New Zealand Part 2

Day 11: Whalewatching in Kaikoura

To conclude our journey along the east coast, we went on another whalewatching tour in rough waters, this time further out in the 1600m deep Pacific. Three times we were fortunate enough to see large sperm whales emerge from the black water before the grey giants went on their 40-60 minute dives. Despite the high waves, we enjoyed getting splashed at the bow while some others felt seasick.

A bit frozen and tired, we could warm up in the free hot tub at the campsite 😊.

Day 12: The next day, we traveled across the South Island to the west coast. Once again, passing by one beautiful scenery after another, this time mostly vast pasturelands.

Arriving in the small town of Westport, we settled into an idyllic campsite right by the sea and a spacious sandy beach, cooked, and enjoyed a good beer.

Day 13+14: Westcoast Roadtrip

Departing from Westport on the famous State Highway 6, our first stop was at the Pancake Rocks. These 35 million-year-old rocks got their name because someone once thought they looked like stacked pancakes. They were formed by weathering and erosion, as alternating layers of limestone and clay minerals stacked and hardened over time.

We made another stop at a vast sandy beach with dark gray sand and a seal colony. Only upon closer inspection could we distinguish the cute brown-gray animals from the rocks on which they lounged. Because they were too far away, I couldn't take a good photo.

Since Nico still had some energy left, we hiked the 1.5-hour-long "Point Elizabeth Walkway" along the coast near Greymouth through a subtropical forest with lots of ferns, moss, and Nikau palms. By the way, there are more than 170 species of ferns in NZ, the Silver Fern being particularly well-known, as it made it onto the jersey of the national rugby team.

The evening program consisted of a tour and tasting at a 150-year-old New Zealand brewery (Monteith's). The New Zealanders can brew delicious beer too! Our tour guide Brodie, initially very reserved and quiet, blossomed during the tour and cracked one joke after another. By the way, according to his experience, we Europeans are the worst when it comes to drinking 😂.

After spending the night at a very cute and peaceful campsite with the sound of the sea in the background, we went to a café for breakfast in the morning to spare ourselves the cleaning and dishwashing in the camper van.

The subsequent drive towards the mountains and glaciers was once again a breathtaking sightseeing tour.

Day 15: Sunrise, Panorama, and Mud

The original plan for a hike at the base of the Franz Josef or Fox Glaciers was thwarted by natural forces. The trails were partially washed away by heavy storms and unfortunately closed for the next 8 weeks. Therefore, we had to change our plans and found a very appealing alternative program.

Based on the recommendation of the information center, we got up very early and began our walk toward Lake Matheson to watch the sunrise with a view of the lake and the mountains (Mount Tasman + Mount Cook). The water was so calm that we could see the reflections crystal-clear. The view looked like a Bob Ross painting! 😉 As the fog slowly glided over the water, the first rays of sunlight colored the mountain peaks orange-pink. It was as picturesque as it sounds!

The subsequent forest walk to the nearby Lake Gault felt more like pioneering work, as the track had only opened a week ago. We were probably among the first to walk this path, as it was untouched, muddy, and challenging.

Right at the beginning, I slipped into a creek bed with one foot, and then continued the rest of the hike with a wet and chattering right foot 🙄.

The tour was not only exhausting due to the distance and elevation gain but also because every step required full concentration to avoid slipping.

The destination was well worth every drop of sweat and mud stain. We were rewarded with a beautiful mountain panorama at Lake Gault.

Except for a fan-tailed bird that accompanied us almost the entire way, we were completely alone. A beautiful untouched landscape!

Most tourists take a helicopter for 250 euros or more to go up to the Fox Glacier and take a 20-minute walk in the snow. These tours run every minute and are offered by different companies - outrageous considering that the glacier is already retreating due to climate change. Since this solution seemed too perverse and much too expensive to us, we left the glacier region behind.

Day 16: Roys Peak, Lake Region, and Overcrowded Campsite in Wanaka

The next ambitious hike was on the agenda. Originally, it was 8 km uphill to Roys Peak and the same distance back downhill. The viewpoint at the end of the hike is one of New Zealand's most popular photo spots.

Due to a well-known monthly performance decrease in women, I had to reluctantly and somewhat annoyed give up after 5 km and 800 meters of elevation gain. Hmpf...

The consolation prize was an already fantastic view of Lake Wanaka at our turning point.

While Nico energetically hopped ahead on the way down, I trudged along in a slightly dampened mood. You can probably imagine the picture quite well.

On our joint journey so far, the campground here in Wanaka was the first one that was really overcrowded, uncomfortable, and dirty. Therefore, we quickly fled from here and drove to Omarama.

In Omarama, there is not much more than a campground, two restaurants, a gas station, and a supermarket, which is why we quickly moved on the next day.