Driving New Zealand’s South Island – Part Two

Jon: I fell asleep in our little campervan (aka Gramper) to a light sprinkle and woke the next morning to driving rain. Amy and I drove down the West Coast hoping the weather would improve further south in Fox Glacier. Luck, and proximity, weren’t on our side. If anything, the weather was worse. We stopped for a hot drink and decided to escape the coastal rains. Amy plotted a course to a hotel in the mountain town of Wanaka.

I guided Gramper through flooded roads and blinding rain as we passed swollen rivers and fields under water. The deluge wasn’t entirely bad, as it created and contributed to magnificent waterfalls. The rain finally let up further inland allowing us to see a landscape that was nothing short of spectacular. Mountains plunged into a large lake below. This was the New Zealand I’d imagined. We traversed the edge of the lake into town, stopping a number of times to enjoy the views.

We were refreshed from our stay at the Wanaka Hotel and watching the Denver Broncos win the AFC Championship. Wanaka is a mountain playground and it wasn’t difficult to find enjoyable hiking during a good weather window. We got in a couple of summit hikes up Mount Iron and Rocky Mountain while in the area. The “tramp” up Rocky Mountain brought us a completely clouded over summit, but the many alpine sheep lining the mountainside made up for the lack of views from the top.

After a final night of camping in Wanaka, we were ready to move on. Queenstown is a relatively short drive from Wanaka, so we took the worthwhile scenic route over a mountain pass making a stop in the tiny ski town of Cardrona. An 1800’s era hotel rests near the highway. The interior combines old world charm and a tip of the hat to the mining of yesteryear forming a perfect time capsule.

I decided to swing over to historic Arrowtown. Like the Cardrona Hotel, Arrowtown was established in the mid 1800’s to support the gold mining boom. Many of the original buildings still stand lining the main street and surrounds. Amy and I explored the town and restored Chinese mining settlement to get a feel for life during the gold rush. With our walk through time complete, we were off once more.

Queenstown was bustling. After circling parking lots like a hungry vulture, I gave up on the idea of stopping. I understood the city would be busy, but this surpassed my expectations. The small, very small, town of Glenorchy was 45 minutes north and came highly recommended. It’s essentially the end of the road, so we’d be able stop in Queenstown on the return.

Another remarkable drive, along Lake Wakatipu this time, brought us to Glenorchy. The quiet town served as another launch point to the mountain playground we love. A good portion of time was spent hiking. Slopes along the Mount Judah Track held old shacks and equipment left behind to provide shelter for hikers and memorialize the heyday of mining. The old machinery and cable crossing that carried a bucket across a gorge were of particular interest. The highlight of the day, however, was the adjacent peaks lit by sunlight. Snow could be seen in the taller peaks and provided an idea of what we might find further in the Alps later on.

Having fully decompressed in Glenorchy, we were ready to brave the hordes in Queenstown. Like Glenorchy, the city is on Lake Wakatipu, surrounded by mountains, and serves as an access point for outdoor activities. That may be where the similarities end. We happened on a choice parking spot and were quick to explore. The downtown is filled with an eclectic mix of restaurants, outdoor stores, souvenir shops, and avant-garde businesses like an ice bar, haunted house, and adrenaline based activity retailers. Though interesting, this wasn’t my scene. I found the quiet botanical gardens to be a highlight and was surprised so few were there. The garden is home to various flowers, gigantic trees, and unique ducks swimming in its ponds. The Remarkables mountain range creates the perfect backdrop.

We left Queenstown with a renewed feel for the place. Though busy, it’s a beautiful city with plenty to offer. And, despite the throngs of people, there are good nooks and crannies offering solitude and wilderness. The forecast looked favorable for Milford Sound, an area known for its striking mountain meets ocean scenery. The town of Te Anau would be our destination and base for the next leg.

We arrived at a holiday park containing a giant air pillow, “Kangaroo Hopper”, that was laughably fun and quite tiring. We booked a cruise through the Milford Sound for the following morning and gained insight on some must-see sights nearby. With the information in hand, we set out to tick off some sights to ensure we had time to reach the cruise in the morning without rushing. We made several stops to look at the mountains before pulling off to hike up to Key Summit where we had 360˚ views of the lofty peaks surrounding us. More of the New Zealand I’d come to see – splendid.

We woke early the following morning and set off for our cruise. Like the afternoon before, there were plenty of stops to be made. The drive was every bit as good, if not better, than the previous day. This area does not lack for views and I stopped frequently to look at amazing rivers, hanging glaciers, and magnificent mountains. We eventually made it to Milford Sound with a short time before our cruise.

The sound, a fjord actually, was carved from glaciers beginning about one million years ago. The full history goes back 400 million years, but that’s another story. It’s unquestionable that time and geology have worked harmoniously in creating this ruggedly beautiful landscape. Mitre Peak juts upward across the bay from the docks where we boarded the boat. The cruise took us past mountains, numerous waterfalls, and out to open ocean, which is weather dependent and not too common. That was fortuitous, seeing that the morning winds died enough to allow us passage further out. This didn’t come without a price, for me, however. As I stood at the bow of the boat, a rogue wave soaked me and others. It wasn’t terrible, but the water is c-c-cold. I went inside, dried off, and decided to return to my questionable perch. That’s when the greedy wind decided to steal my sunglasses and discard them in the 400m deep sound. I couldn’t let these things sully the day. But, bad things are said to come in threes – what was next?

I’d had an unwanted sea shower and watched my sunglasses disappear into the watery depths. The day was still wonderful. Amy and I made more stops on the way back to Te Anau to absorb as much of the surroundings as possible. Gramper drove like a champ, running up hills, and gliding around corners. He ran so well that another, much newer, camper couldn’t keep up. What a great ol’ boy! Once in town, I turned my attention to replacing the sunglasses. I parked Gramper and jumped out to check a sporting goods store. Just my luck, it was closed. Back in Gramper and away we’d go – or, perhaps, not. I turned the key. The dash lights worked, we had power, but the engine wouldn’t turnover. Ugh – so this was bad thing number three.

With help through the Automobile Association (AA) and local Mobil garage, Gramper was successfully towed to our campsite and would be picked up the next day. Without wheels, we walked around town and settled in for the night. The garage informed us that the ignition and starter would need to be replaced and this would take at least 24 hours to get the parts, plus the work time. The weather had finally turned sunny and warm, but we were stuck waiting for parts to come in from the other side of the island.

The lost time was initially disheartening, but we made the most of it. We watched a piece of cinematic art showcasing the Milford Sound at the local theater and had some quality time on the Kangaroo Hopper. I also searched every store in town for sunglasses deciding on a pair that bridged a gap between affordable and fashionable. Amy and I also reflected on the luck, yes luck, we had in breakdown location. We could see the Mobil station when I called the AA. Help would have been slow to arrive and get us back if we’d broken down on the highway running from town to Milford Sound. A silver lining.

With time constraints and the ever changing weather, we decided to cut out the southernmost section of the island to instead reach the Mount Cook area while there was sunshine in the forecast. This was a bit sad, but it provided a reason to return in the future. Another silver lining. More to come on our final days in New Zealand in our next post.

(Dates: January 25-February 3, 2016)