We’ve spent most of our time hanging out with the family and walking their new puppy Molly. We did a tour of where Tom used to live and go to school yesterday, around Kalamunda. Because Australia has so much space, the houses are mostly single story and the roads and land plots are huge.

Today we took Molly to a dog beach for a swim and run around. The beach was white sands and aquamarine blue sea. Much more rugged beaches than I was expecting. So beautiful. After brunch with the family we headed to Fremantle (or Freeo as the locals call it) where we browsed the markets and sampled the local beers at the brewery. Freeo has a really great feel to it - chilled out with lots of beaches and cafes.

Molly the dog and Aunty Pooh (and Tom on the water)

Freeo markets

Freeo

This evening we’ve been for dinner with Tom’s Godmother (Aunty Shelly) and her family. Lovely to meet them all and see the many many bikes that fill their home and fill in another piece of Tom’s Aussie life. Tom was very impressed they cooked some of the meal in a thermomix.

Next we headed to the John Forrester National Park to get a small insight into the Australian bush and glance at some Australian wildlife. The wildlife wasn’t hard to find as at our tavern for lunch, there were about 20 kangaroos and loads of green-blue parrots flying around! The kangaroos had Joeys in pouches and following their mommas. We then went for a walk to a waterfall which didn’t have any water. The bush is very red, very dry and there are crickets and animal noises all around

Spot the Joey

To end the day, we headed to City beach for a swim and an ice cream. So many huge waves and kids with body boards on them all. It’s another beautiful white sand beach.

We’re now chilling back at Aunty Pooh’s house with Molly the dog, getting ready for our flight to Sydney tomorrow!

The crew

Sydney Harbour bridge

First selfie of the year

Tough life

The house we were staying in was rediculous, owned by a friend of our friend Charlie’s parents. As well as an amazing pool, it also had a great outdoor entertaining area, complete with large BBQ. We all clubbed together at lunchtime to put on a feast!

Time to eat (Charlie front and right)

Feasting was followed by a trip to the local beach. We marched down a winding track through the bush, managing to get bitten by a few bull ant on the way. Chinaman’s Beach was packed with families cooking and swimming, enjoying the end of the holidays together. We played around in the water for an hour before having a few drinks and playing beach cricket.

Those that remained after the beach \240played a board game called Linkee and finished off the BBQ leftovers, before crashing early to bed. Not a bad way to start the year!

View from the ferry

Once across the harbour we grabbed a cab over to Bondi to begin the famous coastal work to Coogee. We were greeted by a pod of dolphins and Jess was very excited to get some snaps. The walk is around 6km and follows the coast past an assortment of beaches, as well as Waverley Cemetery and a cliff top bowls club. It is not an easy treck and we ran for refreshements as soon as we arrived in Coogee.

View from Icebergs

Hitting the surf

Rock pools

After working up an appetite on the walk we headed back into Sydney to check out the famous fish market with Dani and Charlie. It is still a working area with auction house and an army of forklifts. They also have a great selection of eateries with harbour side seating. The four of us split up to see what we could come back with and then tucked into a variety of battered seafood, sushi and crustaceans. The seagulls were either oblivious or very polite as we had no trouble keeping our food on the table.

Seafood feast (Clockwise from top left: Battered fish platter, salmon and shrimp, crab leg and octopus skewer, sushi)

With our bellies full we wondered into Sydney for a bit of hopping, Jess bought a new bikini. The city was vibrant and the beautiful QVB shopping centre was packed. Sadly Sydney’s trams still weren’t up and running to wish us around the CBD. We also had a mooch around the Botanical Gardens which have a great view of the harbour. It’s a really popular spot for watching the NYE fireworks (for only $300).

Still no trams (running joke in Sydney)

Botanical gardens

More bridge

We finished the day with a couple of sundowners on top of the Glenmore Hotel in The Rocks. A highly competitive game of pass the pigs ended with another victory for Tom and we headed back to Mosman for chilled evening of leftovers and board games. Pretty good going for only one day in the city.

Top of the Glenmore

Next stop was the Symbio Wildlife Park to spot some native Australian animals. The park mostly takes in rescued creatures and I managed to tick off a huge number of Aussie animals! I also stroked a koala which is an Australian must do...

An albino echidna

Tasmanian devil

Cassowary

Emu

Following a delicious Mexican meal and some incredible views on the drive down the coast to their house, we were pretty warm so went for a cooling swim. We also tried to body surf which some people (Tom and Charlie) were better than other people (Jess).

In the evening we had a lovely Aussie BBQ with the whole family of snags (sausages) and steaks finished off with an Aussie pavalova. We then took a drive around the local area to catch the sunset and see a bit of the city and new developments. It’s changed from a steel making city to an up and coming university city which is an interesting change.

Today, Charlie made us a breakfast of Hungarian pancakes which were delicious, and powered us on for our surf lesson. We headed to their local beach and got out on our boards and tried to catch many waves (failing in 90%). But we did both manage to stand up with help and a push from Charlie! Lots of fun but with zero surf muscle power - pretty exhausting too!!

We are now on a plane to Melbourne. On route we took in a few more amazing sights in the area and a beautiful view of the city.

Meg and Jess

We then headed to the Sydney library and learnt about Ned Kelly and the Sumerian stone. Beautiful building with the first reclinable desk chairs! (That’s a Rosie fact so not sure if it’s 100% true).

After a beautiful Thai lunch, we explored the graffiti of Melbourne and had a drink on the river which was lovely. Melbourne feels a lot more European and lived in than Sydney and Perth.

The day finished with some gnocchi and pizza in a lovely little Italian place with all of Megan’s new doctor friends.

