After planning for almost six months our trip to NZ was just hours away. We were ready to leave for the airport much before the official check-in time. But thanks to peak hours in Singapore we found taxis after a little struggle and reached airport at the right time instead of being early at the check in counter.
On hearing that Royal Brunei Airways did not serve spirits our spirits were dampened as we wanted to get high in the sky. Add to this, at the Brunei airport we heard that there are no bars, pubs, discos, karaoke clubs or liquor stores in the country. The only form of entertainment was a tour to the city. The tour guides helped us with the visa formalities and explained the hyped up itinerary. We hopped onto the bus and entered into a different world altogether.
Brunei is a rich Islamic nation with great benefits for citizens. The country has beautiful mosques and the tour is a must do in case you have time. The architecture, lighting and gold decorations make the mosques look majestic. Every mosque has a story behind it and the tour guide keeps you interested in the proceedings. The country gives citizenship to people willing to embrace Islam, speak Malay and remember the name of the sultan which takes almost 30 seconds to recite. Citizens get free land, hospital benefits and cheap petrol. The last thing I remember was eating street food. Delicious food is available on the streets. We had sticky rice with chicken, pita bread with vegetable and chicken filling, noodles, fried rice, etc. The local pancake called Kher Malai is famous. We were back in the plane and off to Auckland.
28th Jan - Auckland
After landing in Auckland Airport our urge to meet Uncle Jack took us to the duty free store and make our first contribution to the NZ economy. Outside the airport the cool breeze greeted us and this was a refreshing change from the Singapore weather. The Auckland airport is considered one of the top 10 airports in the world but falls short in comparison to the super efficient Changi Airport.
Our pick up van, an old rickety vehicle, took us to Rent-a-Dent. A weird name for a car rental firm. We wanted to rent a Toyota Corolla and doing so would have meant that the luggage had to be placed on our heads as we had 3 big and 5 medium sized bags plus the usual hand bags, carry bags, etc. Better sense prevailed and we hired SUVs for all our journeys in NZ. In the excitement we forgot one of Suhas's bags in the car rental office which we realized only after we checked into our rooms at Bianco Off Queen.
Suhas showed no panic and took his own time to chit chat with some acquaintance, rang up his cousin who stays in NZ, had a couple of drinks and then revealed that in addition to his bag he had also lost his SIM card.
In the evening we met Jyothsana, Suhas's cousin, who took us to Little India restaurant for dinner. Post dinner we retired to our beds except Siri who experimented with the washing machine. The experiment failed and we had to carry our washed but wet clothes to Pahia the next day in a plastic bag.
29th Jan - Pahia
Auckland is considered a big city but this big city was pretty quiet. The roads were empty and except for liquor nothing is available after six in the evening. We drove through the city and saw lovely Churches, independent houses, gardens and small eating places. There was a relaxed feeling to the entire place and we were enjoying it. People played cricket, the summer sport, in fields and some boys even practiced bowling actions while standing in queues near the airport.
We collected the lost bag and set off on a long drive to the Bay of Islands. Bay of Islands is located at the northern most part of NZ and the drive is scenic. On the way we saw beautiful landscape of hills, farmlands, small villages with windmills, small towns with European style architecture, restaurants that serve you over sized Pizzas with a ton of cheese and to top it all we had great weather.
Siri and Suhas have always enjoyed 29th Jan for it was their wedding anniversary and a day where something crazy always happened. It was no different. After driving for about an hour bad weather greeted us that threatened our journey. The next few hours were spent in traffic jams but we took advantage of that and walked along the road to meet people and enjoy the place. People are extremely friendly in NZ and would go out of their way to help you. The traffic eased out and we picked up speed but there was a new problem. Near Kaukapakapa (Maori name meaning "to swim with much splashing") a bridge was flooded. A few adventurous drivers crossed the flood in their powerful SUVs but we weren't game for it. A few of us tried to walk across the flood but chickened out halfway.
Someone suggested an alternate route via Russel which we thought was around 10 kms away. On our way the road suddenly ended and we were driving in the hills with no road, no map, no sign boards and almost an empty fuel tank. The distance was much more than 10 kms and I remember driving at high speeds to catch up with a driver who knew the route.
At Russel, a big barge helped us shuttle our vehicle to Pahia. The barge accommodates at least twenty cars. The bay was surrounded by hills and there were yachts, boats, ferries all around us. The detour was worth the risk and later on we found a petrol pump to fill up our thirsty Subaru Legacy.
We should have spent at least two nights in Pahia at Beachcomber. Just outside our room was a picnic table which overlooked the beach. The town gave you a feeling of staying in a hill station surrounded by an ocean. The boys had a good night with uncle Jack and Sneha with some wine.
