New Zealand - Week of November 3, 2024
Welcome to the first full week in New Zealand. Great to have you join me in this past week's adventure. I started the week in Auckland (North Island), ending the week in Timaru (South Island) with a whole bunch of adventure and activities in the middle.
An important personal observation from this week's activities is I really need to slow down my pace. My mind is busy working out efficiencies in my travel planning. For example, I think I'm going to end up zig zagging my way along the South Island's eastern side in order to enjoy both the mountains and the coast.
As good as I think I am about living in the moment, I have a significant distance to go truly be present. Quality vs quantity. Perhaps, with the three months in New Zealand, I can achieve both outcomes. The transition from 'doing' to 'being' is a journey all on its own. We shall see the progress I make over the weeks ahead.
Please bear with me as I relearn how to format my blog for your ease of reading. houAppears to have a mind of its own at times.
The weather throughout the week has been a mix of sunny and cloudy/cool days - spring like conditions. The one key blessing is the absence of rain meaning all the outdoor related activities can continue. I'm watching the west coast weather closely as driving up the coast is on my planned itinerary for the week of November 17. Lots of rain, flooding and overall miserable conditions to report right now.
Travel Administration: For those interested in pursuing international travel, there is a short section at the end of this week's blog focused on acquiring and using SIM cards, after all what is life without your phone?! Blissful - one potential answer?
Travel Maps
International Travel: This link opens a Google Map which tracks my travel between countries along with the associated travel dates - International Travel
Domestic Travel: This link opens a Google Map which tracks my travel within New Zealand. I'll be updating this map weekly to provide you with additional context to what I describe in my blog. I hope this additional info helps you navigate the country with me. New Zealand - Domestic Travel
Auckland Airport - Domestic Terminal
I'm off to Christchurch on Monday, November 4 to start my six week South Island adventure which I now know requires a rental vehicle I have yet to book (and reconcile driving on the immoral side of the road). The joys of living in the moment. Simplest way to the airport - ignore Google Maps and walk two blocks from the hotel to the bus stop. Two transfers later - bus to train; train to airport bus and I was at the airport within 45 minutes. Managed to keep track of all my possessions this time.
Auckland Transit - I forgot to mention last week a couple gems that happened using public transit. Gem 1 - meeting Mel, the bus driver who grew up in Luzon, Philippines; emigrating to New Zealand. I started chatting with Mel regarding his singing while he was driving and about the month I traveled in the Philippines. By the time, I disembarked we had introduced ourselves, shook hands and wished each other well. Gem 2 - I goofed up on my ferry trip to Waiheke Island. Yes, I paid $59 for my ticket AND I tapped off with my AT HOP card - paying double for the ride. The Auckland Transit Customer Service staff at the Britomart train station were amazing in helping to refund the $27.50 (one way ferry fare).
I experienced several interesting conversations from the time I was standing at the bus stop to the time I ended up in my Christchurch hotel room for the evening. Here's a 'quick' synopsis of
- While waiting for the bus, a couple walking by decided to stop and chat after we exchanged pleasantries. I learned the woman had been to Canada many years ago. During her time in Canada she was required to drive as her ex-husband has suffered a stroke. We talked for about 10 minutes about Canada before the couple resumed their walk.
- Met a young couple from France who were just returning to France after spending 18 months touring and working (ski industry) in New Zealand. How did they choose New Zealand? Simple - the guy decided to tag along with his friend who was heading to New Zealand; she was a a happy companion!
- Waiting in the long JetStar check-in line, I started chatting with Tracy and her daughter - initially about how long the line was. They were both going to Christchurch at about the same time - just on different airlines. Tracy had traveled Canada during her five years living in London so we had a host of common travel experiences to share. Pls refer to Convo #5 below for more...
- I had the gift of sitting next to Ben on the plane. He started the ball rolling by offering a Hi Chew candy. Ben works with young people who have disabilities and legal issues requiring them to be in a 'controlled' environment. I have the greatest respect and admiration for anyone who choses to support others with these types of challenges. We chatted about traveling, exchanging contact info so Ben could follow this blog (Hi Ben!). Ben also gave me the last of his Hi Chew candy when I asked to see the package so I could buy my own!
- Tracy Reprise - While I was waiting for my suitcase I approached Tracy's daughter to have express my apologies to her mom for rudely darting off to the service counter in Auckland without saying good-bye. Her daughter said I could do that myself as Tracy was sitting behind us. I know Tracy's name because she gave me her business card and said to get in touch with her when I returned to Christchurch after my road trip.
