Wanaka - our last 4 nights before home

From Doubtful Sound - it was a 5 hr drive to Wanaka, which is approx 1.5 hrs north of Queenstown. Wanaka is also situated on a beautiful lake surrounded by mountains.

Our room was a 1 bedroom apartment at a fairly big resort. It was great to have a bit of space around us after the boat. We happily ordered in room for dinner on our first night and enjoyed this view from our balcony.

Next day was a lazy morning then out to check out the town. It was about a 30min stroll from our resort around the lake to the town centre.

We couldn't resist taking a photo of the entree Mark had for lunch. It was bacon wrapped scallops and were by far the biggest scallops we had ever seen.

These are a couple of photos taken of the lake from the town centre.

Our second day we took a drive around town and also to buy some snacks for a picnic dinner. This was part of the lake which winds away from the area we stayed in.

Imagine our surprise when the clouds lifted and we realised we could see a glacier from our apartment. When the sun hit it, it just glowed! Once the clouds came in, it was the first area to be hidden.

We took a couple of bikes from the resort and rode across the other side of the lake for a picnic dinner.

Major sore butts by the time we got back to the hotel.

Mark reading in the corner seat of our apartment.

Last full day there, we decided to check out the local wineries. The first 2 were quite small. Tasting was held literally at the kitchen bench of the owners house. Fun! They also were keen to show us the vines, pointed out what the different colours on the berries were from, how they trellis them etc.

The 2nd one also gave us a bit of a tour of their vineyards after tasting, and the amazing view they have of the Clutha River which constantly flows rapidly.

The final we went to provided tastings for several surrounding wineries as well as has a great restaurant and garden in the grounds. After showing interest, we were given a walking tour of their 1.5 hectare vege garden and to check out the sheep etc.

This is the view of their property (which was used for a scene in Lord of the Rings), taken from our table where we enjoyed a very late lunch.

We are now at the airport in Queenstown. Our route home is via Auckland, so a bit of a hassle. Apparently direct flights can be had from Queenstown to Melbourne in winter. We'll be keeping an eye out for one of those!

Doubtful Sound

Our overnight cruise to Doubtful Sound went like this:

- Cruise across Lake Manapouri to west arm (this included approx 70 ppl)

- Bus across Wilmott Pass to Deep Cove (end of Doubtful Sound)

- Cruise Doubtful Sound (from 12 noon until 9:30 the following morning)

There were just 5 passengers on our boat, an English couple and a woman from the Netherlands who were lots of fun. We also had a crew of 2. There was a large boat that had 55 on it and another that had around 8. We always prefer a more intimate experience.

During our time on the boat we glimpsed the other boats a couple of times but mostly it felt like we were the only ones there. There are also a couple of boats that take day trippers. They get about 3 hrs on the sound.

It is utterly incredible to be in such an environment, which of course the photos can’t do justice.

We made our way down the sound stopping a couple of times to look at waterfalls and to pull up the crayfish pots to get our dinner.

The crays were plentiful for sure! Mark was more than happy to lend a hand, ensuring he earned the biggest for dinner.

The opening of the sound from the Tasman Sea was quite rocky and passage through was limited. We stopped to check out some seals, including some very new pups before heading out to sea. It was amazing to realise just where we were in the world. We certainly felt a million miles away.

Once out at sea we did some drift fishing. After a couple of bites for the captain he said to pull up the lines and we would move to another spot.

I was winding mine up and was being told to go faster. I said it was not easy and possibly I was just weak wristed. The female crew member said “here let me do it” (in her preferred, annoyed school teacher tone). Then she said, “maybe you have something on it”. And there before I knew it, I had caught my first fish ever!!! Though I’m not sure it counts when I didn’t do ALL the winding in. In the end we caught enough between us for dinner and for more crayfish bait, which is what mine became.

After fishing it was more cruising and dolphin spotting. It was so amazing with a group of about 20 dolphins all surrounding and protecting a tiny new one!

Finally we moored in a protected cove for the night. This is the only building in the sound and is a remnant of old fishing days. Being a UNESCO site, it is very protected.

From here we went kayaking while the crew prepared our dinner. I had been VERY concerned leading up to this trip regarding sharks in the sound as it was open to the sea. I had my concerns alleviated when told they don’t come in as there is so much fresh water coming from the lakes, they don’t like it in there. (I only realised later – if the dolphins seemed quite happy, why wouldn’t sharks!!!!) Anyway I survived and LOVED it.

