During 2007 I spent 5 weeks touring New Zealand,
firstly on South Island and then on North Island. This was an
independent tour for which I planned the itinerary and booked all
the accommodation and trips before I left England. I spent the first
week with a friend and we stayed at her brother's house and in
motels. For the rest of the time I hired a car and stayed in youth
hostels. Click on the links below to find out what happened each day
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Christchurch: Friday, 2nd February
Cathedral Square, the Art Gallery, the Botanic Gardens and Hagley Park.
Arthur's Pass: Saturday, 3rd February
TranzAlpine express to Arthur's Pass National Park. This is the highest pass over the Southern Alps and is the starting point for a number of interesting walks.
Dunedin & Otago Peninsula: Sunday, 4th February
Baldwin Street, reputed to be the steepest street in the world, the first Church in Dunedin and the Railway Station. Then on to the Otago Peninsula to see the Moeraki boulders, almost unique in the world.
Palmerston to Te Anau: Monday, 5th February
From Palmerston, through Alexandra and Cromwell with a brief stop at Arrowtown then on to Te Anau.
Key Summit and Milford Sound: Tuesday, 6th February
Two major places of interest plus brief stops at Mirror Lake and The Chasm. Then an unexpected opportunity of a helicopter flight to land on snow fields.
Milford Track: Wednesday, 7th February
A very popular long distance route located amidst mountains and temperate rain forest in Fiordland National Park. We just walked the first section and returned the same way.
Shotover Jet Boat: Thursday, 8th February
Exciting ride on the Shotover River with its spectacular canyons, carved out over the ages by a vast volume of fast flowing water.
Glenorchy: Friday, 9th February
A short walk through beech forest then on to a section of the Routeburn track.
Arrowtown: Saturday, 10th February
A visit to the Chinese Settlement a walk beside Lake Wanaka and up Iron Mountain.
Unforunately I was unable to find digital copies of the photos for the next two walks and for the seven walks after the Franz Joseph Glacier. A brief note has been included for each date to provide continuity in the record of the holiday. However the appropriate photos are in my New Zealand photo albums.
Diamond Lake Track: Sunday: 11th February
A good track leads from the Diamond Lake car park on Mt Aspiring Road, climbing to a lookout above Diamond Lake. From there a track leads off to Rocky Mountain’s 775-metre summit then returned via the West Track. Spectacular views include Lake Wanaka and a skyline dominated by the surrounding peaks.
Haast Pass: Monday, 12th February
Drove from Wanaka to Franz Joseph via the Haast Pass and Knights Point.
The Haast Pass has everything that makes people fall in love with New Zealand: rich vegetation, spectacular waterfalls, roaring rivers, mountain views, beach walks, a twisting road, and even a chance to meet some penguins.
Knight's Point was named after one of the surveyor's dogs when Westalnd and Otago were linked in 1965.
Franz Joseph Glacier: Tuesday, 13th February
A heli-hike took me high on the glacier for an amazing guided walk across the ice, through tunnels and along narrow pathways.
Hokitika and Arthur's Pass: Wednesday, 14th February
On reaching Hokitika I wandered along the beach which was covered in driftwood, some of which had been made into sculptures. Even though I had visited Arthur's Pass from Christchurch I decided to go again as the drive had been recommended. It was a long drive to reach the Otiri Viaduct which was spectacular.
Punakaiki, Tauranga Bay: Thursday, 15th February
O drove to Punakaiki to walk out to the Pancake rocks, an area of limestone landscape with pancake-shaped rock formations, blowholes and surge pools. On the way to Westport I made a detour Tauranga Bay and Cape Foulwind, where New Zealand's most accessible fur seal colony could be found.
Westport to Motueka: Friday, 16th February
From Westport I turned inland to drive to Motueka on the western shore of Tasman Bay. After the nearly four hour journey I had a break from walks and sight-seeing. Instead I organised a water taxi and coastal walk for the next day.
Abel Tasman National Park: Saturday, 17th February
Water taxis can be taken from Kaiteriteri to Travel up the east coast of the Abel Tasman Natiional Park with stops at various bays along the way. I took the water taxi to Tonga Bay then walked back to Bark Bay and Torrent Bay. From there I caught a water taxi back to Kaiteriteri. Lots of interesting views from the boat. Varied terrain on the walk and constantly changing scenery.
