Hello and welcome to this week’s mrlukeniktravels blog coming from Christchurch, New Zealand (again!). As I mentioned in last week’s post, and is suggested in this post’s title, this is my final post from New Zealand. I have come to the end of five months travelling around this beautiful country. It certainly seems a long time ago when I landed in Auckland. In contrast to that overcast day, the sunshine filters through the windows as I write this post. Five months is a long time but it does not seem that long. New adventures lie just around the corner…
Since last week I have travelled north-east from Invercargill, through Dunedin, Omaru and Lake Tekapo before returning to Christchurch. This has involved quite a lot of driving for me, including leaving at 6 am this morning from Lake Tekapo. Still, with a phone and Spotify the kilometres slip by quite easily. During most of these journeys I have included some detours which are easily done with private transport. Using a combination of a road atlas and the Internet I was able to include some good photo opportunities. Nugget Point, pictured above, was recommended to me by a hitchhiker I gave a short lift to. Sometimes advice and tips comes from unusual places! The Catlins coastline along the southeast coast was very beautiful. Throw in some seals and sunshine there is little to beat it.
Arriving in Dunedin, also known as the “Edinburgh of the South”, I spent a couple of days exploring the city. To the east of the city lies the Otago Peninsula which is very beautiful and home to a colony of Royal Albatross. These are second only in size to the Wandering Albatross and spend their days gliding over the Southern Ocean. They are certainly majestic birds in sheer size and grace. Whilst on the Peninsula I also saw New Zealand Fur Seals up close. Although they were only juvenile males, they were still pretty impressive. Seeing them resting on the rocks in the daytime it is easy to forget what voracious night-time hunters they are. Resting allows them time to digest the previous night’s diet of squid, octopus and small fish. I do not often deliberately seek out wildlife, but I still enjoy it when I am able to see some of the ‘locals’.
After a brief stop for the night in the town of Omaru in the Waitai region, I headed inland to the mountains one last time. MacKenzie County is stunningly beautiful, the alpine uplands boasting views of Mt Cook and, most famously, Lake Tekapo. Beside the lake stands the Church of the Good Shepherd probably New Zealand’s most photographed church. It is still a functioning place of worship with meetings on Sunday evenings. Behind the altar is a large window overlooking the lake. Who needs an altar piece with views like that behind!? After the church closes at 8pm the area around it empties of tourists and becomes very peaceful. The area is also an International Dark Sky Reserve so looking upwards on a clear night is a true delight. However, another traveller seemed disappointed when they asked me where the nearest large supermarket was- this really isn’t the place to look for amenities!
With the setting sun comes the end of my time in New Zealand. it has been a fabulous experience for me to spend time exploring this beautiful country. In honour of that, I thought I would compile a top ten of experiences:
- Best beach: Bay of Islands (visited back in October)
- Best lake view: Lake Matheson (views of Mt Cook)
- Best volcano: Mt Taranaki, New Plymouth
- Best outdoor swimming experience: Glacial runoff and waterfall, Arthur’s Pass.
- Best (social) hostel experience: Funky Green, Rotorua.
- Best (and biggest) stormy seas: Cliffs above Napier.
- Best Hike: Avalanche Peak, Arthur’s Pass (also one of the steepest!).
- Best woodland walk: Whangarei, Northland.
- Best scenic drive: Fox Glacier to Wanaka, West Coast.
- Best Fish and Chips (not a large sample size): Pahia, Northland.
- Best experience in the dark: Glow worms, Redwood Park, Rotorua.
On that note, that is finally it from New Zealand. Next week I will have crossed the Tasman Sea (colloquially known as ‘The Ditch’) and will be in Australia. A new country and a new chapter of this trip will begin there. Although I am sad to leave New Zealand exciting adventures await in the next destination. From now until next week, you can keep up to date with my progress via my Twitter feed, the handle being @mrlukeniktravel. I also have an Instagram account @mrlukeniktravels. Therefore, for the final time from Christchurch and New Zealand, stay safe and travel on!
