Summary: A previously planned trip with REI in 2020 was cancelled due to COVID. This was the replacement trip with Active Adventures to the South Island of New Zealand and on our own in Sydney Australia. The bus tour traversed over 1,700 miles in 13 days. We had 12 different hikes covering 55 miles, one 15 mile bike trip and a 2 hour kayaking tour. In Australia we spent 5 days in Sydney, did two chef led tours and took in a show in the Sydney Opera House.
Thursday Jan 11, 2024 – We flew to Chicago IL on United Airlines from Green Bay WI. The flight was an hour late taking off which was not a problem since we are spending the night in Chicago. We had dinner at the Uno Pizzeria located in our hotel. The Thursday special was a large pizza for $5. It was great and way too much food. Now our concern is a huge snow storm that is forecast for tomorrow. STAY: Comfort Suites Chicago O’Hare Airport
Friday Jan 12, 2024 – On the way to breakfast in the hotel the elevators were being worked on. The worker told us to take the stairs, which much to our surprise, took us outside. It was snowing like all get out and we hadn’t brought our coats. There were about 6 inches of snow on the ground already and it was still coming down. Made our way around the building and there was a fire truck with lights flashing right outside the front door. The firemen were working on the elevator – we went to breakfast without incident – and had to go back outside again to get back to the room. Fortunately, we got late check out (1:00pm) and then sat in the pizza joint until our airport shuttle at 3:30. STAY: On the plane.
Saturday Jan 13, 2024 – We were in the air for the entire day. On Air New Zealand we had a Sky Couch. It consisted of three normal seats with special leg devices that could be lifted to make the three seats into a “bed”. Lori and I were able to lay side by side with a slight bend in our legs. However, any movement by the other person we felt by both. We tried sleeping like that for about 2 hours before Lori volunteered to move the row in front of us, which was empty, to sleep in a regular seat. I was able to get some decent sleep for about 3 hours before we switched places. Both the supper meal and breakfast were very good, considering we were on an airplane. STAY: On the plane
Sunday Jan 14, 2024 – We arrived in Christchurch at 10:30 after connecting in Auckland. Going through customs was a breeze as was catching the flight to Christchurch. We took a regular taxi from the airport to our hotel for the night. Since we weren’t able to check in until 3:00 we left our bags with the hotel and walk to the downtown area and bought a ticket for the Hop on, Hop off tram which gave us a nice overview of the city – with a lot of focus on the damage and repairs from the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. A late lunch was in the Riverwalk District with a Vietnamese dish. STAY: Rydges Latimer Square Hotel
Monday Jan 15, 2024 – DAY 1 We were picked up right on time at 10:30 by our two guides, Emma and Braden. There are a total of 11 folks on the tour with us. We drove about 1.5 hours on a nicely appointed bus before stopping and having lunch at a restaurant in Gore Bay. Lori and I shared pumpkin soup and a cauliflower salad. Both were not bad but not great. Afterwards we continued for another hour to Kaikoura where we had a 3 mile hike along the seashore and had views of hundreds of seals. Our hotel is very nice. STAY: Sudima Kaikoura, Kaikoura
Tuesday Jan 16, 2024 – DAY 2 After a nice European-like breakfast in the hotel we departed at 8:00 from Kaikoura and traveled along the coastline for a couple of hours to Blenheim, a town in the Marlborough wine region. We visited the Forrest Estate Winery and sampled three of their wines before a picnic lunch. After another one hour drive we arrived at Nelson Lakes National Park where our group was split in two with some going backpacking and the other group (which Lori and I were a part of) hiked 5 miles along the Lakehead Track. The track follows Lake Rotoiti and was gently graded with a lot of rocks, roots, mud, and water crossings. We were picked up by a water taxi for the 15 minutes back to the starting point. For dinner at the Lodge Lori and I shared black mushroom pasta and a dish of scallops. STAY: In St. Arnaud at Alpine Lodge
Wednesday Jan 17, 2024 – DAY 3 We got off to a slow start today because breakfast service was slow. We walked to the water taxi location (10 minute walk) and took the water taxi to the end of Lake Rotoiti before hiking back. Did a short side trip to Whiskey Falls before finishing the 9.8 mile hike with minimal elevation gain and loss. Spent 30 minutes in the hot tub with Jerry, Della, and Jerry. Alpine Lodge has crappy wifi and Lori beat me in Quirkle. We were able to try L & P soda which is a citrus soda made in New Zealand and only distributed there. It is very good. STAY: In St. Arnaud St at Alpine Lodge.
