Our first escapade after a month plus keeping under the wraps in the outskirts was Lake Tekapo. This place is a famous tourist attraction, popular for its turquoise-coloured lake and breath-taking view. I thought it should be a pleasant and relaxing place to hang out, but the strong wind really blew it away. It was really tough to stand on your feet when the force of the wind kept shoving you away. It was even more difficult to open your eyes when the wind was hitting hard with the all the hair messed up and slapping on your face. As it was not a big place, we finished our visit within a few hours, after snapping a few shots of the lake and stopping over at the Church of Good Shepherd and the Dog Statue. The very next day, we took off to Mount Cook Village and dropped by at the scenic lookout of Lake Pukaki en route. This lake was superlatively better than its counterpart, Lake Tekapo, as the colour of the former was even more outstanding and superbly well-defined, overlooking Mt Cook. Upon arrival at Mt Cook, we were greeted by icy drizzle. The weather was so cold that the rain turned into ice as soon as it fell from the sky! It was definitely a surprise nonetheless. There were a few short walks and trails that tourists can take to have a better look at the surrounding area and vicinity such as the Kea Point, Hooker Valley and Tasman Valley. However as aforementioned, the weather was brutally cold and we did have our limitations in surviving through the chillness. Eventually, the idea was called off. We checked into Omarama on the very same day and departed early the next morning as we had to travel over 400 km to the glaciers region in the West Coast.
After traversing through numerous creeks, bluffs, rivers, one lane bridges and the winding roads across the hills, under a non-stop drizzling condition, we finally arrived at Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier townships. As the tour fee for the Fox Glacier was cheaper, we decided to opt for the “Fox Trot Half Day Trip” option, which was a 4-hr guided tour across the glaciers. As the van drove us to the glacier, all we can see was lush greeneries, just like a typical rainforest. Who would have imagined there are glaciers forming within this vegetation? The van dropped us off, and we started trekking along the rocky terrains. The company provided a pair of leather boots, woollen socks and raincoat. As we moved nearer to the glaciers, we were asked to fasten up the crampons that will enable us to grip on the ice as we walked. However, walking with the crampons was not as easy as it seemed, descending was even more difficult than ascending. However, it was nevertheless a wonderful experience to be able to set our foot on the icy surfaces, although it’s quite throbbing at first to see our hard-earned money being burnt away with just a swipe of a card!! We were pretty grateful that the weather turned out very fine, as rain was pouring away when we arrived the day before.
On the next day, en route to Grey district, we stopped by at Hokitika – the home of the Greenstone, also known as pounamu (jade), which are used to make jewelleries, accessories and for carving purposes. Black jade from Australia, gold, silver and NZ’s very own Paua shells were also available. Upon reaching Greymouth, we checked into Noah Ark’s Backpackers, a very unique animal-themed hostel. It was previously a presbytery before the occurrence of a big quake. Each of the rooms was decorated with one type of animal, be it kiwi, penguin, panda, cow, pig, dog, cat, sheep, bear, tiger, leopard etc, it simply feels like living in a safari. Thereafter, we travelled up north about 45 km to Punakaiki, which is famous for its spectacular Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. The formation of those rocks was dated back 35 million years ago, caused by the uplift of the sea bed, which were majorly deposits of marine organisms. However, the formation of the layers remained a mystery till today. The blowholes were best seen during high tides. That was when the forces of the waves will cause the expulsion of water out through the hole, creating a stunning and magnificent view. Our next station was Hanmer Spring, a place famous for thermal pool and spa. But as usual, it was expensive for us, and none of us had swimwear, so it was another day timing-out at the backpacker cottage.