Now being alone, at water level in such awe inspiring place is just surreal. In the cove next to ours was a 3 drop waterfall coming down the mountain. There were mussels on alot of the rocks and the trees were different for sure.
In all we loved this experience and would recommend it to anyone. Being with a small group was best for sure. Others on the big boat said they had lamb and beef buffet for dinner! Eww where’s the seafood?!

Queenstown

Queenstown was our stop for 2 nights and Dominique found this amazing little boutique hotel called The Dairy and we finally found a spot where we could well and truly relax and feel comfortable. It has only 13 rooms.

The guys running it went out of their way to make sure we were looked after from making dinner reservations (getting us the best table) at restaurants, serving afternoon tea and b’fast, to sightseeing tips of what to do and what not to do.

They served the best bacon I believe have ever eaten.

We have met some amazing people along the way, particularly at this hotel. One guy a chemist invented the clear shiny film that goes onto labels and books covers etc...nearly any label he had an application for. He had several factories around the world. Another owned an international corporate training company.

The best dinner we had was at Wai. Right on the waterfront boardwalk, we had the prime seat to enjoy sunset on the mountains. We enjoyed unique and rare Stewart Island oysters. Stewart Island is south of the main south island.

The oysters were served with 3 accompanyments. White balsamic jelly, lime sorbet and lemon ‘caviar’. We also had the whitebait – delicious!

Mains was tuna for me and 57C beef with oxtail ‘cigar’. We chatted most the night with the couple at the table next to us. Really lovely couple from the USA. They insisted we share a nightcap with them at the bar of their (very exclusive) hotel. We couldn’t resist.

The scenery around Queenstown and of “The Remarkables” is indeed remarkable and I can only imagine how breathtaking it must look in winter. Now that I know we can fly from Melbourne to Queenstown...we will be back.
Now Mr Barker... about the NZ red wines...WHY have you been keeping these a secret???? “Craggy Range Syrah” from Hawkes Bay...fabulous....not to mention the “Sacred Hill Merlot Cabernet” from the same area. We are now walking into most wine shops to find more of these little beauties!!!!!!

Greymouth to Fox Glacier

Early start from Greymouth on our way to Fox glacier with the news of an earthquake off the coast of Wellington....a little concerned...but relieved when no damage reported...

A long and mountainous drive with tight curvy roads...some bends had us slow to 15km/hr...Many at 45km/hr ...slow going but such beautiful scenery around EVERY bend...it’s ridiculous.

Land of long white cloud was fast becoming the land of the low grey cloud.... we had booked a helicopter flight to the top of Fox Glacier to hike the ice and ice caves and generally take in the sights.

We arrived a bit early and took a drive to a viewing point of the glacier. I believe this is only half of what you can normally see.

Alas due to unusually low cloud our afternoon flight was cancelled and we rebooked for the first flight the following morning. They needed to know that not only could they get us on the glacier but also would be able to land and get us off again 2.5 hrs later.

We did the next best thing and took a walk around Lake Matheson. It is known as the perfect place to see Mt Tasman and Mt Cook which also reflect into the lake. As you see by “our” photograph there was no reflecting going on this day.

Here is a postcard suggesting what we should have seen.

We enjoyed the 1.5 hr walk before heading off to our B&B (homestay) for an easy night of sitting on the veranda drinking New Zealand red wine and a light dinner of cheese, biscuits etc.

Alas it was to be no helicopter flight and glacier hike for us... The cloud had actually got worse overnight and it was cancelled again in the morning. We were OK with that as safety was our priority.

So we started on our way through Hasst, Hasst Pass, Wanaka to Queenstown.

Though these 2 photos look similar, they are actually of 2 different lakes.
The country side was just stunning...rugged beauty...step mountains...very very step mountains...so hard to describe or even photograph...just doesn’t do it justice at all.

Interisland ferry and more...

Well the VERY windy weather on our last day in Wellington did not die down as expected. The idea of the ferry crossing with the strong winds (and possibly an angry ocean!!) was making us pale and squeamish.

We woke early (6am) to be ready at the docks for the 7:30 boarding of our ferry. While waiting for the taxi I was seriously considering & asking Mark, if it was a sensible idea to just forget the ferry and the north part of the south island and fly straight down to Queenstown.

With that the taxi arrived and our bags were in the boot before we knew it... and we were off to the dock. Check in was quick and it was with MUCH trepidation that we boarded. The waves in the bay in Wellington were choppy with lots of white caps. We even were very tentative of what we ate, in case it was going to come back but also didn’t want to feel hungry either. It was not encouraging to see stands of ‘bags’ for passengers to help themselves to, should they feel unwell.

We took a table at the front of the boat and had a great lookout. Gratefully the couple who took the table next to us were chatty and informative and gave us lots of ideas of which were the best roads to take or avoid when travelling south. They were a great distraction.

