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Travel Report New Zealand
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Trip with a camper North and South Island New Zealand

 

 

 

Preparation

Below you can find my planning from day to day, as I have prepared it from home in Belgium. If diving is involved for example it’s better that arrangements have been made upfront, otherwise there is a chance that you will not be able to dive at the locations you’d like to.

The booking of the flights and the camper is done through the Australia and New Zealand specialist Aussie Tours. The idea is to take the camper upon arrival and then drive a few kilometers and then rest a bit. Last time I South Africa we had driven way too many miles on the first day and that caused some issues. It’s better to have some rest after two days of flying, to avoid that you’re already too tired when vacation starts. We also requested other quotations, but that was immediately a few hundred euros more expensive, so we prefer for the good and affordable service of Aussie Tours. The camper is an Apollo 2 Berth ST Camper: a spacious camper with extra large bed and airco, also in the living area. It is mounted on a reliable Ford Transit of VW chassis. Ideal for comfortable traveling with two people.

The planning I have created is a very full program with huge distances to cover on certain days. We will have to check which excursions we will reserve and will need to ensure that we make those arrangements on time. According to testimonials from friends and travel websites New Zealand should be rather easy to travel, so we hope that’s true. When I’m there, there is still room to shorten things or to travel further; we need to check things out locally.

In the meantime we’re already October 23, 2010 and some additional reservations have been made. We prefer not to arrange too much from Belgium, because that would eliminate some of the freedom we have, but some things you just can’t do without a reservation.

 

  1. Ferry Interislander to travel from the North to the South Island: Website
  2. Whale Watching in Kaikoura: since we’re divers we need to spot whales: Website
  3. Tour to White Island: Website
  4. A tour over Fox Glacier and Mount Cook: Helicopter flight: Website
  5. Dive with Tutukaka on the Poor Knight Islands: for more info: Website

 

The planning day by day

Day 1: Arrival in Auckland

 

Day 2: Trip from Auckland to Dargaville

Distance: 167 km, 2 hours and 25 minutes

Dargaville city and Waipoua Kauri Forest

 

Day 3: Trip from Dargaville to Paihia

Distance: 131 km, 2 hours and 6 minutes

Paihia city

Bay of Islands (cruise or charter):

The Bay of Islands is an area in the Northland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Located 60 km northwest of Whangarei, it is close to the northern tip of the country.

It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for its big-game fishing since American author Zane Grey publicized it in the 1930s.

There is a possibility to dive the Rainbow Warrior, but this still remains open until now. Paihia Dive HQ.

 

Day 4: Trip from Paihia to Cape Reinga

Distance: 223 km, 3 hours and 7 minutes

Here the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific: this cape is not the most northern part of the country, but it does feel like the end of the world. The most northern tip is located at the firehouse on the neighboring North Cape: Surville Cliffs. On a clear day it provides stunning views on the sea and the Three Kings Islands.

 

Day 5: Trip from Cape Reinga to Kaitaia

Distance: 116 km, 1 hour and 41 minutes

Ninety Mile Beach: Ninety Mile Beach is a beach located on the western coast of the far north of the North Island of New Zealand. It stretches from just west of Kaitaia towards Cape Reinga along the Aupouri Peninsula. It begins close to the headland of Reef Point, to the west of Ahipara Bay, sweeping briefly northeast before turning northwest for the majority of its length. It ends at Scott Point, five km south of Cape Maria van Diemen.

 

Trip from Kaitaia to Kohukohu

Distance: 61 km, 53 minutes

Wairere Boulders: The Wairere Boulders are an unusually large assemblage of basalt boulders in the Hokianga, in the far north of New Zealand. The boulder area, surrounded by subtropical rainforest, has been transformed into a park area to enable visitors to view this oddity of nature. It is the only valley worldwide, which is formed by basalt boulders sitting on a clay base.

 

Trip from Kohukohu to Tutukaka Coast

Distance: 159 km, 2 hours and 30 minutes

 

Day 6: Local reservation: Dive Tutukaka: Poor Knight Islands.

