Road trip July 05 (56k warning)

We had our mid year break this week. My floormate Cliff was going to drive around the South Island on his own, I asked if I could come with and he agreed.

So on Sunday afternoon, after a few missions to get last minute things, we headed off to Dunedin. Dunedin is a massive student town, but with students away it was pretty dead. We arrived after dark, and got an on site caravan at the first campground we could find. We asked for a tent site, but since it was going to be -1 C that night, the guy suggested the caravan. Good idea too.

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The caravan we stayed at.

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Dunners skyline. Was a very dreary day.

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St Paul's Cathedral.


(Apparently not) the world's steepest street:
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(yes, it has steps in the sidewalk)

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Otago harbour, from the peninsula.

We met up with a girl from our hall, then headed off to Queenstown.

Boring drive, we went via Ranfurly and Alexandra...sweet fuck all for 3 hours. Eventually we hit Queenstown, and oh man, I love this place. We arrived after dark again, and were told there was no accomodation available (due to the Winterfest being on), so we camped out in a Dept. of Conservation camp site called 12 mile delta, next to Lake Wakitipu.
It ruled.
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It started out overcast, but began to clear with just some low level cloud hanging around. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

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We decided to get mcdees as we needed hot food for breakfast, and found out that the winterfest had just started, and Mardi Gras was on that night, including a performance from The Black Seeds (www.theblackseeds.com) so we decided to stay another night.


When we arrived, we'd seen these lights in the sky and had no idea what they were, except that they were high. Bloody high on a cliff or something. Checked a map and saw it was the gondola. It cost 18 bucks to get up there, so we decided to walk up.

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REAAALLY wanted to go paragliding, but at $185 a pop it just wasn't going to happen.

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I pulled a very smooth move when at the tables. I'd stood up, and moved to get out of the bench. My right foot got stuck, and I was already committed. Ended up having enough time to move my camera from my right hand to my left, and go "dammit" before tipping over and landing on my hand. Cliff heard me, turned around and saw me go down. Cracks up laughing. I crack up laughing. Some British dudes who saw the whole thing crack up laughing, and one of them tells me "good fall, mate". Bastard.

We eventually decided to head back down the hill. We had to walk through the clouds. Very spooky.

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We messed around for a few hours killing time, got a bite to eat (marmite sandwiches and peanut butter sandwiches, yeehaw) before heading to the Mardi Gras to meet up with another girl from our hall.

We saw some band called d-Dub. Awesome reggae outfit, I think they were local.

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After their set, we moved on to the main stage where the black seeds would be playing. Caught some fire poi along the way:

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Got in the crowd for the black seeds, tried to get close, and ran into a few more people from my hall who'd made the trip down and were staying over in Wanaka.

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Yeah yeah, it's hard to keep your camera still when its above your head in a throng of dancing people.

We were pretty tired after that, and too lazy to pitch the tent again, so we headed out to a parking lot and slept in the car.

Snapped this just before I crashed:

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Next morning we headed over to Wanaka, about an hour away. Shitty drive, very misty the whole way, and quite overcast in the town itself.

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We got ourselves a small room at another campground :

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showered, and made arrangements to meet up with Gav from our floor.

We met up, got some hot chocolate and took a stroll. Gav lived here for a year while he was at the local boarding school. I love this place, it and Queenstown apparently are like little Aspens, from what we hear.

We went to find a property owned by the parents of another guy in our hall, couldn't find it, but went down to the lake. It was incredible, completely silent. Not a sound. The most magical place.

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Got some food, watched hitchhikers guide to the galaxy at Paradiso theatre (theatre with just couches and old chairs - awesome! and movie posters as wallpaper in the bathrooms...)

Random shot:

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We brought Gav along for the rest of the trip. After Wanaka it was a 6 hour drive to Hokitika. The west coast is just beautiful. This is at the gates of Haast.

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L->R Cliff, me, Gav

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After that it was full speed to Hokitika..well, until we found this waterfall.
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Random beach on the way:

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We decided to stop in at the Fox Glacier, and wow, was that ever a good idea.

This thing has been moving up and down the valley for centuries. We went right up to the ropes, then debated whether we should go through them, as there was another group of tourists there. Well, they went first, so we followed.


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Pretty uneventful all the way to Hoki, we were just marvelling at the gorgeous west coast bush. It started raining, and was pissing down in Hoki when we arrived after dark. Shitty little town, not worth mentioning. Got a room from a woman whose moustache was bigger than mine, left as soon as we could the next morning and drove back to Christchurch.

6 days on the road, living it roughish...was awesome. This is truly a beautiful country.

looks like you had fun! great pics, as alwasy!

Hate you, your country is pretty.


Hate you... :mad:

:grinno:

^Oh yeah and So Cal is just horrible....


Nice pictures man

No snow sports in queenstown :shakehead:

Still, :thumbsup: Looks like a good roadtrip and awesome pics.

Bro, there's no snow anywhere. TC has nothing, it's closed. Remarkables had 90cm, everything else less than 50.

Plus I can't afford to ski or snowboard :crying:

Lord of the Rings kicked ASS!!!!!!!!!!! :p

Great photos dude. I really gotta make it down there some day.

very good flow to the story telling and amazing pix! very impressive.

j.

I wish I could find scenery like that around here...

Most excellent photos sir! Especially love the first "spooky" one and the final silent lake one :)

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that's the best one of the lot. nicely done. looks kind of like this one i took up north, only different colors.

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damn you and your beautiful country you lucky bastard. once i get a new camera i'll take some good ones around here, i swear it.

Wow, great story

Love the pic with the 'glacier warning' sign in it :lol:

yeah that sign was pretty funny

Hate you, your country is pretty.


:grinno:

Nah, I google-earthed his ass, and have come to the conclusion that america is still much better :icon16:

Nah, I google-earthed his ass, and have come to the conclusion that america is still much better :icon16:

You ain't been through South Dakota.

But then again are we talking cool scenery total or average?

nice pics tokie.

must do a south island trip sometime soon

You ain't been through South Dakota.

But then again are we talking cool scenery total or average?

I most certainly have been through south dakota. The front of the van was coated with dead grasshoppers when we emerged from the other side.