Travelogue

Hokitika driftwood welcomeWhenever I travel to a new place, I enjoy reading a novel that takes place there.

When we went to Iceland, I read “Independent People" by Halldór Laxness about the struggles of poor Icelandic farmers in the early 20th century.

For my trip to New Zealand, I brought along “The Luminaries” by Eleanor Catton, a complex mystery set in Hokitika during the 1866 gold rush.

Off to feed the eelsIt kind of makes me feel more connected to the place.

We wouldn’t be getting all the way into the town of Hokitika tonight, but rather just on the southern side of the Hokitika River in a little campground called Links View Holiday Park.

Unlike the large Top 10 Holiday Parks we had been staying in so far, this was a small campground run by one very friendly host. When we pulled into the campground, he came out to greet us and spent a good half hour talking to us about the craziness of politics in the United States.

Giant longfin eelOnce he got that out of his system, he took us inside a very cozy sitting room and kitchenette and showed us the eggs, beer, and wine we could purchase from his refrigerator.

He was very ready to continue talking to us all night, but we channeled his energy into telling us where we could get good fish and chips in town tomorrow (Hokitika is known for its fish and chips) and where we could park our campervan.

After providing that information, he told us that we should really take the short walk down to the river to see and feed the giant longfin eels. Oh cool. We told him that we had seen these in the Avon River in Christchurch, but he informed us that these eels were much bigger.

Turquoise blue waters of Hokitika GorgeHe suggested we bring some bread and then further added that one almost took the skin off his granddaughter’s finger. Great. Sounded like fun.

I went down first to see if there were any eels hanging around. Oh boy! I immediately went back and told Herb he had to see this. They were pretty big and more plentiful than what we had seen in Christchurch.

We threw some bread, took some photos, and returned to the campervan for dinner, all 20 fingers intact.

Turquoise blue waters of Hokitika GorgeThe next morning before heading into town, we drove south about 18 miles through lovely farmland to the parking area for the very popular Hokitika Gorge hike, known for its incredibly vibrant turquoise blue water.

The hike used to be a 1.3-mile loop with two suspension bridges, but in October 2013, the lower suspension bridge was closed due to safety concerns about its structural integrity.

So today, it is a 2-mile out-and-back, the best direction being clockwise, to a rocky outcrop protruding out into the gorge, with the best view of its brilliant blue waters.

Hokitika GorgeTo get down to the rocks we went through a gate with a warning sign about the dangers of swimming and slippery rocks, and then did a bit of rock scrambling to reach the very end of the outcrop.

It’s a great spot to both take a photo and be in a photo, but we weren’t the only ones with this idea in mind, so we politely waited our turn.

We’ve seen a lot of beautiful turquoise blue lakes and rivers this trip, but this and Lake Pukaki were by far the most vibrant.

Hokitika GorgeAnd to think it was all the result of sunlight hitting “glacial flour,” which are finely ground rock particles created by the grinding action of glaciers.

There is not one single glacier that “flours” the Hokitika Gorge. Rather, the “flour” is carried by meltwater from several glaciers in the surrounding Alps, which feed numerous streams, which in turn feed the Hokitika River, which flows through this beautiful gorge.

Shipwreck MemorialThe particles get suspended in the water and reflect the sunlight. Fortunately, we had plenty of sunlight today, so we were seeing it at its best.

It was a great hike with a lot of bang for the buck.

Now, it was on to the town of Hokitika, known for having the best fish and chips on the South Island.

Hokitika Driftwood ArtWe parked at Sunset Point, where the Hokitika River flows out into the Tasman Sea. This was a very dangerous port during the 1860s Gold Rush, with more than 42 ships wrecked trying to cross the Hokitika River’s shifting sandbar.

A plaque memorializing these wrecks stood next to a reconstruction of the schooner Tambo, which was wrecked on this Bar on November 12, 1866.

Hokitika Driftwood ArtThe history of shipwrecks in Hokitika is deeply intertwined with the town's origins as a bustling gold rush port.

This was all very exciting for me to see in person, because I was still deep in my novel, The Luminaries, which is about Hokitika during the gold rush - shipwrecks and all.

couldn’t wait to walk up Revell Street where the whorehouses and the bars where the diggers hung out used to be.

Hokitika Driftwood ArtFrom the Shipwreck Memorial we walked out onto Hokitika Beach, known for its driftwood art. The beaches around Hokitika naturally accumulate large amounts of driftwood providing lots of raw materials for driftwood artists.

Every end of January, Hokitika holds a week long Driftwood and Sand Festival where artists and members of the public create sculptures and art pieces using driftwood and other materials found on the beach.

Hokitika Driftwood ArtMuch of the festival works remained, so we had a great time strolling up the beach, admiring the many unique and imaginative creations.

At the end of the beach, we came to a HOKITIKA sign made of driftwood, not far from Stumper’s Bar and Cafe, where we planned to have lunch.

Although they didn’t call it fish and chips, we had a delicious beer battered grilled fish fillet and fries - our definition of fish and chips. It was delicious.

Lunch at Stumper'sHerb surprised me with a large mochaccino. Now that’s a man that knows my three great loves - coffee, chocolate, and a man that brings me one.

Hokitika had certainly delivered - giant eels, a beautiful hike to Hokitika Gorge, driftwood art alongside the Tasman Sea, and a delicious fish and chips lunch.

Time to move on though. Tonight Pancake Rocks and Punakaiki Beach.

I was feeling pretty smug as to how efficiently we were covering a lot of ground and seeing and doing everything we had hoped to accomplish.

Travelogue

Lake Hawea along the way to Fox GlacierToday was going to be a very long driving day for us to get to Fox Glacier, where we had booked a Heli-Hiking tour with Fox Glacier Guiding for tomorrow morning. But more on that later. First we had to get there.

The drive from Queenstown to Fox Glacier was 6.5 hours, our longest driving day to date. However, we had planned a few breaks along the way.

The first hurdle was to get back to Wanaka without going over the crazy Crown Range road, which we had taken on our way down. Campervans are not even supposed to be on that road, but that is the way Google Maps had sent us. I hate when it does that.

Dune LakeInstead we took a slightly less scenic, but still very pretty, ride along Route 6 back to Wanaka. After Wanaka, the ride became even more scenic, tracing the western shores of Lake Hawea, where we had e-biked a few days ago.

Then Route 6 took us across the “The Neck,” which is the narrow strip of land 1 km wide that separates Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka. It’s also a scenic viewpoint with stunning views of both lakes.

Once across The Neck, we were now tracing the eastern shores of the northern part of Lake Wanaka.

The Tasman Sea!Continuing on, we passed through Makarora, the gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park, which we unfortunately would not be visiting this trip.

After that, we turned west towards the coast, going over Haast Pass, one of the three main roads that cross the Southern Alps. Later on this trip, we would be crossing back across the Alps to Christchurch along Arthur’s Pass.

We had already been driving over 3 hours, so we stopped at Ship Creek, in the Tauparikaka Marine reserve.

Trailhead for Lake Matheson HikeThe name "Ship Creek" comes from the discovery of wreckage from the SS Schomberg, a clipper ship that wrecked, not here, but rather off the coast of Victoria, Australia, in 1855. However, pieces of the wreckage drifted all the way across the Tasman Sea from Australia and washed up on what is now called Ship Creek.

We decided to stretch our legs on the Dune Lake Walk, which starts from the Ship Creek visitor shelter. From there, it follows a boardwalk behind the dunes through a beautiful section of wind-stunted coastal rainforest before coming to a platform looking over Dune Lake.

Lake Matheson HikeAfter continuing to another viewpoint above the beach, we headed down to the beach itself to experience closeup the pounding of the surf from the Tasman Sea.

From here, it was less than an hour and a half to go to Fox Glacier.

When we got to Fox Glacier, we stopped in town to see where we were supposed to meet for our heli-hike tour with Fox Glacier Guiding tomorrow morning and where we were supposed to park our campervan. No problem. There was a big lot right nearby.

Lake Matheson sans reflectionsWe then checked into the Fox Glacier Top 10 Holiday Park, which was less than a mile from Fox Glacier Guiding.

Rather than pull into our campsite, we drove 3 miles to the Lake Matheson Trailhead, one of the hikes on our to do list. Lake Matheson is known for its stunning reflections of Mount Cook, but that only occurs when the conditions are just right - still water and clear skies.

Unfortunately, today was very cloudy, so we couldn’t even see the real Mount Cook, nevermind its reflection. Still it was a very nice hike.

Helicopter 1, Passenger 1The next morning we headed over to Fox Glacier Guiding to make sure we could get a good parking space. We were early so walked across the street to the Cafe Neve for an eggs benedict breakfast - my New Zealand go-to.

Then we went back to Fox Glacier Guiding for our orientation, where we watched a movie on both helicopter and glacier safety. We were told that the helicopters could not fly through the clouds, so there was the very slight possibility that we would have to sleep on the glacier. Tents and sleeping bags would be provided. This, however, had not happened since 2019.

IIncoming helicopter quickly texted both my sons to tell them if they didn’t hear from me tonight, not to worry. I’m sleeping on the glacier. I sounded so cool.

After that, we were each given boots (crampons would be given out later when we were on the glacier), wool socks, weatherproof pants and jackets, hats, gloves, and a trekking pole.

There were 22 of us to be divided up into four helicopters, each of which could carry 6 passengers.

And off we go...When booking the trip, we had to give our weight. There was an individual weight restriction of 256 lbs, and an overall helicopter weight restriction of 1,050 lbs. So that’s why they wanted to know our weights when we booked the trip.

A lot of calculating was done to divide us into helicopters, and even what seats we would sit in. Our group of 6 was assigned to Helicopter 1. Since I was the lightweight, I got to sit up front with the pilot with one other girl, and specifically was told to sit in the window seat. Helicopter 1, Passenger 1. Fine with me. I was becoming cooler every minute.

Fox GlacierThe helicopter ride was relatively short, taking us below the clouds through a valley to the foot of 13-km long Fox Glacier. Along the way, we passed lovely Victoria Falls, which is the melt river from the hidden Victoria Glacier.

After landing, we followed our safety instructions as to how to exit the helicopter, which basically was common sense - keep head and appendages away from the blades.

We then gathered as a group on a set of benches where we were given our crampons and instructions as to how to put them on and how to best walk with them.

Our first ice caveWe also were offered a trekking pole, which I took for more stability.

As each of the remaining helicopters in our group came in, we were all instructed to get down on one knee, put our heads down, and cover our faces, because those chopper wings really created quite a wind.

Once all 4 helicopters had arrived and everyone had their crampons on, we split into two groups, each of which had their own guide.

Lolo in her ice caveOur guide was Campbell, and he sized me up right away as the one to keep an eye on. He was very diligent, always making sure I didn’t fall in a crevasse or something.

We then set out in a line behind Campbell, who told us that our landing spot was on a part of the glacier where its forces work hardest and that today we would explore some spectacular, brilliantly blue ice caves, arches, and tunnels.

Fox GlacierHowever, he did add that Fox Glacier is a very dynamic glacier, constantly changing, so he couldn’t be totally sure exactly what features we would see today.

The reason for its dynamism is that it is a temperate maritime glacier as opposed to a polar glacier. Maritime because it is located close to the Tasman Sea and temperate because its climate is relatively mild with large amounts of precipitation, often in the form of snow.

Therefore, the ice within Fox Glacier is at or near its melting point, in contrast to polar glaciers, which remain frozen year-round, making them more susceptible to rapid changes in their flow and shape.

New features appear all the time and old features disappear. So, we would see what we would see.

Lolo showing off her rope skillsThe guides were great. They would run ahead and scout out the terrain for its safety and stability, making sure there were no crevasses and ground that would give way.

In areas where we would descend into a cave or tunnel they would put in ice screws as anchors and then run a climbing rope through them for us to use as a sort of handrail to keep us from falling.

Glacial PoolProper placement of ice screws is critical and can only be safely done by an experienced glacier guide who must ensure that he chooses solid ice, angles the screw correctly, and ensures the screw is fully engaged and held in tight.

Herb was very familiar with the importance of good ice screw placement from his old ice climbing days about 40 years ago and saw that Campbell was checking and rechecking his screw placement.

I love Fox GlacierThey were definitely a necessity for climbing down into and back out of an ice cave.

After the ice caves, Campbell led us to a beautiful glacial pool with vibrantly blue water, so blue it was hard to believe it was natural and there is a scientific explanation for it that involves both physics and the properties of ice.

Glacial ice is very dense and has very few air bubbles. When sunlight enters the ice, the ice absorbs the longer wavelengths of light (red, orange, and yellow) but the shorter wavelengths (blue) penetrate deeper and then scatters. The deeper the sunlight travels into the ice, the more the other colors are absorbed, and the more intense the blue appears.

Back to the Mother ShipWhatever the explanation was, it was beautiful.

I couldn’t believe our 3 hours of glacier time was almost over. It had gone so quickly. Campbell led us back to the landing pad, where we took off our crampons and learned how to fold them like a burrito. My burrito looked more like an enchilada so Herb had to help.

Then Helicopter 1 arrived (our ride) and we boarded. I offered Passenger 2 my window seat and was told that everybody’s weight was probably analyzed for weight distribution and I still had to sit by the window. Good. I wanted to anyway. I was just being polite.

Braided River from Fox GlacierIt was a totally different view flying down from the glacier back to the town of Fox Glacier. Rather than watching the glacier get closer and closer, we were now getting a good aerial look at the braided pattern of runoff from the terminus of the glacier we had just left.

These braided rivers are formed from the high volume of sediment carried downstream by meltwater. The combination of high sediment load and variable flow results in the formation of shallow, interwoven channels, forming lovely patterns.

Before we knew it, we were back at the Fox Glacier Guiding building turning in our boots, socks, jacket, pants, etc.

Time to move on to the next stop along our journey up the South Island’s western coast - Hokitika, about 2 hours and 15 minutes away. We had quite an aggressive, but manageable, itinerary, and we were getting to see so much of this amazing country.

Travelogue

Our lovely campsite in QueenstownOur itinerary was evolving as we went along. Originally we thought we would do an out-and-back to Queenstown to make the driving easier on Herb, but then we realized that we didn’t want to just repeat places we had already been to, when there was a whole western coast to explore.

So rather than spending 3 nights in Queenstown as we originally planned, doing hikes, a gondola ride, and a scenic flight / helicopter landing in Mount Cook, we decided to cut our Queenstown stop down to 1 day and then head over to and up the western coast to see new places. Plus we could still do a helicopter ride to a glacier in Fox Glacier.

Onsen Hot PoolsPlus, Queenstown is a big city, which is really not our thing, especially with a campervan our size.

So, all we salvaged from our original Queenstown plans was a reservation at the Onsen Hot Pools Retreat and Day Spa, where we would soak in a lovely hot tub overlooking the Shotover River Canyon. We had tried to get a combination soak and massage, but the massages were all booked up

Fortunately, I had the foresight to reserve the Top 10 Holiday Park Campground, which was within walking distance to the Onsen Hot Pools for our 4:00 appointment.

Onsen Hot PoolsThe photos of people soaking in one of their idyllic cedar-line hot tubs with beautiful panoramic views of the Shotover River is what lured me into this place.

Their website also stated that they offer a "Kiwi twist" on the traditional Japanese onsen experience. I had never had a Japanese onsen experience, or for that matter, any onsen experience at all, but it sounded great.

Basically a Japanese onsen places an emphasis on harmony with nature, which was accomplished here with the awesome views of the Shotover River canyon and surrounding mountains right from our pool.

View from our Hot PoolThere were several pools to choose from, but I had reserved the Original Onsen Cedar Hot Pool, which was larger and round, rather than the newer oval tubs.

Each of the pools is filled with pure water from the surrounding mountains which is heated to approx. 38.3 degrees (101 Fahrenheit) - perfect.

We had 60 minutes to spend in our lovely private pool, gazing out at the lovely scenery.

We even saw a few of Queenstown's adrenaline-pumping jet boats go by in the Shotover River below us.

View from our Hot PoolQueenstown is known as the adventure capital of New Zealand, and speeding along at 90 kph, making 360 degree spins on the river was one of them.

We much preferred sitting in our private hot pool sipping our complimentary Chardonnay and raspberry ice cream. We got enough adrenaline pumping just driving on the left side of the road on the narrow, winding, steep roads of New Zealand.

10 minutes before our time was up, a little bell rang warning us that our time was almost up.

It was just the right amount of time. We left feeling much more relaxed than when we had entered.

Travelogue

Our Te Anau Glowworm Tour BoatWe decided to get the challenging drive up to and through the Homer Tunnel today and spend the night in Te Anau at the same Top 10 Holiday Park we stayed in on our way into Milford Sound.

Along our drive to Te Anau, Herb and I discussed what we could do with our unexpected afternoon in Te Anau and both came up with the same answer - A Glowworm Tour.

I did a Google search on Te Anau Glowworm Tours and found that the best one was offered by RealNZ, so we booked a 2:00 pm one, which would give us time to check into our campground and walk down to the wharf where their boat would take us to the cave where they lived.

Herb on Lake Te AnauThe tour included a scenic cruise across Lake Te Anau to the western shores of the lake, where we were dropped off at the dock where the Te Anau Glowworm Caves are located.

The Te Anau Glowworm Caves, which we would be exploring today, are only a small, more recently formed section of the expansive 6.7-km Aurora Cave system, a network of limestone passages carved by underground streams and chemical reactions over 30 million years ago. In contrast the lower Te Anau Glowworm Caves were formed a mere 12,000 years ago and are only 250 meters long.

Welcome to Te Anau Glowworm CavesAfter disembarking, we line up in groups of 8 to enter the caves. Unfortunately, no photographing was allowed in the caves because it disturbed the glowworms.

Too bad because the caves were beautiful, with underground rock formations and even small waterfalls. It was totally dark except for a few well positioned spotlights on the more fascinating features.

Into the CavesAfter walking for a short distance, our group of 8 climbed into a small boat which brought us into a dark grotto, where we were treated to a mesmerizing display of hundreds of glowworms hanging from the cave walls and ceiling, emitting their blue-green light, which they emit through a process called bioluminescence.

These "glowworms" are actually the larvae of a species of fly, Arachnocampa luminosa, which are unique to New Zealand.

The most interesting thing about them is the way they catch their prey. It’s quite creative:

Once they establish themselves on a cave surface, they create silk threads that they suspend below them. These threads are covered in sticky music and act as “fishing lines,” creating a trap for insects

They then use their bioluminescence to attract unsuspecting customers that are drawn to the light. When an insect flies towards the light and gets caught in the sticky threads, the glowworm senses the disturbance and reels in the thread.

