txflyer77

Heh. We'll get to bungy when I reach that part of the trip report.

lostinlondon

Oh, fantastic! Hopefully was the Nevis jump. Looking forward to reading regardless!

txflyer77

"No alcohol in this central business district"

I planned two nights in Auckland, mostly to get over the jet lag, but I slept so well on the HKG-AKL flight—which was a redeye—that my body clock was already in sync when I arrived and I didn't have any trouble.

I stayed out in Ponsonby, an area just outside the CBD with plenty of bars and cafes. Walking distance to K'Road and, in a pinch, Britomart if you don't mind a bit of a walk.

I spent my one full day out on Waiheke Island. A 40 minute ferry ride to a great island with perfect beaches and endless vineyards. Buses meet the ferry at the terminal for the ride into Oneroa, one of the main villages.


Rejected sets from Wes Anderson's Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

I'd hoped to rent an e-bike once I reached the island but winds were pushing 25mi/h so instead I started with some avocado toast followed by an espresso.



I know almost nothing about wine, so I just picked the closest: Cable Bay Vineyards. A 20 minute walk from Oneroa.



After a tasting at the cellar door I grabbed a window seat at their restaurant and enjoyed a view glasses with the view.



Followed that up with a stroll around the vines.





After walking back I noticed the Astros/Dodgers World Series game on in a bar, so I stopped in for some food and a few more drinks and got to enjoy watching Houston clobber LA.

Back in Auckland, a selection of street art from around the city:







And some food:


Beef rendang from an anonymous Malaysian restaurant somewhere along K'Road.


Thai curry at MooChowChow, along Ponsonby.

Next up: Nelson and Abel Tasman

flyingeph12

What an amazingly awesome trip!

I didn't know that the owner of Omotesando Koffee has opened an outpost in HK. I will have to stop by when I am in HK in a few weeks!

Waiheke is definitely a great day trip from Auckland.

mad_atta

Enjoying your report so far. Your acquaintance in Colorado gave you good advice - that's an excellent itinerary!

The_Mileonaire

I gotta check out that Beer Bar in HKG next time I'm there Great trip report so far!

txflyer77

Aaaaaaand I'm back.



After two days in Auckland I flew down to Nelson to explore the Abel Tasman region. I took an NZ flight on one of their prop planes—an ATR72.

The AKL domestic terminal is pretty no-frills. Regional flights don't use jetways and there's no security. When your flight is called, you just walk straight out onto the tarmac, which seems to be pretty common for domestic flights in New Zealand.





Turns out if you aim an iPhone camera at the prop, it appears to be perfectly still:



I spent a day with Marahau Sea Kayaks on a combo hike/kayak/water taxi trip. A self-guided five mile hike along a section of the Abel Tasman coastal track, then a water taxi from one beach to another for a two-hour guided kayak trip.















The kayak trip took us to Split Apple rock and Adele island, then we beached at an atoll offshore for a break and a snack.







Our water taxi:



And finally a few beers back in Marahau:



The next day, back in Nelson, I rented a bike and headed out out to the World of Wearables Museum-slash-classic car museum:





Then back to town where I stopped at the jeweler who made all the rings for Lord of the Rings.





The ring used for the close-ups:



Finally up to the Center of New Zealand, a short hike up a steep hill. Unfortunately the weather wasn't great.







Walking around Nelson:



Nelson's a great little town. An excellent base for exploring the Abel Tasman region. A solid selection of restaurants and local cideries. At one point I stumbled onto a liquor store/beer garden that was pretty much a few tables piled high with locals. It was down a bit of a back alley and I don't even really remember where it was. Hardy Street has a fantastic selection of restaurants and pubs. I highly recommend Sprig and Fern.

I only had three nights in Nelson and I'd love to spend more time here. I do wish I'd rented a car and if I return I'd definitely arrange one.

Next: Several boats on the way to Kenepuru Sound

txflyer77

After Nelson I made my way out to a place my Kiwi acquaintance from the coffee shop in Boulder told me about: Hopewell Lodge. He's a friend of the family that runs the place.

Hopewell Lodge is a small lodge on the coast of Kenepuru Sound, part of the Marlborough Sounds. It's pretty out of the way—at least a three hour drive from the nearest town. There are no shops anywhere nearby so you have to bring all your own food. They have a pretty nice kitchen facility for guests.