Jan 30th - Auckland and Wellington
We drove back listening to Kannada songs and the cheesiest ones were my favorite. These songs were played again and again on my request. Back in Auckland, we were so desperate to eat Indian Food that we jumped signals and even stopped in the middle of road exits to take U turns. After stuffing ourselves with Dosas, Idlis and Vadas at Dosa Plaza we headed to the airport to catch a flight to Wellington.
Wellington is a windy city with a lot more crowd and buzz on the streets. The shuttle from the airport to Mercure hotel went past the downtown area, the local rugby stadium and Basin Reserve cricket stadium. I was thrilled to see the turf and the outfield of this small cricket stadium. Walking on the streets we saw walls filled with graffiti, sex shops and even an IBM office. We retired early as we had a ferry to catch the next morning.
Jan 31st - Wellington, Picton, Christchurch
We took the Interislander ferry from Wellington to Picton and then took the TranzCoastal train from Picton to Christchurch. The authorities help you check-in your luggage all the way from Wellington to Christchurch and the ferry ride and train ride timings are always synced.The ferry looked more like a mall with food court and lounges. There was a slight drizzle outside which meant spending time inside the ferry playing cards and battling sea sickness. The ride to Picton is around three hours and once the weather improved we spent time on the deck looking at the scenery. At some places the water was green in color and in some places it was blue while the ferry splashed water and created a white trail. The hills surrounding us were green, barren brown and even gray in some places. There were birds flying down and catching fish.
Picton railway station is walking distance from the ferry terminal. The railway station has a single platform and despite having an e-ticket we got our seat numbers scribbled on a piece of paper. I am fascinated by train journeys and this six hour ride was my favorite part of the entire NZ trip. The train journey starts amidst hills, then enters vineyards, grasslands and near Kaikoura you see the pacific ocean. The pacific ocean beach has black sand and blue waters. The train track runs a few meters away from the ocean and you can see sea eagles, seals and other wildlife. There are bridges and tunnels throughout the ride and you can spend most of the time in the open bogie in case you love the cold wind hitting your face and fancy taking some great snaps. The train has a bar and we ordered champagne to make the ride memorable. I wish we had stopped at Kaikoura for whale watching in the continental shelf near this region. The train reached Addington railway station,Christchurch, in the evening. By the time we picked up our luggage it was late and the last shuttle to the city was about to leave. It was time to loose things and Suhas lost his camera’s tripod stand and suitcase keys. Once again, he showed no signs of panic or interest in finding these lost items much to Siri’s annoyance.
We headed to IStay At Cachel which was our home for the next three days and in some sense Christchurch was our base camp in the south island. Later in the evening we hired a Toyota Highlander from Hertz for the next ten days.
Feb 1 - Balloon Adventure at Christchurch
We woke up at 3 AM for our Balloon adventure ride from the Canterbury plains. The ride depends upon the weather conditions and luckily for us everything went smoothly. At every stage of the ride you are involved in helping the pilot whether it is unpacking the balloon, inflating it or later deflating it. The pilot briefs you on the flight, the weather conditions and once you are up in the sky he takes a snap of the entire balloon by suspending a camera off the balloon with a string.Up from the sky you can see the city at a far distance, Canterbury plains - the bread basket of NZ, farms with livestock, the great rivers, southern alps and the pacific ocean. The ride starts early in the morning before sunrise.
The landing is often bumpy with no fixed landing location as everything depends on the winds and very little on the balloon's capability. The landing location is generally a farm and the owner is convinced by the balloon owners with a bottle of champagne. After landing we had champagne at around 8 in the morning listening to an old Irish balloon ride song.
We returned to Christchurch and later in the evening took the Gondola (Cable Car) and Tram ride. Though these sound very touristy it is a must do. Christchurch, considered the most English of the cities, is the most picturesque of the cities in NZ despite being affected by earthquake. There are old buildings, gardens, cafe shops by the street, historical monuments, a beautiful cathedral in the central square, small rivulets with boat rides, etc. Oh, there was an IBM office too.
Feb 2 - Rafting on Rangitata
Our first real adventure activity was rafting on the Rangitata river. The rafting business was started by a goon years ago but is now owned by a respectable family. We reached the rafting base camp, a house converted into a lodge, after driving for a couple of hours from Christchurch via Peel forest. The river on which we rafted can be seen in the famous movie - Lord of the Rings. With a HD TV you can actually see the rafts in one of the scenes.After a lovely lunch we were given rafting gear which looked like space suit. It protected us from cold weather, rain, water and injuries. This gear gives you confidence to tackle grade 3 rapids. Sneha and Suhas decided to skip the grade 5 rapids and instead took a walk around the river. Siri and I braved the grade 5 rapids without falling and even jumped into the water from a 4 meter high rock. I took the extra challenge and jumped into the water from a 9 meter high rock. Swimming was not easy in this river and thanks to the life jacket I made it to the shore.
