Down the West Coast

I didn't want to leave Marahau. I sat in glorious sunshine waiting for the washing to finish and a lady from the camp staff told me we were due for 'some wet' as the weather had been good for six and a half weeks since the cyclone went through. Well, we have had five days of warm sunshine so far and this is a sunny, wine-growing region, further south will be cooler. 
The roads were straight to start with but then we reached Hope Saddle and had hairpin bends to cope with. Hope Saddle Lookout gave panoramic views but the car parking was tight. At Murchison we stopped for diesel and Henry spotted an antique shop with vintage cars and trucks outside called 'Dust and Rust'. 

The temptation was too much. Inside was a Datsun pick-up truck with an animal skin over it's bonnet. At the other end of the shop was a cart with red wheels and a red seat, on sale for $4,000. An array of antique objects filled the display area, such as a postage meter machine from 1932, an apple coring machine, a bean slicer, a till, clothing and pots and pans. Apparently, vintage car clubs gather here. The West Coast is reminiscent of America: shops with awnings and wide streets. Westport fitted this description. We shopped at New World supermarket again and were offered a visitor loyalty card. Yay! How generous of them. They got it working straight away and we saved  $12. Worth knowing. All this was took time. The itinerary was knocked sideways. Signs for 'Queenstown 232km' were not encouraging.

The winding coastal road took us through a tunnel of green that is the West Coast: temperate rainforest, grass such a vivid green it looked unreal, nikau palms and silver fern trees, slopes of bush or walls of ferns on one side of us; on the other a wild white sea foaming in, jagged outcrops of rock standing alone against the spray. Waterfalls are viewed easily from the road, one we stopped at - impressive.

It was getting late as we reached the Pancake Rocks area, stopping at the car park that allowed overnight parking if your vehicle was self-contained. Then we had the cheek to subject our poor bodies to a 20-minute walk up a steep road to view the Pancake Rocks, barely visible due to the failing light. There was a blob of yellowy light on the horizon that called itself a sunset. 
 

Sustained Over-Exertion

An aqua taxi had been booked in Marahau for 9am but you had to be there half an hour earlier. It seemed the world and his wife were here, setting their rucksacks down and applying sunscreen. People can camp along the Abel Tasman Track. It is a coastal path, though does go inland as well. Our taxi got towed out by a tractor that pulled us across the beach and through pretty deep water until the boat was afloat. It wasn't just a journey straight to Bark Bay - they kindly took people to look at points of interest including the Split Apple Rock, shags in the trees and New Zealand Fur Seal pups on Adele Island, a stronghold for wildlife.

A breath-taking boat ride to our beach, then we had to remove our boots to wade through the shallow waters, watching out for sting rays.  At first (well, probably until halfway) the walk was an absolute delight, taking us on twists and turns round bays, listening to the sound of birdsong that is so evocative of New Zealand, gorgeous views of turquoise green or crystal clear waters. A stop at Torrent Bay gave us a chance for a swim and lunch. Here were holiday homes, one cost 25 million to put in place our aqua taxi skipper had told us. 

Cleopatra's Pool was worth a 10-minute diversion off the track but then the sign board showed Marahau (the name means windy garden) to be 4 hours and 40 minutes away. Some of us started speed walking. Joe and I ended up in front. Actually, after hours of agony, we discovered it had only taken 3 hours and 20 minutes to cover the 25 km back to our motorhome, but boy did it hurt.
 

North to South

Our choice of car park had limitations. The motorhome, six berth, was so wide and long we doubted it coud be manoeuvred out of the space if people parked either side of us and the only solution was to move it to the Bluebridge Ferry Terminal. Joe and Freya went into the museum and Henry and I were the poor souls who had to do a speed walk of 17 minutes back to the museum after we had re-parked. Exiting the museum car park using a credit card didn't seem to lift the barrier and Henry had to call for help. It cost $30 in the end.

Eventually we got to see the Gallipoli exhibition at Te Papa which was so comprehensive it would have taken three hours at least to read everything. The main attraction was of course the models - two and a half times life size and awe-inspiring. No detail had been left out. I stared at the enormous head of a man that had veins in the eyes, sunburnt skin, pores, freckles and even beads of sweat on him.

The ferry left in early afternoon and once on board we went straight for the restaurant. The food selection was great and delicious. The vegetarian lasagne included pumpkin - yes, it is autumn here. The ferry was full of passengers even in April, some of them lorry drivers. There were no comfortable seats free so we became stuck at the tables for the three-and-a-half-hour crossing of Cook Strait. The wind was fierce out on deck but the views worth it, often wooded mountains on both sides of us.

