Picture Above: Milford Sound

For more pictures of this trip, please CLICK HERE.

I took a 14 days road trip with a very good friend of mine in late September, 2005. It was definitely one of the most fun trips I've had. Despite the ofen cold, windy, snowing, cloudy, and rainy weather, we were able to see the breathtaking scenery of New Zealand, enjoy beautiful and relaxing short hikes in the forest, walk on the glacier with crampons, kayak by the golden beach in the Abel Tasman sea, and abseil 35m down the cave to join the unforgettable Black Water Rafting advanture in Waitomo. On the road we sang as we drove the long distance to our next destination, and at night we cooked simple but tasty food in the hostel. During the journey, We also met a friendly couples from Germany, a funny couples from England/Whales, and a handsome guide at the Franz Jospeh Glacier. ^^

I really wished we had more than just 2 weeks to spare. Most visitors we've encountered in our trip planned their stay a lot longer than us. There are just so much to do and so many to see. I remembered on the first day, while taking the Air New Zealand flight from LAX to Auckland, an elderly couple sitting next to me made a comment, "New Zealand is beautiful everywhere you go." and now I totally agree with him.

I have included here, again, the photos of this trip, some highlights and memories from this trip, plus recommended route and sights, and places to stay.

Here are some highlights and memories from this trip:

• Driving on the opposite side is not easy! and it's not helping with the left-right turn signals and the winshield wiper on the opposite side too.
• Through out our trip, we were taking our own Lord of the Ring pictures. It was really fun being the director, the camera man (setting up the tripod), and the actors ourselves. See our LOR pictures.
• Attended a Mouri concert where we experienced the Mouri culture and tasted their delicious cooking.
• The night before, we stayed at YHA of Turangi, a very old and not well-functioned hostel. Because it was off-season, there were very few people there too. It was a bit scary to stay in the cornered room in the building.. Then, when arriving Tongariro National Park the next morning, it was raining and misty, we couldn't see anything at all. :(
• Almost every night we bought food from the market and cooked in our hostel. Most of the time we had a huge noodle plate each and two bowls of corn egg soup. Yes, basically, we ate like pigs.
• Black water rafting was the highlight and one of the most memorable activities in our trip. Though it was my very first time abseiling down the cave, I was brave enough to be the first one to try in our group. The 2 surprises was excellent and the glow warms were amazing!
• We re-arranged our beds in the Hamilton YHA because the Fung-Shui was bad in the room. Then, we video taped ourselves dancing like the maori people. Video is available upon request.
• The little hostel (YHA) at Punakaiki felt like home. It was a little cabin with only 4 rooms available. There were no keys to the rooms, but we felt very safe and comfortable.
• We almost missed our flight back home. How? Day light saving time. We went through the entire day in Auckland without realizing that we were one hour behind. We checked out our hostel late and returned our car late, but no one had said anything... We rushed to the gate when they called our names in the radio. It was quite embarrassing. :P

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Recommended route and sights:

Again, I wish we had more days to explore New Zealand. Because of the limited time we had, I had to pick and choose places to visit and things to do. I painfully gave up Mt. Cook and also eliminated Christchurch from our itinerary, thus allowed us to do more and concentrate on the west coast of Southern Island. A few things I recommended based on my experience:

1. Rent a car. Though bus and rail travels are possible in NZ, having a car will save time and make your life a lot easier, especially on the southern island. We went with Apex Car Rental and had no problem at all. We picked up the car from Queenstown Airport and dropped off at Picton, where we took the ferry to Wellington of Northern Island. Then, we picked up another Apex Rental car at the ferry terminal in Wellington and dropped off at Auckland Airport. The price was fair and there was no additional charge for dropping the car off at different locations. They provided us maps, though you can find all the maps you want for free at airports and all tourist information centers.

2. We were lucky to hit pretty mild weather in the month of September, but the next time, I'd probably choose October-November to visit New Zealand. There were places we couldn't go and things we couldn't do due to the cold weather. The "Tongariro Crossing," for example, was on the top of my list but before going there, I knew the chance of making that great hike was very slim.

1-2 days in Queenstown, Glenorchy, & Arrowtown
Queenstown is the adventure capital of the southern island in NZ. Tons of activities are available in the town. Because we went in late September when the snow might be present and the weather was still cold, we were not able to do much activities such as white water rafting. Unless, of course, you don't mind the freezing water and cold wind. "Shotover jet" was one popular activity in the town, but it costed a lot (about $90) for only 45 mintues of ride in the shotover river. However, the shotover river was absolutely beautiful. Located on the way to Arrowtown from Queenstown, it is worthwhile to drive there to take a look if you don't go for the exciting jet tour. (and that was what we did.) Also, be sure to take the gondola up the hills for a breathtaking view of Queenstown.

Glenorchy is northwest of Queenstown. The drive there is about 1/2 hour and is very pretty. The mountains and the lake will be along side of the road the whole time. (Lake Wakatipu) If time and weather allow, try taking the jet and kayak combo tour in Glenorchy.

