2010)

Posted on July 24, 2011 by nitzus

day 15 was the day that we didn’t do anything. that morning, together with diman, i sent companion #4 back to avis, it was a pleasure being intimate with her even it was only for a day. initially, the plan was to rent the car for 3 days, visiting mt. taranaki and spending the night at new plymouth, some 250 km southwest of hamilton but i had to cancel it as the itineraries were too jam packed and decided to occupy the last remaining days in new zealand only at hamilton. it also saved us a few dollars.

when i got back to carrington ave. with diman around 9:00 am, most of them were still deep in their sleep and i just resorted to watch some tv programmes with some channels in maori, updates on the current world cup results and watching music videos. i had my breakfast, couldn’t remember what i ate, except that it was delicious. although it was not a memorable day per se, but one thing that struck me was that i was introduced by diman to a pretty interesting music video by an australian band, the temper trap, which i continued to appreciate their music even to this day. here’s the video:

other than that, i slept again during noon and only woke when lunch was ready. i only went out of the house once more in the evening, with elias and alif, walking about 50m south to the nearest grocery store at masters ave., to buy some chocolate bars, dr. pepper and a gummy ball for alif and luckily got a plastic diecast doc hudson of pixar’s cars fame inside it. i also went to the backyard quite a lot, befriending the neighbour’s cat, smoking and getting impressed with kak maz’s self nurtured broccolis and strawberries. that night after dinner, most of us were quite sad as that night was our last night in new zealand. we cherished the night by sitting on the sofa and the floor, remisniscing about our short time when we were there. all of us went to bed early as we would be having a long and tiring day on the following day.
▼ somewhat blurry image of a new feline friend

▼ the backyard

next» soul searching road trip oznz – day 16 (21/06/2010)

soul searching road trip oznz – day 14 (19/06/2010)

Posted on July 14, 2011 by nitzus

at 8:45 am, i was already on the road with diman who was driving and our business for the day was to pick up companion #4 at avis hamilton branch, anglesea rd., near the city centre about 4 km from hillcrest. diman left me at the entrance and waited in his car, i walked into the compound, rental cars were everywhere and entered the small office where i gave my boking reference number, paid my due and received the key. i went outside and found my new friend, a new silver corolla altis. i got inside, had a feel of it and ignited the car engine. the car soundlessly left the compound swiftly and diman led the way and being unfamiliar with the dowbtown area, i just followed his car. soon we were back in the driveway at hillcrest and i had my breakfast. by the time zack, ija, alif and yomi were ready, we left hamilton at 9:30 am and moved through sh1 again going south east, the same route that we took days earlier. aina didn’t follow us and used the time to web surfing and watching tv as the car was crowded enough with 2 child seats at the back, ija cramped in between.

just slightly after the town of cambridge, we exited sh1 at piarere and entered sh29 towards the north. the weather was cloudy and cold, less than 7°c. our 1st destination of the day was to visit matamata, made famous by the lord of the rings movie location for hobbiton, the grassy slopy hills where the hobbits lived. however the actual location is a private farmland somewhere near matamata and you have to pay a lot to join the tour with a tour bus to visit the movie set. and the base of the tour is in the small rural town. i’d decided long before the trip that the only way we would be joining the tour depended on the weather. if the weather was clear with a blue sky and everything, only then we’d joined. drab weather does not a good picture make. that is my mantra. it was not worth spending nzd66 pax to take photos in hobbiton if it’s cloudy. unfortunately, the weather did not permit us to go on an expensive tour that particular morning. instead, i just parked the car near the visitor information centre, called i-site in new zealand, walked 50m to the i-site, and even the structure are designed like a hobbit’s dwelling. it was enough for us to take photos in front of the i-site. inside, zack bought some lotr keychains and fridge magnets. later we crossed the main road, the broadway, and right in the centre lies the welcome to hobbiton signage with the statue of gollum sitting next to it. they all took turns posing with gollum and i snapped as many photos as i could muster.
▼ the matamata i-site

▼ from another angle

▼ hobbiton tour bus
▼ more hobbiton inspired building

▼ gollum statue at the broadway

once they grew tired of walking around the town area, it was time to take our leave and we left the town at 11:00 am and used sh27 towards tirau. we reentered the highway (sh1) and our next destination was only planned the day before because zack and ija could not find any souvenir shops in hamilton and we needed something to bring home. there are none tourist flocked town in the vicinity other than rotorua! the journey was concentrated on reaching the town. pretty soon, my favourite smell of sulphur came flying back into my nostrils and i inhaled it with joy. after reaching the town, both kids were sleeping, therefore i had no other choice but to wait inside the car while zack and ija went to get some stuff at the souvenir shops at pukuatua st. it took them roughly half an hour before they came back with shopping bags in both of their hands. i started the car, retraced our trip and raced our way back to hamilton and completed the round trip by 2:00 pm. kak maz invited us to have lunch first before we continued our journey with the hosts leading the way.

back on the journey, diman led us towards the east, using sh23 through rough terrain, mountainous farmland, turning into smaller roads at te mata and cruising through kawhia rd. until we reached the carpark to waireinga/bridal veil falls, about 35 km from hamilton. ija and aina travelled with diman’s car and left just the four of us inside companion #4. alif vomited once inside the car just before we reached the carpark, we had to stop and clean his shirt and seat. yomi was fine, as usual.
▼ putting on the proper gear at bridal veil falls car park

▼ companion #4 rear

▼ getting friendly with the stream

the 10 minute walking track through dense native trees, full of ferns was full of wonder, it follows a small stream of pakoka river. the walking pattern reminded us of our trekking towards cathedral cove the week before. alif as usual insisted on walking with islah and elias, only yomi became tired and we had to alternately carrying her on our shoulders.
▼▼▼ the walking track

the track comes out of the dark tiered trees into an opening with the sound of crashing falls overwhelm the soundless atmosphere. it was a spectacular view indeed. we stood on the first platform and observed excitedly towards the 55m plunge waterfall. then we walked to the second wooden lookout and the views kept getting better. for diman, kak maz and their children, this was their second trip to the falls. later we followed them descending the 300 plus wooden steps to reach the base of the waterfall but halfway through, there’s another lookout point that gave a stunning view of the falls, surrounded by dark foliage as a frame. 10 minutes later we reached the last platform, perfect view of the large pool at the base of the falls with a bridge crossing to the other side of the river. we sit on the wooden seats and rest. everybody was tired but smiled and laughed and joked about the downhill climb and the marvelous waterfall. it was bliss.
▼ the opening near the falls

▼ looking back towards the track

▼ 1st lookout point

▼ all you need to know about the falls (i guess)

▼ the top of the falls before plunging 55m towards gravity from the 1st lookout

▼ the scenic bridal veil falls from the 2nd lookout point

▼ zack and yomi on the 2nd wooden platform

▼ a wide panoramic view

▼▼ alif and his cousins

▼ looking back towards the 300+ steps after reaching the falls base

▼▼ view from the 4th lookout point

▼▼▼▼ group photos

▼ from the wooden bridge crossing pakoka river

▼ enjoying the view

▼▼ long exposure of pakoka river by mounting the camera on the wooden handrail on the bride near the base of the falls

▼ islah, aina & ija

▼ tilting to the left

the descent was quite tiresome but ascending the steps was another behemoth to tackle. we climbed slowly, putting our foot slowly one by one, the kids were surely on our shoulders this time around. we stopped countless times along the steep steps. after a gruesome 15 minutes climb, we returned to the 2nd lookout on top of the falls. everyone was relieved with joy except ija, who was really closed to passing out, and had to sit and rest on the wooden floor of the lookout platform for quite some time.
▼ reaching the top

once everybody had regained their strength, we all strolled slowly through the track and our cars came into view 10 minutes later. the public toilet near the carpark was the third long drop toilet (a rudimentary toilet consisting of a small outhouse over a pit where all the wastes are dropped to the lowered ground and we can see if lights permitting, the artistic wastes of human) that we found after the one in cathedral cove and boundary creek near lake wanaka. this was the 2nd time that i had to use and it was quite exciting. it gave a certain but indescribable feeling that you became a wiser person after coming out of it.

