We awoke around 7.30am to a text from Mum to say that we had, had a call from the skydiving place and we needed to call them back. When we looked out of the camper van window, we knew exactly what the call was about, it had rained all night and didn't look like it was going to stop now. So after an hour of trying to call them (we couldn't figure out the dialling code), we eventually got in touch and they told us it was cancelled but the forecast looked good for 2pm and could we hold on. We had no choice as we really wanted to do it but would now have to sacrifice our day up at Cape Reinga which i was very upset about but i would be more upset to miss out on the skydive. So we got ready and checked out at 1030am , the time we had been told and sat in subway until we heard again.
1.30pm and we got the call to say it had been postponed until 12pm the following day, it was still raining and the sky was black. This meant we would have to sacrifice our day in Auckland but it would be worth it to do our Skydive. So we decided we would make the most out of the rest of our day. We went to the cinema, a small cinema for the small town but had 'Gone Girl' - which we had wanted to see in the UK. We made a plan to see the next showing at 8pm, we had 6 hours to kill, so we drove to Pahia beach and Kawakawa.
Tuesday 25 November 2014
Thames...
When we arrived at Thames, we parked up on the main street where all the shops and buildings seemed to be. There is nothing really off the main road apart from a smallish complex with a Pak n save , Mcdonalds etc.
We took a walk up and down the high street which was nice and at the top by the petrol station, there is an Isite , so we went in there for some info and a small bit of souvenir shopping.
The town is small but traditional western style architecture. there is a car shop that has been preserved and acts as a small museum piece right next to the Isite petrol station. A short walk up and down the high street will transform you back to the western era, when this town was really it's heyday. It also offers a lovely beach area with high tide, perfect for a stroll and a picnic. However we ate at a small Cambodian run fast food restaurant. It's not hard to miss and has plenty of variety from hamburgers to sandwiches, pastries galore and plenty of sweet stuff.It was Cheap and clearly the local's favourite eatery.
Once we had eaten, we walked the high street and shopped in a save the children, which had a great range of lovely souvenirs , a bit on the pricier side but lovely all the same. After an hour of this, we set off again, to make our way to The bay of Islands.
On our way, we had been told to stop off at Orewe point and were so glad we did. Sure, it's another beach, but stunning views again and decided to have a bit of a walk to as far as we could and back. You can just park up anywhere near the entrance and get out, everyone was friendly and the weather, views, beach and shells were lovely too. It was nice to stretch our legs after driving and having a small break again before driving 6.5 hours up to KeriKeri.
I collected some shells and Luke offered to drive most of the way. We drove up Through Auckland and got some great views going over the bridge. The good thing about NZ is that every town has free public toilets with car park , so you are never far from the next pit stop. So we can stop anywhere and sometimes stumble on a place that is interesting without even knowing it existed.
After 4 hours, I offered to drive after stopping at a pitstop. I then drove the rest of the way up to KeriKeri , in the pouring down rain. I don't really like driving in the dark here as the roads are winding and are often on the edge of a mountain and the rain had worsened things quite a bit. So i stayed behind a car all the way.
Anyway, we reached KeriKeri around 9.30pm and found a campsite as soon as you enter. It's on the left after a black building, which is a restaurant. The site charged us $36 and had hot showers, large kitchen with every appliance needed, large tv room and ping pong table and computer area and apparently lovely picnic area next to the river. HOWEVER, the whole night it rained and we ended up at McD for some food before going to bed as we had to be up early for our skydive.
Love S&L xxxx
We took a walk up and down the high street which was nice and at the top by the petrol station, there is an Isite , so we went in there for some info and a small bit of souvenir shopping.
The town is small but traditional western style architecture. there is a car shop that has been preserved and acts as a small museum piece right next to the Isite petrol station. A short walk up and down the high street will transform you back to the western era, when this town was really it's heyday. It also offers a lovely beach area with high tide, perfect for a stroll and a picnic. However we ate at a small Cambodian run fast food restaurant. It's not hard to miss and has plenty of variety from hamburgers to sandwiches, pastries galore and plenty of sweet stuff.It was Cheap and clearly the local's favourite eatery.
Once we had eaten, we walked the high street and shopped in a save the children, which had a great range of lovely souvenirs , a bit on the pricier side but lovely all the same. After an hour of this, we set off again, to make our way to The bay of Islands.
