Fri - October 24, 2003

Day 14: A day in Christchurch

Woke up early. Checked out shops at Cathedral Square for souvenirs. Set out for city walk #1. Bridges. Visited botanical garden & Canterbury Museum. Was enjoying Antartica exhibit when fire alarm went off & interrupted visit. Crossed road to Arts Center, a local crafts shopping mall sharing premise with the School of Fine Arts. Bought some gifts then headed back to YHA. Went back to Cathedral square to pick up gifts then headed back. Guys went to Brighton beach while I went to look for dinner. Had a pork gyros. Got back to do some blogging, while rest went out to dinner at Penang Cafe. Packed up ready to return to Malaysia, call it a night round midnight.

0730 Today would be the last full day we spend in New Zealand. We woke up early to the usual breakfast of instant noodles, courtesy of Noel again. My plan was to take it slow and easy today following City Walk #1 which would take me from Cathedral Square up the Avon and through the Botanical Garden ending by spending half the afternoon at the Canterbury Museum.

0900 Packed up and checked out of the YHA, rented a locker to put stuffs then headed out for the morning. We all decided to head off in different directions. Checked out the map & navigation supplies store just around the corner. In addition to maps and navigation charts, it has got a good collection of GPS and tramping accessories like walking poles, adventure watches, waterproof bags etc, but more expensive than found in US of course. Got a little disorientated and ended up checking out a camping and camper store. Also full of interesting stuffs. Made a mental note to go back to pick up a pack of carabineers to hang things off my backpack.



0930 Beautiful sunny morning but was a getting a little warm. Finally found Cathedral Square to start the walk, it turned out to be practically around the corner from the YHA! There, I saw the most elegant Starbucks I have ever seen, housed in the same building as the visitor's center. In the square, vendors were just setting up for the day. Check out the giant chessboard.



1000 At first, I resolved to diligently followed the City Walk guide brochure, taking in every detailed old building or bridge described as I headed down Worcester Boulevard towards the Avon. Soon I became distracted by the numerous souvenir shops along the boulevard. Decided to check them out, and if I find anything interesting, to return to pick it up in the late afternoon. I was a little surprised to find that there was a poorer selection of souvenirs in Christchurch than in Queenstown. Moreover, in Queenstown souvenirs were cheaper! As I moved on, a lady in a red page boy costume handed me some fudge and a brochure to check out the Arts Center.




1100 Finally reached the Avon! The Avon was a charming little river running through the town. The walk turned into a lovely stroll down the river bank amidst shady trees and flowering bushes. Soon I was happily snapping away.



Saw this funny family of three steering crazily down river in a canoe. Look at the picture carefully, and notice that little step upriver creating a mini set of rapids which I think are meant to stop boats from heading down river!



Further up was a boat house from the late 19th century, there besides canoeing, you can hire a boatman to punt you upriver on a relaxing cruise. Now I know why that particular style of hats are called 'boaters'! Sadly, there was no time to sample this luxury.



1200 Finally reached the botanical gardens. The flowers were in full bloom and the garden was a riot of colours in the bright sunshine! The botanical gardens were just next to the museum.



There I bumped into Wong and hi wife, Koy Lee enjoying the sunshine and a light cool breeze on a bench near the fountain.



Another funny couple, this time a woman labouriously rowing her man relaxing in a boat downstream. A group of locals called out laughingly that there was something wrong with the picture here, to which the man in the boat replied that it was the woman's turn to row... we all had a good laugh.



1230 Headed into the museum after spending a couple of minutes photographing the beautiful tulip beds. Went through exhibit on the history and prehistory of the Maoris in fine detailed. The story described the Maoris as ancient navigators whom had migrated from another island south west of Hawaii. Then it went on to describe how their arrival had caused the extinction of many specie including the giant moa and giant eagles. Later the arrival of Europeans and the introduction of game mammals further accelerated the rate extinction! Prior to the arrival of humans, New Zealand did not have any mammals, only birds and insects. After the Maori exhibit, I walked through a recreated Victorian era town street towards the Antartica display. Just as I was getting absorbed into the history of Antartica Exploration, the fire alarm went off. At first I thought it was an odd time to conduct a drill, but then an attendant arrived to usher all visitors out onto the lawn.



1330 It turned out not to be a fire drill after all because shortly thereafter, a fire engine arrived. I did not stay long to watch because I had just spotted the Art Center across the road. The Art Center turned out to be a small shopping center selling New Zealand made arts and crafts, including jade (or greenstone/pounama) and bone carvings, paintings, ceramics, knitwear, wood turning shops and the Fudge Cottage, source of the wonderful fudge I had sampled earlier. It shares its grounds with the School of Fine Arts, so there were some very fine crafts that could be found here. Picked up a handmade woolen throw for granny plus lots of fudge and nougats as gifts for colleagues and friends. Had a simple lunch of smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel with a cup of latte.



1530 Began to head back to the YHA to see if the others had checked in yet. Could not find them, so headed back to the Cathedral Square to pick up more gifts. There, two men had started a game of giant chess, watched by a couple of enthusiasts. Picked up a MerinoMink throw for aunt's birthday gift, All Blacks t-shirt for Jeff and kids and a pair of toasties for Jamie.



1700 Detoured to the walking City Mall, but most of the shops were closing already. As I headed back, saw the quaint electric tram making a stop and on an impulse decided to hop on for a ride around town. This cost NZD12.50 for a 24-hour pass. When I got on, it was already making its last round before stopping for the night. The driver was very friendly and informative about the various buildings, bridges and points of interest throughout the route, so I suppose the NZD12.50 would have been worth it if we were staying one more day, because all in all, the tram route covered no more than four streets in the city center.

1830 Got back to the YHA, the others were already checked in and were getting ready to head out to the beach in Brighton. I decided not to join them but to spend some time packing after which I headed out to look for a souvlaki dinner. Just after Cathedral Square, I found a Greek restaurant competing almost directly opposite a Turkish one, both selling souvlaki. Having tried a Turkish one in Queenstown, I opted to check out the Greek restaurant. It turned out to be the right choice because in addition to Souvlaki, the Greek restaurant also had Pork Gyros which is essentially souvlaki with pork instead of chicken or lamb. No prize for guessing what I had for dinner! Decided to have my dinner out on a bench in Cathedral Square even as the sun set, while watching people. There were a group of Japanese students laughing and horsing around in a corner, a group of Chinese tourists desperately posing and snapping photos before it turned too dark, couples dressed in their best hurrying to and opera, workmen hurrying home, mothers with strollers, all in all a very lively scene.

2000 Headed back to the YHA for one last round of packing before calling it a night.

Posted at 06:18 PM     Read More  

Day 13:Mount Cook back to Christchurch

Took the half day Glacier Explorer tour, a very educational trip with some very unusual sights. After the tour, we left immediately for Christchurch. On the way, we passed by the Mt Cook Salmon Farm and stopped to purchase another fillet for that evening. This was a long drive and everyone was tired, so we did not make many other stops other; the first for lunch at the picture postcard village of Lake Tekapo and then another for petrol just outside Christchurch. We got into town in the evening and immediately headed for the YHA to look for accommodation. That night, we had another salmon feast.

0830 The previous night, while I was out for the Kea Point walk, Noel had managed to confirm the morning half day Glacier Explorer tour. We were to wait for the bus pickup at the YHA. After a quick breakfast at the Hermitage coffee house, we headed back to the YHA to wait for the tour bus after checking out.

1000 The bus was to take us along the "Hooker Road through the Hooker Plain, past Hooker Ridge, cross Hooker Bridge which spanned the Hooker River to arrive at Hooker Point..." or something like that, our droll tour guide informed us. After a ten minute ride and a relatively easy half hour hike through rocky terrain, we reached Lake Hooker for the Glacier Explorer tour. The shruberry along the way consisted of a very thorny bush that resembled a jumble of thin dried branches ending in very sharp thorns and another plant resembling a largish clump of grass with leaves resembling thick stiff lalang, also ending in a wickedly sharp point. The needles of both plants were so sharp and long that they could easily penetrate denim. Apparently, the sap from the grass like plant were used by Maori men as a perfume. The guide broke a couple of stalks off for us to sniff. It smelled a bit like lemon grass, our droll guide thought it smelled like insect repellant.



Our group of about 20 were split between two speedboats. Another overcast day with spots of sunshine. It drizzled a bit but cooled of soon after. First the safety briefing again: if anyone false into the lake, do not try to swim, but assume a fetal position and depend on the life jacket to keep afloat. The 5 degrees Celsius water will kill from the cold. We dipped our hands into the water, funny, it did not feel as cold as the stream water I had taste tested on the way to Milford Sound.


Soon we were speeding towards towards some blocks of icebergs near the outlet of Lake Hooker which flows into a river and eventually to Lake Pukaki. Lake Hooker had a milky appearance with a very pale blue-greenish tinge. According to the guide, the colour came from very fine suspended particles of rock ground down by the glacier called "glacial flour". Glacial flour was also the fine powdery substance which coated to our shoes as we walked and also the reason for the dense dust cloud thrown up by the wheels of bus. Lake Hooker had an "inverted convection" system. Generally, the water in Lake Hooker Close is constantly close to the freezing point. As water near the top of the lake gets warmer, it actually becomes denser than the water below and sinks to the bottom forcing the colder water to rise, stirring and carrying the glacial flour with it. The rising cold water becomes heated and denser and sinks to the bottom again forming the convection cycle. Fishes cannot survive in Lake Hooker because the chalky water would have suffocated them.



Near the outlet of the river to Lake Pukaki, this convection cycle becomes reversed and reverts to the conventional cycle where hot water rises to displace cold water near the surface. In Lake Pukaki, most of the glacial flour sinks to the bottom, leaving only the very finest particles still suspended in the lake water. These very fine particle diffracts light, giving Lake Pukaki a permanently light and lovely turquoise blue sheen, unlike most bodies of water which are blue from reflecting the colour of the sky.


As we approached, the surface of what looked like just another large rock began to take on a translucent appearance. This is not unlike Franz Josef glacier where blocks of ice looked just like rocks from afar. The only difference is this rock floats. The speedboat slowed as we approach, our guide wary of ice just below the surface of the water that can tip the boat if we hit it too fast. Like any piece of ice, only 10% of the iceberg is visible above water. (Which reminds me of our a wisecrack made in the bus by one of the guides that if we hit an iceberg and sinks, the tour price does not include an orchestra playing music as we go down, a la the Titanic.)




We were shown icebergs composed of different sizes of ice crystals. This depended on how much weight and pressure had been exerted in compacting snow to form the crystals. Lake Hooker was more glacier than lake as little as 30 to 40 years ago. Today the lake can be 200 to 300 meters deep at parts. About a hundred meters above us and along the sides of the mountains, we could clearly see the marking of how high the glacier once reached up to! In fact, 30 to 40 years ago the glacier used to flow right up to the doorstep of the YHA a couple of kilometers away. The glacier is melting even as it moves forward downhill, only that it is melting faster than the ice is moving thus resulting in the glacier retreating. The immensity of this process is staggering!



After the icebergs, the boat sped across the lake right up to the melting glacier. What had looked like a rocky ridge at the edge of the lake turned out to be an ice wall! On the way, the guide wove the boat back and forth to avoid hitting sizable chunks of near transparent ice floating in the water. That was one of the elements of risk on this tour. Another was the danger of a large block of ice breaking off from the glacier, falling into the water to shoot up under the boats tipping it or creating wave large enough to swamp us. Fortunately, even our guide has yet to witness such an event while conducting a tour. Finally, as an iceberg dissolves, its weight balance shifts, causing it to rotate from time-to-time to rebalance the 10% above water. However, most of the time this happens too slowly to be a danger.




The size of some of the rocks embedded in the ice and also the amount of debris carried on top of the glacier left us in awe at the scale of the glaciation process!



All in all, the tour took a total of three hours, including the walk to and from the car park.



1300 Back at the YHA, we piled back into our car and headed out for Christchurch. Another long drive ahead. Along the way back onto Hwy 8, we took the pioneer's trail detour that would take us past another salmon farm, the Mount Cook Salmon Farm. Not only was this a more scenic route, we were also looking forward to another night of feasting on fresh salmon! This road rang alongside a canal which channeled water from Lake Tekapo to Lake Punaki. The water is used to drive the turbine generators we saw at the canal's outlet into Lake Pukaki near the beginning of the detour. That's one of the great things about driving in New Zealand, most of the interesting stops are clearly marked by road signs even if they do not show up in our guide maps.



The Mount Cook Salmon Farm straddled this canal near the midpoint of the first half of the pioneer road. The canal also boasts some of the heaviest trouts ever caught on earth; grown large from a steady diet of run-off salmon feed washed downstream from the farm. Billing themselves as the world's highest salmon farm, the Mount Cook Salmon Farm was a much larger operation than the High Country Salmon Farm which we had stopped at the previous night. The salmon on sale there was also NZD1 cheaper per kilo. Again we decided to purchase a fillet to share for dinner, this time it was packed into a styrofoam cold box. We concluded that this salmon farm definitely gave us a better deal than the last one!



1330 After purchasing our fillet, we drove on. Shortly after rejoining Hwy 8, we reached Lake Tekapo, a picture postcard village by the lake with the same name. There, we decided to stop for a simple lunch of fish and chips. Once again, the ladies made a beeline for the souvenir store! From the restaurant, I spied a little stone chapel on a hillock overlooking the lake. It looked so picture perfect that soon I was snapping away. That was when I noticed carloads and busloads of tourists stopping at the chapel. It turned out that this little chapel features in many a postcard due to it's picture perfect location!



Framed against the background of sky blue Lake Tekapo, lush green pastures and rolling hills by the cold lake shore, snow covered mountains lining the horizon, seagulls wheeling in an emerald sky; I felt my breath catch as I imagined the chapel's oaken doors swing open to reveal a pair of newly weds in pristine black and white running hand-in-hand joyfully through a small crowd of colourfully dressed wedding guests showering them with confetti and rice, straight into a limousine waiting to ferry them to their happily ever after. My breath released in a long sigh as I snapped out of my revelry just as another excursion bus grunted to a halt at the foot of the hill and disgorged another band of noisy and garishly garbed tourists. Time to be on our way again...



1800 One last stop in Rakaia for petrol and we were back Christchurch for the last leg of our journey. That night, we found accommodation in a YHA dormitory. Perhaps we were a bit deflated or perhaps it was where we were after where we had been, that night, the salmon had not tasted as good as the one we had on Mount Cook. Just one more day in Christchurch before we return to Malaysia. Seems to me that all too soon, our vacation was going to end. I slept early that night, too tired to even update this log.

Posted at 06:06 PM     Read More  

Thu - October 23, 2003

Day 12: Dunedin to Mount Cook

We decided that there was not much to see in the East Coast, so we headed for Mount Cook. On the way, we stopped to check out the bizarre Moeraki boulders. After Oamaru, the road began to climb upward on a barely perceptible incline. We passed by three lakes, Aviemore, Benmore and Pukaki, three of the seven lakes tapped to power New Zealand. Just before the last leg to Mount Cook, we stopped at the High Country salmon farm to feed the fishes (successfully this time) and bought a salmon fillet for dinner. By myself, I trekked out to Kea Point, just in time to see the peak of Mt Cook catch the last rays of the evening sun even as it played hide-n-seek with the encroaching clouds.

0800 The previous night, we had a discussion on whether to continue heading up the East Coast towards Kaikoura or to head inland to visit the iconic Mount Cook. In the end, Mount Cook won out, mainly because it would mean a shorter drive.



1000 Shortly after breakfast, we followed Hwy 1 north along the coast first. The plan was to check out the Moeraki Boulders before turning inland after Oamaru on to Hwy 83 then north onto Hwy 8 and finally Hwy 80 to Mount Cook. One last stop in Dunedin, the ladies insisted: to visit the Cadbury factory in town! Sadly, for them, we could not spare the hour-and-a-half for the factory tour. No chocolate purchases at the factory either if we did not take the tour for NZD14. The other option was to pay a NZD5 fee to buy chocolates at wholesale prices. This was to protect the Dunedin retailers' interests. We decided we could not possibly purchase enough Cadbury chocolates to justify the NZD5 fee, so we headed out of town after doing some groceries across the road.

1200 The drive along the coast was an easy and pleasant one, albeit a little boring after the spectacular west coast. At Waikouiati, I decided to answer the call of the ice cream. Hokie Pokie was my fave, a tasty caramel flavoured ice cream with bits of crunchy caramel. While scarfing the ice cream, we spied a little bakery across the road that seemed to have a steady stream of customers entering and leaving with purchases. A quick look at their billboard, they styled themselves "Home of the famous Beano pies." Now, this we gotta try! After making our purchases, we headed for the Moeraki boulders, the delicious smell of the pies permeating the car, making my stomach rumble with anticipation!




1330 Stopped at the Moeraki Boulders. Gotta have my pie first, steak and mushrooms! Yummy! The pie was delicious, chunks of lean beef stewed with mushrooms enclosed in a delightfully crispy and light crust. Only problem was that it finished too fast, and that was my lunch! Meanwhile, the ladies had made a bee line for the souvenir & gifts store. Us guys headed for the Moeraki Boulders walk, which turned out to be a very educational one. The rocks were formed out of a process called concretion, whereby a seed, maybe a small shell, a bone or a piece of coral, acted as an accretion point for other finer materials to accumulate. The process is not unlike that which creates pearls. Later, this material dries and hardens under tremendous pressure; in other words, concretizes. Fine cracks would then split it's surface allowing other materials to crystalize and fill in the cracks, thus forming the curiously regular patterns that are characteristic of these boulders. Soil erosion from wave action exposes these boulders causing them fall and roll towards the sea.

On the other hand, the Maoris around that area, the Ngai Tahu people has a more romantic version of the boulders' origins. Their tradition tells us that the large round boulders are the remains of the food baskets and water gourds carried by the great canoe Arai Te Uru when it floundered nearby. The smaller irregularly shaped boulders found further south are the remains of the seed kumara (sweet potatoes) carried by the ship.




1800 After about an hour at the Moeraki Boulders, we moved on, turning inland onto 83 a little after Oamaru. Almost imperceptibly, the road began to climb upwards. On the way, we passed through Lake Aviemore followed by Benmore and then Pukaki, three sky blue lakes that laid like jewels sparkling in the afternoon sun ringed by the snow capped mountains. These three lakes are part of the seven tapped to generate electricity for New Zealand.




On Hwy 8, just before turning into Hwy 80, we spotted another salmon farm and pulled over for a look. This time, we really got to feed the fishes. This farm was run by a friendly lady. We bought a fillet from her for dinner. At NZD26 a kg, we thought that was a steal! The fillet came up to less that NZD20. Really looking forward to dinner now!



Curiously, even as the clouds moved in, Lake Pukaki did not loose it's turquoise blue colour. We stopped to take many more photographs before reaching the Mount Cook Alpine Village a little after six. Unfortunately, the YHA did not have room anymore. There was only one other accommodation facility there, the Hermitage resort, so we had to check that out. We finally settled for the chalet, (which really sleeps up to 6) for NZD202.50 a night, the most expensive place we had stayed in yet. However, the price does include a complementary continental breakfast and a NZD10 discount voucher on food from any of their other outlets.






After unloading and unpacking, I decided to head out for the Kea Point walk, which would take 2 hours round trip. The others did not feel up to it and so I went alone. As it turned out, I was the last person to do the walk that day and only ran into people returning from the walk. It was a moderately difficult walk since my target was to complete it in around 1.5 hours to get back before nightfall. In the end, I completed the walk in 1 hour 40 minutes, inclusive of all the photo stops.

That night, we feasted on pan fried salmon steaks. Wong and I ate part of the belly from the fillet, sashimi style as well. It was definitely the sweetest salmon I have ever had without any hint of fishiness, probably because it was so fresh! A most satiating end to a most satisfactory day!

Posted at 09:48 PM     Read More  

Mon - October 20, 2003

Day 11: Milford Sound to Dunedin

Woke up early from a very restful sleep aboard the Wanderer. Headed above deck to take more photographs. After breakfast, the ship got underway to head back to port. It was a beautiful morning. On the way back to port, we spotted a raucous yellow eyed penguin colony and a New Zealand furry seal colony. At two of the waterfalls, the ship took us so near that we could feel the fresh water spray on our faces. A pair of ducks had adopted the ship and followed us all the way back to port. All too soon, the cruise had ended. We headed back to Te Anau to collect the rest of our luggage before leaving for Dunedin. On the way to Dunedin, all our cameras ran out of battery but that was not so bad. After the majesty of Milford Sound, the road to Dunedin was quite mundane. Mostly rolling hills, and farms. At Mandeville, we stopped and I went for a ride on a Tiger Moth biplane. We reached Dunedin at about six, found a motel then went for a drive south to look for penguins, albatross and seal colonies. It was late and all these attractions was closed already. Also a fog was moving in, so we headed back to town for dinner before calling it another day.

0700 After very restful sleep, woke up feeling very fresh. Climbed up on deck, it was a cold but clear morning. The crew was also starting to stir. I could see that the Mariner has already headed out to the mouth of the fjord. Proceeded to take a few more photographs before heading below deck for a hot shower to start the day.

0800 Headed back up to the main cabin where breakfast was being served. We had cereals, yogurt, eggs, bacon, sausages, hash browns, a roll plus milk and orange juice to wash it all down. It turned out to be a beautiful day.



Overnight, a pair of ducks had decided to join our troupe! We spent some time feeding them. You could get the female to fly, hover and eat bread out of your hand. Same with the male although most of the time, the male was either too lazy or too proud to do so....




0930 Soon after breakfast, the Milford Wanderer got underway to head back to port. On the way back to port, the captain took the ship practically under two water falls to give us an 'up-close-and-personal' look at the falls. (The Mariner's captain performing the same maneuver in the photo above.) Those of us in the fore deck received a refreshing morning shower from the cold spray. The ship also sailed very close to the cliffs so that the captain could show us some unique rock formations. As we rounded another bend, we were greeted by the raucous calls of a colony of yellow eyed penguins. Unfortunately, they were to fast and small to photograph.



Next, we encountered a furry seal colony basking in the morning sun, the young males taking turns to play 'king-of-the-hill'.




The cruise was now coming to and end, and we could see the 'town' of Milford Sound looming larger as we drew nearer but still dwarfed by the surrounding mountains!



1230 We debarked and headed back to Te Anau to collect the rest of our luggage. We practically retraced the steps we took from Te Anau, almost making the same stops as well. Many of the dull looking places we had visited the on the way to Milford Sound, now came alive, sparkling in the bright morning sun.



Near the alpine rescue station, we stopped to photograph the majestic mountains and to play in the snow. Sadly, no one took up my challenge to start a snow ball fight.



Soon, the mirror lake again...



The broad plain carved by long forgotten glaciers...The grass felt so soft, it was such a beautiful day, the sun so warm, the air cool, the perfect place for a nap...



The river near the roadside waterfall...



The friendly keas, this time checking out our vehicle.



and the silvery river snaking across the deep valley!

1300 After a light lunch of sandwiches, we left Te Anau for Dunedin (Pronounced doo-NAY-den), expecting a long drive. Eventually, the snow capped mountains disappeared behind the horizon and the landscape took on that of a pastoral nature, with broad expanses of grassland. This was definitely cattle country!



1430 On the way, we almost shot past Mandeville, but a bright flash of yellow caught Wong's and my attention and we made a quick turn off to a rural airstrip offering rides in a beautifully preserved Tiger Moth biplane, the classic trainer plane of the Royal Air Force! Since we were in a hurry, I only went up on a 10 minute joy ride. Up in the air, we could see for hundreds of miles in one of the clearest of afternoons. The pilots took the plane through several steep banks, tight turns and a dive before heading back to the airfield. There is nothing quite like feeling of the wind on your face in an open cockpit a thousand feet up in the air! I resolved to take a longer ride the next time I visit New Zealand so that I can have a turn at the joystick.

1730 Partly because the landscape became quite boring after that, and mainly because all our camera batteries were completely flat, we did not make anymore stops. Thus we made good time and reached Dunedin early. After locating a motel, we headed out to the Ortago peninsula in search of albatross, yellow eyed penguins and seals. The Ortago peninsula and the mainland formed a broad bay not unlike San Francisco. Also like San Francisco, Dunedin city roads rose and fell steeply following the contours of the hills it had been built upon. The drive to the nature reserves was along a narrow road hugging the sides of low sea cliffs. Picturesque villages and homes dotted the sides of the hills that ran down to the road and then to the sea. As we drove on, a low fog bank moved into the bay, obscuring the setting sun and distant city across the bay. Beneath the fog bank, we could see an uncountable number of windsurfers dotting the horizon, their sails flaring briefly as they catch the warm evening sunlight.

1830 By now the fog have moved in, turning everything gray and misty. Also all the attractions we were looking for had closed for the day already. We headed back to town. On the main thoroughfare, George Street, we found a Chinese Restaurant in which we had our dinner, the largest one we had yet! The couple running the establishment came from Tai San and were very friendly folks. Before migrating to New Zealand, they had run an eating house in Hong Kong, so their cooking was really quite good. After a very satisfying meal, we headed back to the motel, where for the first time in five days, I had a dial up line to access the Internet. By now, I was already three days back-blogged! Needless to say, that night I slept late...

Posted at 11:36 PM     Read More  

Sun - October 19, 2003

Day 10: Te Anau to Milford Sound

Woke up and tried to update blog today. As we left the YHA Hostel, we saw a vintage car show in progress in the field next door. After refueling the car, we popped in for a look. There were some most lovingly preserved models of cars. We did not spend long there before heading for Milford Sound. The landscape changed to a weird one combining thick rain forest not unlike those found in Malaysia to deep snow fields, and towering snow covered mountains and steep waterfalls from the melting snow. We arrived at the harbour little after 3. The Milford Wanderer left the port at precisely four thirty. The weather began to clear even as we set sail and we were treated to some spectacular views of the fjord. Later that evening, I went sea kayaking. The rest went for a speedboat ride. That night, we were treated to a hearty dinner. Lights out at ten thirty.

0730 Woke up a little earlier this morning. The rest were still sleeping. I spent about half an hour updating this blog. By now, I have built up a "back-blog" of at least three days.

0800 Had the usual morning shower. Te Anau's YHA hostel has very nice and new facilities. They even had a tennis court out back, If we had more time, I suppose we could have borrowed some gear from the hostel for a game. Instead we had our breakfast, instant noodles ala Noel, a delicious concoction of Korean instant noodles, eggs and canned tuna. All of us except Noel had decided to rent lockers at the YHA to keep our luggage, bringing only an overnight change of clothing for the cruise.



1000 We checked out of YHA early for MIlford Sound. It was supposed to be a very scenic drive, so we wanted to give ourselves ample time for stops along the way. Just as we were leaving, we noticed that a vintage car owners' meeting in progress in the field next to the YHA. After filling up at the nearby BP, we headed back to the car show. There were Fords, Sunbeams, Chevrolets, Cadillacs, Holdens, MGs and many more classics from different eras, the 80s to the 70s, 60s, 50s all the way back to the late 19th century. All of the cars were polished like new and were in running condition including what must been an over hundred years old Ford Model-T. Wong asked the owner if he could be photographed next to it but the owner's wife in the car misunderstood and warned him to stay back and not to touch the car, which was a little irritating but funny at the same time. You get the impression that some of the owners are not the sociable type! Fortunately, the owner was nearby and gave his assent. There was some kind of trial going on, which involved driving around the field in a circuit, stopping first to toot the horn, then driving up two stacked wooden planks, the top one nailed at least half a length offset from the bottom plank. We speculated that the tests were to gauge how well the owners had restored and maintain their cars! Anyway, after about half an hour it was time to move on.

1130 After popping by a local supermarket, we stopped to have a picnic on one of the benches outside the shops and to prepare some sandwiches for the long drive,



1515 We arrived at the port very early. The day had started out overcast and a little gloomy. Along the way, it even drizzled a little, however the scenery did not disappoint! As we headed north, the landscape changed from that of populated rolling plains dotted with sheep to uninhabited towering mountains, deep valleys, chasms, rivers and waterfalls from melting snow. This landscape has to be uniquely New Zealand. Rainforest greening the valleys and at the roots of rocky mountains and trees growing shorter and shorter as it finds harder purchase up the steep slopes eventually leaving short stumpy shrubs clinging precariously to the higher slopes before terminating abruptly in the brilliant white snow. At places too steeply inclined for life, bare rocks, split by pencil thin falls, water from melting snow tumbling hundreds of meters in steps, silvery white against the dark brown face of the mountains. As we headed deeper towards Milford Sound, the land rose higher and higher. We were driving into avalanche country! The way was punctuated with signs warning cars not to stop, often for many kilometers. At places designated safe stopping areas, we got out to take photographs.



Some of the more memorable stops included a completely flat and immensely broad valley carved out by a long melted glacier walled in by steep mountains on either side.



A little further on, nested in a small forest was the Mirror Lake, so called because of the crystal clear images of the surrounding mountains reflected upon its surface on a calm day.



As we climbed higher to cross over the mountains bordering Milford Sound, we made two more stops, one almost immediately following the other, both at scenic outlooks overlooking the deep valley our rented vehicle had just labouriously climbed out of. Just then the rain began to fall more heavily. In the failing light, we just had time to take a few photos (mine in black and white) of the silvery stream snaking across the verdant rainforest before fading into the distant mist enshrouded highlands.



Further on, another stop at a spectacular water fall by one of the numerous one lane bridges. I sampled a mouthful of water from the stream running along the road to join the one coming from the waterfall. The water was icy cold but tasted sweet.



Later, as we rounded a corner within avalanche country, we slowed to a stop beside a stream, where a colony of keas, a native species of parrots have made their home. Keas are comically cute looking birds, very friendly and completely fearless of humans, non too bright for it would waddle its way, calmly across the road despite fast oncoming cars, almost as if daring the drivers to hit them. (Then again, perhaps they are not so dumb after all, and are actually the privilege of their endangered status!) When tucked, its wings are of a metallic looking sheen of emerald green. Its chest feathered gold. With its wings extended in flight, it reveals a back of startlingly brilliant red and orange. It gives off a soft but penetrating call resembling that of a gently squeezed rubber duck, "kkeeeaaa..." which must have been the reason for it's name. It would climb onto the roofs of stopped cars, peering curiously into the passenger compartment looking for food. Naturally, tourists have been warned not to feed these overly friendly creatures!