we came out of the forest nearly 4:00pm and diman and kak maz suggested that we moved on towards the western shore some 20 km away. after driving passed the beachtown of raglan, we pressed on until we came to ngarunui beach, a famous spot for surfers and surrounded by paddocks with lots of cows in it. from the carpark, we walked a downhill track about 500m towards the black sandy beach and closer, we knew for sure why the surfers love it. waves upon waves consistently came crashing the shore. the light was leaving and through the darkening views, there were some cool dudes still surfing on the waves. and it was cold winter waves! we let the kids played on the vast sandy beach and everybody was having the time of their lives. it was almost completely dark when light rain started to hit us and we walked briskly up the slopes and got into our cars. i treaded diman’s route carefully and we ended the journey at 5:30 pm, already a night time in june.
▼ ngarunui beach sculpture greeting us

▼▼▼ on the hill above the beach

▼▼▼ the views of the surfing beach

▼ at the beach

▼ almost dark

that night, i had my first bath after that early morning in yha franz josef glacier 4 days earlier and it was refreshing. soon kak maz, zack, diman, ija and the kids left to do groceries and more shopping at the warehouse and i was accompanied by aina, aslam, islah and elias at home. we just watched tv and ate and stuff and when they got back from shopping, we finally rested after spending 380 km on the road with companion #4.
next» soul searching road trip oznz – day 15 (20/06/2010)

soul searching road trip oznz – day 13 (18/06/2010)

Posted on July 6, 2011 by nitzus

on the morning of day 13, my fatigue was gradually healing and by 10:00 am, i was feeling rejuvenated again and after having a heavy lunch, i immediately requested diman to send us to hamilton city. by 1:00 pm, we were walking in the downtown of the waikato region capital. we strolled along victoria st., supposedly the trendiest area in hamilton but had to admit that it was a sleepy town. we went to many shopping complexes and shops but we couldn’t even find any shop that sells souvenirs. we also had to come into terms that hamilton city is not a tourist destination. we bought some stuff at the warehouse, a hypermarket chain and also at k-mart, which i didn’t even bother to enter and volunteered to look after the kids instead. we met all kinds of people, some who even entered the hypermarket barefooted. diman already remarked beforehand that most of the townspeople are really proud of their farming root that they try to emulate their ancestors’ culture as best as they could, walking barefooted (even on asphalt) included. getting bored, at 2:45 pm i called diman to come and pick us up and we waited for him near the city council building and hamilton city libraries at garden place.
▼ hamilton city

▼ hamilton city council

▼ zack in ija’s crimson wig at garden place

20 minutes later diman came to the rescue and suggested to us that the best place to visit is the hamilton gardens. we all collectively agreed and he brought us there and we reached the carpark at 3:15 pm. diman and elias joined us as we visited each thematic garden. the paradise collection garden consists of chinese scholars garden, english flower garden, japanese garden of contemplation, american modernist garden, italian renaissance garden and indian char bagh garden. the place was really interesting especially if you visit in the spring and summer, however, even in winter it was quite stunning. we walked at our own pace. zack, aina and ija explored with the kids on their own path while diman, elias and i went to each garden separately.
▼ hamilton gardens

▼▼ chinese scholars garden

▼▼ west coast american style of the american modernist garden with an abstract island sculpture

▼ indian char bagh chalk couloured pavilion

▼ arched trellis work from the italian renaissance

▼▼▼ the italian renaissance garden

afterwards, i left them and found myself alone walking towards the te parapara garden, a maori cultural and heritage garden. unfortunately it was closed for renovation works. however, i proceeded to encircle the parameter wall with the wood-carving representations of ancestors (whakapapa) and paua shells for eyes in provoking appearance to cordone off evil spirits and also to scare off members of enemy tribes. they are called tekoteko. other than menacing looks and protruding tongue, they also have huge penises, and none seems to have an erectile dysfunction, save a two or three limped ones. it was a collection of phallic symbols at its finest. i stood there feeling like an eternity admiring those glorious penises carvings that my mind bursted into a python’s song instead!

isn’t it awfully nice to have a penis?
isn’t it frightfully good to have a dong?
it’s swell to have a stiffy.
it’s divine to own a dick,
from the tiniest little tadger
to the world’s biggest prick.
so, three cheers for your willy or john thomas.
hooray for your one-eyed trouser snake,
your piece of pork, your wife’s best friend,
your percy, or your cock.
you can wrap it up in ribbons.
you can slip it in your sock,
but don’t take it out in public,
or they will stick you in the dock,
and you won’t come back.

▼ gateway to te parapara garden

▼▼▼▼ the many faces of tekoteko

it was so out of character of me to explode into a musical set piece from a quiet contemplation of watching huge penises but that was what played in my mind at that time.
▼▼▼ more tekoteko

▼ waikato river

huge penises aside, the garden also lies next to waikato river, the same river that flows at huka falls. there are many other collection of gardens but since we went there quite late, the sky was getting dark and we had to return to the carpark, a bit frustrated but happy nonetheless.
▼ time to leave

we left the place soon after and after driving for 2 km towards the east, we reached carrington avenue. that night we just lazing around the house, had another delicious dinner, hanging out and did nothing else. at 10:00 pm, we settled into our room, turned off the lights, forced the kids to sleep and together, surrendered ourselves to mr. sandman.
next» soul searching road trip oznz – day 14 (19/06/2010)

soul searching road trip oznz – day 12 (17/06/2010)

Posted on July 4, 2011 by nitzus

3:30 am: woken up by zack and went to the toilet.
4:30 am: dropped the room key inside the pigeon hole and left dorset house. temp was near freezing.
4:45 am: stopped to refuel the car at memorial ave.
5:00 am: left zack, ija, alif and yomi at the christchurch international airport’s departure hall.
5:10 am: arrived at ace rental car branch, abros pl., off wairakei rd. about 2.5 km from the airport. the place was empty. parked companion #3, took a final look at its mileage, 1,755 km. quietly said thanks to the car and dropped the key. called the local taxi.
5:20 am: the taxi arrived and brought me and aina to the airport.
5:30 am: met the others and checked in our bags at air new zealand counter. was given priority as we got kids with us.
5:45 am: already in the boarding room. yomi was sleeping on zack’s lap but alif got excited looking at all the planes on the runway.
6:40 am: boarding flight nz504.
6:55 am: the plane took off.
7:20 am: the sun was rising and could see the snow covered southern alps.
7:35 am: crossed the cook straits and reached the north island.
7:45 am: could see the snow covered summit of mt. taranaki/egmont (2,518m) above the clouds.
7:55 am: the pilot announced that auckland was raining and needed to postpone landing.
8:10 am: the fog and clouds were clearing and ready for landing.
8:15 am: touched down.
8:45 am: at the arrival hall.
9:00 am: still waiting for diman, decided to walk to the international terminal just in case he was there. called kak maz and she said that diman was at the domestic terminal and he would come to fetch us.
9:30 am: safely back in the comfort and warmth of diman’s honda stream.

i’d never have thought that we would be visiting auckland city, even in my initial itineraries. however, once we got inside the car, diman offered to take us to mt. eden to have good panoramic views of the city. by that time, my mind just wandered off out of tiredness and diman also let the gps led the way. 20 minutes later, we entered mt. eden area and the road begins an uphill climb through a one way lane. the parking area was full of cars and tour buses and we walked on the rim of the grassy crater. once we reached the other side of the crater, auckland city came into full view and we just stood there marvelling at the largest city in new zealand, albeit a bit foggy. we could also see one tree hill from a distant, another elevated lookout in the city area. alif was so excited in seeing his uncle that he only held diman’s hand while walking. zack, ija and aina including yomi showcased different poses while having their pictures taken. it was quite hot and almost of us just wore our t-shirts. after some 40 minutes, we returned to the car and diman drove us southbound through sh1 back towards hamilton. we were there 8 days earlier but this time we could see the meadows, farmlands, lots of cattles and sheeps that we could not see then. about 2 hours later, we reached no. 3 carrington ave., hamilton. after carrying our bags inside the house and having a full lunch, i retreated into one of the rooms and dozed off.
▼▼▼▼▼▼ mt. eden cam-whoring session