Fortunately they do have an espresso machine and offer homemade pizzas and, a few times a week, mussel cookouts.

My morning coffee down on their pier:



They have their own bikes, kayaks and fishing boats available, plus a hot tub right on the water.

Since I was traveling without my own car, I took a bus from Nelson to Picton and a water taxi from Picton to a jetty somewhere in Marlborough Sound. From there, Mike, the owner of the lodge, picked me up, drove me across the peninsula to his boat and took us back to Hopewell.

Leaving Picton:



Crossing the Sounds:



A few photos of the grounds at Hopewell:













Their cove:



The (pre-water-change) hot tub:



And the kitchen:



My first night's dinner: pan-seared ribeye with sauteed asparagus and a mixed greens salad, accompanied by a pinot rose from the region.



I made sure I had a few hours in PIcton between the bus arrival and my water taxi so I could stock up on groceries and wine. I actually wound up staying at a lot of places with kitchen facilities on this trip and cooked for myself pretty often. Much easier to avoid eating junk food for my entire vacation that way. Cheaper too.

A number of the other guests at Hopewell were repeat visitors and I think it's clear why. If I return to New Zealand I will absolutely come back here.

However, watch out for this guy, he likes to go for your toes:



I made a go at fishing but ended up getting caught in a storm and coming back empty-handed. That was the night I ordered one of their pizzas.

On my last night the owner arranged a mussel cookout. He took a few of us across the sound to a mussel farm where he explained a bit about the process before lifting up some ropes of mussels into the boat, knocking them into a box and bringing them back:









These are green-lipped mussels, which I believe only grow in this region.

Mike cleaned them up and then steamed them later that evening. He tossed a few leaves of seaweed into the pot for seasoning.





(That's Mike)

He and his wife baked a few loaves of bread and prepared three sauces: a Thai curry sauce with coconut milk, a lemon vinaigrette and a chili sauce.



He dumped the mussels straight onto the table and we all dove in.





We finished off the mussels in short order and then I spent the rest of the night sitting around the table with some of the other guests and several bottles of wine. Two friends from Sydney, a pair of EMTs up from Christchurch and a husband and wife from Adelaide. All in all, a great time.

Up next: Swing dancing in Wellington

nequine

Such a beautiful region of NZ to visit. Makes me want to go back!

mad_atta

Awwww, makes me a little homesick. I grew up in Marlborough. It's a pretty nice corner of the world...

Madone59

Great photos, and trip report. Thank you for sharing ^

txflyer77

(I swear I will finish this thing)

After an amazing stint in the Kenepuru Sound I made my way back to Picton to take the Interislander across the Cook Straight to Wellington.

Reversing the journey out to Hopewell, I hitched a ride across the sound and caught a water taxi into Picton. I rode part of the way with some maintenance workers and their equipment—these are very much working transports, not tourist boats.

The water taxi dropped me at the Interislander pier rather than their own pier, which was on the other side of the harbor.



Made my way up from the dock to the terminal and then onto the ship a few minutes later. I grabbed a seat near the bow, bought an espresso and settled in for the crossing.



I stayed in the CBD at a small hotel called Gourmet Stay. Walking distance to Cuba Street and Te Papa.

Their tips for where to eat in Wellington:



I only had two days so I didn't have time to stray far. The one downside of walking everywhere is that they are *not* kidding about the wind here.

Walking around Welly:




Cafe in a shipping container.


Late-night pizza on Courtenay Place, one of Wellington's nightlife strips.


David Bowie tribute off Cuba Street.


...which is right next to Goulding's a bar and pizza joint recommended to me by a local friend.

I'm an avid swing dancer. At last year's Camp Hollywood, one of the largest swing dance camps in the world, I met a few dancers from Wellington and managed to meet back up with them at a small venue called Rogue and Vagabond, which happened to be featuring a jazz orchestra that evening.



I spent a fantastic evening with them and their friends, but due to only bringing hiking shoes I wasn't able to dance much.

