Where's the Glacier?

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At Fox Glacier I was unable to get my bearings. The car park that led to the walk to the glacier bore no resembance to my memory, neither did the walk. I have a photo of Joe sitting on a large rock right next to the glacier face. Now it was nowhere to be seen! The car park was on a built-up area, people walked upwards from it on a grey path through a construction zone. Yes, there were  diggers and dumpers working here, continually shoring up the pathway with large rocks and doing goodness knows what in the valley below us. Finally, after a pretty steep climb, we reached the furthest point permitted and looked across at the glacier, some distance away. Retreated beyond belief, a glacier apocalypse. Some information boards at the start showed a comparison between 2008 and 2014. The glacier must have halved in those six years.

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At Fox Glacier there is a choice of another walk 5kms away. Lake Matheson, the photogenic lake that reflects Mount Cook and Mount Tasman. Sometimes. On this still, overcast day wispy white cloud kept the two famous peaks behind a veil of mystery. The walk was supposed to take one and a half hours but we did it in one, even with photos. Mind you, everything on me below the waist hurt, as I'd walked about 30 miles in five days.

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Been there, done that, quick march, cup of tea, now drive, drive, drive... three and a half hours later - Wanaka dump station - then onwards another 40 minutes to Bendigo picnic area for the night. A huge free camp we found on the Rankers app again. Penty of campers there, at the lake. Pity some sick truck drivers thought to blow their horns for as long as they could as they passed at 4am. 
 

North to South

Our choice of car park had limitations. The motorhome, six berth, was so wide and long we doubted it coud be manoeuvred out of the space if people parked either side of us and the only solution was to move it to the Bluebridge Ferry Terminal. Joe and Freya went into the museum and Henry and I were the poor souls who had to do a speed walk of 17 minutes back to the museum after we had re-parked. Exiting the museum car park using a credit card didn't seem to lift the barrier and Henry had to call for help. It cost $30 in the end.


Eventually we got to see the Gallipoli exhibition at Te Papa which was so comprehensive it would have taken three hours at least to read everything. The main attraction was of course the models - two and a half times life size and awe-inspiring. No detail had been left out. I stared at the enormous head of a man that had veins in the eyes, sunburnt skin, pores, freckles and even beads of sweat on him.

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The ferry left in early afternoon and once on board we went straight for the restaurant. The food selection was great and delicious. The vegetarian lasagne included pumpkin - yes, it is autumn here. The ferry was full of passengers even in April, some of them lorry drivers. There were no comfortable seats free so we became stuck at the tables for the three-and-a-half-hour crossing of Cook Strait. The wind was fierce out on deck but the views worth it, often wooded mountains on both sides of us.


As we set off on the other side the sunset wowed us with red and orange shades over the mountain range but then everything became an endurance test. Driving for three hours, some of it through very winding roads uphill and downhill. Finally we got close to the area and looked for a layby. Trying to avoid a town where we knew there was a restricted zone, we went up into the hills and only managed to find one deep picnic area without a 'no overnight parking' sign where we spent the night.
 

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Across the North Island

I don't sleep well in a layby. I was 'on guard' all night. I barely slept and the constant traffic didn't help. Day 2 - we were up quickly and heading for Kerosene Creek first thing in the morning. We noticed a blue-green lake near the entrance of Old Waiotapu Road, steam rising from it. It took several minutes to reach the end of the road and the car park. Soon we were heading for the creek, apart from Henry at first, who stayed behind to keep an eye on the motorhome as this area is prone to crime. Soon a man arrived with a dog that he let out and then sat in his truck. Rather suspicious.


People had come down to the creek early, word has got around on the internet obviously. Sitting in a hot creek is something of  a novelty. The water was warm, not as hot as last time when we came here in the summer. Maybe it varies with the season. The best bit is the little waterfall, sit on the rocks and have warm water cascade around you... wonderful.
Several hours of driving followed, as we made our way to Napier. The scene changed from flat farmland to photogenic mountains. We had had to miss Hawkes Bay on our last trip to New Zealand, despite being here for so long and I was determined to see the area, the sunniest of the North Island. True enough, the sun shone as we walked along the Marine Parade. When we had arrived in Auckland, I had six layers on - it had been snowing in Britain. Now we were strolling about in T-shirts. Napier is arty, colourful, festive and relaxed. Art Deco buildings abound. For lunch we stopped at Zambrero, where they had a sign lit up which read 'Lets Beat World Hunger'. They donate a meal to someone in need for every burrito purchased. Joe had one and the rest of us tried vegetarian tacos. 


