Kia Ora New Zealand!

Our time in Middle Earth has come to an end. We thoroughly enjoyed the 24 days spent in this amazingly diverse country. From miles and miles of picturesque sandy beaches to breathtaking glaciers to subtropical rain forests to spectacular fjords and rugged mountains. New Zealand really is a unique and special place.

When we last posted we were arriving on the South Island having just spent 12 days on the North Island. We tried our best to make the most of our time and certainly covered a lot of ground. In fact we drove over 4100kms across New Zealand in our cozy camper van!

Santa found us at our campsite in Motueka and unfortunately so did the rain. Christmas Day was spent having a quiet day relaxing in the camper van. On Boxing Day the weather cleared. We were fortunate to partake in a boat tour of the gorgeous Abel Tasman Park and spend some time at Kaiteriteri Beach. This area is absolutely beautiful with unbelievably turquoise water and golden sand. It was definitely one of our favourite discoveries on the South Island! We saw New Zealand fur seals for the first time here, and later a closer encounter in Milford Sound. Once 2 million in number they were hunted to 15000, but have since rebounded to 250,000. Their fur is supposedly the second warmest on the planet after the polar bear.

Our adventures next took us along the picturesque West Coast through Kahurangi and Paparoa National Parks. We made many stops at beautiful look outs, short hikes and rest stops, including the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes, an area of heavily eroded limestone that looks like a pile of pancakes, minus the Canadian maple syrup.

Our travels took us onward to Franz Josef and Fox Glacier. While it isn’t possible to actually reach the ice without a heli hike or guided tour we intended to hike near the glaciers as they are one of only two places on earth where icy glaciers descend into temperate rainforests. Unfortunately the rain was heavy and the fog thick, forcing us to move on without experiencing the true beauty of this area. Luckily when David and I were in Fox Glacier in 2003 we were able to hike on the glacier; I guess the boys will have to get back some day to try again before the glacier melts away completely as it is retreating rather quickly.

Next stop – Queenstown. We arrived just in time to celebrate the first of our birthdays away (David’s on December 30th). The weather was considerably warmer and this area did feel like a vacation town with many New Zealanders enjoying their holidays and partying in the new year. It was busy!

Queenstown has no shortage of things to do; a true adventure lover’s paradise. Pretty much any thrill seeking activity you can think of: Canyon swings, bungee jumping, zip lining, off road 4x4ing, paragliding and jet boating just to get you started. While we skipped the bungee and canyon swing this time, (David tried those on our last trip here), we did have an epic New Years Day that included luging, off roading, panning for gold and jet boating! Not an inexpensive day but a family Christmas gift in the form of memory making rather than more material gifts.

Our final experience in New Zealand was a trip through Fjordland National Park and Milford Sound although words and pictures cannot adequately describe this region. Carved by glaciers during the Ice Ages, it was described by Rudyard Kipling as the “eighth wonder of the world”. It is truly stunning with countless cascading waterfalls and mountain peaks. We enjoyed a boat cruise through the sound as well as a visit to the discovery centre for the boys to get some educational benefit.

Amazingly, we have been living the nomad life for over 5 months now! We opted to take just one backpack each to keep our baggage to a minimum. That means only a few tops, a few bottoms and (gasp!) a few pairs of shoes each. The boys are growing and we are discovering that what we packed back in August is fast being outgrown. This is not a big deal when you are at home with an extended wardrobe, but difficult when you are in the “middle of nowhere National Park land” and the one pair of pants you own no longer fit. Looks like it’ll be retail therapy time when we hit Sydney.

We’ve also have to be careful with acquiring extra “stuff” but some how, as seems to be the way with kids, we are accumulating. The 2 younger boys were to bring just one stuffie each with them for the year, although somehow Chase managed to sneak a second one in. It seems stuffies are like rabbits and multiply quickly. Current count? 14! They have found one, won 3, were gifted 4 and talked us in to buying 3. Needless to say our backpacks are getting full. I refuse, however, to eliminate any of my shoes to make room!

Between the 3 boys they have lost a combined total of 7 teeth since we left home. When at home they would always write a note to the tooth fairy asking that she leave the tooth for them to keep (why, I do not know). So….I am now carrying around 7 teeth in my makeup bag. If I ever get searched at customs I may have some explaining to do! In the grand scheme of things, however, these are minor issues and thankfully David and I still have all of our teeth and for the most part our clothes still fit!

Onward and downunderward to Australia!

With Love,

The Travelling Babins

“Actually the best gift you could have given her was a lifetime of adventures”. – Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland