We had to wake up early this morning because we had to be at the airport before 9am. We packed up and went to load the bags in our car, a drill we got used to every morning. For the 1st time, our car was frosted with a layer of ice. Our kind owner held a pot of hot water and poured it over our car and solved our problem! We arrived at the airport with at least 2 additional bags and a carton of food.
Looking back, I’m really glad we chose New Zealand’s South Island! It was a good fit to our travel preference! It remains as my favourite country until now! Countless adventures, friendly people and breathtaking scenary, I would really love to visit New Zealand again soon! North Island the next time!
Final day at New Zealand! We decided to spend this day in a way as chill as possible. Craving for fruits, we went to some nearby fruit stores to buy more fruits! We then headed to Lyttleton, a town not too far from Christchurch for lunch. It is home to a port. We dined at some cafes before heading off to our next destination!
Then, we decided on hot springs at Hanmer Springs. Since the weather was getting colder and colder, a dip in the hot springs was a super welcoming idea! Along the way, we stopped by a few wineries at Waipara. Just like the other wineries, we paid a fee to sample a few of the wines and bought a few bottles home!
After about an hour plus, we reached the Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa. The tickets allowed us into the pools where we spoke to an retiree who shared with us that he and his wife moved to Hanmer Spings after retirement. He visited the pools every day. This town must be really relaxing such that retirees planned their retirement here! There were several pools with different temperatures. We hopped into the different ones before going to the private room.
The rooms were nicely designed. However, I found that the water was same as those outside. Only thing different was the added privacy. So, I felt we didn’t really need it since we have already tried the different pools outdoor! We took a good shower and left the place feeling awesomely refreshed!
We decided to have dinner before we head back to Christchurch. Being the last dinner at NZ, we thought very hard before deciding to settle for Fish and Chips. Haha!
The drive back was quite exciting (dangerous could be the other word). The wind was getting strong. As a small sedan travelling alongside trailers (so mega you don’t see in Singapore), our car could hardly withstand the wind. Hubby could feel it swerving at times. If any trailer had hit us, we would have been crushed! Eww, that thought is awful! Thankfully, we made it back to our Airbnb in one piece!
One of the popular attractions at Lake Tekapo is the Church of the Good Shepherd. When we visited the place in the morning, there were already tourists crowding around the place. Our next Airbnb owner even asked if we got married here!
After a few pictures around the place, we left Lake Tekapo and headed back to Christchurch to complete the circle. The drive took about 3hrs and I started to dread it when I saw the congested roads. It’s often the situation near big cities.
We checked in to our final accommodation, another Airbnb. It was a big house and we had the whole of the 2nd floor to ourselves. There was a bedroom with double bed (where we sleep), a single room (to put our luggage), an entertainment room (with fridge stored with food and TV) and our own toilet with bath! By now, we have gotten used to the idea of having no locks to our room doors. Just take the necessary precautions with your personal belongings and you’ll be safe!
The Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand. Hence, one of the plan was to learn more about their culture. Using Bookme.com once again, I booked the Ko Tane Maori experience tour and traditional Hangi dinner at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve! First, we were brought on a guided tour of the wildlife reserve where we were introduced to the dear Kiwis once again. Thereafter, we visited the Ko Tane Maori village where we were welcomed with a cultural performance and hakka dance. The men were invited to stage to perform the hakka together while the ladies were invited to learn their traditional dance! The performance was nice and interactive! To end the night, we then had a sit-down hangi dinner with several other tourists from Cananda and Philippines. It was a memorable evening!
The reason I chose to stay at the Hermitage Hotel was the views the rooms have of Mount Cook. True enough, we woke up to a spectacular view of Mount Cook. My first instinct was to set up my tripod in the room so that it could take nice photos at the balcony of the room!
We ordered breakfast that was delivered to the room. It was not the full breakfast that they had at their buffet. I opted for the simple one. And when I opened the box, I was convinced that it was really simple (a little too simple for 2 person)!
At the Mount Cook Museum, we read about climbers who had successfully ascended the summit, as well as those who perished during the climb. I also flipped through a book with names of all climbers who climbed the mountain (successfully or not).