The Poor Knights Islands are a group of islands off the east coast of the Northland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. They are located 50 kilometers to the northeast of Whangarei, and lie 22 kilometers offshore half way between Bream Head and Cape Brett. Uninhabited since the 1820s, they are a nature reserve and popular underwater diving spot. The Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve surrounds the island. The chain consists of two large islands (Tawhiti Rahi, the larger, and Aorangi) with a group of smaller islets between the two, the largest of which is Motu Kapiti. The name Tawhiti Rahi is also used as a name for the entire chain by Maori. The islands are the eroded remnants of a 4 million year old rhyolitic volcano. The total area of the chain is 24 km². The islands' name is said to derive from their resemblance to Poor Knight's Pudding, a bread-based dish popular at the time of discovery by Europeans. The islands are protected as a nature reserve and a permit is required to land or tie boats up. Permits are usually granted only for scientific research. A notable native plant of the islands is the spectacularly flowering Poor Knights lily. Feral pigs, which had roamed Aorangi since the departure of Maori in the 1820s, were exterminated in 1936.

 

Day 7: Local reservation: Dive Tutukaka: Poor Knight Islands

 

Day 8: Trip from Tutukaka Coast to Auckland

Distance: 178, 2 hours and 53 minutes.

Actually there is no need to be in Auckland, but to avoid too long driving times we split the trip from Tutukaka to Rotorua in two days. The decision could be made to do it differently. Maybe drive further, because day 9 has a busy schedule.

 

Day 9: Trip from Auckland to Waitomo Caves

Distance: 195 km, 2 hours and 50 minutes

Waitomo Caves are a village and cave system forming a major tourist attraction in the southern Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand, 12 kilometres northwest of Te Kuiti. The community of Waitomo Caves itself is very small, though the village has many temporary service workers living there as well. The word Waitomo comes from the Maori language wai meaning water and tomo meaning a doline or sinkhole; it can thus be translated to be water passing through a hole. These Caves are believed to be over two million years old. Main caves

The main caves in the area are Waitomo Cave, Ruakuri Cave, Aranui Cave and Gardner's Gut. They are noted for their stalactite and stalagmite displays, and for the presence of glowworms (the fungus gnat Arachnocampa luminosa).

 

Trip from Waitomo Caves to Rotorua

Distance: 156 km, 2 hours and 14 minutes

  1. Rotorua (from Maori: Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe, "The second great lake of Kahumatamomoe") is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns. Rotorua city has an estimated permanent population of 55,900, with the Rotorua district having a total estimated population of 68,600[3]. The city is in the heart of the North Island, just 60 kilometres (37 mi) south of Tauranga, 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of Taupo, 105 kilometres (65 mi) east of Hamilton, and 230 kilometres (140 mi) southeast of Auckland. Rotorua is a major destination for both domestic and international tourists; the tourism industry is by far the largest industry in the district. The city is known for its geothermal activity, and features geysers – notably the Pohutu Geyser at Whakarewarewa – and hot mud pools. This thermal activity is sourced to the Rotorua caldera, on which the city lies. Rotorua is home to the largest tertiary institute outside of the university centres, the Waiariki Institute of Technology.
  2. Waimangu Geyser, located near Rotorua in New Zealand, was the most powerful geyser in the world. Its workings were apparently created by the great 1886 Mount Tarawera eruption, which opened an 8-3/4 mile-long fissure down the mountain and through Lake Rotomahana. The geyser was first seen erupting in 1900. Its eruptions were observed reaching up to 1,500 ft in height, and it excited worldwide interest. As a result of a landslide, which changed the water table, the geyser became extinct on November 1, 1904. The water expelled by the geyser was black with rocks and mud from the surrounding terrain, so the Maori people, indigenous to New Zealand appropriately named the geyser Waimangu, meaning 'Black Waters'. The geyser gave its name to the surrounding geothermal region, the Waimangu Volcanic Rift Valley. On August 31, 1903, three tourists (sisters Ruby and Catherine Nicholls and David McNaughton) and their guide Joseph Warbrick were killed after ignoring repeated instructions from the guide to return to a safe distance, after venturing dangerously close to the edge of the geyser. All four were swept away in a sudden violent eruption.
  3. Kiwi Encounter: Kiwi are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand, in the genus Apteryx and family Apterygidae. At around the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites and lay the largest egg in relation to their body size of any species of bird in the world. There are five recognized species, all of which are endangered; all species have been adversely affected by historic deforestation but currently large areas of their forest habitat are well protected in reserves and national parks. At present, the greatest threat to their survival is predation by invasive mammalian predators. The kiwi is a national symbol of New Zealand – indeed, the association is so strong that the term Kiwi is used, all over the world, as the colloquial demonym for New Zealanders.
  4. Tamaki Maori Village: there are different possibilities to get in contact with the Maori-culture, different organizations offer traditional meals (hangi) and at the same time you can take a look at the traditional life. It could be that the city of Rotorua is governed by the Maori and probably we’ll need to look out for tourist traps. We’ll see what happens.
  5. Whakarewarewa Forest: Whakarewarewa (reduced version of Te Whakarewarewatanga O Te Ope Taua A Wahiao, meaning The gathering place for the war parties of Wahiao, often abbreviated to Whaka by locals) is a geothermal area within Rotorua city in the Taupo Volcanic Zone of New Zealand. This was the site of the Maori fortress of Te Puia, first occupied around 1325, and known as an impenetrable stronghold never taken in battle. Maori have lived here ever since, taking full advantage of the geothermal activity in the valley for heating and cooking. Whakarewarewa has some 500 pools, most of which are alkaline chloride hot springs, and at least 65 geyser vents, each with their own name. Seven geysers are currently active. The most famous, Pohutu Geyser, meaning big splash or explosion, can erupt up to 30 m, usually every hour. Many of the thermal features at Whakarewarewa have been adversely affected by Rotorua residents taking advantage of the underlying geothermal fluids of the city by drawing shallow wells (20-200 m deep) to extract hot water for both domestic and commercial heating. A bore closure program in 1987-1988 resulted in 106 wells within 1.5 km of Pohutu Geyser being cemented shut, with another 120 wells outside the radius being shut due to a punitive royalty-charging regime. There has subsequently been a pronounced recovery in the geysers and hot springs at Whakarewarewa.

