Author Archives: Kelsey

Now that I’m back home, I finally have time to catch up on the last blog posts from our New Zealand trip.  Sorry for the delayed posting!

After arriving in Picton, we stayed the night and then were leaving the South Island via the Interislander ferry the next morning.  The ferry runs between Picton and Wellington, the capitol of New Zealand.  It was a cloudy and rainy day, so we were happy to sit inside for the three hour ferry ride.  Once we arrived in Wellington Harbour, the ferry had to wait for a few minutes because there was actually a Southern Right whale that had been living in the harbor for the last few days.  We watched the whale in front of the ferry until it swam away and we were able to go in to the marina.

On the ferry

Once in Wellington, we checked into our hotel, where we were in a townhouse-style apartment with three floors- Lindsey and I even got our own rooms!  The main thing on my checklist to see in Wellington was Te Papa, the museum of New Zealand.  So, we walked over in the rain and wind and got pretty soaked on the way over.  We had about three hours until the museum was closing and I wanted to see as much as possible, so we started at the top floor and worked our way back down.

The top floor was mainly art exhibits, and I listened to a bit of the audio tour and learned about how a lot of the art was inspired by Maori culture.  A lot of the art was very colorful, which I enjoyed.  Then, we headed down to the next floor that had exhibits about the Treaty of Waitangi and Maori culture.  There were lots of artifacts, videos, and even buildings to show different aspects of Maori life, which was really interesting.  The next floor had an exhibit about how the landscape of New Zealand has changed since the Maori arrived and then since Europeans arrived.  We ended the afternoon by going through the exhibit on the lowest floor that was about the Battle of Gallipoli.   Unc was excited about this exhibit so he had gone ahead of us and spent more time there.  Throughout the exhibit, there were huge lifelike statues with scenes from the battle.  They were really incredible to look at since they were so realistic, but on about twice as big a scale.

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After the museum closed, we left and went for dinner nearby.  That night we had a relaxing night so we could get up early the next day and begin our adventures on the North Island.

After leaving Fox Glacier, we traveled north to Hokitika and then Greymouth, where the TranzAlpine Train would take us back to Christchurch, completing our loop around the South Island.  However, in Hokitika I had read about a small place called the National Kiwi Centre that I thought might be fun to stop by since we had a little extra time.  Kiwis are, of course, one animal that I really wanted to see in New Zealand, but since they are nocturnal they can be hard to find in the wild.  At the National Kiwi Centre they had a nocturnal room with only dim red lights where you could go and watch for kiwis in their enclosure.  There was also an aquarium portion of the center, but we didn’t spend much time there since we were so excited to see the kiwis.  We did see a tuatara, though, which is New Zealand’s “prehistoric reptile” since they’ve been around for over two hundred million years.

There were two kiwis in the enclosure and we could see both, but one was much more active and came closer to us.  We decided to call her Kiki the kiwi and loved watching her run back and forth by the glass, peck at the ground, and fluff up her feathers.  The other kiwi, who we called Floyd, was much bigger (females are generally bigger, but he was overweight) and not as active.  He mostly stuck towards the back of the enclosure, so we only saw him from a distance before he went back into his little house.  We couldn’t take any photos in there, so you’ll just have to believe me- they were really cute!  Kiwis are flightless birds, so their wings are vestigial and so small you can’t see them.  So, they look like just bodies with legs and a head running around, kind of like Mr. Potato Head missing some parts.

This is what the kiwis we saw looked like!

After leaving Hokitika, we kept going north to Greymouth, where we stopped at Monteith’s Brewing Company for lunch.  Then, we dropped off our rental car and got on the train back to Christchurch.  This train goes through the Southern Alps and Arthur’s Pass, so the ride is very scenic.  Along the way there was commentary that told us about the different areas across the South Island and the history that goes along with them.  After about four hours on the train, the sun had set and we reached Christchurch, where we had a relaxing evening at our hotel and dinner at a nearby restaurant.  Here are some photos from the TranzAlpine Train:

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The next morning we woke up in Queenstown and were able to actually see the town in the daylight for once.  We had a beautiful view of Lake Wakatipu and the surrounding mountains from our apartment.  There was also the most incredible sunrise I have ever seen.  The sky and clouds were all bright pink and orange as the sun was coming up and we all got some great pictures and were able to watch the sky while eating breakfast.