Million dollar question... Why did the kea cross the road?



A little after the Kea nesting site, yet another water fall. This time there was a platform built over this one so that we could appreciate the weird shapes that has been sculpted into the rocks by the force of the water. The rocks would not look out of place in a Tolkienesque landscape!



As we climbed down out of the bordering highlands, the rain slowed and eventually stopped, revealing a majestic vista of mountains cloaked in clouds, dropping almost vertically into the blue white capped sea. Milford Sound at last, a tiny resort and fishing town with a population of less than 170, a mere collection of four or five wooden buildings and a large parking lot, almost imperceptible in the grandeur of its surroundings. Milford Sound, also a town plagued by legions of sandflies. Run off from melted snow cascade down the cliffs into the sea to form a layer of pure water over the sea water, allowing the insects to breed. Already in early spring, swarms of this irritating pest would buzz around one's head. but we were warned that it would get much worse in summer.

1630 It would be another three quarters of an hour before the cruise sets sail. Already the sun has broken through the clouds, turning the car into an uncomfortably hot refuge from the flies. We tried to seek cooler respite in the cafe, but it closed at four. A couple was haggling at the information desk, their car had run out of petrol and the local station was sold out, the day's shipment had not arrived. Piling into our car, we headed out to wait out the last half an hour in the harbour building, parking in a space left by the departing tour buses. No more buses were to be expected until the following afternoon.



We boarded the Milford Wanderer on time. our cabins had been labeled accordingly and as soon as we were settled, headed back up to the main cabin for the safety briefing, After a brief introduction to the crew of six, we were allowed the run of the ship even as it made its way towards the Tasman Sea. Our first meal aboard was a delicious steaming bowl of cream of asparagus served with a roll and butter (New Zealand of course...) just as the ship ast sheer moss covered cliffs and waterfalls. The captain, our principal guide narrated the history of Milford Sound to us, pointing out geological features of note. We interrupted our meal from time to time and rushed out on deck to photograph the wonders of one of the world's most beautiful natural heritage, Fjordland.



Luckily we had not tried harder to get onto the cruise the previous Saturday evening, for not only was the weather clearing, the boat was also only half full, leaving us plenty of extra room between the narrow bunks with which to unpack and more importantly, plenty of deck space on top to pick the best views for taking photographs.





The ship cruised out of the Sound and about a kilometer out to the open Tasman Sea before turning around to anchor in a sheltered bay. It was time to break out the sea kayaks for the more adventurous, For the less so, the crew had arranged for a speed boat tour around the cove. Those of us in the kayaks spent a little over an hour paddling around the bay, investigating the curious rock formations, the beaches and the flora and fauna. We were not permitted to land on the beaches itself, not that I would want to because as soon as I get within a hundred feet of land, swarms of sandflies would attack! Of the two activities, the speed boat ride would appeal to the more cerebral, for whilst the kayakers were left to their own devices, the speed boat riders were treated to a narration of the flora, fauna and geology of that area.




As the sun sank over the hills, it was time to head back to the ship. Anchors aweigh and soon we were underway, heading back into the fjord to a more sheltered bay to moor for the night.



Already the stars began peeping from amongst the clouds as the Wanderer joined its sister ship, the Milford Mariner in the same bay for the night. That night, we sat down to a hearty meal of roasted chicken, potatoes, pumpkin and salad. There was apple crumble with ice cream for deserts and the bar was opened for drinks. Tired from the day's activities, we called it a night and went to bed early after a refreshing hot shower.

Posted at 03:54 PM     Read More  

Day 9: Queenstown to Te Anau.

Spent the morning walking around Queenstown. Beautiful sunny day, took lots of photos on short walk to town from YHA. Bought a new waist pouch, a torch and a drinking bottle. Had Chinese seafood lunch in town before leaving for Te Anau. Another beautiful scenic drive. Did not follow recommended Hwy 6 to Lumsden the Hwy 94, but took a short cut through the country side near Garston which rejoin Hwy 94 near Mossburn. Te Anau is another beautiful lakeside town. Took best photos of trip so far here.

0800 Woke up to a beautiful morning. Stepped outside the YHA for a walk by the lake and to take some photos(of course).



The sun was shining, birds were singing, gulls doing their loops over lake, ducks diving for their breakfast, a cool breeze rippling the water, I can stay here forever.



Queenstown: vacation central of New Zealand. But not this time, today we leave for the next town, Te Anau.



0900 After breakfast, we decided to take a walk to town. The ladies wanted to shop for souvenirs. Queenstown still lies cooly, shaded by the long shadow cast by the surrounding hills under the strong morning sun. The Wakatipo cruise ship was just steaming out for the morning lake tour. Many plants were in full bloom.



The plum blossoms, in petals of pristine white, blushed prettily pink and yellow under the morning sun, framed against an azure sky. We strolled slowly down tree lined avenues, cooled by a light breeze blowing across the lake.



A flea market was in full swing, just as we got into town. Local arts and crafts, from handmade jewelry, paintings and carvings to hand died cloths and homemade preserves. Many people were out shopping or just enjoying coffee or a glass of wine in the warm sunshine.

1145 As agreed upon earlier, we met up at the pier to look for a restaurant to lunch in. Finally, we settled on having seafood at "Memories of Hong Kong", the same Chinese restautant Noel and Allison had their dinner in the previous night. We had a sizzling seafood platter, seafood noodles, scallops and broccoli and a steamed fish. All agreed that the best dish was the sizzling seafood platter, a heaping combination of scallops, mussels, fish, prawns and calamari. Scallops are served here with the roe attached, so they are huge! We were stuffed, the bill came up to NZD124, still cheaper than dining at a Western restaurant.

1305 The lunch took us some time to finish. Time to head back to the YHA and leave for Te Anau. Again, since we have booked the Te Anau YHA in advance, we were not in a hurry.



1400 Wong took the first shift at the wheel. About 25km beyond Queenstown was Kingston, which offered this superb view of lake Wakatipo, looking back northwards. Despite the cool air, the inside of the car was quite stuffy and warm. The roads were surprisingly strait, so shortly after leaving Queenstown soon everyone (except the driver, fortunately) was lulled to sleep.



1515 We reached Garston, 'the most inland town' of the South Island, that is if indeed you want to call it a town. It consisted all of three or four shops along Hwy 6, and a novelty signpost giving the line-of-sight distances to major NZ locations: 108km to Milford Sound.... our true destination.



1600 A little after Garston, we had taken a right detour off Hwy 6 to join Hwy 94 at Mossburn instead of the recommended route through Lumsden. This shaved off some 20+km from the 170km Lumsden route. The road condition of the detour was just as superb as the highway, driving past verdant pastures on rolling plains that seemed to stretch all the way to the foot of the snow capped mountains in the horizon. The landscape was alternately dotted with the white of grazing sheep and the brown of cattle, including these mildly bored but curious bunch of NZ prime cuts. Wondered why I've read that sheep stink worse than cattle, coz I can tell you now that when I took these photos, the latter was definitely more aromatic, or perhaps I was standing downwind then...



1640 Reached the town of Te Anau! Another picture postcard perfect town lying beside its namesake lake. Curious, although much smaller than Queenstown, Te Anau seemed to have a proportionately larger population of Orientals. Most of the souvenir shops seemed to have been run by Chinese or Vietnamese. There were even two Chinese restaurants in this small town of 3000 or so. The YHA facility here is modern and superb although they do not offer the convenience off self-contained units. We shared a family room which sleeps 5 in individual bunks. Shortly after settling down, we headed out to the park by the lake for a walk.



The sun played hide-and-seek amongst the clouds, chasing shadows across the landscape. Many ducks made their home on Lake Te Anau, including this handsome mallard and his pretty mate. I spent a little time watching this cute but possessive pair doing everything together, waddling to the pond, diving for fishes or just paddling in the water, never straying far from each other.



At first the town itself was a little overcast, but the sun emerged just before sunset, throwing the town into sharp relief...



The warm evening sunlight brought a riot of spring colours to life offering us the best photo opportunities thus far on this trip, to capture the beauty of springtime New Zealand!

2000 I hung around to watch as the sun dipped for the last last time that day behind a wall of clouds, setting them aflame just before sinking below the horizon. Another beautiful close to another perfect day. I headed back to the hostel for a simple dinner and the night's rest.

Posted at 09:11 AM     Read More  

Fri - October 17, 2003

Day 8: Queenstown! Bungy & Jet boating.

Slept in again. Cloudy skies again, but feels warmer tho. Made a booking at the YHA counter for bungy at 10:30am and jetboat ride in the afternoon at 2:30pm. After breakfast (don't know why not much appetite) we headed out to the Kawarau suspension bridge for my jump. Did the jump then headed back to town. Detoured to checked out Arrowtown, a small one street tourist town about 20km from Queenstown. Visited the Chinese settlement historical site, then headed back to Shotover river for the jetboat ride. After jetboat, headed back to the YHA for tea then back to town for the skyline gondola (read cable car) ride up to the top of the hill overlooking Queenstown. Very panaromic. That night, Noel made his famous bolognaise sauce, and after a hearty meal we called it an early night.

0700 Noel tried to wake me up again to go take some photos but I decided to sleep in again.

0800 Finally got up. This is it, this is the big day I've been looking forward to for 8-years since I first heard about bungy jumping; leaping from the world's first bungy off the Kawarau River Suspension Bridge. Noel made french toast for breakfast, but I did not have an appetite. The excitement I guess. After breakfast, I booked the bungy (NZD130) for myself and the jetboat ride (NZD89) for Wong, Koy Lee and I. Noel and Allison had decided to sit out this round. (Koy Lee later found out that you can do 4 rides: white water rafting, helicopter ride, the skylift gondola and jetboat as a package within a day for a considerable discount. Anyone reading this planning to sample these adrenalin rush should check ahead with the YHA as to the packages available.)