▼▼▼ meditating session

▼ one tree hill

▼ auckland western suburbs, te atatu peninsula

▼▼ auckland city

▼ diman and alif

▼ explaining the formation of the crater

▼ the sacred mt. eden crater

▼ mt. eden

▼ the perspective of the size of the crater and the tour bus

▼▼ state highway 1 southbound towards hamilton

that afternoon while i was still sleeping, they went for a short walk at hillcrest park, about 500m from the house and let the kids played at the playground, they even visited the crowded hillcrest library. when i woke up several hours later, it was already dark and again, i had a full dinner prepared by kak maz. that night after dinner, i just spent time uploading pics to zack’s fb, socialising with the hosts, eating unlimited supplies of tiptop ice cream, smoking a lot with diman and watching local tv programmes. that night it was (8°c) not as cold as when we first slept in the room. i guessed the heated comforter helped considerably.
next» soul searching road trip oznz – day 13 (18/06/2010)

soul searching road trip oznz – day 11 (16/06/2010)

Posted on June 30, 2011 by nitzus

i woke up quite early that morning, the night before, i had already told them that come what may, the next morning i would go out hiking at franz josef glacier, which we missed the day before. they all agreed that none of them would follow my trip as they much needed the rest and would only be ready to depart as soon as i got back from the hike. as i left the hostel, it was still dark, the time was 7:30 am and alone, I drove slowly towards the glacier. it was a short distance, the carpark is not more than 4km from the town and my car was the only one there. by looking at the track signs, i decided to follow the path towards peters pool to have my first glimpse of the glacial terminus. it was an enlightening experience, walking alone, in the dense podocarp forest track, and at dawn, with the first hint of light shining through the leaves that took me almost 20 minutes to reach the pool. reaching the kettle lake, the views were magnificent, what with the semi frozen pool, supported by chirping morning birds and i stood there alone, near the pond’s edge, gazing at the terminal face of franz josef glacier and it felt like forever. i took out my cigarette, lighted it and inhale the smokes as slow as possible while absorbing the views and the soundless atmosphere, saved by the cries made by the local inhabitants. i tried to sit on a wooden bench after some time, but finding it too cold, i returned to my original position, standing up and looking at the serendipitously remarkable mountains, gradually lighted by the rising winter sun.
▼ first! peters pool

▼▼▼ sunrise at franz josef glacier

to follow the same path which will wind up next to the glacier would take me more than an hour to reach and my time was precious. therefore i left the place and walked towards the carpark and reentered the westland national park which comprises of other glaciers and reserved forests along the west coast through another track, the sentinel rock track, which promises to have a better and closer view of the terminus but requires a bit of steady climb. the sign was accurately true and it steadily ascends for 30 minutes before reaching the wooden viewing platform where i thoroughly sit on the wooden steps for 5 minutes, out of breath and almost passed out. but the view from the platform was rewarding enough that as soon as i stood looking towards the glacier, i was re energized by the whole panorama and i began to take pictures earnestly.
▼ dark mysterious trail or the open one?

▼ picking the dark trail, sentinel rock walk

▼ glacier face from sentinel rock walk

later, while descending the track, i met other travellers who came by to see what i just saw. reaching the carpark, i restarted the car engine and revved up back towards the hostel where the others were almost ready to depart for our journey. zack and the rests took turns in pulling the bags and the kids and zack went to yha hostel for one last time to check out. before we left franz josef town for good, we stopped at the town fuel station to fill up and zack also bought me an extra large power bar for breakfast. i ate my breakfast while driving northbound along sh6 with the morning mists set in.
▼ yha franz josef glacier

less than 15 km past franz josef, another road signage for a scenic stop came to welcome us and i duly parked the car on the left side of the road. i got out leaving them behind and what awaited there was another spectacular view of lake mapourika with a mirror view lake and a distant enveloping mist. i walked towards the jetty and more postcard like view was captured. i spent a brief moment marveling at the sight and later got back inside the car and moved on. the whole trip on the west coast was quite uneventful as we passed small towns and villages without taking a break, the fresh landscape was slowly corrupted by the gloomy clouds and i had to scrap my initial plan of detouring 50 km inland towards hokitika gorge because of the weather. after a long stretch skirting along the beach, we reached hokitika town without stopping as everybody was fast asleep and we still had to cross the southern alps again eastbound.
▼ calm lake mapourika

after crossing hokitika river and leaving the town, we left sh6 at kumara junction and entered sh73. the road winded through hills along taramakau river when i stopped for a smoke at otira, there the landscape becomes mountainous again and we started seeing snow again. the clouds cleared and became azure blue. by the time everybody was awake, i continued the journey climbing uphill and we entered arthurs pass national park. it was dry tussock land all over again, except this time, unlike the previous days, the snow was not in abundance. i careened the car carefully while traversing the mountains and i stopped once as the temptation was too much to handle and snapped a few photos. the road began to descend a bit until we met the picturesque lake pearson where i had to park and let the passengers roamed free and stretched their legs in the process. it was to be our last pretty lake on the whole trip. later, our views of the mountains was dotted by rocky boulders and we knew perfectly well that this place must be the location for those chasing of urukhais in lotr the two towers. If we had more time, i surely would have stopped and explored those rocks but a quick stop was enough at castle hill. the snow got thinner, we continued our drive and the road finally settled and we were back on the plains of canterbury.
▼ a quick cigarette break near otira

▼ arthur’s pass national park

▼▼▼ alif, yomi and companion #3 at lake pearson

▼ castle hill

the time was almost 2:15 am and i speeded up a bit and we passed the town of springfield, stopped in front of four square at darfield for lunch takeaways. darfield was the epicentre of the january 2011 earthquake, the precursor for the devastating february 2011 earthquake. an hour later, we rejoined sh1 that we left a few days earlier and the car slowly cruising back towards christchurch. entering the city during daytime was quite different and the scenery and buildings were amazing. i took the same route and finally arrived at dorset house around 3:30 pm. most of us went inside to use the toilets and picked up our room key for the night. we loved it so much when we were there that we decided to have another night there. dorset house is also currently closed until 2012 for repairs in the aftermath of the february 2011 earthquake. zack requested them to ring up a taxi service to take the six of us to the city centre. about 15 minutes later, an mpv arrived on the doorstep and took us on a 10 minutes ride along hagley park and dropped us at christchurch cathedral square for a price.
▼ our favourite backpackers hostel, dorset house

the square was largish, filled by ancient and new buildings alike but created a uniformity in tone and design. the most prominent christchurch cathedral stood vigorously with its anthemic tower and spire, surrounded both sides by the war memorial on the right (north) and the chalice sculpture on the left (south). sadly the tower collapsed 8 months later during the february 2011 earthquake and we were really grateful in being able to see it then. zack and ija went to a fish and chips stall in the square and bought some for the rest of us our late lunch. the kids were excited to see the trams entering and leaving the square. it was then zack realized that she forgot to return the keys to our room in franz josef and it was still in her rucksack. panic stricken, i comforted her and told her that it was ok as yha also got their own branch somewhere close to where we were at the moment. i dialed yha franz josef and told them that the keys were still with us and they said that we should passed the key to their christchurch branch as their manager was still there and planning to return to franz josef that same evening. they told me that the address is in manchester st., just a few blocks away and by studying the local map, zack went alone to return the keys. we waited on the bench near the cathedral, befriended by the local pigeons for 30 minutes before zack came back all smiling. i knew it went well. it was almost dark by then and they went to buy souvenirs in few remaining open shops near the square and soon we walked back towards dorset house, about 2 km north of the square. it took us 30 minutes.
▼▼ christchurch cathedral

▼ the tram

▼ the war memorial

▼ the chalice sculpture

▼ and finally leaving for good

that night, after taking a hot bath, i went to the kitchen area as zack was cooking dinner. it was spacious, comfortable, warm and we were greeted by the local tenant of dorset house, tipora who showed an interest in hanging out with us. he even sampled zack’s tomyam, omelets and rice and made his favourite hot choc with honey drink for us. i went outside, the temp was closed to freezing point, and phoned diman to reconfirm our eta for the next morning. trembling with cold, i finished my cigarette, got back inside and left zack, ija, aina and tipora and went with the kids to our room and turned off the bed lights. i drove 385 km that day.
next» soul searching road trip oznz – day 12 (17/06/2010)

soul searching road trip oznz – day 10 (15/06/2010)

Posted on May 28, 2011 by nitzus

▼ good morning!

that morning we left deco backpackers at 8:30 am and queenstown was a bit cloudy so i didn’t take any photos. the temp was 4°c. we left the town and its suburbs soon after and i kept looking for a fuel station to fill up the tank. i drove through sh6 again but since there was no fuel station in sight, i turned left towards the town of arrowtown, a historic gold mining town where we circumnavigated the town (famous for its well preserved architectural buildings) twice before giving up the fuel station quest and returned back (about 10 km each way) to frankton to refuel. yes the town was nice and everything but at the time i was preoccupied with finding the petrol and we still had a long way to go.