On our way, we had been told to stop off at Orewe point and were so glad we did. Sure, it's another beach, but stunning views again and decided to have a bit of a walk to as far as we could and back. You can just park up anywhere near the entrance and get out, everyone was friendly and the weather, views, beach and shells were lovely too. It was nice to stretch our legs after driving and having a small break again before driving 6.5 hours up to KeriKeri.
I collected some shells and Luke offered to drive most of the way. We drove up Through Auckland and got some great views going over the bridge. The good thing about NZ is that every town has free public toilets with car park , so you are never far from the next pit stop. So we can stop anywhere and sometimes stumble on a place that is interesting without even knowing it existed.
After 4 hours, I offered to drive after stopping at a pitstop. I then drove the rest of the way up to KeriKeri , in the pouring down rain. I don't really like driving in the dark here as the roads are winding and are often on the edge of a mountain and the rain had worsened things quite a bit. So i stayed behind a car all the way.
Anyway, we reached KeriKeri around 9.30pm and found a campsite as soon as you enter. It's on the left after a black building, which is a restaurant. The site charged us $36 and had hot showers, large kitchen with every appliance needed, large tv room and ping pong table and computer area and apparently lovely picnic area next to the river. HOWEVER, the whole night it rained and we ended up at McD for some food before going to bed as we had to be up early for our skydive.
Love S&L xxxx
Monday 13 October 2014
Mount Maunganui...
We were kicked out of that campsite around 10.30am when a woman came from what i thought was a storage hut for wood that turned out to be her home and told us if we wanted to stay any longer we would have to pay.
We were happy to leave but had to get changed and sorted in the public toilets then made our way up to Mount Maunganui to have some ice creams and a short walk and some lunch.
Love S&L xxx
We were happy to leave but had to get changed and sorted in the public toilets then made our way up to Mount Maunganui to have some ice creams and a short walk and some lunch.
When we arrived at the Mount after a lovely lunch at "The Cafe" on the high street (no wifi , little expensive but large portions) we then went to the beach to see the mount and got an ice cream (mr whippy) dipped in melted cadbury choc - yummy. Free parking by the beach 120 mins.
It was quiet and a slightly dull day weatherwise plus a five year old boy had been swept out to sea a few days before and we had been told this was why it was so quiet. It was a shame for obvious reasons but also for the vendors as there are plenty of vendors to choose from on the beach ranging from savoury to sweet. A day or two before we arrived a vigil was held for the little boy with around 1000+ people turning up and some went out on surf boards with floating candles. We were told it was loveLKy to see.
However, this day was raining and dull so we didnt climb the mount but decided to drive on up to the hot water beach and made a few stops along the way. Apparently there is a great little campsite at the bottom of the mount and a great walk around the edge to do. If the weather hadbeen better we would have spent a day or two here, it was lovely, nuce little town with plenty of shops and cafes and water sport activities.
We stopped at a few beaches along the coast , all as beautiful as the next , with little walks and picnic areas. Finally we went to the hot water beach and arrived around 5pm so the tide was too low to dig any pools but we did get to do a nice walk. Around 20 minutes, follow the hill up to y the top and bear left into a pathway, follow this doen to the rocks and walk bscck along the beach. We then sat and watched the sunset before drivibg back doen the peninsula to a small place Tairuni? The village is relatively small but has ample shops and a great lake area with beautiful views and picnic areas and small children's play area. If coming from the north, turn left before you go over the bridge from the main road , or if coming from the south , turn right after the bridge and there's a campsite behind the library on the left, the sign has huge flip flops on. It was $28 for the pair of us and had free WiFi, kitchen area, showers (cold -p.s do NOT pat the $2 for an extended shower as the shower doesn't stop running until you turn it off anyway, also it never even gets warm) , tv room with local info and 10+ tv channels. Check out is at 10am, it's a quiet place to park and has chickens roaming free which is quite nice to wake up to. The guy at the office was friendly as so we're all the people on the site. The guy even ran after us when Luke had left his towel on the roof and driven off. We then parked outside the library next door to get their WiFi for a couple of hours before we set off to Thames which was a couple of hours drive away.
Love S&L xxx
Lake Taupo ...
