Author: mwmiller2@outlook.com

I only had a little over a two hour drive today to get to Franz Josef Glacier so I took my time hitting the road.  I also stopped in Hokitika about 20 miles down the road to pick up a couple of things I’d seen in the shops the day before. After a cup of coffee at a local cafe, I hit the highway down the coast.  It was sunny so in spite of the windy roads, one lane bridges, and occasional tourist bus, it was a nice drive.

It was starting to cloud up some when I got to Franz Josef Glacier and I was concerned I’d miss the glacier. I was too early to check in to my room so I grabbed some lunch at a local cafe and then went back to check in.

I had toyed with jumping on one of the many helicopters for a look at the glacier but the clouds were rolling in and I wasn’t convinced the $300 or $400 was going to be worth it.

Option B – there is a road right outside of town that heads up toward the glacier and at the end of the road there is a trail up to the foot of the glacier.  The trail is about a 45 minute walk but I figured, “what the heck”.   I tossed my rain jacket in my backpack and off I went.   There were actually quite a few people on the trail.

Although I did feel a few rain drops, it didn’t really rain and the weather kind of cleared up a bit.  It was a nice walk and, unlike the helicopter ride, it gives you a good feel as to how far the glacier has receded over the years!  I don’t know how anyone could take that walk, see where the glacier was in the early 1900’s, see where it is now, and not be convinced that something is going on ( Global Warming is real!). It was a walk well worth taking.  Lots of pretty waterfalls along the way as well.

When I got back to my lodging for the night, the weather had cleared up and I had a beautiful view of the glacier right from my patio.  A nice end to a busy day.

According to Google Maps, tomorrow is about a 5 hour drive to Queenstown which, judging by all the squiggles on the map and the fact that it’s just a little over 200 miles, could be Mr. Toad’s Wildest Ride yet!

It was raining when I got up this morning but it started to ease up so I took a chance and headed for Hokitika Gorge which is about an hour drive away.  The gamble paid off as the rain stopped about the same time I arrived.  And I was there early enough to be the crowds and, in fact, at one point I had the swinging bridge all to myself.

The gorge is beautiful and the water is exactly the color it appears in the photos.  It was well worth the drive.

Afterwards I stopped for lunch in the little town of Hokitika, which is a very artsy place. They have many galleries and shops that sell works of local artists. This is also the heart of New Zealand jade ( also known as greenstone or by the Maori name – pounamu) country and there are several shops selling locally carved jade.

Tomorrow it’s a short two hour drive to Franz Joseph Glacier.  Hopefully the weather will cooperate so I can get some good views of the mountains.

 

Today I headed over to the West Coast to the little town of Greymouth.  Most of the drive was on State Highway 73 – up and over the mountains via Arthur’s Pass.  It was another two lane, windy mountain road. Throw in a few large trucks, a few busses, lots of curves and some very steep grades ( my favorite was posted at 16%!), one lane bridges, and occasional road work and it was indeed Mr. Toad’s Wilder Ride.  However, the scenery was spectacular!

One of the things I have found most interesting while driving here, is the prevalence of one lane bridges.  They are very common.  You’ll be clipping along at 60 mph (or whatever the posted speed is) and there will be a sign announcing a one lane bridge ahead  The posted speed drops to about 20mph and as you approach the bridge, if you are there first, you proceed.  Otherwise you wait for the opposing traffic to pass and then you proceed.  If there are multiple cars on each side, people take turns!  It all works very well.  I can only imagine the carnage if they tried this in the States!

Once I got to Greymouth ( about a 3 1/2 hour drive) it rained a bit but then stopped. I took the opportunity to visit an historical site near here – the Brunner Coal Mine.  In 1896 there was an explosion at the mine that killed all 65 men and boys in the mine at the time.   The entire hike around the site is a little over a mile and they’ve done a nice job of preserving the site and paying tribute to the lost miners.

It’s supposed to rain tomorrow so we’ll see what’s on the agenda when I see what the weather is like in the morning.