I also spent an afternoon at Te Papa, which was hosting an exhibit on the Battle of Gallipoli, where ANZAC forces suffered extremely heavy losses. Weta Workshop, the special effects company that did Lord of the Rings, built a set of 2.5x life-size models of a number of real New Zealand soldiers for the exhibit:







They were *incredibly* realistic. Thousands of hairs individually punched, blood stains and flies crawling on their bodies. A remarkable exhibit.

Next: Queenstown and way too many flipping tourists

nequine

The Gallipoli exhibition at Te Papa is simply stunning (and very moving I thought) and those figures are indeed very realistic - there is a good YouTube behind the scenes video on how they made them which is interesting to watch.

Wellington is a fantastic place to visit and yes, does live up to its nickname of Windy Wellington!

mad_atta

Nice update. Looking forward to the next one!

txflyer77

At last time for the highlight of this trip, a 25-mile hike on the Routeburn Track through both Fiordland and Mount Aspiring National Parks.



The hike takes three days. I joined Ultimate Hikes for this—they operate their own lodges along the route. Alternatively there are huts run by the Department of Conservation.

I very, very rarely go on any group tours but this one is worth an exception. You can hike at your own pace and be on your own if you like, there's no requirement to stick with a guide.

I was very early in the season for this route and a late snowfall closed part of what should have been the second day's hike—fortunately Ultimate Hikes has their own helicopter so we were flown over that section. Their lodges are so remote that all supplies have to be flown in.

It's an amazing journey. We started in a rainforest and ended up in alpine peaks, then descended into a river valley.

Day 1: The Divide to Lake Mackenzie with a detour to Key Summit





Looking back at the waterfalls we'd crossed:



Partway through we detoured off the main track to head up Key Summit, which outstanding views in every direction.



We had lunch at Howden Hut. Due to a late snowfall, hikers not with Ultimate Hikes weren't allowed any further, as the next day's summit was closed.



The first day ended at Lake Mackenzie. You can just see the UH lodge poking out of the trees:





The Ultimate Hikes lodges are very nice considering the circumstances. Hot showers, electricity and hot dinner and breakfast, plus beer, wine and cider. They have both hostel-style shared rooms and private rooms available. I was booked in a shared room but I was the *only* one who did in my particular group so I effectively got a private room for the shared price.

The lounge at Lake Mackenzie Lodge:



On arrival at the lodge each night a snack tray would be waiting, generally with something high-protein plus some juice.



They can take up to 40 people. Our group had 16 plus the three UH guides. Other than a child with his parent, I was the youngest person in the group by a decent margin, but it really seems to be luck of the draw. I have friends who've done UH hikes that were entirely 20-somethings. In fact, one of my coworkers happened to be doing the Milford Track with them a few days later.

The food is quite good. Our first night was steak, cooked perfectly. Eggs benedict in the morning. Lunch was DIY—they set out sandwich makings and snacks in the morning and you'd assemble whatever you like. The first day's lunch was a sandwich and pastry from Fergbaker back in Queenstown, an excellent choice.

The first night's dinner was steak and asparagus:





Our second morning's breakfast even included croissants!

To lighten the load, each lodge has hand washing facilities for clothing, so you only have to carry one set of hiking clothes and one set of evening clothes.

On the second day we wound up spending most of the morning at the lodge while we waited to the DoC to determine if we could hike over the summit. We killed time walking around Lake Mackenzie:





In the end, the DoC decided we couldn't hike the summit, so the UH helicopter ferried all of us to just the other side, where we hiked down to the Routeburn Falls.





Looking back at Lake Mackenzie after take-off:



We landed at the edge of a Lake Harris, just the other side of Harris Saddle, which was closed:







From there we trudged through some snow before descending a bit and heading down towards the Routeburn Falls and the second night's lodge, descending this:



Just before the lodge we climbed up to a small summit for a panoramic view of the Routeburn Flats and the third day's hike:



The falls themselves are a long series of cascades and pools.





Finally, Routeburn Falls Lodge.



My lodging for the night:



Lamb chops for dinner, followed by cheesecake:





Breakfast:



Finally, our last day. Down to the Routeburn Flats and across the the trailhead.









And then, finally, we made it.





We waited here for the UH coach to take us back to Queenstown. We stopped along the way at a pub in Glenorchy for a last round (or two) of drinks.

Ultimate Hikes offers a discount if you return for another hike within a year and I'm very tempted to take them up on that.