So we decided to do the geothermal pool which are slightly north of Lake Taupo but has a lot areas arond to see different things too and it was $55 for both of us to do and could stay there until 5pm.
We had seen a burger fuel on our way into Lake Taupo and it was on our bucket list to try whilst we were in NZ as they are a NZ founded company. We got a burger each , the size of our head, and kumara chips (sweet potato) each with alioli dip and a honey coke and normal coke. It came to $40 so very expensive but sooo worth it, they were gorgeous and worth every penny as a treat. They also still fitted into our budget. They even have special cardboard holders called doofers , just so your burger doesn't slide out the bottom.
We then made our way to the mud pools which is five minutes around the corner and can be seen for free. These were really interesting and are well signposted from the geothermal pools.
We had been advised to visit Te Puke from here and decided this is where we would camp for the night. We stayed in Te Puke holiday camp for $20 and had all the amenities you need but resembled a traveller's site but one in need of a massive overhaul. We would not stay here again and Te Puke seemed like there was nothing to do there either apart from a Kiwi farm so we wouldn't return.
Another day in NZ , and we still don't want to leave.... S&L xxx
Napier.....
We arrived in Napier around 10ish and used street parking that was for 2 hours. In our lonely planet guide it suggested a route to take through the town (walking) to see all the historic 1920s buildings. We really recommend seeing Napier , it is one of our favourite places we've been to.
The town is really colourful and the 1920s theme is carried throughout, even to the road signs!! You can walk along the beach and take cheesy photos if you wish ( Like we did) or you can do the building tour which takes around 45 mins if taking photos. Walking tours - If you want a tour guide but if not, you can find the walk in your lonely planet book.
Our cheesy pic!!! It's meant to be a heart ....
After an hour and a half drive we found this great Truck stop on the SH5 (highway) in Rangitaiki called the Rangitiki tavern. We thought it was just somewhere we could eat , which was really cheap and really good food. The truckers voted it runner up in the truck stop competition. It should have won in our eyes, we had a burger each but not their FAMOUS bugger burger which consists of every meat except fish and this was only $15. They had a wood burning fire that we snuggled up to as it is very cold down there. Marion & Duncan (the owners) allowed us to stay at the truck stop overnight for $10 for both with hot showers and towels and even filled our hot water bottle. We stayed for breakfast too , for fruit and toast but they do full english and it is busier in the mornings with all the truckers but Marion and Duncan still couldn't have been more accommodating.
They had goats which we could go and see and take pictures. We wish we could have stayed here every night.
Love S&L xx
The town is really colourful and the 1920s theme is carried throughout, even to the road signs!! You can walk along the beach and take cheesy photos if you wish ( Like we did) or you can do the building tour which takes around 45 mins if taking photos. Walking tours - If you want a tour guide but if not, you can find the walk in your lonely planet book.
After a nice afternoon in Napier we decided to drive upto Lake Taupo hoping that we would find some accommodation on the way.
After an hour and a half drive we found this great Truck stop on the SH5 (highway) in Rangitaiki called the Rangitiki tavern. We thought it was just somewhere we could eat , which was really cheap and really good food. The truckers voted it runner up in the truck stop competition. It should have won in our eyes, we had a burger each but not their FAMOUS bugger burger which consists of every meat except fish and this was only $15. They had a wood burning fire that we snuggled up to as it is very cold down there. Marion & Duncan (the owners) allowed us to stay at the truck stop overnight for $10 for both with hot showers and towels and even filled our hot water bottle. We stayed for breakfast too , for fruit and toast but they do full english and it is busier in the mornings with all the truckers but Marion and Duncan still couldn't have been more accommodating.
They had goats which we could go and see and take pictures. We wish we could have stayed here every night.
Love S&L xx
Ferry -Picton to Wellington
So we checked our DOC campground map ( available in any I site for free) and found a campground that said it was near the ferries. Then we drove through Picton and around the back to the area where the map said the site was located. After around 20 minutes of driving, we eventually found the site which was huge, no hookups just camp and sleep but had toilets and a changing area. We arrived late so the woman who lives on site tapped on our camper door at 7am to get the $12 from us. Unfortunatley we went back to sleep after this and our alarm woke us up at 8.30am for us to be ready for the ferry ,however once we were ready we reread the ferry ticket and found we had to be at the dock at 930am and it was already 920am now.