 

Day 10: Trip from Rotorua to Whakatane

Distance: 85 km, 1 hour and 12 minutes

White Island tours: Whakaari/White Island is an active andesite stratovolcano, situated 48 km (30 mi) from the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand, in the Bay of Plenty. The nearest mainland towns are Whakatane and Tauranga. The island is roughly circular, about 2 km (1.2 mi) in diameter, and rises to a height of 321 m (1,053 ft) above sea level. However this is only the peak of a much larger submarine mountain, which rises up to 1,600 m (5,249 ft) above the nearby seafloor. Sulphur mining was attempted but was abandoned in 1914 after a lahar killed all 10 workers. The main activities on the island now are guided tours and scientific research.

 

Day 11: Trip from Whakatane to Taupo

Distance: 156 km, 2 hours and 13 minutes

Huka Falls, Lake Taupo

 

Trip from Taupo to Whakapapa Village

Distance: 96 km, 1 hour and 23 minutes

Tongariro national Park: Tongariro National Park is the oldest national park in New Zealand, located in the central North Island. It has been acknowledged by UNESCO as one of the 25 mixed cultural and natural World Heritage Sites. Tongariro National Park was the fourth national park established in the world. The active volcanic mountains Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe, and Tongariro are located in the centre of the park.

There are a number of Maori religious sites within the park and the summits of Tongariro, including Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu, are tapu (sacred). The park includes many towns around its boundary including Ohakune, Waiouru, Horopito, Pokaka, Erua, National Park Village, Whakapapa skifield and Turangi.

 

Day 12: Trip from Whakapapa Village to Wellington

Distance: 333 km, 4 hours and 49 minutes

Te Papa Tours, Wellington city

 

Day 13: Trip from Wellington to Picton to do the crossing between the North and the South Island. This is one of the most beautiful ferry crossings in the world: let’s enjoy it! Because the trips on day 11 and 12 are pretty long, we can give and take something, a day later of leave a day earlier. We have the camper, so we can do whatever we like. Since this note, we’ve booked the ferry, so this no longer leaves a lot of room.

Distance: 70 km, the ferry takes about three hours and 20 minutes.

 

Day 14: Trip from Picton to Blenheim

Distance:  28 km, 24 minutes

Blenheim Dive centre with the Marlborough Sound closeby and also a wreck: the Lermontov.