Yarra Valley map with visited vineyards

#1 - Coldstream Hills

The first vineyard we visited was founded by famous Australian wine writer James Halliday. The tasting involved a broad spectrum of wines and was conducted a fantastic gent in his 70s who was Mauritian by birth but had been in Aus for over 40 years. Bottles of Sparkling and Sauv Balnc were bought by the group.

#2 - Squitchy Lane

Squirchy Lane was not on the originally on our intinerary but when we drove past the sign on our way to Coldstream Hills we all said we had to check it out. SL is a small vineyard but produced some really unique wines including a Fumé Blanc and ‘minimal intervention’ Sauv Blanc which they name Thermidor. These were like marmite to the group and although Rosie considered buying 6 bottles, Jess and Megan were unimpressed.

#3 Oakridge

Oakridge was our lunch stop and a much more professionalised cellar door. We ordered a couple of sharing plates and enjoyed the few of the vines. The testing was conducted by a young Aussie who was up for a laugh but appeared knowledgeable about the wines he was sharing. He talked about why Yarra Valleys micro climates made growing so many quality varieties possible and explained what rosé actually was (any wine that is pink). They also sell an unusual rosé which smells like cheese - we obviously bought a bottle!

#4 - Helen and Joey Estate

Our final stop was at the unicorn filled Helen and Joey’s vineyard. We managed to squeak in just before closing to try some of their great blends with the Wayward Child being one of the wines of the day. Tom has reached his wine intake so had a lemon churn muffin instead. We finished the trip with a bottle of bubbly out on the terrace and took a few photos with the resident unicorns.

First stop was Torquay for some shopping in a massive discounted RipCurl shop where the more you brought the cheaper it became (one surf vest $42, 2 surf vests $40...). Next stop was Bells Beach which is usually full of very good surfers, but was actually very flat, so not really full of anyone.

Then we hit Aireys Inlet which is another beautiful beach with a light house and randomly an English tea shop. So after watching the beautiful waves, we had a sub par cream tea and headed off again.

Next stop was Lorne - a seaside town with (you’ve guessed it) another incredibly beautiful beach. After a swim, we headed on a walk up to a view point over looking the whole bay and parts of the road. We then headed back to the pier and watched 2 rays, abouts a meter in length swimming in the shallows.

Next stop was Kennett River for a walk in the eucalyptus forest to spot Koalas! We saw about 6 little balls of fur sleeping in the trees, and one trying to eat and dance with a branch.... so great to see them in the wild!!

We are now in Apollo Bay in a beautiful Eco friendly hostel. A filling and healthy dinner and we’re about to go to sleep ready for another full day...

The rest of the day was much less adrenaline filled... We headed up to the Otway National Park rainforest next to see prehistoric looking fern trees and some Californian redwoods. Such a contrast from 15 mins south. We also did some walks through the forest to the waterfalls which were beautiful.

Californian Redwoods

We then headed back down to the Great Ocean Road where we completed the last section to Warnambool. Along this stretch is the sandstone formations created by the powerful waves crashing into the sea. The 12 Apostles (of which there have only ever been 9, and now there’s 8...), London Bridge (because it’s falling down) and Loch Ard gorge we’re the highlights.

12 apostles

Loch Ard

London Bridge

The next stop was in Port Campbell where we went to the Pig and Sow brewery to taste some craft beers and eat a well deserved pizza. We finished the day in a motel in Warnambool, playing a game of Monopoly Deal before bed.

Meg, Tom and Jeremiah (the car)

First stop in the National Park was the Pinnacle walk. We opted for the medium difficulty hike, through the Aussie Grand Canyon. We’ve learnt our lesson about the strength of the sun here so lathered on 3 layers of factor 50 sunscreen plus bright pink zinc paste. The walk took us up through forest and rock formations to the top of the mountain where there were impressive views across the park and surrounding farmland.

The Grand Canyon

The Pinnacle

Next stop was the MacKensie falls with a steep descent to the bottom.

Emus in the carpark

We then headed to the balconies look out with a stunning view across the forest floor.

After a well deserved ice cream at Halls Gap, we headed back on the long drive back to Melbourne. There were kangaroos (unfortunately dead as well as alive) as well as so many cockatoos which seem to be the Aussie pigeon. Our dinner stop was an Ethiopian restaurant serving a delicious tasting menu. Not really what you expect to find in outback Aus but delicious none the less.

Kangaroos!

Poser

Fitzroy pool

For the ride we assembled a full compliment of Melbourne friends including Roise and former Bristol Tag rugby teammate Anna. Melbourne has some great cycle paths so we chose an abitious 35km loop of the city taking in parts of the river, Royal Park, Docklands and city centre.

Biker gang (Jess loves her helmet)

Yarra River trail

The bikes we were fast, although Toms was a little on the small side, so we covered the city in about 4hrs. Highlights include the river paths, tourist dodging on the shared boulevards and a cheeky cider break.

Once safely home we cooked a BBQ up on Megan’s roof and enjoyed one last evening in Melbourne. Packing reluctantly began at 10pm and we went to bed with full bags and fuller bellies. On to New Zealand at last!

Rooftop BBQ

Ferg Burger Queenstown

Drive to Te Anau and our car for a month

This morning after some manic packing and shopping, we hit the road, then the boat, for the start of the Milford Sound trek. The trek is one of the “Great Walks” and takes 4 days sleeping in huts on route. If we’re being honest, our planning for the trek was minimal with Johnny and Laura informing us what we need and where we need to be. So I had no expectations of anything.