Thursday Jan 18, 2024 DAY 4 Breakfast was much quicker this morning. We got started up the Pinchgut Track around 9:30 in light rain. The hike was a round trip total of 3.2 miles with 1,500 feet in elevation gain. We met the backpackers coming down when we were close to the top, so we went to the top in a steady rain. The trail turned into a river, we got fully soaked and there were NO views. Then a three hour bus ride before arriving at our accommodations for the night where we immediately did our best to dry our clothing and gear and took nice hot showers. Lori beat me in a second game of Quirkle. STAY: Scenic Hotel Punakaiki
Friday Jan 19, 2024 DAY 5 After a continental breakfast we took a short drive to Pancake Rocks Blowholes walk. Didn’t see any blowholes but the “pancakes” were interesting. Loaded back on the bus for another short drive to begin the Pororari Punakaiki Loop trail for a total hike of 4.8 miles with minimal elevation change. The first part of the hike was by “Jurassic Park” like and the second part was very enjoyable. When the hike was done we traveled another 2 hours to Hokitika. This was NOT in the plan. Due to extreme weather warning and road closures Active Adventures and the guides made the decision to stop short of our destination and “hunker down” in a motel to ride the storm out. Our hotel is very nice and the walk downtown (very small) was uneventful. Lori and I were able to do a load of laundry before dinner. Interesting note: there were a number of shops touting Possum fur items, many combined with merino wool. They hate possums here. Dinner was excellent. We shared two bottles of Pinot Noir wine from New Zealand. STAY: Ocean View Hotel in Hokitika (a change from the original plan due to weather)
Saturday Jan 20, 2024 DAY 6 Continental breakfast before loading up at 8:30, timed so we would get to the road closure after 9:00 when it was supposed to open. Fortunately, when we arrived it was open. We arrived at Okarito Kayaks at 10:30 and got on the water around 11:00 for a 2 hour kayak in tandem kayaks with rudders in Okarito Lagoon. Then at 1:30 we hiked the Okarito Trig Walk (2.7 miles roundtrip with 579 feet in elevation gain) to the top of a hill with a nice overlook of the lagoon and ocean. Spending the night in nice bungalows in Franz Josef where we enjoyed a nice traditional Kiwi roast dinner with roast chicken, pork, and vegetables. STAY: Rainforest Retreat in Franz Josef
Sunday Jan 21, 2024 DAY 7 Hike near Franz Josef Glacier on the Alex Knob Track with views of the Franz Joseph Glacier (8.5 miles with 1,800 feet in elevation gain. Heli Hiking for some of our travel partners was canceled today because the landing pads had been washed out with recent rains. STAY: Wonderland Lodge, Makarora
Monday Jan 22, 2024 DAY 8 Hike Rocky Mountain (4.5 miles with 1,200 feet elevation change) which had some huge steps on the way up and even bigger ones on the way down. Sunny and 70’s all day long except for a short 5 minute shower. The Heritage Hotel we are staying at tonight is the best hotel yet. For dinner Lori and I sat in the bar, played games, had a couple of drinks, and shared an appetizer. STAY: Heritage Hotel, Queenstown
Tuesday Jan 23, 2024 DAY 9 We slept in late today which was much needed by Carl. Not only did he stub his right middle toe on the bathroom entry but he had a slight sore throat. Finally got out at about 11:15. Walked to downtown Queenstown and did some shopping before having lunch at Brazz. Lori had ribs and Carl had poached eggs, sauteed mushrooms with feta on bread. Both were good even though the service was slow. Light rain on the hike back to the hotel and a nap for both of us. STAY: Heritage Hotel, Queenstown
Wednesday Jan 24, 2024 DAY 10 After a 3 hour drive with a short stop at the Te Anau Bird Sanctuary we hiked a portion of the Kepler Track. A total of 6.3 miles with a total of 600 feet elevation change. A nice easy walk in a delightful forest. STAY: In Te Anau at the Matai Lodge
Thursday Jan 25, 2024 DAY 11 Woke up early to get a 6:00am start for the 2 hour drive to a Milford Sound Cruise. The cruise lasted almost 2 hours and consisted of cruising up the Milford Sound to the Tasman Sea and back. The highlight was seeing porpoise, sea lions, and putting the bow of the ship into waterfalls. Then a one hour drive to hike the Key Summit portion of the Routeburn Track (4.9 miles with 1,300 feet in elevation change. STAY: In Te Anau at the Matai Lodge
Friday Jan 26, 2024 DAY 12 We traveled over Lindis Pass before meeting the bike outfitter. We then rode on the Alps 2 Ocean trail for 12.3 miles on nice fat bikes. The hotel is older, still using keys for room entry. There were a bunch of high school rowing teams staying at our hotel. Dinner at a restaurant after a short walk into town. STAY: In Twizel at Mackenzie Country Hotel
Saturday Jan 27, 2024 DAY 13 Drove to Aoraki Mt. Cook National Park where we hiked the Red Tarns trail which had 1158 steps (yes, Lori and I counted them). The hike was a total of 2.8 miles. Back to the same hotel and dinner at the Poppies Cafe across the street from the motel. STAY: In Twizel at Mackenzie Country Hotel