Then it’s dinner time

Okay, that was an interesting and fun way to spend the day.

Travelogue

Milford SoundMilford Sound was one of the few stops on our trip that we planned well in advance. You have to, because it's probably the most popular destination on the South Island. It is, afterall, the 8th Wonder of the World - at least according to Rudyard Kipling when he visited here in the 1890s.

There is only one campground in Milford Sound at the Milford Sound Lodge and it books up quickly, so I booked it 4 months in advance. It cost $120 a night NZ dollars, which is about $70 U.S., so a bargain to be able to stay in the 8th Wonder of the World.

The most popular thing to do in Milford Sound is to take a cruise on the Sound (which is really a fjord, but I’ll explain later).

Our cruise shipThere are so many choices of cruise lines, but we chose the Small Boutique Cruise with Cruise Milford, because they have smaller boats with much fewer passengers than most of the other cruise lines. They advised that we book the first boat, which goes out at 8:30, because that is before the busloads of people arrive from Queenstown and Te Anau.

Another advantage of a small boat is that it can navigate closer to waterfalls, wildlife, and other points of interest, providing better opportunities for photography.

Eglinton ValleyBut, I’m getting ahead of myself. First we had to get there. Although the drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound is only about 2 hours, it took us at least 4 hours with all the stops we made along the way.

The Milford Road is a major attraction in itself, winding through Fiordland National Park with stunning views of mountains, forests, valleys, and waterfalls along the way.

Ancient Red Beech ForestOur first stop was Eglinton Valley, or better known to Lord of the Ring trilogy fans as Middle Earth, as some of the scenes in "The Fellowship of the Ring" were filmed in the mountains surrounding the valley to represent the Misty Mountains.

Eglinton is a classic, U-shaped glacial valley, carved out by glaciers over thousands of years. It is covered golden tussock and grasslands, providing a striking contrast with the dark mountains surrounding it.

Some Middle-Earthlings from a tour bus had beat us out into the Valley, so I just included them in my photo.

Christie FallsA little further on, we stopped at Mirror Lake, known for its reflections of the surrounding Earl Mountains in the lake when conditions are calm and the lake is still.

Our next stop was a short walk along the Lake Gunn Nature trail, which passed through an ancient beech forest of moss-covered trees. A short side path led to a stony beach on Lake Dunn.

The next and last stop we made before getting to Milford Sound was Christie Falls, also known as Falls Creek Falls. From the parking right over the bridge, it’s just a short walk back to the falls, which can be seen right from the Milford Sound Road - no effort required.

The rooty trail to the hidden fallsHowever, a tour bus driver in the parking lot told us that if we went up the trail to the left side of the falls and hiked for about a quarter mile, we would come to a hidden falls that few people knew about.

Okay, a quarter mile didn’t sound too bad, but what a quarter mile it was. We were basically hiking through a jungle up a very steep, barely marked trail, covered in roots from the surrounding trees. Those roots became my best friend because they served as handholds to get up, and later down, this ridiculous trail. Unlike Christie Falls there was much effort required, but it was worth it.

The hidden fallsContinuing on, we came to the most challenging part of the road to Milford Sound - the Homer Tunnel. It’s single lane, so there is a traffic light to control which side can enter.

The tunnel is three quarter miles long with a 1-in-10 gradient, meaning for every 10 meters of horizontal distance, the tunnel rises or falls 1 meter. On the way to Milford Sound we were descending in the tunnel and on the way back we were ascending.

Homer TunnelThis combined with its single-lane width, narrowness, limited lighting, and hairpin bends immediately after exiting, makes it extremely stressful.

Herb was pretty much ready to just get to Milford Sound and park the car. Thank God, we decided to stay in Te Anau last night, rather than drive all the way here from Wanaka.

When we got to Milford Sound, it was too early to check into our campground, so we parked in the pay parking lot for cruise customers and walked the short distance to the cruise ships, so that we would know where we had to be by 8:00 tomorrow morning for our cruise.

Milford Sound from Foreshore TrailThen we took a walk on what turned out to be a very rewarding trail called the "Milford Foreshore Walk." This is where we got our first glimpse of Milford Sound’s iconic Mitre Peak, rising 5,522 feet steeply from the water.

The name “Mitre Peak” was given by Captain John Lort Stokes of HMS Acheron, when he was surveying this area for the British Crown in the 1840s, when New Zealand first became a colony of Great Britain.

Milford Sound from Foreshore TrailHe named it so because its shape reminded him of the mitre headwear worn by Christian bishops.

There was a lot of bang for our buck on this short walk. Besides Mitre Peak, there was Bowen Falls, where the Bowens River plunges from a 162-meter cliff directly into Milford Sound.

In 1990, Milford Sound was designated as a World Heritage site due to its exceptional natural beauty and significant geological and ecological features.

Calm morning for our cruiseWe walked back to the Campervan and drove to Milford Sound Lodge where we checked into our campsite, which was very lush, like in jungle lush.

After a quick dinner, we walked back to the Foreshore Trail from our campground by going along a rocky trail to Deepwater Basin, past the Milford Sound Airport, and onto the Foreshore Trail.

The smiles say it allThe Sound with the sun setting over Mitre Peak and Bowens Falls was even more lovely than this afternoon.

The next day we awoke to sunny skies - a good omen for our cruise on Milford Sound this morning. I had been tracking the weather in Milford Sound for the last 3 days, and the hourly forecast consistently showed a narrow window of sunny skies rom 8:00 am until noon today. All around it was rain.

Good morning Mitre PeakWe were very, very lucky because Milford Sound is a very wet place, renowned for its very high rainfall, which averages over 22 feet per year, making it one of the wettest inhabited places in New Zealand and even the world.

The Sound is surrounded by a temperate rainforest, meaning it experiences moderate temperatures in addition to high rainfall. That’s what makes the waterfalls so spectacular.

A little visitor to our shipWe drove back to the cruise ship passenger parking lot and walked over to the wharf where the cruise ships left from. Ours was the cute tiny one all the way on the left - well at least small compared to the larger ones docked nearby.

As I mentioned above, we had chosen the Cruise Milford “Boutique” Small Boat Cruise, because, although the ship can hold 150 passengers, they limit it to a maximum of 75, and usually that’s even smaller, especially if you go on the early morning cruise before the busloads of tourists arrive from Queenstown and Te Anau.

Stirling FallsI would estimate that our ship had about 40 passengers that morning, allowing for room along the railiings to take unobstructed photos.

One of the first things we learned aboard the ship was that Milford Sound was incorrectly named in that it is not a “sound” at all, but rather a “fjord.” Sounds are formed when a river valley is flooded by the sea, which was not what created Milford Sound.

Stirling Falls up closeIn contrast, a fjord is a narrow inlet created by glacial erosion and surrounded by steep cliffs and rock walls carved by those glaciers. So, we were more correctly on a cruise on "Milford Fjord."

Maybe it would be best to just call it by its Maori name Piopiotahi, which in Maori means “a single piopio.” A piopio is a now extinct New Zealand bird. According to Māori legend, when the demigod Māui died while attempting to gain immortality for humankind, a piopio flew to Milford Sound to mourn his passing. Thus, the name reflects this act of mourning and connects this stunning landscape to a story of loss and remembrance.

The cruise, which lasted about an hour and 45 minutes took us up along the western (left) shoreline first, providing us close-up views of the very impressive Mitre Peak.

It then proceeded up the entire length of the Sound to the mouth, where it opens into the Tasman Sea. From there, we turned around and went along the eastern shoreline.

Getting a glacial facial at Stirling FallsA true highlight of the cruise was our closeup encounter with Stirling Falls, which plunges 495 feet down a steep cliff face. The falls cascade from a "hanging valley," which is a valley carved by glaciers that ends abruptly high on a mountainside, creating a dramatic effect.

Our captain brought us right up close to the falls where we could feel its spray and receive what is known as a “glacial facial.” Some of my favorite photos of our entire trip are long exposure close-ups of the water crashing into the Sound.

We then continued back to the wharf passing a few fur seals along the way.

The cruise had been well worth it and I was so thankful we took the early one, because as we walked back to our campervan, it began to rain and hard. That little window of sunshine that I had been tracking for days was right on..

Dinner at Pio PioLater that evening we had dinner at PioPio, the restaurant at the Milford Sound Lodge. They promised world-class dining in World Heritage location. They certainly delivered. The setting was lovely, the service was perfect, and the food was delicious.

I had the Duo of Central Otago Lamb (low cooked and charred lamb rump, lamb shank rillette, parsnip foam, bordelaise sauce, wild mushroom, pureed swede, potato fondant). I am a bit embarrassed to say, but it was my first lamb, and definitely my first parsnip foam (whatever that was).

Herb had the Canterbury Duck Breast (red cabbage & apple puree, fig & port Jus, duck fat potato fondant, charred baby carrots, beetroot disks, black pudding, broccolini).

Herb and I agreed that this was one of the best meals we had had in a long time.

That night we slept to the pitter patter of rain hitting the roof of our campervan. Very cozy.

The next morning it was still pitter pattering, but even harder, and forecast to do so for much of the day. We had hoped to take the water taxi to the Milford Track to do a hike to a waterfall today, but that didn’t sound like much fun in the rain. Plus, I was very satisfied with the incredible waterfalls we had seen here already.

So, we decided to get the challenging drive up to and through the Homer Tunnel today and spend the night in Te Anau at the same Top 10 Holiday Park we stayed in on our way into Milford Sound..

Travelogue

Camping in Te AnauGlendhu Bay was a good decision. Otherwise, we would have had an extremely stressful 5 hour challenging drive to Milford Sound the following day.

Even our 3 hour drive to Te Anau was very stressful in that Google Maps directed us over the Crown Range to get to Queenstown, a highly scenic, but highly steep and stressful road. In fact, we later found out that campervans were not even supposed to be on this road.

It had been a long day, starting in Glendhu Bay, then e-biking from Lake Hawea to Lake Wanaka, and now here we were in the lovely town of Te Anau, the gateway to Fiordland National Park.

Set on the shores of lovely Lake Te Anau, it is a destination in itself, but for us it was just a convenient stopover on our way to Milford Sound.

Sea plane on Lake Te AnauWe stayed in a Top 10 Holiday Park, kind of like the KOAs of New Zealand - clean, great facilities, etc.

We didn’t have much time here, so all we did was take a walk down to and along the lake, which is the largest in the South Island.

There were sea planes in the lake and helicopters on docks along the shoreline. Every town on the South Island has its share of aerial tours. It’s a great way to see the Southern Alps. We would have our chance of a helicopter ride to a glacier when we got to Fox Glacier.

The next morning it was on to Milford Sound, where the drive alone was supposed to be one of the most beautiful in New Zealand.

Travelogue

#ThatWanakaTreeSo far, we had pretty much been following our son’s itinerary from his trip here a few months back. We are very similar to him in what we like to see and do and where to eat, so it had been extremely helpful.

Wanaka was a particular favorite of theirs, so they had lots of suggestions for us.

We were not going to be camping in town, but rather about 15 minutes past at the Hampshire Holiday Park directly on Glendhu Bay. That location had the advantage of being right on Lake Wanaka, as well as in close proximity to two of the hikes we were considering - Roy’s Peak and Diamond Lake / Rocky Mountain track.

Federal DinerWhen we got to Wanaka, we found that the road to Glendhu Bay was closed for the next few hours while they prepared the race course for the half triathlon that was happening tomorrow.

We had things we wanted to do in town anyway, so it was no real hardship - except for finding a parking space for a van our size. The town was really bustling, I guess because of the triathlon.

One of the first orders of business, as per our son’s recommendation, was to stop in at the Isite Visitor Information Center in town to reserve e-bikes for the day after tomorrow with Wanaka Bike Tours. They have a shuttle that drives you and the bikes up to Lake Hawea and then you bicycle the 18 miles back to Lake Wanaka.

The Buddha Eggs BenedictThe road to Glendhu Bay still wasn’t open, so we took another one of his recommendations and went to the Federal Diner for lunch.

That boy knows his food. The Buddha Eggs Benedict was to die for - organic eggs, spinach, mushrooms, and roasted tomatoes. Herb had the French Toast.

After lunch, we walked along the lakeshore to visit the Wanaka Tree, the most photographed trees in New Zealand, largely due to its solitary position in the lake, with the backdrop of the Southern Alps, creating a stunning visual.

Our campground at Glendhu BayIts rise to fame is relatively recent, with increased attention following a 2014 award-winning photograph. Then came social media, and thousands of posts with the hashtag “ThatWanakaTree.”

While this lovely willow tree is usually about 50 yards offshore, today it was actually about 10 yards onshore. Not sure if that is typical of late summer or a result of climate change or a drought.

The crowds didn’t seem to care, as people lined up to take their photo beneath it. We, of course, did so as well.

Dinner at our campsiteBy now the road to Glendhu Bay had reopened, so we headed towards the Hampshire Holiday Park campground, right on Lake Wanaka. It was a lovely setting.

This was definitely a campground frequented by New Zealanders, specifically those with watercraft of any kind. There were power boats, jet skis, kayaks, and SUPs, and even a beach for swimming.

That evening we set out our camp table and chairs, which faced the lake, and enjoyed our Mount Cook sashimi, cheese and crackers, and wine.

Quick swim in Glendhu BayOne of the reasons we had chosen this campground was because it was located close to the trailhead for one of New Zealand's most famous, as well as most challenging hikes - Roy’s Peak, a 10-mile hike with over 4,200 feet of elevation gain. It takes about 7 hours to complete, and with the heat of the summer, they recommend starting at 4:30 am.

I admit to feeling intimidated by this hike, but fortunately I got a great excuse to not do it while still saving face. The road outside our campground would be closed until 1:00 pm because the bicycle portion of the half marathon they were setting up yesterday was going right by. Oh well, too late to do the hike. Plus, it was like 85 degrees out.

Diamond LakeInstead, once the road opened we decided that we would do a different hike that our wonderful son recommended - the hike to Diamond Lake and Rocky Mountain, the trailhead for which was also close by.

This one was a more realistic (for me) 5-mile hike with 1,644 feet of elevation gain. However, because of its rocky terrain, it is still considered a challenging hike.

In the meantime we had some time to kill before the campground gates opened, so I took a brief swim in the lake and then we walked out to the road to watch the bicycle portion of the half marathon go by.

Lake Wanaka ViewpointOnce that was over, we headed over to the trailhead for the Diamond Lake and Rocky Mountain hike which was just 10 minutes away at the Diamond Lake Conservation Area.

From the parking lot, we headed up a moderately steep gravel road until we came to a fork in the trail. We could have gone either left or right as this was the loop trail around Diamond Lake. We took the left but the right would have worked as well.

From there, the trail began to ascend up a series of wooden steps, and after about another 10 minutes we came to Diamond Lake Bird View where we enjoyed a view overlooking the lake with some lovely mountains behind.

From the summitA short distance afterwards, we reached another split in the trail. Every trail guide we read recommended going right and taking the steeper route up. Plus, that was the side that had all the great views over Lake Wanaka. To make it a loop, we would come down the left side.

After taking the right trail, we came to our first views of Lake Wanaka. At about 1.25 miles we followed a spur trail to the right to the Lake Wanaka viewpoint where there was a beautiful panoramic view of the lake and surrounding mountains.

Once back on the main trail, we continued up towards the summit of Rocky Mountain, where the trail got steep and more rocky.

From the summitAt the 2-mile point we came to another trail junction. We took the right for more views over Lake Wanaka.

The last half mile up to the summit was the toughest. The trail narrowed and climbed a series of switchbacks, often requiring some rock scrambling.

Once atop the summit, there was of course another breathtaking panoramic view. It was so windy that we didn’t linger long.

Ready to e-bikeWe descended via the other track as we wanted to make it a look, even though we didn’t have any views of Lake Wanaka this way. No worry, as I already had about a hundred photos from the way up.

I am so glad we chose to do this hike. Although Roy’s Peak has a spectacular finish, the Diamond Lake and Rocky Mountain hike has great views of Lake Wanaka and the surrounding Southern Alps the whole way. Plus, it is a lot less grueling.

Tired and happy, we returned to our campsite on Glendhu Bay for a well-earned glass of wine.

Hawea WaveThe next morning, we drove into Wanaka where we would meet at the iSite Visitor Center to meet our e-bike shuttle to Lake Hawea.

We had some time to kill, so we went for breakfast at the Federal Diner again. This time we both had the Buddha Eggs Benedict.

At 10:30, we met Stu from Wanaka Bike Tours who drove us and another couple up to Lake Hawea where we would start our e-bike ride back to Lake Wanaka.

Bridge over Clutha RiverAlong the way, he rattled off directions for us to follow that completely went over our heads. Fortunately, Herb had the Gaia app with the aid of which we would be able to find our way.

He dropped us off at the southern end of Lake Hawea, another beautiful, bright blue lake with mountain scenery surrounding it.

The start of the ride pretty much followed the Hawea River Track for the first 9 miles, along a riverside trail with beautiful landscapes along the way.

Using the power of the e-bike made any hills just melt away. It was so much fun. I had ridden an e-bike before in San Francisco, but this was Herb’s first time.

About 5 miles into our ride along the river, to our surprise we came upon a surfer riding a wave in the Hawea River. Unbeknownst to us at the time, we had stumbled across the Hawea Wave," also known as the Hawea Flat Whitewater Park.

Along the Hawea to Wanaka rideThis park features two man-made river waves for kayakers, surfers, rafters, and boogie boarders.

At around 9 miles (the halfway point) we came to the Clutha River, where there was a short side trip into the highly recommended Pembroke Patisserie, a French Bakery in the small village of Albert Town.

Defying Tommy’s recommendations for the first time, we decided to skip because we were in a bit of a hurry because we still needed to drive 3 hours to Te Anau when we got back to Wanaka.

This required riding over a narrow bridge over the Clutha River. There was about 2 inches to spare on either end of my handlebars, so I freaked out a little but made it over okay. I kept telling myself that if my son could do this while trailering his little 9-month old daughter behind it, I should be fine.

Almost backAfter that, we were on the Outlet Track, a beautiful dirt trail through a forest, which traced the shores of the Clutha River. As the trail narrowed in sections to single track (only one bike wide), I once again questioned how (and why?) my son was able to get my granddaughter through here in her little trailer behind him.

I think it was called the Outlet Track, because we eventually reached its source at Lake Wanaka.

From there we continued along a very picturesque lakeside trail leading us back along the lovely shores of Lake Wanaka into the town. Then we locked up our bikes where Stu from Wanaka Bike Tours told us and texted him that we were done.

I then immediately texted my son to thank him for telling us about this amazing ride and gave him big kudos for maneuvering his 9-month old daughter through it.

