Picton, Queen Charlotte Track, Kaikoura
World Trip Two
Friday, April 10, 2009: Lower Hutt-Picton, New Zealand
Happy Julia in Picton.
The day was spent crossing on the ferry from the North to the South Island of New Zealand. We left the magnificent views of Wellington city behind us and spent four hours on the ferry without getting sick, which is an amazing feat for both of us.
When we arrived in Picton, we parked the NAV Bertha (the name we have given the monster truck) and then took a short walk. Picton is a real beauty spot. We walked to Bob's Bay (no idea who Bob is) and found ourselves lost in a forest of unknown flora.
Picton Video
Saturday, April 11, 2009: Queen Charlotte Track, New Zealand
The Sound.
Our walk on the Queen Charlotte Track is what we came to New Zealand for; it was absolutely fantastic. The weather was perfect - no rain or clouds, just gorgeous blue, bright sunshiny skies. The 10-mile walk took us from the beginning of the Queen Charlotte Track at Ship Cove to Furneaux Lodge.
We walked through wondrous forests, with spectacular views of the Queen Charlotte Sound, and were surrounded by exotic birdsong. Ship Cove is where Captain James Cook made several landings on his voyages of discovery to New Zealand and Australia. At the end of this most pleasant walk, we arrived at Furneaux Lodge, where we bought a beer and relaxed in the afternoon sunshine. Who could ask for anything more than this?
Queen Charlotte Video
Sunday, April 12, 2009: Picton-Kaikoura, New Zealand
Snow-peaked mountains peeking up.
The drive from Picton to Kaikoura was an "Ooh! Ahh!" drive. Every time we turned a corner, we were presented with another beautiful vista, which caused us to exclaim: "Ooh! Ahh!" We left behind the native forest-covered hills of Picton for rolling, brown grass-covered hills, which reminded us of the Northern California Sierra foothills.
The New Zealand side of the Pacific.
Last night, over dinner, we speculated where the grapes were grown for all the pleasant wines we had been drinking. Today, the question was answered - everywhere we looked were fields of grapes growing in a Napa-like climate. Adding to the grand panorama of vineyards and rolling hills were snowcapped, Alp-like mountains in the background. After an hour of this scenery, the road took us to the Pacific coast, presenting the aqua-blue ocean and rugged, kelp-covered shoreline, very reminiscent of the Northern California coast.
The issue today was the continuation of our brake problem with the van. Even though the brakes had been checked earlier, they continued to cause problems. So, we called the owner again and organized to meet a mechanic in Kaikoura. The mechanic quickly diagnosed a faulty master brake cylinder. This made sense: while the brakes worked, they felt spongy, and if you held your foot on the pedal, it would slowly creep to the floor. Since the next part of our trip involved driving through the New Zealand Alps, we decided it was unwise to go on without fully functioning brakes. We now must stay in Kaikoura until Tuesday when a replacement van arrives.
Monday, April 13, 2009: Kaikoura, New Zealand
A view from Kaikoura.
Campervans, or RVs, are an interesting way to travel. There are many grades of vans - some quite spartan and others palatial - but they all have one thing in common: they are just fancy camping. Remember waking up in your tent on a cold morning, how the chill would penetrate your sleeping bag and claw at your lukewarm flesh?
Fortunately, our van has two heaters: one powered by electricity from our parking area and the other using propane gas. This morning, we had both running full blast to fend off the cold. It was very, very cold in Kaikoura this morning.
Tumultuous sky over Kaikoura.
The walk we did today was quite surprising - in how long it took and what we saw. We walked from the campground through the small beach town of Kaikoura, along the esplanade, to the tip of the isthmus. There, we ventured onto the rocky point to spot seals in a colony. Behind us were views of the ocean town with snowcapped mountains as a backdrop.
After eating lunch in what must have been one of the most scenic spots imaginable, we continued along the trail. The hike climbed up limestone cliffs, providing more wonderful views of the rugged coastline. It circled the isthmus, once a Maori Pā (fortified village), where tiered hillsides showed evidence of past inhabitants' industriousness. We ambled along for five hours before returning to the campground. After a well-deserved cup of tea, I fell fast asleep, dreaming of snowcapped mountains and Maori Pā.
Our replacement van arrived as planned, but when I tested the brakes, they were in worse condition than the current van. So, we left both vans in Kaikoura and took the bus to Christchurch. We now hope to continue our trip in a rental car, but only time will tell. P.S. Do not rent a campervan from Apollo; they are untrustworthy, with no customer service and unroadworthy vehicles.
Kaikoura Video
Trip Stats
Miles Flown: 7,111
Miles Hiked: 51
Miles Driven: 664
Miles Sailed: 89