Day 1 has been pretty chilled though. An easy 5km walk along the river to ease us in. The only difficulty being our 12kg packs. We even had a swim when we arrived at our hut in the beautiful glacial river. The hut is pretty basic, but does have gas cooking stoves and a flushing toilet! We’ve just been for a walk to see the stars by the river before bed. There are also amazing glow worms along the path. Fact of the day: tea tree and Manuka are the same plant!!! So the honey and the oil are both full of goodness for the same reasons! Who knew....

Start of Milford Track

Glacial swim

We’ve been blessed with beautiful weather today but tomorrow apparently a storm is hitting. So early to rise to try and get off the river basin before the flooding!!

My first successful attempt at photographing stars (needs some practice)

Sunrise at Clinton Hut

We made good progress early on before the rain set in. However, rain is a must on the Milford Track as in releases the waterfalls. The Clinton Valley is a straight, glacial valley so waterfalls form all along its sides. Their constant roar, combined with soft birdsong, made for an impressive soundtrack for our days tramping (kiwi for hiking).

Stick friends

The Milford Track experience

We broke for a bit of morning tea (pitta and peanut butter) at about 10:30am after fording a stream gave us all soggy boots. The rain didn’t pick up as expected so we continued on to our next hut at a constant level of damp but comfortable.

One of the best aspects of the track is the game of spotting unique native birds. The fact that NZ didn’t have mammals/ground predators mean a great variety of species have evolved. On day two the majors sightings were Whio (blue duck), Wekka (bush fowl), [insert name] (bush robin), Kea (alpine parrot) and Fantail \240. Note, the Maori names of many of New Zealand’s birds are the calls they make.

Wekka

Fantail in tree

Towards the end of the day the track began to climb to the Mackinnon Pass, the major climb on Day 3. Morale and energy began to drop as we neared the hut after 10.5 miles of walking. We were welcomed at around 1pm with a varranda full of other walkers wet clothes, which we added to, and a warm fire. We spent the evening packing in the calories and playing games with friends we made amongst the group. By 9pm we were keen for bed, ready for a relatively lie in (7am) and another tough day of walking.

Waterfalls everywhere

Close to the hut

Hut

Zigging

Zagging

The views on the way up were amazing and we spotted multiple alpine flowers as well as some Wekka. After about the sixth switchback the Track left the tree line and the wind started to hit us. We powered on to the top where we spotted Mackinnon’s memorial. He was the first European to successfully travelling overland to Milford Sound, likely using an old Maori Track used to gather greenstone from the coast. The memorial was built after he died four years on from identifying the pass.

The memorial was dressed with a couple of Kea (alpine parrot) who were flying aerobatically and being playful. Kea are one of the world’s most intelligent birds and have been known to work their way into backpacks, so we made sure to guard our morning tea all the way to the hut.

Magnificent Kea

Team at the top

Loo with a view

After refuelling at the top we took on the gruelling decent. Both Tom and Jonny had knee injuries so were being extra cautious. There were great views on the way down, including a number of boardwalks that took us very close to waterfalls. We spotted a few Whio (blue duck) in the rivers as we went and made it down all in one piece. At the bottom of the decent there was a hut where we took lunch and rested our sore feet. After nearly an hour we summonsed the energy to do the side treck to Sutherland Falls (without our backpacks). These are New Zealand’s highest waterfalls, falling over 250m in three tiers.

A rare Whio sighting

Sutherland Falls

After the falls we donned our packs and covered the final 2 miles in good time. We had heard that there was a good swimming hole at the hut so quickly dumped our stuff and went to get clean. The water was cold, but invigorating, and we spend a while playing around and getting clean. The rest of the evening was spent eating all the spare food we had, leaving only a light lunch for the next day. We also learnt a new card game called Phase 10 from a Dutch/Australian couple called Hylke and Kate which will become a fixture on this trip we are sure. We went to bed exhausted and ready to finish the walk the next day.

Bathing

One Tree Slip

Dragonfly

The path today was mostly gravel through forest and dappled light and over rivers. It was lovely and we spotted a couple of Wekka families on the route.

The next stop was a rock on which the underside had been hollowed out when it was previously the otherway up - giving the appearance of a bell. Tom was very impressed he could stand up inside Bell Rock!

Tom in Bell Rock

After another few hours we hit our lunch spot, beside a waterfall and swimming hole. The water is crystal clear and these waterfalls we’ve reached are like paradise in the forest.... We all went for a swim(well except Laura) and somehow it was a good few degrees colder than yesterday and caught our breath as soon as we jumped in. But very refreshing for our tired and sandfly bitten legs!

Lake Ada

Swim time

Paradise

Posers

We then had another 2 hours to the end. By this point Jess’ little toes were resembling small chorizo sausages (swollen and red) and it was a bit of a struggle. But that made it even better when we reached the end at Sandfly Point. Sandflies are like blood sucking gnats. So small and really easy to swat but oh so annoying!! We then jumped on a short 5 min boat ride across to the beautiful Milford Sound. It felt so so good to have completed the first of the New Zealand Great Walks!

33.5 miles done!

Boat to the incredible Milford Sound

We did it!!

Toms sandfly feet

All the gear... no idea....

After figuring out a rhythm and how to steer a 2-man kayak, we were off. Tom then realised his blood circulation to his legs had been cut off by the boat, and the only way for him to be able to feel his feet, was to sit on the actual boat, not seat... tall people problems! So we were a bit wobbly as a team, but managed to keep up!

The sound is incredibly beautiful, wild and remote. There are 8 of us in our group with 2 guides, and apart from 2 small boats which passed us, there was nothing else on the whole water. So special.

After lunch, we heard a few splashes across the fjord, and started to see fins. Pretty soon there were around 30 dolphins swimming, playing and jumping a few meters from our boat. Incredible!! And our guide had never seen dolphins on Doubtful Sound before.

Very blurred as very zoomed on our waterproof camera but a huge jumping dolphin!!