Queenstown sunrise

Then, we got on the road and headed out towards the west coast.  We went through Haast Pass, one of the three ways to cross through the Southern Alps, and stopped at the Blue Pools.  There, we only had to walk a short distance to a bridge over a river running into a pool that had such clear blue water.  It was so bright and looked beautiful, even on this cloudy day.  I’m sure it was really cold, but if it was warmer out it would have been tempting to swim.  On the bank of the pool there were lots of smooth, flat rocks, and people had stacked them into little piles.  We decided to make one of our own before heading out and continuing on our journey.

Our next stop was at Fox Glacier.  We followed the directions from the guide book, but the walk we planned to do was closed, so we had to do a much shorter version to a lookout.  From there, we could see the glacier, but in my opinion it was a bit underwhelming.  It was pretty amazing that we were walking through a rainforest with tropical plants and everything, and still able to see snow capped mountains and a glacier, though.

Fox Glacier

After this walk, we drove over to Lake Matheson to see that before the sun was setting.  This is a lake that is known for being a perfectly smooth surface that has an amazing reflection of Mount Cook and Mount Tasman.  Mount Cook is the tallest mountain in New Zealand, and last time I was somewhere where I could have seen it, it was too foggy.  We walked the loop track around the lake and took some great photos.

Then, we were all happy to go check into our motel and get some dinner in the small town by Fox Glacier.  After dinner, I wanted to go check out the Minnehaha Walk through the forest where I heard you can see glow worms.  It was only a twenty minute walk, but in the dark it was a bit scary.  We didn’t want too much light so we could see the glow worms but Mom and Lindsey led the way with a flash light and soon enough we did see many glow worms on the trees all around the path.  It was a pretty cool to see them, although I think everyone was happy to get back out of the dark forest.

We got picked up super early from Queenstown and were taken on a bus down to Fiordland.  It takes about four hours to drive there even though on a map they are pretty close because the only way to get there is to go down and around the mountains.  Our bus driver was very funny and knowledgeable, though, and he made the trip entertaining and interesting by telling us about the areas we were going through and about New Zealand in general.  Along the way we made a few stops including Te Anau (a town next to the second biggest lake in New Zealand), the Mirror Lakes, and a small freezing cold stream where we got to see Kea birds up close.

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Once we got to Milford Sound, we got onto our boat from the company Mitre Peak.  It was a smaller boat than that of a lot of the other companies, so we were able to get a lot closer to the waterfalls and other sights.  I was worried that it was going to be raining since it rains two out of every three days in Fiordland, but it was actually completely clear and sunny.  On the boat, we went out through the fjords and got to see several waterfalls and other points of interest.  We could even see the fault line that separates the east and west sides of the South Island.  On the way back we got very close to some rocks and got to see fur seals.  They were adorable!

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The last part of the tour was really funny.  We were going by a waterfall and getting very close, so they wanted everyone to know that if you are standing at front of the boat you will get wet.  They said over the speakers, “There is no way to express how wet you will get.”  Everyone quickly got back inside, leaving only Dad.  He had put on his rain pants and coat and got the GoPro.  He stood at the front of the boat as it got super close and he quickly was blasted with mist and got soaking wet.  Everyone inside was watching him, laughing and asking if he was dared to do it.  He was able to quickly dry off though, and I hope the video will come out cool.

After we got back off the boat at Milford Sound, it was time to drive back to Queenstown.  This time, we only stopped at Te Anau, so it didn’t take as long.  Once we got back in town, we went and got dinner and then for dessert went back to the Cookie Time Cookie Bar for some yummy treats.

Since Unc reached us a day late, we had to combine the first two days of our road trip into one.  That meant it would be a full, busy day, but doable.  We left Christchurch and headed south, stopping at another famous pie shop in Fairlie for a mid-morning snack.  Then, we continued on to Lake Tekapo, where I went on the Physsoc trip at the end of my break.  The water there is such a bright, clear blue color that it is not to be missed, and it was along the way, so we could stop there without losing too much time.  The Church of the Good Shepherd is a picturesque stone church right next to the lake, so we stopped to take a few photos before continuing on.