0950 After a leisurely breakfast, we headed out down Frankston road towards the historical Kawarau Suspension Bridge. Packed an extra t-shirt and towel to change into after jump. At first we got a little lost but a quick phone call back to the YHA had that quickly sorted out. Thank goodness for mobile phones and roaming.

1025 Got to the bridge, looks like some construction work was being done on the structure. No problems, checked in at the office cum souvenir shop. I was given an agreement to to sign to indemnify AJ Hackett Ltd of any legal obligations. This agreement also doubled as a certificate if I go through with the jump. After that, it was onto the scales, 79kg! Hmmm... looks like I've gained at least a kilo since arriving in NZ. Hope it's mostly the gear I was wearing though.



1030 After, weighing in, I was instructed to head out to the center of the bridge where the jump platform was located. At this stage, I am still not sure if I was going to go through with this. Felt a little nervous. Took a look over the edge of the bridge, the river looked cold. In a couple of minutes, the technicians arrived. There were three of them. I was told to take off my glasses and to put on a rappelling harness. After putting on the harness, I climbed out onto the jumping platform. Then one of the technicians sat me down and wrapped a thick towel snugly around my calf and ankles. Next a thick nylon strap was firmly tied around and over the towel and looped into a couple of carabineers. The bungy rope was then secured to these carabineers and the ones on the harness.



I was now ready for for the jump. The towel was wrapped so tight that I had to hop to the edge of the platform. Taking a glance over the edge at the swift running river, I felt a brief moment of doubt. I was snapped out of my revelry by one of the technicians asking if I wanted to touch the river. Half body dip, as I had planned. The necessary adjustments were made. The technician then gave me instructions: leap outwards, keeping an eye on a bridge opposite the platform, arms extended. Just before hitting the river, extend arms overhead straight overhead with head tucked into chest. "Wave to the camera", that was for a picture. Did that. Back to the edge, do I really want to do this? Another look downwards, water looks cold. Someone counted, "Four, three, two, one..." and I leapt the 42m drop.



Everything rushing by so fast, first the bridge, I was still upright, slowly tumbling forward as the bungy rope began to go taut and I began to twist in the air. Can't remember if I closed my eyes at this stage. Remember to move arms forward and tuck head in, just then I hit the river and everything went silent and green. The water was shockingly cold. The plunge into the water stopped precisely at my waist, amazingly accurate! Stretched to its maximum, bungy rope contracted and catapulted me out of the water, spinning and bouncing; once, twice. I began to feel a little cold from the wind blowing on my wet t-shirt.



The pickup dingy came and took me back to the shore. It wasn't cold anymore, must be the adrenalin kicking in. Headed back up to the store. The video was ready, it made the jump looked good. I opted for the video and photograph package at NZD59. The base price already came with a t-shirt and a certificate. I was to collect the photographs from town after 6. Heart still pounding, feeling warm but very thirsty. Felt a lot better after having a soda. On retrospect I must have been in state of shock and euphoria.

1100 Hung around to watch three other jumpers. The first, a Mat Salleh backed off after trying to jump for 5 minutes. I think u get an 80% refund if you fail to jump. The other two, an Asian girl and a Japanese guy both completed the jump. I suppose the trick is not to dwell too long at the edge and to just leap. And then panic on the way down.



1130 Headed out to check out a nearby cheesery and winery. A little disappointing as the cheesery was very small. The winery wanted to charge NZD9 for the tour if there were five or more persons. Their garden was in full bloom, so we took some time taking pictures of flowers there then headed back to town.



1200 Decided to detour to Arrowtown. Arrowtown is a small town about 20km from Queenstown. It's town center consisted of a single street of heritage buildings, giving it the look of a late 19th century cowboy town. Just outside town was a historical Chinese gold mining settlement in the process of being restored. We visited Ah Lum's and Ah Wak's store. The plaques there gave brief description of some of the inhabitants of that place. Their story were not happy ones. The Chinese miners had been given an area to work where European miners have already tapped out, so they were just picking on leftovers. They tried to build a dam so they could more easily access the river bed to pan for gold but just when they were about to reap the reward of eight months of hard labour, a flood broke and swept away their dam. Typically, a Chinese miner would try to save 100 pounds and then return to China. Another tale told of an aged miner whom was not missed for a week. His burnt body later was found pitched into his fireplace at home. Yet a third tale told of another miner whom no one noticed was missing for a month. His skeletal remains were found with 70 pounds still in his pocket.

1230 Headed out of Arrowtown to find Shotover river for the jetboat ride. On the way. we stopped for MrsMac's famous pies at Arthur's Point ski resort. This resort offers cross country skiing as well as downhill during the season. We were originally booked for the jetboat ride at 2:30pm but since we got to the jetty early, we tried to get onto an earlier ride. Unfortunately, there was no way to squeeze us in, so we hung around the area to take photos. Next to the jet boat operator was a white water rafting outfit. We went to check out the prices. White water rafting goes for NZD140 per head, six persons per rubber dingy, and each round lasts one-half hours.



1400 We were in luck. The operators managed to squeeze us into the 2pm ride. Raincoat and life jacket supplied. The ride lasted half and hour, down then up the Shotover river. After ribbing us about this being his first day at work, the pilot took us on the ride of our lives, throwing the jet boat at rocks, the canyon wall and dead trees, always turning away at the last second, missing the obstacles by a couple of feet and at times, by inches. From time to time, he would spin the craft 360 degrees, always warning us first by circling his finger in the air. This is not a ride for anyone intending to stay dry. Every tight turn and spin throws up a lot of water, especially wetting those sitting in the front, at the sides and at the back! All too soon the ride had to end, but definitely not an experience to be missed, after all, how often do you get to go on a ride of your life down one of the most scenic river canyon?

1500 Got back to the YHA, feeling a little deflated after an exhausting day.



1600 Took about an hour rest before heading out again to ride the gondola (cable cars to us) up to the peak of a hill overlooking the town. At the top, there were luge rides, forest walk and a bungy jump into the jungle. There were also restaurants, cafes and a souvenir shop. And not to forget, the panoramic view of the surrounding mountains, lakes Wakatipu and Havea. The ladies spend most of their time in the souvenir shop, while the guys went for the forest walk.



1745 Decided to head down and take a walk back to the YHA. Took a nice slow walk and a picture of Bombay Palace, Queenstown. Wonder if it is related to the KL one, naaaah can't be... Picked up my receipt and walked back to town to collect bungy photos. On the way back, picked up a sandwich and bottle of soda. Saw our rental car in town, the gang must have gone shopping.

2000 Noel cooked his famous spaghetti bolognaise. Had a hearty meal and decided to call it a night. Did the usual backup of the guys' digital pics to my Mac and tried to blog a bit but was too exhausted. Looks like Queenstown has something for every one! For the outdoors person there's rafting, canoeing, horse riding,skiing (both downhill and cross country), bungy, jet boat rides, tandem sky dive, tandem para gliding, you name it! For the ladies, shopping, fine dining and wine. For the more sedentary, beautiful scenery and parks in which to relax. Definitely the best town we have visited yet!

Posted at 08:45 AM     Read More  

Thu - October 16, 2003

Day 7: Franz Josef Glacier drive to Queenstown

Slept in for a change, planning to take a long slow drive to Queenstown. Keith, the Franz Josef YHA manager gave us some tips on where to stop along the way. The recommended stops were Fox Glacier View and lunch at the Salmon Farm. After lunch we headed for Queenstown, passing Haast and Wanaka along the way. The scenery after Haast was breathtakingly majestic and achingly beautiful all at once. Pictures simply could not do it justice. The drive on this road has to be experienced. If Lake Tahoe is heaven on earth, then heaven can be found on the opposite side of the globe.

0800 Everyone still snoring away. We had decided to sleep in for a change. Best night's sleep so far, must have been because of the walks yesterday.

0900 Bought a telephone call card to try using the public phone to dial into the Internet but couldn't get it to work. Very frustrated. Think I am going to be unable to upload this blog at least until next week. All the Internet access in town seem to be the same, although cheaper than YHA but they only allow use of their PCs, typically at NZD3-to-3.50 at non-peak hours and running up to NZD5 at peak. Decided they were too expensive to use, also since I have purchased pre-paid access, will wait till I get a dial-up line.



1030 We left Franz Josef Glacier after checking out of the YHA and headed straight for Lake Matheson. As we were checking out, Keith, the YHA manager suggested making three stops on the way south: Fox Glacier View, a little detour off Hwy 6, the Salmon Farm to feed the fishes and have lunch and Knights Head outlook for a magnificent view of the coast.



1100 A little before Fox Glacier town, we took a right detour into Lake Matheson. Unfortunately found that the walks to the lake would have taken too long, ranging from half and hour to a couple of hours. Noel looked disappointed. We were going to try to replicate the mirror lake view of the glaciers seen in postcards.



1230 Headed into Fox Glacier town where we stopped to do some grocery and souvenir shopping. That's when I realized that I had read the map wrongly, and so we backtracked to the Lake Matheson detour to look for the Fox Glacier view. Sadly by then, the clouds had moved in, largely obscuring Fox Glacier.



1315 As we drove on, the sky became more overcast. We reached the salmon farm after a three quarter hour drive. There we stopped for lunch. If anyone reading this ever visits this farm, look up as you enter the main door, the main menu has been posted above the counter. We only saw the sandwiches in the front counter, so I selected the smoked salmon and sweet cream cheese bagel sandwich and a bottle of apple juice to go with that. The bill came up to NZD10.50; NZD7.50 for the sandwich and NZD3 for the juice. The sandwich was excellent! It was only after finishing the sandwich when I noticed the aforementioned menu. Luckily, at NZD24.50, most of the salmon entrees were too expensive anyway. However, the one item that caught my eye was the salmon chowder, billed as their specialty. Although a tad expensive at NZD9 a bowl but worth a try anyway, I thought. And luckily I did. In my opinion, this chowder rivaled the clam chowder I had in San Francisco: sweet corn and chunks of salmon in a sweet creamy broth served with a steaming hot whole wheat roll and creamy butter. The perfect remedy for a cold and blustery overcast day like the one we were having. Would that we had been greeted by steaming bowls of this remedy when we had gotten off the glacier yesterday...

