Wow, time flies. It's been almost 3 months since this first road trip... My memory will hopefully serve it justice, but check-out all the pictures here from this road trip for the full story.
After some frantic searching, Robin, Leo and I found a transfer car to the South Island. Essentially, a transfer car is a reallyyyy cheap rental car because the rental company needs the car relocated. The car we had found was a Toyota RAV4 (wooohoo TRUNK SPACE!!! and 4-wheel drive!!!) that needed to be delivered to Queenstown in 10 days. It was stupid cheap for what we were getting, and splitting the gas 3 ways made the transportation very affordable. Our plan was to use the days to see as much as we could on our way down to Queenstown. Maelle and Estelle agreed to join us on our ambitious road trip, following us in their camper van.
However... 10 days is not quite enough time to see all of New Zealand between Auckland and Queenstown.
But we damn well tried.
10-Day Sprint
Start (1): Auckland
(2) Coromandel Peninsula
(3) Raglan
(4) Waitomo Caves
(5) New Plymouth
(6) Wellington
(7) Picton (drove thru)
(8) Nelson
(9) Kaikoura
(10) Christchurch
(11) Lake Tekapo
(not shown: Aoraki aka Mt Cook)
(12) Wanaka
Finish (13): Queenstown
I am going to focus on the highlights, because there is honestly too much to cover.
Coromandel Peninsula
Out of the gate, Coromandel set the standards high. It was one of my favorite places that we visited on this road trip. It was like driving through paradise – rolling hills and luscious vegetation. The primary attraction that drew us to this peninsula was Hot Water Beach. It did not disappoint.
Hot Water Beach was one of the most unique places that we visited. Its name is quite literal. At low tide, locals and tourists alike congregate at this specific point on the beach to soak in hot spring water seeping from the ground. With shovels, people dug out shallow hot tubs into the sand, allowing the spring water to collect just enough to lay in. As more people joined in, the beach was transformed into a hot spring spa. The pools became interwoven with constructed channels that allowed the scalding spring water to flow into several hot tubs consecutively. Often, the channels would clog with sediment, requiring some maintenance to ensure everyone’s hot tub was consistently receiving hot water.
As we lay in our masterfully constructed tub taking in the last hours of sunlight, we chatted with some of the locals. Many of them religiously visit the hot water beach, except for when there is inclement weather. I loved the casualness of the whole experience and the sense of community.
After soaking for an hour or so, we headed to Cathedral Cove to catch the sunset. The rock formations surrounding the cove were remarkable. Unfortunately, we did not get to see the sun ducking behind the horizon, but the lighting and scenery were still magnificent.
We found a lovely little hostel/woofing accommodation on the way out of Hahei. The woofers were friendly, and the rooms were cozy. We walked over to the brewery just next door for some beers and grub after a long, fulfilling day. In the morning, Leo and I ventured out on to the beach for the tail end of the sunrise.
Raglan - Bridal Veil Falls
Raglan is a lovely little surf town, just a couple hours drive down from Auckland. Upon our arrival, Robin, Leo, and I went to Ngarunui Beach for a picnic lunch. Afterwards, we checked into what I think is the coolest hostel we've stayed in. It had a courtyard with hammocks strung between the patio columns, as well as a hot tub that was free to use. Everyone was so friendly and laid back, and the pace of everything was soo slowww - a true surf town. I loved it. The town center is tiny; you can walk from end to end in 3 minutes.
Since we did not to take the opportunity to surf, we visited Bridal Veil Falls instead. A short drive from Raglan and small hike later, we were admiring one of the most spectacular water falls I have ever laid eyes on.
Raglan is one of the places I hope to return to. A few weeks there being a surf bum and joining the tight-knit, welcoming community sounds pretty appealing.
Waitomo Caves
Unbelievable. Extraterrestrial. Indescribable. Fantastical. Just some of the words that come to mind when thinking about the glowworm caves in Waitomo.