- The Apron Cafe - I met Shelly (cafe shop owner), Kelly (realtor) and Eric (home builder) when I walked into the cafe (near my hotel) to investigate the breakfast menu. All three were sitting at a table when I entered. Shelly was quick to greet me. Kelly shared her business card along with a couple important travel tips I'll share next week. Kelly mentioned she'd be reading the blog and suggested we connect at The Apron when I return to Christchurch. I dropped by The Apron daily last week to speak with Shelly. Eric is the only one who I just know through the one convo in the cafe, at this point.
Shelly - The Apron Cafe owner
My new friend
The Apron Cafe Menu
Christchurch
What a beautiful city! Hagley Park (Hagley Park), somewhat like New York's Central Park, is in the heart of the city with the most beautiful Botanical Gardens. The Avon River flows through the city centre brining nature into the Central Business District (CBD). The river provides the option of riding in a boat on the river (punting), a serene place to enjoy food and drink as well as just watch the world go by.
Lest We Forget
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| Remembrance Day memorial along Durham St N. - CBD (10 min walk from hotel) |
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| Bridge of Remembrance |
Botanic Gardens
The Botanic Gardens, within Hagley Park, was another 10 minute walk from my hotel. Yes, it seems many places I wanted to visit were within a ten minute walk. Fortuitous planning! Was a beautiful afternoon when I ventured into the park. It's late spring in New Zealand so everything is green and flowers are in bloom.
Would you be surprised to learn that I met a couple from Tasmania while taking a photo of the massive tree in this photo series? What made this couple special was that they know someone I had met when I was traveling in Tasmania about 12 years ago. I had stopped at a bakery in a small town while driving back to Hobart, the state capital. The bakery owner took me on a tour of his restored windmill in a field across from the bakery. He was grinding flour for his bakery which served the local community as well as supplying for businesses in Sydney and surrounding area. Well, this couple know this guy and all the work he has done to restore the windmill which involved getting parts from Europe and/or machining his own parts when unable to source.
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| Small chicks I've ever seen in nature |
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| Tree where I met the Tasmanian couple |
Avon River
The Avon River flows the Christchurch's CBD. As you can see below, you can step into a serene natural setting within the downtown core. I also learned a new term - punting. A punt is a flat-bottomed boat that one can hire to glide gracefully and effortlessly on the Avon. The locals go all out by having the the punt piloted by a person in Edwardian attire. Shades of being in Venice.
Walkways and bicycle paths line the river (and the entire road network). Have to watch out for the bicycles as they can appear from nowhere and everywhere when you are least expected it.
Car Rental
I was on a mission to find a rental car once I arrived in Christchurch. I also decided I should try to make arrangements in person. Research indicated that Bargain Car Rentals was the best option. Armed with my trusty bus pass I set out to the closest location I found on Google Maps. Turns out it's a ghost location, as the guy at the used car lot pointed out, so I now spend a few extra minutes reading reviews.
A few hours later I was at the Bargain Car Rental location near the airport. The agent was very helpful. I learned that trying to rent a car for longer than two weeks was a non-starter. The second piece of info he shared, that because of the summer demand, the likely cost for what I wanted was just under $300 NZD/day plus insurance (~ $180 USD or $240 CAD). He suggested that I go to the airport and canvas the various car rental companies for the best rate given most of the locations where in the same general area. He also unsuccessfully checked to see if someone at their location could give me a lift. Off I went to find my bus to continue my car rental adventure.
On my way to the bus stop I noticed the YITU Car Rental booth (below) in the back of a BP service station. I decided to take a chance and see what was available. Well, my friends, the universe was kind to me one more time - especially in light of what I had learned at the Bargain Car Rental location. It happened one of the car rental company owners was filling in for the manager on Tuesday. I was able to rent the 2016 RAV4 below for five weeks at a 20% discount given the extended rental period - all in for less than $90 NZD/day.
I picked the car up last Thursday and made my first road trip to Akaroa; about a 90 minute drive. Lots to think about when driving in New Zealand. Most importantly, drive on the opposite side of the road, watch out for the cyclists, figure out what Google Maps is telling me (what seems the last minute) and while soaking in the beautiful surroundings.
BTW - cost of petrol (gasoline) is ~ $2.50 NZD/liter - about $2.05/liter CAD or $5.65 USD/US gallon. Ouch!
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| Wondering if you would have stopped at this car rental office? |
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| RAV4 with about 92,000 km. |
Dental Mission
I also had a mission to find a dentist as I needed to fix a crown on my front right tooth that had decided to come loose in early October. Being the wise guy I am, I decided to delay finding a permanent solution and had the crown recemented in place. All I need to do is avoid biting down on the crown when I'm eating - one step away from sipping on pureed meals. So much easier to have dental work while traveling, right? So easy to find a dentist who is available at the last minute for a consultation, right?
