Queenstown > Wanaka > Franz Joseph/Fox Glacier > Punakaiki > Nelson/Tasman

Queenstown

What’s the expression, “Into every life, a little rain must fall”? We had been looking forward to Queenstown. We expected it to be a vibrant town with lots of activities as well as abundant natural beauty. We also assumed the weather would be cooler. Kate had been lugging around a pair of nicer rain boots, with the expectation that we might have fancier restaurants along with possible rain. As we traveled across more massive glacial lakes on our way to Queenstown, the weather was quite warm with sparkling blue skies. Nothing to complain about. That’s for sure.

It was when we arrived in town, that our moods went cloudy. The streets were crowded with cars; the sidewalks full of tourists. Tour buses lined the Main Street. Our Airbnb was up on the hillside, so we thought amidst all the craziness, we would have a haven. Oh, no. Our outdoor seating for hoped respite had a glorious view of the three garage cans. The apartment was in the basement of the owner’s home next to running water. Was that a creek or runoff from up above?

Someone in this traveling duo had to take a stand. Who would it be? Guesses, anyone?

We started looking for an alternative. Kate did not want to stay in Queenstown. We were scheduled for three nights and then three nights in a town an hour away called Wanaka. Great minds work together. We managed to stay overnight in our soulless lodging. The owner gave us a refund on two nights and our next host in Wanaka had an opening. Smooth move.

For the rest of the day, we went off to a small historical gold mining town called Arrowtown. While the main drag reminded us a bit of Old Town in San Diego, the Chinese village situated away from European part of town down in a gully was still there and contained quite a history. The story of the lives of young Chinese men who came to New Zealand in the 1860’s was tragic. No one made a fortune. Some returned to China. Many died alone in these little hovels.

So, we may not have liked having a view of garbage cans, but oh, it could have been much worse. We ended the day at a very boujee winery.

Wanaka

Wow! The decision to escape Queenstown and move on for a longer stay in Wanaka couldn’t have been smarter.

We are staying high up on a hill in the private studio of artists Martin Hill and Phillipa Jones, a couple who combine their love of mountain climbing, nature, graphical design and sculpture.   They are committed environmentalists.  Their work can be seen at http://www.martin-hill.com.

Our AirBnb is filled with their artwork and every inch is curated to create beauty and serenity.   The front is all glass looking out to the mountains with large sliding doors.  

Yesterday the sky was warm and clear all day.  The locals were enjoying one last bit of summer. Everyone we talked to noted that this summer was a particularly wet one. They were loving the day’s weather. We were shopping for tee shirts as we came for cold weather.

The real show was the evening sky. Stars brilliantly shone in every window. One constellation was perfectly framed in the bathroom skylight. We opened the sliding doors, climbed under a soft white comforter and fell asleep surrounded by stars.  Now that’s camping!

Today we hiked around the lake. We came upon a man sitting on a bench as his black labradoodle hunted for rabbits. Ask a man about his dog and, if he’s an Irish Kiwi, you may get tales for hours. We did. Jimmy took us home and make us coffee. We heard tales of flying a 1958 Piper Super Cub, working around the world as an engineer and entrepreneur. He must have been quite successful because his “cottage” on the lake was no cottage. He was a true original. Great dog too.

Two days pass in Wanaka

The hot weather has passed bringing overcast weather and then soft rain. Yesterday seemed like the perfect weather for hiking. So, we headed out to a spot just outside of town called Diamond Lake. This time, Kate brought out her hiking poles. Moderate trails can get one’s breath working. We passed French hikers. Kate parlait un peu francais. Naturally, she started complaining as the track got steeper. But, when a young woman came down the path with a fair sized toddler attached to her chest, the complaining stopped. John has somehow gained a whole other gear with his helpful pacemaker. He just zips up the hills. Later, we found a salon that did Kate’s nails and gave John his first salon haircut. We add this little tidbit, because the conversation with the nail lady, Donna, was far more intriguing than effectiveness of her manicure. Everyday, we have memorable conversations with strangers.

Last night’s rain continued as a light mist this morning. Nevertheless, our afternoon jet boat ride into the wild was postponed until tomorrow. What to do? We meandered into town and walked along the lake, meeting folks from the East Coast who had had their share of rainy days. We found the original Wanaka Station where homesick immigrants of the 19th century planted trees to remind them of home. Imagine finding enormous Sequoias, Himalayan Cedars and massive Norwich pines and Douglas firs. These giants are definitely not indigenous to the New Zealand, but they sure do flourish here. Walking back to town, we stumbled upon this vintage car club that had been driving the length of the South Island. There must have been thirty cars mostly Packards from the early 1930s, all loving restored. We talked with multiple car owners for over an hour. They were all thrilled to share what it’s like driving long distances in antiques that only reach 50 miles per hour. They shared stories of inevitable breakdowns on the way. All part of the fun. Since the rain continued, we were off to a local winery. The area is known for its wines, particularly Pinot Noir. Another opportunity to talk with strangers. This time it was a young couple from the U.K. We are going in the same direction, so who knows? We may meet up on the West Coast.

