A Home Away from Home, Wanaka

In a beautiful town like Wanaka the last thing I imagined we'd be doing is going to the cinema. However, the particular cinema we found ourselves on our first evening was rather special. The screening room was no bigger than a large lounge and was filled with armchairs of all shapes and sizes. There was even the option of an open roof car to sit in but we slumped into a sofa and snuggled up to our popcorn. 

Half way through the film the screen blanked and the scent of warm cookies filled the room. It was time for the interval and time to stock up on treats! There was homemade ice cream, homemade cookies and homemade pizzas to order, ready to takeaway at the end of the film. It was all very intimate and felt less like a cinema experience and more like watching a movie at a wealthy friend's house who's Mum happened to be an unbelievable cook! 

This same intimacy was reflected elsewhere in Wanaka too. The town is very small with a population of five thousand people and it took just two days for us to feel at home in the area. The lake it's situated by (aptly named Lake Wanaka) is so stunning that it literally took our breath away each morning. 

On our final day we drove a short way to the Rocky Mountains and trekked right to the top until we could see both Lake Wanaka and Diamond Lake. It was a difficult climb but every bit worth it to see the picture perfect view from above. It was so flawless in fact, that we all agreed it felt like we were staring down at an oil painting. 

Wanaka was almost directly on our route to Queenstown from Fox Glacier and I'm really glad we stopped to check it out. My eyes and tastebuds will be forever grateful! 

Trotting Along Fox Glacier

If the North Island was another world, the South Island is a whole other universe.

It was late when our ferry docked at Picton harbour but we could just about make out the silhouettes of a mountain range not too far from the coast. The next morning in the sunshine we were amazed to find that the summits were covered in snow. How could it be warm enough to lie on the beach when there were snow topped mountains within sight? For me this just about sums up New Zealand in that there's absolutely everything here; something to please everyone and lots to please me! 

We spent one night in Nelson to break up the long journey down to Fox Glacier but were there for literally a matter of hours. As we saw so little of the small town my opinion is based entirely upon the hostel we stayed in and as the hostel served free homemade cookies on arrival, I've decided I like Nelson a lot. 

Fox Glacier, however, was even better. It's a tiny resort with a resident population of a few hundred people but it attracts a few thousand more each week because of the glaciers that sit just above it. We helped contribute to that statistic, all four of us embarking on a half day 'Fox Trot' tour on Fox Glacier. Kitted out in our hiking boots, crampons and poles (and about six layers of clothing!) we took to the glacier, hauling ourselves up the slippery staircase carved into the ice. It was another beautiful day and the glacier looked all the better for it as the outer layer of ice glistened in the sunshine like a sheet of sparkling diamonds. We stopped to observe various landmarks along the way such as caves and small water streams that have tunnelled their way through the ice. The views from the top were really impressive but we wished we could have gone on further to where the ice is cleaner, free from the rock stains found in the valley.

The trek was less physically demanding than we'd imagined so in the afternoon we took a long walk around Lake Matheson, one of the South Island's most beautiful lakes. At one particular spot when the water is still it reflects the perfect image of Mount Tasman and Mount Cook which makes for a rather incredible photograph. Once again we were left in awe of such an amazing natural beauty. 

Later that evening we walked again, this time to the forests nearby to our hostel. The sun had only just begun to set leaving us with enough daylight to explore the woodland properly. It was the weirdest and yet most wonderful forest I think I've ever seen, with obscurely angled plants and trees, and a thick layer of moss covering almost every inch. It reminded me very much of the set of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', a place where fairy folk dwell, too beautiful to be true. As daylight departed darkness fell, broken only by a scattering of spectacular blue lights shining through the shrubbery. With a head full of thoughts of Puck and Titania you'd forgive me for a moment for thinking these could indeed be fairies. If they were to exist anywhere in the world it would be here! However, this here was the work of extraordinary glow worms, decorating the darkness like stars in the night sky.

So far the South Island has lived up to the hype but there's a lot left to come. I can't wait to see what's in store for us next!

Who, What, Where, Wellington?

Here's a quick pop quiz for you: What's the capital city of New Zealand? 

My first guess would have been Auckland, then perhaps Queenstown or Christchurch but nowhere on my list would Wellington have appeared. I think I speak for most people when I say that it's one of those cities that's slipped our radars (Kiwis and Geographers aside.) Having now visited, I'm still not convinced it deserves capital city status but it's a wonderful place nevertheless. 