The universe has, in its benevolence, determined I should keep the dream alive to fix my crown. I was able to find a dentist, within 10 minutes walking, who was available at 12:15 pm on Thursday. Jess, at the first Lumino location I stopped at, pointed me in the direction of the Cambridge Terrace location when she was unable to find a suitable time. Thank you Jess!
I've requested my dental records from MidWest Dental in Eau Claire be sent to Lumino The Dentists so Dr. Claire can formulate a treatment plan. I also met Liz, Nessa and Hayley who have now become part of the journey. I had to return to the dental office on Friday to pay the outstanding $2 I owed for my Thursday visit. I had the most wonderful convo with Nessa and Hayley including where I should stop (Woodend Bakery for pies and Veges Direct for ice cream) on my upcoming trip to Hamner Springs. Hayley introduced me to Roadie, an app that has destination highlights along with contributors' comments. I've now shared this blog with the dental office team which, as it turned out, was something both Hayley and Nessa were interested in following. Welcome to the adventure!
Sweet Tooth
Sumner (Sumner)
My bus trip to Sumner on Wednesday morning was sparked by Ben's comment that I should check out the dining in the small town by the sea. I have an affinity to be by water so off I went on the bus. I had the best walk on the beach on a sunny day. As I was leaving the beach, I met Mark who was responsible to helping construction vehicles access the the beach walkway (Esplanade) that was under construction AND keep pedestrians, like me, safe. We shared stories about our favorable impression of being in the USA and Americans in general. He mentioned I should check out the Riverside Market in Christchurch - which turned out to be a great place in the downtown area for any type of food you'd like to enjoy! I also met Barbara, a local Redcliff resident, while I was enjoying my coffee. I learned about her life and her children. She did create some family grief when she moved to Australia when her daughter was having her first child. All is good now that Barbara has returned to fulfill her grandparenting responsibilities. She wouldn't let me leave without her travel advice - visit Akoroa and where she grew up north of Auckland.
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| Sumner beach - looking north |
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| Sumner beach - north |
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| Sumner beach - about mid point |
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| Sumner beach - looking south I was unable to capture the people hang gliding just above the houses |
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| I asked Anna to make my coffee with a little extra love... |
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| Beachside cafe where love is dispensed in every cup of coffee |
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| I blanked on what this road sign meant |
Gondola Ride/Lyttelton (Lyttelton)
I set off on the bus for the Gondola ride on Wednesday afternoon. Unfortunately, there was clouds moving in from the ocean so the views were obscured. The best views were looking into Christchurch and the port of Lyttelton on the opposite side of the hill. Lyttelton was an eight minute bus ride from the gondola.
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| Looking towards where gondola departs from |
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| Looking up to the gondola terminus |
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| Lyttelton Harbour |
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| Lyttelton Harbour |
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| Counting sheep begins - all 35 million of them |
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| Christchurch |
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| Sheep count is now at 8 |
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| Lyttelton - main street |
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| Gondola - view from Lyttelton |
Akaroa (Akaroa)
My first destination driving my car was Akaroa - a quaint village that the French has settled long ago. As I previously mentioned, the trip was about 90 minutes one way. When I rented my car I was fussed with having an engine with enough power to navigate the mountains. My Tasmanian car rental was somewhat underpowered so I had moments where I thought the car was going to stall going up steep grades. After going up and down the hills (7 km stretch uphill and 7 km downhill) to reach Akaroa, I should have been equally concerned about the brakes for the down hill journey.
A key point of interest for me on the way to Akaroa was Barry's Bay Cheese location given my time in Wisconsin. The woman behind the counter was completely fluent about Wisconsin being the cheese capital in the US.
Key selling points in all of these 'quaint' small towns is eating, drinking and shopping. Well, there is only so much I can eat and the drinking and shopping are out for me. My photos tend to focus on the surroundings as opposed to meals and items I may see in stores. Tbere are always exceptions - like the cheese store.
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| Cheese is simply divine in New Zealand as well! |
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| Cheese heaven |
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| Harbour beach |
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| Harbour beach |
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| More Akaroa harbour |
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| One last harbour view |
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| French influence remains |
Hamner Springs (Hamner Springs)
Friday's road trip was to the Hamner Springs to soak in the thermal hot springs, that is, once I settled up my $2 debt with the dentist. The drive is 135 km or just over two hours. The trip becomes very scenic in the last 70 kms as you drive into the mountains, away from the coast.
The first stop was Woodend Bakery to purchase a pie for lunch. Hayley's recommendation; she is so right. Fresh, loads of filling and a great pastry crust. Mouth watering in the display case - delicious to the last morsel! Different type of dessert pies we commonly buy in Canada or USA. These pies have little meals with different fillings including steak, chicken, lamb, vegetables - you name the ingredients!
