Reflections Enroute » New Zealand

Final Notes on NZ

corinne — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:00:24 +0000

New Zealand is a tourist-friendly country, at least the South Island seems to be very well set up to entertain visitors. From the moment we landed in Christchurch the people were hospitable, and seemed genuinely interested in our having a good time. I have never met a customs agent who asked me what I was going to see and then tell me what not to miss before. She was actually chatty, instead the usual stern and suspicious types that I’ve come across many times.

Getting around the island is easy, especially if you drive are plenty of car rental and camper rental places right outside the airport, and every town had places for camping. Al l the parks and camping areas we stopped in had clean toilets, complete with toilet paper. I was pretty impressed.

The food is typically British with many ethnic possibilities. Going to milk bars that hosted fresh fish n’ chips were our favorite places to eat. Almost all the food was at least pretty good, and some were down-right delicious (see Blue Ice post).

Our absolute favorite spot was Dunedin, and we were pleasantly surprised when we arrived there. Other than Christchurch, most of the towns and villages we had stopped were small and not necessarily very quaint. Dunedin, established in 1852 by Scottish immigrants, is a little city on the eastern coast that has a lot of personality. The architecture is very colonial, and in the center of town is the Octagon which features a prominent statue of Robert Burns (the poet), a majestic cathedral, and many shops and cafes. It was a great place to hang out during the evenings and people watch.

Of course the huge draw to New Zealand, especially the South Island is the gorgeous scenery and the wildlife, and in our opinion, it did not disappoint. Our favorite of the abundant bird population was the Pukeko, a beautiful blue land bird with the fluffiest chicks, but really at every turn there was some type of animal or bird to observe.

If there is one thing that we wish is that we would have liked to have even more time on South Island. There is so much to do and see and the island is much larger than it looks on the map. I suggest that the minimum time allotted for this gem is three weeks.

Mama Pukeko gathering comfy grass for her nest.

Meandering the Otago Peninsula

corinne — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 08:00:45 +0000

New Zealand is famous for its scenery and wildlife and nowhere demonstrates this more than the Otago Peninsula. About 30 kilometers in length, you could spend days exploring its riches. The road follows the water’s edge and you can view all types of animals and birds.

Stewart Island Shags

Hooker Sea Lion on Pilot's Beach.

We drove directly to the tip of the peninsula so that we could visit the Royal Albatross Colony Conservation Center…and we would have went, too, if it didn’t cost an outrageous $80 NZ per person. When the attendant told us the price, we were more than ready to dish out the $80 for the two of us, for the half hour talk and half hour in the observation tower, but for each of us, come on….let’s just stick it to the tourists! We chose to enjoy the albatross just as they soared through the air, not on the ground.

At any rate, it got us out to Taiaroa Head nice and early and we were almost alone at the(free) lookout point, where we stayed for at least an hour marveling at not only the albatross, but a multitude of sea birds as well as a couple of rafts of Hooker Sea Lions.

On the other side of the tip, there is Pilot’s Beach. Unfortunately we didn’t come here the night before, because every night right after sunset, the little Blue penguins come back on shore and waddle to their nests. So, alas, we’ll have to wait for our next visit to see them.

Comfy sheep.

What we did get to see were a bunch of adolescent sea lions. As we walked along the rocky shore, there was one who we watched doze for a few minutes completely unaware that we were practically surrounded by these potentially dangerous and, might I add, huge marine mammals. As we became more and more aware of them, we must have stumbled onto a whole raftslumbering on the rocks and even in the grass. It is amazing to me how camouflage really works. They were incredibly difficult to see until we were within mere feet of them. We didn’t really notice one of them, until he ceremoniously announced himself with a loud snort. They weren’t too worried about us, some not bothering to keep even one eye open, but we also didn’t overstay our welcome. It was very calming, only these sleeping giants and us on the beach.

On the way back to Dunedin, we really took our time and meandered in and out of all the bay on both sides of the peninsula. The landscape changed at every turn. On the opposite or southern side, the environment seemed more wind-blown and there were tall, marshy grasses where flocks of sheep were hiding. Whereas on the northern side, it was less swampy and more rugged and rocky. All of it was beautiful.

