The weather was nice, and the sky was clear, so I decided to go a walk up Mount Roy.
The local iTAG Wanaka guide describes the walk as being moderate to hard and taking 5 – 6 hours. It describes it as “ A steady climbing track that rewards with panoramic views from the top. Most of Lake Wanaka can be seen, along with an awe-inspiring view of Mt Aspiring and the surrounding mountains and glaciers. The track is closed for lambing between October 1st and November 10th inclusive.” It also shows that Roys Peak is 1578 metres above sea level. Speaking of sea level – Lake Wanaka is the fourth largest lake in NZ, and at its deepest about 370 metres. Because Wanaka is about 310 metres above sea level the depths of the lake are below that.
Nobody else wanted to go for a walk, so I got Paula to drive me to the starting point, which was about 5 kms away from the where we were staying. It was around 12:30 pm, so I suggested that Paula come back to the car park at around 5:00 pm.
The walk started next to the Wanaka to Mt Aspiring Road and began to climb through paddocks with sheep grazing all around. The track was a car width wide with stiles to go over the fences. The higher you climbed, the more of Lake Wanaka that came into view. It wasn’t a hard climb, but it was constant. I decided to take some photos every 30 minutes. After an hour I was above some of the planes and helicopters that were flying to see the views of the lake and Mt Aspiring. There were a few times that, as I looked up to see how far there was still to go, I thought about turning around, but I wanted to get to the top and see the view.
After 2 hours of walking, I was getting a bit tired, but also every step I took was one less that I still had to take to get there. The views were amazing as Mt Aspiring came into view. I could also see pretty much all of Lake Wanaka. The trail kept going as it switchbacked upwards. People at the top still looked small, but I was closer to the top than the bottom, so I kept going.
I finally got to the top after about 3 hours of walking. The 360 degree view was fantastic. I finally got a chance to sit down, have a drink, something to eat and time to enjoy the view.
After 15 minutes it was time to head back down. It had taken 3 hours to get to the top, and with the time at the top. I had just over 1½ hrs to get down to the car park. On the way down I chatted with a couple from Cologne, Germany, who were spending 5 weeks travelling around in a campervan. At around 5:00 pm we were still a bit of a way above the car park and I saw what looked like our car drive in and head back to Wanaka. They then offered to drive me back to our accommodation. I was thankful because I didn’t want to walk all the way back. When I did get back I enjoyed some time soaking in the pool and some time in the steam room.
We decided to visit Puzzling World, which has a maze, and lots of puzzles to do, and some really cool optical illusions. There were rooms where you could enter through one door and look like a midget, and exit through another where you look like a giant. There were others where when you stood normally, it looked like you were falling over. It was a pretty cool place. The maze had four corners and some bridges. The aim was to get to all four corners and then get out. I kept my left hand on the wall and was first out. The toilets were another illusion. When you walked in it looked like you were in a Roman washroom. The Roman style toilets were painted on the wall, and the illusion was continued on the floor. If you stood in the correct spot it looked like everything was part of the same vista.
Bacon and eggs for breakfast and then we headed for the West Coast. The drive went via Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka towards Haast Pass and the coast. There were a few scenic stops along the way. When we got to Haast River, we headed north towards Fox and Franz Joseph Glaciers.
The access road to Fox Glacier was closed, but looking up the valley we could see it in the distance. We drove another 23 km to Franz Joseph Glacier. The access road was open so we headed towards the car park. There were several walks to choose from. The walk up the valley to the terminus of the glacier took about half an hour going up the rock covered river valley. You have to cross the branches of the stream several times. After rain some of these would have been difficult, if not impossible to cross. As you get to the toe of the glacier you realise how huge it is. At the terminus the ice it is still up to 300 metres thick.
We had about ¾ of a tank of petrol when we left Franz Joseph, and thought that we would get some more on the way back to Wanaka. I had seen a petrol station at Haast River on our way here, so I thought we would get some there on the way back. When we got there it was about 9:00 pm, and it was closed. I looked at the petrol gauge and thought that we should be able to make it back to Wanaka on a ¼ of a tank. That was about 143 km. As we climbed the Haast Pass, I could see the gauge going down quicker than any other time, and the warning light came on when we were only about half way. We still had about 70 km to go, and we had only just hit the edge of Lake Wanaka. We had to follow the shores of this lake, and then along the shores of Lake Hawea, before circling Mount Iron and coming back in to Wanaka. I was watching the gauge the entire way and watching it creep below the E on the gauge. I was trying to coast when possible and to be as light on the accelerator as possible. I was half expecting the car to stop, but at the same time hoping that we would make it to Wanaka, I hoped one of the petrol stations would still be open because I could not guarantee that we would even make it to our accommodation on the other side of the town. Luckily we made it, and one of the two stations was still open.
