eviedykes2018

Queenstown and around – Christmas week 2018

Arriving in Queenstown on a wet and wild evening, for Christmas week in the New Zealand summer, we were then exceptionally lucky and blessed with a week of sunshine.

Queenstown

Queenstown itself doesn’t have a huge waterfront, but it’s bustling with plenty do to, including a fantastic play area. To me, it is like the New Zealand Windermere of the Lake District – everything a tourist could possibly want, from shops to cafes & restaurants to fun galore.

Mini golf

For a bit of fun we had gone to play the indoor mini golf as it is awesome – a must if you have a couple of spare hours. Sadly it was closed so instead we played the outdoor mini golf. Still fun but standard. I discovered it is hard to play with a mini in a front sling!

So in the end we let Evie romp and she made the course even more difficult!

These are both located at the bottom of the gondola.

The Gondola

Easily walkable from the centre of town, this takes you up the mountain for a great view, and if you choose, paragliding, bungi jumping and riding the luge. For us though, it knocked an hours walk off each end of our bigger walk up Ben Lomond.

Ben Lomond

You may think this mountain is in Scotland, but it also exists in Queenstown! This must be one of the most popular walks given the number of people doing it. But it is obvious why once on it.

From the top of the gondola the path winds through the woods a short way before starting an unremitting ascent to the top.

It was a 1&1/2 hrs walk to the saddle. It’s unusual that we take as long as walking signs suggest, but on this walk we did! The saddle is a good place to stop at for turkey sandwiches round 1, for it has great views of the next mountain range across.

From here it got more rocky underfoot and was a harder steeper ascent, and Evie started to few super heavy! I have to admit (and this is unusual for me), that I nearly suggested that our view was good enough and we could turn back. However, so long as you can see the summit, it’s worth it.

The view from the top was nothing short of remarkable.

It is definitely Evie’s highest peak at 1,748m and we therefore woke her up to appreciate the view! She told us later how much she loved it.

Taking special care on the first part of the descent, and stopping for Turkey sandwiches round 2 back on the saddle, we then made our way back down. Although expensive, I was by this point super pleased of the lift down as both our feet were super painful.

At the gondola cafe we treated ourselves to smoothies and fries before heading back down for the evening.

Glenorchy

Again, the New Zealand version of this Scottish sounding place. It was about a 40 minute drive from Queenstown and a beautiful spot. We liked the sound of the lagoons and thought they would be a great place to hang out and swim. Reality was that although they had their own prettiness, they were very shallow and silty.

Despite Finley repeatedly asking if we were going in, after I watched Tim wade and get not deeper than his shins, kicking up silt with every step, even as someone who swims whenever possible, here did not inspire me to get wet!

So after a hot picnic on a small jetty, we headed back to the head of the Lake Wakatipu and there we did swim. Jumping off the jetty and in and off the swimming platform, into the gorgeous blue water. Evie had a little paddle but was not hugely amused at the cold temperature of the water! So she hung out with Granny & Granded.

The Remarkables walks

Just out of Queenstown past the airport, you can drive up the steep hairpin road to The Remarkables ski area.

From this car park two walks are signposted.

Tim, Evie, Granny & Grandad went to the lake, which took about an hour to walk to. It looks a pretty special place.

Nick, Cath, Joseph, Finley and myself went on a slightly longer walk to the Lookout, as the terrain wasn’t suitable for all. We even managed a snowball fight and some bum sledging in the patches of snow left still in December. From here was a spectacular view over Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu.

Kelvin Heights Peninsula

This is a nice sheltered bay that looks across to Queenstown but is very easy to get to by car. With a golf course in the middle but woods around the outside, you can walk or cycle around the peninsula, walking for about an hour. The water is a beautiful blue which just makes you want to jump in. It’s also where the locals seem to hangout with all their water toys.

Queenstown trail

Back on the bike, the Kelvin Heights Peninsula is a section of the Queenstown Trail that is nice to cycle. When you have biked around the peninsula and through a small housing estate you can then continue along the Queenstown trail to Jacks point. This is a gorgeous section of trail looking down on Lake Wakatipu. However, still being new to having Evie on the back of my bike rather than in a trailer, and with the path a bit loose under wheel, I pushed up the steeper hills but we enjoyed whizzing down. From previous experience you can continue doing a bit of mountain biking around Jacks Point. Not for us on this day though.

Swimming in the lake

We were incredibly lucky to be staying in a family house that looked onto and had access to Lake Wakatipu.

Although super cold (far too cold for Evie), it was great fun to jump into and enjoy a refreshing cool off after a hot summers day.

Even Grandad couldn’t resist the tempting waters and braved the cold for a swim.

A warm Christmas Day

Christmas doesn’t seem to be a big thing in New Zealand, but Santa and his reindeer still got left their drink, mince pie and carrot to ensure that we were not forgotten out here.

He thoughtfully left some very small gifts that Joseph and Finley helped Evie to open.

A nice walk around the Kelvin Peninsula, a turkey dinner and then (apparently) a New Zealand style pudding, a pavlova.