Post rafting we had a barbecue at the base camp and then we went back to Christchurch. It was my turn to forget a bag which contained woolens and some change of clothes. The bag went from Rangitata to Geraldine to Queenstown where I finally got it back.
Feb 3 - Lake Tekapo
We left for Lake Tekapo and stopped at Geraldine for brunch and wine. The tiny town had lovely food joints. Every place in NZ has rest rooms for public but the restrooms can get uncomfortable for Asian men due to highly placed urinals. Our lack of height can cause toilet accidents.We reached lake Tekapo, a small town known for its lake with suspended rock crystals, night sky lit with stars and hot springs. The suspended crystals in the lake give it the distinct turquoise blue color and is considered a world heritage site.
Driving around we saw a house facing the lake and wished we had accommodation in a similar place. On driving past this house we realized that the place was called Three Rivers Lodge and we had made a booking for the exact same place. In the evening we went to the grocery store to buy provisions and to our surprise we found Indian food items even in such a remote place. The lodge is owned by a friendly family whom we met in the evening and spoke about life, work, wine, holidays and Tekapo. I wish we had stayed there for more than a night.
Feb 4 - Drive to Lake Wanaka and Queenstown
We stopped at Lake Wanaka on our way to Queenstown. Lake Wanaka is another town situated on the banks of a lake. The town is more commercial compared to Lake Tekapo and we saw a lot of crowd. Teenagers with paint on their body were making merry in the cold water. We also visited Puzzling World which has attractions ranging from illusion rooms to anti gravity rooms.During lunch we tried the local beer and wine. NZ has varieties of wine and beer to choose from and we made the best of it. Post lunch, direction dolly, our beloved GPS showed us a shorter route to Queenstown via hills that had fields which glittered like gold .As you enter Queenstown you can see jet boats & wind surfers in the lake and helicopters, gliders, & parachutes in the sky. We had arrived in the adventure capital of the world.
Feb 5 - Bungy Jump, Vineyards at Gibbston Valley
Except for Sneha the rest of us were dejected on realizing that our sky diving trip had been canceled for the day. We re-scheduled our sky dive and headed to Gibbston valley which is famous for its Pinot Noir wine. On the way we decided to stop at the Kawarau Bridge Bungy - home to the original 43 meter Bungy Jump. Although a little apprehensive I decided to go for the jump. The toughest part of the jump is standing at the edge and looking down at the river below. The jump is the exciting part and easy. After the leap you dive down towards the river and your head goes into the river. The adrenaline rush gives you a high and is a must do activity in NZ.In Gibbston valley, the weather and rock formations allow the vineyards to flourish. Some of the rocks are almost as old as 4 million years and provide the warmth needed for the grape vine. The customary vineyard trip was followed by wine tasting along with Cheese. I found the entire experience too sophisticated and wanted Vada or Idly instead of Cheese.
Feb 6 and Feb 7- Milford Sound, Feb 8 - Queenstown
The rains greeted us again during our drive from Queenstown to Te Anau and then to Milford Sound. We were cursing our luck and felt a little down but that was the best thing that happened to us. The place looked more beautiful with snow capped mountains, countless number of waterfalls and rivers under this misty rain cover. The drive through a tunnel full of water and leaking walls gave it a mystic feeling altogether.Milford Sound is considered sometimes as the eight wonder of the world. The early explorers thought that the place was a Sound. But the place is actually a Fjord (formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock) and not a Sound ( produced by a glacier carving out a valley on the coast then receding).
We took a night cruise to Tasman Sea from Milford Sound. The cruise ship was a two tired boat with basic amenities with quad share rooms. In the evening, we went out Kayaking in the sea. The weather worsened and Sneha started rowing her kayak in the wrong direction. I feared the worst and hoped Sneha would remember some survival skills from the program Man vs Wild that we watch on Discovery channel. Luckily, the storm calmed down and we were back safely.
We hoped for a calm night and it started off well with a guitar session by a crew member, some board games that we played (Fact or Crap with self written answers in some cards) and lovely dinner in which we were served channa masala with rice. After eating food we were ready for a nice long sleeping session but in the middle of the night Sneha started suffering due to sea sickness. After this cruise experience she doesn't want any more cruise rides.
