Well, I have been back in the states for about a month!  I had such an amazing time in NZ coaching tennis and exploring the islands.  If anyone ever wants to contact me about any of the adventures, feel free to leave a comment and I’ll get in touch with you!

Happy Travels,

Jeff

Hiking, walking, cooking, laughing, relaxing, reading, planning, and chatting.  The life of a backpacker.  Is there such a thing as a more worry-free and fun lifestyle?  I have found backpackers/hostels to be an environment full of people on a similar path who live healthy and always have fun.  Looking around my hostel here in Wanaka, I only see relaxed and smiling faces.  Some read on the futons, others greet the newcomers who just arrived on the buses, and another group is anxiously chatting away on Skype.  I don’t know what language they are speaking, but I can tell that they are sharing an exciting story with family and friends back home.

We don’t know what day it is or even what time it is.  Breakfast is eaten whenever we wake up, and snacks and meals are made as we get hungry.  Most meals are healthy with fruits and veggies dominating the refrigerators.  We can’t afford to go out and eat, so we cook in the kitchen and eat at the tables together.  No one knows each other, but we sit around and share life stories like we’ve grown up together.  Some of us will meet up in other cities days or even weeks from now, and some of us will never see each other again.  But everyone exchanges emails and Facebook details and promises to stay in touch.

One aspect of backpacking that I have enjoyed so much is meeting so many people who share a similar story.  Many of us have given up jobs and big screen TVs to fulfill a dream and to challenge ourselves.  We have found that our travel experiences have opened us up and enriched our lives.  We crave more and feel attached to the lifestyle that has improved us and taught us about ourselves and other people.

I read a quote on the bulletin board at my hostel the other day and thought I would share it.  I think it’s very relevant and also has a lot of truth behind it.  There wasn’t an author mentioned, but hopefully I haven’t butchered the quote!

“The world is like a book.  If you haven’t traveled, then you’ve only read the first page.”

What a great city! A lot of people say it reminds them of San Francisco, but I’m not sure since I don’t think I’ve ever been there. Head to Cuba Street for shopping, eating, and people watching. The hostels and nightlife seem to be centered at Courtaney Place. I stayed at the enormous YHA Wellington City. It turned out to be very nice…more like a hotel with two huge kitchens and a movie theater.

There is a great vibe in the city. A lot of young people seem to work here. Patio bars are flooded with backpackers and young business people for Happy Hour every night of the week…and the party seems to go until late every night.

Don’t skip over Wellington but you don’t need more a couple days to wander the streets! Also, check out the Te Papa museum on the waterfront.  Musuem lovers will go crazy for the six stories of history and info.

Lake Taupo was a nice stop for two days. The lake is huge and there are some good bars and restaurants right on the lakefront. I was able to watch the Cowboys first playoff game when they beat the Eagles, so that was a HUGE bonus (they hadn’t shown a game on TV all season). Overall, there wasn’t too much to do, but it wasn’t a bad place to spend a day.

Next I headed to Turangi. The sole purpose of stopping here was to get as close to the Tongariro Crossing as I could without being in the National Park. The hostel I stayed at was incredible…Riverstone Backpackers. It was very small but definitely the cleanest I’ve been in. I met a girl from France my first night and we booked our shuttle for the next day in and out of the park and decided to hike together. She was fun and a great person to hike 21 kilometers with!

The Tongariro Crossing was not an easy hike, especially with the conditions we had. It was incredibly windy and cold. We saw lots of ice and snow and even got some precip on our way down the backside. The volcanoes were smoking all around us at the peak, which made for an incredible setting. However, it was sooo cold and windy we kept hiking and hiking and hiking. The two of us finally got to a hut that provided a bit of shelter for lunch. The hike down was equally tough but much warmer! If you are on the north island and are looking for a hike to do, don’t leave with out doing the Tongariro Crossing. The multi-day hike is the Northern Circuit and includes the crossing.