As we set off on the other side the sunset wowed us with red and orange shades over the mountain range but then everything became an endurance test. Driving for three hours, some of it through very winding roads uphill and downhill. Finally we got close to the area and looked for a layby. Trying to avoid a town where we knew there was a restricted zone, we went up into the hills and only managed to find one deep picnic area without a 'no overnight parking' sign where we spent the night.
 

Wellington

This was supposed to be a 'city day' but we really wanted to look at Rivendell. Things had been added since 2003: new signs, a height post you could stand against and measure yourself up to Legolas (2.1m), or Frodo down the bottom, who was the size of a child. There was replica stone archway, not full size, where we posed, pretending to be leaving Rivendell. Joe encouraged us to go on the Swingbridge Walk which was one hour long. Bang goes the itinerary but sometimes you have to go with the flow. Walking through native bush helped to rejuvinate us. A sign indicating the river with a swimming symbol on it had me racing down the slope like an eager child. I couldn't wait to get in there, the day was heating up already. A swimming hole provided a great place for skinny dipping - very refreshing.

Before we reached Wellington, a dump station stop was needed. This sort of necessary evil takes about half an hour with emptying grey water and refilling fresh water. 

We had to save money somehow and my way of doing it was to make my family walk for half an hour to get into the city centre, just to avoid paying for parking. Still, we got to see Wellington close up, swept along with the busy crowd, glancing up at the skyscrapers reflecting the buildings opposite them.

Our first destination was the cable car. A reasonable price if you go one way. Renovation work had been done in 2009, and the tunnel had been jazzed up immeasurably with something to amuse you as passed through it: An array of lights that changed colour. 

At the top we stopped for coffees and a dozen sparrows entertained us on the next table by descending on some left-over cake. The way back down into Wellington was via the Botanic Gardens where huge monarch butterflies danced over the flower beds. Our route was helped by following a mosaic pattern in the path. 

This day in Wellington involved a huge amount of walking, not only that, it was speed walking, eating on the hoof some Subway rolls purchased on the way. The reason for the rush was that Joe and Henry were booked in for a tour of the Weta Cave, Wellington's famous special effects and model-making workshop, renowned for its involvement with the Lord of the Rings movies. Their guide began with a safety briefing. 'In the event of an earthquake, lie on the foor with your hands over your head then leave by the exit.' Well. Fortunately nothing happened. The latest project for Weta Workshops was the construction of models for the exhibition at Te Papa Museum, which centred around the battle at Gallipoli in 1915. Each eyebrow on the soldier's face took six hours to complete as the hairs lie in seven different ways. Hair on their heads was human in origin but not for the beards and moustaches, they came from goats.

Joe and Henry also learned about the armour used - metal for close-up shots and plastic for those more distant shots. During the filming of Lord of the Rings 10,000 arrows were fired from a cannon and only 700 retrieved so there are many arrows lying in fields for future generations to find and wonder at.

We crammed in a visit to Scorching Bay nearby (but accessed by hairpin bends) to find some changes. The Chocolate Fish Cafe seemed to go by a different name. The sea was fairly inviting for a quick swim though the sun had gone off the beach as it was now nearly 5pm.

Our motorhome was now moved to the Te Papa Car Park. It seemed smaller as there was a Jim Beam event going on with marquees and also construction work. You can park here overnight.  Joe had to be dragged out into the city that evening, he was so tired. Cuba Street did not have buskers in it - maybe they are there in the daytime. It also had noisy groups of young people outside the bars which wasn't our scene so we found a quieter Irish bar round the corner. 

The car park proved to be tolerable for noise, considering we were in the city centre.
 

Across the North Island

I don't sleep well in a layby. I was 'on guard' all night. I barely slept and the constant traffic didn't help. Day 2 - we were up quickly and heading for Kerosene Creek first thing in the morning. We noticed a blue-green lake near the entrance of Old Waiotapu Road, steam rising from it. It took several minutes to reach the end of the road and the car park. Soon we were heading for the creek, apart from Henry at first, who stayed behind to keep an eye on the motorhome as this area is prone to crime. Soon a man arrived with a dog that he let out and then sat in his truck. Rather suspicious.

