The Beautiful South

For the past few days I have been exploring the beautiful south of New Zealand. Leaving the coast behind, I headed inland to Queenstown where I was staying for a few days. I arrived after dark and left early the next morning for the start of my explorations – a day trip to Milford Sound. It was a long day, but so worth it. The drive took us through the Southern Alps and the incredibly beautiful Fiordland national park, which we were lucky enough to see in the sun. The sun stayed with us throughout our time on Milford Sound – we were very lucky as for 75% of the year it is raining or overcast. Milford is one of the wettest places on earth – the trees are covered in moss which is inches think in places and today was glistening in the sun. As we made our way through the sound to the mouth of the Tasman Sea we passed waterfalls cascading down the steep sides. In the sun rainbows formed in the falls. In amongst the high peaks we even caught a glimpse of a couple of fur seals.

The day ended back in Queenstown with fireworks to celebrate the Winter Festival. They were spectacular and the town was buzzing with activity.

The next day was cold, but with clear blue skies. I watched the Winter Festival parade in town – full of Frozen costumes, local businesses advertising their activities, an Abba tribute band from the volunteer firefighters and even snowmen on segways. I then faced my fear of heights to catch the gondola up to a magnificent viewing point looking out over Queenstown. The terror was definitely worth it for the beautiful views of the mountains from 2500ft above sea level.

After Queenstown I made a quick stop in Wanaka. Unfortunately it rained almost the whole time I was there, but the lake was lovely and I found an excellent hot chocolate in town. I’m now heading north again, up the West Coast. The journey has taken me along the Haast Pass through the Southern Alps and up the coast, next stop glacier country.

A few days in New Edinburgh

My journey continues further south to Dunedin, or New Edinburgh as it was once called. Dunedin is home to the world’s steepest residential street, there seem to be steep hills everywhere here. In the city, my first stop was the Public Art Gallery, which sits on one side of the Octagon, the heart of the city. They had a great exhibit by Yayoi Kusama on called ‘The Obliteration Room’ where each visitor is given a sheet of dot stickers to stick wherever they like. It was good fun, and the result is quite spectacular.

I also visited the fantastic settlers museum, Toitu, which tells the story of Dunedin from the first Maori festival up until today. It covers everything from transport to fashion, individual Eurpean settlers to social issues and much more. You could spend days in there, but unfortunately I only had a few hours. On my walk back I passed by the magnificent railway station, which claims to be New Zealand’s most photographed building.

However, the highlight of my time in Dunedin was visiting the Otago peninsula. It is a beautiful area and we got to see some amazing wildlife. We came across a 6 month old sea lion pup who had been left by her mother in the safety of a sheltered bay while she went out to sea. The young sea lion was very interested in us, they are very social and inquisitive animals. On the peninsula I was also lucky enough to see 3 Royal albatross, who have a wingspan of just under 3m. On a private beach we saw blue penguins, yellow eyes penguins and more sea lions, then lots of fur seals around the rocky headland. It was an amazing afternoon.

It is now time to leave Dunedin behind and head West. I’ll miss the city, my Hogwarts themed hostel and its resident dog, but definitely not the hills!

Seals, crayfish and a lot of dolphins: Kaikoura

The last few days I have been in the town of Kaikoura, definitely my favourite place in New Zealand so far. I arrived at the Dolphin Lodge hostel to be greeted by a roaring fire, a friendly cat (Blue) and amazing views. It was like staying in a home for a few days, with some great people.

My first night was rugby night so we headed to the pub to watch The double billing of All Blacks v Wales and England v Australia. I was with 4 Welsh people, so naturally we were vocally supporting Wales – lets just say we weren’t the most popular people in the pub. I think the low point was a group of 7 year olds looking at us like we were aliens – I’m not sure they had ever met anyone who didn’t support the All Blacks. Everyone else in the pub stopped paying attention when the England game came on, but I found the only other English person to watch the game with.

On a grey day I walked along the coast to see a fur seal colony. The walk along the coast was beautiful and getting so close to seals was amazing. The seals seemed to like chilling on the walkway, or underneath it most of all – occasionally their heads would pop up as you walked past. On my way back I stopped at the Kaikoura Seafood BBQ to try some of the local crayfish. The literal translation of Kaikoura is eat crayfish, so it seemed rude not to.