 

Day 15: Blenheim Dive Centre

 

Day 16: Trip from Blenheim to Nelson

Distance: 113 km, 1 hour and 29 minutes

  1. Here is Okiwi Holiday Park and they also offer diving, so maybe we could dive here instead of Blenheim. That will depend on how tired we are, because all the way it’s going to be a full program. Maybe we should rest from time to time.
  2. Abel Tasman National Park: Abel Tasman National Park is a national park located at the north end of the South Island of New Zealand. The park was founded in 1942 and with a coverage of only 225.3 square kilometres, is the smallest of New Zealand's national parks. The park consists of forested, hilly country to the north of the valleys of the Takaka and Riwaka Rivers, and is bounded to the north by the waters of Golden Bay and Tasman Bay. It is named after Abel Tasman, who in 1642 became the first European explorer to sight New Zealand. Abel Tasman National Park does not extend beyond Mean High Water Mark on the adjacent coast. Between Mean High Water and Mean Low Water Springs, the beaches are gazetted as a Scenic Reserve, covering 7.74 km² in total (about 70 km long). The Tonga Island Marine Reserve adjoins part of the park. Department of Conservation administers the National Park. The Scenic Reserve is administered by the Tasman District Council (TDC) Chief Executive and Department of Conservation’s Nelson/ Marlborough Conservator. Activities in adjoining coastal waters are TDC’s responsibility. These areas operate under separate regulations. The Abel Tasman Coast Track is a popular tramping track, which follows the coastline; while an inland route, the Abel Tasman Inland Track, is less frequented. Kayaking, camping and sightseeing are other activities carried out in the park. The nearest large town is Motueka, 20 kilometres to the south. In 2008 an extra 7.9 km2, including the formerly private land known as Hadfields Clearing, were added to the park.

 

Trip from Nelson to Kaiteriteri

Distance: 61 km, 54 minutes

 

Day 17: Trip from Kaiteriteri to Kaikoura

Distance: 302 km, 4 hours and 14 minutes

Kaikoura city, Albatross and whale sighting: Kaikoura is a town on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 1 180 km north of Christchurch. Kaikoura became the first local authority to reach the Green Globe tourism certification standard. According to the 2006 census, the permanent resident population is 2,172, a 3.3% increase since the 2001 census. The town is the governmental seat of the territorial authority of the Kaikoura District, which is politically a part of the Canterbury Region. The District has a land area of 2,046.41 km² (790.12 sq mi) and a 2006 census population of 3,621 inhabitants.

 

Day 18: Trip from Kaikoura to Greymouth

Distance: 330 km, 4 hours and 47 minutes

 

Punakaiki pancake rocks and blowholes: Punakaiki is a small community on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand, between Westport and Greymouth. The community lies on the edge of the Paparoa National Park. The Pancake Rocks are a very popular tourist goal at Dolomite Point south of the main village. The Pancake Rocks are a heavily eroded limestone area where the sea bursts though a number of vertical blowholes during high tides. Together with the 'pancake'-layering of the limestone (created by immense pressure on alternating hard and soft layers of marine creatures and plant sediments), these form the main attraction of the area. The Pancake Rocks are presently explorable by a number of walkways winding through the rock formations, parts of these wheelchair-accessible and others carved into stairways up and down the rock faces. State Highway 6, the only through road on the West Coast, passes through the town.

Remark: there was a small error in the original planning. The trips of day 17 and day 18 were planned on only one day, but this had to be changed. The planning was changed, because it’s not nice to drive for nine hours on the whole day.

 

Day 19: Trip from Greymouth to Franz Josef

Distance: 180 km, 2 hours and 36 minutes

  1. Franz Josef Glacier. The Franz Josef (Ka Roimata o Hinehukatere in Maori)[1][2] is a 12 km long glacier located in Westland National Park on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. Together with the Fox Glacier 20 km to the south, it is unique in descending from the Southern Alps to less than 300 metres above sea level, amidst the greenery and lushness of a temperate rainforest. The area surrounding the two glaciers is part of Te Wahipounamu, a World Heritage Site park. The river emerging from the glacier terminal of Franz Josef is known as the Waiho River. The first European mention of one of the western-coast glaciers, believed to be Franz Josef, was from the steam ship Mary Louisa in 1859. The glacier was later named after Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria by the German explorer, Julius von Haast in 1865. The Maori name for the glacier is Ka Roimata o Hinehukatere ('The tears of Hinehukatere'), arising from a local legend: Hinehukatere loved climbing in the mountains and persuaded her lover, Wawe, to climb with her. Wawe was a less experienced climber than Hinehukatere but loved to accompany her until an avalanche swept Wawe from the peaks to his death. Hinehukatere was broken hearted and her many, many tears flowed down the mountain and froze to form the glacier.
  2. Westland Tai Poutini National Park: Westland Tai Poutini National Park is located in New Zealand's South Island. Established in 1960, the centenary of the European settlement of Westland, it covers 1,175 km², and extends from the highest peaks of the Southern Alps to a wild and remote coastline. Included in the park are glaciers, scenic lakes and dense temperate rainforest, as well as remains of old gold mining towns along the coast. The park offers hunting opportunities for Red Deer, Chamois and Tahr and helicopter access allows hunters access to the rugged mountain areas. The popular Copland Track runs upstream from the Karangarua River bridge. Along with the mountain scenery visible from the track, there are hot springs at Welcome Flat Hut. In 2010 over 4,400 ha were added to the park consisting of a number of areas scattered throughout the park with the majority being to the east of Okarito Lagoon.