When I left Nelson yesterday it was partly cloudy and no rain which I greatly appreciated as I started on my 5+ hour drive over the mountains to Christchurch.  It was what seems to be a typical New Zealand state highway – two lanes of sometimes very windy road with an occasional passing lane to get by trucks and other slow movers.   The other interesting thing is the “rest stops”.  They are fairly frequent but consist primarily of a turnout with a picnic table or two but no restroom facilities – I guess that’s what all the bushes are for!

As I started to come down from the mountains, it started to rain and it continued to rain or drizzle the remainder of the day.   After I got settled in my motel, I put on my rain jacket and went for an exploratory walk in the drizzle.  I walked down and around the Central Business District which is undergoing major reconstruction after the devastating earthquakes in 2011.

Two major quakes hit Christchurch in 2011 and the city was hit hard.  Two major buildings in downtown Christchurch collapsed but in the end 1,400 multistory buildings had to be razed because the damage was too extensive to reoccupy them.   In addition, 10,000 houses had to be leveled, which given there were only 110,000 houses to begin with, meant almost 10% of the families were displaced.  In addition, 185 people lost their lives.  It was a huge blow to a city with a population of 400,000.

But they are rebuilding with a vengeance although no building will be allowed to be greater than six stories. Some areas of the Central Business District are still not open and others have only opened in the last few months.   But, from my perspective, they are doing a beautiful job.   Some areas of downtown are already vibrant and active with lots of shops and restaurants.

There is a trolley that you can take (which I did) which gives a nice tour of the city.   There is an absolutely beautiful and very large botanical garden right downtown.  And there is also a gondola on the edge of town that whisks you up above the city for some amazing views in every direction.

I wasn’t sure that my side trip to Christchurch was worth it yesterday when I drove here in the rain.  However, today was sunny and I spent most of the day exploring and I was really glad I made the trip.  It’s a beautiful city and I can only imagine what it will be like in another 5 years.

Tomorrow I drive back over the mountains to a little place on the west coast called Greymouth.   Google says it should take only a little over three hours but I’m expecting another Mr Toad’s Wild Ride since the road is a smaller road than the one I took to get here.  However, there is a train that makes a similar journey that is billed as one of the five best train journeys in the world so I’m hoping the scenery lives up to that billing.  And I’m in no rush – I have all day to get there.

 

The ferry journey across the Cook Strait is supposed to be a beautiful trip.  It’s about a 3 to 3 1/2 hour journey.  However, it was raining and very overcast when we boarded the ferry in Wellington yesterday morning and it continued to rain throughout the trip. The seas were not that big so the sailing was fine.  There just wasn’t much to see.  No photos!

After picking up my new rental car at the terminal, I got soaked during the loading of my bike box and gear bags – no covered parking here!  I then, with the help of Google Maps, began my drive to Nelson, about 50 or 60 miles away!  I was wondering why Google Maps was saying it was going to take almost two hours.  I soon found out! Continue reading A wet, gray journey to the South Island!

It’s been a busy couple of days in Wellington. I have probably walked 10 miles in the last two days. Yesterday morning I took a stroll down the waterfront to the ferry terminal to check things out prior to my “bag drag” tomorrow morning.  Looks like things are all set – we’ll see tomorrow!

I then walked over to the National War Memorial where there was a special exhibition about the Kiwi participation in WWI. The Kiwis were at Gallipoli as well as the Aussies.   It was an extremely well done exhibition but not for the faint of heart. If you’ve seen the movie, Gallipoli, you know that the Aussie and Kiwi troops were slaughtered by the OttomanTurks due to some strategic blunders. Hundreds of Kiwi soldiers died in that battle.   The exhibition was time well spent.

Later in the day, I walked over to the Wellington Museum which is not very far away and enjoyed learning about the evolution of the city over the decades.   A nice museum if you’re ever here.  I did learn that 10 April is a holiday here, Wahine Day, which commemorates a major maritime disaster when an interisland ferry, the Wahine, sank in Wellington harbor resulting in the loss of 51 lives in 1968.  Hopefully the ferry crossing tomorrow will be less eventful!

