Luci's Back-Packing trip - New Zealand 8th February - 132rd Day
Feb 14, 2014 00:44:41 #
These are photographs from the days in areas of New Zealand when there was no Wi-Fi available to send the photographs home for downloading to you good people. Luci has been storing them up for us.
Feb 14, 2014 00:46:56 #
where were they taken, maybe the North Island as I don't recognise anything.
Feb 14, 2014 02:23:04 #
It is the North Island, There was no Wi-Fi available and some of the pictures have been held up and maybe some duplicated. They carry on to the South Island when they reach the far South of North Island,
On their 8th day of the tour they come to the South Island, See Itinerary Below
8. Travel Day: Wellington to Marahau (Abel Tasman).
We catch the 8am Bluebridge ferry (check-in at 7am) to the South Island where we meet the Stray bus. We then cruise through the famous Marlborough vineyard area and the coastal town of Nelson, before heading onto Motueka and our amazing night stop of Marahau, right on the edge of the Abel Tasman National Park.
Accommodation: Unique Stray accommodation on the edge of Abel Tasman National Park. Optional paid activities: Ferry $50-75, wine tasting, skydiving, microlighting!
Free activities: Swim, walk, mussel tasting around the fire.
9. Non Travel Day: Marahau (Abel Tasman).
You have the day at leisure to explore this stunning, coastal national park. Accommodation: Unique Stray accommodation on the edge of the national park.
Optional paid activities: Full day sailing trip, kayaking, skydiving, water taxi, horse riding or hang gliding.
Free activities: Walk in the national park or just relax on one of the golden sand beaches! Plant a tree!
10. Travel Day: Marahau to Punakaiki.
Depart Marahau at 8.30am. We head for the wild West Coast passing through the Buller Gorge before stopping off at Cape Foulwind to see the seal colony. We head on to our exclusive Stray stop, nestled amongst the native bush in Paparoa National Park. The sunset is a must if the weather is clear.
Accommodation: Lodge in the middle of the rainforest with ocean views. Optional paid activities: Save some coin today.
Free activities: Westport seal colony, West coast sunset, walk the Truman Track walk, meet some of the quirky locals.
11. Travel Day: Punakaiki to Franz Josef.
You have the morning free for activities, then at midday we head into the heart of the West Coast where time almost stands still. We do pick-ups at Greymouth, make a stop in Hokitika then head to Franz Josef, a town squashed between the Tasman Sea and the mighty Franz Josef glacier.
Accommodation: Lodge in the middle of the rainforest.
Optional paid activities: Bone or jade carving
Free activities: Punakaiki pancake rocks and their mighty blowholes, walk along the beach, sleep in.
12. Non Travel Day: Franz Josef.
A free day to explore the glacier and take an Ice Explorer trip. Accommodation: Central lodge surrounded by the rainforest
Optional paid activities: Guided heli-hike (Ice Explorer $299), go ice climbing, relax in the local hot pools.
Free activities: Many excellent bush hikes (but we recommend a guided one for safety). Warm up and relax after all this in one of NZs largest spa pools at your accommodation.
13. Travel Day: Franz Josef to Wanaka.
Depart at 9am. We head to Lake Matheson for the amazing mirror lake; stop at Fox Glacier for pickups then travel through to the mountainous Haast pass and Makarora. We pass by the beautiful Lake Hawea and arrive in Wanaka with an afternoon to enjoy this picturesque lakeside town.
Accommodation: Central hostel.
Optional paid activities: Puzzle World, fly a plane!
Free activities: Mirror Lake walk, Ship Creek walk, Blue Pools walk, Thundercreek Falls walk, explore Wanaka.
14. Travel Day: Wanaka to Queenstown.
Depart 11.30am. This morning you have the opportunity to check out amazing views of the lake either by skydiving or walking up Mt Iron! We cruise into Queenstown with a stop at the famous A.J. Hackett Nevis bungy site and then head to the Adventure Capital of the World! Queenstown offers an optional big (make that huge) night out with excellent restaurants, pubs and live music.
Accommodation: Central hostel.
Optional paid activities: Skydiving, bungy jumping.