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| Home of the best pies in New Zealand |
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| My choice - Steak and Bacon with cheese |
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| So many pies to choose from |
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| Hamner Springs thermal pools |
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| Beautiful setting - notice the mountains in background |
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| Something for everyone |
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| More info for those who need to know |
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| Entrance |
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| One lane bridge leading to Hamner Springs |
At the Hamner Springs pools, I was blessed to meet Caylah, the lifeguard, who was helpful in distinguishing between the thermal and fresh water pools - key difference is you keep your head above water in the thermal pool. She also pointed out each pool had a different temperature range - just pick the water temperature you prefer. She also informed me, that in addition to a different spelling for her name, an 'h' was tacked on the end because her mother, Sara, was upset with the fact the 'h' was missing from her name. Oh, the things one learns about others.
About nine kms before Hamner Springs was a viewpoint over the Waiau River. Darn transmission lines messed up having a clear view of the river with mountains in the background. Spectacular view!
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| Waiau River |
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| Happy customer! |
I had to stop at Veges Direct, in Woodend (same place as the Bakery), on the return to Christchurch to sample what Nessa had shared was the best ice cream in New Zealand. And Nessa is absolutely right. Another example of where I would have driven by a location without ever thinking of stopping for ice cream.
Lillian created the best raspberry ice cream (Tip Top ice cream) in the world. She delivered on her promise to make me the greatest ice cream ever! We talked about her repeating this work of art when I pass through on my return to Christchurch in a few weeks. Fingers crossed that the stars align!
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| Store front |
Rakaia Gorge (Rakaia Gorge Walkway)
Now that I had two short excursions from Christchurch under my belt, Saturday morning was the time to start the grand road trip around the South Island. I was using another person's travel blog for ideas on key stops I should consider. The added travel I was considering was how to work in traveling on the coastal highway while also traveling through the mountains. Stay tuned as we capture how I manage to work those conflicting travel itineraries.
First stop, after an hour's drive, was Rakaia Gorge. I headed off for about an hour's hike along the river to capture these photos. Breathtaking - photos and the hike, haha!
On the way to Lake Tekapo
The following photos were taken at about the halfway point to Lake Tekapo - my second stop on Saturday. Enjoy the Southern Alps. Bet you're noticing the snow on the mountain tops in the background.
Lake Tekapo (Lake Tekapo)
Saturday's last stop was Lake Tekapo - famous for its crystal blue water, the flowering lupins in spring, and the mountains in the background. The Church of the Good Shepherd sits on the shoreline with the window behind the altar perfectly framing the mountains in the background. You need to take my word on this framing as, sorry, no photos allowed within the church.
There are limited activities, other than marvelling at the view, at Lake Tekapo.
My final destination was Timaru on the coast for the night - about 90 minutes drive.
Travel Administration - SIM Cards
An important travel consideration staying in touch while traveling. Roaming charges are prohibitive. My preferred approach is to secure a local SIM card (physical) which, in most instances, is much cheaper than in Canada. I typically over purchase data (10GB) so I have enough for Google Maps as I travel between wifi locations and should an emergency arise. Wifi has been consistently available to minimize the need for data. I also rely on WhatsApp for calls when I'm traveling along with FaceTime and imessaging.
I've used Google to research the SIM card offerings available in each country I'm traveling to. I typically compare (triangulate) two or three different recommendations to find the best option for my needs. Most SIM cards can be purchased at the international airport you arrive at albeit you can expect to pay a bit more for the convenience. It's good to have your passport handy, if required. I bought my New Zealand SIM card without providing any personal information. The agent installed the card, helped me set up the app and I was on my way to self-managing my account. Getting a SIM Card in India, as a foreigner, is the exact opposite. It was expected to take at least five business days and I would need to provide a retinal scan and a fingerprint along with my passport information.
I wanted to try using eSIM (Airalo) on this trip as it would save me the effort of working with exchanging a physical SIM card. Sadly, my phone is incapable of hosting the eSIM. I've used Airalo as an example based on a recommendation from a fellow traveller when I was in Costa Rica last October. There are many other companies who offer similar services - suggest you do your research for what best suits your needs.
Next Week
Thank you for joining me for last week's adventures. In the week ahead, I'm starting in Timaru, heading south along the coast before driving to Mount Cook. Should be in Queenstown by Tuesday for a three night stay. Likely to head to Dunedin, on the east coast, on Friday to end the week.
May the universe fill your life and the lives of your loved ones with countless blessings. 🙏
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