Other than for the food, the farm had four small concrete pools where salmon were bred and probably released into the nearby stream. The farm did not seem to offer a tour of their facility. In any case, we could not have afforded the time. So in the end, instead of feeding the salmon, we settled for just feeding on them. Before we left, we bought a can of salmon pate and some smoked salmon for to eat along the way. At this point, I should note that the salmon at the farm were (at least in my opinion) of excellent quality. Instead of the soft pale orange meat typical of farmed salmon, the ones sold at the farm had a firm bite, rich orange hue and almost no striations.



1430 We left the farm at 1400 and after about half and hour, reached Knights Head scenic outlook. Perhaps it was the overcast weather, or our expectations set too high, but Knights Head did not turn out as spectacular as we had expected.



1515 Shortly after leaving Knights Head, I fell asleep, probably due to the heavy lunch. We had just passed Haast when I awoke as Hwy 6 began its run along a river canyon, spanning deep gorges with single lane bridges, alternately rising then falling and undulating besides near vertical rock surfaces, broken only by the occasional roadside waterfall. All the while, the horizon was rimmed by snow capped mountains, the snow line beginning almost immediately where rainforest ended. This was a magical landscape. As if acceding to the changing landscape, the sky also began to clear as we headed south.




1530 We emerged from the canyon onto a broad river plateau lined with snow capped mountains. From this point on to Wanaka, the landscapes kept throwing us one postcard moment after another. We were making very slow progress for all the stops we kept making to take photographs. Sadly, none of the photographs we took could even begin to convey the beauty of this land, neither can any words I set down begin to tell of it.



1600 Stopped at Makaroa for ice cream. This has got to be the most beautiful drive yet in the last seven days. Just when we thought it could not get any more beautiful, the road kept throwing up another feast for the eye.



1620 Lake Wanaka. Neither words nor pictures can do justice to Lake Wanaka. Lake Tahoe is a mining pond when compared to the unspoilt beauty of North Lake Wanaka.



1640 Just as Lake Wanaka faded from our rear view mirror, another stunning azure body of water came into view; Lake Havea. Smaller than Lake Wanaka, Lake Havea was rimmed by farmed rolling hills whereas the northern shores of Lake Wanaka was rimmed with snow capped mountains were largely undeveloped.



1700 We drove into the town of Wanaka. A picture postcard town by the lake of the same name. Almost immediately, the ladies began to regret that we had changed our plans to spend a night in this town. There were sailboats on the lake taking advantage of the strong wind, setting up for the unusual picture above.




1800 Left Wanaka after refueling. The BP station attendant gave Noel a tip to use a back road at the corner of the gas station to get to Queenstown. At 67km, this road cuts nearly 35km from the guidebook recommended Hwy 6a. In addition, this is supposed to be a far more scenic drive, albeit a more difficult and hence more dangerous road to take in inclement weather.



1845 Finally got into Queenstown. The ladies are happy. The YHA Hostel we were booked in is by the southern shore of Lake Wanaka, overlooking the lake across the road. Although the unit we checked into does not face the waterfront, still it was very comfortable, well appointed and reasonable well maintained. Except for the lack of a telephone line for dial-up Internet access, I too was satisfied. Queenstown is a small and quaint town nestled by the northern end of Lake Wakatipu about the size of downtown Melbourne. If anything, Queentown resembles a big open air shopping center made up of boutiques, souvenir shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, tour operators and more. The rest of the town are made up of hotels, motels, resorts and hostels. Queenstown is sheltered from wind by the encircling mountains, unlike Wanaka, which lay before the broad expanse of that lake. Thus Queensland less windy and feels warmer than Wanaka.

2000 After unpacking, we headed down to Queenstown for dinner. We decided to split up, each couple chose their own restaurant and as for yours truly... cue Eric Carmen's signature song. Well, not that bad, took the opportunity to poke around the souvenir stores then decided to pick up a donner kebab and a bottle of ginger ale to have on the walk back to the hostel. It was a beautiful night for a walk as I had my dinner by lake Wakatipu in the company of the stars peeping between the clouds and the soft sound of waves lapping upon the lake's shore.

Posted at 11:11 AM     Read More  

Wed - October 15, 2003

Day 6: A day at Franz Josef Glacier

The morning Glacier walks were fully booked so we signed up for the afternoon walk instead. For the morning, on Noel's suggestion we took the short 40-minutes Canavans Knob walk. The Franz Josef Glacier walk in the afternoon actually took four and the half hours and not the advertised two and the half. That night we took a third walk to see the gloworms. Three walks in a day after nearly a week of indolence, we can look forward to a really good night's sleep!

0630 Woke up early so that we can get ready fast to try and book a morning glacier walk.

0800 Keith, the YHA manager tried to get us onto a morning walk but we were out of luck. He got us onto the afternoon walk instead with the Guiding Company. This is the cheapest tour, plus 10% YHA discount, came up to NZD58.50 per person.



0900 On Noel's suggestion, we decided to try the 40 minutes Canavan Knobs walk instead. This walk took us from beside a river of melted glacier flow into a lush rainforest, climbing moderately to end at a couple of scenic outlooks: one offering the view of the sea in the distant and the other, a view of the glacier we would be tackling in the afternoon. As we left the YHA, clouds began to blow in from the east.



1030 As usual, our walk took longer than 40 minutes because of the many stops we had made for photographs. It was still sunny, the sky was blue with patches of clouds.

1100 We got back to the YHA, I was tired and sleepy so took a nap in the lounge. Must be lack of sleep as well.

1200 Woke up from nap in time for lunch, a simple one of bread, baked beans and Noel's special omelette. By now the sky had become overcast. Over lunch, we took sometime to decide what to do after Franz Josef. The plan was to bypass Wanaka and head straight to Queenstown the next day to spend two nights there. the opportunity to book a self contained unit at the Queenstown YHA for two nights. With accommodations confirmed we can afford to take a leisurely drive to Queenstown tomorrow. The YHA staff also helpfully suggested taking an overnight cruise in Milford Sound instead of staying at the YHA at Te Anau. We left the decision for later.



1335 We left the YHA for a short walk to the Guiding Company in town. The tour price included gear loaners for the Glacier walk. This included a pair of spiked snow boots, a raincoat with hood and a pair of woolen socks which we stuffed into the small yellow duffle also provided. We were assigned three trainee guides on their second tour for the day. There was a total of five guides, two experienced ones; Dylan, Richard, Carol, Doug and one other whose name everyone has forgotten. A short bus ride took us to the kickoff point. Slinging the duffles onto our backs, we set out on an easy 15 minutes trek through the woods to a river flood plain. The flood plain was crisscrossed with small streams from melted ice. The terrain along the flood plain was uneven and strewn with large pebbles and rocks.



At either sides, the mountain rose nearly vertically, punctuated by steep waterfalls running down fault lines. Carefully, we trekked along the flood plain for about 40 minutes, crossing three to four streams to arrive at the foot of the mountain. This was followed by a short 15 minutes hike up the moraine pushed down by the glacier. The moraine mainly consisted of large boulders and rocks of various sizes with parallel striations all along their surfaces, probably etched by smaller rocks dragged over the larger ones by the glacier. At times the climb became quite steep, but thanks to the striations, there was little fear of slipping. We climber past a lone boulder of ice to the foot of the glacier. At each stage, the guides stopped to brief us on safety, trekking tips and also features of note. Richard took the lead up to this stage.



1500 Time to change into our loaner gears and do some ice walking. At first, it was hard to tell where the moraine ends and where the glacier begins, both surfaces being covered with the same dirt and debris. A little further on, it became obvious as the sides of the boulders took on vertical surfaces and seemed to be illuminated from it's heart with a bluish light. we were instructed to stamp our feet as we climbed, toe first to drive the spikes on our shoes into the ice to ensure good foothold. The ices which looked solid from afar turned out to be compacted snow globules.



Swinging their ice axes, the guides cut out a series of steps into the ice to ease our climb. For this part of the climb, Dylan took the lead.




1615 The climb up was a moderately difficult trek. We stopped for a group photo with the guides just before turning around to start the trek downwards. The trek down was led by Doug. The next photo is of the whole day trek group on the way down, which gives a pretty good idea the scale of the ice field. The trek down was a little more difficult as the group had to be more careful not to slip. Near the end of the ice field, Doug took us to see an ice hole (forgot the name) which was probably a few hundred meters deep. That's a photo of Wong being held by the guides, peering down the chasm. We caught up with the whole day trek group where we had left our normal gears into which we changed and headed back to the bus.



1745 Got back to the bus. On the way, we found out that Doug is Alaskan, which explained his odd accent. He had already spent eight months in New Zealand. In Alaska, he had worked as a guide with a company operating dog sled glacier tours. Some interesting information he had to impart included Alaska travel tips, and the recent history of Franz Josef Glacier. According to him, in the last 4 years, the glacier has retreated over a quarter of a kilometer. He pointed to what looked like a small rock plateau which turned out to be the remains of a car park washed away in a flood back in 1999. Had that car park survived, we could have easily halved the time to trek to the glacier. The flood that year must have been terrible for there was nothing left of the road that used to lead to that old car park.

1800 Just before dinner, we decided to join the overnight Milford Sound cruise for NZD145 (with YHA discount) each. Unfortunately, we could not get the Saturday evening cruise. This meant revising the plan to spend two nights, Thursday and Friday in Queenstown, Saturday in Te Anau and to drive out to Milford Sound on Sunday for the cruise. That leaves us four days to cover the east coast and Christchurch.

2000 Did our first round of laundry. Lost one of my briefs, weird...

2100 After the laundry, we decided to take the nearby 30 minutes Terrace Walk to look for gloworms. The hostel lent us a large torch in addition to the four we had brought. As we trekked into the woods, the clouds began to part and soon Scorpio's jewel encrusted tail appeared to light the inky black sky through the tree cover. There were actually two colonies of gloworm, the first was on the left about 10 minutes into the trek and the larger second one, right at the end. Luckily we met a very helpful couple on their way back. With our torches turned on, we would have missed the fist colony. Gloworms resembled long and slim, brown caterpillars about half an inch long. They are found hanging vertically on fine silk threads from branches of trees that resembled low bushy junipers. The tail of the gloworms gives off a soft steady bluish glow with the slightest hint of green. Our torches had to be switched off to see this glow. As the eyes gradually become accustomed to the dark, more and more pinpricks of blue light will appear giving the impression that one has stepped into a cloud of stars. Sadly, the glow was much too faint to attempt to photograph.

