Road Trip to New Zealand (13–19 April 2017)
Foreword
A road trip in New Zealand sounds like an event which requires a lot of preparation and planning. Not my case — I did not plan this travel at all. Moreover I did it by chance. It was my birthday and friends of mine gifted me a ticket to Christchurch. There were five months before the travel date and I thought I have enough time to plan.
Time was passing by and I was procrastinating. One month to the flight and I had booked a car. The last week before the flight I realised that I know nothing about where to go. Thus I bought a road trip book and determined just a general direction of travel with a couple point of interests. And I get started.
Day 1. Christchurch to Hokitika (13 April)
13th of April 5am, I landed in Christchurch. Sitting in the airport and changing SIM card in my smartphone. It’s dark and raining outside. Seven adventure days ahead, no plan, no hotel bookings. Just a vague plan on where to go. And I didn’t sleep on the overnight flight. Does it sound like a good beginning of the road trip?
At 7 am I picked up a car and drove to the nearest supermarket. There I bought water, juice and snacks.
I opened a map on my smartphone and found the first destination — Arthur’s Pass. For the first half hour I drove through heavy traffic. Due to road works some of the lanes were closed. The more I drove from Christchurch the less traffic there was. I began to relax more.
I remembered that I did not sleep in the airplane. So, after about an hour on the highway I decided to stop and take a nap. I turned on to a secondary road and stopped at the hedge of one of the farms. I heard how heavy raindrops falling on the car. The engine sounds of the cars on the highway mixed with relaxed moos of countless cows on the emerald hills. But I was too excited to continue and could not sleep. After half an hour of tossing and turning in the car I decided to return to the highway. The road slowly led me to wilderness. Little by little the landscape changed from farming fields to hills and then mountains.
Due to the rain I could not see white heads of the giants, but I could feel that I am getting closer to them.
Within three hours of departing Christchurch I reached Arthur’s Pass. There I enjoyed delicious coffee with wonderful view from the cafe’s window.
New Zealand is a home of one of the most intelligent and interesting parrots on the Earth — the Kea. The parrots know that there are people around cafe and always try to ask for food.
Arthur’s Pass is located in a beautiful ravine and surrounded by mountains. There are multiple hiking tracks from the village. One of the most recommended is track to Avalanche Peak.
Unfortunately the weather did not allow me to try any of them so I headed off. Just a few minutes later I stopped again to enjoy the other view.
The road was dancing between countless hills and mountains. Every turn provided me tons of emotions. But at the same time it was narrow and attention-consuming especially in the rainy conditions. So, just about twenty kilometres to Hokitika I started losing concentration. I was staring at the road, watching the middle line become solid and the view turn blurred. So, I stopped to have a short nap.
Refreshed after the stop I continued to Hokitika. I drove through the town and parked at the beach. The town welcomed me with heavy rain and the grey stormy Tasman Sea. I felt tired — I had driven about 250 kilometres during the day and decided to stay there overnight. In spite of the closeness of Easter I found a vacancy at the motel easily. I stayed at the BellaVista Motel and paid about AUD 130 for the night in cozy room.
After a shower I headed off to see the town. I wished that I could visit Hokitika when the weather is good. The town was so nice and friendly.
The final accord for the first day in New Zealand was a delicious smoked salmon pizza from Fat Pipi Pizza.
Day 2. Hokitika to Haast (14 April)
The next morning did not bring any change in the weather. The sky was still grey and “crying”. Driving slowly and carefully. I made several stops to take photos.
In about two hours I reached Franz Joseph Glacier Village. I had read about this glacier — it’s in almost every New Zealand South Island guide book. I wanted to spend at least a day there for hiking, but the weather changed my plan.
The same disappointment awaited at Fox Glacier Village. Yes, somewhere there in the photos below is Mount Cook, hiding in clouds. But on the other hand it was a good sign — I think the mountains want me to return.
So, my big idea to hike on the glacier was broken and the only option was to keep going forward. I drove through the forest, between mountains and hills. And I did not know what I see next. The road turned and brought me to the Tasman Sea again. I felt a need for coffee and stopped at a small trailer with coffee at Bruce bay View Point.
A good shot of coffee boosted me and I continued my journey. My next stop was at Kings Point Lookout. It looks much better when the weather is sunny as seen in Google Maps photos.
By 4 pm I was at Ship Creek Beach. There I decided to have a longer break. I did the Dune Lake Walk for about half an hour.
After walking in the dunes in the rain I felt tired, wet and hungry. I had about an hour until darkness and I did not want to drive at night. So, I decided to stop at Haast.
I finished my second day at the Wilderness Accommodation Motel. It cost AUD 115 for a big room for two. Happily I had bought snacks that first day in Christchurch. Haast is a small town, and all the cafes were closed when I arrived. The only supermarket works till 7 pm and its range of goods was limited. That second day I drove about 250 km.
Day 3. Haast to Queenstown (15 April)
The third day began with the rain again. It felt like Groundhog Day. I did a short stop to capture the view on Haast River, and then stopped again not far from the Gate of Haast.