Marveling at the Moeraki Boulders

corinne — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:00:11 +0000

The Boulders at Moeraki

One of the coolest things to see on the East Coast of New Zealand are the Moeraki Boulders. These are a sight not to miss. When we saw the sign, we took the turn and immediately had to decide if we wanted to go the tourist shop or the beach. We chose the beach. The parking lot is nestled in between some sheep grazing fields and the walk along the beach was windy, but beautiful.

As you approach the boulders, you can’t help but wonder how Mother Nature formed these perfect balls. As it turns out, they were formed in a similar manner to oysters. Some item get stuck in the sea bottom and it collected sediment around it for centuries. Scientists have found all kinds of things in the center, skeletons of turtles, bones, wood, and extinct reptiles.

The boulders are strewn along the beach, almost in a line. They had been buried in the cliffs until erosion has worn away the cliff sides and they are exposed. Walking along the cliffs, you can still see some of the boulders that have been completely uncovered. I wonder how many are still there and what they contain. A few on the beach had broken open and you can see where they originally fit together.

The Moeraki Boulders ranks up there as one of my favorite things we saw in New Zealand, since to me they seem so unnatural and somewhat mysterious.

Enjoying a Flapjack Stroll

corinne — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 08:00:20 +0000

Pancake Rocks, Punakaiki

As you travel through the country, the New Zealand government has provided funds to develop walking paths and informational signs for many of the more interesting coastal areas and geological features. The ones that we came across were well-signed, provided plenty of parking, had both paved and non-paved walking paths, and either had a series of informational placards or a full-on information center. There was no cost to you unless you gave at the donation box at the end of the walk.

One of the spots we stopped is a few kilometers north of Greymouth—Pancake Rocks. New Zealand is chock full of unusual geological formations and these limestone rocks are pretty cool. They appear to be layered and are quite stunning with a carpet of sea grass and local flora on the top layer of some, while others have pointed peaks that reach up into the sky. The path is on the top of the cliffs, so you are always looking down. There are some stunning views up and down the coastline.

It was a nice walk, a good break from riding in the car, and the weather was warm and sunny. In fact, surprisingly, we realized we should have put on sunscreen. I think we would have even enjoyed the outing more if we had been there at high tide. Apparently one of the big tourist pleasers are the blow holes. We saw where they would come up, but didn’t have the time to stay that long. I think we hit it right at low tide…just our luck.

The Blue Ice Restaurant – A Review

corinne — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:00:41 +0000

Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand

After a hard and chilly day of visiting the Franz Josef Glacier, warm up at the Blue Ice Restaurant in town. It has it all. There is a bar with a fast food and pizza menu on the top floor (Wednesday nights are Karaoke nights) and on the bottom floor an a la carte menu matched to some superb wines.

I love a restaurant that is friendly and the service is good, but also leaves you alone to enjoy your meal and your company. Somehow the Blue Ice achieved this even though there are not many eating establishments in the town and they were turning people away. We were extremely lucky in that we took the last available table downstairs. The latecomers were relegated to the porch or the bar upstairs. I would suggest making a reservation, if you know when you will be going through.

The prices were not cheap, but not too expensive. If you paired every dish with the appropriate glass of wine, you will be paying for it. I would say the restaurant was worth every penny.

Fishing for Whitebait

corinne — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:00:19 +0000

A Whitebait patty

New Zealanders like fish and on the west coast one of their favorite types is called Whitebait. Whitebait is featured in many restaurants and cafes throughout the region. It’s not adult fish, because it is harvested in the November when it is still smelt. We had to try this local delicacy and once again I would categorize it as a “once in a lifetime” experience.

Even though we saw sign after sign advertising this local delicacy, we had a hard time finding it on the menu. As we were turning off of Highway 6 to go inland, we figured that we’d better have it before we left the area from which it became famous.

At high noon, we were driving down the road and saw a sign so we careened through the sharp turn and drove down a driveway to a house. Not a good sign. By the time we actually arrived, we’d figured out that it was probably a fisherman’s house and he was selling raw whitebait, which of course wouldn’t do since we had no cooking facilities and had no idea how to cook them.

Now, not only are we hungry, but we’re getting a little frantic that we might miss out on this opportunity, so we stopped at the very next café which did have whitebait on the menu. I have to say, it sounded a bit pretentious, though, as it was featured on a fancy salad. We passed.