After having 1 last look at Mount Cook, we decided it was time to head to Lake Tekapo which was just an hour from Mount Cook. On our way out, we stopped by some viewing area of Lake Pukaki and took more photos with Mount Cook as our backdrop. We also managed to come up with our very own car advertisement!
We checked in to the Lake Tekapo Cottages. We had another room upgrade because we were there during non-peak period! It was a quaint looking cottage with our car parked right in front of the door step.
That afternoon, we went for our 1st horse-trekking experience. I had expected it to be a ride on the horse with the instructor or staff holding the horse while walking beside me (think pony ride in the zoo). It was nothing like that! After hubby and I hopped onto our individual horses, the staff hopped onto her horse and told us to follow behind her. I was horrified honestly, so worried that I could not manage the 700kg fella! We trekked through some forested area. There was a part where my horse did not want to move as it stopped to poop! They had to stop and wait for us in front! And there was also another part where the horse looked like it almost tripped! I was so afraid of being trampled over if I fell! Luckily, we ended the trek safe and sound! What do you do when you horse walks too near the trees??? DUCK!!
We took some pretty photos along the lake and dined at a restaurant along the main road before heading back to our cottage for a rest. If you are interested to catch the Southern lights, Lake Tekapo often comes up as 1 of the possible locations. I had initially planned to wake up in the middle of the night to try my luck. However, the cottage was in a rather secluded and dark place. We could hear the leaves and wind outside our cottage which made me feel a little scared to be honest. So, I ditched the idea and went back to sleep! Looking back, I suppose we needed that kind of darkness to see the lights (or stars at least)!
Breakfast was provided by our lovely hosts. After a well-rested sleep, we bade goodbye to our hosts and headed to Oamaru, 1.5hrs drive away.
Along the way, we stopped by the Moaraki beach which is known for their Moeraki boulders. We parked our car and took a short stroll along the beach before we reached the boulders. I was happy we took quite a few nice shots there.
Oamaru is largely a historic precinct. There were many old buildings and cafes dotting the street. To be honest, it was a little difficult finding food cause we did not want to have coffee and bread for lunch. So, we had our 1 and only fast food for the entire trip – KFC!
We googled and learnt that there was the Blue Penguin Colony with the hopes of seeing the blue penguins. However, once there, we were informed that they were all out fishing and would only be back at dusk. There were few left in the little huts built for them. So, we decided to give it a miss as we had to continue our journey to Mount Cook.
Part of the drive to Mount Cook was interrupted with a serious traffic jam: sheeps blocking the road! It was really a refreshing experience being in a traffic jam with sheep crossing from the right side of the road to the grass patch ahead on our left. There was also a dog rounding them up.
Tip: do not drive too near the sheep. Locals driving in the opposite direction actually signalled to us quite fiercely to keep a distance from the sheep after we got a little too close to them in our excitement!
After going past Twizel, we finally turned into the Mount Cook Road which is along the Lake Pukaki. There were very few cars along this very straight road. And we were starting to see the snow-capped Mount Cook in front of us! So, like many other tourists, we stopped our car by the side of the road and took photos in the middle of the road. How often do we get to do that in Singapore?! Of course, please take note of safety!
That night, we checked into the Hermitage Hotel. Having declared that it was our honeymoon trip when I made the booking, we had a free room upgrade as well as a congratulatory certificate on the bed to also recognised that we celebrated our honeymoon at this hotel!
That night was really meant to be a chillax one because we were not planning for any hikes or glacier activities at Mount Cook. We dined at their Panorama Restaurant which was famous for their steak. Hubby had steak while I had salmon accompanied with wine. It was our most expensive dinner for the entire trip but it was well-spent! After dinner, we continued to chill-chill at their lounge and played board games, New Zealand version!
The 1st part of the drive from Te Anau to Dunedin was misty. As the driver, although I knew it was a straight road ahead of us, it was still necessary to pay extra attention to the road when visibility was low.
The expected drive for this stretch was about 3.5hrs. Personally, I felt a little more bored on this stretch of road compared to the others as it was less scenic, so less ‘wow‘ factors for me.
