Travel: New Zealand
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Trip Review (Part 2)
Day 5:
We checked out early this morning and headed to Lake Matheson again. Had breakfast at Lake Matheson Café, which was really a pretty place. Glass all round and afford a great view of the surroundings. This morning, the cloud had cleared and the view was wonderful. DH and DS2 decided to take the 1.5 hour walk around the entire lake. DS1, DD and I has a leisurely breakfast and walked to the Old Jetty only.
After Lake Matheson, we headed towards Haast Pass. Stopped at Roaring Billy Falls, Thunder Creek Falls, Fantail Falls and Blue Pools. We had a picnic lunch again. I am afraid of heights, so the suspension bridge (short one) to the Blue Pools was also challenge for me. The Blue pools was beautiful, but all of us had sandflies bites even after we applied insect repellent!
Overnight stay at Alpine Resort Wanaka. After check in, rested, then had dinner at Botswana Butchery. Yummy!! Love the Angus rib eye steaks! The sides were delicious too. Definitely eat there it you are a meat person.
Day 6:
After breakfast we went to Puzzling World. Spent 1.5 hours there. DS1 actually got lost in the maze! We had fun going through the various exhibits and displays and took great photos. After that, we went to church. Yes! It’s Sunday! After church, it’s lunch at the Red Star Luxury burger at Wanaka. The burgers were huge! They were good but we like those at Fergburger at Queenstown better.
Then off we went to Arrowtown via the Crown Range. What a beautiful drive!
Arrowtown was a disappointment. Kids and hubby said that the visit was the most boring thing we did on our trip! It was a very hot day, and we took a walk down the street, didn’t see anything we like, bought ice creams for the kids and headed back to the cool aircon of our car, and off we went to Queenstown.
Checked into the Rees Hotel & Luxury Apartment which is just by Lake Wakatipu! The view from our balcony was to die for! Glad we’ll be here for 4 nights. It was the best accomodation for our entire trip.
Since it was such a clear and sunny day, we decided that it was the best time to go to Bob’s Peak. We called and managed to get a dinner reservation at the Skyline Restaurant that night, so off we went. Upon arrival, we took the Gondola up the peak, then checked in at the restaurant. We were very early, so they gave us a beeper which will alert us when they were ready to sit us. Off we went for our Luge rides. The kids went for 5 rides each, but I tried once only. I went so slow that my son said that it must have been the slowest luge ride ever by anyone! Anyway, the kids had lots of fun and after they finished with their 5 rides, our dinner beeper beeped! Perfect timing!
Food at the buffet was ok but the view was fantastic! Glad we came on such a clear day!
Day 7:
We had a lazy morning and went to MacDonald’s for a late breakfast, then walked to the Queenstown Info Centre to wat for our pick up for the Dart River Wilderness Safari tour. We were driven to Glenorchy, the LOTR country. There we went on a Jet Boat Ride. It was fun and the scenery was incredible! After that we walked through a beech forest and was driven back to Glenorchy town, and then driven back to Queenstown. By which time we were famished, having just snacked on cookies and bananas after our Jetboating. We went to the Cow Restaurant where we had great pizza and spaghetti for dinner. The garlic bread at Cow was really yummy! I’ve never tasted such good garlic bread in Singapore.
Day 8:
We woke up early and were picked up at 7.15am by the BBQ bus for our tour to Milford Sound. It was a 2 hours drive to Te Anau where we had our morning stop. We went to Miles Better Pie to get a venison pie which they are famous for. We had to try it even though we have had our breakfast since it had rave reviews. It was huge and pretty good. Then it was off on our Milford Road drive. We had photostops at Eglinton Valley, Mirror Lake, Monkey’s Creek, Holmer’s Tunnel. The driver stopped around 12 noon at Cuscade Creek for us to talk a 45 min walk while he prepared our BBQ lunch. The lunch was delicious and it was fun to sit and eat in the great outdoors looking at the beautiful scene in front of us. After lunch, we went for our Milford Sound Cruise. Milford Sounds was majestic and serene. We saw seals lying lazily on rocks and went really near the waterfalls. After the 1 hr 15 min cruise, we were dropped at the airstrip for our fixed-winged flight back to Queenstown. We had elected to fly back (even though it cost more than 2 times more) as the flight was only 40mins compared to the bus ride of 4 hours. Furthermore, from the plane we were able to see beautiful alpine lakes which we otherwise have missed. All of us had a great time! It was cool being in a plane with only 5 of us and the pilot.