Today, however, was the highlight of my time in Kaikoura. Thanks to the nutrient rich water, marine life thrives in Kaikoura with whales, dolphins, seals, albatross and many more living in the area year round. As the sun rose this morning I walked along the beach to catch a boat to go swimmming eith dusky Dolphins. Dusky Dolphins are found in the Southern Hemisphere and are known for their acrobatic displays. This morning we headed out to sea south of Kaikoura and were lucky enough to find a pod of around 200 dolphins. The dusky Dolphins are completely wild, we did nothing to entice them to swim with us, but they were very inquisitive and playful. While we were swimming with them another pod swam in and joined to form a super pod – there were at least 600 dolphins surrounding us. They were swimming underneath us, alongside us, getting so close you could have touched them. It was absolutely incredible, one of the most amazing things I have ever done. When I was little I always wanted to swim with dolphins (my plan was to follow them around the world) and now I have, I will never forget it. When we were out of the water (it was freezing) the dolphins swam alongside us for a while, leaping and somersaulting through the air. We also saw an albatross that flew over the pod. It was an amazing morning, I feel very lucky to have got to see such beautiful animals.

Windy Wellington and Beautiful Journeys

The past few days have been spent in Wellington and travelling from the North to the South Island. However, principally I have spent my time trying to get rid of a rather nasty cold, so apologies if this is not the most exciting of blogs. However, even with a cold New Zealand is breathtakingly beautiful.

My first journey from Taupo to Wellington took me along the shores of Lake Taupo then up and through Tongariro national park, with its beautiful mountains. The journey ended on the coast just before the sunset.

I was not up to doing much in Wellington, but I did visit the excellent Te Papa museum. The museum covers all aspects of New Zealand life past and present – from nature to Maori culture to immigration. Highlights included the colossal squid (the only one on display in the world), the Maori meeting place and the exhibit that gave you the chance to see the world through the eyes of a sheep – only in New Zealand. I also visited the Night Noodle Market, which was taking place along the waterfront. I even managed to find masala chai, which I have been craving since I left India.

This morning I caught the early ferry across the Cook Strait to the South Island, a journey that takes about 3 1/2hours. I spent the last hour of the journey outside on the top observation deck. The sun was shining and the views incredible.

The last leg of my journey was from Picton to Kaikoura. The drive was beautiful – for the first part vineyards and farms lined the road, then mountains and finally the coast. Seals were basking in the rocks on one side of the road and on the other snow capped mountains rose out of farmland. I’m not sure I will ever get used to the beauty of New Zealand.

Hobbits, Lakes and Volcanoes: Rotorua and Taupo

After Auckland, I set off to explore the North Island. I am travelling by bus and as we drive towards Rotorua we pass through some beautiful scenery. My first stop was Rotorua, which sits in an active volcanic area and therefore has lots of thermal hot springs and mud pools. When I arrived it was pouring with rain, so naturally I went for a long walk – years of holidays in Newport have taught me this is the correct response. I walked to Kuirau Park which has several hot pools. I then walked through Ohinemutu – a lakeside Maori village which is home to lots of intricate carvings and the timber St. Faith’s Anglican Church which sits on the lakeside.

The next day I walked through the lakeside government gardens. The lake was full of bird life – ducks, geese and black swans amongst others. That afternoon I hopped on a bus to Hobbiton and spent a very happy afternoon in the Shire. The set sits on a sheep farm owned by the Alexander family and was never meant to be permanent, only when the Hobbit films were made was it converted into a permanent site. Peter Jackson was definitely a perfectionist, I feel very sorry for his art department, but the result is beautiful and the ale at The Green Dragon isn’t bad either.

On my last day in Rotorua I headed out to Wai-O-Tapu to see more of the region’s geothermal activity. I saw the Lady Knox geyser erupt, bubbling mud pools and sulphur caves. The pools may stink, but the colours are beautiful.

In the evening I visited Mitai Maori village to see a cultural show and enjoy a Hangi – a feast cooked using the geothermal steam. The food was delicious and I learnt a lot more about Maori culture.