Another day, another opportunity for natural beauty paired with adrenaline rush. We went on a jet boat river cruise on the Wanaka River. Apparently, great battle scenes in The Lord of the Rings movies were filmed in this area. Guess we’ll go back and rewatch. Regardless, the day was beautiful. The guide was a wild, former sheep farmer turned gold miner and thrill seeker. Were we going to run aground at high speed without any mention of a seatbelt? After a good bit of spinning around, we came ashore, plenty wet, and slogged through soggy cow pastures. Just at the point when we were wondering if this was the extend of the nature walk, we came upon a delicately exquisite little glen with a hidden waterfall. We learned about the diversity of small things found in a glacial forest.

Franz-Josef Glacier

Our trip to Franz-Josef was another last minute save. We were supposed to stay in Fox Glacier thirty minutes south. The day before we were to travel, we did a last minute look at the relative merits of each. Oh, dear. Fox Glacier had a population of 200 permanent residents. Franz-Josef had a population of 400 permanent residents. Consider the difference in amenities. We decided to cancel our reservation at our first Bed and Breakfast and found a last minute AirBnB with a fancy kitchen, Apple TV and three bedrooms. Good thing, because as we started over the mountains, it started raining. Not San Diego rain. Torrential rain. John drove for four hours on windy mountain roads through the rain. As soon as we arrived, got food for the night, it really started raining; the kind of rain that wipes out the bridges you crossed hours before. We were cozy on our couches, catching up on all of our shows.

The next day, we had a kayak trip on a lagoon, nestled between the ocean and the glacial mountains. John and I shared a kayak (we have not had great success in the past, but why not?). We had a guide, the sun came out and the wind also picked up. But, we saw beautiful ancient forests. We were glad when it was over. There was a whole lot of groaning in the back of the kayak.

After recovering, we had dinner at a cafe named after a notorious early 20th century murderess, Alice May. Her family has reclaimed her good name and makes the best food in a town of 400. As is her way, Kate started wandering down the street. It was there she noticed that there actually was a glacier very close by. The clouds had cleared. We raced up the road, up a forest path (even after a beer with dinner) and behold, there was the Franz-Josef glacier. Surrounded by massive waterfalls and absolutely no one around, we finally discovered why we drove through all that rain.

Punakaiki

Let us just admit, this was not what one would call the best 73rd birthday. We stopped in this minuscule West Coast dot on the map, because it was half way between where we had been and where we wanted to be. The coastline is wild and rocky. That would be lovely if John didn’t have to keep his eyes on the road, and Kate, sitting on the cliff side didn’t have to just, well, hope. When we finally arrived after another four hour drive, we were greeted with these incredible rock formations. They are called the Pancake Rocks. Don’t think the Māori use this silly name. They deserve a name much grander than breakfast food. If we had stayed up for high tide we could have seen the sea come exploding up through blowholes. Nope. We had an appointment with sleep.

Nelson

Last stop before we start the journey home. Whew! Nelson is a charming town at the very northern tip of the South Island. Its weather reminded us of San Diego in the early spring. As we were driving toward our AirBnB we passed by two large 19th century mansions. Making a mental note, we used those as a destination for the next day’s walk. The first one, Fairfield House, really captured Kate’s imagination. Build in the 1880’s, it was the home of a large family for many years. The tower on the right side of the house was designed to be a platform for stargazing. As often happens with large families, the house was later sold, became a boys’ school and then went into sad disuse. Then, in the 1970’s, a young, long-haired traveler drove by and had his imagination captured. He said, “I thought I was seeing my grandmother just dumped by the road.” He moved in as a squatter, started fixing it up, and later got the city to donate money to help maintain the property. It is now a community space, with the upstairs co-living rooms and the downstairs available for community events. We suspect there are drum circles aplenty.

The other mansion? A terrific tea shop with beautiful gardens.

The center city is easy to navigate with loads of dining and shopping. The town feels as if it is committed to being “rightsized”. This is a place to consider if we all need to move….somewhere.

Oh, and it has a fantastic antique car museum.