We were really tired when we got back, so it’s me preparing dinner again and having magnum for dessert!
To be continued… -
Dnls_mum,
Thanks for the detailed sharing! Will definitely be useful for me as I hope to go to NZ with my kids at year-end! -
Trip Review (Part 3)
Day 9:
This morning, we went over to Walter’s Peak on a 100 year old vintage steamship, the TSS Earnslaw. At Walter Peak High Country Farm, DH, DS1 and DS2 went horse trekking while DD and I went for a sheep shearing demo and went to see and feed farm animals. After our activities, we had a wonderful morning tea of scones and pikelets (mini pancakes with jam) at the Colonel’s Homestead. DD had fun feeding the ducks. We could feed sheeps and deers too. DS1 and DS2 also enjoyed their first horse trekking experience. It was a carefree and beautiful morning!
We took the steamship back to Queenstown and headed to Fergburger, the no 1 burger place for lunch. The burgers were huge and delicious. The patties were made with Angus beef and had so many choices of toppings including blue cheese!
After lunch, we headed to Caddyshack City Minigolf for a round of minigolf. The themes for the various holes were interesting and you never know where your ball will end up. We had so much fun!
By this time, all of us were really craving for rice. So I decided to prepare fried rice for dinner! When to the supermarket and bought the most expensive rice in my life…it cost if NZD4plus for 500gm!!! :moneyflies:
Day 10:
We travel from Queenstown to Dunedin today via Cromwell, Alexander and Roxburg. First stop for us was Glenvale Orchard - DamGoodFruits, at Cromwell, for PYO cherries! We had so much fun, we picked 6kg of cherries among the 5 of us. It’s a first time experience for all of us. The cherries are low enough for even my 5yo to pick on her own without assistance.
Next stop, Mrs Jone’s Orchard to buy dried fruits and try the fresh fruit ice-cream…yummy! We also did the most touristy thing – took a picture with the giant fruits in Cromwell town!
After a few photostops along the way, we arrived at Roxburg and went to Jimmy’s Pie for lunch. The mince pies are good.
We arrived in Dunedin in the late afternoon, and checked-in to the Roslyn Apartments. The owner recommended dinner at Luna, but when we called, it was fully booked for that night and the next night as well. So if you want to eat at Luna, call several days in advance.
As we still had time, we decided to drive to tow to look at the Railway Station, then we went to Baldwin Street to see the world’s steepest street. The boys climbed the street while DD and I just cheered them on. It was after 5pm, and the souvenir shop was closed by then, so we promised the boys that we come back again to get them their souvenir certificates for climbing the street.
We just showed up at Plato, and as we were there just as they opened, they could accommodate us even though we did not have reservations. So if you have no reservations, make sure you turn up early. The food, service and ambience were all great. We had an excellent meal. My son who doesn't normally like fish says that the blue cod was excellent! That speaks volumes
Day 11:
First stop of the day was Cadbury Chocolate World for their tour. The tour is suitable for those with kids. We were lucky that they were running the lines and we could see the chocolate buttons being made and moving on the conveyor belt to the packing line. The kids absolutely loved collecting chocolates along the way.
We had an hour to spare before lunch and went to the Otago museum. We didn’t really enjoy it. We went to Saigon Van for Vietnamese food for lunch. It was a nice little restaurant and very affordable price. The food was also pretty authentic Vietnamese food (we were in Vietnam last year). Good food and value for money.
That afternoon, we went on a half day tour with Monarch Cruise which included a visit to Penguin Place, a conservation reserve for yellow eyed penguins. We were picked up and driven up the Otago peninsula to Penguin Place. The Reserve had a series of tunnels which allowed us to walk in and go near the nesting penguins without disturbing them. Yellow penguins are solitary creatures so the nests are away from each other and we had to walk around to see several nests. We actually saw a pair of penguins changing shifts (ie one came back from hunting and took over care of the baby while its partner goes to sea to hunt)
After Penguin Place, we went on our cruise. On the cruise, we saw albatross and seals. It was amazing to see these giant birds gliding overhead!