People had come down to the creek early, word has got around on the internet obviously. Sitting in a hot creek is something of  a novelty. The water was warm, not as hot as last time when we came here in the summer. Maybe it varies with the season. The best bit is the little waterfall, sit on the rocks and have warm water cascade around you... wonderful.
Several hours of driving followed, as we made our way to Napier. The scene changed from flat farmland to photogenic mountains. We had had to miss Hawkes Bay on our last trip to New Zealand, despite being here for so long and I was determined to see the area, the sunniest of the North Island. True enough, the sun shone as we walked along the Marine Parade. When we had arrived in Auckland, I had six layers on - it had been snowing in Britain. Now we were strolling about in T-shirts. Napier is arty, colourful, festive and relaxed. Art Deco buildings abound. For lunch we stopped at Zambrero, where they had a sign lit up which read 'Lets Beat World Hunger'. They donate a meal to someone in need for every burrito purchased. Joe had one and the rest of us tried vegetarian tacos. 

Our next task was to get to Upper Hutt by dusk. We were aiming for Kaitoke Regional Park, run by the Department of Conservation. They closed the gate at dusk and we were not sure what counted as dusk. It was a four-hour drive and we had barely enough time. It was nail-biting as we finally got beyond Featherstone and the road wound its way up a mountain and back down again. We made it: they shut the gate at 7pm so plenty of time. A river runs through this park which was the film site for Rivendell. If we had got here earlier we could have got permission from the rangers for a fire down by the river but you had to bring your own firewood. We put our $24 fee in the honesty box and displayed the card provided. 

It quickly got dark and we took advantage of it by stargazing - the Southern sky being unfamiliar, there is no Plough and you have to look for the Southern Cross to orientate yourself.
 

Hobbiton

So excited to be in New Zealand again. Breakfast in the budget hotel was a novelty but overpriced.  A couple of hours free WiFi was handy, and free WiFi again at the motorhome depot - so much time waiting two hours for paperwork to be done and someone to show us round our vehicle, but nothing to write about yet! The itinerary was put back... help, we had to be in Matamata that afternoon for the Hobbiton tour.

We made it by the skin of our teeth as the meeting point is 20 minutes drive outside the town. Thank God for the SatNav we didn't order but was left in the motorhome.

Even to those unfamiliar with the Lord of the Rings movies (a third of visitors) this unique village cut into the rolling, green hills has a special appeal. You can easily convince yourself that it was created by hobbits: their character is found in every colourful, circular door, bright garden flower display and twist and turn of the little paths sheltered by hedges. Washing is hung on the lines, smoke wafts out of the chimneys and cheeses are stacked in the window (of a Took's?) home. The tour guides take you round in groups that are nicely spaced out so the place is not full of people roaming about and getting in the way of each other's photos.

Hobbiton gives you a warm, generous welcome and that's even before you get to the Green Dragon Inn and receive your complementary cider, pale or dark ale or ginger beer - we tried all those between the four of us. To reach the pub you pass the mill with waterwheel in motion, cross the bridge, and hear the sound of playful fiddle music drifting across, drawing you in. 'I wish the Green Dragon was my local,' I wrote in the visitors book. All in all, Hobbiton is a tad different from the muddy field with bare plywood hobbit holes we saw 14 years ago...

We had to shop in New World supermarket then, which should have been earlier, and when we came out (having spent more than anticipated as prices over here are a lot higher than at home) the sun was setting and we knew we had blown it for going to Kerosene Creek until the next day. Plans for the free camp spot near Taupo went out of the window and we ended up in Rotorua. A few hours after parking next to other motorhomes there was a knock at the door. "Security!' I opened the door (Henry had collapsed after driving from Auckland and was fast asleep) and a man greeted me. 'Good evening, I'm going to have to move you guys on as this is not a designated parking area.' He was very pleasant about it considering we were probably contravening the bylaws. He told us where to move to and we drove round with a lot of other lost motorhome drivers, until we gave up and headed out, ending up some time later in a picnic area for the night.

Travelling to New Zealand

"You don't miss lying down until you can't lie down," 
"My God I've eaten some crap over the last few days, I'm sure some of it wasn't even food." 
"I think I'm going to have to have a shower, it smells like a bear's jock strap in here." 
Just some of the comments from this travel-weary famiy as we install ourselves in our hotel in Auckland, finally. It is past midnight.