My first night in Auckland was a fiasco…I stayed at Nomads Fat Camel, which turned out to be the worst hostel of my NZ travels.  I couldn’t cook or shower there…it was that bad!  The next morning I packed up and walked to Parnell and checked into Auckland International Backpackers.  To say it was a vast improvement would be an understatement.  Parnell is a nice little suburb within walking distance of the city center.  It is also very close to the ASB Tennis Center. 

One of my reasons for going to Auckland was to visit my buddy Zoltan who was in town for the Heinekin Classic.  We met up and got to watch some of the ASB Women’s Classic doubles and singles final.  The Heinekin Classic started the next day, so most of the men’s players were in town.  I watched some of them practice on the outer courts after the women’s final.  Pretty cool to see what their workout and practice demeanor is like. 

 I checked out Princes Wharf and some of the weekend markets on my last day in Auckland.  Overall, it seemed like most other cities.  I could have been walking around downtown Dallas or Nashville.  So, if you fly into Auckland, get out to the suburbs and don’t plan on too many days for checking out the city itself.

The Milford Sound coach-cruise-coach trip departs Queenstown at 7:00 am and returns about 8:30 pm. So, plan on a full day and don’t forget to take snacks…it will save you money from buying food at one of the stops. I chose Eco-Tours, but there are a number of companies that offer the same trip itinerary leaving from Q-Town. It was a rainy, foggy day when we left Queenstown. I knew the weather was going to be bad, but I did my best to act like it didn’t matter.

Rain poured down on us on many of the stops we made heading to Milford Sound. The bus ride is almost six hours going out there because of the stops (it’s probably around 4 hours coming back to Queenstown). One of the stops was at Mirror Lakes, which is supposed to be amazing. However, we saw no reflections…only rain drops! I met a girl from Oregon on the bus though, and we were determined to be silly and have fun anyway.

When we finally got to Milford Sound, the rain was coming down in buckets and the fog was so thick you couldn’t see the boat from the dock. The boat was nice and we hugged the mountains most of the cruise to optimize “viewing opportunities”. Oddly, I felt better when someone told me it rains some 200 odd days a year in Milford Sound. They receive almost 18 feet of rain per year! The waterfalls were incredible and I can only imagine how beautiful it is on a clear day. My advice is to give yourself enough time in Queenstown so you can book a Milford day when the weather cooperates!

Jet boating, white-water rafting, bungee jumping, river surfing, sky diving, zip lining and tons of other high adrenaline activities have earned Queenstown the name of Adventure Capital of the World.  Tons of young people flock to this destination year round for snowboarding/skiing in the winter and water sports in the summer.  It has an extremely touristy feel with tons of shopping and restaurants (I went Starbucks…guilty). 

I really enjoyed my 4 nights in Queenstown even though it was still very crowded just after New Year’s.  Two of my three days I escaped the hustle and bustle of the shoppers and headed for the hills.  I hiked up Queenstown Hill which was surprisingly “tough” for what I was expecting.  What I thought would be an easy stroll from town to the top was actually a sweaty tramp.  The trail was well kept and did provide some OK views.  Not a bad way to spend a couple of hours and get a bit of a workout.  On day 2, I wanted to climb to the top of Bob’s Peak, which is the hill that the gondola runs on.  I started on the One Mile Creek track and eventually merged with the Skyline Gondola track.  This was also not an easy hike but provided much better views across Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu, and The Remarkables.

If you’re looking for nightlife, there will not be a shortage of that.  Bar staff come by the hostels each night enticing you with buy one get one deals or even Pub Crawls.  With all the young people around, you can be sure you’ll enjoy yourself.

My 3rd day was spent out at the Milford Sound, but i’ll save the next post for that adventure.  Happy Waitangi Day from New Zealand!