So we got in the camper and drove as fast as was able and managed to end up at the wrong end of the dock to get the Interislander ferry at 935am so we felt sure that we had missed the ferry. ( This is really simple to buy online and even have student discount for ISIC card holders- but no one checked) When we got to the correct area at 945am, we were lucky and it was still open, but only just and we were the 2nd to last car on. The ferry set off at 10.15 once all the vehicles had been loaded. It cost us $222 for both of us and the car and took around 3 hours. It was a smooth ride and had tvs and a brilliant cafe , not that expensive to eat. It also had a cinema room which was playing postman pat. A bacon sandwich cost $7 with a lot of bacon inside and Luke's fish , chips and gravy cost $8 with a drink. So not too bad at all.
Once we got to Wellington we drove around looking for places to park and eventually found some street parking that is free for 2 hours on a Sunday then you just move it somewhere else to get another 2. Once we had parked up, we went to Mcdonalds for their free wifi and had two hot chocolates.However, their internet wasn't fab so we walked slightly further down the road and found an internet cafe that was $3 for an hour so i managed to transfer our pictures and Luke looked at his all important football score.
We then had a walk down to the harbour which is lovely , lots to see.
We then took a drive up the tram stop at the top if the hill. There is plenty of paid parking there but we parked on road parking for free. NZ is very good for having blue signs that tell you how long you can park there for free - going up to two hours.
The tram is really cute and only costs $7 return and $2 return for students of Wellington uni. The shop/museum wasn't open on a sunday so we walked around the botantical gardens next door instead, which had lovely views and also had the observatory, also not open on a sunday. However there is still enough to read and see.
That night we drove west of Marsterton to a DOC campsite just before Riccarton , the weather had gotten really bad and was blowing 120kmph winds at us and rain. The campsite was 7km down a gravel road into what seemed like the middle of nowhere. We decided to park behind the toilet block to try to shelter from the elements. It was a rough night and didn't seem to let up much by the morning. The stream that was a small quiet little trickle of water was now a gushing river. So by round 9am , we set off up to Napier.
Thanks for reading, S&L xx
So we got in the camper and drove as fast as was able and managed to end up at the wrong end of the dock to get the Interislander ferry at 935am so we felt sure that we had missed the ferry. ( This is really simple to buy online and even have student discount for ISIC card holders- but no one checked) When we got to the correct area at 945am, we were lucky and it was still open, but only just and we were the 2nd to last car on. The ferry set off at 10.15 once all the vehicles had been loaded. It cost us $222 for both of us and the car and took around 3 hours. It was a smooth ride and had tvs and a brilliant cafe , not that expensive to eat. It also had a cinema room which was playing postman pat. A bacon sandwich cost $7 with a lot of bacon inside and Luke's fish , chips and gravy cost $8 with a drink. So not too bad at all.
Once we got to Wellington we drove around looking for places to park and eventually found some street parking that is free for 2 hours on a Sunday then you just move it somewhere else to get another 2. Once we had parked up, we went to Mcdonalds for their free wifi and had two hot chocolates.However, their internet wasn't fab so we walked slightly further down the road and found an internet cafe that was $3 for an hour so i managed to transfer our pictures and Luke looked at his all important football score.
We then had a walk down to the harbour which is lovely , lots to see.
The tram is really cute and only costs $7 return and $2 return for students of Wellington uni. The shop/museum wasn't open on a sunday so we walked around the botantical gardens next door instead, which had lovely views and also had the observatory, also not open on a sunday. However there is still enough to read and see.
That night we drove west of Marsterton to a DOC campsite just before Riccarton , the weather had gotten really bad and was blowing 120kmph winds at us and rain. The campsite was 7km down a gravel road into what seemed like the middle of nowhere. We decided to park behind the toilet block to try to shelter from the elements. It was a rough night and didn't seem to let up much by the morning. The stream that was a small quiet little trickle of water was now a gushing river. So by round 9am , we set off up to Napier.
Thanks for reading, S&L xx
Saturday 4 October 2014
Kaikoura & Blenheim
This morning we awoke in the most beautiful setting , we were on the beach with great views of the mountains and right on the sea. We had agreat sleep and drove straught to the public toilets to get changed andhave a wash etc. The parking allows 60mins , the blue sign with P and number underneath tells you how long in each spot.