Our kayaking was very chilled, we didn’t head far in distance and spent ages taking in the Sound. It was also completely flat and ideal conditions for kayaking with a few clouds and some light spots of rain...

Our next spot was a seal. It popped up close to our boat and played around in the water. So lucky to see that too!!

Seal

We’ve set up camp in a forest next to the Sound. Apart from the millions and millions of sandflies, it’s ideal. Peaceful and full of bird song. We had a swim in the Sound which was far warmer than Milford Track... Our guide said that we’ve done really well to see dolphin and seal and the last one to spot is a penguin (which would be the trifecta). So fingers crossed for tomorrow!!

Rainforest camp

We began by retracing our route up Hall Arm, past where we spotted dolphins the day before. Conditions were perfect but sadly nothing to be seen in the water. We amused our selves by kayaking through and limboing low hanging tree branches. We had about 4.5 hours to get back to base so the base was leisurely. We chatted to one of the guides who tried teaching us some paddle tricks. Although Jess mastered the ‘spin around the neck’ quickly, Tom seemed intent on chucking his paddle over his left shoulder. Luckily Jess remained unharmed, although a little wet.

Limbo

About halfway back our guide told the Maori legend of how the Fiordland was made. It was carved by the son of the Sky Father and Earth Mother to impress them. He dug out the shapes and then asked the forest and sea gods to fill the Fiords. The Gods liked Fiordland so much that some wanted to live there. They knew man would want to settle there so to keep it untouched they filled the place with sandflies so that humans would never settle. Tom decided he need to get get a book on these legends - obviously....

The group then headed back to Deep Cove and unloaded the kayaks and started the long trip back to Manipouri. By the time we arrived at the car we were pretty shattered and weren’t too excited about our planned 2 nights in Queenstown. En route we decided on a new plan. Next stop Dunedin!

Paddle team

The bot ride across Lake Manipuri

Our fabric house

Pre beer

Post beer

Another great thing about Dunedin is the street art. Very good quality for such a small town. Many world famous artists (Tom knee then anyway), including ROA, Pixel Pancho and Phlegm, have installation in the town. A cultural group have a mapped the best ones in the city which we followed for the afternoon. These are a selection of our favourites....

Part of mural from Dunedin Street Art Featival 2014

One from Dunedin native Sean Duffell

Polish artist Natalia Rak

Phlegm’s native bird organ

Train station - Tom being a train

After dinner, it was time to drive the Otago Peninsula to go see some wildlife. The drive is stunningly beautiful, winding along the coast, and finishes at an Albatross colony which is now a protected sanctuary for albatross and penguins. The sound of the birds - mostly seagulls, is almost deafening. There were lots of huge albatrosses gliding around over head.

Albatross

Albatross sunset

So many birds!

At dusk it was time to head down to the beach to try and catch a glimpse of the blue penguins as they come in from sea to roost. There was a big seal sat on the beach too which went for a swim at the same time, and when they hadn’t arrived at the correct time I was worried they’d all been eaten! But never fear, the nearly fully moon had delayed their return to land and we saw about 50 penguins hopping onto land like an army. They’re very small, about the size of a duck. It was amazing to watch!

Penguin army marching through the seagulls

Blue penguins

Penguins drying off

It’s steeper than it looks in the pic I promise...

We then headed North along the coast and stopped off at the Moeraki Boulder beach. Basically just some big smooth stones and lots of Chinese tourists posing on them. So we obviously joined in an posed too....

Next stop was Oamaru - the steam punk, penguin spotting, Victorian era town. We’re staying at a Japanese mans’ Victorian style b&b. A lovely ornately decorated house. Lots of floral carpets and wallpapers. Really welcoming hosts though.

Oamaru town is full of old fashioned Victorian era shops selling homemade crafts and antiques. The town seems to have brought into the Steam Punk ear theme. They’ve even restored a 1920s steam train through the town which of course we took a ride on. It went across to the harbour where we watched seals playing and chilling.

We then decided to have a sit down and watch Harry Potter and recharge a bit. In the evening we headed out for more penguin spotting. We saw 3 clambering up the rocks to the shore. But slightly more precarious route than Otago as they had to cross a road to get to their nests. Hope they were all safe!!

Note how I’m only adding one food photo...

We’re now in the lakes near Lake Pukaki, staying next to the very small Lake Poaka. It’s a Department of Conservation free camp site, so my expectations were low, but it’s beautiful. Clean with toilets and loo roll! No running water but we’ve got the lake to wash in.

It’s a dark sky zone around here so we’re going to get up in the middle of the night to attempt to see some stars and practice photography. So better go to sleep!

Alps to Ocean path on Lake Pukaki

Cycling outfits

The first stop was at the top of Lake Pukaki, which was our first sighting of Aoraki (which apting translates as ‘cloud piercer’). The visitor area also had a shop by the local salmon farm selling everything from sashimi to salmon pate. We obviously took the opportunity to add some smoked salmon to our lunch rations.

We stopped a few more times along the lake front as trail really does offer some stunning views. After about 30kms we decided it was time for lunch. After Tom led us off trail to a rather anticlimactic spot, we settled down on a pebble beach under some pine trees. The salmon was worth the wait!

Local smoked salmon for lunch

On the way back the sun and exertion was beginning to tell and we quietly plough a way back to Twizle, returning the bikes around 3pm. We were smelly and tired and couldn’t face a muddy lake wash so decide to bring our planned Tekapo Springs trip forward a day.

A big ride

The springs are quite modern with various temperature pools, as well as steam room and sauna. We cleaned and sweated our way to comfort and return to camp ready for a long nights sleep.