I have had 20 minutes sleep in the last two days, though I've lost track of how many days have passed because we have been leaping ahead in time as we've travelled in an easterly direction. Our body clocks tell us it is now the middle of the day - I think. Our first flight was a normal afternoon and some of us enjoyed a glass of wine with a delicious lunch. Singapore Airlines... just, wow... like being in a 5 star hotel, such elegance and beauty in the way the cabin crew were dressed, hot white towels given out to clean our hands, lovely food, you really felt looked after. The flight in itself was an experience as I haven't been on an aeroplane for 14 years.

However, the next flight with Air New Zealand was mundane in comparison. It was fine but we had been spoiled. The New Zealand crew were chilled, wearing aprons as they served our food. In their favour, this airline had a larger selection of movies, you couldn't watch them all, though I had a damn good go. I got through eight movies on the two flights, ending with one called Borg McEnroe, in which the tense 1980 Wimbeldon Men's tennis final was coming to an end as our plane was landing at Auckland Airport.

We had been given passenger arrival cards as soon as we boarded, with some scary threats (justified though) of $400 fine if you brought in fruit, plants or other food without declaring it. We weren't sure if our cereal bars and packs of peanuts and crisps were going to pass but they did as they were packaged. New Zealand security is hard core. The first step is a scan of your passport then you stand on some painted footprints and have your photo taken, having agreed that you are not staying for more than six months if that is your intention. Your walking boots need to be well scrubbed, they are inspected. I was not taking any chances, mine were brand new with the labels still attached. We passed. "You guys are good," we were told. 

All in all this thorough security check is not what you want after 29 hours of travelling, most of it in the air. This can't be good for your body. We've probably time-travelled. 

Booking New Zealand Activities

With less than two weeks to go before we leave, there is still so much to do. I must be feeling my age for I don’t know how I coped with a house move and going travelling with two young children 15 years ago.

I am currently writing out an itinerary that is starting to look like planning for army manoeuvres. There is a plan for the day, then a contingency plan, and sometimes an extra one! 

After a bit of research and emails I discovered that some activities in New Zealand need to be booked a little in advance. It is advisable to book the cruises on the Sounds a couple of weeks in advance. Then if bad weather threatens and you feel like you could be wasting your money, check the cancellation terms, which are usually quite generous: say, a full refund for 24 hours notice given or half your money refunded for 12 hours notice.
This, I noticed, applies to the water taxis on the Abel Tasman Track. As we don’t want to take camping equipment with us and therefore only have one day to see a lot of the coastline. We have booked a water taxi to Bark Bay with a 20km (12 mile) walk back. Easily achievable!! However, the unknown quantity is the weather. We chose to book the Marahau Beach Camp for the night after the walk as it will be needed. 

Lord of the Rings fever began at about the time we first visited New Zealand and it has settled down to become quite a feature of this country nicknamed Middle-earth. For example: Hobbiton has been revived from some plywood hobbit holes in a field as we saw it to what looks like the complete village as it appeared in the films. We have booked to go there, not cheap for a whole family of adults, more than three times the price in 2003 but it looks much better value for money.
There is also Weta Workshops in Wellington, which now does tours and has a shop. Two of us are booked on a tour there, where you can see the artists at work.

Although some activities appear to be only partially booked up a few days beforehand on the websites concerned, we don’t want to take any chances and miss out by leaving it to the last minute. If you’re going to the other side of the world you have to make it worthwhile. 

New Zealand Motorhome Hire - The Pitfalls

When you are about to sign something you are reminded of the phrase, ‘The devil is in the details’. I think the same can be applied to planning a trip. Or food shopping for that matter. What you don’t want is to get to the shops without a list, having not thought through your meals for the week! If you are planning a trip, especially abroad, you most certainly want to think through every detail as much as you can beforehand.

Booking up a motorhome in New Zealand had to be done a lot sooner than we thought. There is quite a demand for them and the choice had narrowed considerably with less than three months to go. It caused a bit of a panic.

So, how to start? Obviously you need to book the flight first but then the next thing that needs doing is to sort out accommodation and transport. We had planned on hiring a car from Auckland to Wellington, staying in cabins on holiday parks, then crossing Cook Strait to the South Island as foot passengers to save money, then hiring a motorhome from Picton. But we discovered it couldn’t be done without a lot of expense. It would even wipe out savings made on the ferry crossing. I am hoping to help people by pointing out the pitfalls of hiring a motorhome.