we restarted our journey for the day by entering the crown range road, the highest paved road in new zealand, off from the sh6 going northbound cutting through the cardrona mountains. the uphill road was really narrow and it zigzagged through a steep terrain until there was an opening for me to pull over. the views to the south were engaging to say the least as we had the opportunity to observe the remarkables from the eastern side. then the road climbed steadily until we were again in a snow territory and i had to be extra careful of the narrow and slippery road. there was no side road area for stopping and none of the few cars that we met along the way put on the snow chains so neither did i. when the road reaches the highest point, it gradually descends alongside the cardrona river with the road and the river sandwiched between the crown range on our left and the griffel range on our right and there we took a quick stop at cardrona valley with its famous historical hotel. after continuing downhill for about 40 minutes, we could see a large blue lake right in front of us to reveal that we had arrived at lake wanaka.
▼▼ deco backpackers

▼ zack with cardrona hotel and its old vintage chrysler

when we came to a t-junction that signified the end of the crown range road, i decided to detour our route to the left (westbound) which would bring us to glendhu bay, about 10 km west of wanaka town as during my online research, many travellers favoured the secluded bay that provided serene views of tititea/mt. aspiring and other scenic mountains compared to views from the more famous spot near the town. the small carpark near wanaka track, glendhu bay was totally empty and when i positioned the car and stopped the engine, everybody was asleep. i woke up zack and whispered to her that i wanted to hike up the track just to see what’s on the other side. zack said ok and i left walking slowly through the cold morning track for about 100m before it opened into a wide views of the lake, treble cones and lo and behold, the mighty peak of tititea/mt. aspiring, at 3,033m, the highest mountain in new zealand outside of mt. cook range. i was lucky that day as the giant was known to be quite shy to show its peak by hiding behind clouds.
▼ glendhu bay – wanaka track entrance

while walking back towards the car, i met zack who came alone halfway through the track. i put the dslr on a large boulder near the edge of the lake and we took a rare photo together, with lake wanaka and the treble cones as a backdrop. i also took a photo of zack that i am still proud to this day, not sure why except that i like the way she posed, a beauty surrounded by the beauty of nature, two things i love dearly.
▼ my favourite pic

while returning to the car, both of us could hear the screaming sounds coming from alif and yomi. both of them were crying since waking up a few minutes earlier and found none of us were there while ija and aina were not able to pacify them. during the drive back towards wanaka town, they stopped crying and became fascinated and impressed by the large black cattles grazing on the steep grassy slopes of roy’s peak, 1,581m above sea level. just a few hundred meters before the town, we turned left and entered a gravel road towards the famous roy’s bay, lake wanaka. all of us got out of the car where zack brought alif inside the public toilet for a much needed break (for alif) and ija, aina, yomi and i strolled quietly to the waterfront of lake wanaka with a stretch of pebbly beach, adorned with the scenic tall poplars fringing up the shore. from the southern shore, we could see the snow covered rob roy peak (2,606m), mt. avalanche (2,591m) and the buchanan peaks (1,882m). the weather was crispy clear, the time was 11:00 am and the temp was 5°c. i took some photos of the brilliant landscape all the while observing supposedly some locals jogging with their dogs along the beach.
▼ on the shore of lake wanaka

▼▼ spectacular scenery

20 minutes later, we were back inside our car and moved slowly past wanaka town, another resort town but smaller than and not as famous as its otago counterpart, queenstown. 2.5 km east of the town, still along sh6, i found the large compound for our next stop, the wanaka’s puzzling world. it was one of the few attractions that we were willing to pay some cash to get into. i didn’t go in but let the others enjoy their time and gave the dslr to zack. while they were inside, i just sit in the car, went out a few times for smoking intervals but too cold to stay far too long. about 30 minutes in, i heard a familiar cry from inside the wooden fence separating the car and the maze on the other side. it was yomi’s who got lost and decided to let everybody hear her distress signal. zack gave up taking photos and passed the camera over the fence to me and went to get yomi.
▼ stuart landsborough’s puzzling world

▼▼ illusions room

▼ another misplaced hobbit

when they came out 1 hour later, everybody was talking about what a joy the place was, from the exciting exhibitions, illusions rooms, oddities to the confusing maze. even alif (and maybe yomi) enjoyed it. soon we set out again, going towards the north via sh6. the highway runs along the neck of land between lake wanaka on the left (west) and lake hawea on the right (east). i stopped once for a photo opportunity to capture lake hawea and the surrounding mountains. alif complained again about needing to go to the loo and i started looking for another rest area where i could park the car. we found one, near boundary creek, 35 km north of wanaka town, on the shoreline of the northern end of lake wanaka. while zack tended alif, i brought yomi to the pebbly shore and put her on a boulder while snapping more photos of her with mt. albert, at 2,057m on the other shore across lake wanaka. she looked awkwardly strange because of the coldness i guess (it was 4°c) but i kept chuckling whenever i looked at her pic later on.
▼ lake hawea with corner peak at 1,661m

▼ yomi at lake wanaka and mt. albert

▼ at boundary creek

we continued our trip towards the north on sh6 by passing lake wanaka and the small town of makarora through mt. aspiring national park. the vegetation along the way became drastically more subtropical, native, wet and dense compared to the dry swaths of otago region. we were approaching the west coast region and we needed to cross the southern alps first to get there. while we were in the process, i found a sign showing the track direction to the blue pools of haast pass, a famous scenic azure blue pools that were fed by the melted glacier. i pressed the brake, parked the car and told zack that i wouldn’t be out for long. zack said ok as everybody except her were sleeping. i walked enthusiastically about 20m towards the track entrance and could see the sign more clearly which stated that a one way trip would take 45 minutes, to return back, i needed at least 2 hours and our tight schedule did not permit that. it was already 2:00 pm. feeling kind of sad, i returned quietly to the car, started the engine and moved away from the place. about 30 minutes later, we arrived at another scenic stop, this time it was thunder creek falls of haast river that traverses the southern alps between haast and haast pass. i went out alone again, walked about 100m through a winding track among the lush podocarp jungle. i could hear the sound of water crashing at the bottom of the falls were getting louder but realized soon that it was too far and still the falls was nowhere in sight. again i gave up and walked back to the carpark and resumed my driving.
▼ haast river

▼ thunder creek falls info

driving through haast pass, as it is known, was quite an enjoyable and enthralling experience. it was quite wet, cold and the mountain top was less snowy than the previous mountains we had left behind. we slowly left the mountains and the road started to go downhill along haast river. everybody was quiet and their faces showed a hint of sadness of what they missed on those previous days. we exited the highway and entered haast township for lunch takeaways. the town was small and almost non-existant but we found a decent fish and chip shop where zack and ija went inside to order our lunch. after filling our hungry stomachs, we moved out of the town and re-entered sh6 and crossed haast river near the coast using a one lane road bridge, the longest in new zealand at 737m. i snapped a few pics on the banks of the river, under the bridge after crossing it. then we cruised along the banks of the west coast along the tasman sea where i stopped again for less than 5 minutes to snap more pictures of the blue sea at knights point with its rugged coastline, typical of the west coast region. from then on i didn’t stop at all until we reached fox glacier and our car turned into the narrow road towards the glacier.
▼ getting lunch at haast township

▼ haast bridge over haast river with mark range at background

▼ native trees along the west coast

▼ the tasman sea and arnott point from knights point

the small turnoff lane runs about 2.5 km from sh6 geared towards the glacier, while dimly lit alongside fox river under the tiered canopy of trees. when we arrived at the gravelled carpark, there were few cars from other travellers parked as well. from there we could see the glacier, our first, and had to walk by crisscrossing the river through rocky and moraine paths towards the glacier terminus for 1 km. it looked very close, but after walking for about 30 minutes, the glacier only seemed slightly bigger and much further away. we also greeted other returning travellers whom we met along the way. the two kids were of course on our shoulders again and out of breath, with fox glacier coming into full view, we stopped, (after 50 minutes of tramping on the rocky path), took countless photos and retreated back to our car. reaching our car, the sun was almost set and i drove slowly towards the main highway, going northwards again for 45 km until we entered the town of franz josef glacier where our lodging for the night awaited us. our host for the night, yha hostel was easily found and i let zack did all the registration and even requested for a room upgrade while the rests were still waiting inside the heated car. she got back later with a small map containing direction to the nearest mart. the mart, another four square supermarket, is only next to the highway and zack, ija and aina shopped all the necessary stuff for our dinner.
▼ fox glacier carpark

▼ tramping through the moraine path

▼▼▼ fox glacier terminus

▼ completing the track

▼ almost dark at the carpark

i drove them back to yha, checked in, and let the three of them cooked at the hostel kitchen while i looked after alif and yomi. soon they brought some cooked rice, broccoli tomyam, mushroom & cheese omelette and tuna for our dinner. we ate, the ladies cleaned the dishes, we alternately took baths at the shared toilet and thereafter i went outside for a couple of smokes. the temperature was freezing near 2°c, my nose running with fluids of all kinds, i shakily got back inside the room and after travelling for more than 380 km that day, i finally dozed off.