Our next and final try, we drove into Haast where there was exactly one open café. The only whitebait on the menu was a sandwich which cost an astronomical amount of $15. So, we asked the lady if there was any other way to try it and luckily she said yes. For only $6 per patty, we could try one to see if we liked it.

We didn’t.

When the waitress brought it, we were beginning to get skeptical. Basically an omelet filled with whitebait and garnished with a slice of lemon. I like eggs. I like fish. I have decided, though, that I don’t like whitebait.

Yes, we ate it. Yes you should try it. I always try the local foods and especially ones that they are so proud of, so….check!

Drive-through Majesty

corinne — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:53:19 +0000

Franz Josef Glacier

Te Wahipounamu

New Zealand 1 Out of 3 (It’s a Start!)

UNESCO World Heritage Count

As we drove south on the West Coast, one of the main areas we headed to was Westland National Park where Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers are located. These two sites are a must-see for many people who have not done glaciers before. You can ice climb, ride helicopters, go on hikes, etc., but honestly I wasn’t that into it since living in Alaska we were really good at doing the glacier thing.

A couple of nice things about this World Heritage site is that you don’t have to pay unless

I loved the ferns!

you want to engage in a guided activity; there is plenty to do here for absolutely free. The other thing is that it is realatively easy to get to. There are buses from all the major jump-offs, so if you are already as far as New Zealand to begin with, I wouldn’t miss this one.

There are tons of hiking paths and the scenery is absolutely stunning!

Look Who’s Coming to Dinner!

corinne — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:36:30 +0000

Yet another post not for vegetarians! (What does this say about me? Am I too obsessed with meat?)

Cute and tasty!

Deer meat. In the U.S. we have a number of men who like to wake up early, put on some bright orange and camouflage clothing, load up their guns and head out to the woods where they hopefully will snag a buck! When they are successful, they butcher the meat, freeze it, give it away, and all this with the intent of eating it. Therefore I believe there are many families that regularly eat venison. I have myself a number of times, since my father was an avid hunter. I even tried going with him one time. Thankfully we did not shoot any cute animals that day, and it was cold and boring, so yeah, another once in a lifetime experience.

Ok, so we’ve established that Americans do eat venison, but do they put it on restaurant menus? If we do, it certainly isn’t very common. I’ve seen it offered on a number German menus, but never in the States. The thing is every single restaurant I went into in New Zealand offered venison in some form. I even came across a place selling venison meat pies. Now, I was well aware that the Kiwis ate lamb, and I wasn’t at all surprised to see beef and even some pork on the menu, but the abundance of venison was a bit of a shock. Then I noticed that there were plenty of sheep farms, sometimes intermixed with the cows, and yes, many, many deer farms. I saw one farm that had a paddock for sheep, next to the cows, which in turn were next to the deer. I have nothing to corroborate this, but I’m pretty sure that no one is dressing up in ugly clothes and waking too, too early to harvest them, so it may not be quite as much fun there, but they do eat it, and according to one guy, “It’s quite nice.”

So, there it is, if you like to eat venison, go to New Zealand. I can tell you, it was tasty!

Merry Christmas from New Zealand

corinne — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 05:28:48 +0000

Christmas Tree in Dunedin

Ok, so being an American, I just expect all westernized countries to go ga-ga during the season. This just doesn’t happen to be so in New Zealand. Watching t.v., you do see some commercials about buying gifts, and there are a few houses that have the token Santa Claus out front, albeit not many. It doesn’t get dark until about 10:00 so there’s no reason to put lights on the houses, and the only things I’ve seen somewhat decorated are the cars. People have put tinsel around their gear racks. I take that back. There are about six garlands hung up as you drive through Dunedin and there is a Christmas tree on the octagon lawn, but that is it.

A few days before Christmas, everyone who talks to you says, “Have a Merry Christmas”, and according to some reports the malls are a mess, but honestly, I haven’t seen it. Today is Christmas, and I’ve only heard a couple of Christmas carols, but all the stores and most of the restaurants are closed. Most. We’ve seen families out swimming, barbecuing, riding bikes, etc. No one is wearing santa hats and only one person was sporting the paper cracker crown. I know they do Christmas dinner in a big way, and I imagine it is a time for family to get together, but all that with no hype. I love it! Can we export this to the U.S.?

Happy Christmas everyone from Jim and me.