Our team working our way up the base of Franz Josef Glacier

Franz Josef was one of my favorite stops on the south island circuit.  Many places become memorable because of the people you meet, and that was true of my stay in FJ.  I arrived New Years Eve  in time for dinner and hit it off with my other three dorm mates instantly.  There was another American guy and two girls…one from Germany and one from Malaysia.  We sat around the kitchen eating and chatting and were eventually joined by another group.  We shared laughs and travel stories before heading to one of the two bars in town to celebrate (Blue Ice bar).  It was super low key but a ton of fun.  After the clock struck 12 and we ushered in 2010, we headed back to the backpacker for more fun and laughs.  Our group hung together over the next few days and even cooked a big New Years day meal.  I met up with some of the gang in Queenstown a few days later…but more on that in another post!

I stayed at Montrose Backpackers in Franz Josef and would highly recommend it to anyone.  It was clean, had two fully equipped kitchens, and had great space for hanging out or watching movies.  This comes in handy as it dumped down rain for two straight days during my stay!  One of my favorite hostels in NZ.

If you come to FJ, your trip will not be complete without a glacier tour.  You can take a helicopter to the top of Franz Josef Glacier and hike around, or you can do half day or full day tours starting at the base.  I opted for a half day tour as I was told that the full day is too much time on the ice.  Glad I chose the half day!  It was an absolutely amazing experience, but it does get quite chilly on the ice!  If you haven’t see pictures yet, you can check them out here (glacier pics start about 2/3 of the way down).

FJ is a tiny town with a small market and sprinkling of restaurants.  If you don’t come with expectations of a Queenstown type atmosphere you will really enjoy yourself.  There are many free day hikes or half day hikes in the area.  Many offer stunning views of the glacier.  You can hike out to the base of the glacier by hiking the Glacier Valley walk.  This is an easy trail with waterfall views that takes you right to the base of one of New Zealand’s most accessible glaciers.

Countless white sand beaches, miles of coastal walking track, kayaking on crystal clear water, and long sunny days.  Welcome to the Abel Tasman National Park!  It may be the smallest of New Zealand’s national parks, but you won’t be at a short for filling your time.  I based myself in Kaiteriteri at Kaiteri Lodge for four nights. If your plan is to laze on the golden beaches (a great option to start or end your South Island trip) choose the town of Kaiteriteri as opposed to Motueka (inland) or Marahau.  The two couples that run the lodge are extremely helpful and are eager to give you suggestions for biking, hiking, sailing, or kayaking.  Enjoy cooking your meals in the clean kitchen and getting to know other families and backpackers on the patio or at the bar next door.  The only downside is the lack of a proper grocery store.  The camp store next door will suffice if your not looking for an Iron Chef dinner, but is a tad pricey.  If you have a car, I suggest doing your shopping in Motueka.

Once you’ve beached yourself out, head north to Marahau.  Marahau sits conveniently at the southern end of the Abel Tasman National Park where you will find the entrance to the coastal track. You can take day hikes and even take a water taxi back to town if your too tired or find yourself spending the day on a secluded beach.  Kayak adventures from Marahau will reward you with trips to seal colonies and maybe even a few dolphins swimming by your boat.  Stay at The Barn and avoid eating out at the over-priced restaurants on the waterfront.

Don’t tour around the South Island without stopping in Abel Tasman for a few days.  If you are traveling by bus, catch the Abel Tasman Coachline from Nelson.  Enjoy the sunniest spot in New Zealand!

 

I just got back from one week in Lake Wanaka which is in central Otago, just north of Queenstown.  WOW!  I worked a tennis camp for three days and then hiked and relaxed for three days.  What a beautiful place.  The township is located right on the shores of Lake Wanaka and has just the right amount of restaurants, pubs, and cafes to maintain its small town charm.  I met a great group of people at the backpacker and we all hiked and hung out together for the week.

I hiked to the summit of Mount Roy with a new friend from Argentina on Thursday…it was a tough hike but we were rewarded with incredible views of Lake Wanaka.  On Saturday I hiked with three girls in Mt. Aspiring National Park.  We took the Rob Roy Glacier Walk.  It was stunning to see the glacier just rolling over the top of the mountains.

Now I can start to write about each place in a little more detail that I’ve traveled to in the last 30 days!  Check HERE for new pics from Wanaka in the South Island album.