Leaving Rotorua behind, I arrived in a very chilly Taupo. The town sits on the shore of New Zealand’s biggest lake and has beautiful views over the mountains. While I was there I walked up the Waikato river to Huka falls which was very impressive – the water was very high because of all the recent rain. The river supplies around 1/4 of New Zealand’s energy – the torrent of water at the falls showed just how much energy there is to be harnessed. I also took a dip in the hot water stream and kayaked down the river, which was very beautiful.

I am now heading further south to Wellington – a 6 hour bus awaits.

Autumnal Auckland

Arriving in Auckland I was met by grey skies and high winds – definitely not in the tropical north of Australia anymore! I only had a couple of days to explore the city, though when I leave New Zealand I will be returning so I should have some more time then. On my first day I went to the Auckland Art Gallery – they were in the middle of changing quite a few exhibits, but there was still plenty to see. The Maori portraits in particular where wonderful. The gallery backs on to Albert Park where I wandered amongst the trees covered in orange and red leaves, it feels very odd to have Autumn in June! I spent the rest of the day walking around town, getting some warmer clothes and seeing the city, though the rain eventually won. I sheltered in St. Patrick’s Cathedral for a while before resorting to hot chocolate opposite the Civic Theatre.

The next morning the weather had worsened – pouring rain and blustery winds made for an interesting ferry ride to Waiheke Island, where one of my friends from university, Tara, is living at the moment. Waiheke was beautiful even in the rain, we only explored a small part of the island, but it was great. We walked amongst the wineries up to the headland where on most days you can see the city (it was cloaked in thick fog). We visited two of Waiheke’s famous wineries, tasting some excellent wine. The island first started producing wine because someone realised it had a very similar climate to Bordeaux. After enjoying the views we walked into town to get some food – delicious oysters and ribs at the restaurant where Tara works. If you ever find yourself in Auckland I would definitely recommend the trip out to Waiheke, it is a little bit of paradise so close to the centre of the city.

I now start my journey south, next stop thermal Rotorua.

Goodbye Australia

After 5 weeks, the time has come for me to leave Australia. I have had a great time here and seen such a variety of places – from Sydney Harbour to the Outback, crocodiles in Kakadu to turtles on the Great Barrier Reef. I have visited more national parks than I can count and seen so many beautiful things.

I will miss the sun, but not the spiders, snakes or mosquitoes. Thankfully I have only had disagreements with trees, hills and one leech, but I will be glad to get away from the possibility of meeting a snake every time I venture into the bush.

I will miss the beautiful landscapes and wide open spaces. Australia is so different to crowded India, it feels like a much younger country. The Aboriginal people may have been here for thousands of years, but a lot of that history and culture has been lost. The history of white settlement is only a few hundred years old, so different to Indian history and culture which stretches back thousands of years. The relations between the traditional owners of the land and other Australians is still difficult, economic equality and social problems persist. Australia still feels like a country trying to come to terms with it’s history and reconcile traditional ownership with modern realities.

I have had a great time exploring Australia, especially getting to see family. Hopefully I will find my way back again soon, there is definitely so much more to see.

The Great Barrier Reef (and other things)

The last few days of my time in Australia have been spent travelling up the east coast of Queensland, home to the Great Barrier Reef. My first stop was Airlie Beach, the gateway to the Whitsundays – a group of islands that once upon a time were connected to the mainland. The Whitsundays are a picture-perfect example of tropical beauty – crystal-clear turquoise water meets white sandy beaches. The most famous beach is Whitehaven – overlooked by the Hill Inlet, rings of white sand alternate with ribbons of turquoise water. Visiting the Whitsundays was my first chance to try snorkelling the reef which is an amazing experience. The coral is beautiful and the amount of life under the water is staggering.

My next stop was Townsville to break up the long bus journey to Cairns. While I was there I visited Reef HQ – an aquarium with living coral in its exhibits and a sea turtle hospital. The aquarium is home to many hundreds of sea creatures, including 3 leopard shark pups who were born by a virgin birth – they are exact genetic clones of their mother. The sea turtle hospital is sadly an increasingly necessary facility as more turtles are suffering from malnutrition and injuries caused by them ingesting plastic, fishing hooks or other human debris. The three current residents are making good progress and should be released back to their ocean homes soon.