In the morning, the weather improved and so did Sneha. We saw Seals on the rocks soaking up the sun but weren't lucky enough to see penguins and dolphins. Later in the afternoon we went for a walk and explored some new places. Our evening was spent in the Milford Lodge which is a backpackers den. Cooking our own food in the common kitchen, using the common lounge, etc was a refreshing change from our stay in hotels.
We drove back to Queenstown and once again realized that our sky dive was canceled. We had given up all our hopes and decided to see what the town had to offer. Jet boating in the canyon, famous for its historic gold trail, was a thrilling experience.
The night life in Queenstown is better than other cities because of the tourists. There are night clubs, casinos and live bands performing at pubs late into the night. People tend to have a lot of fun in the evenings and at a restaurant while having dinner a lady, playing truth and dare, was pinching butts of all the men in the room.
Feb 9 - Sky Diving and drive to Lake Matheson
Finally, our last attempt at Sky diving was successful. At 8 in the morning we were at 9000 feet above sea level. When the glider door opens the photographer walks on the wing to take snaps and you have to jump whether you like it or not. The tandem master will pretend not to hear you and will scoop you out. Despite being nervous I knew I would jump. The banana position in which you jump gently rolls you over the glider into the sky and from then on the terminal velocity of almost 200kmph rips your skin apart. You feel like a bird and your brain registers things slowly. In fact, sky diving is easier compared to roller coaster rides or bungy jumping. There is no churn in the stomach and you are at ease.Post sky diving, we headed towards Lake Matheson via a beautiful place with a rocking name called Haast. We were expecting to see a hill station with biting cold weather as it is located next to a glacier called Fox glacier. Many surprises awaited us. The glacier, considered a geographical marvel, is located just 300 m above sea level and is situated next to the sea with rain forests towering over it.
Later in the evening we went to Lake Matheson. We enjoyed our walk along the lake and at the reflection point you can see the reflection of Mount Cook and Mount Tasman if the cloud cover is not present.
Feb 10 - Heli Hike and Greymouth
Our heli hike adventure was not confirmed till the last minute. The weather changes in the hills within minutes and is considered a breeding ground for future mountaineers. The great Sir Edmund Hillary had trained in these hills before scaling mount Everest. Once again, we prayed for good weather and our prayers were answered.The 8 minute helicopter ride from the base camp sounds very short but during the ride you see the weather and the landscape change drastically. Suddenly, there was snow everywhere and it was blinding us. Minutes after landing we were tanned due to the sunlight and snow reflecting the light despite putting on layers of sun screen.
On the fox glacier, we spent time walking on the snow avoiding crevices and loose snow. The leather boots with crampons are a life savior on such terrain. You can drink water from the numerous ponds on the glacier and even eat ice.
Post lunch, we drove from Lake Matheson to Greymouth. In Greymouth, we stayed at the youth hostel and finished all the food items that we were carrying. It was the our last evening at NZ. The hostel had a lounge with a library and had numerous board games to choose from. Sneha and I spent the evening playing scrabble and for a change I won despite making words like pig, boy and bin.
Feb 11 - Greymouth to Christchurch and then to Auckland
We drove back from Greymouth to Christchurch via Arthur's pass. The drive took us a little longer because of a cycle race in the hills. After returning our Toyota Highlander we took a flight to Auckland. At Auckland, we had 6 hours before our flight took off to Brunei so we dumped our luggage in the cloak room, hired a taxi to the city and went to Dosa Plaza. This was the costliest Dosa we ever ate in our lives. This was our last adventure in NZ. After 15 hours we were back in Singapore.We drove more than 3000kms in two weeks, took all modes of transport possible, jumped from planes, cliffs and bridges, tried chocolates with ginger, saw natural wonders, met people who cared less about clothing and more about sports......The rains, floods and winds forced us to change our plans sometimes but we did everything that we had planned. It was a trip of a lifetime.
PS: Planning a trip to NZ
You will need roughly 5000 NZ dollars in case you plan a trip for ten days or more. A rough estimate of costs (In NZD per person) :
A low budget stay would cost around 40 dollars per person on a twin sharing basis. A medium budget stay would cost around 70 dollars per person and of course you can spend 100 or more to stay in a very good place.
Adventure activities are expensive but worth it. Sky diving costs around 500 per person (including photographs), Bungy jumping is around 180, Jet boating is around 180, Hot air balloon ride is around 350 and Heli Hike is around 400.
Car rentals depend on the car. An SUV costs around 100 dollars per day including GPS and insurance. Train and Ferry rides are around 150 dollars. Night cruise should be the same.
Food is cheap if you cook on your own. If you eat out and tend to fancy a drink or two be prepared for 60 dollars or so per day.
Plan in advance unless you are an adventurous kind. Go to NZ...you will not regret it!!
