Today was a slow, easy day in the small, idle town of Te Anau, just two hours from Milford Sound. Te Anau is a common starting point for hikers (or trampers, as kiwis usually call them) doing the Kepler Track and the Routeburn Track. The latter was actually part of our original trip itinerary. That is, until ST and I spotted these words on the Routeburn info page by the ... Read More »
We’re off on our long drive to Milford Sound today. InterCity has special buses for these scenic rides – ones that have glass roofs so you can see what’s overhead! It’s amazing how much of a difference seeing a bit of sky makes in the entire bus travelling experience. Don’t you wish all coaches in the world were like this: Along the way, we went for quick walks through rainforests ... Read More »
Reluctantly, we left Tekapo. But Queenstown was next and it was every bit as amazing in its own way. For dinner, we each had a massive Fergburger, which is as delicious as it is big. No joke about the size, folks. The thing is as big as my head: ST wants to go on record to say that it’s the most delicious burger in the world. I’ll second that. 勁大勁好食的 ... Read More »
The night before, ST and I nearly froze our toes off trying to do night photography in the bitter cold. Tonight, we got luckier as the temperature dropped a little. Looks like night photography is a popular hobby around here. Stumbled upon many tourists (including ones from HK!) who were also doing the same thing. Read More »
We left Wanaka for Tekapo today. What a charming, charming town! Tekapo might seem tiny to most people (the shops are all on one side of an already short street! Unimaginable if you come from a place where Nathan Road is the answer to shopping). But we couldn’t help falling in love with it. The food is good, the town is bustling, and the views… my goodness, the views. Tekapo ... Read More »
After our triumphant trek in Arrowtown (read: we forgot about the humiliation of being out-trekked by someone’s grandparents), we decided to do another trek today. This time, we tackled Mount Iron, which is a shorter but much steeper trek. This hike has confirmed my suspicion that all kiwis are born with the legs of a mountain goat. Some of them opted for a “shortcut” along the trek that involved climbing ... Read More »
Today, it was finally time to leave Queenstown for Wanaka, a quiet, charming spot by a lake of the same name. We checked in to our hostel, and couldn’t believe the view outside the window: Jawdropping. 瓦納卡的景觀像幅畫 Really, this country can do no wrong. Read More »
We caught the first bus to Arrowtown, a little town about 20 minutes from Queenstown. Arrowtown first developed during New Zealand’s gold rush in the 1860s as the Arrow River nearby was rich in gold deposits. Today, Arrowtown is better known for the golden hues of its mountains in the autumn. ST and I decided to hike Tobin’s Track, which was a “quick 35 minute walk up to beautiful panoramic ... Read More »
A quick 2-hour flight took us from Auckland to Queenstown. Folks, if you ever take an Air New Zealand flight, do yourself a favor and watch the inflight safety videos – they are hands down THE most entertaining safety videos of any airline I’ve taken to date. In fact, I find myself looking for their past safety videos on YouTube and watching them from beginning to end even when I’m ... Read More »
We almost missed our Auckland flight after going a little crazy with our last minute shopping back in Hong Kong, but thanks to the power of the world’s most efficient transport system, we made it just in time. Once onboard, I was absolutely enthralled by the BBC Planet Earth series about the Kalahari Desert they had on the in-flight entertainment. If you ever get the chance, watch it. The BBC has completely outdone itself in this ... Read More »
J.J. Pedersen let’s go see the world