Back at Dunedin, we had dinner at Minami, a Japanese restaurant recommended by Lonely Planet, but it was terrible. The dirtiest restaurant we have been in NZ! Serviette had sauce stains and sake had something unidentified in it! :yikes:
To be continued...... -
parent_in_west:
Glad to be of some helpDnls_mum,
Thanks for the detailed sharing! Will definitely be useful for me as I hope to go to NZ with my kids at year-end!
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Thanks Dnls mum for your info too. I am looking forward to your next instalment on your trip info. Sounds interesting for our next visit to NZ, maybe in a few years time.
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Trip Review (Part 4 -Final)
Day 12:
We went back to Baldwin Street on the way out of Dunedin to get the “I climbed the world’s steepest street “ certificates for our boys. Then off we went to see the Moeraki Boulders at Oamaru These were round boulders along the beach. No one knows how these spherical boulders ended up on the beach.
We had lunch at Riverstone Kitchen at Oamaru. It was an excellent restaurant ran by award winning chef. They serve the veg that they grow. There was a wonderful playground outside the restaurant with a castle feature and flying fox. The kids had a whale of a time at the playground while we waited for our food. The gift shop is not one shop, but a row of shops with the exterior made to look like an old cowboy town, there’s a jail, a court house, even a graveyard outside. A thoroughly delightful place; great food at reasonable price, a place to play and to browse, too.
Next stop is Duntroon to see the Elephant Rocks, the place where they filmed Aslan’s camp in the movie, Nania, the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. We were the only people there and the whole place gives this eerie feeling…cool! :nailbite:
We finally arrived at Mt Cook after many stops along the way for photos. We were lucky that we could catch a great view of Mt Cook at Lake Pukaki on the way up Mt Cook. Mt Cook is covered by clouds more than 30% of the time. We had booked a premium room at the Hermitage Hotel and had a great view of Mt Cook from the panoramic window in our room! It was beautiful.
Dinner that night was at the award winning Panorama restaurant of the Hermitage Hotel. Service was appalling and food was not great. What a disappointment!
Day 13:
We went on the Glacier Explorer Tour this morning. The tour took us on a boat trip on the Tasman lake to see the icebergs that have separated from the Tasman Glacier. We also had a closeup look of the Glacier from the lake. It was an interesting trip for the kids, especially our older boys. To be able to touch the icebergs and see the various layers of ice formations, even picking of a piece of ice from the iceberg and eating it!
Back from the tour, we decided to have lunch at the only restaurant that is not part of the Hermitage, the Old Mountaineer’s Café. Food was quite good, and price slightly lower than at the Hermitage. The café is decorated with old mountaineering gear, quite interesting. It also has a good view of MT Cook.
After lunch, we went to the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Museum and watched the planetarium shows and the Mt Cook 3D movie. The 3D movie should not be missed. It gives the view of the mountain from a mountaineer’s perspective.
Dinner was at the Alpine Restaurant, the buffet restaurant at the Hermitage. Again a disappointment … the rice of the sushi was half cooked, and salmon sashimi was more like smoked salmon! All that at the cost of NZD62 per adult!
The view at the Hermitage Hotel is excellent and we paid almost NZD500 per room per night! It is wonderful to wake up with the mountain right in front of you. Even my 5yo enjoyed just sitting by the window and looking out. As Mt Cook is constantly covered by clouds, staying 2 nights gave us a good chance to catch the mountain in a clear sky. Frankly, go there only for the view, service and food leaves much to be desired. Only the service at Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre was good.
Day 14:
We head back to Christchurch today. We headed to Mt John Observatory this morning for a birds eye view of Lake Pukaki. The drive was longer than expected. The GPS only showed half the distance, as he rest was private road! It was worth the one hour drive up and down. Beautiful view again. The café there was nice too and we stopped for morning coffee.
Next stop was Church of the Good Shepherd, a tiny stone church by Lake Tekapo. The window from the alter of the church afford a magnificent view of the lake. Of all the beautiful places we visited on the trip, this place must take top spot! :love:
I had read about a good Japanese restaurant, Kohan at Lake Tekapo. After 2 disappointing encounter in NZ so far, I was not prepared to write off Jap restaurants, and decided to give Kohan a try. We did not regret it. The sashimi is fresh and food tasted great. On top of that, most efficient Japanese service! The restaurant is also situated by Lake Tekapo, and affords a good view of the lake from the window. This is a must go restaurant if you are at Lake Tekapo. Price is reasonable too. :rahrah:
After lunch, it was non-stop 3 hour drive to Christchurch. We had booked a 4.30pm Kiwi tour, Ko Tane show and dinner at Willowbank Reserve. We arrived at Willowbank at 4pm, spent a little time on our own walking around before starting our guided tour of the natural NZ section. We were introduced to native NZ animals and of course, the Kiwi! After the guided tour, we gathered for the Ko Tane (Maori show). It was most interesting and was very interactive. We were all able to participate. Great fun for the whole family. All this rounded off with a traditional Hangi meal. What better way to end our trip to NZ before we fly back home the next day!