Finally, we reached our farm stay for the day! We happily met up with the farm owners at their home and were shown to our little room (with an attached toilet) next to the garage. It was separated from the main house where the owners stayed so there was privacy yet within close enough proximity such that they could still take care of our needs.
The elderly owners were very friendly and they hosted us in their own living room while we shared with them about our recent wedding as well as our adventure in NZ thus far. They further recommended us places to visit in Dunedin, which was around 15mins drive from the farm.
Top left to right: Our farm stay owners’ house; view from far Bottom left to right: Photo with the owners; our room for the night
Also included in our farm stay experience was the farm tour! We learnt that it was a commercial farm, unlike the family farm we experienced in Perth previously. So, there were machines which could milk up to 40 cows at a time. We then wore the boots provided (I took the pair belonging to the female owner) and hopped into the male owner’s car to get up close to the cows!
There were bundles of hay in preparation for the approaching winter. There were few patches of grass left for the cows. And their cows ate the grass at such fast rate that they have to be moved to another plot of land every day. So that afternoon, we had the chance to observe how our host moved them from 1 plot of land to the other while hubby and I had the honour to guard 1 side of the road each, just in case they decide to stray off. If a cow really came towards me, I think I would have screamed and just waited for help!
Our thoughtful host also shared that he had intentionally left some cows for us to experience moving them from point A to point B. He left the gates opened, created some route for them and told us to follow behind the cows until they reached their destination while he drove the car over to meet us there. Of course, it was exciting! Hubby and I took turns to run after the cows so that they would move faster. And needless to say, our move was a big success!
Fun fact: Those that we ran after are cows (female and hence the milk). Owner said if they were bulls (male), we would have been trampled by them! Do not attempt to run after bulls!!!
After chasing the cows, we decided to head to town. We visited the Cadbury Museum. But because I wasn’t exactly a fan of Cadbury, we did not pay to join their factory tour. We also went to the Steepest Street at Baldwin St. We parked our car at the bottom of the slope and began walking up. Those residents here must be really slim, or at least healthy, since they have to do this every day! The street also attracted many tourists like us and there were some who rammed their car all the way up before enjoying the thrill of the car rolling back down the slope! So, do be careful if you decide to walk up the slope here.
By then, we were famished. We chanced upon a Japanese restaurant and decided to head in for some Asian delights. I would say, it was our comfort food for the trip. Warm and delicious Japanese cuisine to warm our stomachs!
Our thoughtful host left the lights outside our room on so that it was easier for us to find them when the sky has turned dark. We were really thankful for that because it was already challenging enough to locate the farm in the dark, not to mention the house sitting within the farm. From the main road with fast moving cars, we had to turn into a small dirt path before turning in to another fenced road to the house. Had to be really careful here!
To make it for our cruise at Milford Sound at 9.55am, we woke up while the sky was still dark and had cup noodles for breakfast. It was simple yet satisfying in the cold weather! The drive to Milford sound was expected to take 2hrs. Based on experience, we usually take longer time than that. So we left around 7am so that we can take a leisurely drive there.
Hubby took the drive while I dozed off in car. In the dark, there was already a line of cars forming. Once the sky lit up, I saw the mountains which looked spectacular. I woke up at that instant!
From left: sky gradually lighting up; entering the tunnelFinally woke up when I saw this!
There was a one-way tunnel which we had to pass. Cars on each side had to follow traffic signals. It was quite an experience driving in that tunnel. We arrived safely at Milford Sound shortly after. I had to say, it was freezing cold! From the car park, we had to walk on the boardwalk for another few hundred metres to the cruise counters. Once we had registered ourselves for it, we walked back to the visitor centre next to the carpark and bought ourselves hot drinks which turned cold very soon as well.
Tip: Using Bookme.com once again, we had gotten much cheaper tickets for our cruise which was at the earliest timeslot of the day. According to sources online, afternoon is where the tour buses flood the place. So coming early not only gave us a better ticket price, we also managed to beat the crowd!