 

Trip from Franz Josef to Fox Glacier

Distance: 23 km, 20 minutes

The Fox Glacier (Te Moeka o Tuawe in Maori) is a 13 km long glacier located in Westland National Park on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It was named in 1872 after a visit by the then Prime Minister of New Zealand, Sir William Fox. Fed by four alpine glaciers, Fox Glacier falls 2,600m on its 13km journey from the Southern Alps down to the coast, with it having the distinction of being one of the few glaciers to end among lush rainforest only 300 metres above sea level. Although retreating throughout most of the last 100 years, it has been advancing since 1985. In 2006 the average rate of advance was about a metre a week. In January 2009, the terminal face of the glacier was still advancing and had vertical or overhanging faces, which were continually collapsing. The outflow of the glacier forms the Fox River. During the last ice age, its ice reached beyond the present coastline, and the glacier left behind many moraines during its retreat. Lake Matheson formed as a kettle lake within one of these.

 

Trip from Fox Glacier to Haast

Distance: 117 km, 1 hour en 42 minutes

 

Day 20: Trip from Haast to Arrowtown

Distance: 201 km, 2 hours and 54 minutes

Waitiri Creek Wines

 

Trip from Arrowtown to Queenstown

Distance: 24 km, 20 minutes

 

Lake Wakatipu: Lake Wakatipu is an inland lake (finger lake) in the South Island of New Zealand. It is in the southwest corner of Otago Region, near its boundary with Southland. With a length of 80 kilometres (50 mi), it is New Zealand's longest lake, and, at 291 km2 (112 sq mi), its third largest. It is at an altitude of 310 metres (1,020 ft), towards the southern end of the Southern Alps. The general topography is a reversed "N" shape. The Dart River flows into the northern end, the lake then runs south for 30 kilometres before turning abruptly to the east. Twenty kilometres (12.4 mi) further along, it turns sharply to the south, reaching its southern end 30 kilometres (19 mi) further south, near Kingston. The lake is drained by the Kawarau River, which flows out from the lake's Frankton Arm, 8 km (5.0 mi) east of Queenstown. Queenstown is on the northern shore of the lake close to eastern end of its middle section. The lake is very deep, its floor being as low as 100 metres (330 ft) below sea level. It has a seiche of period 26.7 minutes, which, in Queenstown Bay, causes the water level to rise and fall some 200 millimetres (7.9 in). Lake Wakatipu is renowned for its scenic beauty, being surrounded by mountains. The Remarkables mountain range lies along its southeastern edge. It is a popular venue for adventure tourism, with ski fields, paragliding, bungee jumping and tramping tracks within easy reach. A vintage steamboat, the TSS Earnslaw regularly plies its waters. Several vineyards are nearby. There is an old Maori legend that the lake has a taniwha sleeping in it and when the taniwha breathes in the water level drops and when the taniwha breathes out the water level rises. In actuality the lake's seiche referred to above is the reason.

 

Day 21: Trip from Queenstown to Milford Sound

Distance: 290 km, 4 hours and 13 minutes

Milford Sound (Piopiotahi in Maori) is a fjord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island, within Fiordland National Park and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. It has been judged the world's top travel destination in an international survey (the 2008 Travelers' Choice Destinations Awards by TripAdvisor) and is acclaimed as New Zealand's most famous tourist destination. Rudyard Kipling had previously called it the eighth Wonder of the World. Milford Sound is named after Milford Haven in Wales, while the Cleddau River, which flows into the sound, is also named for its Welsh namesake. The Maori named the sound Piopiotahi after the thrush-like piopio bird, now extinct. Piopiotahi means "a single piopio", harking back to the legend of Maui trying to win immortality for mankind - when Maui died in the attempt, a piopio was said to have flown here in mourning.