The End
Hope my trip report will help anyone planning a visit to South Island New Zealand.
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JR:
Thanks Dnls mum for your info too. I am looking forward to your next instalment on your trip info. Sounds interesting for our next visit to NZ, maybe in a few years time.
Most welcome JR!
Just curious, did you find things in NZ expensive? :moneyflies: I find the admission prices quite ex for the things they offer. Fortunately for us we could save by getting family packages whenever these were available. -
Dnls_mum:
Yes, admission prices are quite expensive. But what to do, since we are there, have to spend :roll: For us, most of the stuff are already prebooked by our NZ tour planner, and paid upfront, so we don't really feel the pinch. Just show the voucher and we are admitted...Same for the motels and car rental. But the petrol and diesel prices are more expensive than Singapore...JR:
Thanks Dnls mum for your info too. I am looking forward to your next instalment on your trip info. Sounds interesting for our next visit to NZ, maybe in a few years time.
Most welcome JR!
Just curious, did you find things in NZ expensive? :moneyflies: I find the admission prices quite ex for the things they offer. Fortunately for us we could save by getting family packages whenever these were available.
Your info will serve as a guide when we next think of visiting South Island. Thanks for the details. Are there any place/activity which you had plan to do but didn't get to do? -
JR:
Yes, admission prices are quite expensive. But what to do, since we are there, have to spend :roll: For us, most of the stuff are already prebooked by our NZ tour planner, and paid upfront, so we don't really feel the pinch. Just show the voucher and we are admitted...Same for the motels and car rental. But the petrol and diesel prices are more expensive than Singapore...Dnls_mum:
[quote=\"JR\"]Thanks Dnls mum for your info too. I am looking forward to your next instalment on your trip info. Sounds interesting for our next visit to NZ, maybe in a few years time.
Most welcome JR!
Just curious, did you find things in NZ expensive? :moneyflies: I find the admission prices quite ex for the things they offer. Fortunately for us we could save by getting family packages whenever these were available.
Your info will serve as a guide when we next think of visiting South Island. Thanks for the details. Are there any place/activity which you had plan to do but didn't get to do?[/quote]We did everything that we planned except watching a movie at cinema paradiso at Wanaka, and that is because we didn't like the movie that they were screening rather than timing issue. The cinema is suppose to be fun with couches and you take your time for dinner during intermission.
Driving time in SI is pretty long due to narrow windy roads and single lane bridges. But we had done our research and were prepared so the trip was leisurely and not rushed. But there are things I may do differently on hindsight. One of the main one is perhaps to stay one night in Mt Cook instead of 2, and drive to Lake Tekapo on day 13 after our Glacier Explorer tour. This will mean a shorter drive on day 14, and we could perhaps arrive at Willowbank earlier for the kids to spend more time feeding animals. Accomodation at Tekapo is also only a fraction of the cost of staying in Hermitage at Mti Cook and there are better and cheaper dining options at Tekapo. In addition, you can take the Earth and Sky tour at night at Tekapo for star gazing. But there will be a risk of not seeing Mt Cook which may be covered un clouds. Staying 2 nights at Mt Cook ensured that we have a better chance of catching Mt Cook in a clear sky. -
Now that you mentioned single-lane bridges. I don’t understand why they can’t just build a wider bridge in the first place since the road before and after the road is already 2 lanes? Can’t figure that out… But anyway, there are many such bridges in NI too. Most of the time, it is clear to cross, just have to be careful of traffic on the other side of the bridge.
Dnls mum,
Just curious, did you use the Kruze system while you are in NZ? If you did, any comments on it? If not, why kind of GPS did you use? Both you and your husband drove? What car did you drive when you were in NZ?
Noticed that your itinerary did not include Te Anau which I heard has nice scenary too. I suppose it is due to lack of time?
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