▲ good night
next» soul searching road trip oznz – day 11 (16/06/2010)

soul searching road trip oznz – day 9 (14/06/2010)

Posted on May 8, 2011 by nitzus

i woke up quite late on the morning of day 9, partly due to tiredness and to the fact that our next destination was only 200 km south. when i opened my eyes, zack was already gone to four square to get our breakfast. ija, aina and the kids were still sleeping so i tiptoed through the bedroom to the toilet for a hot shower.

zack got back with some donuts, pastries and chips. i had a proper breakfast that morning and since it was so comfortable, i decided to checkout as late as possible. after brekky, i walked out to take our laundry and realized that it was mightily quiet inside the block and it was no wonder that zack, ija and aina got creeped out the night before. i took out the dried clothes and brought back to our place for zack to pack. we woke up the kids, ija and aina, forced them to eat at least something and brought the kids outdoor to let them play on the frozen ground. there were still patches of thin snow on the grass that fell on the day before. the temperature was 2°c. the backpackers area was quite large with designated place for caravans and ben ohau range could also be seen from a distance.
▼▼ ben ohau range from high country lodge and backpackers, twizel

▼ our rooms

▼▼ warming up

we left the place at 11:00 am and i drove leisurely next to the scenic ruataniwha lake, and later we passed the town of omarama, all through sweeping views of the southern alps. afterwards, the road (sh8) began to gradually climb uphill and when every corner was covered with gravel and sand (to abate ice and make the road less slippery), i knew we were back in high country. that high country is the lindiss pass.
▼ lindiss pass

when we reached lindiss pass, the snow there was the thickest yet. i had to drive really slow and careful and started looking for a place to pull over. we found the place later, a scenic stop with a stacking slabs sign welcoming us to waitaki district.
▼ getting out

▼ waitaki district sign

this time, they had enough snow to make a mini snowman, snow fighting and in alif’s case, eating more snow. alif and yomi kept insisting on putting snow inside an empty bottle (maybe to drink later) and we let them, again. the views were spectacular with white powdery ground contrasted to the deep blue sky. i stopped for half an hour until they were shivering with cold and we got back inside the car and moved away, going downhill through the otago region. both the kids wailed with frustrations when their snow melted.
▼ spot the kangaroo

▼ sitting close together for body heat

▼ the look on yomi’s face

▼ building a snowman or making an extra large ais kacang

▼ snowfight

▼ making snow angel

later, the road runs parallel to another scenic lake, lake dunstan with pisa range at the back and a rainbow next to it. we left sh8, joined sh6 and we skirted through the town of cromwell while chasing the rainbow and it ended near a citrus grove just behind jones’s fruit stall where i parked again and let the others went inside to buy kiwis, grapes, pears and more tiptop ice creams. it was 1:30 pm.
▼ lake dunstan with pisa range

▼ rainbow near cromwell, otago region

▼ parking at jones’s fruit stall

approximately 30 km before reaching our destination, the road winded through a gorge where mountains surrounded us on each side, pisa range on our right (north) and carrick range on our left (south). the river, next to us, bright green in colour, is kawarau river, and kawarau gorge, with its historical value of being a gold mining site of old was our next stop along the road. however, we only stopped for less than 10 minutes, just strolling through midway of the bridge and we returned back to our car. the place was also the origin of bungee jumping due to its deep gorge and it was sadly not on our itineraries.
▼▼ at kawarau gorge

we left the place soon after and the road settled into flat lands, the ideal place for more vineyards near lower shotover and frankton. next to the town of frankton, the suburbs of queenstown and its famous and mighty lake wakatipu came into view. our hearts leaped into joy of the beauty the town presented to us and i steered the car slowly through mid heavy traffic and found our accommodation for the night at man street. it was 2:30 pm and still a lot of time before the sun set and deco backpackers was right at the end of the street. the road was full of parked cars and i had to wait inside the car while zack went inside to check in. she got back and told me that we could park the car inside the driveway to a house next to it which was also theirs and where our rooms were, but the guy needed to see us first for identification purpose. i felt a bit frustrated of the way he treated us. it was also the only accommodation that i booked without the help of lonely planet’s new zealand travel guidebook. he told us that he wasn’t informed that we would be bringing kids and when i showed him my email that he printed mentioning about the kids, he cooled off and became very friendly and talkative instead and led us to our rooms through the back garden with a view of lake wakatipu.

we brought our bags inside the rooms, one room for me, zack and the kids, another room for aina and ija. there was another occupied third room and all of us would be sharing the same shower and toilet. after taking a breather, i suggested that we just walked to the town centre but not before we tried the panoramic views from the hilltop using the skyline gondola.

walking towards the skyline gondola was quite challenging as it was at the base of the rocky hill, the kids grew tired and we had to take them on our shoulders while walking an uphill road. it was about 300m from deco backpackers. zack queued and bought tickets and i got inside one of them with alif and aina while zack got inside another one with ija and yomi. the gondola rattled slowly up the steep climb and alif and aina got scared a bit but 10 minutes later we reached the top, ben lomond. we waited for zack’s gondola to arrive and walked together to the viewing deck.
▼ on the way to the top

▼ queenstown suburbs and the remarkables

▼ waiting for zack’s gondola

the deck was cold and very windy but provided an excellent landscape of the coronet peak, queenstown, the remarkables, lake wakatipu, cecil peak and walter peak. it was so windy that i had to hold to the metal railings for dear life. we also met a malay family who came from singapore and also self drive through new zealand. it was already late afternoon and we decided 30 minutes later to climb down the gondola and walked to the town itself.
▼▼ from the viewing deck

▼ going down

▼▼ inside the gondola

▼ skyline gondola from brecon st.

walking to the town took us only about 15 minutes and we stopped walking only when we reached the shoreline of lake wakatipu. there were small waves with the resident ducks minding their own business and we just sat on the benches absorbing the views. later we went to the town centre and found ourselves surrounded by souvenir shops, lots of them with signs in japanese and other languages. zack got inside one of them and bought keychains, shirts, magnets, postcards, paua necklace and a sheep plush toy for yomi. next to the shophouses along queestown mall we found a wool shop where zack entered with aina and ija and bought some wools for kak yah, aina’s mother.
▼ zack phooning near lake wakatipu, witnessed by cecil peak (left) and walter peak (right)

▼ alif and yomi near jetty, queenstown bay

▼▼ sunshine bay walk

▼ kiwi wool shop, beach st.

it was almost dark when we found a mcdonald’s outlet inside a shopping mall in beach st. and we let the kids ate fillet o’ fish and some fries. i ordered lamb kebabs from a nearby turkish restaurant and everybody liked it so much that zack went back to the eatery to take away some more kebabs. these were the conversations that took place between zack and the hijab covered kebab lady (with middle east complexion and accent):
► kebab lady: where are you from?
► zack: we’re from malaysia.
► kebab lady: where do you stay?
► zack: at deco backpackers.
► kebab lady: where do you stay?
► zack: what do you mean? here in queenstown or in malaysia?
► kebab lady: i don’t know.

we got back to our rooms when the sun set and everybody ate their fair share of the delicious kebabs and fruits we bought earlier that day. while showering, i could see some boat lights on lake wakatipu from the glass window. the wifi was hopeless but it didn’t mean that i couldn’t sleep that cold night.
next» soul searching road trip oznz – day 10 (15/06/2010)

soul searching road trip oznz – day 8 (13/06/2010)