For quite a few people the choice of travel mode will be a motorhome as it is a great way to see this beautiful country. In theory you can tour round at your own pace, dropping in at holiday parks or, if your motorhome is self-contained, staying on Department of Conservation sites with basic facilities or none. Finally, you can freedom camp – a great way to save money. However, the cost of your vehicle that doubles up as a home is likely to outweigh this last option! The rental companies recommend you stay at holiday parks every other night to keep the leisure batteries charged up. If you are thinking of renting a motorhome, be prepared for all sorts of catches.

For a start, unless you have an all-inclusive insurance option you won’t have peace of mind. If any damage has been spotted when you return the motorhome you could lose the amount of the excess.

Standard: Insurance: you pay the excess amount (thousands of dollars) on a credit card then get it returned if there is no damage to the vehicle. It can come with a surcharge when you get your money back and the exchange rate may affect the amount returned too.

Inclusive Pack: no excess but a bond of a few hundred dollars will be taken as an imprint.

There are extra charges to beware of.

If you are planning on having more than one driver (useful) then this is a small charge per day.

The number of kilometres you do will be subject to a road user charge. And if you have a larger motorhome the charge is slightly more. If like us, you plan to see a fair amount of both islands in about 15 days you will do 3200km or more and the road user charge will be just over $200. Don’t be fooled by the words ‘unlimited kilometres’ as this does not mean there is no road user charge.

Extras: camping table and chairs, baby/booster seat, gas bottle refill.

You can get inclusive packs which contain extras like fan heaters and snow chains and Wi-Fi.

There is also the option of an ‘express return pack’ if you have more money than time. It costs several hundred dollars at the time of writing and you don’t have to refill the gas bottle or fuel tank among other benefits.

If you want to pick up your motorhome from somewhere that does not have a depot, e.g. Picton, then be prepared to pay a hefty amount in fees for having the motorhome brought to you. They then have to get it back to their depot so obviously a fair amount needs to be charged BUT you also have to hire it for 14 days or more. The rental companies currently charge $550 for a pick up that is not one of the big cities as they have to take it there then get back themselves.

If you are hiring from one depot and returning to another you will be charged for that too.

If you want to pick up outside hours there is a charge for that.

Common sense of course, tells you to get as many quotes as possible and look through the small print, taking note of all the expenses to work out your budget. Check the terms and conditions of the rental company carefully for charges. You will be charged a cleaning fee for example if the vehicle is not returned in a clean condition.

In our experience we have found a lot of this out over a fraught week. Because of the time difference, having to stay up late to catch the New Zealanders as they come into work or get up very early in the morning (though some of them work late or from home). The agencies who will book you a motorhome as they partner with all the rental companies can be very helpful… no doubt they make their money on the insurance.

I can understand that these motorhomes are expensive beasts and there have to be fail-safe measures in place for the rental companies. But just be aware that it all costs more than you might think and that whatever they can think of there will be a charge for.

I’d love to know about your recent experiences of motorhome hire.

Great Walks in New Zealand

This year Freya is doing her Gold Duke of Edinburgh award so our trip to New Zealand will be good training for her as we plan to include some tramping. During our 2004 visit she was four years old and the boots she wore then look tiny compared to her current walking boots. I found them recently in our loft and was amazed – you could hold them in the palm of your hand. Strangely enough, the sizes of the two pairs of boots are the same, size 8!

When I dreamed about returning to New Zealand I always expected we would do a complete walking track but this is looking unlikely due to time constraints. Most of them are take 4 – 5 days to complete. Usually in one direction although the Kepler Track is circular. It is, however, a challenging walk climbing to 1,400m (4,600 ft) at its highest point, Luxmore Saddle. I noticed on the Department of Conservation website that there are four shorter walks you can do from designated points such as car parks, so that might be an option.

Last time we were in New Zealand we managed to do about half of the Abel Tasman Track, the whole of the Caples Track and half a day on the Routeburn Track.

If you are interested in doing any tramping on the Great Walks, in most cases you have to book huts and campsites in advance during the peak season from 24th October 2017 to 30th April 2018. And they are surprisingly expensive. I was shocked to find that the DOC charge about NZ$34 per person over 18 per night and can reach prices of NZ$65!. Campsites appear to be not much cheaper at NZ$17 to 20. We certainly wouldn’t want to take a load of camping gear with us when we also intend to hire a motorhome. The other choice you have on the Abel Tasman Track is to take a water taxi to one of the beaches and walk back, having to ensure that you can gauge how far you can walk. Also, f we were to walk any of this track and had a motorhome on hire there would be the additional cost of leaving it on a holiday park for safety, if we wanted to stay overnight on your walk. What a logistical nightmare.