Our next task was to get to Upper Hutt by dusk. We were aiming for Kaitoke Regional Park, run by the Department of Conservation. They closed the gate at dusk and we were not sure what counted as dusk. It was a four-hour drive and we had barely enough time. It was nail-biting as we finally got beyond Featherstone and the road wound its way up a mountain and back down again. We made it: they shut the gate at 7pm so plenty of time. A river runs through this park which was the film site for Rivendell. If we had got here earlier we could have got permission from the rangers for a fire down by the river but you had to bring your own firewood. We put our $24 fee in the honesty box and displayed the card provided. 


It quickly got dark and we took advantage of it by stargazing - the Southern sky being unfamiliar, there is no Plough and you have to look for the Southern Cross to orientate yourself.
 

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Travelling to New Zealand

"You don't miss lying down until you can't lie down," 
"My God I've eaten some crap over the last few days, I'm sure some of it wasn't even food." 
"I think I'm going to have to have a shower, it smells like a bear's jock strap in here." 
Just some of the comments from this travel-weary famiy as we install ourselves in our hotel in Auckland, finally. It is past midnight.


I have had 20 minutes sleep in the last two days, though I've lost track of how many days have passed because we have been leaping ahead in time as we've travelled in an easterly direction. Our body clocks tell us it is now the middle of the day - I think. Our first flight was a normal afternoon and some of us enjoyed a glass of wine with a delicious lunch. Singapore Airlines... just, wow... like being in a 5 star hotel, such elegance and beauty in the way the cabin crew were dressed, hot white towels given out to clean our hands, lovely food, you really felt looked after. The flight in itself was an experience as I haven't been on an aeroplane for 14 years.

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However, the next flight with Air New Zealand was mundane in comparison. It was fine but we had been spoiled. The New Zealand crew were chilled, wearing aprons as they served our food. In their favour, this airline had a larger selection of movies, you couldn't watch them all, though I had a damn good go. I got through eight movies on the two flights, ending with one called Borg McEnroe, in which the tense 1980 Wimbeldon Men's tennis final was coming to an end as our plane was landing at Auckland Airport.

We had been given passenger arrival cards as soon as we boarded, with some scary threats (justified though) of $400 fine if you brought in fruit, plants or other food without declaring it. We weren't sure if our cereal bars and packs of peanuts and crisps were going to pass but they did as they were packaged. New Zealand security is hard core. The first step is a scan of your passport then you stand on some painted footprints and have your photo taken, having agreed that you are not staying for more than six months if that is your intention. Your walking boots need to be well scrubbed, they are inspected. I was not taking any chances, mine were brand new with the labels still attached. We passed. "You guys are good," we were told. 

All in all this thorough security check is not what you want after 29 hours of travelling, most of it in the air. This can't be good for your body. We've probably time-travelled. 

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Booking New Zealand Activities

With less than two weeks to go before we leave, there is still so much to do. I must be feeling my age for I don’t know how I coped with a house move and going travelling with two young children 15 years ago.

I am currently writing out an itinerary that is starting to look like planning for army manoeuvres. There is a plan for the day, then a contingency plan, and sometimes an extra one! 

After a bit of research and emails I discovered that some activities in New Zealand need to be booked a little in advance. It is advisable to book the cruises on the Sounds a couple of weeks in advance. Then if bad weather threatens and you feel like you could be wasting your money, check the cancellation terms, which are usually quite generous: say, a full refund for 24 hours notice given or half your money refunded for 12 hours notice.
This, I noticed, applies to the water taxis on the Abel Tasman Track. As we don’t want to take camping equipment with us and therefore only have one day to see a lot of the coastline. We have booked a water taxi to Bark Bay with a 20km (12 mile) walk back. Easily achievable!! However, the unknown quantity is the weather. We chose to book the Marahau Beach Camp for the night after the walk as it will be needed. 

Lord of the Rings fever began at about the time we first visited New Zealand and it has settled down to become quite a feature of this country nicknamed Middle-earth. For example: Hobbiton has been revived from some plywood hobbit holes in a field as we saw it to what looks like the complete village as it appeared in the films. We have booked to go there, not cheap for a whole family of adults, more than three times the price in 2003 but it looks much better value for money.
There is also Weta Workshops in Wellington, which now does tours and has a shop. Two of us are booked on a tour there, where you can see the artists at work.

Although some activities appear to be only partially booked up a few days beforehand on the websites concerned, we don’t want to take any chances and miss out by leaving it to the last minute. If you’re going to the other side of the world you have to make it worthwhile. 

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