Before this, Herb and I were seriously considering buying e-bikes, but this ride clinched it.

Travelogue

Lake PukakiHerb and I had decided before we left that to gain the most flexibility in our itinerary I would double-book some nights in two different campgrounds. That way we could decide on the fly whether we wanted to stay or move on.

In this case, we had both Lakes Edge Holiday Park Camping Ground in Lake Tekapo and White Horse HIll Campground in Mount Cook booked for Van Night 2.

Since we had completed Mount John Loop hike, which was the main thing we wanted to do in Lake Tekapo, pretty early in the day, we decided to move on to Mount Cook, where we had 3 nights reserved. There our main event would be hiking the extremely popular and beautiful Hooker Valley Track, hopefully tomorrow if the weather cooperated.

The TahrThe hour and a half drive from Lake Tekapo to Mount Cook is an event in itself. Renowned for its breathtaking scenery, it is considered one of New Zealand's most spectacular routes.

Most of the drive traces the shores of stunningly beautiful, turquoise blue Lake Pukaki, a glacial lake formed during past ice ages from the glaciers flowing down from the Southern Alps, carving out the valley that now holds the lake.

As these glaciers retreated, they left behind deposits of rock and sediment known as terminal moraines, which act like natural dams, blocking the valley. Then over the years, meltwater from the glaciers gradually filled the valley, creating Lake Pukaki.

Lavender Ice Cream - Yum!The lake's stunning, bright turquoise color comes from finely ground rock particles carried into the lake by meltwater from the Tasman Glacier. These particles, known as “glacial flour,” are suspended in the water, and they reflect sunlight, giving the lake its unique hue.

Fortunately, today there was plenty of sunshine to reflect off the lake. I wish we had stopped to take more photos at one of the many viewpoints along the way, because on the way back, it was cloudy, and it pretty much looked like just an ordinary alpine lake.

White Horse Hill CampgroundWe did make two important stops though, the first of which was the Mount Cook Alpine Salmon Shop, highly recommended by our son, daughter-in-law, and 9-month old salmon-loving granddaughter, who had traveled here a few months back.

The salmon shop farms their King Salmon in the pure, cold, glacial waters that flow from the Southern Alps, near Aoraki/Mount Cook. Roughly 2 million gallons of pure glacier-fed water passes through the farms every minute, creating a refreshed environment for the fish. No hormones, vaccines, pesticides, or antibiotics are used.

Our campsite viewPlus, they have to constantly swim against the flowing ice-cold water (kind of like being on a fish treadmill), which keeps them healthy and fit with minimal solid stored fats. As a result, they have a more subtle taste and delicate texture than any other salmon.

We bought two packages of sashimi for dinner tonight and some smoked salmon to put on our bagels in the morning.

First swing bridgeThere was a statue of an animal that I did not recognize, but the lake looked so stunningly blue behind him that I just had to take his photo. Then I read the plaque.

The tahr is a native of the Himalayan mountains that was introduced to New Zealand in 1904 as a way to attract tourists for recreational hunting, which seemed like a good idea at the time. With no natural predators, the tahr thrived in New Zealand and its population exploded, wreaking havoc on the native ecosystems. Now the Department of Conservation (DOC) tries to manage their numbers.

Continuing on,we stopped at the NZ Alpine Lavender Farm, another recommendation from our son. Fortunately for them, the lavenders were in full bloom in December, but pretty much faded by the time of our visit in late February.

Crossing the first swing bridgeStill, the main reason for their stop, and ours, was the lavender ice cream that they sold. I admit to being a skeptic at first, because we couldn’t picture lavender tasting very good, but for my granddaughter, we would give it a shot.

There were a surprising number of flavors to choose from: Lavender Vanilla, Lavender Blueberry, Lavender Mango, Lavender honey, chocolate and lavender, and mixed berry and lavender.

Hooker River from the bridge admit to being tempted by my usual go-to chocolate, but the woman serving ice cream encouraged me to try one of their more popular flavors, so I had the Mixed Berry and Lavender and Herb had the Lavender Vanilla. Good choice.

From there we continued up along the lake, stopping first at Mount Cook Village, which was a bit of a zoo - Mount Cook is an extremely popular destination.

So, we didn’t stay long before continuing on to the White Horse Hill Campground at the end of Hooker Valley Road,where we had a reservation for three nights.

There are no assigned sites in this campground, so it was a bit of a free-for-all to get a spot where we could squeeze in our camper van. It was already after 5:00 pm, so most of the spots had already been taken.

3rd swing bridgeThis was not a commercial campground, but rather one run by the Department of Conservation, so the facilities were pretty spartan. However, the real attraction was the phenomenal scenery right from our campsite and the easy access to the very popular Hooker Valley Track.

We immediately took out our camp chairs and faced them towards the snow-covered mountain towering over the campground. At first I thought we were looking at Mount Cook, but later found out that it was 10,338-foot high Mount Sefton (200 feet Mount Cook’s junior).

Mount Cook at lastFrom there we had a glass of wine, cheese and crackers, and our delicious sashimi salmon from Lake Pukaki.

The Hooker Valley Track, as I mentioned, is one of the most popular hikes in New Zealand, but since we were camping near the trailhead for the hike, we were able to get an early start and get ahead of the crowds.

The track follows the Hooker Valley floor for 3.5 miles (each way) to Hooker Lake.

The trail is mostly flat, with a few gentle inclines, and goes along gravel paths and boardwalks.

Hooker LakeAfter about a mile we looked down at the first of three swinging bridges over the Hooker River that we would cross. I’m glad we took a picture of it from above, because trying to a picture while on the bridge was pretty challengings because it was bouncing up and down from the foot traffic.

To the left of the bridge was the glacial Mueller Lake. Both the River and the Lake were colored by the same “glacial flour” as Lake Pukaki.

About ½ mile later we came to the second swinging bridge over the Hooker River. One more swinging bridge o go.

Brave bathersAfter about an hour of walking, we reached a wooden boardwalk and were treated to our first views of 12,218-foot Mount Cook.

The Maori name for the mountain is Aoraki, which means "cloud piercer," an appropriate name since the summit of Mount Cook is often hidden in the clouds. Fortunately for us, the mountain was No Aoraki today with clear blue skies.