We then drove to whale watch five mins away and ate our sandwiches before we needed to check in at half ten. Parking is free outside whale watch. Wheb we went to check in at the desk, we found it was cancelled !! The sea was too rough for us to travel out to and the 715am tour had come back with no whale sightings so got a refund. They were offering a bay tour where it was hoped to see albatrosses, seals and dolphins and was $65 pp. We did that instead abd had a whale of a time - pardon the pun. You get a safety briefing first, then a coach takes ypu 5 mins to the harbour to get on the large boat. If you suffer from sea sickness, sit at the back and take stugeron tablets - these are excellebt fir travel sickness.
We went out onto the top deck when told , the boat would stop when they saw something, we got to see a group of dolphins for around an hour and some seals on the rocks for 30mins , we also saw a range of albatrosses and had a wealth of info given over the tannoy by the woman group tour guide.
It was well worth the money and got some great photos, it was sooi cold out on the dek so we sar in their cafe for coffee and cake at $6 pp which was great value for money. Then we decided to have two of their homemade saus rolls and sharw chips as we know how big their portions are !! This came to$12 for both. It was gorgeous too !! It also had free wifi so i could send our postales.
We then went on a drive up the peninsula and couldnt believe our eyes. The seals were in the car park , close enough to touch. But dont , as they carry many diseases such as pneumonia and physillis!! But they had pups with them and were just sleeping all over the car oark. It was great to be so close, but we did get too close when trying to take our postale pic and one hissed at us !!
We then made a sharpish exit and took a look around the souvenir shops which were nice but expensive. Once done, we set off to Blenheim, got some petrol on the way $50 worth which took us upto 3/4 now . We have stopped at burger king for cheap food on their saver menu which is very cheap and it has free wifi. Bonus !!
We update when we can but you are fully upto date now. We need to find a camp now ready for the ferry in the morning at Picton 1045am. We had to print our ferry voucher. ISIC card got us student disc and the spaceship is classed as a car (not a campervan) so we get the ferry for $222 for both of us, whale watch printed this for us as there is no internet cafe in Kaikoura so bear that in mind. It was very kind of them.
Night all
S&L xx
We then drove to whale watch five mins away and ate our sandwiches before we needed to check in at half ten. Parking is free outside whale watch. Wheb we went to check in at the desk, we found it was cancelled !! The sea was too rough for us to travel out to and the 715am tour had come back with no whale sightings so got a refund. They were offering a bay tour where it was hoped to see albatrosses, seals and dolphins and was $65 pp. We did that instead abd had a whale of a time - pardon the pun. You get a safety briefing first, then a coach takes ypu 5 mins to the harbour to get on the large boat. If you suffer from sea sickness, sit at the back and take stugeron tablets - these are excellebt fir travel sickness.
We went out onto the top deck when told , the boat would stop when they saw something, we got to see a group of dolphins for around an hour and some seals on the rocks for 30mins , we also saw a range of albatrosses and had a wealth of info given over the tannoy by the woman group tour guide.
It was well worth the money and got some great photos, it was sooi cold out on the dek so we sar in their cafe for coffee and cake at $6 pp which was great value for money. Then we decided to have two of their homemade saus rolls and sharw chips as we know how big their portions are !! This came to$12 for both. It was gorgeous too !! It also had free wifi so i could send our postales.
We then went on a drive up the peninsula and couldnt believe our eyes. The seals were in the car park , close enough to touch. But dont , as they carry many diseases such as pneumonia and physillis!! But they had pups with them and were just sleeping all over the car oark. It was great to be so close, but we did get too close when trying to take our postale pic and one hissed at us !!
We then made a sharpish exit and took a look around the souvenir shops which were nice but expensive. Once done, we set off to Blenheim, got some petrol on the way $50 worth which took us upto 3/4 now . We have stopped at burger king for cheap food on their saver menu which is very cheap and it has free wifi. Bonus !!
We update when we can but you are fully upto date now. We need to find a camp now ready for the ferry in the morning at Picton 1045am. We had to print our ferry voucher. ISIC card got us student disc and the spaceship is classed as a car (not a campervan) so we get the ferry for $222 for both of us, whale watch printed this for us as there is no internet cafe in Kaikoura so bear that in mind. It was very kind of them.