0100 Spent some time updating this log. Went to check out the public phones which seem to have dial up ports for plugging in my Mac. Did not work, according to instructions, I need a phone card, will try that in the morning. This is the first day in the trip we had spend more time walking than driving, tiring but altogether very satisfying. Looking forward to a good night's rest.

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Day 5: From Westport to Franz Josef Glacier

Woke up to a beautiful day. Not a cloud in the sky! Went to Westport to pick up souvenirs, ended up spending the morning there. Went to check out the seal colony at Taronga Bay then headed South. Made a few photo stops. Stopped at Punakaiki for pancake rocks and blowholes. Headed out to Franz Josef Glacier, making stops at Hokitika for fish & chips, and photo stops at Barry's Creek and Lake Malpourika.

0700 Noel tried to wake me up to go photograph the sunrise with him, but I was too tired, so I went back to bed to awaken an hour later. He went ahead.



1010 Left the motel after a hearty breakfast of instant noodles and breakfast sausages. Decided to head into Westport to top up petrol and also to do a little souvenir hunting. Not a cloud in the sky! Hard to believe that only a couple of days ago, the opposite was true and that we did not see the sun at all. One of the shopkeeper told us the same, guess that would mean that the weather is clearing all over the South Island. Westport is definitely not a popular tourist spot. For one, it has as many hardware stores as souvenir shops! For another, this town is dead after 5pm except for one or two bars.



1130 Got out of town and headed out to Taronga Bay to see the seal colony. As we drove up, we saw a flightless bird resembling a hen fighting with some seagulls over some food. Koy Lee mistook it for a Kiwi. More of that later. We had to trek up a cliff to get to the seal colony viewing area. It was a relatively easy trek which offered some tremendous views of the bay. This is definitely a larger colony than the one in Kaikoura, the same species of seals, Kekeno seals or New Zealand furry seals.



1300 After the trek, we made a simple sandwich lunch and had it in the car. Then it was time to head out to Franz Josef Glacier on Hwy 6. This is one beautiful road which wound its through cliffs, forests and farmland, never straying far from the coast, and in fact at most times, running right by the Pacific. The road offered many a majestic view of the rugged coastland and in my opinion, is a far more beautiful and pleasant drive than the Great Ocean Road, especially considering how commercialized the latter has become.



1400 As we approached Punakaiki, the road started climbing into the cliffs offering some spectacular coastal views of unusual rock formations. Just before reaching the pancake rocks and blowhole park, there was a little collection of buildings: motels and hostels and an activities center offering sea cave canoeing and half day treks. Unfortunately, we did not have time to sample these activities, so we drove on to the park.



1425 Just before reaching the park proper, we turned off to a scenic overlook. There we encountered our flightless feathered friend again, another Garirallus Australis Australis, or its more common name, a Maori Hen. Curious, that many species found only in New Zealand bear scientific names with the suffix Australis Australis, I suppose New Zealandis New Zealandis would have been too much of a mouthful.


1430 The trek to the blowholes should take a little under half and hour. It took us longer as we loitered to take many photos. Pancake rocks were composed of limestone layers formed by deposits of microbial sealife skeletons, resembling stacks of pancakes, hence its moniker. (In Malaysia, they would have been called 'batu kueh lapis'!) Although scientists know what these rocks were made off, they have no idea why they were laid down in layers. Besides close up views of the interesting rock formations, the scenic outlooks dotting the walk came up with some spectacular view of rock formation caused by weathering. The blowholes did not disappoint either, despite ours arriving when the tide has come in already. The best time to view blowholes are at high tides, when incoming waves are the strongest.



1530 Finally, made it round the track. Stopped at the cafe outside the park to have ice cream and shop for some souvenirs. As we moved down the west coast, souvenir shops and galleries began offering richer selections of 'greenstone' collectibles. Later, we were to find out why this was the case. Meanwhile, the weather was still holding up very well, as we headed for Hokitika.



1700 Finally reached Hokitika. Hokitika has got to be the largest city in the West. Its got even more roads than West port. Hokitika's primary industry has got to be tourism. Most of the shops in town were offering tours, rides or cruises of some sort. Surprising, since this has not been highlighted in our guide books. Perhaps the guide books need to be updated or that the authors had simply not spent time in some of these towns. Hokitika also styles itself the 'greenstone capital' of South Island. Smack next to city center Certainly the Jade Factory offered more varieties of 'greenstones' in more styles than any where else we have seen. What are greenstones? Greenstones are New Zealand jade. I wonder if it's are the as Chinese jade. In general, New Zealand greenstones come in a darker shade of green than what I am used to seeing with Chinese jade. Typically, they are carved into Maori motives. Of those, I can remember the spiral which signifies a new beginning and continuity, the fish hook which signifies prosperity, good luck and blesses sea travel, the whale tail symbolizing long life and health and the infinity loop which symbolizes the intertwining of lives forever. The shop also offered some paua (abalone) shell jewelry.

1800 Before leaving Hokitika, we had a snack of fish (blue cod) and chips, a dozen breaded mussels and squid rings. This is to tide us over till the next stop: Frank Joseph Glacier. With our bellies partially filled, we left Hokitika for the Franz Josef Glacier.



2030 Reached Franz Josef Glacier late after making a stop for the ladies at one of the lakes. By the time we got in, we could only could find accommodation at the YHA. Luckily the front desk manager, Keith had not left yet and he agreed to reopen the office to register us. We ended up occupying a 12 person dormitory. There is a lesson to be learned here: get into town way before 9pm or all the motel offices will be closed. Better yet, make an advanced reservation.



2100 Another lesson, when eating out in small towns, make it to the restaurant before 9pm or as in the motels, you will not be entertained. Anyway, we ended up eating at a pub called The Alice May. We shared a seafood pizza, a meat eaters pizza and a set of spare ribs. All told, the bill came up to NZD55.50 which was a very fair price especially when the meal was so good. For the first time, Wong sampled a locally brewed dark draft beer and decided that he liked it so much, he will make it a point to sample more products of the microbreweries that seen to populate every large town. After dinner we headed back to the hostel to call it a night. Went to check out YHA Internet facilities. Too expensive to use at NZD2 per 15 minutes using their PCs, and in any case, no place to plug in my Mac to upload this blog.

Posted at 12:33 AM     Read More  

Mon - October 13, 2003

Day 4: Whale watching & drive to Westport

Due to poor weather, our whale watching tour was cancelled. Terry suggested we check out the fishery and the seal colony at the south of Kaikoura. Shopped for groceries & souvenirs in Kaikoura before heading out to Westport. Weather gradually cleared as we headed west. We arrived just in time to catch a glorious sunset!

0600 Woke up to a light drizzle. Feeling optimistic about whale watch tour. Noel made instant noodles for breakfast.

0700 Koy Lee dropped us off at the Whalewatch Station. Was informed tour may be cancelled due to rough seas. Checked out the souvenirs, very expensive.



0715 Very bad news, tour has to be called off. Very disappointed. While waiting for Koy Lee to come pick us up, took the opportunity to take some photos. Headed back to the Motel. Terry assures us that Kaikoura is normally warmer than Christchurch, and hopes we will come back again. He suggests on the way out to check out the fishery and seal colony at the south end of town.

1030 Spend sometime updating Day 3 blog, then checked out of Motel. Noel volunteers to drive today. We headed out to the fisheries where Wong and Koy Lee bought some crayfish and mussels for dinner tonight. More of that later. Meanwhile, the skies cleared a little...




1100 It was a very small seal colony near the end of town. On the way there, we stopped to examine some historic ruins. Got a little too close to this sleepyhead and had to beat a hasty retreat.



Looks cute but it was big! Don't think it's even a grown up.



1130 Headed back to town to fill up on groceries, petrol and maybe pick up some souvenirs.

1230 Finally left Kaikoura. Rain started falling heavier. Headed down Hwy 70. Almost immediately, I fell asleep!

1330 Woke up from doze when Noel stopped to take some photos. Despite rain and mist, the drive offered some spectacular views of rolling hills and rock formations. At many points, we had to cross single vehicle bridges...



These would never have worked in Malaysia without traffic lights, that's for sure! Which reminds me, New Zealand (or at least Christchurch) is the only place I have encountered more roundabouts (traffic circles) than Malaysia!

1500 The road rose and fell, undulated along hillsides, meandered along river valleys, throwing up sudden bends every now and then and at times, even turned back upon itself completely. We made many photo stops along the way, thinking all the time that had it been fine and sunny, we would never have gotten to our destination. Finally we made a stop by Wandle River for a simple lunch of sardine sandwiches. There I picked up something unwelcome, but more of that later...



1610 We have been driving for about 20 minutes with the empty tank indicator light on! Around that time Wong's nose also began to notice the 'something' I had picked up at Wandle River... sheep pattie! Were we relieved to reach Springs Junction! Not only did we refueled but we also got remove that something that have From now on, we resolved to leave every town we stopped in with a full tank!

1740 As we wound out of the mountain range, the weather began to clear. The rain more or less stopped by the time we hit Hawks Crag along Buller's Gorge. There was an adventure outfit at Buller's Gorge offering horse riding, jetboat rides and white water rafting.



1800 As we came out of Bullers Gorge, the landscape transformed to one of warm pastoral beauty under the benign gaze of the late afternoon sun.



1830 Finally, we arrived at Westport. Westport was a dead town, except for a couple of grocery stores, take-outs, milk bars and bars... all the shops were closed already. We immediately headed out to the beach. Driving out a pier, the low evening sun illuminated some spectacular beachscapes...




1900 Headed back to town. Stopped by a Supermarket to pick up some fruits, golden Kiwi fruits! Haven't had them before but they were exceptionally sweet and juicy. The taste reminded me of green sugar cane. Shortly, thereafter, we found a motel to spend the night, Westport Motel!



2000 This has got to be the best dinner yet. Koy Lee, Allison and Noel outdid themselves with a spread of crayfish, mussels, cauliflower, eggs and beef rendang!

