 | New Zealand Canterbury Reviews | Tips 1 - 10 of 38 |  |
After a few days of heavy rain in Franz Josef and the rest of the West Coast the Haast Pass was closed on the day we had to use the road there to get to Wanaka. I was disappointed because now we had to take a different route and miss out on the Fox Glacier, Lake Matheson and the Haast Pass. The route we took, went all the way up the West Coast to Greymouth, from where we took Arthurs Pass towards Christchurch. There we drove down towards Queenstown via the Canterbury Plains and at Cromwell turned right to go up again to Wanaka. The normal distance would be around 250 kilometres, but it took us 9 hours and over a 1000 kilometres, with hardly any stops along the way.
One lucky thing though at that is that we did make a stop at one of the lakes where we had a truly magnificient view of Mount Cook. There was a blue sky and not a cloud in the sky. The busdriver said that although we missed out on the sights on the West Coast, we were very lucky to see Mount Cook like this. At Lake Matheson, where you can see beautiful reflections of Mount Cook and Mount Tasman we probably wouldn't have been able to see a thing because everthing would've been overcast. I guess he was right. On our way from Queenstown to Christchurch we passed the lake again and there were no views of Mount Cook whatsoever, just a bunch of clouds.... Leave a Comment Directions: Mount Cook as seen from Lake Pukaki.
|
 | |  |
Visiting New Zealand?
Read reviews about New Zealand Hotels
Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
On one of my first days in New Zealand I met up with Rosie (rozehill) and she showed me around to some places around her city. One of the places was the Lyttelton Harbour. This was an absolutely great harbour with the blue waters. The funny thing was that we saw the Prinsendam in the harbour. The Prinsendam is a ship of the Holland America Line. At first I thought it was the ship Sarah (S.D.Arthur) was working on, but that was not the case. You'll have a great view of the harbour from Windy Point Lookout. It was windy there indeed, so bring something warm with you. Leave a Comment Directions: Half an hour drive from Christchurch.
|
Near Geraldine in Peel Forest you will find the Rangitata River. The part of the river over here is excellent for white water rafting and there are rapids up to grade V!! In rafting there are six grades in total and grade VI is unraftable. So this river will give you the ultimate adrenaline shots. There is one company operating on the river and they are called Rangitata Rafts. They can pick you up from Geraldine if you happen to be dropped of there with you tour bus or they can even come and get you all the way from Christchurch!
For the price you pay you get a lunch, three hours of rafting, hot showers and a traditional kiwi barbeque afterwards. If you want to stay overnight the accommodation is only 15NZD. The price of the rafting package is 154NZD but there might be discounts if you travel on a tour bus like Kiwi Experience or Magic Bus. For example if you book with Kiwi Experience you only pay 135$ and get free accommodation and breakfast! In Queenstown for example you pay 130 but that's just for the rafting. Leave a Comment Directions: Follow the road to Geraldine and turn of and drive to Peel Forest Village and follow the Rangitata Gorge Road.Website: http://www.rafts.co.nz/
|
| | |
If you like alpine scenery, you must go to Mount Cook. You should go for an easy hike along the Hooker Valley. This is a memorable 4-hour walk along a very nice creek, having the magnificent Mt Cook always in the horizon.
It's not pouring and you still have energy and some time to spare? Check Mueller Glacier! Another short, level hike with a great finale!
You can find more info at my not-that-thrilling-yet-well-intentioned website on Mount Cook Leave a Comment
|
You can go from Christchurch to Greymouth, across the Southern Alps, in what is regarded as one of the best train journeys on earth. It starts by a not-that-thrilling crossing of the Canterbury Plains until it reaches the mountain range. The views, then, are remarkable.
Near the end of the trip, the train makes a brief stop by postcard-famous Moana Lake. Despite the fact that you are not advised to jump out, you have time to take some pictures.
You can easily get to the train station at Christchurch by making arrangements at your hotel. There are many shuttle services in town. Plan B? Taxi!
For more info and current schedules, visit the TranzAlpine website! Leave a Comment
|
Visiting New Zealand?
Read reviews about New Zealand Hotels
Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
Right next to Lake Tekapo you will find the Church of the Good Sheperd. The church was built in 1935 of stone and oak. Further along is the statue f a collie dog, which is a tribute to the sheepdogs which helped develop the MacKenzie Country.
It is always quite busy here, so it might be wise to visit after the last tourist bus leaves. Right next to the church is Lake Tekapo and amzing weird coloured lake. I never thought a lake could have this colour, but quite astonishingly it is possible. Leave a Comment
|
Lake Tekapo is a popular first stop on the tour of the Southern Alps. Lake Tekapo with the hills and snow-capped hills as a backdrop. The turquoise color of the lake is made of the " rock floor ", which is a sort of finely ground particles of rock held in suspension in the glacial melt water.
Tekapo means taka ( sleeping mat ) and po ( night ) from Maori language. Leave a Comment Address: Southern Alps, Canterbury
|
The little Church of the Good Shepherd was built of stone and oak in 1935. It is just beside the Lake Tekapo. Within 50 meters outside the church u can see the statue of a collie dog, a touching tribute to the sheepdogs which made a great contribution on developing the Mackenzie Country.
Also, u can see a kind and lovely oldman inside the Church who is orginally from England, but i can't remember his name :) Leave a Comment Address: Beside Lake Tekapo
|
This place has to be the Ritz Carlton of the thermal soaking world!!! And it only cost about $25 or $30 for a full day ticket that allows you to leave and come back for a second soak on the same day!! Perfect for the hangover cure in the morning, down for a counter luch at the pub and to replace the (amber) fluid that the soak took out before a quick trip back for a pre dinner soak, what more could you want?
Perfect relax after 2 weeks of "thrill therapy" on the west coast. Leave a Comment Address: 1 hour North of Christchurch
|
Before you drive on from Arthur's Pass towards Christchurch just go a little bit further north first and see the immense Otira Viaduct.
In Otira go see Peter Jean Caley,a great artist with beautiful paintings of Maori's.He himself became a Maori and if you ask him if you could see his private collection he will show you his best work and tell you some great stories as well! Leave a Comment
|
Best New Zealand Travel Deals Luxury New Zealand
Creators of exclusive and luxury itineraries to the South Pacific. Auckland Hotels
Find Rooms at Top Hotels - Cheap with Orbitz Low Price Guarantee! Fly Business Class
Deep Discounts on Premium Airfare to Australia or New Zealand. Sponsored Links |
|
on October 16, 2004
on May 26, 2004
on December 28, 2003
on June 26, 2004
on September 30, 2005
