New Zealand; Christchurch to Queenstown.

So after we met up in Auckland we immediately boarded a plane to Christchurch to pick up our camper the following day.

Needless to say it was a bit colder than Australia and straight after picking up the camper we headed to buy some warm clothes!! Our first two days were spent in the Christchurch area. We started with the botanical gardens and the Canterbury museum. From here we headed into the town centre which was an interesting site.  After the disastrous earthquake in 2011 most of the CBD is still cornered off! The Re:Start mall is a collection of boutique and main stream shops setup in shipping containers, creating a nice vibrant area. However 50 metres down the road the earthquake destruction is evident. We decided to visit the Quake City museum which details Canterbury's seismic history and its effect on the residents.

From here we headed up to the Gondola, which provided panoramic views of the greater Christchurch area. Our final day in Christchurch saw us visit a rather chilly beach and pier, then on to Willowbank Wildlife Reserve. Here we saw a range of native animals as well as getting to feed the farmyard animals! We even got a glimpse of the nocturnal flightless bird; the Kiwi!

After Christchurch we headed to Kaikoura, where we celebrated Ems birthday. We started by going on a Whale watching tour. On this we were lucky enough to see 3 sperm whales, a pod of dusky dolphins, seals and albatrosses. After indulging in some seafood for lunch, we drove up to Oahu Seal colony where we got to see hundreds of baby seal pups playing underneath a waterfall. Then we headed inland to Hanmer springs and relaxed in the thermal pools under the stars.

We started the next day as we finished the last, in the thermal pools. After drying off we headed back down south to Akaroa, a volcanic crater which is now houses a cute little French harbour town. The drive there was rather windy but provided great views of the various bays.

 After taking in the views and buying fudge and cheese we moved on to Lake Tekapo. Here we climbed to the summit of Mount John, which gave us a great view of Lake Tekapo and the surrounding area.

From here we drove on to Mount Cook National Park, past Lake Pukaki and the salmon farm, where we stopped to take some awesome photos of Mount Cook reflected in the lake!

On arrival to the national park we set up camp early in preparation for the next days walk. We started with a couple of walks around Tasman Glacier, which is the largest glacier in New Zealand. This included a trip to the glacial lake which is full of icebergs! We followed this up with a walk to Kea Point, giving us views of the Mueller Glacier valley and Mount Cook; if it hadn't been shrouded in cloud. We finished with the longest of our walks in the Hooker valley, which led us to the Hooker glacier and glacial lake. We finished the evening  by watching a couple of movies in the Sir Edmund Hillary Centre. 

The following morning we had planned on doing a tramp to a 1200m summit, but unfortunately we were greeted with clouds only 50m off the ground and some serious rain! Instead we headed back to the Sir Edmund Hillary Centre to watch a rather interesting video on his quest to conquer Everest. That afternoon we headed to Dunedin where we caught a film in the city centre. 

As it turns out there is very little to do in Dubedin. After a quick walk around the city centre and a stop at Baldwin St, the worlds steepest residential street, we headed down the Southern Scenic Route to Invercargill. Our first stops were Nugget Point and Roaring Bay, where we were lucky enough to see the yellow eyed penguin, before we managed to save one from being run over. Other stops along the way included; Purakaunui falls, Matai falls, Florence Hill lookout, Lake Wilkie, McLean Falls and Slope Point.

From Invercargill, we headed up to Te Anau, where our Fiordland adventure began! Along the highway to Milford Sound we made various stops and did a number of short walks at the following locations; Te Anau Downs, McKay Creek, Mirror Lakes, Cascade Creek, Humboldt Falls, Lake Marian, Pops View and Monkey Creek. After finally reaching Milford we decided to take a two hour boat cruise round the Fjord. This was amazing and the scenery was stunning!! After a quick dash up the mountain to pass through the tunnel before it closed for two weeks we headed on for Queenstown, where our next blog will kick off!

Take care 

X x x

East Coast Baby Part 2! Rainbow Beach to Sydney!

After a hectic but fun few days on Fraser Island, we started the following day by watching sunrise on Rainbow Beach. In contrast to our first few weeks in QLD, the sun was now out, so we spent the next few days soaking up the rays on the beach. Rainbow Beach, Noosa, Cotton Tree Beach (Maroochy) and Kings Beach (Caloundra), were our stops with Noosa being our favourite.