Hooker LakeAfter 3.5 miles, we arrived at the beach on turquoise blue Hooker Lake. I watched as 4 people clad in bathing suits marched into what had to be some pretty cold water. On a count of 3, they all submerged their whole bodies and then quickly ran to shore to fetch their towels. Ahh..to be 30 again.

On the 3.5 mile walk back to the campground, we passed a constant stream of hikers. I was so glad that we started early enough to pretty much have the trail to ourselves.

The way backIt was only about 1:00, so we decided to drive over to the trailhead for the Tasman Glacier View and Blue Lakes hike, a short 40-minute walk for views of the Glacier and a terminal lake with icebergs.

Unfortunately, when we got there, the trail was closed, so we took the only trail that wasn’t blocked. It did eventually bring us out to Tasman Lake where there was one small lonely iceberg.

I hope this wasn’t a sign of climate change but rather the way things are in late summer.

Iceberg on Tasman LakeWhen we drove back to the campground, it was less crowded, so we picked a little more spacious campsite than we had last night.

The next morning, although we had another night booked at White Horse Hill Campground, we decided to move on to Wanaka, our next planned stop.

Our main goal here had been to hike the Hooker Valley Track, and we had done it in the absolute perfect conditions. Lucky for us, because today was starting off very cloudy, which means the lakes and Hooker River might not be turquoise blue and Mount Cook might truly be Aoraki today, as its summit most likely would be in the clouds.

Peter's LookoutWe had to retrace our drive along Lake Pukaki to get to Wanaka, and felt fortunate that we had seen it yesterday because the cloud cover was blocking the “glacial flour” in the lake from reflecting its turquoise blue.

There are many lookouts along Lake Pukaki, but Peter’s Lookout is supposed to be the best, so we stopped and took the short walk down to the shores of the lake. Wow! It was a beautiful spot with an interesting shoreline.

I can only imagine how beautiful this very spot would have been yesterday when the sun was shining brightly, reflecting off that “glacial flour,” painting the lake a vibrant turquoise.

We made just one more stop to pick up more sashimi at the Mount Cook Alpine Salmon Shop.

Travelogue

Church of the Good ShepherdWe had chosen Lake Tekapo as the first destination on our South Island adventure, because we thought 3 hours would be a good amount of time for our first day on the road. Unfortunately, those 3 hours turned into 6 when our van broke down and required replacing the battery.

Undaunted - well maybe a little daunted - we forged on and got to the famous Church of the Good Shepherd, by 7:00 pm.

We were not alone as this is one of the most photographed buildings in New Zealand, and it’s easy to see why.

View of Lake Tekapo from the ChurchThe church is a simple one, constructed of local stone, which blends seamlessly with the surrounding mountains.

Its setting is stunning - set on the shores of the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo with a backdrop of the Southern Alps.

Unfortunately, we could not go inside where there is a large window behind the altar with stunning views of the lake and mountains.

The Sheep Dog MemorialIt was impossible to get a photo of the church without hordes of people in front of it, so we gave up and embraced the current situation, which included pretty girls in white dresses posing in front of it. I believe they are called “influencers” that try to get likes and followers on social media.

Right next to the church there is a bronze statue of a sheep dog, a tribute to the working sheep dogs that played a vital role in the development of the Mackenzie Country’s farming industry.

Along the Mount John Loop TrailBack in 1855, a Scot named James Mckenzie brought 1,000 sheep (most likely stolen) to the secluded pastures in this area. He was a bit of a colorful character and spent several months in jail before, escaping a few times, before he was eventually pardoned.

He was, however, a master herdsman of sheep and he and his loyal sheep dogs played an important role in establishing sheep farming in the region, which has been a crucial part of the area’s economy.

Along the Mount John Loop TrailI assume the name Church of the Good Shepherd came from James McKenzie, probably because it sounds better than Church of the Scofflaw Shepherd.

It had been a very long day (van pickup, van breakdown, driving for the first time on the left side of narrow, windy roads, etc.), so we drove directly to the Lakes Edge Holiday Park Camping Ground, where we had a reservation for 2 nights.

Along the Mount John Loop TrailWe were packed in pretty tightly next to our neighbors, but we did have a view of the lake, which we were able to easily walk down to.

The next morning, we set off right from our campground to hike the 6.5-mile (with 1,254-foot elevation gain) Mount John loop trail.

We decided to do the loop in a counter-clockwise direction, which meant that the first half of our hike traversed the hilly grasslands overlooking beautiful turquoise-blue Lake Tekapo, with the Southern Alps of Mount Aspiring National Park in the background. It was absolutely breathtaking.

Along the Mount John Loop TrailFrom the top of the loop, where the trail U-turned back south, there was a beautiful peninsula jutting out into the lake with trails going to its end. It was so tempting to follow those trails, but it meant a lot of extra miles going down a steep grade and then back up again, so we stuck to the original plan.

There were also two lovely turquoise blue small lakes to the north of us.

Although we were at the top of the loop, we still had another mile and 800 more feet of elevation gain to conquer before reaching the summit.
I didn’t see how the view at the summit could be any better than this one.

From here the trail really did start to climb up a pretty steep grassy hill, where we got our first sight of the silver domes, which house the telescopes of the Mount John University Tower.

Along the Mount John LoopThe summit of Mount John is part of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, renowned for its exceptional stargazing conditions because of the lack of light pollution.

It's a working astronomical research observatory and it’s very popular for the Dark Sky Project’s stargazing tours, where visitors see the night sky through the powerful telescopes within those domes.

Unfortunately, we planned to move on to Mount Cook today after we finished the hike, so we would not be able to stay for a tour. Besides, I think they require a reservation and fill up quickly on a clear night.

Along the Mount John Loop TrailWe did have time, however, to partake in the Astro Cafe atop the summit, near the Observatory. The 360-degree panoramic views from the cafe of Lake Tekapo, the Southern Alps, and the Mackenzie Basin were pretty spectacular.

We bought coffee and the last two meat pies in the cafe and soaked in the views from a picnic table outside the cafe.

From there it was all downhill back to the campground.

Since it was only about 1:00 and we had done everything we wanted to do at Lake Tekapo, we decided to take a shower at our Lake Tekapo campground, since we were already paying for this night, and then move on to the White Horse Hill Campground in Mount Cook National Park.

I confess to being a bit paranoid about arriving at a full campground, so I had double booked both the Lake Tekapo and Mount Cook campgrounds, so we could be flexible.

It was a pattern that I would repeat several times during the trip..