Kia Ora!
Destination: New Zealand- Duration: 3 weeks Dates: December 2016/January 2017 Tour Operator: Contiki Transportation: Coach, Car, and plane. Highlights: The people on the tour, the scenery, the flat whites and the adventures. Lowlights: Rotorua and 3 weeks was too short.
Christchurch- Canterbury
After a 24 hour flight and a 10-hour stopover in Singapore, it wasn’t a pretty sight. We landed in Christchurch and stayed in New Brighton with friends for 3 days before our Contiki tour started.
New Brighton is a coastal suburb of Christchurch and is 5 miles from the city centre. The area suffered significant damage from the earthquake in 2011 and a lot of the houses along the beach were still being refurbished. The beach was sandy and windy, it wasn’t quite the right temperature to test the waters but we were told to wake up at 5am to watch the sunset.
Christchurch did feel like a ghost town, you could see the full extent of the earthquake and how this city was still recovering. That didn’t stop us from exploring we still managed to see the following:
- Christchurch Botanic Gardens
Admisson: Free (3hours free parking) Opening hours: Monday-Friday 7am-9pm Address:City Centre Rolleston Avenue, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch 8013, New Zealand
There are so many plant collections to see and a great way to spend a couple of hours. Bring a picnic and soak up the sun.
Admissions: Free (Donations welcomed) Opening hours: 9am-5pm Location: Rolleston Avenue, Christchurch
There are many sections to this museum, you can learn about the past, present, and future of Canterbury.
Admission: NZ$25 Opening Hours: Summer (Sept-March) 9am-6pm Location: The tram starts and finishes at Cathedral Junction Info: A full circuit last 50mins. There are 17 stops that you can hop on and off throughout the day. The tram runs every 15-20mins.
It was a nice way to travel around Christchurch, the tram driver was very enthusiastic when telling us stories and really opened up our imagination to what the city would have looked like prior to the 2011 earthquake.
We hopped on and off at numerous places to eat and take photos. We stopped at New Regents Street, 185 White Chairs Memorial Park, Christchurch Catherdral, and the Re: Start container mall. We found a place called Dimitris Greek Food that did amazing lamb kebabs. Christchurch does cater to many dietary requirements with a lot of vegan, gluten-free, and vegetarian options. They are also good at replacing your normal cow’s milk in your flat white, with alternatives.
On the last day in Christchurch, our friends took us for a hike and rocking climbing near Bowenvale Park. The weather was overcast so it didn’t do the view much justice. It was a fun experience and handy being with people who were professional rock climbers.
Contiki Tour #Noregrets
Kiwiana Panorama Christchurch to Auckland (Summer) Places: Christchurch-Lake Oahu-Dunedin-Queenstown-Franz Josef- Wellington-Lake Taupo-Waitomo-Rotorua-Auckland 16 days Transport: Coach Highlights: Meeting new people, Christmas day and didn't have to plan much Lowlights: Lots of early starts, long hours on the coach and excursions can add up.
The tour started at a hotel in downtown Christchurch where we met our new fellow travellers and after the small talk, we stood in awkward silences whilst waiting for our suitcases to be loaded onto the coach. On the way to our first stay in Lake Oahu, our host helped us get to know each other better by playing a few ice breaker games. That was fun! You had a real mix of people from around the world, all doing different tours. There were honeymooners, girls trips, boys trips, couples trips, and singletons all wanting to see what New Zealand had to offer.
First Stop.
Cookie Time. Good shout to grab some snacks for the 4-hour drive to Lake Oahu.
Lake Tekapo
After 3 hours on the coach, we made a pit stop at Lake Tekapo. We didn’t stay here long, just enough time to learn about The Church of the Good Shepherd and how it is one of the most photographed places on the island, take photos, go toilet and move our legs.
Lake Oahu- Windy Place
Accommodation: Lake Oahu Lodge Nights: 1 night Liked: Dinner at the lodge, the game room and views in the morning. Disliked: Cold and windy in the evening and the rooms needed updating.
It was very windy and cold when we arrived which made it hard to see the lake’s true beauty. As it was late, we didn’t have much time to do any activities. We indulged into our free meal provided, walked to the lake, and made the most of their game room and bar. It helps to make new friends with some Dutch courage.
On the road at 8am, we had a 4-hour road trip to our next destination Dunedin ‘The Student City’. We made a few pit stops before Dunedin. We checked out Aviemore Hydro Station, Oamaru, and Moeraki Boulder Beach.
Dunedin-NZ’s version of Edinburgh.
Accommodation: The Victoria Hotel Dunedin Nights: 1 night Liked: Food in the brewery, walking up the steepest street in the world,the Victorian and Edwardian architecture and lively city packed with bars and restuarants. Disliked: Not enough time to explore
Dunedin is the second-largest city on the South Island, after Christchurch. After staying in Christchurch and Lake Ohau for the last couple of nights, it was nice being in a more metropolitan environment. In Dunedin we visited:
Baldwin Street- Steepest Street in the world.
We did the 90-minute tour with the generous free samples at the end. We also had some proper pub grub in the restaurant downstairs. Day 2 into our tour we started bonding with our passengers over ale and food.
After a really nice meal at the brewery, we walked around Dunedin. We ended up in the octagon having a drink with our new coach buddies.
Queenstown- Adventure Capital
Accommodation: Kamana Lakehouse Nights: 4 nights Liked: The scenery, the hotel, Queenstown Hill Hike and excursions Disliked: Food at the hotel
The first stop for adventure…
Kawarau Bridge Bungy Centre. It cost around £100 to Bungy jump off the bridge or you watch from the side or on the big screen inside.
The second stop for adventure…
Arthur’s Point for our Shotover Jet ride. If you like speed, near misses and getting wet! This ride is for you.
Finally, we arrived at Queenstown and the views from the hotel were spectacular. Boy, were we glad we were setting up camp here. The hotel was a 30minute walk into town, but after being on the coach for 3 days, it felt good to exercise our legs.
There are a lot of activities you can do in Queenstown, they don’t call it ‘Adventure Capital’ for nothing. Most of the people on the tour came here to face their fears through Skydiving or Bungy jumping. We didn’t! We were pacing ourselves. On the first night, we headed into town to grab ourselves a Ferg Burger, recommended by the tour manager (be prepared to wait in a long queue for these burgers) then it was off to Below Zero Ice Bar, to let loose as we didn’t have to get up early the next day….oh and it was an opportunity to meet Santa.
Day 2- Queenstown
Today we completed the 2 H’s- Hike and Horse Riding.
After breakfast, we headed down to town to catch our 1912 Steamer Ferry across to Walter Peak Farm. The ferry was an experience in itself, you could watch the crew operate the steam engine. Once we arrived on the farm, we met legs (that’s what we called him as he had the shortest shorts and most envious, tanned legs). He took us over to the farm to meet the horses. I was given Cooper, the black stallion. It was a quick demonstration and safety gear on before we went on our first ride. It cost around £65pp for the horse riding experience.
The views were outstanding and it was perfect conditions for mine and Cooper’s first date. Once the tour finished we caught the ferry back to Steamers Wharf and had lunch at Pub on Wharf. After a well-prepared beef wellington, it was time to do our first hike. We hiked up the Queenstown Hill Summit, it was a fairly easy hike, with a cool view of Queenstown and the surrounding area. The hike starts on Belfast Terrace road and a round trip to the summit takes around an hour and a half.
Day 3- Milford Sound
5am we were up and getting ready to catch the coach at 6am to Milford Sound. The trip cost £70pp and included a free meal and drink on the boat. It was a 12-hour trip, that included a return coach to and from, and a 2-hour cruise at Milford Sound. We were excited to see the scenery, dolphins, seals, and most importantly the penguins. Driving out of sunny Queenstown, we were greeted with fog and rain the closer we got to Milford Sound. The driver stopped for us to take pictures at a few places including Eglinton Valley, where we got told to jump for the photo…here was my failed attempt.
The weather did not improve by the time we got to Milford Sound, it just got worse. We hopped on our Go Orange Cruise to get an in-depth experience of the jaw-dropping surroundings (as quoted by the tour operator). Today wasn’t a lucky day for our jaws, we couldn’t see anything with the rain, only the seals made an appearance and the free fish and chips we received on the boat looked deflated. There was a bar on the boat so we occupied our two hours with drinking and meeting the newbies that joined us at Queenstown. It was such a shame we didn’t get to see the true beauty this place had to offer, the coach driver did say that it rains on this part of the island most of the time.
Day 4- Our last adventure in Queenstown
What a difference a place makes, today the sun was shining in QT and it was a perfect day to do a half-day canyoning excursion. We paid £100pp for 4 hours of exploring canyons on a zip line, abseiling down waterfalls, plunging into natural pools, floating down narrow passageways, and cascading down chutes. Unfortunately, I didn’t own a GoPro to record the experience, instead, I just lived it.
It was time to say goodbye to this place that permanently looked like a summer postcard and off to see a glacier.
Franz Josef Glacier
Accommodation:Rainforest Retreat Nights:2 nights Liked: White t-shirt party and Kayaking Disliked: The weather!!
Day 1. Goodbye sun and hello grey!
It took 5 hours to drive from Queenstown to Franz Josef, on the way we stopped at various locations to see beautiful lakes, waterfalls, and beaches.