Night all
S&L xx
Hanmer springs...
We arrived in Hanmer springs and went straight to Kekapo lodge as they are a spaceship station where you can get offers and exchange your dvds, well they were..three years ago and havent heard from spaceships since so dont do it anymore!!
Then we parked outside the springs which is limited but free and paid only $20 each for a full day until 9pm. These hot water pools range from 36 degrees to 41!! It was a cooler day so it was lovely to get in. The lockers were $2 per hour and are large enough to fit a family of fours things in.
We had a great day here. We even ate at the cafe, they do goyrmet burgers and free water. We had a burger and fries each (deluxe ones) and it only totalled $36 which is v good for an attraction. The portions were huge too and you got an hours free wifi each.
We had our photo taken in the pool but this was $25 for twocopies with four postcards and we didnt like it too much. We spent until 7pm here then walked over to "the lodge" (another conv store with cafe) we got ladagne and a basket of chips. $13 for both and the basket was huge, easily fed a family of 4.
We couldnt find a free campsite anywhere near so we went to the top ten one which is 1 minute down the road and was great $36 for us and had kitchen , car wash, tv and internet room, laundry and hoover so the next day we spent cooking, cleaning the car and doibg laundry. The weather was being a bit funny so we thought it best. The internet was $7 a day so we used it to book our skydive, ferry and whale watch. We checked our funds which are looking healthy and are kepping out spends book up to date.
We got all our jobs done and the camper smelt fresh again which it needed!! Around 4.30pm we toom a walked around tge village, got some souvenirs and bought some fudge. Couldnt resist, 3 blocks for $12.50 - 3 diff flavours and all sooo scrummy.
We came back to "the lodge" for fish and chips at $3 pp and once it stopped raining, made our way back to the site to carry on our travels up to Kaikoura.
We arrived at Kaikoura after 2.5 hours and went in search for the whale watch place ready for the morninf. It was easily found as it was cleatly sign posted and right on the beach, after tjis we went to find a campsite which were all full or very expensive as a music festival was on called Seafest. So we ended up driving out 30km to come back 20km to a site called Seawards pottery. It was gorgeous, right on the beach, plenty of campers and people having fires and really quiet but FREE.
Night all
S&L xx
Then we parked outside the springs which is limited but free and paid only $20 each for a full day until 9pm. These hot water pools range from 36 degrees to 41!! It was a cooler day so it was lovely to get in. The lockers were $2 per hour and are large enough to fit a family of fours things in.
We had a great day here. We even ate at the cafe, they do goyrmet burgers and free water. We had a burger and fries each (deluxe ones) and it only totalled $36 which is v good for an attraction. The portions were huge too and you got an hours free wifi each.
We had our photo taken in the pool but this was $25 for twocopies with four postcards and we didnt like it too much. We spent until 7pm here then walked over to "the lodge" (another conv store with cafe) we got ladagne and a basket of chips. $13 for both and the basket was huge, easily fed a family of 4.
We couldnt find a free campsite anywhere near so we went to the top ten one which is 1 minute down the road and was great $36 for us and had kitchen , car wash, tv and internet room, laundry and hoover so the next day we spent cooking, cleaning the car and doibg laundry. The weather was being a bit funny so we thought it best. The internet was $7 a day so we used it to book our skydive, ferry and whale watch. We checked our funds which are looking healthy and are kepping out spends book up to date.
We got all our jobs done and the camper smelt fresh again which it needed!! Around 4.30pm we toom a walked around tge village, got some souvenirs and bought some fudge. Couldnt resist, 3 blocks for $12.50 - 3 diff flavours and all sooo scrummy.
We came back to "the lodge" for fish and chips at $3 pp and once it stopped raining, made our way back to the site to carry on our travels up to Kaikoura.
We arrived at Kaikoura after 2.5 hours and went in search for the whale watch place ready for the morninf. It was easily found as it was cleatly sign posted and right on the beach, after tjis we went to find a campsite which were all full or very expensive as a music festival was on called Seafest. So we ended up driving out 30km to come back 20km to a site called Seawards pottery. It was gorgeous, right on the beach, plenty of campers and people having fires and really quiet but FREE.
Night all
S&L xx
Friday 3 October 2014
Fox Glacier & Franz Josef Glacier..