Takepo Springs

As sheltered as possible

Amazing night sky

Natural beauty

After a cold night’s sleep we got up early to tackle the Hooker Valley Track. This relatively flat track led us through a picturesque glacial valley, over a few bridges, to Hooker Lake. This lake is at the foot of Aoraki and is formed of glacial melt water.

After taking in Aoraki we drove around the corner to Tasman Glacier. While it has receded a lot in recent years it is nonetheless impressive and you can still get a plane ride that lands on it. It was the time to say goodbye to the National Park, although we had to keep stopping to take photos of the amazing views. Next stop - Queenstown!

Final views of the National Park and Lake Pukaki

Frisbee golf skills

Golfing

Tom and Jonny enjoying world bar

Also in the park while the frisbee golf was being played, we watched a series of short sketches - from MacBeth to Ab Fab, put on by local players for free! It was great.

Ab Fab

Queenstown shore

On the final morning we headed out to do a big hike up the Ben Lomond Track. The trail starts under a gondola on the downhill mountain bike track (terrifying watching the bikers!!). We then headed up quite a steep hill with incredible views over the townhouse reach the saddle at 1326m. As we sat and ate a cereal bar and caught our breath, we watched kea flying over head - lovely sight.

Ben Lomond saddle

Hiking

Sunrise over Wanaka

Views worth the hike

Once back down we soaked our aching legs in the cold lake and had some refreshing smoothies. As the day was heating up we decided to spend it lying on the lake front and swimming. We bumped into Jonny and Laura at lunchtime so spent the afternoon with them just reading and relaxing. Watching first time paddle boarders struggle in the wind was very entertaining.

We decided to stay by the lake and cook dinner. Jess has been looking forward to Thai green curry for days. Unfortunately Toms new cooker guard performed a little too well and melted the stove. Looks like we will be making a trip to the camp shop first thing tomorrow. Do they sell new legs as well?

Lake beach

The Wanaka Tree

Porridge on the beach

When we arrived at the trail head we set ourselves the ambitious target of completing the 10km loop in 3hrs. The climb began on the glacial valley before crossing the river into rainforest. The tree cover was welcome shelter from the sun and meant we could keep a good pace. We played a few games on the way up and were eventually rewarded with a stunning view of the glacier with meltwater waterfalls cascading from it. Possibly the most spectacular glacier we’ve seen so far in New Zealand.

Braided river

Under the glacier

We made it back to the car park on time and now had to make an epic 5hr drive to Okarito in order to make it to our kiwi tour. Tom had slightly miscalculated travel time meaning we had to eat lunch in the car. However, the drive through the Haast Pass and past the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers was spectacular and we will have to go back with more time on the future.

We arrived in Okarito with enough time to shovel some dinner in our mouths and change into ‘quiet’ clothing (no waterproofs) for the kiwi tour. We had a short briefing on the plan for the night (find kiwi!) and then made the short trip to the Okarito Reserve. Okarito kiwi are a sub-species only found in this area and there are thought to be only 500 birds in total.

Several kiwi breeding pairs are fitted with transmitters and our guide set out to locate them for us. We walked into the environment of two separate breeding pairs with the hope of a sighting. Toby, our guide, gave us a little boot camp on how to walk quietly and how to arrange ourselves and coordinate as a team to maximise any viewings. It was like being in a jungle army. The team worked really well together and after an hour we heard our first Kiwi, Fancy, rummaging in the bush. He was heading our way, we even saw his beak, before being chased off by a possum. Although not big enough to kill Fancy, any altercation could have injured this rare bird. We continued to follow him and soon afterwards he hopped across the track in front of us, illuminates by Toby’s red torch. Kiwi 1 seen.

As Fancy has not hung around for long Toby took us to track down another bird called Jolene. Finding her was much easier and 15 minutes later we were watching her feed. Amazing! 2 of the worlds rarest birds spotted in one night. Not bad!

Drive slow

Kiwi are fighting for survival

Path to the Kiwi forrest

Kiwi safari outfits

Hokitika gorge

Next stop was Hokitika itself. The rest of the settlements we past on the west coast are tiny, usually 1 street with a few houses and a cafe. Hokitika has 3 streets so it felt like a large city in comparison. We first sampled the local ice cream (a very good passion fruit cheesecake) and took a walk on the beach. For a week in January there was a drift wood sculpture competition where people had to make things only out of objects washed up on the beach. Some of these had washed away but some were pretty impressive. From Trumps Mexican wall, to a giant fish, and mother and child flying a kite. Here are some of our faves.

For a treat as we’d lasted 8 days straight in the tent (And out of necessity for a shower and laundry - I think the car was starting to buzz with smell), we decided to book a night in a Hostel. Birdsong is run by a British couple and is a YHA with bird theme. We were staying in the Pukeko (a blue and red swamp bird) room. Beautiful hostel and so lovely to have a hot shower (I had 3...).

Pukeko on the wall and Kiwi on the bed (and a Tom)

We then headed into town along the beach, for some fish and chips and a West Coast sunset. We had blue cod sat in a sculpture of an old boat and watched the orange glow of the sky through the sculptures.

Our last stop of the day was to a glow worm dell. The worms were better than I’d ever seen and completely surrounded us. Not easy to capture on a camera so if you imagine loads of stars...

If you look closely you can see the worms

We then started the drive up to Arthur’s Pass. The route was found by Maouris as the first way to get East to West. There were lots of Kea circling and when we stopped at a view point, one of the inquisitive ones came to see us.

Kea

Our walk of choice for the day was the Arthurs pass Track which stretched up the valley floor. With many, many km under our belt over the last few weeks, a 3 hour hike is now a relaxing stroll. The flat terrain we were actually finding a bit dull....