For the last couple of days I have been in Cairns, the main city in the far north of Queensland. On Saturday I went inland to the Atherton Tablelands, where beautiful waterfalls break up lush rainforest. We swam in a freezing billabong then made our way to waterfall which you can slide down – a lot of fun. Our third stop was the waterfall where Peter Andre’s Mysterious Girl video and Herbal Essences adverts were shot – cue lots of hair flick imitations. The final stop was a beautiful lake – only after we were in the water did our guide mention that there was a freshwater crocodile living there. They may not be aggressive, but I will still out of that water pretty quick!

On Sunday I did a day trip up to Port Douglas and out to the Agincourt Reef, which sits on the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef. The boat I was on offered many different ways to see the reef so I made the most of them – going in the semi-submerisble boats, the underwater viewing chamber and snorkelling. While I was out snorkelling I saw a huge Maori Rass (nicknamed Chunk), lots of clownfish and hundreds of species of other fish and amazing coral. I was also lucky enough to see a green turtle – swimming along with it was incredible. The colours of the reef are a lot more vivid up north compared to down in the Whitsundays, but sadly there has also been a lot of coral bleaching. The water temperatures are way too high for this time of year, which stresses the coral making it bleach and after a month, if nothing happens, it will die. Whether the reef will be able to recover this time remains to be seen, but was is for sure is that humans are the cause of this damage. If we all take action on climate change we migh save the reef, but if not the future is bleak.

Fabulous Fraser Island

Fraser Island is an island entirely made out of sand which sits just off the east coast of Australia. I have been lucky enough to spend the past few days on the island arriving just in time to enjoy sunset on my first day.

The next morning I started exploring the island properly – first stop Lake McKenzie. Lake McKenzie is the most popular of Fraser Island’s perched dune lakes. There are only about 80 perched dune lakes in the world and Fraser is home to over half of them. The lakes are so unique because they are resting on sand – made possible by a black sludge composed of minerals and organic matter at the bottom of the lake that sealed off the sand. It is easy to see why Lake McKenzie is so popular, with its crystal clear water surrounded by white sand. Later that day I went to Basin Lake, where you are not allowed to swim because of the rare frog species that calls it home, and spotted some freshwater turtles.

We also walked through the rainforest – the only rainforest in the world to grow on sand. Luckily we didn’t come across any snakes – Fraser is home to 3 out of the top 4 deadliest snakes – but we did spot some funnel web spider holes.

The next day we headed directly across the island – driving along the very bumpy sand tracks – to 75 mile beach. The beach is actually only 55 miles long, the people who named it just assumed it ran the entire length of the island rather than actually checking. The beach is a designated highway in Queensland – it has speed limit signs and even a police station. It feels very odd driving along such a beautiful beach. The only drawback of the miles of golden sand is you can’t safely swim in the ocean – it is home to too many sharks along with a whole host of other marine life. While we were driving along we caught a glimpse of some spray from a blowhole and a large splash far out into the ocean – evidence of the very beginning of the humpback whale migration season. By July whales are spotted everyday along the coast, but unfortunately a brief splash is all we saw.

Further up the beach lies the Maheno shipwreck – once a luxury cruise liner between Australia and New Zealand and later a WWI hospital ship, the Maheno got stranded on the beach and couldn’t be refloated. It was used as target practice in WWII by the Australian airforce and what remains is now a popular photo stop along the beach. We also stopped at the pinnacles of coloured sand, the variations of colour caused by rusting minerals.

Indian head marks the north end of the beach. The short climb to the top gives great views out to sea and along the beach, as well as a prime opportunity for spotting wildlife. We catch sight of a large ray, but turtles and sharks are regularly spotted. The only safe place to swim in the ocean are the champagne pools – permanent rock pools where the waves crash in, but the rocks keep the sharks out.

Our last stop of the day is Eli creek which carries water from the centre of the island out to the ocean. Floating along the creek in rubber rings was beautiful and hilarious as everyone, including me fell out quite spectacularly several times. We watched the sunset colours over the beach that night, proving that sometimes sunset is best in the east.

On our final morning on the island we headed for our final perched dune lake – Lake Birabeen – to have a go at paddle boarding. It was easy on the completely calm crystal clear lake, and a very peaceful way to explore. In the afternoon we climbed one of Fraser’s large sand dunes. It was very hard work, but the views were beautiful and we got to see the point where the sand merges into the rainforest.