The cruise had 2 decks, the lower deck was enclosed with rows of propers seats while the upper deck was opened. As typical Singaporean, we chionged for the top open deck for nicer view and breeze (yah right, freezing cold wind will be a more apt description)! It was a round trip to the open sea before it turned back to the pier. We managed to stay on the open deck on the way out, capture many nice photos, before going down to the bottom deck to hide from the cold on the way back.
I remembered having 5 layers of clothes on me! But despite freezing, I decided to still head to the bow when I heard the captain mentioned that he was going to ‘wash the boat’. He drove the boat very closely to the waterfall where we ‘washed up‘ together with the boat! Thanks to my waterproof jacket and pants, I stayed dry within!
I really enjoyed the cruise. By the time we returned, it no longer felt as cold as it was earlier. After grabbing a quick lunch at the cafe, we took our 2hrs drive back to Te Anau, stopping along the way for short walks.
By the time we returned, we were actually quite tired. We strolled along the fringe of the Lake Te Anau and shopped briefly at the supermarket before returning to some instant dinner and rest for the day.
Before we left Queenstown today, we decided for 1 more adventure which was the jetboat. There are a few famous companies such as the Shotover Jet that offers thrilling rides down the Shotover River. Of course, it was pricier. So, we chose to do it Kjet that has a counter and sets off right in front of the city centre.
I would say I really enjoyed the ride. Look at our hair before and after! Goes to show how much wind and water was involved. In particular, I like the 360deg turns! Every time our guide waved his finger in a circular motion, we braced ourselves for the turns. I would say the number of turns were just nice for someone like me who was still recovering from motion sickness! Anymore, I would have puked into the water! And I was also glad to say that by Day 7, we have covered most of our outdoor adventure!
Before
After
Next to the jetboat counter, there was the Patagonia Chocolates. They have a large variety of chocolates for a choc-lover like me! We bought some home and thanks to the cool weather, our chocolates survived!
As there were still some time to spare, we decided to give the Kiwi Birdlife Park a visit. Afterall, we are on the land of kiwis! I understood the park was owned by a family. Apart form kiwis, there were some other species of birds that we don’t see in Singapore. Of course, there were the kiwis in the dark. Kiwis are more active in the dark. That’s why, the room was dark during the day so that visitors like us could see and learn more about them in the day. We had to allow our eyes to get used to the darkness before we could start seeing the small creatures.
Most people who have been to Queenstown would also have heard of the Fergburger craze. We had seen for ourselves the extent of the queues the days before. So we had to give it a try before we left! Fortunately, the queue moved rather quickly. What made it interesting was the sheer size of the burger! It was larger than my face! How should I bite it down?!?!
With the stomach filled with Fergburger, we said goodbye to our apartment and Queenstown and headed for Te Anau. Till this day, I’m still not exactly sure of the correct way of pronouncing the name of this place. We’ve asked a few locals who provided different versions of pronunciation!
The drive to Te Anau was about 2 hours. The first part of the drive until Kingston was along the cliff by the Lake Wakatipu. It was a rather scenic drive. But as the driver behind the wheels, I kept my eyes glued to the road. The second part of the drive was then across the plains where they was a tendency many people would speed because you really don’t feel how fast your car is really going! At that point, the sky was also turning a little gloomy.
We finally arrived at Te Anau 2hrs plus later and checked into the Explorer Motel and Apartments that night. Our room was at level 2 and we had a balcony overlooking a small garden. We went for dinner at 1 of the shops. I was beginning to miss chinese food. However, the cost of chinese food here really turned us off. So, we settled for some fish and chips. Haha!
Te Anau is a small town, even smaller than Wanaka. So besides going out for dinner and driving our car around the residential area, we headed back to our room for an early night because we had to be up super early for another day of fun tomorrow!
Today was a day dedicated to exploring the surroundings to Queenstown. Bungy-jumping and wineries were part of the plan. And of course, the Skyline Luge! We started with breakfast at Brazz. Their food portion was huge!