Posted on April 26, 2011 by nitzus

we left dorset house at 8:30 am after the reception was open. i returned the room key and paid the room charge for the night and also in advance for another day when we got back in 4 days time. the receptionist was really helpful in advising me when i asked her about the mode of transport from the car rental depot to the airport.

the weather was cloudy with hints of rain and as i drove slowly (50 km/h speed limit) through memorial ave. towards sh1, it began to rain. our car entered sh1 moving towards the south with quite a heavy traffic. we ate what was left of our food while driving although alif threw a tantrum once when we moved passed a burger king and didn’t stop. i drove passed the town of rolleston, crossed rakaia river, the town of ashburton and the rain was getting heavier. just before we crossed the rangitata river, a semi-trailer truck coming from the south came towards our car with snow on the front radiator grill and bar with bits of hardened snow came splashing on our windshield. everybody was mega happy and presumed that it might be snowing up on the southern alps. we were proved wrong as merely seconds later, the heavy rain gradually turned into snow with blizzard like intensity and we were still in the lowlands of canterbury! everybody gasped with surprise and i decelerated slowly and started looking for an opening to pull over. the snow was already quite thick on the ground and i turned right, leaving sh1 into sh79 towards the highland region. i pulled over next to the empty road and everybody except yomi (who was sleeping) and i rushed out of the car to feel and touch their first snow. zack gave me a chuckle when she brought alif out without putting his shoes on and he looked miserable but still enjoying his chips. they were thrilled by the snow-show from the sky and after roughly 5 minutes, they got inside and i resumed my driving.
▼ snowing near ashburton!

▼ alif with his bag of doritos

at geraldine, while filling up the fuel tank, the snowing stopped and the clouds started to give way to a blue sky. the temperature was hovering just above freezing point and when we reached fairlie, enroute sh8, we entered the gateway to mackenzie basin with the grand view of the picturesque new zealand’s southern alps came floating towards us and overwhelmed all our sensory points, and it didn’t stop for the following 4 days.
▼ the clouds are leaving at geraldine

▼ fairlie with albury range

▼ dobson peak, 2,091m on two thumb range

when we ascended the sh8 towards the elevated mountains and cutting through burkes pass between albury (south) and two thumb (north) ranges, we were finally on ourselves on a snowy mountains unlike the previous days where we just looked from afar. i duly stopped at a picnic area and let them played there and i could see the wonders and joys from their faces. they held the snow, threw it, blew it, jumped on it, stomped it, fought with it and in alif’s case, ate it. me? i just held my dslr, pointed at them and the vast panorama that were surrounding them, and released the shutter, countless times.
▼▼ alif and yomi at burkes pass

◄ first snow play ►

◄ blowing and throwing ►

after letting them ran wild on the snow covered field for half an hour, we left burkes pass and descended a bit towards lake tekapo, another awe inspiring vista with its blue lake and white mountains. at 11:30 am, i parked near the church of the good shepherd and we walked slowly on the frozen tarmac towards the famous church and the lake beyond. alif insisted on the brink of crying in bringing a 1.5l bottle water (which was quite heavy) from the car so that he could empty the water into the lake. zack and i found it totally absurd but funny nonetheless of his motive since all our hands were numb from the cold but visualizing the then 3 year old holding a plastic bottle, so we let him. when we strolled past the church, we were presented with a landscape that i could only dream of before.
these were the #1 reason we came here…..the views
▼ lake tekapo with mt. edward, 1,916m

▼ alif emptying the bottle

▼▼ zack at lake tekapo, and with yomi

▼ at church of good shepherd

alif happily poured the water onto the lake’s surface, zack, aina, ija and yomi just sit on the slabs near the shore watching the extraordinary landscape. after sitting and squatting like an eternity, we decided to leave the place and proceeded to our next stop, tekapo town where they went inside a fish & chips shop to take away our lunch. i was left with alif to wander around the small town and managed to capture a fantastic view of the church, the lake and the mountains beyond about 700m away from the back of the shop lot.
▼ alif at tekapo town, last picture of bright’s snowcap before it went missing

▼ wide vista of the lake, the church and two thumb range from tekapo town

we got back inside the car, continued driving slowly while chewing every tiny bit of the scenery through the windy sh8 along snow covered fields, gentle grassy slopes and scattered pine forests until we reached lake pukaki, another one of those godsend spectacular lakescape. the southern shore has a large parking lot with public toilet and information centre at the western end and we parked in the middle facing the lake. as usual it was completely empty and we had our lunch inside the car. when we got out, the chilly winds blew in our faces and aoraki mt. cook, at 3,764m, the tallest mountain in new zealand, was staring directly at us, 60 km away from the north.
▼ having lunch at lake pukaki

▼ aoraki mt. cook from the southern end of lake pukaki

i was stunned by the beauty of it and left speechless by the tranquility of it. after a short visit to the toilet, all i had to do was to follow the only road available to the base of the enormous and famous mountain, sh80, mount cook road.

since day 1 of travel, cruising along sh80 was the most memorable of all, the landscape was truly beautiful, not a degree of the 360° (of any direction) was bad in any way. in front of you to the north, the mighty aoraki mt. cook and its siblings, to your right to the east, lake pukaki and the mountains beyond, on your left (west) lies the serene ben ohau range surrounded by pine forests. on your back (south) is the empty but very cool sh80 that winded its way between the mountain edge and the lake. i stopped numerous times along the way to preserve some memento inside the dslr’s cf flash card.
▼▼ scenic lake pukaki

halfway along the road, we left lake pukaki but the road follows tasman river instead, the river that fed lake pukaki from the melted glacier off mt. cook range. after leaving glentanner village, we were in aoraki mt. cook national park. the view from the road path was magnificent with aoraki mt. cook looked closer and bigger. we also crossed glacial moraine paths and streams from the ben ohau range using single lane bridges many times. the range had already blocked the sunlight from reaching the slopes but burnett mountains on our right (east) were still bright. it was almost 3:10 pm when i exited the road to follow a small path that lead to aoraki mt cook airport. when i parked the car, it was completely empty except us. we crossed the tarmac and walked towards the runway. zack was quite adamant that the climate was tolerable but halfway through, while trembling with cold, she returned to the car to take her jacket and yomi’s. it was 0°c. there were patches of frozen ice and snow on the tarmac. the view of the burnett mountains, with the prominent mt. blackburn, at 2,416m, stood like inches away from us. this was middle earth. it was the location used several times in peter jackson’s lord of the rings trilogy and the location for helm’s deep, the fortress that was defended in the two towers.
▼ walking towards airport runway in freezing condition, and without winter jackets

▼ alif near runway with mt. blackburn, 2,416m

▼ group memento

▼ frozen ground

▼ aoraki mount cook national park

we left the airport soon after that and re entered sh80 towards aoraki. 10 minutes later, the car veered gradually to the left and we entered hooker valley, at the base of mt. cook, fully covered by snow that fell during the morning. i didn’t put the snow chains but drove very slowly to avoid skidding and parked the car at the hermitage, mt. cook village. the village lies between the northern end of ben ohau range and the southern end of mt. cook range with hooker river running through it. they went out and started playing with snow again, the snow was thicker than the one we found at burkes pass that morning. the imposing peak of aoraki mt. cook was majestic but surrounded by clouds. i left them and walked towards the sir edmund hillary alpine centre that lies adjacent to the hermitage but decided against it as the snow was too thick and slippery to walk, it was almost dark as well and i walked back towards the others and took some more photos of them having fun.
▼ more snow at mount cook village

▼ yomi playing snow with bare hands

▼ facing west towards mt. ollivier (1,917m) on ben ohau range

▼ this young hobbit seems lost again

▼ she’s really enjoying it

the freezing temperature didn’t let us stayed outside for long and we decided it was time to go. it was almost 4:15 pm. while driving back, the view of the hooker valley was too much of a temptation and i stopped again next to the road for our final snow of the day. each one of them got out of the car and posed in front of the valley with the imposing mt. wakefield (2,050m) at the back. i believe it was a natural environment at its finest. the lighting from the setting sun was truly amazing and it remained one of my outstanding pictures that came out of the trip.
▼ alif at hooker valley

▼ with mt. wakefield (2,050m)

▼ au revoir!