On a happier note, they blocked off the street in front of my hotel both yesterday and today to kickoff Christmas celebrations!  There are lots of activities for kids,  food booths, music, etc.  They are definitely getting in the Christmas spirit down here.

After a delicious breakfast at a local cafe, I strolled around the waterfront some more.  It’s a very active place and fun to just walk around.

Tomorrow morning it’s off to Picton on the South Island.  It’s about a 3 to 3 1/2 hour ferry ride so hopefully the weather will be cooperative.

 

Well here I am in Wellington where I will spend the weekend.  It was about a 4 hour drive from Napier and wasn’t too bad. Thank goodness for Google maps and voiced directions.   Driving on the highways is pretty straightforward, even on the left side of the highway. Cities can be a little more challenging.  That was certainly the case when I got to Wellington

Wellington is like San Francisco in that it has lots of hills and many, windy, narrow streets.   So, if you can imagine driving around San Francisco for the first time – on the “wrong” side of the street – you’ll have some idea of what driving in Wellington is like!  But the car is now parked in the garage and I don’t expect to be driving here much until I drop the car at the ferry terminal on Monday morning! Continue reading If it’s Friday, it’s Wellington!

Since I am 21 hours ahead of Los Angeles time, it is already Thanksgiving here – at least for me – the Kiwis don’t seem to much care!  Although, interestingly, I keep seeing signs for “Black Friday” sales at the stores so at least that part of the tradition has made it down under.

Today I left Rotorua and headed to Taupo, a town sitting next to Lake Taupo which is a huge lake. I think it’s the largest lake in New Zealand.  Just before I got to Taupo, I stopped at Huka Falls. It’s quite impressive as the water comes gushing through a very narrow canyon.  Good for a few photos!   Continue reading Happy Thanksgiving!

The answer is ‘kind of’!  I did, in fact, start out with the gang from Auckland but it became apparent to me very quickly that this tour was not for me!

I should have read my blog from the Route 66 ride in which I said something to the effect that I would have preferred shorter rides ( 50 miles or less/ day and less/ no camping). This tour makes the Rte 66 tour seem like a Sunday afternoon ride – even given the fact that this trip is “ supported, I.e. there are vans to carry the gear and someone cooks at night.  Continue reading Did you fall off the planet you ask?

I moved out of my digs at the SkyCity Grand Hotel and lugged my stuff the two blocks to the Best Western President Hotel which is where the team is staying. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I had my own room!  I’m sure that will change on future accomodations further ‘down range’.

I met most members of the team who are joining the ride in Auckland like myself. There will be 4 or 5 people who will be joining us from the Australia legs of the trip but they were not at the orientation meeting. I’m sure after two months on the road they know the drill pretty well.

It seems like a nice crowd. There is a gentleman from the Netherlands, a woman from Sweden, a woman from Germany, a couple from the States, a couple from New Zealand, and a gentleman from Canada. The tour leader is from Turkey. The bike mechanic is from Canada. And I haven’t met the cook yet (Chelsea) or the tour assistant, Marcus.

All of the riders seem to have done some touring but the amount varies quite a bit.   Some folks are retired like me and others just have jobs that allow them to take off extended periods of time.

Tomorrow will be the first of many challenging days ahead – 66 miles with 3,500 feet of climbing. But the weather looks like it will be nice so it will be a good test of the navigation systems, the bike systems,  the camping equipment and just getting used to the other riders and the tour staff.   Not to mention a good test for me physically.  So far several of us have claimed to be going for the ‘old and slow’ moniker so we’ll see who wins!  :0)

I’m not sure what kind of comms  I will have for the next three days on the road so if I stop posting for a while, it’s either because: a) I have no internet, b) I am too tired and am collapsed in my sleeping bag or c) I had an unfortunate encounter with a wayward herd of sheep!  More later – I hope!