In order to cure this track dullness, we’ve decided to hike a 6-8 hour “expert” climb tomorrow. The description mentions “razor blade ridges” and “sheer bluff drops” so I think we’re gonna have enough to keep our mind occupied!

Another hour and a half and we reached more big rocks for some rock climbing and a steep ridge to the top. Jess’ vertigo (and common sense...) kicked in about 1 min before the summit and Tom was left to complete the final stretch himself. However Jess was pretty much definitely also at the same height... We had climbed 1100meters vertically. We were rewarded with some beautiful views of the glaciers and valley below, and also some peanut butter sandwiches....

The descent was probably harder than the climb with lots of slipping rocks and big drops. We were very happy to see the valley floor again and have agreed not to do any more walks before Able Tasman....

After a cool off and wash in the river, we hit the road back to the West Coast. Unfortunately after our beautiful, hot sunny day in the park, the weather was foggy and cold on the coast. The views were beautiful though and the jungle met the coast with the fog adding to the Jurassic Park vibe.

First stop was pancake rocks where the rocks look like pancakes and they also serve pancakes (which were pretty tasty).

We then hit the road back in land and we reached the Nelson Lakes around 9pm, just in time to put up our tent before it got too dark and after most of the sandflies have gone to bed. Although being back in sandfly city is not fun....

Dip

Eels and ducks

Sandfly style

A couple of hours later we were sandfly free in Nelson, the most Northerly city on the South Island. It’s famous for its craft beer breweries, artisan food and vineyeards, so we wasted no time in sampling some of the goodies on offer. After 3 breweries and a long walk around the city, we headed to Cod and Lobster for some seafood. We’ve been very impressed with the vibe (and the weather) in Nelson.

Campsite on the sea

Brewery in a converted church

Cocktails

Trail map

Our first set of tasting stops were all along the same road. We started with a tasting of some delicious organic wines At Richmond Plains vineyard.. We enjoyed the Sauvignon Blanc and Blanc de Noir (Chardonnay plus Pinot Noir, tastes like flat champagne) the best and as we’d drink plenty of the former we grabbed a bottle of the Blanc de Noir. The lady at the tasting recommended we check out the cheese shop down the road so we raced there next.

The Junction is an artisanal food shop with a focus on local dairy. We tasted 5 or so fantastic sheep cheeses. Apparently these are uncommon in NZ despite the amount of Ewes kicking around. We both love sheep cheese anyway but some of the styles were really clever. Jess bought a portion of Brie whole Tom was torn between a Roquefort style blue vein and a cheese called Loki’s Cloud. This cheese tasted like feta inside a Camembert casing and ended up the winner. Despite already having a packed lunch we left with 200g+ of cheese and a whole pack of crackers.

Our final stop on this leg was the berry farm which advertised fresh berry ice cream. The literally crush berries into vanilla ice cream to create a delicious Mr Whippy cone. It has to be seen to be understood.

Stop 1 - Richmond Plains vineyard

Stop 2 - The Junction

Stop 3 - Tasman Berriers and the ice cream machine

With broad smiles and full bellies we rejoined the trail as it weaves along the coast. There was some significant industrial activity, with a particularly large paper mill, put also some pleasent coastal wetland which we crossed on windy wooden boardwalks. Once clear of the factories we stopped for lunch and tucked into our combo of fresh cheese and peanut butter sandwiches. We are just about reaching the limit with peanut butter sandwiches....

Cheese for lunch

The final portion of the trail was the most beautiful and was mostly away from the roads. The skies stayed blue and we pedalled hard towards the next vineyard, Seifrieds.

Seifrieds is the oldest wine producer in the area and exports a large amount of their produce to Russia and M&S in the U.K.! We had a really good chat with Elisa about their wines. They are particularly well known for their late harvest Reisling and produced some other Austro-Germanic varieties due to the founder being from that part of the world. We opted for a value bottle of rosé to keep costs down and, well, who doesn’t drink rosé these days.

On the trail

Stop 4 - Seifred Vineyard

Looking at the clock we realised that we had spent way too long drinking wine and had only a couple of hours til our pick-up. We also had to catch a ferry which only runs once an hour, so we had to race through rabbit island without a dip in the calm, crystal sea. We just about made the boat over to Mapua where we spend the final hour or so of our day. We drunk a congratulatory pint at Golden Bear brewery and browsed the charming shops on the wharf before being picked up. Luckily our campsite is right on the ocean so we snuck in a quick dip before dinner.

Unloading from the Mapua Ferry

Stop 5 - Golden Bear brewery

Rabbit Island beach

After reading for a few hours we finally took a dip in the water. It was colder than the estuary near our campsite but more refreshing than frigid. We swam about and watched someone try and board their windsurf before heading back for more chicken. It was great to have a chilled one!

We then headed to Takaka for a coffee. A hippie town where everything is painted bright colours and all the food is organic and local.

Takaka cafe

From the beautiful sunshine and blue skies, we then headed into the clouds and rain which was blanketing the view in front of us. Luckily it was short lived... The Farewell Spit is a 35km long stretch of sand and highly protected nature reserve. So much so that it can only be accessed on a tour. We didn’t do this so we just had a peak of it from the edge and had a look at the whole thing on google (which is pretty impressive).

Wharariki Beach, slightly further around from Farewell, is home to seals and pups. At the Cape Farewell beach next to it, we watched seals playing in the crystal clear water beneath a big archway.

There are 7 seals in this photo - can you spot them all?

Cape Farewell

Farewell Spit on the horizon

Farewell Spit from the south

We then drove back down South along Golden Bay - hoping to find a swim spot. Unfortunately it was low tide and the coast is so tidal - there wasn’t much sea to be found... it was a beautiful coastline however and some beautiful views.

