South Island - 14-19 April

Itinerary from 14 April on:

Tuesday, 14 April: (ferry from Wellington, North Island] to Picton, South Island) Picton to Marahau (aka Abel Tasman Nat’l Park)

Wednesday, 15 April: no travel; stay in Marahau (Abel Tasman Nat’l Park)

Thursday, 16 April: Marahau (Abel Tasman Nat’l Park) to Westport

Friday, 17 April: Westport to Franz Josef 

Saturday, 18 April: no travel; stay in Franz Josef

Sunday, 19 April: Franz Josef to Wanaka

Monday, 20 April: Wanaka to Queenstown

Tuesday, 21 April: no travel; stay in Queenstown 
Wednesday, 22 April: no travel; stay in Queenstown

Thursday, 23 April: Queenstown to Gunn’s Camp

Friday, 24 April: Gunn's Camp to Invercargill/Stewart Island

Saturday, 25 April: Invercargill/Stewart Island to Queenstown 

Sunday, 26 April: Queenstown to Aoraki/Mt Cook

Monday, 27 April: Aoraki/Mt Cook to Rangitata

Tuesday, 28 April: Rangitata (via Christchurch) to Kaikoura

Wednesday, 29 April: Kaikoura (via Picton) to Wellington

Thursday, 30 April: Wellington to HOP-OFF in National Park

Friday, 1 April: stay in National Park - Tongariro Crossing 

Saturday, 2 April: National Park to Auckland

Early on the 14th, those of us who would continue across the Cook Strait separating North & South Islands of NZ departed on the Bluebridge ferry for the 4-hour ride. Our numbers had dropped to about five of the original crew who had stayed together since Auckland, as the rest of our travel mates planned longer stays in Wellington. The ferry ride clearly could have been beautiful but with the stormy waves & frigid wind, it was quite uncomfortable. On the other side, we picked up our bags & met our new driver, Leftie, who would take over for the South Island since his friends had booked a trip for the South Island. We set off through the entry town of Picton & stopped to pick up the rest of our passengers who had stayed in a hostel there overnight. It was a glorious day, as we finally had big blue skies & sunshine covering everything in sight. Our drive south began by going through the Marlborough region vineyards & stopping at Drylands winery for free wine tasting. I even bought a bottle for my new host family !

After a scenic drive, we arrived at our stop for the next two nights, Abel Tasman National Park. I had heard that staying at Abel Tasman is a highlight for many Stray passengers but I didn't know what to expect upon arrival. What I found was an absolutely stunning national park with beautiful bushwalks, pristine beaches, & lots of native flora & fauna. Our accommodation was roomy (& all single beds - no bunks!!) & comfortable, & there were amazing kitchen/outdoor fire pit/common areas. As we had all just joined the South Island bus, Lefty cooked a delicious barbecue of steaks, sausages, mashed potatoes, & salad. Surprisingly, most of the group decided to have an early night on the first evening, but being the night owl that I am, I ended up drinking whiskey around the fire with Ulrik, Martyn, James, & Bram (who we kidnapped as he headed to brush his teeth) & having some of the most interesting conversations...those nights are my favorite kind!

The next day in Abel Tasman was exquisite. I got to sleep in on my amazingly comfortable bed, enjoy a chilly run around the park, have a leisurely breakfast, & then I headed off on one of the bushwalks with some new friends - Ian & Lizzie - & old, Georgia. We were originally ambitious & planned to hike over 20km one way but ended up finding a beautiful beach to lay out on for a while & get to know each other. When we returned, I had a hot shower in the beautiful new shower facilities with a beach view WHILE I showered! Because we had worked up such an appetite, the four of headed to the burger food truck inside the park, The Fat Tui. Leftie had recommended The Fat Tui as some of the best burgers in NZ, & the menu was impressive. Per an employee's suggestion, Ian & I both got the vegetarian burger ("Roots, Shoots, & Leaves") with bacon (yes, with bacon). It was amazing. That night, we watched Pineapple Express in the TV room, then as others headed to bed, I again ended up with Ulrik, Martin, Ronit & James (friends of Leftie's that I loved hanging with!), Bram, & a Dutch WWOOFer at our accommodation. We drank & played games until the wee hours but the highlight was definitely at about 10:30 a.m., when a 64-year-old Kiwi woman came into the kitchen for some tea, then we invited her to join our games. She accepted a hefty pour of bourbon, a cigarette, & proceeded to share her wisdom & play Never Have I Ever until quite late. Such an amazing night...

