Tag Archives: Queenstown

32. Queenstown – Te Anau

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Steamers Beach Backpackers @ Lakeview Holiday Park, 77 Manapouri – Te Anau Hwy, Te Anau. $33 per night, single room with desk
Wednesday, March 6: Sunny at first, clouding over, with about two drops of rain, becoming sunny with a stiff south-westerly wind

Was ready to go just after 9:00 but first had to fill in a census form. Then it was pretty much directly out to Te Anau, with a stop for petrol in Frankton, and a short break along the way. Spotted the Kingston Flyer at one of the stations. Continue reading →

31. Wanaka – Cromwell – Queenstown

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Southern Laughter, 4 Isle St. $50 double as single, room only
Tuesday, March 5: Very sunny and warm with a bit of cloud turning up during the afternoon
GPS Tour

Was off to the DoC at around 10:00 this morning to see what I could do in or around Mt Aspiring. Unfortunately there had been an issue with security at the end of the road carpark, and there being no surveillance, my plans for doing the Rob Roy at least were quashed. Decided I would go down to the end of the road anyway, if not to walk, then to be in the company of the mountains. I had been warned that the road was a little “juddery”. Turned out it was completely shot to bits, so not much chance of risking the car for those 30 kms. Went back to the Rocky Mountain/Lake Diamond/Lake Wanaka views car park and marched up the hill from there. Continue reading →

19. Christchurch – Waiau

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Waiau Motor Camp, Highfield St., double bunk room with linen and towel for $28
Thursday, February 21: Cloudy, but very warm

I was up at 7:30, and the American family that I had been told about (Zac, Mahabissa with two little girls and a baby boy of 10 weeks) were in various stages of getting up, but Matt had apparently worked until 5:00 in the morning and didn’t appear for some time.

I made avail of some muesli, the very little milk that was left, made some coffee and had some toast with vegemite and engaged Zac in conversation. There was not too much to get ready this morning, but Matt had wanted to give me some tips for which he had set a time of 9:00. Eventually he appeared and without so much as having breakfast proceeded to tell me some stuff about the tracks at the top end, some place in Punakaiki and a couple of tips for Queenstown/Wanaka. Let’s see. Continue reading →

Kiwi II, 2009

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Weka dietary education: Milford Track

The second journey in the late summer of 2009 started with my arrival in Auckland on Sunday, February 1. After picking up a small camper, a Toyota Lucinda, which was named “Juicy Lucy”, I visited my school friend Tom and his family, then it was by way of Kawhia to New Plymouth where I made my first attempt at climbing Egmont. A couple of nights at the old motorcamp in Stratford to discover the Forgotten World and make a second – still unsuccessful – attempt at Egmont from the south and then on to Wanganui and Waikanae to visit Don and Sally Matheson who were giving me their holiday house for a couple of days in March. Continue reading →

Kiwi I, 1974-75

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Lee 1976

Author, ca. 1976

The first trip to New Zealand was my first trip overseas at all, and my first flight. In those days passports were not necessary for travelling across the ditch (even if it meant it was a little tricky getting through the international airport that Tullamarine surely already was). From Tuesday, December 10, 1974 to Friday, January 31, 1975, starting in Christchurch we completed an almost figure-of-eight of the two islands. Continue reading →