We kept driving towards Wanaka, passing by Lake Pukaki and about four different rainbows.  Once we got to Wanaka we drove through the town and went to Roys Peak, a day hike that I’d heard has one of the best views in the South Island.  It was supposed to take about six hours to go up and down, and we only had about four until the sun was setting, so we walked quickly.  It was very steep at first, but the middle was not as bad.  There were several sheep and cows along the way as well.  As we got nearer to the top, it got muddier and then we reached the area where there was snow on the ground.  It also started to get cloudier around the top of the mountain, so for a bit the beautiful view was hidden.

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As we got nearer to the lookout point at the top, we thought the view wouldn’t get any better because of the clouds, so we stopped to take pictures while we could.  But, just as we turned around, the clouds started to part and a perfect opening was created so we could see Lake Wanaka, the town, and the surrounding mountains.  It definitely was one of my favorite views I’ve seen here and I was so glad we did this hike.

Mom, Dad, and Lindsey decided to head back down from this point, but since we were only about a half hour walk from the lookout point, I wanted to finish the hike so Unc and I continued on.  We got up to the top and the sun was just starting to set, so that combined with the hazy clouds around us made the view amazing.  We quickly started back down so we wouldn’t have to walk in the dark too long.  We ended up getting back down to the car park in about four and a half hours, so we made good time on this hike.  We all stood out and admired the stars for a couple minutes (you can see so many more here than back in the US) and then drove the last distance to Queenstown, where we were staying the night.

On our last day before leaving to travel around the rest of New Zealand, we went for a hike in the Port Hills in the morning.  It was a sunny morning, so going to hike Bridle Path was a nice way to get outside.  It’s a short walk, but steep so I don’t think Mom, Dad, and Lindsey were quite prepared for the difficulty.  But, once we got to the top the view is worth it.  We walked over towards the gondola station and went inside to the cafe to eat lunch.  Then, we headed back down the way we came up.

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In the afternoon it was supposed to rain, so we had gotten tickets to the International Antarctic Centre, which I had actually visited with friends just the week before.  It is a really well done museum though, so I was happy to go back.  There is an Antarctic storm simulator, a Haggland ride (the vehicles they use in Antarctica), a 4D movie theater, exhibits about Antarctica, and a penguin enclosure.  We got to watch a penguin feeding, which was super cute.  The penguins at the Antarctic Centre are ones that cannot be released back into the wild, so some have to be hand fed while others can be fed from the water.  Some are White Flippered Penguins (like the one I saw in Akaroa) and some are Little Blue Penguins.  Both, are some of the smallest penguins in the world and can only be found around the coast of New Zealand.

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After we had stayed until just about the close of the Antarctic Centre, we went to pick up Unc at the airport.  He had to come a day later than he had originally planned, but he did eventually make it to us.  For dinner, we went to C1 Espresso, a restaurant that I had also visited earlier with friends but is so cool I had to go back.  You get your food in pneumatic tubes like at the bank, and can watch it fly through from the kitchen to your table.  There are also several other unique parts to the restaurant, like in the bathrooms, where you have to walk through a moving bookshelf to get in and then Harry Potter is being read aloud over the speakers.  The water is also dispensed through an old sewing machine.  Dad ordered a color changing iced tea, which came with beakers to drink out of and a syringe of magic syrup that made it change from blue to purple.  After having a fun dinner, we all were tired so we went home and went right to bed.

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On Saturday we decided to take a day trip out towards Arthur’s Pass.  There were a couple spots that I had been to before that I wanted to show Mom, Dad, and Lindsey, and I thought if we had extra time we could fit in another short walk.  First, we stopped at the Sheffield Pie Shop, which is famous for their meat pies.  Since it was the morning, we decided to try to come back on the way home for meat pies and just stick to other baked goods.

On the drive to Arthur’s Pass

Then, we went to Castle Hill, the area covered with huge limestone rocks.  You can look back at my past blog post to compare pictures from then versus now.  This time, there was a bit of snow on the ground, so it was definitely more difficult to climb up the hill and onto some of the rocks.  It was still fun to explore for a bit, though, and it was fun to watch some kids trying to sled down the little bit of snow that was on the ground.

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After Castle Hill, we drove a few minutes down the road to Cave Stream.  We got out and walked down the path so we could see the cave and stream, but it would have been much too cold to do the full walk, so we just went to check it out.