we said our goodbyes and left the place, damn tired but really fulfilled. i drove the return trip for 1½ hour before we rejoined sh8 and reached the town of twizel where the rest of them went to four square, a supermarket chain. i just stood alone in the almost dark car park, shivering and heating my lungs by puffing the much needed smokes. they got back in half an hour later, bringing a bag of frozen seafood, caulis, broccolis, frozen fish fillets, a tom yam paste, eggs, onions, salt, cooking oil, rice and a 6 dollars hotwheels’ diecast car for alif. i resumed driving and found high country lodge and backpackers just 200m from the supermarket’s car park. while standing at the door, i rang the bell for the reception and the guy who answered said he’d come around in 10 minutes. i waited and when he finally arrived in a pickup truck, he let me in and in a talkative manner, talked to me about the heavy snowstorm that the town received the night before and that morning. no wonder the snow was everywhere. he also advised me to upgrade the room into a bigger family room with an extra 20 dollars to which i agreed. i guessed we truly need the space after what we went through for the past 7 days. he also showed me the wifi area and informed me that we were the only customers that night, as a bonus we could also park our car right in front of our door. i said cheers and proceeded to drive slowly on the frozen grass to our room.

it was more like an apartment, a living room with two bedrooms, 2 single beds in one room, 2 queen beds in another room. it also had a dining table, a kitchen and a sofa bed. zack, ija and aina started preparing our dinner by cooking rice with hot and steamy tom yam, throwing everything in it and it came out delicious and i ate a lot. later, zack and ija went to the coin operated laundry room to wash some of our clothes and came running back scared shitless because of the silence, dark and cold place. the room was in a different block where they had to detour our block first and the corridor inside the block leading to the room was completely dark before they could find the light switch. the temperature that night at twizel was 1°c. ija and aina decided to sleep on the sofa bed in the living room while watching the tv, zack, the kids and i on the other hand slept on one of the queen beds. overall, i drove 400 km during that particularly interesting day.
next» soul searching road trip oznz – day 9 (14/06/2010)

soul searching road trip oznz – day 7 (12/06/2010)

Posted on April 17, 2011 by nitzus

i woke up at 5:45 am, together with zack, woke up the rests and by 6:45 am, we checked out and later, pulling our bags, walked across the intersection into bluebridge ferry terminal. why did i choose bluebridge over interislander ferries when most visitors and tour packages prefer interislander? well, the main reasons were that the terminal is only a short walking distance (50m) from wellington downtown backpackers. the ticket prices are generally cheaper and bluebridge is also the pride of new zealanders while interislander is owned by foreigners (or so i’ve heard).

it was still dark when we entered the terminal building but check in time was at 7:00 am and we planned on taking the easy approach without rushing. the departure and arrival would be from 8:00 am to 11:18 am at picton. we checked in our bags and sat on the benches waiting along with other passengers. by 8:15 am, an announcement was made that monte stella’s departure would be postponed until 9:30 am as there was some mechanical problem with the engine. zack, ija and aina were giggling at the handsome bluebridge counter staff who got confused with his grammar while writing the delay notice on the white board. we were still fine with it and went outside for some photos. it was a windy and cold morning. i befriended a large fellow smoker of indian muslim origin from fiji who told me that bluebridge is known to change their schedules regularly. he was on his way to visit his sister at blenheim on the south island and went on a rant about the lack of halal meat especially in blenheim and generally in the south. the day before, he got stuck almost a day on the overlander train journey from auckland (where he lives) to wellington when the locomotive broke down and needed a replacement. he also advised me not to accelerate more than 106 km/h while driving on the state highway.
▼ dusk at wellington harbour with monte stella

▼ bluebridge’s santa regina

▼ wellington downtown backpackers in light green, taken from bluebridge terminal

▼ the beehive at centre

at 10:00 am, the handsome employee announced that a feeder bus would be coming to fetch us to interislander ferry instead. we were delighted at the news before he received a phone call and told us that our very own ailing monte stella was actually getting better and finally decided to chauffeur us across the strait. 20 minutes later the door behind the terminal was opened and we walked 100m along the harbour to the docking bay where monte stella’s stern was opening up to swallow us. we stepped on the apron ramp into the vehicle deck, climbed up two flight of narrow stairs and entered the passenger deck.

the seats were comfortable with enough leg room with a large screen showing the imaginarium of doctor parnassus. later we realized that there’s a door behind us that led to the outer viewing deck! everybody scrambled through the door to a spectacular view of wellington city. all of us sat on the wooden benches and at 10:30 am, monte stella began moving away from the harbour gently with intermittent loud grunts. it was windy and cold, but it was also sunny and the view was marvelously lighted into every detail. it was a slow ride but we loved every minute of it. we were leaving wellington bay and entering the cook strait. we also explored any deck that could be accessed by passengers, the side open deck and the stern deck. on the hilly end of the north island, we could also see the swirling blades of a wind farm, and when we left the rock formations of breaker bay, we left the harbour for good and into the deep blue cook strait.
▼▼ leaving wellington city

▼ nice weather

▼▼ leaving the harbour

▼▼ alif on the side deck

▼▼ zack and yomi

▼ leaving north island

we spent most of our 3 hours 100 km trip on the ferry sitting on different benches on the open deck and regularly glancing towards the south hoping to glimpse the coastline of the south island. the cold winter wind was blowing hard against me but hardly undeterred as i began to see an outline of snow capped mountains miles away and i ran towards the others inside the cabin deck to tell them. they came outside and gleefully watching the mountains getting nearer. later we approached the south island through marlborough sounds, covering extensive networks of sounds, islands and peninsulas. the sea was dark green and it was a sight to behold. the ferry captain gave an announcement that the ferry was approaching picton and dark clouds began to engulf the sounds with a light rain and all of us returned to our seats inside the passenger deck. 30 minutes later, the ship successfully docked at 1:30 pm and we began descending the stairs carefully towards the vehicle deck and out through the stern of monte stella onto picton harbour.
▼ snowcapped mountains!

▼ entering marlborough sounds

▼▼ watching the views with both kids sleeping

▼▼ arapawa island

during that time, the clouds were again clearing and a feeder bus was idly waiting to send us to picton bluebridge terminal about 1 km away. when the bus dropped all the passengers at the terminal, we rummaged through all the checked baggages and found ours. i called ace rentals to inform that we had arrived at the terminal and the staff said that she would be coming to fetch us in 30 minutes. we waited at the terminal with alif and yomi playing at a wet playground next to the building. then i called dorset house to inform them that we would be arriving late since the ferry got delayed. i also tried to walk towards our rental car office lot but decided to return after 300m of walking because it was too far away, about 1.5 km from us. the rental company is located next to interislander terminal, near picton town while bluebridge terminal is further north near the railway terminus.

20 minutes later, a roughly 5 year old white toyota estima (my guess) arrived and the driver, susan from ace rentals came out, she introduced herself and apologized for being late. we got in the car and she drove back to the office and i went inside the office with her to fill up some forms. i decided to take the more expensive insurance that included windshield protection as our trip would be longer than the previous trips. i also had to rent snow chains as required by the law to drive in mountainous roads during winter. she was very friendly and gave me an on hand instruction on how to apply snow chains by squatting next to the car. we shook hands, i got in the car while susan locked the office door and began walking towards the town. inside the car, getting the feel of a new (old) car was one thing, but missing the hand break lever was another thing! as i could not locate the lever, i got out of the car and hollered at susan who was 40m away to come back and helped us. when i told her that i could not find the hand break, she laughed and said that the same thing happened to many drivers before and pointed to a pedal further left to the accelerator pedal. so it was not a hand break anymore! we thanked her and left the parking area, moved slowly passed picton town and drove through sh1 again southbound. it was 2:15 pm.

the delay of the ferry led me to speed things up a little bit, a quick stop for a toilet break on the outskirt of picton near the airport. another long stop at the town of blenheim’s new world for food supplies and mcdonald’s take away. and we drove along dry horticultural farmland with vast vineyard areas and when i drove passed seddon, the snow capped mountains we saw earlier on the ferry came into view. it is the kaikoura mountain ranges and our second snowy mountains after mt. ruapehu. our spirit lifted and the highway descended to the shoreline of the eastern side of the island facing the south pacific. the sh1 runs alongside the tranzcoastal railway line from picton to christchurch and the mountain and sea views were amazing. we stopped near the ohau point lookout and saw a colony of seals on the rock formation below us. later i stopped for a short cigarette break and it was almost dark but the quiet moment, with cattles grazing near the highway gave me a feeling that could not be described with words.
▼ quick stop near picton airport

▼ with companion #3

▼ alif without shoes!