The further I drove to the west, the better the weather became. I remembered the words of the barista at Bruce bay View Point. He had said “If the weather is bad on the seaside, then it’ll be good behind the mountains, and vice versa”. Well, in several hours the rain ceased and I saw the sun. I reached Makarora and stopped there for breakfast.
The rain stopped recently and the sun was playing on the valley, reflecting from the wet grass. A white airplane soared into the sky, bringing happiness to the tourists on board.
After breakfast I returned to the car, started it and continued my trip. For the first time in three days I opened the car windows. The voice of the wind whispered to me where to go next. It told me the stories of the places where I was driving. In about an hour I reached two beautiful lookouts.
The road wriggled between these two lakes. In another hour, it brought me to Wanaka. I loved this city from the first glimpse. Almost immediately I remembered Pushkin and his passion for autumn. The greatest Russian poet called this time of the year “Gold Autumn”. Who knows how many brilliant poems Pushkin would have written if he had been inspired by this beauty. I wished New Zealand had poets like Pushkin.
My mood completely changed there. I was walking on the streets, along the lake and enjoying the view. The only thought I had in my mind was to stay and dissolve into this picture. After a short brunch I continued my journey. From this day till the end of the whole trip the weather was glorious. The sun was shining and the heavy rain was gone. And I began stopping more often. My next stop was at Arrow Junction Lookout to enjoy the view.
By the end of the day I reached Queenstown. I would say Queenstown is the prettiest city I have ever seen in my life. Its unique vibe attracts thousands of tourists all year round.
I arrived there in the evening and had just a few hours before sunset. So, I decided not to waste time and hike to the summit of Queenstown Hill. The entrance to the track welcomed me with wisdom and toreutic gate.
I was hiking uphill and thinking about the words I saw at the entrance. On the top I found another interesting sculpture — “Basket Of Dreams”.
The view from the summit was breathtaking. I could see Frankton airport. It was very difficult to get the right distance or dimensions of objects in the mountains. The jets which were circling above the airport looked like birds. Small silver noisy birds.
When I returned to the city centre it was almost dark. I planned to get to Milford Sound the next day and it looked to be a long drive. So I decided not to stay in Queenstown but to keep moving to the west as long as possible. I drove about twenty kilometres until it became completely dark and stopped at a camping spot not far from Wye Creek. It was the first night that I slept in the car.
Day 4. Kensington to Te Anau to Milford Sound to Te Anau (16 April)
I woke up around 7am. It was still dusk and cold. I did not feel completely rested. Without breakfast I started my way to new adventures.
I was driving along the lakes between hills and valley. In two hours I approached Te Anau. The weather again showed its character. This time it was light drizzle. I ate breakfast at Tekahe Cafe and returned on the road.
Gradually the hills grew into mountains. I was entering Fiordland. Then I noticed a big queue of tourist buses along the road and stopped. This was Mirror Lakes lookout.
A few kilometres later I made another stop to enjoy the view from Monkey Creek Lookout.
Another ten minutes of driving and I reached the Homer Tunnel. In total I spent about two hours driving from Te Anau to Milford Sounds.
A word of advice — try to reach Milford Sound as early as possible -parking is limited. Also, book tickets for the ferry beforehand. I was lucky to get a ticket from the third operator that I asked. The other operators had sold out all their tickets and the next tour was only in a couple hours. During the tour the ferry travelled all the way through the bay to the Tasman Sea.
There were a lot of waterfalls. Sometimes the captain drove the vessel so close to the cliffs that it was possible to touch the wall. But tonnes of water were falling on the passengers and prevented this.
After a 2.5 hours tour on the ferry I headed back. The traffic was quite busy at that time. Everybody wanted to get home earlier. By 7pm I was at Te Anau. I had a fantastic pizza for dinner at the Ristorante Pizzeria Paradiso. I was so tired (I had driven about 370km) that I decided to search accomodation. After about half an hour I stopped at the YHA (Youth Hostel Association). I paid AUD 80 for a private twin room. I also registered for YHA membership which cost AUD 16 for a year.
Day 5. Te Anau to Lake Pukaki Campground (17 April)
This day also promised a long drive. I started by having breakfast at the Tekahe Cafe in Te Anau again.
I had driven for about three hours when decided to stop at Cromwell. This a small town with old heritage сharm and nice landscapes. There I tried one of the most delicious Smoked Salmon Toasties.
After my lunch break I returned on the road. Hills and valleys were passing behind the window. My next stop was at Twizel. I got off the car absolutely worn out. I was soo tired that was shaking as I walked to the nearest cafe. I could not consume more coffee. I ordered a tea with milk and apple pie. I was planning to get to Mt Cook Village, but I felt that I could fall asleep while driving. I checked the map and found a picnic spot several kilometres from Twizel. I drove there to have a nap.
But I was too tired and could not sleep. So, it was an interesting situation — I was too tired to have a refreshing nap and I could not drive to the village either. I was looking at the map again and I found a campground at Lake Pukaki. I decided to stop for the night there. I returned to Twizel to refuel and then drove about 10 minutes to the campground.