Hey guys,
so to catch you up a bit on the last few days ( i am now in burger king where we have free wifi and with us being only 30 mins away from the Picton - where we shall get our ferry in the morning, we have time to kill)
Anyway,when you drive from Haast to Fox glacier, bear in mind that this is the last place you can get fuel for 120km so fill up before you go through the woods at Haast. As the sta cards don't work at the 24hr petrol station which is unmanned and they have NO ATM. So we had to do the 120km on a quarter of a tank !!
My last post shows you that we did infact make it and we filled up at Fox which was slightly more expensive for fuel , but note that its 20c per litre moreexpensive again at Franz so fill up at Fox. We are currentlyfilling our spaceship tank for $120 and it gets us 700 km on average so not too bad.
Anyway fox is a short walk from the car park and is really beautiful. Fox town has a lot buzzing aroundand the Kiwi sanctuary is a must here. We didnt see the kiwis but the cafe and gift shop were great and not tooexpensive.
After lunchwe moved onto Franz Josef , to climb to the highest part that you are allowed, its 1 hr 30mins round trip so not too bad and totally worth it , you see waterfalls on the way and lots of information boards. It was nice to have a walk and some fresh air after being stuck in the camper for the past fews days.
We wanted to drive through to Hanmer springs but this was too far in one night so we stopped at a little town for sausage and chips. The town was called Whataroa and was such a lovely little village. We went to the village shop which was also a cafe and got saus and chips for $12!! The eve was warm so we sat on the benches outside as they were closing. It was a post office aswell as the store. We had a great hour or so sat here it was about 25km from FJ so afterwards we had a bit of a drive.We stopped at Greymouth on the way to reefton where we planned to camp. We filled up the petrol as we had only gotten a small amount before as it was more expensive, now it was back to 2.21 again , we filled up. We then went to Mcdonalds to get a sundae and then to the supermarket called New World to get some essentials. New world seems to be a lot cheaper than Countdown and is open until 11pm. Places in Nz seem to close early ; petrol stations, supermarkets and info centre oh and restaurants!!
I bought us some toilet roll which was very cheap at 4 for $1 , although there are a few toilets around NZ and in camper sites and citues. There is never any toilet roll as i suppose they dont get inspected often. So another thing to bear in mind. We already carry hand sanitiser but its a must for the public toilets!!
After this, we drove to a campsite recommended to us on a guide bookwe picked up in Christchurch. Its the DOC ( department of conservations - the owners of the campsite) book, it states the basic to expensive sites. Basic are usually $6 pppn and you leave your money in a box at the site.
The site we stayed at was called Slab hut creek and was really badly sign posted in the dark. Its 10km from Reefton do if you see the brown Reefton sign, youve gone too far. It was a lovely small campsite witb only a few people there. We got there late and left early as we planned to sprnd the day in Hanmer springs pools.
S&L xx
so to catch you up a bit on the last few days ( i am now in burger king where we have free wifi and with us being only 30 mins away from the Picton - where we shall get our ferry in the morning, we have time to kill)
Anyway,when you drive from Haast to Fox glacier, bear in mind that this is the last place you can get fuel for 120km so fill up before you go through the woods at Haast. As the sta cards don't work at the 24hr petrol station which is unmanned and they have NO ATM. So we had to do the 120km on a quarter of a tank !!
My last post shows you that we did infact make it and we filled up at Fox which was slightly more expensive for fuel , but note that its 20c per litre moreexpensive again at Franz so fill up at Fox. We are currentlyfilling our spaceship tank for $120 and it gets us 700 km on average so not too bad.
Anyway fox is a short walk from the car park and is really beautiful. Fox town has a lot buzzing aroundand the Kiwi sanctuary is a must here. We didnt see the kiwis but the cafe and gift shop were great and not tooexpensive.
After lunchwe moved onto Franz Josef , to climb to the highest part that you are allowed, its 1 hr 30mins round trip so not too bad and totally worth it , you see waterfalls on the way and lots of information boards. It was nice to have a walk and some fresh air after being stuck in the camper for the past fews days.