Pelorus Bridge and Picton: Sunday, 18th February
On the way to Picton I stopped at the Pelorus River, an enchanting scenic reserve that is a great starting point for easy walks through forest glades. Then I continued on to Picton where I climbed to Hilltop View before spending some time at the harbour.
Picton to Wellington: Monday, 19th February
Fantastic views of Queen Chalotte Sound as I sailed across to Wellington but quite choppy when we reached The Strait. As I had taken the car across on the ferry it was then a short drive to the hostel.
Wellington Botanic Gardens: Tuesday, 20th February
I took the cable car to the museum then walked back down through the Botanic Gardens. I walked to the old St Paul's Cathedral which was built from wood then went on to the new Cathedralwhich seemed to be buit of concrete. I cintinued past the Parliament Buildings, the Beehive, Queen's Wharf and the Te Papa Museum which was well laid out with lots of ineteresting information.
Lord of the Rings: Wednesday, 21st February
Kaitoki Regional Park and the Lord of the Rings site then on to Otaki and Palmerston North.
Manawatu, Turangi and Tongariro: Thursday, 22nd February
The Manawatu Gorge took me to Woodville from where I did the Loop Track. The Manawatu Gorge took me to Woodville from where I did the Loop Track. This was followed by a walk along each side of the Turangi River.
Tongariro Crossing: Friday, 23rd February
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is heralded as the best one-day trek in New Zealand and is regarded as among the top ten single-day treks in the world. The Tongariro National Park is rich in both cultural identity and dramatic, awe-inspiring natural scenery. Unique landforms, including the volcanic peaks of Ngauruhoe, Tongariro and Ruapehu ensure the Tongariro Alpine Crossing is considered a world-renowned trek.
The Huka Falls and Astriata Rapids: Saturday, 24th February
A waterfall was followed by rapids created by the opening of floodgates.
Wai-O-Tapu and Rotorua: Sunday, 25th February
The Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland is part of a scenic reserve and has the largest area of surface thermal activity in the Taupo Volcanic Zone. The thermal activty and Lady Know Geyser were foolowed by a visit to the Museum at Rotorua.
Redwoods and Buried Village: Monday, 26th February
Whakarewarewa Forest, locally known as The Redwoods has a good choice of varied walks. I followed this with a visit to The Buried Village then went back to Rotorua to visit St Faith's Church.
White Island: Tuesday, 27th February
White Island has been in a nearly continuous stage of releasing volcanic gas at least since it was sighted by James Cook in 1769 and last erupted in 2000.
Sadly there was a large eruption in December 2019 which resulted in 22 fatalities. 25 survivors were seriously injured, many critically and suffering severe burns.
Matamata - Hobbiton: Wednesday, 28th February
Found by Peter Jackson as a suitable location for The Lord of the Rings film series it is now a tourist facility well worth visiting if this is where your interests lie.
Mount Manganui: Wednesday, 1st March
The intention today was to swim with dolphins but unfortunately, we were unable to find any dolphins.
A walk up Mount Manganui with views back down to the city and its surf beaches.
Hot Water Beach and Cathedral Cove: Thurday, 2nd March
Spas in the sand on the appropriately named Hot Water Beach and a visit to Cathedral Covewhich is a Marine Reserve
Kaueranga Valley: Thursday, 3rd March
The Kauaeranga valley was once filled with magnificent kauri trees but today only a few giant kauri remain although young kauri saplings are spread throughout the forest. A wide variety of routes cater for all walkers who can choose from a number of camping sites.
Devonport: Friday, 4th March
Devonport is a harbourside suburb ofAuckland. It hosts the Devonport Naval Base of the Royal New Zealand Navy, the main facility for the country's naval vessels, but is best known for its harbourside dining and drinking establishments and its heritage charm.
Last Day in Auckland: Saturday, 5th March
The first visit of the day was to the museum where there was a Mauri show. I then found St Mary's Church, which used to be the Cathedral, and which was made completely out of wood. It had been moved from across the road and the new Cathedral was built right next to it.