Daniel was right! We made it to Wanaka at around 10:30 pm.
Thursday Jan 7th – Flight to Queenstown, hire car and drive to Wanaka.
Friday Jan 8th – We decided to drive up the road to Mt Aspiring. It went along the shores of the lake,and turned to gravel after a while, it followed a river up the valley with great views of snow capped mountains all around. There were several fords that we had to cross as there were waterfalls coming down from the mountains all along the mountain range. When we got to Raspberry Flat we went for a walk along the river to get views of Mt Aspiring. There were several walks to choose from. We went to the suspension bridge and back. There were several people trying to kayak down the rapids. Mt Aspiring is an awe-inspiring sight as sits towering above the valleys with glaciers coming down its slopes. It is a magical sight.
Saturday Jan 9th - We decided to visit Puzzling World, which has a maze, and lots of puzzles to do, and some really cool optical illusions. There were rooms where you could enter through one door and look like a midget, and exit through another where you look like a giant. There were others where when you stood normally, it looked like you were falling over. It was a pretty cool place. The maze had four corners and some bridges. The aim was to get to all four corners and then get out. I kept my left hand on the wall and was first out. The toilets were another illusion. When you walked in it looked like you were in a Roman washroom. The Roman style toilets were painted on the wall, and the illusion was continued on the floor. If you stood in the correct spot it looked like everything was part of the same vista.
Sunday Jan 10th - Today we decided to take a drive towards Mt Cook, or Aoraki. As we drove into Wanaka we were diverted around the waterfront area, because there was a triathlon in progress. As we drove north we were stopped for a while at a one lane bridge as the cyclists crossed.
We drove through valleys with rolling, grass covered mountains, and snow capped peaks in the distance. There were also threatening clouds all round. We drove through
Monday Jan 11th – Bacon and eggs for breakfast and then we headed for the West Coast. The drive went via Lake Hawea and Lake Waneka towards Haast Pass and the coast. There were a few scenic stops along the way. When we got to Haast River, we headed north towards Fox and Franz Joseph Glaciers.
The access road to Fox Glacier was closed, but looking up the valley we could see it in the distance. We drove another 23 km to Franz Joseph Glacier. The access road was open so we headed towards the car park.
We had about ¾ of a tank of petrol when we left Franz Joseph, and thought that we would get some more on the way back to Wanaka. I had seen a petrol station at Haast River on our way here, so I thought we would get some there on the way back. When we got there it was about 9:00 pm, and it was closed. I looked at the petrol gauge and thought that we should be able to make it back to Wanaka on a ¼ of a tank. That was about 143 km. As we climbed the Haast Pass, I could see the gauge going down quicker than any other time, and the warning light came on when we were only about half way. We still had about 70 km to go, and we had only just hit the edge of Lake Wanaka. We had to follow the shores of this lake, and then along the shores of Lake Hawea, before circling Mount Iron and coming back in to Wanaka. I was watching the gauge the entire way and watching it creep below the E on the gauge. I was trying to coast when possible and to be as light on the accelerator as possible. I was half expecting the car to stop, but at the same time hoping that we would make it to Wanaka, I hoped one of the petrol stations would still be open because I could not guarantee that we would even make it to our accommodation on the other side of the town. Luckily we made it, and one of the two stations was still open.
Daniel was right! We made it to Wanaka at around 10:30 pm.
Tuesday January 12th – The weather was nice, and the sky was clear, so I decided to go a walk up Mount Roy.
The local iTAG Wanaka guide describes the walk as being moderate to hard and taking 5 – 6 hours. It descries it as “ A steady climbing track that rewards with panoramic views from the top. Most of Lake Wanaka can be seen, along with an awe-inspiring view of Mt Aspiring and the surrounding mountains and glaciers. The track is closed for lambing between October 1st and November 10th inclusive.” It also shows that Roys Peak is 1578 metres above sea level. Speaking of sea level – Lake Wanaka is the fourth largest lake in NZ, and at its deepest about 370 metres. Because Wanaka is about 310 metres above sea level the depths of the lake are below that.
Nobody else wanted to go for a walk, so I got Paula to drive me to the starting point, which was about 5 kms away from the where we were staying. It was around 12:30 pm, so I suggested that Paula come back to the car park at around 5:00 pm.
The walk started next to the Wanaka to Mt Aspiring Road and began to climb through paddocks with sheep grazing all around. The track was a car width wide with stiles to go over the fences. The higher you climbed, the more of Lake Wanaka that came into view. It wasn’t a hard climb, but it was constant. I decided to take some photos every 30 minutes. After an hour I was above some of the planes and helicopters that were flying to see the views of the lake and Mt Aspiring. There were a few times that, as I looked up to see how far there was still to go, I thought about turning around, but I wanted to get to the top and see the view.
