Lynette Teng travelled with her parents, husband Tony and their two teens from Singapore, for a wintry experience in NZ’s South Island.
Their adventure started with a drive from Christchurch through the majestic Southern Alps. This included a walk at Castle Hill to admire the huge limestone boulders that were once underwater.
After a lunch break at Arthur’s Pass and a wee walk to view the Devils Punchbowl waterfall, the group continued on, albeit a little disappointed not to see the Kea; cheeky Alpine parrots.
They rested for the night, beachside at the Scenic Hotel in Punakaiki. In the morning they visited the famed Pancake Rocks. While there was a mighty swell rolling in from the Tasman Sea, sadly it was low tide so the water was not strong enough to make the holes blow.
The group however were blessed with a lovely sunny winters day which offered a rare but spectacular view of Aoraki/Mt Cook, NZ’s highest peak, as they traversed down the West Coast through Hokitika down to Franz Josef.
Taking advantage of the clear day and last rays of daylight, the family drove out to get a glimpse of the glacier before the weather packed in.
And pack in, it did. Which meant that the groups scheduled helicopter ride was cancelled due to heavy rain. So after a leisurely start to their morning they set off for Wanaka, with a brief stretch of the legs at Ship Creek then a lunch break at the Hard Antler Cafe in Haast.
The family did venture out in the wet to take a quick look at the Thunder Creek and Fantail Falls, then miraculously by the time they hit Lakes Wanaka and Hawea, the skies had cleared, making for some great photo opportunities.
But the hiatus in the weather did not last long. Leaving Wanaka, after viewing the most photographed tree in NZ (and the world?!) an executive health & safety decision was made by Constance, their driver/guide, to take the low road due to the inclement weather and predicted snow on the Crown Range.
This meant the family got to enjoy fresh fruit ice cream from The Jackson Orchard and had a photo stop at the Roaring Meg Power Station in the Kawarau Gorge before taking a lunch break and exploring the historic Arrowtown; then arriving into Te Anau in the late afternoon.
The following day saw Trips & Tramps take the group on an excursion into Milford Sound where they finally got to see Kea and the spectacular waterfalls of this Fjiord. The only downside for son Ryden was that he was afflicted by car and sea sickness on this leg of the journey.
Before departing this scenic little town the family went across the lake for a glow worm cave tour with Real NZ. Then after lunch they visited and purchased goods from the Garston Honey shop then checked out the Kingston Flyer, a steam locomotive; before checking into their Queenstown accommodation, home for a few nights.
By this stage the weather had settled down so the rescheduled helicopter ride with snow landing was undertaken, a massive first for the whole family. This was followed by the global phenomenon of Fergburger for lunch then a ride up the Skyline Gondola to Bob’s Peak to take in the incredible vista. Topped off with a bit of souvenir and LEGO shopping in town and a delicious dinner at White & Wong’s.
With another free day to explore Queenstown, the grandparents decided to have a day of rest and a walk in the Botanic Gardens while the family had made arrangements for an early start to go skiing.
The season had opened a few days prior and luckily there was fresh snow up on the Remarkables, the only ski field open at this early stage. The family had come prepared with their own goggles & gloves and took advantage of a first time package which covered the lift pass, a group lesson plus equipment and clothing rental.
Tuckered out by the days excursion, the family were happy to spend the evening chilling out in their rooms after warming up with hot showers and a Korean takeaway dinner.
Upon leaving Queenstown the group popped into another Honey shop, Buzz Stop, for some last minute gifts then called into AJ Hackett’s Bungy to watch a few crazy people jump of the historic Kawarau Bridge.
They then headed north over the Crown Range, took a coffee break at the quaint Cardrona Hotel before having a giggle at the Bradrona fence. After this they drove through the Lindis Pass, stopping for lunch at the Wrinkly Ram in Omarama then fed the fish at the High Country Salmon Farm.
Unfortunately Mt Cook was shrouded in cloud so the group pushed on to Lake Tekapo, where they drove to the top of Mt John, in the heart of the MacKenzie Basin’s Dark Sky Reserve, to take in the incredible 360deg view. Sadly the weather did not play ball so the families star-gazing experience had to be cancelled.
And before everyone knew it, the last day of the tour was upon them. It was a bitterly cold day but everyone was cosy and warm as the van headed north back to Christchurch, where the family visited the Antarctica International Centre. Highlights were the Hagglund ride, Penguin feeding and petting the Huskies.