 

Trip from Milford Sound to Te Anau

Distance: 116 km, 1 hour en 41 minutes

 

Lake Te Anau is in the southwestern corner of the South Island of New Zealand. Its name was originally Te Ana-au, Maori for 'The cave of swirling water'. The lake covers an area of 344 km², making it the second-largest lake by surface area in New Zealand (after Lake Taupo) and the largest in the South Island. Lake Te Anau is however the largest lake in Australasia by fresh water volume. The main body of the lake runs north-south, and is 65 km in length. Three large fiords form arms to the lake on its western flank: North Fiord, Middle Fiord and South Fiord. These are the only inland Fiords that New Zealand has; the other 14 are out on the coast. Several small islands lie in the entrance to Middle Fiord, which forks partway along its length into northwest and southwest arms. The lake lies at an altitude of 210 m, and since its maximum depth is 417 m much of its bed lies below sea level. Several rivers feed the lake, of which the most important is the Eglinton River, which joins the lake from the east, opposite the entrance to North Fiord. The outflow is the Waiau River, which flows south for several kilometres into Lake Manapouri. The town of Te Anau lies at the southeastern corner of the lake, close to the outflow. Most of the lake is within Fiordland National Park and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. Other than the Te Anau township, the only human habitation close to the lake is the farming settlement of Te Anau Downs, close to the mouth of the Eglinton River. Between these two settlements the land is rolling hill country, but elsewhere the land is mountainous, especially along its western shore, where the Kepler and Murchison Mountains rise 1,400 m above the surface of the lake. Two New Zealand Great Walks start at the lake. The Milford Track starts at the northern tip of the lake and the Kepler Track starts and ends at the south tip of the lake at the Waiau River.

 

Day 22: Trip from Te Anau to Wanaka

Distance: 230 km, 3 hours and 20 minutes

Lakes Wanaka and Hawea

 

Trip from Wanaka tot Mount Cook Village

Distance: 206 km, 3 hours

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is in the South Island of New Zealand near the town of Twizel. Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain and Aoraki/Mount Cook village lie within the park. The area was gazetted as a national park in October 1953 and consists of reserves that were established as early as 1887 to protect the area's significant vegetation and landscape. The park covers a little over 700 km². Glaciers cover 40% of the park area, notably the Tasman Glacier on the slopes of Aoraki/Mt Cook. Of New Zealand's 20 peaks over 3,000 metres, all except Mount Aspiring lie in the park. These include New Zealand's highest mountain, Aoraki/Mt Cook, at 3753 metres. Other prominent peaks include Mt Tasman, Mt Hicks, Mt Sefton and Mt Elie de Beaumont. The mountains of the Southern Alps in general are young, less than ten million years old, and are still building. Uplift in the region of the national park is at the rate of 5-10mm per year. It's estimated that approximately 25 km of uplift has occurred, however the rate of uplift has been countered by erosion. The park is also part of Te Wahipounamu South Westland World Heritage Site in recognition of its outstanding natural values.

 

Day 23: Trip from Mount Cook Village to Dunedin

Distance: 327 km, 4 hours and 44 minutes

Otago Peninsula, Otago Museum. The Otago Peninsula is a long, hilly indented finger of land that forms the easternmost part of Dunedin, New Zealand. Volcanic in origin, it forms one wall of the eroded valley that now forms Otago Harbour. The peninsula lies southeast of Otago Harbour and runs parallel to the mainland for 20 km, with a maximum width of 9 km. It is joined to the mainland at the southwest end by a narrow isthmus about 1.5 km wide. The suburbs of Dunedin encroach onto the western end of the peninsula, and seven townships and communities lie along the harbourside shore. The majority of the land is sparsely populated and occupied by steep open pasture. The peninsula is home to many species of wildlife, notably seabirds, pinnipeds, and penguins, and several ecotourism businesses operate in the area.

 

Day 24: Trip from Dunedin to Oamaru

Distance: 115 km, 1 hour and 40 minutes

The Moeraki Boulders are unusually large and spherical boulders lying along a stretch of Koekohe Beach on the wave cut Otago coast of New Zealand between Moeraki and Hampden. They occur scattered either as isolated or clusters of boulders within a stretch of beach where they have been protected in a scientific reserve. The erosion by wave action of mudstone, comprising local bedrock and landslides, frequently exposes embedded isolated boulders. These boulders are grey-colored septarian concretions, which have been exhumed from the mudstone enclosing them and concentrated on the beach by coastal erosion. Local Maori legends explained the boulders as the remains of eel baskets, calabashes, and kumara washed ashore from the wreck of an Arai-te-uru, a large sailing canoe. This legend tells of the rocky shoals that extend seaward from Shag Point as being the petrified hull of this wreck and a nearby rocky promontory as being the body of the canoe's captain. In 1848 W.B.D. Mantell sketched the beach and its boulders, more numerous than now. The picture is now in the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington. The boulders were described in 1850 colonial reports and numerous popular articles since that time. In more recent times they have become a popular tourist attraction, often described and pictured in numerous web pages and tourist guides.