Reaching Franz Josef, it was raining and grey. A great night for dinner, drinks and a white t-shirt party. We did explore the small town, there was very little to see just a few restaurants, gift shops, and hotels. After dinner, we celebrated into the night and signed each other’s t-shirts as people were leaving in two days.
Day 2. A walk and a sunset kayaking tour.
We decided to walk to the base of Franz Josef Glacier. From the hotel, it took about 1.5 hours for a return trip. You’ll have to walk alongside the Waiho River on a stone track, past the waterfall till you reach the car park.
After a quick change, we were picked up by our evening excursion Glacier Country Kayaks and SUPs for our sunset kayak, without the sun, which seemed to be a common theme on the west side of the South Island. We paid £60 for a 3-hour gentle paddle on Lake Mapourika, which included transport, all the gear, and free photos. Although it was raining, it was still a lot of fun.
The North Island
Wellington- The CapitalCu of New Zealand
Accommodation:Mecure Wellington Abel Tasman Nights: 1 Liked: The crab shack, Cuba street, high streets and vibrant city Disliked: Strong winds, we only stayed here for a night.
We said our farewells to the people only touring the South Island and it was off to explore the North Island. The first stop was Wellington or as they call it ‘Windy Welly’. We were only here for a night so we couldn’t explore much as everyone had to shop for a secret Santa gift. It was weird that it was Christmas eve and I was walking around with a t-shirt and shorts.
We made dinner reservations at Crab Shack with our Contiki friends, it was the first time for all us getting local crabs on Christmas eve. It was a delightful but messy experience.
I did want to go and see Mount Victoria Lookout and get a 360-degree view of the city and harbour but ran out of time.
Lake Taupo
Christmas Day!
Accommodation: Lakeland Resort Taupo Nights: 1 Liked: Secret Santa, Christmas dinner, boat ride and heads up game Disliked: We couldn't enjoy a traditional Christmas party as we had to get up early
Merry Christmas to my Contiki family! It was another early start and our destination for Christmas day was Taupo. It was a 5-hour journey and a perfect way to get into the spirit with Christmas songs on the playlist.
Once we reached Taupo, it was a hot day, we exchanged presents and got ready for our Chris Jolly’s Dinner and Party Cruise. We paid £40pp for Christmas dinner and a cruise on Lake Taupo. The cruise was amazing, you had music, a traditional Christmas meal, drinks, great company and to top that off you could jump in the lake, fish and cook what you caught. How random!
After the cruise, we all grabbed some beers and went back to the hotel for the longest session of Heads Up I have ever played. That Christmas day was a great success with no family drama!
Rotorua
Boxing Day
Accommodation: Sudima Lake Rotorua Nights: 2 Liked: Gondola and luges rides Disliked: The smell of sulphur in the air and safety at night
It was only an hour from Taupo to Rotorua, our shortest journey. We were still up early, ready for the jam-packed activities they had in store for us. It was good to see my secret Santa gift to our driver made it to the front of the coach.
First stop-Huka Falls
A powerful waterfall that plunges around 200,000 litres of water over the rocks of Huka falls every second, enough to fill 5 Olympic swimming pools every minute. The viewpoint was a short walk from the car park. There is a trail that runs alongside the river, we only came to take pictures and use the toilets.
Second stop.
Te Puia– A Maori cultural centre and geothermal wonders.
We got to see live Kiwi birds close up in a special darkened enclosure and learn about how they protect these endangered species. We experienced a pōwhiri which is a traditional Māori welcoming ceremony and watched students practice traditional Maori art.
Walking around you will encounter bubbling mud, pools of boiling water still used for cooking, and stunning geysers. The Pōhutu geyser is the star of the show. Pōhutu is the largest active geyser in the southern hemisphere. She erupts once or twice every hour and sometimes reaches heights of 100 feet.
After our day at the centre, it was off to the hotel. The hotel was close to Sulphur Point. Although it was a natural place, the smell was really strong and at times hard to stomach, unless you love the smell of eggy farts. The plan for tonight was to meet the girls for dinner and then the rest of the group for a drink at Sobar, on Eat Streat. Our tour guide did warn us prior to going out to make sure we grab a taxi back to the hotel and not to walk home, as there had been previous incidents with Contiki travelers in this part of town and she wasn’t wrong.
Day 2. Gondola and Luge Ride.
It was time to put our luge skills to the test today. We had paid £20 for a Gondola and 2 luge rides with Skyline Rotorua. The Gondola ride was a great way of getting a great view of Lake Rotorua and its surroundings.
The luge ride is a fast-paced activity and very popular in New Zealand. This part go-cart, part toboggan is gravity fuelled with full rider control over speed and direction using a unique braking and steering system. It was so much fun.