We’ve settled in Motueka for the night and a lovely hostel called Hat Trick. We’re starting the Able Tasman Track tomorrow for 3 nights, so a night of food prep, packing and re packing!

Start of the track

Beautiful views

Our Akersten Bay camp spot

Akersten Bay

Just after I asked him to marry me... can you tell I’ve been crying??

ENGAGED

My lovely fiancé

First stop was Cleopatras Pools. A natural water slide and pool just off the track. Beautiful water and such a fun slide!!

Cleopatras Pool

While our feet were still fresh, we pressed on to Torrent Bay village. A very small collection of houses, I think accessible only from sea. We stopped there for a lunch and a stretch with no bags on... part of the track was on the sand which was lovely but hard work on the legs!

Torrent Bay Village

After passing over a high swing bridge, we eventually made it down into Bark Bay, before taking a painfully long and steep climb uphill, and then down again before we reached our campsite.. It’s slightly bigger than Akersten and a bit more exposed. The wind has picked up too and so we’re in our tent ready for an early night. Today has been tough. Jess’ legs did not enjoy the last couple of hours walk and all energy seemed to be gone when we reached camp. A nutritious Mexican bean feast helped warm the body....

Onetahuti Bay Campsite

Dawn breaking

Sky on fire

Estuary crossing

After breakfast at a campsite, we continued the trail which had now become mostly on the beach. The white sands and blue seas were such a treat every time we turned a corner to a new cove and new view. Some parts involved climbing over rocks with waves lapping at our feet. Tom got slightly over confident with one photo pose and ended up getting a wave going right over his feet...

Breakfast stop

Climbing with a pack on isn’t easy!

Running through the coves

Made it

Wet feet

Paradise

After another couple of hours we hit Totaranui. This is the only place in the park with a tourist campsite and road access. Very strange to go from a deserted paradise to being with hundreds of tourists (many who looked like they couldn’t have walked the stairs let alone 60km). Tourist mean amenities however and we were able to get a ice pop (frozen apple juice) - what a luxury.

The next cove along we stopped for an hour to read our books and warm up in the sunshine. There’s a good going breeze on the beaches and the waves are huge today. So much so we haven’t seen any kayaks out for their trips.

Our stop for the night was Mutton Cove. Another beautiful white sand beach with the campsite only slightly back from the sand. The sea was very rough but a quick dip helped clean off all the days sweat and rest our poor blistered and swollen feet!

Totaranui

Mutton cove - the bay on the left of the photo

Our campsite

Dinner was some dehydrated curry and by 7:30pm after a game of cards, Tom was fast asleep...

Sunrise

Seperation Point,complete with fake Gannet coloney

Mutton Cove (top)

We were Abel to squeeze in a final dip

To get back out of the park we had booked a water taxi from the large campsite at Totaranui. The ride was fast and bumpy but really fun. Our skipper Matt did some tour guiding on the way down and was even kind enough to stop by our engagement spot (Akersten Bay) so we could take some photos from the sea. He was the first person we told the happy news to! Once back at the village of Mapua the boats are loaded onto trailers and you are then driven another kilometre to the taxi company office. This was quite a surreal experience. We suspect it is because the demand for transport has grown much faster than their ability to build a suitable wharf.

Beach front loading

Akersten Bay

Land transport

Once back at the car which we left at the start of the track, we began the long drive to Blenheim. We passed through Nelson which has been suffering some big bushfires and saw the helicopters at work. Thankfully, no one has been hurt. We managed to get ourselves stuck in the evacuation zone due to road closures and had an hours delay on the highway. Jess was very sad about all the baby wekka chicks which we’re sure have been caught up in it.

After 3ish hours we got to our motel room in Blenheim. We dashed to the shops for some bubbly and then began the long talks of ringing our nearest and dearest to tell them we were engaged. It was a long but joyous night.

Firefighting chopper

Starter fiancée

Main Course Fiancé

Celebrating

After lunch we set off to meet Jess’ friend from medical school Simon, his partner Sean and their friends from hospital in Christchurch (one of whom Justin, Jess worked with in Bristol - small world). On the way to meet them we stopped at Cloudy Bay for a tasting. While it looks impressive (recently bought by Moet Chandon) the wine on offer was incipid and boring. We then met the others at Allan Scott where we did a tasting and bought some of their sparkling rose. Our final stop was an organic produce called Fomm. They had a great range of reds and we bought a bottle of their natural Pinot Noir (no sulphate) which is drunk chilled.

Bike squad

Cloudy Bay

In the vines

All the drinking and biking had worked up an appetite so we retreated to Simons rental house for a BBQ. Tom was mainly successful with his cooking (the butterflied chicken was difficult) and we left well fed. After just about beating dusk on the race home we retreated to bed for a we earned rest.

Sean, Simon, Tom, Jess, Justin

We then headed off to Kaikōura which is between Blenheim and Christchurch on the East Coast. Lunch was what the Kiwis call crayfish, but is actually rock lobster. The area is famous for them and Kaikōura actually means “eat crayfish” in Maouri. Tom and I shared half the smallest one they had from a BBQ shack on the side of the beach.

“Crayfish”

We spent the evening wandering around Kaikōura. It’s a beautiful bay with big surrounding mountains. There was a big earthquake a few years ago which destroyed some of the central buildings, and so there are lots of cargo containers that have been put up as temporary shops and cafes. After some seafood chowder, we hit the hay.

Kaikōura

Dolphins leading our boat

As we got closer, we saw there were more and more animals in the water. At one point we were surrounded by 300 dolphins. Many of them leaping or flipping or swimming under the boat. It was unbelievable!!