We wanted to drive through to Hanmer springs but this was too far in one night so we stopped at a little town for sausage and chips. The town was called Whataroa and was such a lovely little village. We went to the village shop which was also a cafe and got saus and chips for $12!! The eve was warm so we sat on the benches outside as they were closing. It was a post office aswell as the store. We had a great hour or so sat here it was about 25km from FJ so afterwards we had a bit of a drive.We stopped at Greymouth on the way to reefton where we planned to camp. We filled up the petrol as we had only gotten a small amount before as it was more expensive, now it was back to 2.21 again , we filled up. We then went to Mcdonalds to get a sundae and then to the supermarket called New World to get some essentials. New world seems to be a lot cheaper than Countdown and is open until 11pm. Places in Nz seem to close early ; petrol stations, supermarkets and info centre oh and restaurants!!
I bought us some toilet roll which was very cheap at 4 for $1 , although there are a few toilets around NZ and in camper sites and citues. There is never any toilet roll as i suppose they dont get inspected often. So another thing to bear in mind. We already carry hand sanitiser but its a must for the public toilets!!
After this, we drove to a campsite recommended to us on a guide bookwe picked up in Christchurch. Its the DOC ( department of conservations - the owners of the campsite) book, it states the basic to expensive sites. Basic are usually $6 pppn and you leave your money in a box at the site.
The site we stayed at was called Slab hut creek and was really badly sign posted in the dark. Its 10km from Reefton do if you see the brown Reefton sign, youve gone too far. It was a lovely small campsite witb only a few people there. We got there late and left early as we planned to sprnd the day in Hanmer springs pools.
S&L xx
Tuesday 30 September 2014
Dunedin
So we arrived at Dunedin at 1pm and took a drive up the peninsula to try and find penguins and sea lions. We drove for around an hour up to the top and were then told you cant see any unless you go on a tour to private bays. So we got out and took some photos then drove back to the centre. We had a walk up to the centre where we found a restaurant called ratbags so just had to go. Its a student area and because it was a Monday it was half price at the restaurant for 1/2 metre pizzas , these were really yummy and great value. The guy who served us was lovely and took photos for our postale and brough us some tap water in a jug as he could probably tell we were on a budget !!
We got to sit outside and it was a beautiful day so it was warm enough to sit there and we sat there until 5pm. Everything was then closed so we walked around and saw the sights inc Cadbury world which was closed but took photos.
We then did a food shop for the campervan in countdown (NZ woolworths) then we tried to find a campsite and when we eventually did , it was expensive. So we drove to Milton through the night and found a lovely campsite in the town. $12 pp and it had all services inc a kitchen. The caretaker was lovely too. From Milton , the next day, we drove all day to Lake Panguria to a site at $6 a night and it had toilets but a lovely view this morning !! The clouds hug the mountain early morning and slowly loosen its grab as the hours tick by. Gorgeous !!
We then set off at 9am this morning to Fox Glacier. We were running on empty and the last petrol station was 120km from Fox but our cards wouldnt work there either. So we had 1/4 tank to get us 120km. We did it and are now full and sat at the wild life centre for kiwis at Franz Josef and are going to see the glaciet after our chicken and cranberry panini. Yummy !! This with a large drink was $12
We had stopped at Fox to take photos and met some people from Leeds, this world is getting smaller in many ways !!
xx
We got to sit outside and it was a beautiful day so it was warm enough to sit there and we sat there until 5pm. Everything was then closed so we walked around and saw the sights inc Cadbury world which was closed but took photos.
We then did a food shop for the campervan in countdown (NZ woolworths) then we tried to find a campsite and when we eventually did , it was expensive. So we drove to Milton through the night and found a lovely campsite in the town. $12 pp and it had all services inc a kitchen. The caretaker was lovely too. From Milton , the next day, we drove all day to Lake Panguria to a site at $6 a night and it had toilets but a lovely view this morning !! The clouds hug the mountain early morning and slowly loosen its grab as the hours tick by. Gorgeous !!
We then set off at 9am this morning to Fox Glacier. We were running on empty and the last petrol station was 120km from Fox but our cards wouldnt work there either. So we had 1/4 tank to get us 120km. We did it and are now full and sat at the wild life centre for kiwis at Franz Josef and are going to see the glaciet after our chicken and cranberry panini. Yummy !! This with a large drink was $12
We had stopped at Fox to take photos and met some people from Leeds, this world is getting smaller in many ways !!
xx
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