Three days of relaxation and tanning was followed by a visit to the home of the crocodile hunter. We managed to spend a rather impressive 7 hours in Australia Zoo, and it's safe to say we didn't miss a thing! Our highlights included holding an alligator, cuddling a koala, feedings the Roos, stroking koalas and watching three amazing shows! We also took a short visit over to the animal hospital where we met Stuart, a Koala with a broken back (so sad!)

The weekend saw us exploring Brisbane. On the Saturday we strolled around the CBD through the Botanical Gardens and along the Southbank, before having a meal at the healthy burger joint, Grill'd. Before heading back to our camper we decided to take some photos of Brisbane lit up at night.

The Sunday was a very sport filled day. On the train into the CBD we discovered that two of Australia's top netball teams were playing a match at the exhibition centre. Em decided to go and buy a last minute ticket while James chilled on Southbank. The match was awesome and so close with Adelaide Thunderbirds beating Queensland Firebirds 54-53!

Straight out of the netball match we headed to the Gabba to watch our first (and probably last) AFL match. Within the first 5 minutes we were both thoroughly confused, and even more so when the supposedly 20 minute quarters didn't end for another 10+ minutes. After two and a half hours, Melbourne had gotten a thrashing from Brisbane Lions and we were still none the wiser in terms of AFL rules. However, what we did learn is that rugby is a much better and more interesting game to watch.

Over the next few days, we hit up the beaches and topped up our tans some more. First up was Surfers Paradise followed by Coollangatta and Rainbow Bay, before crossing over the border into NSW.

Our first two days back in NSW were spent in Byron Bay. After a gorgeous morning of sunbathing, we were picked up for our first surfing lesson. Out at Lennox Head we were kitted up with rash vests and soft boards. After a warm up and some lessons on safety and how to stand up on the board, we hit the water. After 3 hours we were both exhausted but had successfully managed to stand up on the board for a fair few seconds and "ride the waves". Turns out Em has a 'natural surf stance' when she eventually manages to stand on the board and James managed to overcome his balance issues. The following day saw lots of rain, so while Em chilled in the van, James headed out for another surf lesson. This turned out to be even more exhausting than the day before due to the larger and more constant waves.

Our final morning in Byron was spent exploring Cape Byron where we visited the lighthouse, saw some pods of dolphins and took in the breathtaking views.

Heading South we stopped at a number of lookouts including Ballina and Angourie, where we also visited the blue pool. After sleeping in a rest area off the highway, we started the morning by visiting the picturesque inlet at red rock.

A quick drive through Woolgoolga, to yet another lookout and past a magnificent Sikh temple, took us to Coffs Harbour. Here we spent an hour or so sunbathing on Jetty Beach before heading for yet another Cold Rock ice cream.

Next up was Nambucca heads where we wondered along the V-Wall and read all the lovely messages before heading to Captain Cooks lookout.

Our final stop for the day was the lovely hamlet of South West Rocks. Here we were able to see the sunset from a number of angles, including the lighthouse, which is home to a number of kangaroos.

After another night in a rest area we hit the road again. Our first stop was Port Maquarie, where the ironman was taking place - the second triathlon we have encountered whilst in Australia! We still managed to walk along the breakwater, visit the koala hospital and sunbathe on the beach for an hour or so though!

From here we were planning to drive down the coastal road to North Brother Mountain, however this stretch of road was being used for the cycling part of the ironman. After a slight detour we arrived at North Brother Mountain and ate lunch with an amazing view!

Before setting up camp for the night, we stopped off at Crowdy Bay Lighthouse. From here we ended the day by driving down the Lakes Way through Booti Booti National park, Pacific Palms and Myall Lakes National Park. The following morning we visited Port Stephens; Tomaree peninsula and the summit, Nelson Bay, Anna Bay and Worrimi conservation lands.

Next up was Newcastle which is very similar to Newcastle in the UK. In fact, it even rained!! We still visited Nobbys beach and had our last Cold Rock in Australia!

The final morning of our East coast trip was spent in Palm Beach (home to Home and Away!). Here we walked along the beach, visited the surf club and went for drinks at the Pier Diner. At the diner we were lucky enough to see some of the filming going on and Em managed to get photos with 2 of the cast members!

This ended our East Coast trip and from here James flew to New Zealand while Em spent a few days in Sydney before flying out.

Now it's time to campervan round NZ!!!

Take care!

X x x