After 2 hours of walking, I was getting a bit tired, but also every step I took was one less that I still had to take to get there. The views were amazing as Mt Aspiring came into view. I could also see pretty much all of Lake Wanaka. The trail kept going as it switchbacked upwards. People at the top still looked small, but I was closer to the top than the bottom, so I kept going.
I finally got to the top after about 3 hours of walking. The 360 degree view was fantastic. I finally got a chance to sit down, have a drink, something to eat and time to enjoy the view.
After 15 minutes it was time to head back down. It had taken 3 hours to get to the top, and with the time at the top. I had just over 1½ hrs to get down to the car park. On the way down I chatted with a couple from Cologne, Germany, who were spending 5 weeks travelling around in a campervan. At around 5:00 pm we were still a bit of a way above the car park and I saw what looked like our car drive in and head back to Wanaka. They then offered to drive me back to our accommodation. I was thankful because I didn’t want to walk all the way back. When I did get back I enjoyed some time soaking in the pool and some time in the steam room.
Wednesday January 13th- Just a day of relaxing around the resort. I went for a walk to stretch out the muscles after yesterday’s hike. I walked around the lake and found a local vineyard. The sign at the lake invited people in for wine tasting, so I walked in through the vines to the tasting room. The views from the tasting room were stunning. It looked out over rolling hills of vines that went down to the lake and across the lake were snow capped mountains. The wines were good. I then walked up the hill through the vineyard to the road, and then along the road back to the resort. We hen spent time in the pool and spa.
It was also our wedding anniversary, so Paula and I went to the restaurant for dinner. We had to be up early the next morning to drive to Queenstown and get the bus to Christchurch, so we made sure that all our bags were pretty much packed.
We spent the day just relaxing and sorting bags at the motel. We all needed a bit of recovery time. I spent the afternoon booking accommodation and travel for the rest of our time here.
Towards dinner time we decided to visit a local restaurant. The guy at the motel reception recommended "The Bar & Baa" Seafood Bar & Grill as being one of the best restaurants in South Auckland. They even pick up from your motel and return after dinner. We were picked up at 7:00 pm and driven to the restaurant which had an Indian and Greek influence. The meals were great. Bridget and I had seafood platters, Daniel had a T-bone and Paula had Seafood Saganaki. I would certainly recommend this place to anyone.
Today I walked to the top of Mangere Mountain, which is an extinct volcano. There was a great 360 degree view from the top, and you could see the Sky Tower in Downtown Auckland. The view from the top looked out over Manakau Harbour.
When I got back we finished packing the bags that we are going to leave here at the motel while we travel around NZ for the next two weeks. Then we went and cuaght a bus into Auckland. We were able to get a Group Pass, which allowed the 4 of us to have unlimited travel on the bus system for the day. We got off in Downtown Auckland and walked to the harbour. Auckland is known as the City of Sails, and apparenetly 1 in every 5 Aucklanders has their own boat. There is water and island everywhere. We walked all around the harbour area, and the Ferry Terminal. and decided to take a Harbour Cruise. It was quite a warm and sunny day, and the views were fantastic.
The only hassle with the day was when we were trying to get the bus back to our motel, we found that they were not all that frequent, and we had to wait nearly and hour for the bus.
When we got back to the motel we organised the bags that we were leaving and took them to Reception. They are storing them in their linen area, and we have booked the shuttle from the motel to the airport at 8:30 am. We have a 10:00 am flight to Queenstown, and then a week at a resort in Wanaka.
Arrived in Auckland at around 6:00 pm. The first thing that I did before clearing Customs was to make another report about my luggage that had gone missing. The woman here was very helpful, and said that they had not opened a file when I reported it missing in Nadi. I didn't have contact details, so I said I would call when I knew where we were staying. Paula and the kids were nowhere to be seen. I waited a while because that was our arrangement, and then decided to check my email. I tried to connect to the airport hotspot, but this kept timing out, so I went to the Airport Help Desk. They pointed out a booth that had free internet access, so I waited for a vacant terminal.
They had left a message that they had booked in to a motel near the airport that had a free shuttle service. I rang the phone number and was told to wait at Gate 9 for a pick-up in about 10 minutes. I was picked up and driven to the motel which is quite a few kilometers away from the airport. I was still missing a bag that had gone astray somewhere between Los Angeles and Fiji. so I called the airport with the motel contact details.
When I came through the airport duty free section I wondered whether to buy any drinks. The limits into New Zealand are 3 bottles of spirits and 6 bottles of wine per person. In the end I decided to get a special, 2 bottles of spirits for NZ$59. When I got to the motel I found out that Paula had also bought some. They had 2 bottles of spirits and 6 bottles of wine. Paula had read in a brochure on the plane that Bridget as a 17 year old, accompanied by and adult would also have been able to bring in the same allowance. Between them they could have brought in 12 bottles of wine and 9 litres of spirits.
