One thing I miss from NZ

I have a sweet tooth. When I see new and interesting candy, I have to taste it. So I did in NZ. I found there a Kit Kat taste new to me, Kit Kat Chunky Cookies & Cream. It was one of the best chocolate bars ever! Sadly, this Kit Kat flavor is not available in Singapore. Maybe it is better that way. I will not lose my figure :)

NZ Tour: Invercargill

Invercargill town hall.

Common sight along the roads in NZ.

One for the road... On the last day in Queenstown we decided that we wanted to see Invercargill, the southernmost town in NZ (and one of the southernmost cities in the world). It took two hours to drive there, we spent about 15 minutes in the town and then drove back to Queenstown. At least we can say we have been there. But that is all I can say about that place, so quick was our visit.

NZ Tour: Queenstown

Queenstown seen from the hills. Behind the town The Remarkables.

Those darling seagulls.

Trees were huge.

This may be the southernmost LV store in the world?

A picture from our balcony right after the year's change. Happy new year 2010!

Our long drive across NZ was finally over and we arrived to Queenstown, where we spent 3 nights. We had booked a luxury condo at Alta Apartments. Our apartment had 3 spacious bedrooms and a huge living room with integrated kitchen. The apartment had a magnificent view towards Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables.

It was nice to have couple of days just to walk around without hurry to go to the next place. And we walked indeed. The last day of 2009 we climbed to Ben Lomond, which was partially snow topped and is 1748m high. The views along the route and from the summit were breathtaking. See below.

After Queenstown we flew back to Auckland and spent a day there before heading home.

Ben Lomond summit, 1748m high.

NZ Tour: Change of scenery

Home of God?

Anyone home?

After the glaciers and Lake Wanaka, the landscapes changed drastically. Suddenly it seemed that we were in Tuscany with snow topped mountains. The views from the dry hills were magnificent.

NZ Tour: Lake Wanaka

Lake Wanaka. Sorry about the poor picture quality. My camera ran out of battery and I had to use my cell phone camera.

Vineyard next on the sunny hills.

After a long drive from the glaciers and many lookout points later, we arrived to Lake Wanaka. It was only a one night stand before continuing to Queenstown. But still we had time to do some mountain biking and walking around the small town of Wanaka, which is very popular tourist spot on the southern island of NZ.

NZ Tour: Quick stop at Haast

End of the world?

Sands of time

After leaving the glaciers we stopped at many small and beautiful spots before our next destination. One of those places was Haast, which had a picturesque nature pebble beach. Haast is named after German geologist Julius von Haast, who spent a lot of time in NZ exploring its nature. Soon after Haast we saw an extremely beautiful mountain creek, see below.

NZ Tour: Glaciers

Icy creeks

Fox Glacier

Up, up, up!

View from the top of Fox Glacier.

Franz Josef Glacier

After Greymouth we finally reached the Southern Alps. We stayed two nights at Franz Josef Glacier village and did some hiking around. As all glacier walking tours were fully booked at Franz Josef, we headed to Fox Glacier, which was situated near by. Walking on the glacier was nice and it was great to see snow first time this winter (although it was summer in NZ). It was amazing to hear how long it does take for the ice to come down from the mountains to the point where it starts to melt and converts into small creeks that eventually form rivers. 100 years!

New suitcase needed

I had couple of accidents on my NZ trip. To begin with, I hurt my right hand while hiking and it is still recovering. At the end of the journey, my Rimowa suitcase broke down after rough handling at the airport.

So now I need a new suitcase. I will probably buy a new Rimowa, but I am very tempted with this new aluminium suitcase by Hermés, pictured below. I am not tempted its price though, it costs SGD13,000. This baby can not be checked-in.

Picture from hermes.com

NZ Tour: Punakaiki Pancake rocks

On the way from Greymouth to Franz Josef Glacier we stopped at Punakaiki to see the famous Pancake Rocks. They are layered volcanic rocks by the sea. A beautiful sculpture park made by the nature.

NZ Tour: Greymouth

I am a bit sad I did not see any penguins.

Gray as a gray can be...beach at Greymouth.

More grayness.

After spending couple of days in Motueka, we hit the road again. This time to Greymouth. The place sure was gray, thanks to the misty and rainy weather. The town seemed to be closed during our visit. Not much to say about this place, at least accommodation was cheap.

NZ Tour: Motueka and Golden Bay

Retro camping van.

Pupu Springs

Tide arising.

Christmas lights in Motueka's residential area. A bit too much?

After a long drive from Wellington we arrived to Motueka, where we spent the Christmas. The town itself was very small, but the surroundings were superb. Just next to Motueka lies Abel Tasman National Park that has lots to offer. We did not participate in any guided activities, but we enjoyed the amazing landscapes and sunny beaches. We also visited the picturesque Golden Bay and Pupu Springs, which are claimed to have the cleanest water in the world. It is easy to believe that, the springs were crystal clear. We would have liked to visit the Farewell Spit, but it was closed during the holidays. Later I read from the newspapers that many whales had been stuck and died on the beaches of Farewell Spit during the Christmas time. Very sad!