Free activities: Walk Mt Iron, watch people jumping off a bridge!
15. Recommended Non Travel Day: Queenstown.
Today is yours to explore. Obviously you can break your journey in Queenstown for as long as you want. If youre not doing the Burt, look at doing a one day trip to Milford Sound before you go. Speak to your driver or hostel travel desk for Dunedin connection options.
Accommodation: Central hostel.
Optional paid activities: Any adventure activity that we mad Kiwis can dream up (bungy, swing, jetboating, rafting, skydiving, mountain biking, zipline, horse riding...), trip to Milford Sound.
Free activities: Sleep in, great walks, take in beautiful views from this cool resort town.
16. Travel Day: Queenstown to Aoraki/ Mt Cook.
Departures from 8.40am. Onwards we head over the Lindis Pass through the beautiful Mackenzie Country past Lake Pukaki, then head north to our amazing stop at the base of New Zealands highest mountain Aoraki/Mt Cook, arriving in the early afternoon. If you want to hop off the bus for a few days there are some incredible longer walks (wed recommend leaving climbing Mt Cook to the mountaineers though).
Accommodation: Stunning alpine lodge inside the National Park.
Optional paid activities: Take a boat to check out the Tasman glacier and icebergs, visit the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre.
Free activities: Take photos of awe-inspiring scenery, do one of the many great short walks through the Hooker Valley.
17. Travel Day: Mt Cook to Rangitata.
Depart at 8am. We make our way to the Lord of the Rings landscape of Rangitata. We head past scenic Lake Tekapo, with time for photos of the turquoise lake and the picturesque Church of the Good Shepherd. We arrive late morning in Geraldine, and then head through to spend the night at Rangitata.
Accommodation: One of Canterburys original sheep stations.
Optional paid activities: Do an amazing rafting trip, go for a mountain bike, walk or horse ride through Peel Forest.
Free activities: Take photos of stunning scenery, food tasting at Geraldine.
18. Travel Day: Rangitata to Christchurch.
Depart at 7.30am. It is an express haul across the Canterbury plains to Christchurch where your time with Stray come to an end. We arrive at the International Airport around 9.30am.
Start: Auckland
Finish: Christchurch Minimum Days: 16-17 Recommended days: 21
On their 8th day of the tour they come to the South Island, See Itinerary Below
8. Travel Day: Wellington to Marahau (Abel Tasman).
We catch the 8am Bluebridge ferry (check-in at 7am) to the South Island where we meet the Stray bus. We then cruise through the famous Marlborough vineyard area and the coastal town of Nelson, before heading onto Motueka and our amazing night stop of Marahau, right on the edge of the Abel Tasman National Park.
Accommodation: Unique Stray accommodation on the edge of Abel Tasman National Park. Optional paid activities: Ferry $50-75, wine tasting, skydiving, microlighting!
Free activities: Swim, walk, mussel tasting around the fire.
9. Non Travel Day: Marahau (Abel Tasman).
You have the day at leisure to explore this stunning, coastal national park. Accommodation: Unique Stray accommodation on the edge of the national park.
Optional paid activities: Full day sailing trip, kayaking, skydiving, water taxi, horse riding or hang gliding.
Free activities: Walk in the national park or just relax on one of the golden sand beaches! Plant a tree!
10. Travel Day: Marahau to Punakaiki.
Depart Marahau at 8.30am. We head for the wild West Coast passing through the Buller Gorge before stopping off at Cape Foulwind to see the seal colony. We head on to our exclusive Stray stop, nestled amongst the native bush in Paparoa National Park. The sunset is a must if the weather is clear.
Accommodation: Lodge in the middle of the rainforest with ocean views. Optional paid activities: Save some coin today.
Free activities: Westport seal colony, West coast sunset, walk the Truman Track walk, meet some of the quirky locals.
11. Travel Day: Punakaiki to Franz Josef.
You have the morning free for activities, then at midday we head into the heart of the West Coast where time almost stands still. We do pick-ups at Greymouth, make a stop in Hokitika then head to Franz Josef, a town squashed between the Tasman Sea and the mighty Franz Josef glacier.