With a full tummy, we headed for our 1st stop at Gibbston Valley Winery where we signed up for a winery tour into their wine cave. There were many barrels of wine lined along both sides of the cave. At the furthest end of the cave, we tried several different wines. We saw that some bottles of wines were even locked behind some metal grills inside the cave! Those must have cost a bomb!
Then, we backtracked slightly down the road to the AJ Hackett Bungy Kawarau Bungy Centre. I could tell that hubby was keen to try. We actually stood in front of the ticketing counter for awhile. However, I was put off by the thought of possible motion sickness once again! The option of doing tandem was out because it was only allowed for 2 children, not 2 adults! Hubby did not want to do it alone while I waited by the side. So, we decided to stand at the viewing platform to watch (and laugh atsome) others who did it! Kudos to their bravery though! I heart skipped a beat every time I see someone jump off!
After witnessing a few successful jumps, we drove to the Peregrine Wines for more wine-tasting and shopping! The friendly staff here introduced us to quite a few wines which suited our tastes! It was here that we bought most of our bottles.
With the loot in our car, we were finally on our way back to Queenstown. There was 1 more highlight of the day – Skyline Luge. It was one of the reasons why I wanted to visit New Zealand because I had worked at and played luge multiple times in Singapore.
We bought 5 rides each. Tickets included the gondola ride up to the luge. While queuing for the gondola and being next in line to board, the gondola stopped!!! Hubby and I were reluctant to leave the queue as we hopped it would be resumed soon. It took an hour before it finally started again. We had allocated more than enough time for it actually. But with the unexpected delay, the time we had before it closed was just enough to do the 5 rides back to back. We were the last ones to buy the photo from the photo booth before they pulled down their shutters. By then, the sky had turned dark.
I really liked the sunset view at the top station. It’s really worth coming here for luge. Even if you are not after adventure, there are paths suitable for a good evening stroll. Photos look good at every angle!
There was a restaurant at the top station which gave panoramic views of the city. But we decided to skip it and head back down to town. That night, we had pizza for dinner at The London and returned to our apartment feeling satisfied!
Once again, this morning was meant to be a back-up day for skydiving. We were lucky enough that none of our back-up days need to be put to use. It could be raining at one moment and then when it was time for our activities, the rain would stop! We were so thankful for that! Therefore, we had more time to explore the town! Although we had walked around the night before, it was a completely different sight in the day!
Subway breakfast!
We strolled along the lake front with our ice-creams in hand. The skies were clear. The ducks were frolicking in the water. We decided to drive to Roy’s Peak to have a look at the place. It was tempting to do the track up as we saw many people on the way up that day. But we were not appropriately geared and dressed for it. So, I ended up taking photos with the horses along the road!
We also visited the Puzzling World at Wanaka. There were different exhibits on display. Specifically, I remember a huge outdoor maze for kids and older kids like us. The walls were quite high so even I could not see the exit. Luckily, we played cheat and saw the route from above before we attempted it! There was also another display with things spinning and room appearing upside down. I couldn’t stay in that room because I had not fully recovered from the spins yesterday!
Finally, it was time to bid farewell to Wanaka. Although it was quite a quiet town, hubby and I really liked this place and joked about retiring in this town one day!
Along the way to Queenstown, we drove past Cromwell and planned to visit some fruit orchards. However, as it was approaching winter, many were closed. We only managed to buy those that were already packed for sale. Fruits were cheap! It was so tempting to buy the large packs. But we settled for the small one which was already enough to last us a few days!
Once at Queenstown, we checked in to the Glebe Apartment which was situated along a slope 5 mins away from the shopping area. We also got a free upgrade to a bigger 2-bedroom apartment although it was not really necessary for us. But, still thankful nonetheless!
We went for a drink at the Minus 5 Ice Bar, a deal we bought on Bookme,com once again! Everything were made of ice, including the cups that we filled our drinks in, as if we were not feeling cold enough! We could choose between alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks. And best of all, we could throw and smash our ice cups when we have finished!
We roamed around the streets of Queenstown. There’s another branch of The Cow here. But we decided to try something else tonight. We settled for The Ballarat Trading Co, which was a relaxed pub with live music. Highchairs and wine are part of my favourites as always!
Perrine Travels 