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Sun - October 12, 2003

Day 3: French Gardens & Kaikoura

Woke up late. Jet lag? Planned to visit French Gardens then head out to Kaikoura for whale watching.

0830 Woke up, reluctantly by Noel moving around after a very deep sleep. Weather still not very cooperative: a light drizzle outside. Did not get very far on my books, only 1 chapter so far! Noel made instant noodles, fried sausages & eggs for breakfast. Topped off with yogurt and apple juice, we were ready for the day!

1030 Looks like it's Noel's turn to drive today.



1220 Arrived at Akaroa, it had rained all the way. The drive into the hills were shrouded in fog and mists, giving the entire landscape a melancholic air. Lake Ellesmere loomed out of the mists as we drove out of the hills into the flat lands



Almost without realizing it, we had driven right past Akaroa, back into the hills. There was a beautiful garden and nursery we had wanted to visit, but a kindly groundsman discouraged us for the rain.



On the way out, we caught a glimpse of the promised 8 acres of glorious flowers in bloom. There were peacocks in residence. The garden must be a birdwatcher's haven in better weather. No doubt, the best way around the grounds would be upon horseback. Definitely a place to return to someday.

1400 We left Akaroa. That's when we realized we had missed the French Farm Bay exit, and so we took a brief detour. French Farm Bay had quaint village feel to it, there was a winery as well.



On the way back to Christchurch, we stopped at Little River for coffee. Wondered if The Little River Band was named for this town? The trees outside the cafe were in full bloom.



There was this beautiful strand of trees just outside the cafe.




1520 We got back to Christchurch and immediately left for Kaikoura. The rain fell even heavier. We followed Highway 1 which wound it's way its way around the coast, through vinyards at Waipara encircled by mist shrouded hills and finally into a coastal mountain range.

1740 The road left the coastal mountain range to emerge before a spectacular seascape. Here, Highway 1 wound it's way around wild sea cliffs, running parallel to a railway track, through two tunnels, ending at the graceful crescent that was South Bay. Sadly, the weather did not permit any photo opportunities.



1800 We drove into Kaikoura. Kaikoura lies in another bay, its mainstreet running along the coast. We found warm welcome in a 2 bedroom self contained unit on mainstreet; Clearwater Motel. Terry, the owner was married to a Thai and had travelled the northern part of West Malaysia extensively, including Ipoh and Penang. Besides that, he has hosted many Malaysians and Singaporeans and enthusiastically showed us his collection of digtal photographs, which included many a spectacular sunrise taken from outside the front door!



1920 On Terry's recommendation, we drove back to a cosy little seafood restaurant, "The Finz" in South Bay. They did not have a table but suggested that we should return half an hour later, so we drove to the lookout point between South Bay and Kaikoura. That's when we discovered that these 2 towns lay on either side of a peninsular, each tucked in it's crescent. (Kaikoura's on the right and South Bay is on the left)



1750 Back at The Finz! Dinner at last. For starters, we shared a dish of oysters wrapped in a seaweed ribbon deep fried in Tempura batter. I had a mussel chowder (best chowder I have had outside San Francisco) next and grilled monkfish (again) cooked to perfection in a lemon butter sauce. For sides, we had pickled red cabbage, boiled brocolli, yam (which tasted like sweet potato) soaked in honey and cauliflower smothered in a cream and pine nuts sauce. IMO, it was worth every bit of the NZD40 it came up to.



2300 Got assigned the largest bedroom again. I don't mind. The living room faces sunrise over the ocean. We decided to replan our driving route to work around the weather.



0100 Went to bed, lulled by the song of waves crashing upon the shore.

Posted at 10:22 AM     Read More  

Sat - October 11, 2003

Day 2: Auckland and Christchurch

Arrived in Auckland half-an-hour early. Cloudy day. Friendly place but very strict food and agricultural department regulations. Left for and got into Christchurch on time. Found a motel for the night, went grocery shopping then took a sightseeing drive. Ladies cooked dinner after fish-n-chips.

0800 Woke up for breakfast after a good sleep. NZ is 5 hrs ahead of Malaysia. We were expected to arrive 30 minutes ahead of time, thanks to a strong tail wind. Another 2.5 hrs to go for a total fight time of 9hrs 50min!



1030 Touch down! NZ at last! Weather did not look too good tho, sky was overcast and cloudy. Auckland airport had a nice friendly and homey feel to it. We cleared immigration without problems but customs was a little stickier: very strict agriculture and food regulations. Wong even had his hiking boots cleaned before entry! On the plus side, there was free coffee and tea while u wait at the luggage carousel.



1130 On way out, got intercepted by a security guard to help guide a China student to lost luggage claim counter. Luckily Koy Lee speaks Pudong Hua. The student had not known he had to collect his luggage to clear Auckland customs before transferring to a domestic flight!

1145 Got our luggage transfered to Christchurch flight then decided to take a walk to the domestic terminal. Follow the blue line! Just then then the sky began to clear, so we stop for a group photo opportunity.



Lovely walk though, they even put in park benches along the way...



Real cool looking group of Singhs waiting for fare over at the domestic terminal...



1200 Here we are, waiting for the Christchurch flight.




And look who shows up again? Mr Lost Luggage! This time the guard needed help to explain to him to wait for his flight at gate 33. Brave guy, he barely spoke a word of English



1300 Finally, we are on our last leg. Only 1.5 more hours to Christchurch! Got onto plane and promptly fell asleep again!

1430 Christchurch at last! Was raining and cold, miserable weather. Could have been Melbourne! Flowers were in bloom, it would have been colourful if not for the dull weather. Hope it clears up tomorrow, then we'll get to see some real colours! Anyway, we went to pick up our rental car... decorated with nice advert for car rental company too! Yours truly was elected to be the inaugural driver. First agenda for the day was to look for a Dick Smith shop to buy prepaid Internet access package. Found many in town, picked up a 20hr Qwik package for NZD24.95, not cheap.



1530 Noel & I had our 1st meal in NZ. Souvlaki! Weird, lots of restaurants run by Chinese and orientals including this 'Greek' take out.



1630 Found this motel run by Agnes of Petaling Jaya. Good deal too, at NZ130 a night for 5, 2 rooms and a kitchenette, guess who got the largest bedroom?



1700 Went shopping for groceries at Pak-n-Save after unpacking. Then took a drive to the hills in the north overlooking Christchurch, lovely view.



1830 'Tar pau' fish-n-chips to tide us over while waiting for dinner at this shop run by a Hongky couple! In 10 minutes, there was barely standing room in this takeout!



2030 Here we are at our first home cooked dinner: stir fried Monk fish, a salad, black pepper beef and rice, courtesy of the ladies. Wong tells us that Monk fish was one of the most expensive delicacy in Japan and is definitely 'not to be missed'. We had a large dish of this very sweet and succulent fish!

2300 Planning our activities for the next day and time to retire for the night.

-End 1st day-

Posted at 04:29 PM     Read More  

Fri - October 10, 2003

Day 1; A Day of Packing & Flying

Woke up at 4am to pack bags for trip, catching 3:20pm flight to Singapore then the 8:30pm to Auckland

0400 After long & tiring day yesterday, was completely knocked out by midnight, so instead of packing, decided to crash. Planned to wake up at 5am to pack. Thanks to recent strange sleeping patterns, woke up with a start a little before 4am instead. Started packing anyway.

0700 Luckily tho, coz it took a better part of 3 hrs to decide what to bring! After some debate decided to bring both the office notebook, just in case and the Mac for blogging ;) and here's the result from 3 hrs of arguing with myself... roll aboard main luggage & office notebook, backpack for Mac, waist pouch for documents and currencies, boots, pair of jeans & t-shirt for traveling & a sweatshirt(not in pic)



1015 Just got back from running some errands this morning and now filing my 1st entry! Jamie's busy, would hv liked to Yahoo! her. Anyway, spend some time cleaning up trekking shoes. Hope they are not an overkill for this trip!

12:45 Heading out to Sentral to meet Noel & Allison to catch KLIA Ekspress.

13.15 Surprise, surprise, Noel & Allison jumped onto same train. Thought they gotten to Sentral earlier.



14:00 Went looking for Forex while Noel & Allison check in. Bought NZ dollars at 1NZ-to-2.331RM, very expensive! Met up with Wong & Koy Lee at the check in counter.

1500 Stuck in KLIA, looking for wireless Internet hotspot. So stoopid, went looking all over KLIA when wireless signal was strongest at our flight's gate, C22! Anyway, only Web & e-mail access no Instant Messaging, very disappointing.

15:35 Plane finally took off after being stuck on ground waiting for passengers on a late connecting flight. Didn't really noticed coz I wuz fast asleep, so hot and stuffy in the plane...



17:00 Plane arrived late, but no problems, got nearly 4 hrs to kill till Air NZ flight. Luckily Air NZ also based in Terminal 2. Did transfer check in then went in search of free Internet access. Found it at PC Connection Point location, tucked away behind Sunglasses Hut. Noel found another spot near WH Smith but no time to check it out.

18:30 The gang wants to go look for dinner. Same here. Waiting for Wong & Koy Lee to return from loo...



19:00 Checked out the new food court upstairs, this stall called 'Quik Wok'. Yeah, right! Wong wanted to renamed it 'Slo Wok' or 'No Gas'. First, it got hit by a power failure, then it ran out of gas. Nevertheless, when the food came, it was pretty good, thanks to Aji san! Of all things, bumped into ex-school mate, Kim Yihe returning to KL. Really funny, coz I bumped into him on the way to Singapore yesterday morning... maybe this time will really do lunch with him.

20:00 Finished dinner, made a dash across terminal to boarding gate.



21:00 The flight departure was delayed too! Plus the plane was fully loaded! Check out the Transit lounge|! Even Noel's jaw's dropped! The plane turned out to be a 767-300 which seats 2-3-2. We were fortunate to get a row of 5-seats. Not a very comfortable plane though, seats were narrow although the longer leg room sort of made up for that.

23:00 Supper was served, food was ok. Tried to do some reading but was ko'd in no time. Or it might have been that glass of red wine.

Posted at 11:47 AM     Read More