With the help of our guide, we rappelled 20 meters down a canyon wall to be able to access the caves. At the bottom of the canyon, a shallow river flowed with frigid water. At either ends of the canyon, were cave entrances. Our group ventured upstream into the dark cave with our headlamps on. About 200 meters into the meandering tunnel, we came to a large cavern. Sitting down on some rocks, we gazed upwards to see tiny blue specs. Once our eyes adjusted from turning off the headlamps, the cave ceiling began to glow like a starry night.
The guide explained to us that the worms glow with bio-luminescence to attract prey into their threads that they hang from the ceiling. The worms then eat the string to consume their prey.
After oooing and ahhing at the glowworms, we hopped in our rubber tubes and floated slowly down the subterranean river, watching the glowworms slowly thin out on the ceiling as we neared the tunnel entrance. We floated through the canyon to the opposite tunnel entrance. Floating further into the dark, the cave ceiling became illuminated by more glowworms. This side was even more spectacular than the other somehow. To conclude the tubing portion of the adventure, we stopped to climb through some of the nature rock formations that water had sculpted in the caves. After our time on the playground, we walked back upstream to get to the canyon entrance. Before climbing back up, we stopped to enjoy some hot cider, which warmed and soothed us to the core.
The only thing that was slightly disappointment was the "rafting" portion of the experience - if you can even call it that. The website had advertised "black water rafting" (like whitewater rafting, but you know - in the dark) and we were wearing helmets, headlamps, and wet suits. I was expecting at least to go somewhat fast or to go down some rapids. But NO. We walked down the side of the two rapids. "Floating" or "tubing" the San Marcos river is more intense. Yeah, I am being pedantic. But still, it does not deserve the nomenclature "rafting".
New Plymouth - Taranaki
From our experience, New Plymouth was pretty underwhelming. Although, I have heard the surfing is pretty good there, which we did not do, so take my review of the town with a grain of salt.
Our hike around the base of Mt Taranaki made up for it. Even though a majority of the mountain was covered in clouds, it was still a beautiful hike through dense jungle. Thank goodness there's no snakes or leopards in New Zealand :) Most memorably, Estelle conquered her fear of heights by crossing a suspension bridge that can best be described as "sketchy."
Kaikoura
I feel like Kaikoura was our first true taste of the South Island. We did not have great weather in Nelson or Picton, and were therefore ecstatic to see some sun when we arrived in Kaikoura. The right lighting can make all the difference. Boy OH BOY. With nice weather, Kairkoura was B-E-A-UTIFUL. The coastal town is mostly known for its whale watching, as well as some dolphin appearances. We did see some seals in the area, but no large aquatic sightings. Although, I think the landscapes more than made up for it.
Remember that scene from Gladiator where Maximus is walking through the field of tall grass? Yeah, that was actually me in Kaikoura, walking through the Elysian Fields.
Basically the same.
Lake Tekapo
The last day of our road trip was the longest, yet most awe inspiring. We left early in the morning from Christchurch, driving 5 hours to Lake Tekapo, then a 2 hour detour to Aoraki (Mt Cook), and finally a 1 hour drive to Wanaka.
Although our stop at Lake Tekapo was less than an hour, it was well worth it. The pictures do not do the lake's crystal blue water justice.
Aoraki
Aoraki, which loosely translates to Cloud Piercer, is a sight to behold. Mt Cook is the colonial name given to it in 1851 in honor of the first European explorer to discover New Zealand - Captain James Cook (source: Mackenzie Region website). After spending so much time in the car, it was very rewarding stepping out into the crisp, winter air to get pictures of this magnificent mountain. Robin, Leo, and I ventured further into the park to hike up to Lake Mackenzie at dusk, which did not disappoint.
This trip has been one of my favorites so far in New Zealand. Although exhausting, we saw so many wonderful places that I will always cherish.
After a quick night in Wanaka, we returned the car to Queenstown. And so begins the next chapter in my story.
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