The view I saw there will stay with me forever. After dinner I walked around campground enjoying the views. Tired and happy, I returned to the car.
It is an amazing spot. Just some practical advice — if you decide to sleep in the car it’s better to have a sleeping bag or warm blanket. Otherwise you might experience a very cold night.
Day 6. Lake Pukaki Campground to Timaru (18 April)
Almost frozen and having barely slept I was happy to arise at 7am and continue my journey. Sunrise was just on the way. And around half an hour later I saw the first rays of the sun rising over the Lake Pukaki.
After salutation of the new day I continued my way to the Mount Cook Village. I saw almost no cars on the road. And I thought that it was a good idea to drive there and return earlier to avoid traffic. So, around 8am I was in the village. I still didn’t have breakfast. All cafes in the village were closed. I decided to walk for a couple hours and then return and have a late breakfast. I stood in front of an information sign displaying tracks and distances, and chose Kea Point as a destination. I hoped to see Kea parrots there, but that did not happen. Nevertheless, the view itself was amazing.
On the way back I decided to walk to the White Horse Hill campground in Hooker Valley. I walked to Mueller lookout and then turned back due to growing hunger.
When I returned to Mount Cook Village all the cafes had opened. I walked into one and ordered a salmon sandwich and latte. After breakfast I headed to the Tasman Valley to see the Tasman glacier. What I saw disappointed me a lot. Due to the global warming the glacier level was decreasing dramatically every year. Soon it could completely disappear.
In the left photo above you can see the Blue lake. Yes, now it’s green. Many years ago, when the glacier level was high, its water trickled through the rocks and fill the lake with clean blue water. Now the source of water in the lake is rain. This is the reason why the colour has changed.
I headed towards Lake Tekapo. I was impressed by the photo in the tourist book with the view on the lake. There were beautiful flowers and crystal blue lake surrounded by snowy mountains. But what I saw was a bit different. I suppose that photo was made in spring while I was there in autumn. I saw only dried flowers. Nevertheless the view was incredible.
The village on the Lake Tekapo is beautiful itself. Houses are hiding in a lush garden setting. And people are very amicable. The bridge you can see in the photo above was built with the money donated by the village dwellers. Every plank has the name of a donor.
Well, it was around 3pm. I had to be in Christchurch the next day. And I decided to head to the northeast. I found the city of Timaru on the map and drove there. In a couple of hours I was checking into the Blue Dolphin Motel.
Promenade along the beach in the evening, dinner and sleep.
Day 7. Timaru to Christchurch (19 April)
This was my last day in New Zealand. I packed my bags, put them in the car, returned the room key and started driving.
The road from Timaru to Christchurch seemed boring for me. There are no mountains, the motorway was straight and full of tracks. This part of the island is flat. But those who like views with sheep or green fields with cows in them will definitely like it.
The closer I got to Christchurch, the more road works were there. The cars formed a huge traffic jam, which eventually dissolved. It was early in the morning (10–11am) when I approached Christchurch. I drove to the beach in New Brighton. There I walked on the longest pier in Australasia (300m). I had coffee and a salmon bagel for breakfast in the nearest cafe. After breakfast I walked along Brighton Mall, and dropped into a couple of shops. One of them was a book shop where I bought cute postcards.
I decided to go to the city centre. I checked the map and found on-street parking not far from the centre. But when I approached it — it was blocked due to road works and street renovation. I drove further towards the city square and got jammed. There were road works almost everywhere — the consequences of the earthquake in 2011.
When I escaped from the traffic I returned to the top of the street. It was a bit further to the centre than I was planning, but there were vacant parking spots. And 2 hours of free on-street parking. I pinned a point where I parked a car on the map and walked to the centre.
The city is beautiful. The old tram is moving tourists along the small streets with cafes and souvenir shops. The smell of fresh coffee and pastry was in the air. When I got to the central square I saw the main symbol of the city — the Christchurch Cathedral. It was badly damaged during the earthquake and is now under reconstruction. I hope it is soon completed so that tourists will again enjoy this architecture masterpiece.
In spite of the destructions in the centre, the city is happy. Here and there I heard music performed by street musicians. On the street were Italian and Mexican restaurants. And a crowd of happy smiling tourists. I found funny magnets in one of the souvenir shops, and headed back to the car.
After about half an hour I arrived at the airport and returned the car.
Final Words
My journey is finished. Here I am sitting in Christchurch Airport, writing this article.
I didn’t plan this trip in detail. I knew only the key points I wanted to visit and see. I understood that I didn’t have enough time for hiking or detailed visit. But now I know what I want to see next time. I want to rent a camper van for a minimum of one month of adventure. I will visit the Franz Joseph Glacier and the Fox Glacier, take a walk in Fiordland around Lake Te Anau. And drink wine in Arrowtown.
I think and I hope I will return to New Zealand many times in the future. There are so many things to see. Too many times there I thought “I would like to retire here”.