The phone rang at about 10:00 pm and the front desk had recieved a call that my bag had been located and had been sent straight on to Auckland and would be delivered in about half an hour. It arrived by taxi at about 11:00 pm.
Today we are sitting in the motel looking for somewhere to store some of our luggage until we leave on Jan 21. We don't need to carry 2 siutcases and a carry-on bag each with us all over NZ.
I landed in Nadi at about 5:30 am and thought that I would have to sit in the Transit lounge until my plane for Auckland left at 3:00 pm that afternoon. When I got to the counter to check in to the Transit area I was told that I would have to collect my luggage and clear Customs. This sounded better than sitting in the airport all day.
At the baggage claim area I collected one of my bags and waited for the other to appear. I waited, and waited, until I just kept seeing the same bags coming around on the moving belt. Most others had collected thair bags and were clearing the baggage hall. There were a couple of others who also appeared to be missing bags and were speaking to an attendant at the Baggage services desk. I went over and waited my turn to report the missing luggage.
As there was nothing else I could do, I went through Customs and into the Arrivals lounge area. Looking around and trying to decide what to do, I was approached by a taxi driver asking which hotel. I said that I was only here until for the day and needed to be back at the airport by 2:00 pm. He said that he could show me around parts of the island and be my guide for the day. I decided to throw my bags in the back of his car and go on a guided tour of Nadi and the Coral Coast.
When we were leaving the airport I could see the silhouettes of the mountains as the sun was beginning to rise behind them. We drove off the main road a bit, through cane fields to get better views of the sunrise, then we headed for Nadi, which is the 3rd largest town on the island of Viti Levu. Suva is the capital, and Lautoka is the next biggest city. Nadi is really just a large town of about 42,000 people. The entire 300 islands that make up Fiji only has a population of about 900,ooo people.
We arrived in the Nadi at about 7:00 am just in time to see them opening the gate to the market, so that the stall holders could enter and set up for the day. I walked around a couple of blocks and along the main street. Most of the shops had metal grills, gates and mesh over their windows and doors. People were arriving at workplaces and opening up to get ready for an 8:00 am opening. I walked through the local craft market which only had 2 stalls open so early in the morning. I headed back to the market and met Anil, the taxi driver, who wanted to show me through the market. He particularly wanted to show me kava, and what it comes from. We walked through the empty aisle which were starting to look like a market as the vendors began to bring in and unwrap their wares. We arrived at a stall where there were lots of dried roots, powder, and several bowls. Some of the bowls were filled with a very light milky brown liquid. He explained that the dried roots are pounded to get a paste which is then mixed with water, and there is a special ceremonial way to drink the kava. He explained that you should clap your hands once before recieving a bowl and say"Bula". Then you should drink the small bowl in one go, and clap three times afterwards. It didn't taste like anything special, but it did leave a numbness on the tongue afterwards, similar to a dental anaesthetic. It is described as a non-alcoholic drink which gives a sense of euphoria. Anil had 3 bowls.
When we left the market we drove to a service station to get petrol. The taxi needed some oil as well, but the service station had none. We drove back in to an automotive shop to get some. On the way we passed the Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple which is very colourful. We drove towards the Coral Coast through hills and valleys that were covered in small farms. These farms all seemed to have sugar cane in various stages of growth. Some fields were being burnt and harvested, others had much smaller plants. There were cows roaming freely near the roads. We continued along the highway towards Notodola Beach, where there were a couple of resort hotels. He dropped me at The Natadola Beach Resort where I had bacon and eggs for breakfast, and said that he would be back at 12:30 for the return trip to the airport. After eating, I walked along the beach to the new Intercontinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa, and had a look around. There were 2 very inviting looking pools, and the beach looked great. I didn't have any bathers with me, so I went into the hotel shops and bought a pair of bathers. I then changed out of my long pants, which looked totally out of place, and went for a swim. The pool was very refreshing. I then went for a walk along the beach, and another swim in the ocean. The water was very clear and warm and there were people riding horses along the beach. After getting changed I went back to the resort bar and waited for the taxi.
We drove back along the Queen's Highway, where it appears that the main danger to residents and tourists alike, is the number of potholes along the way. We got back to the airport with time to spare, so we went to the First Landing Resort where legend has it that the first Fijians landed 3,500 years ago. They liked it so much that they stayed. We went to another scenic viewpoint before returning to the airport, checking for my lost bag, being called over the PA, and finally making the flight. No luck on the bag. I was told to register again in Auckland.