So it was out the heads of the north island and on entering the straight it actually seemed to get better rather than worse. Even our local neighbours said it was much better than they were expecting. It wasn’t the 4m waves they thought it may be and that they had previously experienced in bad weather. So at this point we thought it safe to order a coffee and scone. In the end it was an easy crossing and smooth indeed with very little movement of the ferry.

Entering and cruising up the Queen Charlotte sound was just beautiful. Again our neighbours pointed out things of interest, salmon farms, mussel farms, timber station, old whaling station etc.

Arriving into Picton, there was already a cruise ship docked as well as another interisland ferry. Picton also has a large marina which is where our neighbours were headed for a week of R&R on their boat. This was their version of a ‘weekender’ and they didn’t even need to take a car from the north island.

We picked up our car and were on the road to Nelson. We took the scenic Queen Charlotte Pass. Just amazing scenery of deep ravines and waterways, steep mountains covered with pine plantations which seem improbable to plant and harvest.

Not sure how they do it but its BIG business here.
Nelson was a surprising big town. Lots of microbreweries - of which we tried one. It’s also quite an arty town.

Next day was off to Greymouth. Again, through amazing mountainous region with tight windy roads and lots of river crossings.

We stopped and checked out the pancake rocks and blow holes at Punakaiki. Greymouth is a port city and the largest on the west coast. The beaches along this coast are rugged looking with lots of driftwood on them. (a bit like Crescent City, Barkers) If you have ever seen ‘The Piano’, I believe this is the area it was filmed. Greymouth is also home to Monteith brewery and cidery. I know their cider has become very popular in Australia in the last year or two.

This final picture is for Johnny Barker from Mark... these were on the wall of our hotel room in Greymouth. ...... I hope you sleep well!!!

Wellington, 28/29/30/31/01/12

After an easy flight across we got to our hotel in no time at all. We dropped our luggage and were off for a walk around the city centre. It was lunch time for us 1:45pm (2pm Melb time = 4pm Welly time) and we wanted a light meal. We were turned away from 3 places (“we close at 4 on Saturdays”) before we finally found somewhere to eat.

I had done my research and that night we went to Matterhorn. We were super happy with our night out. The restaurant was at the end of a grungy laneway/arcade we possibly would not have entered if we hadn’t known there was a restaurant there. It opened up to a contemporary fitout and the staff were friendly from the moment we walked in and were shown to our table. Food and wine delicious... my crab and fish terrine divine, chard/mushroom & cheese cannelloni with parmesan foam was close to the best I have ever had, and like no other... dessert was ‘pineapple lump’ which was essentially a gooey centred choc pudding with licorice smudged on the plate, and what looked like dirt but was dried licorice/ choc and pineapple pieces. Bloody good!

We caught the cable car up from the city centre to the Botanic Gardens. It was a great view of the city from the top. It was an easy downhill walk back to the city and our hotel.

Sunday we spent wandering around the city.

There was a farmers market on the docks. This boat was selling their fish right off the back. (Simon I will send you more photos too). Once selected your order was prepared by the 2 guys at the back of the boat. It doesn't get any fresher!

We headed to the tourist info centre and in the piazza there were about 10 of these little gardens. Very clever idea, and would be the perfect portable garden for anyone who only has a courtyard garden. (hint hint Emmeline)

Wellington is a great city of old and new buildings. I have been particularly impressed with the harbour area with many houses on the hills surrounding the bay. It feels like a physical mix of many places we have been.
Most homes are weatherboard and very well maintained. With its very steep hills its San Francisco, Positano and Melbourne all in one. The only sizeable flat land is either the city or the airport.



We have enjoyed ourselves and really started to relax. We have even hit the gym and the pool to counteract the effects of the food intake!!!
We decided to hire a car on Monday (our anniversary day) and headed north from Wellington to take a look at the wine region of Martinborough, travelling through amazing mountainous region with clean fast flowing rivers alongside the road. We had lunch at Murdoch James. (It was actually the only winery we visited, spending more of our time checking out the little towns on the way through.)

Is it obvious I have food envy at this stage? Marks salad with his pork belly was absolutely delicious which we will try to replicate one day.

That night was another exceptional meal at Logan Brown. It is in an old bank building, so fabulous and different setting.

Our last day in Wellington saw us go up to the top of Mt Victoria.


It was cool with a VERY strong northerly wind...even the locals said it was windy.


Mark at Maranui Surf Club Cafe. VERY popular in an otherwise quiet area.

In all - a great city, clean, nice people, four days, good food, wonderful scenery.
We have found great coffee, some amazing restaurants.