Dusky dolphins are known for their acrobatics, sometimes doing 5 or more full flips in a row! There were also common dolphins and the really rare Hector’s dolphin. Which our guide said we were extremely lucky to spot!

Hector’s Dolphin

It was incredible. And once again, the nature luck came out for us!

Before we hit the road, we stopped off at the Kaikōura peninsular and seal colony. We spotted many seals playing in the waves on the dolphin tour - lovely to see.

Sunbathing seal

Next stop was Christchurch to stay with Simon and Sean. The road between Kaikōura and Christchurch was so beautiful along the coast, but unfortunately was mostly destroyed by the earthquake of 2016 so they are rebuilding it, meaning it’s slow going.

I didn’t visit Christchurch in 2012 when I came to New Zealand last as it was too soon after their 2 massive earthquakes in 2010 and 2011 which flattened 80% of the buildings in the city centre. The city is still very much in the midst of the recovery phase. There is still a lot of rubble, cornered off buildings, half collapsed buildings and new places being built. Simon lives in a newly built area in the centre. Luckily now all buildings have to be earthquake proof. They’ve built a lot of recreational spaces where there are empty plots. For example a mini golf course, the best play park I’ve ever seen, lots of parks and cycle lanes. They’ve also got some really amazing new restaurant and bar areas.

After watching the England vs France rugby, we headed out for a wander and some food and drinks. We settled in a street food court, with an eclectic mix of different nationalities of food under one roof. Moroccan Lamb pizza, pork dumplings, mac and cheese bites, teriyaki chicken - we had it all. Great to properly catch up with them and see what Christchurch has to offer.

Bye car

After a very relaxing day, we headed out for an explore of the city when the sun became a bit less strong. We saw the Botanical gardens and the Cathedral which is being rebuilt slowly.

Christchurch Cathederal

Botanical Rose Garden

Colourful street that survived the quake

We then headed an 1.5 hours out of Christchurch to the Akoroa Peninsular, where Tom had got Jess paddlebording by night for Christmas. Akoroa is a lovely little French settlement village. After a beautiful sunset, we hit the water on our modified paddle boards. They have LED light strips under the boards - in a range of colours. At night you can watch the sea life as it comes alive after dark. It was an amazing and very unique experience. Once again, the nature gods came out and we spotted not one, but 6 sting rays and more fish than our instructor had ever seen! He thinks it’s something to do with the warm weather and high tide.

The sting rays were about a meter across, and were so clear floating under our boards. As it was high tide, we were able to paddle up a little eastury on the side of the bay. There were loads of little (big) whitebaits which were attracted to the light and swarming around under our boards.

Towards the end of the session, the garfish came out in massive numbers and were jumping all over our boards! Tom even managed to get distracted by one and fall into the water....

Our new ride

To maximise our time on the North Island we immediately drove for the ferry at Picton. Other than a lunch stop it was 5hrs of driving while getting used to the size of the camper. Luckily it was all on one road with only a few roadabouts so we made it safely.

Cruising

Our 7pm ferry sailed through the Marlborough Sounds at sunset which was beautiful. The rest of the journey passed in darkness and we went into the cabin to watch movies in the cinema room. By the time we rolled off the ferry in Wellington it was 11pm and we were ready for bed. We decide to drive another hour north to a free camp ground near the highway and set up the van for our first night. The bed above the cab is much more comfortable than the tent and we have a proper duvet!

Bye bye South Island

Marlborough Sounds

Mount Ngauruhoe (Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings), Tongariro National Park

Our stop for the night was a small surf town called Raglan, which is on the coast west of Hamilton. Having not showers all day we made a beeline for the estuary and went for a quick swim. It was really shallow so more like wading and floating about. Refreshed, we grabbed a couple of ciders and watched the sunset from the edge of the village as two young guys did bombies off the pier. We had dinner back in the van, a couple of packets of premade Laksa. It was great to use the kitchen properly but not so great cleaning up after Tom.

Raglan estuary

Raglan sunset

Kitchen/dining with bedroom above

Goat Island

After a lovely swim and sunbathe, we drove to Matakana. A foodie, vineyard town with great little restaurants. We ate at an Asian style fish restaurant on the river which was lovely.

Dinner

We’ve pulled the tank up in a car park in Matakana for the night and are hoping we don’t get asked to move on!

Jess and Lisa

Food market

It was exciting walking around the city, knowing it was our new city and seeing all the sights. The sky tower can be seen from lots of areas, and the water all around the city makes it quite beautiful.

Sky tower and harbour

In the evening, we got some cheap tickets to see Auckland Blues vs Crusaders rugby in Eden Park (the home of the All Blacks). Auckland nearly won (so they lost...) which is what apparently always happens to them!

Eden Park

Since the weekends fun, we’ve mostly been house hunting and doing lots and lots of admin (and job hunting). We saw around 8 houses in all - in a range of standards and prices... But good news - we’ve signed for a house!! It’s a small flat below a big house in the quiet area of the city. I think it’s like the Clifton of Auckland. Lots of nice cafes and shops pretty close by, and the best news of all - there is a French market outside our door every Saturday and Sunday! So we’re going to be eating lots of cheese and baguettes... The other big plus is it’s only 10 mins walk from a beach and a swimming lagoon! We move in next Tuesday and it’s all furnished and ready to go - so we’re very excited!!

Red Dot is the new house (blue dot is where we are currently watching an old episode of Jonathan Creek)

Our new deck

New lounge

Other news, Jess very nearly has a visa. They’ve approved it but somehow the actual visa is lost in the ether of the email system.

We may not update again while our life is just work - sleep - eat French food - work, but if we go out on a fun trip or see amazing things we’ll post again.

Lots and lots of love from us in the land of the Kiwis xxx