Accommodation: Lodge in the middle of the rainforest.
Optional paid activities: Bone or jade carving
Free activities: Punakaiki pancake rocks and their mighty blowholes, walk along the beach, sleep in.
12. Non Travel Day: Franz Josef.
A free day to explore the glacier and take an Ice Explorer trip. Accommodation: Central lodge surrounded by the rainforest
Optional paid activities: Guided heli-hike (Ice Explorer $299), go ice climbing, relax in the local hot pools.
Free activities: Many excellent bush hikes (but we recommend a guided one for safety). Warm up and relax after all this in one of NZs largest spa pools at your accommodation.
13. Travel Day: Franz Josef to Wanaka.
Depart at 9am. We head to Lake Matheson for the amazing mirror lake; stop at Fox Glacier for pickups then travel through to the mountainous Haast pass and Makarora. We pass by the beautiful Lake Hawea and arrive in Wanaka with an afternoon to enjoy this picturesque lakeside town.
Accommodation: Central hostel.
Optional paid activities: Puzzle World, fly a plane!
Free activities: Mirror Lake walk, Ship Creek walk, Blue Pools walk, Thundercreek Falls walk, explore Wanaka.
14. Travel Day: Wanaka to Queenstown.
Depart 11.30am. This morning you have the opportunity to check out amazing views of the lake either by skydiving or walking up Mt Iron! We cruise into Queenstown with a stop at the famous A.J. Hackett Nevis bungy site and then head to the Adventure Capital of the World! Queenstown offers an optional big (make that huge) night out with excellent restaurants, pubs and live music.
Accommodation: Central hostel.
Optional paid activities: Skydiving, bungy jumping.
Free activities: Walk Mt Iron, watch people jumping off a bridge!
15. Recommended Non Travel Day: Queenstown.
Today is yours to explore. Obviously you can break your journey in Queenstown for as long as you want. If youre not doing the Burt, look at doing a one day trip to Milford Sound before you go. Speak to your driver or hostel travel desk for Dunedin connection options.
Accommodation: Central hostel.
Optional paid activities: Any adventure activity that we mad Kiwis can dream up (bungy, swing, jetboating, rafting, skydiving, mountain biking, zipline, horse riding...), trip to Milford Sound.
Free activities: Sleep in, great walks, take in beautiful views from this cool resort town.
16. Travel Day: Queenstown to Aoraki/ Mt Cook.
Departures from 8.40am. Onwards we head over the Lindis Pass through the beautiful Mackenzie Country past Lake Pukaki, then head north to our amazing stop at the base of New Zealands highest mountain Aoraki/Mt Cook, arriving in the early afternoon. If you want to hop off the bus for a few days there are some incredible longer walks (wed recommend leaving climbing Mt Cook to the mountaineers though).
Accommodation: Stunning alpine lodge inside the National Park.
Optional paid activities: Take a boat to check out the Tasman glacier and icebergs, visit the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre.
Free activities: Take photos of awe-inspiring scenery, do one of the many great short walks through the Hooker Valley.
17. Travel Day: Mt Cook to Rangitata.
Depart at 8am. We make our way to the Lord of the Rings landscape of Rangitata. We head past scenic Lake Tekapo, with time for photos of the turquoise lake and the picturesque Church of the Good Shepherd. We arrive late morning in Geraldine, and then head through to spend the night at Rangitata.
Accommodation: One of Canterburys original sheep stations.
Optional paid activities: Do an amazing rafting trip, go for a mountain bike, walk or horse ride through Peel Forest.
Free activities: Take photos of stunning scenery, food tasting at Geraldine.
18. Travel Day: Rangitata to Christchurch.
Depart at 7.30am. It is an express haul across the Canterbury plains to Christchurch where your time with Stray come to an end. We arrive at the International Airport around 9.30am.
Start: Auckland
Finish: Christchurch Minimum Days: 16-17 Recommended days: 21
Feb 14, 2014 05:46:26 #
Interesting shots and good documentation. It almost feels as if we are there with her. Ok, that is an exaggeration; but you know what I'm talking about. Thanks.
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