Tom And Candice's Blog

March 8 to 13: South Island of New Zealand Part I

March 15, 2010 at 9:45 pm (Uncategorized)

Hello Everybody!!  It’s Candice here providing you with another 15 minute coffee break at work/study break!!  We’re currently driving towards some glaciers, and I thought I’d take a moment to write the blog as we drove (we pre-write them then post them later).  Before I get into what we’ve been doing the last couple days, I want to brag: WE’RE GOING SKY DIVING TOMORROW!!!! WOOHOO!!  We just booked it a couple hours ago (and mom, by the time you read this, I’ll be back on land and all safe so you don’t have to worry, ok?).  But ya, so pumped!  I’m going to take my camera up there, and take sweet pictures of the mountains and glaciers and stuff that we’ll be able to see from 15,000 ft!!!  So sweet!  Anyway, more details on this in the next blog, I’ll go back to what we have been doing.

March 8 – Forgotten Highway & Mount Taranaki (still on the North Island)

Not all too much to report on these two.  The forgotten highway was this sweet highway with a bunch of historic tunnels and stuff, and beautiful views.  The beginning of the highway was where tom left off after we, uh… cough… bathed in the river… I know, it’s shameful!!  Some canoes came, and I ran into the bushes to hide (I was so embarrassed about it), while tom just hopped deeper in and pretended to be swimming.  Anyway, it’s all good, we were clean after, and that’s all that matters, right?? (Sam and Damon, you’d understand how difficult it is to come by showers when you’re living out of a vehicle!!).

So anyway, on to more pleasant things.  Mt. Taranaki is this big mountain that we could have climbed, but we were lazy after all the hiking covered in the last blog, so we just snapped some pictures and moved on.

March 9 – Interislander Ferry & Marlboorough Sounds

So, the next day we caught the Interislander ferry between the North and South Islands.  Pretty sweet views.  We came in through the Marlaboorough Sounds, which were very beautiful, and Tom was as handsome as ever with a pretty view in the background.

 

So, after the early ferry, we spent the rest of the day driving around and taking in the beautiful views at different locations.

 

 

March 10 – Kayaking the Abel Tasman

The Abel Tasman is this sweet area of coast, which actually has one of New Zealands great multiday walks going through it, but you had to spend $100 just to get onto the trail to hike back, so we figured, instead of hiking, we were going to go kayaking!!  We were going to go for a full day, but we ended up reaching the full day length limit and back in half a day, so then we just chilled out and checked some other areas out (or maybe we just found a library and were on the internet for the afternoon, I’m not sure…).  Anyways, here’s some pics, as usual!

(This one’s a bit crooked because it was over my shoulder, but still a good picture!)

(I was getting pretty tired by this point!!  Arms are def not my strong point!)

(Some cool rocks.  We were tempted to try to slip through the gap, but the tide was a bit to low)

 

(This silly seal was chillin’ like this, but we were worried he was injured, and all concerned about him, but he just ignored us, then eventually decided to swim away)

(Tom being sexy and posing with a kayak)

(T

 

March 11 – Maruia Springs & Waterfall Walk

Bright and early the next morning, we went to Maruia Springs (we actually go there the night before, but they were closed).  There are natural hot springs, full of minerals and such.  Amazing way to start the day!!  Except for the bloody sandflies everywhere!!  They swarmed our heads until I went running back to the van and grabbed some bug spray.  It was still really cool though.

 

We then started the drive back to the coast.  Here’s pics of a waterfall hike along the way, and the sunset off the road where we stayed the night.

 

March 12 – Oparara Basin & Cape Foulwind

Now, we almost didn’t go to the Oparara Basin, because it was further north of us, and required a bit of back tracking, and no one at information had really said much about it… but then we were like screw it, we should still check it out, and man, I’m glad we did!  Oparara Basin has the largest limestone arches in Australasia, in addition to a bunch of caves that you can go exploring without a guide! So sweet!!  We had an awesome time in the area, and highly recommend it to any other travelers who think it might be a bit out of the way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After an eventful morning, we headed back down to Westport, where we were finally able to upload the wicked campers video we had been working on a bit in the evenings the prior nights.  On a side note, the video is now on youtube, check it out if you haven’t already!! 

  We didn’t put all that much effort in it, and the netbook can’t handle much video editing anyway, but it’s still a little entertaining.  If we win the contest, we get half of our rental money back for the wicked campervan.

But anyway, I digress.  We then went to Cape Foulwind, which is aptly named, let me tell you!!  I thought the wind was going to blow us over!  But there was a sea lion colony right off of the trail, which was pretty cool. 

 

March 13 – The Pancakes & The Glaciers

Today we went to the Pancakes.  And no, I’m not referring to the food!  They’re limestone structures, with these cool blow holes that the ocean sprays water through at high tide.  We should have stayed longer to see it at full high tide, but they were still pretty impressive when we were there.

 

And I know when I started this blog we were driving to the glaciers, but I got car sick on the winding road, and had to take a break (it’s now dark out, and we’re chilling in the van, killing those damn sandflies that managed to sneak into our van.  I’m covered in bites at the moment and bitter if you couldn’t tell!  But I will have my revenge!  Die fly die!!!!!!)

Anyway, the glaciers were pretty cool.  Franz Joseph Glacier and Fox Glacier were the ones we visited, and you can walk right up to them, but need a gear and experience on ice or a guide to climb on them (which I had to repeatedly tell tom to keep him off of those things!!  They’re dangerous if you’re unprepared and don’t have the gear.  People die doing silly things like that)

 

 

 

Alright, well, I may have taken you past your 15 minute break!!  Hope you enjoyed my ramblings (and rantings when it comes to the sand flies).  Miss you all, and hope all is well.  Can’t wait till I see you all again!

XOXO

Candice & Tom