Tonight we were in for a treat as we had a Maori cultural show and Hangi to look forward to. The hangi was one of the things I was excited about, it’s a traditional feast all cooked underground using geothermal steam.
The hangi was not how I imagined, it was served as a buffet. In my head, I thought we would witness the food being cooked in an underground pit and we would have some involvement in cooking it. That was disappointing. The show was good, they made people in the audience join in and provided us with the haka, dancing, and traditional songs.
Waitomo
Accommodation:Hotel Kiwi Paka Waitomo Night: 1 Liked: Glowworm caves, Waitomo Lookout Point and Hotel Disliked:Didn't have much time to explore
Less than a 2-hour drive we made it to Waitomo. The two activities on the list were the Glowworm Cave tour and Black Water Rafting. We went with the first option. Waitomo is known for its extensive underground cave systems. Thousands of glow-worms light up the Glowworm Caves, and we wanted to experience it. It cost £25pp to explore the caves. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take any photos of the glowworms, whilst on the boat. After our underground adventure, we decided to do walk up to Waitomo Lookout Point. It was a short walk from the hotel with pleasant views from the top.
It was our last night as a group before we all broke up in Auckland. We had an emotional goodbye drink at Tomo Bar & Eatery.
Auckland-The End of the Trip
This was the end of the road for us. We had other arrangements to go to the Bay of Islands for 2 nights to relax before we headed home. We felt like we made friendships for life. 16 days went very quickly, we exchanged numbers, created a New Zealand WhatsApp group, and promised we would all stay in touch. 
Sadly, we didn’t get to see much of Auckland as we had to collect our car and hit the road. We paid £120 for an economy car for two days and received a Corsa Cruze, which was pretty comfortable.
Things that I would have done in Auckland:
- Sky Tower– Tallest structure in the Southern Hemisphere at 328 metres high. You can get panoramic 360 views, dine in the revolving restaurant, shop, or skywalk or jump off at 192 metres.
- Auckland Museum- Discover and experience early Auckland and daily cultural shows
- Mount Eden- A trip up the highest volcanic peak in mainland Auckland offers striking views of the downtown area and harbour.
The Bay of Islands
Accommondation: Paihia Beach Resort & Spa Nights: 2 Liked: The weather, hotel, Jimmy Jack's Ribshack and Sky diving. Disliked: Beach was too small and not enough time spent here
It was just over a 3-hour drive to our hotel. The drive was mostly highway with a lot of green fields surrounding the road. We arrived in the afternoon and the hotel was stunning, exactly what we needed to relax before the long flight home. We had booked this hotel in advance with a full body massage included. Just what the doctor ordered.
Tonight, the plan was to explore the little town of Paihia and to grab something to eat and drink. Dinner was at Jimmy Jack’s Rib Shack. OMG, the burgers at this joint were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! I got the Classic Jimmy Burger and I think I would go back to NZ just to get one of those burgers. It was cooked to perfection and the beef was beautifully marinated and accompanied with some good local craft beer.
Day 2.
It was time to face our fears and tick it off our bucket list- Sky Diving! It was now or never as we were leaving this adventurous place tomorrow. We had booked our excursion with Skydive Bay of Islands for 10:30am. It was only a 20-minute drive from the hotel. We were a bag of nerves driving there and kept trying to talk ourselves out of it, but we made it and it was time to pay up. These are the prices of the jumps:
- 20,000 feet- 85 seconds of freefall- $559NZD/£289.75
- 16,500 feet-70 seconds of freefall- $419NZD/£217.18
- 12,000 feet- 45 seconds of freefall- $329NZD/£170.53
- 9,000 feet- 20 seconds freefall- $299/154.98
We were recommended to go with 12,000 as 20 seconds of freefall goes too quickly to get over the buzz and enjoy it.
Here are some snaps from the top.
It was so much better than you imagine it to be, it didn’t feel like you were diving it felt like you were floating. After the adrenaline died down, we collected our video, thanked the instructors for letting us live another day, and went to the beach.
Te Ti Bay was the closest beach to us positioned opposite the hotel. It was a short, golden, calm beach suitable for swimming with public toilets and a children’s playground at one end. From here you get a good view of Motumaire Island.
After a long day on the beach, we popped into town to buy last-minute gifts, bought NZ fish and chips, and grabbed a few bottles at Countdown to take back to the hotel. Our last night was spent on the patio enjoying the view and reminiscing about a holiday of a lifetime.
New Zealand is as picturesque as it gets, never before in one place have I felt so safe, so excited, so comfortable and so relax. It was really sad to leave this wonderful place and all its adventures. We met some fantastic people who made this experience great and hopefully this will be the start of new travel buddies.
Haere Ra New Zealand, you’ve been sweet as!
The Travel Bug 
Great post! thanks for sharing #sweetas
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