▼ blenheim’s new world

▼ near seddon for an early glimpse of the mountains

▼ kaikoura mountains

▼▼ pulling over near ohau point lookout

▼ state highway 1 alongside tranzcoastal rail track

▼ watching the seals

▼ the seals

▼ zooming

we entered kaikoura in semi darkness and did not stop as our journey was far from over. later, all the passengers were dozing off and i was left alone to navigate the road. it felt a lot like night driving to my hometown in kelantan except that time it was really cold. alif shared the same feeling when he asked me repeatedly whether we were on our way home to kelantan and demanded the where about of his grandparents’ house. we took a toilet break at chevron but the freezing wind did not let us stay long before we continued towards christchurch.

when we entered the outskirts of christchurch, i mistook a signpost and turned into harewood st. where i stopped to look at a map, but then ija realized that next to our car was a cemetery and everybody got scared and urged me to leave the place. i had to u-turn and rejoined sh1 and finally found the road that would led directly to the city centre, memorial ave. after 345 km of driving, we arrived on the doorstep of dorset house at 8:00 pm and parked our car at the parking compound at the back of the two storey house. the reception area was already vacant but they left our door key inside an envelope pasted on the main door. our room was on the 2nd floor, with a queen size bed and two singles but no bathroom, so we had to share with the others. i took a bath, zack and ija went to the kitchen area to prepare dinner and later brought our bread with tuna sandwiches back to the room. it was delicious.
next» soul searching road trip oznz – day 8 (13/06/2010)

soul searching road trip oznz – day 6 (11/06/2010)

Posted on April 10, 2011 by nitzus

we started the day by going to the fuel station next to tiki lodge to fill up the tank. we left taupo at 8:30 am and the road took us along the windy shore of lake taupo. the weather didn’t look good, it was bleak with dark clouds hovering all around us. i stopped once at frethey drive scenic stop for photo opportunities just before we left the lake for good towards the south.
▼ tuwharetoa st., taupo from tiki lodge

▼ gloomy lake taupo from frethey dr.

when i drove through the town of turangi, it rained heavily and i had to use a cloth to wipe the windshield fog before zack discovered the heater button for the windshield. once activated, i was more comfortable driving but the climate was getting colder. about 10 minutes later, we entered tongariro national park through sh1, where the road ascends to the north island volcanic plateau and passing through rangipo desert, commonly known as the desert road because of its harsh, alpine climate, poor soil quality with minimal vegetation. heavy snowfalls are also a common occurrence. luckily it did not happen that day. but unluckily, the clouds were so thick that mt. ngauruhoe totally evaded and shied away from us. i kept turning my head to the right in hoping to glimpse the scenic mountain (which had taken the role of the fiery mount doom in the lord of the rings trilogy), but had to admit defeat after we were well beyond the mountain by the appearance of another famous mountain.

the sighting of the foot of the other mountain (the top was still shrouded by clouds) brought our hearts racing as we were seeing mt. ruapehu, an active volcano and also the highest mountain in north island. interestingly enough, we also started seeing white patches of snow on the ground! everybody was gushing with excitement at seeing the snow and opened our car windows to feel how cold it might be. it was indeed freezing and we literally ooh’ed and aah’ed at the views while the cloud slowly shifted around the mountain.

we pulled into a scenic stop with an open view of the mountain and all of us clambered out of the car to a wooden fence near the edge of a drop. aina and ija went cheerfully about 50m from the car to cup and hold a day or two old frozen snow. although the clouds never left the peak, at least it began to thin slightly and i could see some semblance of a peak. we took turn posing for photos with or without our winter jackets (just to show how tough we were) and the kids didn’t seem to mind the frozen temperature. the only downside to the view was the crossing of overhead transmission lines that were clearly visible in the foreground in contrast to the exceptional backdrop.
▼ mt. ruapehu

▼ freezing!

▼ testing body limit against the cold

▼ having his biscuits

▼ yomi getting sheepish

with freezing temperature and wind chill blowing against us, we got inside our heated car and drove another 10 km before reaching the military town of waiouru. we parked at the army museum and visited the military heritage such as tanks and canons that were exhibited on the compound. 15 minutes later we looked at mt. ruapehu for one last time, then it was time to move further south.
▼ aina and alif at the army museum

▼ with a tank

▼ yomi with gossip cat

▼ waiouru town with mt. ruapehu

half an hour later, at 11:30 am we arrived at taihape, a small town of 2,000 urban population and parked along the main street (still sh1) in front of new world, a local supermarket chain. zack and ija went inside and bought donuts, huggies for the the kids (they were still wearing those at the time) and 5 dollars 2 degrees sim card with 20 dollars worth of talktime. we left the place and parked at mcdonald’s further down the road and had our lunch of the usual stuffs. i setup the phone, dialed bargain rentals car 2000 and informed them that i would be returning the car by 4:00 pm that afternoon. we still got 230 km to get to our final destination of the day. and hopefully before night time.

the rest of the long trip was spent on entering and leaving small towns along sh1 and marveling at the countryside. i drove passed hunterville, bulls, (stopped for a quick smoke), foxton, levin and near otaki, the sky was getting bluer and between paekakariki and pukerua bay, the highway veered next to the cliffs along the tasman sea with high rolling waves hitting the boulders and everybody was excited again. the road was so narrow with heavy traffic that there’s no chance of stopping by.

the road winded inland and crossed porirua harbour and i misread a signboard and exited the motorway into porirua town where we had to detour and subsequently got stuck in a school area but managed to get back on the motorway. i was a bit anxious as the fuel was almost empty but soon completely forgotten as we moved pass the hilly range and wellington harbour came and greeted us instead! the view of the narrow smallish city, its surrounding hills and its harbour that day were astounding. we moved along the three lane motorway slowly and nearing the city, i steered the car off the motorway into waterloo quay that ran adjacent to the harbour. i kept reminding the others to look for interislander ferry terminal on the left and once located, our quick stop to drop zack and others was only a small distance away further down the road. when we reached the wellington railway station on the right, i gave a turn signal to the left and entered bluebridge ferry terminal carpark on the left. i knew from reading google maps that there would be ample free parking lots at the terminal since the ferries only leave wellington twice daily and at 3:15 pm, the last ferry of the day had already departed.

zack, ija, alif and yomi got out of the car with the bags and i instructed them to cross the road at the intersection and from the lot, we could see wellington downtown backpackers (previously known as waterloo hotel) just 50m across from the railway station. i got back inside the car with aina and continued to drive towards the south, turning right into taranaki st. and found a fuel station to fill up the tank. after that, i drove for about 500m before turning into abel smith st. and entered the compound of bargain rental cars at 3:30 pm. they welcomed us and inspected the car and called a taxi for us. companion #2 and i parted ways after 1,010 km together on the road. we took the taxi back to wellington downtown backpackers to rejoin zack and gang who were waiting for us at the lobby. they had already checked in and led aina and i to our rooms, 2 adjointed rooms consisted of 2 tier bunk bed each with a shared bathroom.
▼ parting ways with companion #2

we left our rooms later and rushed through the busiest and trendiest street in wellington, lambton quay, looking for the terminal to kelburn cable car. after spending some time looking for it, we gave up and asked a passerby who duly showed us the hidden entrance and we took our first cable car of the trip up the hill towards wellington botanic garden. the view of wellington city from the hill was stunning and we lingered there until sunset. my original plan was to walk back to the city centre using the downhill path but since it was almost dark and the kids looked tired, we decided to take the cable car ride again downhill to lambton quay. we window shopped with the kids on our shoulders again and later ate our dinner at another mcdonald’s and bought some take away sandwiches at a subway outlet where we feasted in our rooms.
▼ wellington cable car

▼ wellington botanic garden

▼▼ at the top of the hill with views of wellington

▼ wellington city and harbour at dusk

▼ inside the cable car on the return trip

later, after a hot bath, i made a solo walk to the railway station and took some photos, decided against walking through the darkness to the beehive (the parliament building) about 300m away since it was already late and the temperature was freaking cold (4°c). i went back to the backpackers café to use wifi instead. ija and aina shared one room while zack, alif and yomi occupied the lower bunk and i on the top bunk of the other room. we all slept soundly that night.
▼ wellington railway station

next» soul searching road trip oznz – day 7 (12/06/2010)

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