Arrowtown is a nice little town nearby Queenstown, and it's also on the way north to Wanaka, So we dropped by and paid a visit. Though we did not spend much time there but moved on to our next destination - Franz Josef.

1 day in Milford Sound/Te Anau
Milford Sound is about 5 hours away from Queenstown. So actually in our itinerary, I booked 2 nights of stay at Te Anau and 1 night in Queenstown. This allowed us to see Milford Sound in one day and Queenstown in another. The drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound was totally amazing. Because the drive enteres the Fiordland National Park, there are other activities to do on the way. We did the "Chasm Walk," a very short and light hikes nearby Milford Sound.

Try to get to Milford Sound early. The big tour buses usually get there at noon or early afternoon. The prices for the cruises in the morning are also often at a lower rate. We booked the Red Boat Cruise for 1.45 hours @ $43 with YHA card discount. We did not book ahead but just arrived there early. During peak season (summer time), it's recommended that you book ahead online or by phone.

Needless to say, the scenery in Milford Sound is very unique and pretty. If I had the time, I'd choose to kayak instead. The boat cruise was alright, and the money you spend = the time you spend on the boat = how much you'll see. I think the view from the land is just as fantastic.

1-2 days in Franz Josef
Please note that, driving from Queenstown to Franz Josef via HWY 6 takes about 5 hours. On the way to Franz Josef, as I mentioned earlier, we stopped by Arrowtown and Wanaka. Between Wanaka and Haast (about half way to Franz Josef) there are several stops you can make. Watch for signs on the road. Park your car on the side and go into the bushes for some light and delightful hikes. One of the most memorable short hikes took us to "Blue's pool." The water was indeed BLUE and was very clear.

There are 2 glaciers in the area. One is Franz Josef Glacier and the other is Fox Glacier. There were trails to reach both glaciers but I was kind of disappointed when I reached the end of the trail. The view wasn't all that impressive. Because of safety reasons, visitors were not allowed to get close to the glacier at all. To really see the glacier and experience it, go for one of the tours they offer in town - either by helicoptor (heli-hike) or by hiking on the glacier.

We went for the one day hike at Franz Josef Glacier, which I believed was a lot more fun and exciting than the Fox Glaicer. I booked the tour ahead with the Guiding Company before I came to New Zealand. They also gave us 10% discount for being YHA members. I totally recommend the 1 day tour we had with the Guiding Company . The real adventure began in the afternoon when the guide took us deeper into the glacier and found different ways to explore.

1 day in Punakaiki
To get to Punakaiki , continue driving north on HWY 6 from Franz Joseph for about 4 hours. Punakaiki is famous for its pancake rocks and blowholes. Check with the visitor center when the high tide is, because that's when you can see the blowhole shoots up water the best. Punakaiki is a small town. Be sure to fill up gas before entering the town. The nearest gas station is miles away. The nearby towns, "Greymouth"(south) and "Westport"(north), offer many advanturous activities such as rafting and ATV. We didn't have time for the long hours activities, so instead, we did river kayak in Punakaiki. It was a lot of fun to kayak through the beautiful rainforest of Punakaiki.

2 days in Abel Tasman National Park/Nelson
Abel Tasman National Park has few of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen. The water was very clean, clear, and colorful. Visit both "Marahau" and "Kaiteriteri", and either rent a kayak to tour the beach on your own, or book the half day/one day sea kayaking tour with the companies there. We went with "Southern Exposure" 1 day sea kayak tour . They were okay. On that day, we had a small group of six: 2 guides, 2 of us, plus a German couple who were also doing the Abel Tasman coast track besides kayaking. There were a few other companies that offer similar kayaking packages in the park. Go to the nearest town, "Motueka," to find information and to book tours ahead.

Nelson was a bigger town than all the other cities we had been to so far. Nelson was also where we saw traffic lights for the first time in our trip. There were many shops and stores, although many were not open at the time we were there.

1 day in Wellington
The interislander Ferry takes you from Picton to Wellington in 3 hours. Booking can be done on their webiste or through the rental car company, which was what we did. Wellington is a much bigger and busier city. It is hard to find free parkings on the streets. I found the ferry ride and the city itself rather boring compared with the few days advantures and beautiful natures in the southern island. Though, a good place to visit in the city is the Te Papa Museum. Many guidbook would also recommend the cable car ride up the hill for a view of the city. It costs $3.60 NZ round trip. I thought it was just alright.

1-2 days in Turangi/Tongariro National Park
There are, supposely, many to see and tons to do in Tongariro National Park. This is also the filming spot for "Mt. Doom" in the Lord of the Ring. Unfortunately, when we got there, it was raining and misty, and there was aboslutely nothing we could see. Obviously, we only stayed one night. If the weather permits, I'd definitely do the Tongariro Crossing, rated one of the top ten one day walks in the world. Click here to check out other Great Walks of New Zealand.