The next day started off our journey to Kaikoura, which is prominent for divers to catch their own fish, crayfish, lobster, mussels and Paua shells. However, they must adhere to certain rules and regulations imposed by the Government. There are also a few seal colonies around the peninsula with high chances to spot on those animals especially during low tides. It was best not to disturb those wild animals as they can be very defensive. One of them that laid right before my eyes “coughed” so loud that it almost gave me a shock……=.=||| While there were activities catered for tourists, none of them attracted us. As we headed towards the beach, we saw lots of shells and clams glued to the stones. To our surprise, they were actually abalones, well, small and cheap ones, in abundance. At first, we were kind of baffled on how to actually remove them from the stones. By chance, one of us managed to figure out the technique and so very fortunately, we had some free seafood for dinner that night! Haha….While we tried to search for mussels, all efforts went in vain. So, we decided to buy some from supermarket to satisfy our cravings on the very next night. In Kaikoura alone, we actually had one of the few great meals that we ever had. There were some “free food” left by other backpackers, and most of the time, they will still be left there until expired. In order not to “waste” the food, we took a “salvation” on it. All I can say, it was food fiesta like never before!! :) :)
We arrived in Blenheim after spending two nights in Kaikoura. The most memorable occasion here was the opportunity to savour some of NZ’s finest wine for free. We headed towards Renwick where most of the vineyards and wineries are situated. Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Rosé and Merlot are some of the varietal mostly sold here. That was definitely one awesome wine trail we had ever experienced. Not only we got some free wine tasting, our knowledge on wine facts has widened as well. Our stay in a backpacker hostel owned by a Korean couple was nevertheless unforgettable too. The elderly couple were very friendly people and greeted us cordially with their infectious smile although at times it was quite difficult trying to comprehend what they wished to convey. After disconnected with the outside world for such a long time, we were finally receiving free, unlimited access of wifi in the hostel. So, most of the time, it was like……well……surf internet, eat, continue surfing, take a shower, surf again, eat, surf non-stop until finally midnight rose - time to sleep. Seriously a bunch of internet fanatics! But of course the best gift of all was the delicious homemade Korean sushi that was prepared by the lady owner exclusively for us before checking out of the place! Slurp…Yummy!
The distance between Blenheim and Nelson was about an hour and a half away. So, we reached Nelson quite early and decided to look around the city centre before checking into the hostel. We strolled towards the Sunday market where lots of recycled clothing, food, fruits and vegetables were on sale, and went on walking on the streets before searching our way to the hostel. After checking in and having our lunch, we headed towards the place where “the centre of NZ” was located. We were supposed to hike our way up the hill, but halfway through, we were too lethargic as the slope was quite steep (Not much exercise after owning the car…LOL), and there was no clear signpost showing the direction. Consequently, we tramped down as it started to drizzle too. Then we walked to the city centre again to have a taste on the famous and award-winning gelato/ice-cream – Penguino. It was pretty good actually, but I guess it was always good to have some food to relish especially on half-full or empty stomachs no matter what. Isn’t it? @@. The hostel we stayed in has free wifi and complimentary cake served during the evening. That’s what we were particularly fond of, but nightmare began as soon as night fell. The reason – we were sharing the same dorm with guys. There were six beds in the dorm, five were taken by us and the remaining was taken by another person. Three nights, two different guys, but both shared the same habit of snoring. The first was still bearable. However, the second, an old man, was having his loud snore sweeping across the whole room! Damn! I mean this was not the first time that we shared the same room with guys, but this time was the most horrible ever! Amidst the noise, I dozed off still as tiredness set in.
Our hunt for jobs kicked off again as apple and kiwi harvest seasons were about to begin. We went up to the northern Tasman region (Motueka and Riwaka) where most of the apple orchards/packhouses were located. However, to our dismay, most of them were either no vacancy left or they will only start hiring workers in March, when the apple season begin. So, we went on with Plan B, hoping to catch some luck in the North Island. That day, we headed to Kaiteriteri and stopover at Split Apple Rock, a rare formation of the rock which shaped exactly like a “split apple” emerging on the Tasman Sea. We hanged around on the beach for quite some time, enthralled by the astounding panoramic sea view, and exploring some mysterious shell-bearing mussel-like species attached on the rocks.