Sunday Jan 28, 2024 DAY 14 After breakfast we had a four hour drive to the Christchurch airport where everyone, except Lori and me, were dropped off to catch their flights home. We were dropped off at the Rydges Latimer hotel where we stayed the first night. Immediately got a room and after a short rest we walked into Christchurch and walked around the Botanical Garden where a concert was happening. There were people everywhere and it was hot (low 80’s). Played Quirkle in the bar and had chicken tenders and a glass of wine each. Early to bed as we need to get up at 3:30 tomorrow. STAY: Rydges Latimer Square in Christchurch
Monday Jan 29, 2024 DAY 15 / 1: All went well in the morning. Our Uber driver picked us up right at 4:00 and dropped us off 15 minutes later. After going through the wrong security line (went to the domestic flight NOT international) we finally got to the right gate with plenty of time to spare (thankfully the security lines for both domestic and international flights were short and quick). Took another Uber from the airport to the Rydges Sydney Harbor hotel and arrived at 9:00. We were lucky and our room was available for check-in. Went to the room and Carl took a 30 minute nap. We then walked around the “Rock” area before heading to the Sydney Opera house where we decided to take the tour. It was very interesting and we even decided to buy tickets for a Cabaret show on Thursday night! On the way back to the hotel we stopped at Eastbank Cafe Bar and Pizzeria. We had kangaroo (medium rare) with beetroot risotto. The kangaroo was tender and full of flavor, definitely worth having again. Spent the late afternoon and evening in the room, relaxing.
Tuesday Jan 30, 2024 DAY 16 / 2 We were picked up at 9:30 by a private driver to take us to several overlooks in the Blue Mountains, a Featherdale Wildlife preserve, and a jungle. The day was not what Lori and I had expected and the weather was against us. It was rainy and foggy all day, so the one overlook we went to (Lincoln Rock) had no views. The wildlife sanctuary was interesting with many local animals. The final stop was at Scenic World where it was a steady rain and fully in the clouds. Therefore, the rides on the ScenicRailway, Scenic Skyway, and Scenic Cableway were marginal at best. We did a short walk on the Scenic Walkway through the jungle which was good exercise. We were in the car for 5 to 6 hours and the driver did not know much about the country and was not prone to talk. STAY: Rydges Sydney Harbor.
Wednesday Jan 31, 2024 DAY 17 / 3 We were picked up right on time for our day trip with Chef Jimmy who was our chef / guide on the Hunter Valley Gourmet Food and Wine tour. Jimmy was an excellent tour guide and chef. First stop for breakfast and sushi making was at Parsley Bay Park where the birds were a constant issue. Next we rode for 1.5 hours on bus until we got into the wine region of Hunter Valley and the first winery, Ernst Hill Wines. The second stop was at Pokolbin Estate Winery and the final stop at Saddlers Creek Winery. Jimmy cooked and served us a variety of foods at stop 2 and 3. Lori tried raw oysters for the first time. A group of kangaroos are called a mob. Stay at: Rydges Sydney Harbor.
Thursday Feb 1, 2024 Day 18 / 4 We were again picked up right on time (7:00 am) for another day trip with Chef Jimmy. He took us to Bronte Beach where we had a breakfast he prepared after getting coffee at a local shop. There were only 6 on the tour today (all from the tour yesterday). We walked from Bronte Beach to Bondi Beach along a boardwalk. About 2 miles. He then drove us to the Northern beach area and the Surf Life Saving Club at Freshwater Beach. We got a history of life saving at the beach and a discussion about the equipment used before eating an excellent lunch. The lunch consisted of prawns, duck kabobs, bugs (like lobsters), chicken sausage, 2 types of oysters, and kangaroo meat. All were excellent. He then took us to Bucketty’s Brewing company where we were able to sample some beers before having a full glass. I had a ginger beer. The best I’ve ever tasted. After a quick stop at North Fort lookout where Lori was awarded a prize for the best picture submitted we did a quick walk along Manly Beach we ended the tour with a Golden Gaytime ice cream bar. We took the water ferry back to Circle queue near our hotel. After a bit of rest and cleaning up we walked to the Sydney Opera House and took in Gatsby at the Green Light in the Studio which is a Cabaret show where the 1920’s meet the 2020’s. The very “Cirque du Sol” style show in cabaret style. Fun night. STAY: Rydges Sydney Harbor.
Friday Feb 2, 2024 Took an Uber to the airport. Fight to Auckland was uneventful. The flight to Chicago was uneventful and, somewhat, restful. The flight was only about 40% full so I was able to sleep across three seats while Lori slept in the reserved Sky Couch. We switched about half way through the flight. Coming thru customs was a breeze. Shuttle to the motel was on time and quick. STAY: Comfort Suites Chicago O’Hare Airport
Saturday Feb 3, 2024 Flew from Chicago to Green Bay and Ed Tucker picked us up. Arrived home at 10:15am.