to go to Explore the Tasman Glacier Lake immediately below Mount Cook.... Oh so worth every penny.... the fabulous guide and little yellow ribs with just 8 people per boat, pottering around on the eery lake surrounded by Glacier Icebergs were just beyond description.... the silentness... the surreal smoothness of the ice ...the colours,  the sight of the glacier hitting the lake.... Mount Cook towering above in magnificent majesty....

returning to the Hemitage Centre we had a look at the Edmund Hillary Exhibits, did inevitable shopping... had a quick snack in the cafe and then back to the site by which time the rain had come in... BIG rain.... so diaries and photo sorting... a cuppa , supper and bed....

  
 

 

NZ day 1 -awesomeness everywhere

The Pennys have arrived in New Zealand  - eventually !

Day 1.

After a 5 hr delay at Sydney we finally touched down at 4am in Christchurch and luckily a quick processing of our ‘farmer’ status and the quickest ever transit through customs meant we were all tucked up in our airport hotel by 4.30 am...

However in a trice it was -ding dong- 8 am.. up and ready to get the camper van... so two hours later and a quick instruction lesson on how to do essential activities like loo emptying and making sure the electric cable is disconnected before driving off- derrrr.... and we were away .

Akaroa - 75 km, two hours driving and straight to our dolphin swim..... almost immediately out of Christchurch the awesome surroundings engulfed us....and immediately I could understand what it is that gets under the skin of those lucky enough to visit this place.

It was all a bit of a dash really but so worth it... we arrived with minutes to spare- booked in and popped on ultra thick wetsuits ( well some popped them on... some of us had to squeeze bits and zip bits in.... bit like putting too much in a pencil case... you know that feeling of gently poking in and zipping slowly trying not to trap stuff in the zip as you go!!!!!

Anyway- off we went- 10 to a boat.... and after a quick trip out to sea the little Hector Dolphins were there....sweet little things about 1.5 m long but the only place left in the world they can be seen..

It looked like more than a bit of a swell... more like Atlantic Rollers to me but anyway we piled in to the water - yes open sea and a big swell..... the buoyancy of the suits was immediately apparent as Tim’s feet shot up in front of him and he went over backwards struggling to keep upright....however once we relaxed and trod water for a bit just going with the swell, the dolphins swam among us and took our minds off the waves and for a magical hour we were bobbing around at one with them..

Lowenna did incredibly well as it was a real mix of excitement, adrenalin rush and prevention from drowning --- all at once...

Once back on dry land.. the wet suits came off, thank goodness no one could see that bit !

So back to the camper van for our first supper with a view to die for over Akaroa Harbour... and bed... well at least once Will had fallen down a few gaps working out how it all went together !