 

Trip from Oamaru to Lake Tekapo

Distance: 184 km, 2 hours and 39 minutes

Lake Tekapo and the other lakes in the Mackenzie Country

 

Day 25: Trip from Lake Tekapo to Christchurch

 

 

The Lord Of The Rings

 

The Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed entirely in New Zealand. There were as many as nine individual units filming in the remotest and scenic areas. Since the release of Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring, many die hard Lord of the Rings fans have come to New Zealand to seek out the spectacular locations. Below is a guide to these locations with instructions on how to get there.

 

Amon Hen

An inaccessible location close to Closeburn was the location for Amon Hen. Closeburn is 8 km from Queenstown. The area where the filming took place was in a Pine forest on a peninsula located on the shore of Lake Wakatipu.

 

Bree

Fort Dorset in the Wellington suburb of Seatoun was the location for Bree. The exact location is an old army base on Burnham St. The army base has now been demolished and plots of land are now for sale. Another area was the Mirimar Peninsula, which is close by. Both areas are very close to the coast of the Wellington harbour. The nearby Chocolate Fish Cafe at Scorching Bay is where the actors often had lunch and coffee.

 

Chetwood Forest

Takaka Hill is the location for Chetwood Forest. From Motueka, you head toward Kaiteriteri, which is the gateway to the Abel Tasman National Park, but instead of entering the park, you climb up the 972 meter summit of Takaka Hill. You can also access Takaka Hill by road when heading towards the Totoranui end of Abel Tasman National Park. Takaka hill is the only place in the world except for Italy where you can find rocky marble outcrops.

 

Dimrill Dale

Mount Owen at the southern end of the Kahurangi National Park was the setting for Drimdale. This mountain is located near Nelson, which is a small arty town that is home to many of the crafts people who created film props. Near Nelson is New Zealand's most popular National Park named the Abel Tasman. The park has a 31-mile trail that cuts through coastal forests and some of the most scenic beaches in New Zealand.

 

Edoras

Mt Sunday was the location for Edoras and Meduseld. There is no access to Mt Sunday, but nearby Mt Potts, a high country station provides views. Mt Potts offers accommodation and has a restaurant and you can see Mt Sunday near the entrance. Mt Sunday is a rocky outcrop on the Canterbury Plains next to the Southern Alps located in the Rangitata River valley in Ashburton district; around 2.5 hours drive inland from Christchurch. The Canterbury Plains is the largest plain in New Zealand and the Southern Alps is the biggest mountain chain in Australasia. These mountains are bigger in area than the European Alps.

 

Fangorn Forest and Nen Hithoel

The Mavora Lakes was the location for Fangorn Forest and Nen Hithoel. The lakes are situated off the Te Anau Highway pass Mossburn or you can take an unpaved road near Te Anau which takes about 45 minutes by car. Just before the turn off to Mavora Lakes, you will see the Fangorn Forest to your left. The township of Te Anau is the gateway to the spectacular Fiordland National Park.

 

Ford of Bruinen

The Ford of Bruinen is located in Arrowtown, which is twenty minutes from Queenstown. The Ford is a stone throw from the centre of Arrowtown. From the main street you just need to walk to the nearby riverbank and walk up stream for about 200 meters. The scene where the river was flooded was filmed in a different location, namely the Shotover River at Skippers Canyon.

 

Helms Deep

A quarry on the Western Hutt Road in Wellington was the location for Helms Deep. Head north down the Western Hutt Road (highway) toward Upper Hutt and you will see the quarry just before the Paramata turn off.

 

Hobbiton

The town of Matamata in the Waikato was the setting for Hobbiton. This area of New Zealand is one of the richest agricultural and pastoral areas in the world and is characterized as a large fertile basin through which the Waikato river (the longest in New Zealand) flows. Most travelers comment on how green the grass is and this provided the ideal background for Hobbiton.