After Abel Tasman, we made a stop at seal colony at Wall Island then carried on to Westport. After arriving, most of the group headed off to beach but I decided to stay & have a chill afternoon. That plan ended as soon as it began because James & Ronit poked their head in my room on their way to a brewery tour with Leftie, so I impulsively joined them (beer prevails, of course) for what became SUCH a fun afternoon. Unfortunately, the brewery we tried to visit wasn't open yet for tastings, so we headed to a pub/pizza place in town that Leftie had recommended. Because Leftie was known at the pub, we were treated to several rounds of homemade sambuca shots (BLEHH) & the pitchers of beer (called jugs of beer here) kept rolling. We split an appetizer pizza, had two more for actual dinner, played pool, & had a helluva good time. Eventually the others began to trickle in from the beach - luckily, I hadn't missed much - & shortly after, I headed back to the hostel with the original others. I took a short nap then awoke when the others came back from the pub. We then continued to drink & eat & drink & eat until nearly 4 a.m. 

From Westport, we headed to Greymouth to pick up some additional passengers arriving by train. On the way, we took a short walk through the "pancake rocks." In Greymouth, most of the group went grocery shopping or hunted for free WiFi in town. I opted to join Leftie, Ronit, James, Martyn,  & Bram for a tour of Monteith's brewery, which was a fabulous decision. With the brewery tour, we got to taste five beers in total, & I really really enjoyed the beers I tried - black beer (my fav), American pale ale (x2 cause I loved it also), crushed apple cider, & the raspberry wheat beer. We also got a token for a free beer at our next accommodation in Franz Josef. After the train arrived with our new passengers, we headed on to Franz Josef for the next two nights. I had really been looking forward to our stay there, as I was planning to take a helicopter ride to the glacier for a guided hike. The first night I spent playing cards & watching a movie with Ian, Jenny (who we'd picked up in Greymouth), Sina, & the hostel kitty, who chose my lap as his royal perch for the night. 

We were so lucky when we woke up the following day to have dazzling sunshine for our heli-hike, which is frequently canceled due to weather. We were briefed & outfitted in appropriate clothing, including crampons to walk on ice, at the Franz Josef Glacier Guides shop then headed to the heli pad. After a short but extremely scenic ride, we landed on the glacier itself to meet our guide. It was crazy to see just how big Franz Josef glacier is...from the air, it looked disappointing until I noticed how small the people were below & realized the actual scale of the ice. Our guide, Michael, was amazing, & I loved picking his brain about his diploma in "Outdoor Adventure," which could be a possibility for me in the future ! We learned about the glacier's history & movement & traveled through lots of tight spaces, seeing beautiful formations & even a waterfall at the top. We got back to the hostel in time for lunch then Ronit, Jenny, & I decided to take an additional hike while we were still in our workout stuff from the morning. We headed on a really nice hike to some underground tunnels & a swing bridge over a crystal blue glacial river. Our day ended with a soak in the Franz Joef Glacier Guides hot pools, included with our hike. 

The next day, 19 April, we headed out toward Wanaka. The trip included lots of short stops at Lake Matheson, a gorgeous waterfall, & several glacial pools known as the "blue pools." At the last stop, Leftie challenged everyone to strip down to their underwear & jump from the bridge into the pools, promising teapot cocktail in Queenstown for those who did. Obviously, I wanted to jump in for the hell of it but as my underwear was unfortunately lace & see-through, I decided to wear my leggings & shirt for the jump then had a FREEZING hike back to the bus to change. It was one of my favorite spontaneous activities! Once I was in warm clothes, we took the most scenic drive the rest of the way to Wanaka, winding through Mt Aspiring National Park. Pictures can't capture the beauty of this park, & I fell absolutely & totally in love with Wanaka & its surrounds. That evening, most of the group headed to a cinema near the hostel, known for having old car & plane seats as the cinema seats. To save money, Jenny, Ian & I instead shopped for ingredients for white bean chicken chili & cooked a delicious meal in the hostel! We played our new favorite card game, yenoff, introduced by Ian, until late that evening, & Ian even ran over to the cinema to surprise Jenny & me with freshly baked cookies!

Wanaka was my favorite stop of the entire trip, & I was so sad to spend only a night there. In the future, I would love to go back to Wanaka & really get to spend time hiking & exploring the stunning scenery. On the morning of our departure, I went for a run down to Lake Wanaka. I have been so inspired in the ever-changing & ever-beautiful scenery here. I also follow a travel blogger based in Wanaka, & on my run, I saw the tree she posts about frequently, which is well-known in Wanaka. The fall colors were putting on their best show, too, & it was like I was in a sweet autumn dream; this season is my absolute favorite.

Next on my trip: Queenstown & the Deep South

Cheers till then,
Alli