2 days in Taupo and Rotorua
Taupo is a very nice and pretty town. Lake Taupo is the biggest lake in New Zealand. Go to the tourist information center to book mouri concerts and for information regarding the thermal parks. There are several in town. Under the limited time and buget, we were forced to choose 1 park to go to. The most popular one was probably the "Wai-O-Tapu" Thermal Wonderland, which was what I originally planned on going; but we ended up at "Orakei Korako", the hidden valley , because I took the recommendation from the lady at the information center. It was pretty good, though a bit small. I loved the natural cave with jaded water.

Places worth visiting in Rotorua is "Te Puia" ($22 NZ) - Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley , featuring Pohutu Geyser, which erupts several times in a day and shoots up very high in the air. The park also offers free guided tour, a mid-day Maori concert (12:15pm - 1pm), Maori cultural display, mud pools and other big and small thermal pools and geysers.

For the Maroi conert and dinner, we went to "Wairakei Terraces in Taupo." The experience was fun and the dinner buffet was excellent. The program starts at 6pm, so if it's winter time, I recommend coming back during the day to see the park under day light. Some of the things might seem repeating if you visit both Te Puia and Wairakei Terraces.

Other places to visit in Taupo include a mud pool nearby Wai-O-Tapu (Since it's outside the park, it's free), the "Huka Falls" with awsome rapid water and fall, and "Craters of the Moon."

In Rotorua, we finally decided to try white water rafting because the weather became warmer. We went with a company called "Raft About," and took the 1 hour rafting trip that included a 3M and a 7M waterfall drops. It was very exciting and the guides were excellent. They picked us up from our hostel and provided us wet suit, dry suit, helmet, and life jacket. All the clothes and equipment kept us warm.

1 day in Waitomo
If there's only one place to visit in the northern island, Waitomo has got to be the place. In Maori, "Wai" means water and "Tomo" means hole. Waitomo caves is a must-see; Blackwater rafting is a must-do. There are two big companies that offer black water rafting. One is the Waitomo Adventures, the other is the Black Water Rafting Company. We went with the latter one and chose the whole day Black Abyss tour, which was VERY exciting. It was one of the most unforgettable experience I've had. I totally recommend the Black Abyss tour. It does require you to be physically fit. They provided wet suit and jackets, helmet, harness... and all the needed equipments. Despite all the protections we were wearing, the water was Freeeezing cold.

1 day in Auckland
Auckland was our last stop. We walked around Queen's street several times to find souvenirs. Queen's street was one of the most happening streets in Auckland. Plenty of shops and restaurants were available for tourists.

Again, parking was a hassle like Wellington. Consider returning your car a day earlier in the city of Auckland (instead of Auckland International Airport) and take the shuttle bus to the airport to save 1 day rental and the trouble to find parking space.

We visited Auckland Museum of New Zealand ($ 5.00 NZ donation). Saw the art works and learned about NZ wars. Personally, I liked Te Papa in Wellington better.


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Recommended places to stay:

If you choose to stay in hostels and do not have the time to do research, go with the YHA hostels in New Zealand. They are generally reliable, clean, and comfortable. There might be a few exceptions here and there, but you should have no regrets with most of them. Make sure you purchase the YHA card (it can be purchased there on your very first YHA hostel) because it will save you some $$ per stay. Book them ahead online at YHA New Zealand or Hostel World, or book them as you go (they will call and book it for you for free, but you must pay first at the hostel you stay that night.)

Here is a list of hostels we stayed at and my ratings for them:

Name of Hostel	Location	My Rating	Notes
YHA Te Anau	Te Anau		recommended! But try to get beds that are side by side instead of bunk beds.
Pinewood	Queenstown		The kitchen is not as clean but acceptable. The rooms are spacious. Maybe try the YHA in Queenstown.
YHA Franz Joseph	Franz Joseph		Highly recommended! A great hostel.
YHA Punakaiki	Punakaiki		Highly recommended! This hostel feels like home. There are no keys to the rooms. Try booking ahead as this hostel is very small with limited rooms available.
Accents on the Park	Nelson		Recommended! Quiet, clean, and interesting architecture.
YHA Wellington	Wellington		Recommended! Not bad.
YHA Turangi	Turangi		Not recommended! Room is alright but the kitchen is horrible. The place is remote and a bit scary.
Treks Rotorua Backpackers	Rotorua		Highly recommended! This hostel is new. The YHA here is probably not bad either.
Kiwi Paka YHA	Waitomo		Recommended! Overall fairly nice, but it's not a five-star like it stated in the book.
YHA Hamilton	Hamilton		This hostel is converted from a private house. It is alright.
YHA International	Auckland		Recommended! There are 2 YHAs in Auckland. This is the newer one but a bit more expensive.

Visit the 14 days trip in New Zealand! photo album

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