 

Isengard Gardens and the Orc Tree

Harcourt Park on the Akatarawa Road in Upper Hutt about 20 minutes from Wellington City was the location for Isengard Gardens and the Orc Tree. The Akatarawa Road cuts through the Rimutaka Mountains.

 

Ithilien Camp

Ohakune was the location for Ithilien Camp. Ohakune a centre for skiing in the North Island is located on the edge of the Tongariro National Park and close to Mt Ruapehu, the highest peak in the North Island. The exact location for Ithilien Camp is a short drive from Ohakune toward the Turoe Ski Field also known as the Ohakune Mountain Road Scenic Drive. Keep going till you pass the Mangawhero Falls and you will see some nearby native bush where some of the filming took place.

 

Lothlorien and the Gladden Fields

Fernside was the location for Lothlorien and the Gladden Fields. Fernside is a Country House that offers accommodation and cannot be accessed unless you stay as a guest. Check out www.fernside.co.nz for more information. Fernside is located on State Highway 2 just three kilometers north of Featherston. The main road gate is marked with large sign on the north side of the highway (left driving towards Masterton from Featherston). Fernside is a little under an hour from Wellington by road via the scenic Rimutaka Rd. Queenstown's Lake Wakatipu was also used as the location for some scenes.

 

Mordor

Whakapapa Ski Field on Mt Ruapehu in the Tongariro National Park was the location for Mordor. To get there go to Waiouru in the Central Plateau on SH1 and then turn left and go to Ohakune. Keep going through Ohakune to National Park. Turn right at the BP station, following the signs to Whakapapa. From Auckland go SH1 to Turangi and then follow the signs to National Park except turn up to Whakapapa just before National Park. Nearby Mount Tongariro served as the menacing Mount Doom. Tongariro National Park is characterized by 3 volcanoes that rise above a landscape of lava flows and scoria. The region draws skiers in winter.

 

Misty Mountains

The mountains behind Glenorchy, a village at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu near Queenstown was the location for the Misty Mountains. Glenorchy is very close to Queenstown and is the gateway to the spectacular Mt Aspiring National Park and the start of the famous Routeburn track.

 

Pillars of the Kings

Kawarau River was the location for the Pillars of the Kings. To get there you can start at the oldest Bungy Jump site in the world, namely AJ Hackett and look for the entrance road to Chard Farm Vineyard. You can see the view from there, although you will not be able to see the pillars themselves, as they were computer generated.

 

Plains of Gorgoroth

Like Mordor, Tongariro National Park was the location for the Plains of Gorgoroth. The plains themselves are vast and can be seen from either the National Park side of the park or the Desert Road. One of the best ways to explore this park is to walk the Tongariro Crossing, which has been classed in the world's top 10 one day walks by National Geographic.

 

Rivendale and the Fords of Isen

Kaitoke Regional Park was the location for Rivendale and the Fords of Isen. Kaitoke is north of Upper Hutt near Wellington. The park is sign posted on SH2 and offers BBQ areas. The position of Rivendale is sign posted at the entrance of the park. You can see the Fords of Isen from a bridge near the car park.

 

River Anduin

Four rivers were used to depict the River Anduin. The Rangitikei River was the main location and can be accessed just south of Taihape and turn left at Ohutu. You will see a Bungee Jump and from the nearby car park you need to walk across a one-way bridge, which will open up a spectacular view of the river. The Moawhango River was also used and you can see this river as it runs into the Rangitikei nearby. Another river that was used was the Hutt River which flows from the Tararua Ranges north of Upper Hutt and through to the Wellington Harbour from Petone. In the South Island the WaiauRiver, which flows from Lake Te Anau, was also used.

 

Rohan

The surrounding area around Poolburn Reservoir on the Rough Ridge Range in the Ida Valley was the location for Rohan. Located 40 minutes from Alexandria, head towards Omakau and turn toward Ophir then drive up and over the Raggedy Range toward Poolburn. From here you will need a 4WD to reach eerie rock formations around Poolburn Reservoir. However the owners of the land can take you there from Rohan and they also offer accommodation.

 

Silverlode River

Mararoa River, South Mavora close to the village of Mossburn near Te Anau was the location for Silverlode River. Mararoa River is a picturesque river abounding with Rainbow and Brown trout.

 

Trollshaw Forest and Osgiliath Wood

Waitarere Forest near Foxton in the Wellington region was the location for Trollshaw Forest and Osgiliath Wood. Head toward the Kapiti Coast from Wellington and turn to Waitarere Beach just after Poroutawhao.