Merry Christmas one and all – time to move on in our trip.

Long haul travel and sleep with a baby

So we got to New Zealand with an unsuccessful stopover, but what then?

Was Evie going to adapt quickly or slowly to the time change, without having the adult rationale of making yourself stay awake in the evening to try and force sleep in the night.

The quick answer is it has taken a good two weeks to find a decent sleep pattern again. And then we wreck it with some long drives!

To begin with she woke in the night and just wanted to play, jumping and clambering on us at 3am. Then by the time she finally falls back to sleep at gone 5am you are then incapable or returning to sleep as an adult (good for early morning runs as someone who doesn’t normally ‘do mornings’!).

Then the playing stopped but waking three times a night for milk, slowly down to two, one…. and after three weeks she finally slept through the night.

So our advice is to allow for the fact that you will be even more tired than normal, and more again from your own jet lag and more again from your babies!! As parents we both got a bit ill I think just from total lack of sleep.

Fingers crossed Evie sleeps through again tonight!

Mt Cook national park

So this is where our first major trip alterations were made because we now have a baby. We had booked a night in the Meuller Hut, a 3-5 hr steep walk up from Mt Cook Village. But we decided against going, with avalanche warnings on alert and freezing temperatures with high winds…. not what we felt was the right conditions to go with Evie, so our plans were abandoned. Looking down the valley as we drove past Pukaki we wouldn’t have seen anything anyway.

We also didn’t go the next day…. similar reason.

Thankfully we did have one small window of opportunity to see the Mt Cook range the morning that we were moving on, as for a few hours only the clouds parted and the sun came out. We got the classic amazing view down Lake Pukaki.

Walking the Hooker Valley Trail with Granny & Grandad, meeting up with the rest of Tims family briefly there,

we didn’t quite make it in time for a good view of Mt Cook, but we did get a glimpse.

And the opportunity just to take in the beauty of the Hooker Valley

Watching as the cloud rolled in and feeling the first drops of rain, it was time to walk away from Mt Cook and carry on our journey. Looking back down Lake Pukaki on the way out there were no longer any views to be had.

Evie can thoroughly recommend the lavender ice-cream from the Lavender Farm on the way out of the valley!

Lake Ohau – nr Twizel

If you drive long the aqueduct you can park at Lake Ohau, which is great for a dull day as it has a low level path around the lake shore suitable for both biking (we did this on the previous trip to a nice lodge for lunch) and walking.

Although lesser known on the tourist trail, it is worth a visit if you have a spare day as it has a stunning backdrop, and is otherwise pretty quiet, so nice if you are tired of the crowds.

Wrapped up warm in layers, daddy & daughter enjoy the view.

Tekapo

When we passed through Tekapo three years ago we were super lucky as it looked like this and we jumped straight into the lake for a swim!

No such luck on this occasion despite visiting it on three successive days, they have been pretty cloudy. On the upside, it didn’t rain much! And the water still looked a beautiful vivid blue.

Known for the Church of the Good Shepherd, a tiny little church that sits on the shores with a window that has the most fabulous view that looks on to Lake Tekapo, it is an idyllic spot and great stopping point.

At this time of year the lupins are in full bloom and add another element of beauty to this region of New Zealand.

You can go down the road towards the observatory and walk in fields full of lupins, of all different colours. Or if you are a crawling baby you can play hide and seek amongst the lupins!

For a spot of luxury, at $27 per adult, head to the Tekapo springs, a great place to chill out. It has adult only pools and a kids pool and fun area. Or for Evie the best part was lots of time being able to practice her walking in the water! Quite happy going back and forth and chasing small balls!

And if you fancy a short walk, there is a 1hr walk up Mt John, to the observatory and cafe on top (you can also drive up to it). Easy enough for the whole family to manage. On a good day I’d imagine that you would get splendid views for miles around. For us we watched a storm roll in whilst the thunder was booming…. didn’t bother Evie though!

No swimming here on this visit, but still a gorgeous place and one not to be missed.

The Car!!

With nearly 3 months in New Zealand we made the decision to buy a car (and hopefully sell it when we leave). Rental in New Zealand in peak season is very expensive, so this is hopefully a cheaper option (unless your car doesn’t make it).

Tim had be scouring the websites for weeks prior to coming out. That made life a lot easier as there wasn’t a lot of choice in our budget for the size of the car we wanted – a big one!

So after a test drive we hedged our bets on a Volvo XC 70. With a mere 251,000kms on the clock, it looks mint on the outside, has a super shiny engine, a massive boot and very scratched by dogs on the inside. It’s a vast car that we have managed to fill to the brim!

It even has an internal telephone!

Having gone to register it at the post office and driving to the airport to drop the hire car, Tim noticed a couple of problems.

Luckily though there is a 3 month warrantee, so the next morning we were back and it was taken to the garage for fixing, at no cost to us (or our money back in full).

A few hours later with breakdown cover and insurance in place, we are driving off crossing our fingers that the mighty Volvo will fulfil its roll as our adventuring mobile.