Luckily we had our very own tour guide whilst there; a boy we'd met in Thailand who was born and raised in Wellington. He took us along the sea front and on into town where we sussed out the best coffee shops and chocolate cafés. Back down by the harbour we found a number of quirky art exhibitions hosted in various sea containers. Each one was as strange as the next but helped give the area a little more character. All around the city in fact we repeatedly came across odd little art pieces. There were wire fences decorated with heart shaped tape and entire walls covered in graffitied murals. Obscure but interesting! 

Wellington was our most Southerly stop on the North Island and was where we caught our ferry from to transfer to the South Island. The boat journey itself was quite something as we sailed down the still waters of the Cook Strait with mountains either side of us, keeping an eye out for albatross and dolphins along the way. New Zealand has so far been so beautiful that we're struggling to believe what people say about the South being better but we're certainly looking forward to finding out! 

Tongariro Trekking: A Non-Hobbit's Tale

It was a misty morning as we started our trek through the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. With the marshlands on our left and Mount Doom on our right, I was beginning to feel like I'd been thrown into the final scene of The Lord of the Rings and it was bloody awesome! My inner geek peaked as the sun burnt through the clouds revealing Middle Earth's most feared volcano in all its glory. The sheer enormity was quite overwhelming and standing in its shadows, I've never felt so small; about the size of a hobbit in fact! 

Though we had no Ring of Power to worry about destroying, we did have our own quest of equal importance: making it to the Emerald Lakes in time for our lunch! And this was no easy task. The initially flat terrain soon right angled into a steep upwards climb, suitably named 'The Devil's Staircase', and once those phased out they were replaced with a dusty rubble which slid beneath us with every step. As we hauled ourselves higher the air became thinner, the wind colder and my flashbacks to Rinjani increasingly vivid.

Once we finally reached the top though we were rewarded with the most breathtaking views. Looking in both directions was like staring down upon two different realms with fierce red craters behind us and glistening green pools ahead; our very own diamonds in the rough. 

The agreed lunch spot was in sight but these little gems were further than they seemed and the pathway went downhill from there, not only literally but figuratively too. We slid and skid as far as we could before collapsing onto our bottoms and tobogganing down with about as much elegance as a herd of orcs. 

The Emerald Lakes were just incredible and we ate our picnic in absolute awe. I couldn't understand how something so beautiful had been kept so secret but the world suddenly seemed like a much better place. We'd have loved to have stayed there all day but still had four hours of walking left ahead of us. 

The next part of the trek was past another volcano, this one very much active and a constant threat. Our guide had told us to turn and run at the first sign of black clouds but having practically skiied down that last rubbly hill, we didn't fancy our chances at running anywhere! Luckily we caught it in a good mood though and it puffed only lightly as we hurried by.

The rest of the way back was completely bizarre as we covered just about every landscape imaginable. One minute we were enclosed in a blossoming forest and the next exposed in a baron terrain. Reflecting upon it is like watching a sequence in a film where different settings are used to represent a long journey. In our case, however, there was no camera trickery to help us along our way and we really did travel a long distance. At the highest point we reached 1,900km and walked a total of 19km in just over 6 hours. It was no Rinjani but we were suitably exhausted for our day's work and felt we deserved the feast prepared back at the hostel, large enough to feed a whole fellowship! 

Taupo on a Shoestring

One of the hardest parts of being a backpacker is watching your bank balance dwindle daily without any way of topping it back up. As we approach the half way point of our ten month trip, we're already more than half way through our funds so we're trying as much as possible to fill our days with free activities rather than splashing out on the most expensive. Luckily we found Taupo was perfect for this as it quickly taught us that less money doesn't always equal less fun. 

As soon as we pulled into the town we passed a sign for a Honey Farm that offered free tastings to all visitors. As well as rinsing the honey jar counter, we tried the honey wine, honey liqueurs and all kinds of honey scented moisturisers and perfumes. By the time we left we were high on sugar and smelt divine without spending a penny.

Later that evening we drove to a park with natural hot springs available to the public. Taupo is well known for its many spas but this one was as good as any and completely free. Feeling content as ever we watched the sunset from the comfort of our own private jacuzzi pool with the relaxing sounds of water trickling from a small fall beside us. 