Cave Stream, but with snow this time

Next, we had a little more time in the afternoon so we drove further to Arthur’s Pass and did the walk to Devil’s Punchbowl Falls.  This is a walk that takes about half an hour to a waterfall.  It looked like it had snowed recently and was like a winter wonderland.  The stairs were a bit slippery at times, but when we made it to the falls it was totally worth it.  We spent some time admiring the waterfall and then headed back the same way we came.

On the way back to Christchurch, we stopped at Sheffield again to get some meat pies.  I had an apple pie and Mom, Dad, and Lindsey all tried their first New Zealand meat pies.  When we got back, we all showered and changed and then headed back to University of Canterbury to have dinner with a few of my friends.  My friend Dingding taught us how to make dumplings and we got to help her finish up cooking some Chinese food and Thomas had made Pavlova for dessert.  I was glad to introduce a few of my friends to my family and see them one last time before leaving.

Homemade Pavlova

Homemade dumplings

Mom, Dad, and Lindsey arrived in Christchurch later on Thursday than they had originally planned, but Unc’s flights were also somewhat delayed so we had three full days in Christchurch before we would be leaving on our tour around New Zealand.  On Friday, we woke up and went for brunch at a nearby restaurant and then drove to the University of Canterbury campus so I could show them around.  We walked through all the buildings that I spent time in (the engineering core, the new science building, the library, etc.) and then made a loop around campus and ended back at my apartment.  I turned in my room key and said goodbye to the Ilam Apartments.

Next, we parked back at our VRBO home and decided to walk through Hagley Park and the city center, which were very close by.  Many of the flowers are not in bloom and the trees don’t have leaves right now, but the park is still really beautiful and we enjoyed walking around.  Then, we came out on the other side of the park and walked through the city center to Cathedral Square, where the old cathedral still stands even after being severely damaged in the earthquake.  We then made our way over to the new “Cardboard Cathedral” and the nearby playground where we had fun trying out the ziplines, trampolines, and huge slides that are still fun for adults.  There were quite a few interesting buildings that we saw along the way as well.

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That night, we drove to Lyttelton, where there was a Festival of Lights to celebrate Matariki, the Maori new year.  There was quite a bit of traffic, so we ended up missing a couple performances, but were in time for the fireworks.  After the fireworks show, we ate dinner at a nearby restaurant and then walked down the street to check out all the food stands and performances that were part of the festival.

During the last week of exams, my friends and I had a few days between exams so we decided to rent a car and go on a day trip to Akaroa, which is on Banks Peninsula.  It took us about two hours total to get there, but we took the scenic route and stopped to take pictures and do a short hike up to a lookout.  It was a beautiful drive, even though it was pretty cloudy and foggy.  We could see the mountains and harbors on both sides of the peninsula.

Once we got to Akaroa, we walked through the town, which was very cute.  We stopped at a fish and chips shop for lunch and then Bryn, Brian, and I went to get on a Nature Cruise that we had gotten tickets for.  We got on the boat and they took us out in Akaroa Harbour and then out into the Pacific Ocean, pointing out any wildlife that we saw along the way.

First, we saw a White Flippered Penguin, which was really exciting.  Ever since I came to New Zealand, seeing a penguin in the wild has been at the top of my bucket list, so I was glad to finally check that off.  The White Flippered Penguin is one of the smallest species of penguin (hence why it’s so hard to see in pictures) and they can only be found in this area in Canterbury.

Next, a bunch of Hector’s Dolphins came around the boat.  They swam right up next to us and even jumped out of the water.  They are the smallest and rarest species of dolphin, so it was also special to see them as they came up so close to the boat.  Here’s a video that Bryn took on her GoPro:

After the dolphins swam away we kept going and went closer to the rocks at the edge of the peninsula.  The whole area was created by volcanoes, so the volcanic rock is pretty interesting, especially for Brian, who is a geology student.  On some of the rocks we saw fur seals.  They were hard to spot because they blend into the rocks, but when they began waddling around we could easily see them.  The little seal pups were so cute!

After two hours on the nature cruise, we got back to Akaroa and met up with Kaelyn and Heather who had been shopping and exploring the town while we were on the boat.  We drove back towards Christchurch and stopped at Birdlings Flat beach, where there are tons of different colored rocks.  We had fun looking for especially pretty colored ones and enjoying the sunset.  Then, we got back in the car and drove the rest of the way back to UC.