Hanmer Springs

We crossed from the West Coast to the East via Lewis Pass. The South Island of New Zealand is narrow and takes about four hours to cross, even with the mountains. We split the trip up, stopping for a night in Hanmer Springs. The town was very quite as it is past summer and a little early for the winter ski season. We stayed at a great little hostel with a cat named Pepper. Pepper spent the entire night on our bed.

Pepper, taking her position as soon as we arrived.

We spent several hours soaking in the Hanmer Springs thermal pools. There were all kinds of pools of different temperatures and several sulfur pools as well. The only hard part was walking in between the pools as the air was a little chilly.

Hanmer Springs thermal pools.

Sheep: a New Zealand Staple

Buller Gorge and Pancakes

When we found out we were close to the longest swing bridge in New Zealand, we knew we couldn't pass up such a fine landmark. We made a pit stop at this bridge over the Buller River near the city of Murchison and it did not disappoint.

It was just the right amount of unsteady to make for a good time. We could almost imagine ourselves as tightrope walkers and there wasn't a single other tourist around to intrude on our fun. Apparently it's not on the NZ top 10 list.

We continued driving down the west coast of the South Island which was rocky and had huge waves. No surfers though; must be too rough and sharp.

The coast of the Tasman Sea

The sun came out from behind the clouds just as we reached Dolomite Point, home to the Pancake Rocks. The limestone has eroded over time to create a layered formation. If you use your imagination, they sort of look like pancakes. A roadside restaurant appropriately sells pancakes across the street.

The Pancake Rocks

Abel Tasman

Today we hiked on the beautiful Abel Tasman coastal track in the Nelson region of New Zealand. Despite being relatively close to the Marlborough Sounds, the scenery on this track is totally different from Queen Charlotte.


Abel Tasman is a long track along the Golden Bay at Abel Tasman National Park. It is a very popular track but pretty quite during the winter.

The views were outstanding and the weather was perfect. We were quite ambitious and hiked about 15 miles. Our feet and legs were screaming but it was worth it and the scenery kept us going.


The park is named after a Dutch explorer who was the first European to see New Zealand in 1672. After seeing this place, I'm not sure if he ever returned.

Golden sands of the Golden Bay.

Hiking at Queen Charlotte

The top of the North Island of New Zealand is a maze of sounds and inlets. We spent the day hiking the famous Queen Charlotte Track, which goes along a ridge line between Queen Charlotte Sound and Kenepuru Sound.

The weather was perfect for this time of year, sunny with a high of around 60 degrees. We saw a few mountain bikers and a few other hikers, but other than that, we had the trail to ourselves.


It felt great to stretch our legs after so much time in a rental car. The place looks like a mountain range that got flooded. It's full of coves and inlets and the few houses we saw had docks and boats, which seem to be the best way to get around.

Lunch on the Queen Charlotte Track.

Windy Welly and The Crossing

Wellington was good to us and didn't live up to it's infamous name. The weather was actually quite beautiful with blue skies and not very much wind at all. From the two hours we had to explore the city, we found it to be a lovely seaside capital surrounded by dramatic hills and blue water.

Perfect blue sky in Wellington.

We hopped on a ferry for the three hour ride across the Cook Strait to Picton on the South Island. It was a scenic ride that took us through Wellington Harbor, across the strait, and into Queen Charlotte Sound.

Wellington Harbor

Arrival on the other side, in Picton.

Rainy Whangerei

We spent our first day in Whangerei - a word we've stopped saying out loud because our pronunciation makes the locals chuckle. Because of our delay in getting to New Zealand, we only had one day to spend in the entire Northland. This was a lot easier to stomach since it was pouring rain the entire time.

We took an early morning hike to Abbey Caves which seemed like the driest outdoor activity we could do. We had to walk through field of cows to get there. The caves are known for their glow worms and crazy limestone formations. The caves are undeveloped and unguided. The only recommendations are that you have a flashlight and a buddy.

About the enter the first of the Abbey Caves.

All suited up in helmets and headlamps, we found that rain storms cause rivers of rushing water inside the caves. Luckily we were able to get far enough into one to see the glowworms. They looked like tiny green stars on the cave ceiling.

Despite the downpour and low visibility, we drove to the Tutukaka coast just for kicks. We could only stand about three minutes before the hurricane-like winds and sideways rain drove us back into the car. No beach dwellers today!

Matapouri Bay

A Tuesday that Never Happened

The funny thing about flying too far around the world at one time is that time can actually disappear. Usually it's just a few hours and not a big deal. But when you fly from the U.S. all the way to Australia, you lose an entire day!

We left Los Angeles at 10 p.m. on a Monday and after an overnight flight arrived in Sydney, Australia at 6 a.m. on a Wednesday. As far as we are concerned, Tuesday May 24th never happened. Thank goodness it wasn't one of our birthdays or a holiday or we'd feel really cheated.

We quickly jumped on a flight to Auckland, New Zealand, the last of five flights. We were a little tired but still managed to hit the ground running after we landed.

Randy with the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere in the background.