Taupo is home to some rather massive waterfalls too, the biggest of all being Huka Falls which originates from the same river as the hot springs. In the morning we returned to the area and followed the water all the way down until the crashing falls at the end. It's a beautiful walk and the river is so inviting but with the current being so strong we had to be careful not to be whisked away into the waterfalls ourselves. As impressive as they looked we had no desire to see them up that close! 

It's a fact that everything is better when it's free but Taupo is worth the visit even if it ends up costing you. It's a beautiful town with stunning natural wonders and definitely not one to be missed. 

Eggs, Eruptions & Extraordinary Scenes

My love for eggs is a borderline obsession so when I heard that Rotorua was famous for them I couldn't wait to arrive. The rich scent of eggs filled our nostrils the moment we turned off the highway but it wasn't long before we realised it wasn't caused by anything edible. This pungent eggy smell, more similar to that of rotten eggs than your average sunny side up, is actually caused by the geothermal activity at work within the region which releases large amounts of sulphur compounds into the atmosphere. 

I make no exaggeration. The stench is so intense that you wouldn't look insane if you were to attach a peg to your nose but once you cast your eyes on where it all comes from it suddenly seems worthwhile. On our first evening we explored the Sulphur Park closest to us, weaving in and out of the maze-like paths and stopping at each of the white plains to watch the mud puddles bubble whilst the steam rose from within them. 

The following day we spent the morning at the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland where there were even stranger yet more stunning scenes waiting for us. We arrived just in time to witness the Lady Geyzer volcano erupt and over the course of the next two hours passed fluorescent green lakes, steaming champagne pools, yellow sulphur caves and exploding mud baths. My favourite of all was called the 'Artist's Palette', a clear lake decorated with clusters of green, orange and yellow rock which broke through the mist from the hot pools behind. 

Before arriving in New Zealand I thought that places this beautiful existed only in films or in filtered photographs but here we found an absolute abundance of them. Everywhere we turned there were the most amazing natural wonders, all with an abnormal colour or design that made them look completely unnatural. Even the forest, which at a first glance appeared to be rather ordinary, had grown on a slant so that all the trees were diagonal with branches sprouting in every direction.

Our biggest frustration throughout the day was that our cameras just couldn't do any of these scenes any justice. Whatever we tried the colours and dimensions of these incredible sites didn't seem to translate onto our screens. Although sad we couldn't capture the beauty forever, we were extremely thankful to be there to witness it firsthand and so eventually tucked away our cameras and just enjoyed the moment for what it was. It really is something you need to experience to believe and I hope you all get the chance to!

The Beautiful Bay of Islands

The first stop on our big road trip around New Zealand was the Bay of Islands, at the very top of the North Island. It should only have taken us a few hours from Auckland but we didn't arrive until the early evening - partly because we left a little late and partly because our tomtom had a mad five minutes, but mainly because we drove so slowly, giving ourselves time to take in the amazing views around each corner and over every hill. The landscapes here cover every shade of green I can possibly think of and look all the more vibrant against the bright blue skies. I lost count of the number of times we all 'wowww-ed' in unison but it felt like every other minute. 

Whilst in the Bay of Islands we stayed in a small town called Paihia, so tiny that we could hardly warrant even calling it a village but New Zealanders refer to them all as towns. A short ferry ride across the water took us to Russell, another beach town even smaller than Paihia but ever so slightly prettier. We took a picnic to the beach and spent a couple of hours relaxing there, still not quite over our jet lag and the recent late nights. The sea was a little too cold to swim in but we paddled our feet and massaged them with the soft sand in the bay. 

Deciding we should then walk off our lunch we trekked the whole way through town and up to a view point in the hillside. It was almost eerily quiet and we saw more seagulls than humans throughout the entire day. Somewhere so beautiful back home would no doubt be overrun with people but here there are so many vast open spaces, all equally as stunning and with such a small population to fill them. 

As we plan to head South we have a few long journeys ahead of us but we're actually looking forward to them now. Hiring your own car is by far the best way to see New Zealand because there's so much to stop and admire on the way that you'd completely miss if you were stuck on a bus. I'm so thankful for our little Frodo already and he's only been with us a few days!