Though we landed in Christchurch the intent was not to spend too much time here but move on the very next day. We hadn’t carried any food item and our shoes were clean so there was no problem at the Airport as their authorities are very strict about these things. Airport shuttle at NZ$ 10 per head along with luggage was very convenient way of getting to the hotel.
I had an impression that Christchurch being a large town would be coming alive in the evenings as it was summer holiday season. Surprisingly the town shuts down pretty early as shops shut down by 5.30 PM and though we were staying in city centre at Muse Art hotel, there was not much to do in the evening. It actually looked dead. Some pubs etc remain open but their kitchens also shut by 8 PM. You can get dinner at some Indian or Chinese restaurants or some Burgers somewhere if you are lucky. Much of the action shifts to Hagley Park in central Christchurch with joggers, walkers and cyclists doing what New Zealanders love doing- being outdoors. The park is huge and they have a golf course there as well. It was summer time so the days were long. There had been massive earthquakes in Canterbury area which was devastated in 2010 and 2011 and which flattened much of the city. It took them a long time to recover.
The coastal town of Akaroa near Christchurch is very beautiful but we could not adjust our itinerary to visit it. Akaroa is a port town having French influence and has a massive Volcano. We would have certainly visited had we spent another day in this area.
I had booked a Land Cruiser Prado so that we could comfortably drive the south island with our luggage . I booked it through booking.com and the car rental company was called ‘Yesaway.’ I had also bought insurance in advance but next time it may be better to take insurance from the rental company as then you don’t have to pay anything in the event of a mishap. Rental company was very near the airport so Devicka and I went by bus and picked up the car and got it to the hotel for luggage to be loaded. There were 4 of us so we had luggage and this car was a great choice. Besides Devicka and me, Devicka’s sister Alka and brother in law Kapil were our travelling companions. It is so good to travel in a small group as you can do so much more and enjoy a lot together. With the car all loaded – we were soon on our way.
Mt. Cook or Aoraki is the highest mountain of New Zealand and is very popular with hikers and adventure sports enthusiasts. On a clear day it can been seen from very far. The area has very limited hotel accommodation so we had booked a motel in Twizel for 2 nights. Twizel was a good choice to stay as it allowed us to explore all the Lakes and Mt Cook region. It is around 300 km’s from Christchurch and takes around 3.5 hours to reach.
We were not too far from Twizel (around 60 km) when the road took a bend and the stunning ‘Lake Tekapo’ came into the view. You actually gasp when you see it for the first time. The colour was so deep Turquoise that one falls in love with it. This colour is attributed to fine rock-flour (glacial silt) which is suspended in water. We spent a couple of hours here having lunch and walking around the lake. It was such a fine start to our journey. Twizel was in proximity to the three beautiful alpine lakes (Lake Tekapo, Lake Oahu and Lake Pukaki). Twizel has a small city centre and it had restaurants and a supermarket within walking distance from the motel. It had a nice breakfast place just opposite the motel so it was all very convenient. We had beer and late lunch in a nice pub and explored the area in the evening and made arrangements for the dinner knowing fully well that things would shut down by 8 PM.
Around Lake Tekapo – the cafes and the church of good shepherd.
We drove the next morning towards Mt Cook (45 minutes drive), stopping at the beautiful Lavender farms. We don’t get to see such farms in our country so it became a good long stop here. The road to Mt Cook national park was really beautiful. Much of the way was drive along the stunning Lake Pukaki, which has a backdrop of mountains. This is also a deep turquoise alpine lake. You cannot help but keep stopping on the way to click pictures.
As luck would have it the weather turned cold and windy as we reached Mt Cook national park. Then it started pouring. It just wouldn’t stop raining. This area is known for walking trails and most popular is the Hooker Valley trail which takes you near Mt. Cook and has 3 suspension bridges. I decided to do some part of the trail and set off on the wet slippery path and was pleasantly surprised to see that I was not the only brave one. There were some small children as well braving the elements. I did more than half the trail and crossed 2 suspension bridges before turning back as I was all soaked and cold.
We were staying in a very conveniently located area and the motel was called ‘Mountain Chalet Motel.’ We had another lake in our neighbourhood and this was an artificial lake called Lake Ruataniwha. We spent time around the lake in the evening and then watched the sky full of stars. Lake Rutaniwha was formed due to construction of a Hydro-Electric project and now used for recreation sports and the area around it is used for picnics. Twizel town itself came into existence because of this project so that workers could live here, and was supposed to be demolished after the project was over but as township had developed the government decided to let it carry on. I would definitely recommend a stay here for those who are visiting the south island as it is a very convenient base for a lot of touristy things. Twizel must be very popular stopover as all hotels and motels had ‘no vacancy’ signs hung outside.
Journey to Queenstown
Twizel to Queenstown is just 200 km’s. The intent was not to do this journey quickly but to soak in all the sights and views on the way. We were staying 4 days in Queenstown so had enough time to explore that side of the island. Lake Oahu is soon after you take off but you have to turn inside for several km’s. Then another point to visit are the clay cliffs which takes you for several km’s parallel to highway.
Then resuming the journey you have to cross Lindis pass which gives you a desert like feeling. At every opportunity one can get off the car at designated places and admire the views.
As you approach Queenstown you start getting the feel of a hill station as the road climbs up with hairpin kind of bends and everything becomes very green and lush. This is much in contrast with the dry and brown Lindis pass.
New Zealand is all about adventure sports and thrills. AJ Hackett Bungy Company was crowded as Bungy jumping centre was just before Queenstown and there were many participants. I didn’t go for Bungy jumping but did something called ‘zip lining’ over the river to get my first taste of the adventure sports for the trip.
There are many things you could do on the way. There are many vineyards and wine tasting is very popular. Some wines are extremely good and famous. There is also a place called Cornwall where you could do cherry picking. Through the way we saw lovely farms and a lot of livestock. The valleys we crossed on the way looked heavenly. There were very pretty hotels located in very scenic places. Driving here was a pleasure and not a pain as it was all so lovely with fields, rivers, mountains and miles and miles of natural beauty.
At around lunch time on day 4 of our NZ trip we entered a city which is considered by many as the most beautiful in the world. Queenstown.
We spent 4 days in Queenstown and explored the neighboring cities . We did quite a bit in this lovely city including the New Year’s eve. Queenstown needs a full write up so will write about it in my next post.
Our Holiday Group
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