Work on the car

9th Jan, one month and 4600km in and the car is squealing around every corner! New tyres required! And whilst we are at it New oil and oil filter to keep our 17 year old cars engine in tip top condition.

10th Jan, car doesn’t start!! After borrowing jump leads from a friendly neighbour, and still failing to start the car, Tim walks back to the garage and they come and jump start it!

We are back on the road…..

The Volvo lives on

Developing a significant judder in the standing traffic around Auckland, we had our stop in the botanical gardens in the hope that the system would reset, but it didn’t.

We crossed our fingers and hoped that it would get us to Whangarei. Tim put it into manual and teased it up there keeping the rev’s high. And it got us there!

After garage tests the problem was down to spark plugs and coil packs. Parts ordered in and fitted and the Volvo is back on the road, heading up towards Cape Reigna.

It feels better than ever!

The Loper lives on

Coming towards the end of our trip the Volvo passes 260,000km on a gravel road.

It’s doing so well now that we will be very sad to see it go

Enjoying the Fords

Goodbye to the Loper

The car made it! And not only did it make it, it left us feeling better than when we got it.

With the luck of having friends in Christchurch who were prepared to sell our car if we couldn’t, we got an advert on ‘trade me’ and advertised it for a good price.

And within a few hours The Loper was sold. Someone was prepared to fly up from Dunedin and pick the car up.

Sad to see it go

But very pleased it is going to someone who was going to enjoy it. They continued on The Lopers road trip, driving the long way home along the road we had just driven up, via Mt Cook.

Cave stream / Broken river cave

Our friends Mary & Andy treated us to a day out from Christchurch to go cave-river walking. 40km from Arthur’s Pass, this cave sits just off the road side. We had driven away from drizzle in Christchurch and after going over Porters Pass via a pie shop, we landed in glorious sunshine.

Having Evie with us (who we clearly could not take caving), we split into two and took turns.

The boys went first whilst the girls had a picnic and took in the view.

We then went to meet them coming out, and they had had a great time.

Before swapping over.

At 594m long, it took a good about 45 minutes to get through. A bit scrambley in places getting up small waterfalls inside the cave. For us the water was surprisingly warm which made it a ‘pleasant exciting’ rather than ‘cold exciting’. A good quality head torch is required, without one you wouldn’t get further than the first corner as you can’t see you hand in front of your face with the lights out.

Climbing a ladder to exit the cave Mary & me had a nice welcome party!

From here we whizzed to the top of Arthur’s Pass to make the most of the weather and amazing views before returning back to Christchurch.

Thanks Mary & Andy for a day with a difference and heaps of fun and showing us a place we will hopefully return to.

A Christmas walk around the base of Hallin Fell

On a damp December morning we set off for a Christmas walk with Evie’s new baby friends (Bella, Willow, Oliver and Evan) and their mummy’s (Helen, Paula, Claire and Lou).

Parking at St Peters Church in Martindale, with the normal faff factor of multiple mums and babies, we set off down towards Howtown with the wind and rain on our backs.

What used to be one of my favourite easy off road runs makes a nice easy walk with a baby in a pack and lovely views without going up, perfect for wet weather days.

The other nice thing about this walk is it’s circular. On nicer days there are a number of gorgeous picnic and swimming spots and even a cliff jump into Ullswater. Maybe save that for when this bunch are a bit older!

Of course a damp walk must be rewarded with a nice cafe for a warm up tea and food! Granny Dowbekins in Pooley Bridge fulfils this job very nicely, especially with a big table and multiple high chairs.

This is where the Christmas outfits could finally be shown off !

Around Christchurch

We had a few days to get over the jet lag, buy a car and have a look around Christchurch. Having been here 3 years previous soon after the destructive earthquakes, it has been interesting to see the changes. Now a modern city but still with a few stark reminders, the most obvious one being the cathedral.

We visited the botanical gardens, where Evie paddled in the kids pool and hankered after our ice-cream!

She then fell asleep as we met up and walked around the greenhouses and rose gardens with a good friend I left in New Zealand on my travels over 10 years ago for a year, and she never returned to the UK.

And climbed the massive tree!

There are also some big redwoods in the gardens with branches so big you can swing on them

And of course as a baby you may consider trying to climb one (not much different to everything else she currently tries to climb!)

We will definitely be returning to Christchurch a couple of times in this trip as we know there is lots more to see, but we ran out of time, with buying a car and catching up with friends taking precedence .

Long haul flights

With an 8 month old, we were not expecting an amazing flight experience getting from one side of the globe to the other. But we did try to make it as easy as possible, or so we thought.

We booked basonette’s on both flights and allowed ourselves plenty of time. And because we were going through Hong Kong we thought it sensible to have a nights stop off to catch up on sleep that we neither anticipated, or got, on the flight.

In reality that meant that we had three days of minimal sleep as opposed to two! The stop off went against us with Evie waking bright as a button at 3am. It left us good for nothing the following day and certainly no better off or re-energised for the 2nd long flight.

So our advice to you is to get to your destination without planned delays. For us at least, the stop off didn’t work.