Saying goodbye to the South Island, New Zealand

Fusing the old with an injection of cool, Hokitka, an interesting seaside town on the west coast of the South Island, was the first stop of the day. It is a great place to have lunch and while away a couple of hours. 

The gold rush of the 1860s may have given birth to this town but now art galleries and studios specialising in pounamu (green-stone/jade) jewellery and art are part of the treasures that line the wide streets. 

Hokitka

I can see why this place is a setting for so many novels. Not only is Hokitka pretty, it is a great place to people watch. If I had stayed longer I am sure I could have come up with an interesting script for a telenovela.  

Seen from theTranzAlpine train

The TranzAlpine train journey had to be the highlight of the day. After travelling along Arthur’s Pass, going through swathes of rain forests and seeing rivers and waterfalls, it was time to board the train. Rated as one of the world’s best train journey, it passes through tunnels and viaducts dishing up picture-postcard views of peaks covered in snow, beech forests and gorges. The rain only added to the drama.

Marlborough Country

After an overnight stop in Christchurch, we were up before the crack of dawn to whizz through North Canterbury’s main wine region, the Waipara Valley. We passed through silver and red beech forests before travelling through Marlborough Country, home of the illustrious sauvignon blanc. There are plenty of wineries here that you can visit, if you want to sample the delicious dry, fruity liquid. If you fancy lunch in a vineyard, this is the place.

It seemed all too soon that we were at Picton and ready to board the Interisland Ferry to sail through the Marlborough Sounds and across the Cook Straight to Wellington, New Zealand’s capital.

South Island was magical. Sometimes you look forward to visiting the place of your dreams and reality is a let-down. This was so much more beautiful than I ever could have imagined. Pictures and words cannot do it justice, you have to see it for yourself.

By Daralyn Danns

Getting there

Which city you fly into in New Zealand will depend on where your tour starts from and therefore, which airline you choose. Highly recommended are Cathay Pacific cathaypacific.com and qantas.com The service and inflight experience is spot on. Ensure that the flight you book is operated by the company and not just code-sharing

The tour was part of the Grand Pacific Ultimate Small Group Tours which I booked through Trailfinders (trailfinders.com) as I did the flights

The advantage of travelling aboard the Ultimate Coach is that instead of carrying the normal 48 passengers, it only carries 20. You sit in comfort in leather fully-reclining seats so no neck ache at the end of a long day. (Distances are vast in New Zealand.) There is plenty of personal storage. It is much easier being in a small group, no hanging around waiting for people, no long queues for the loos, overall much cosier

 

  

Destination Arrowtown and Franz Josef glacier, South Island, New Zealand

Today Arrowtown is charming and quaint, yet once it was buzzing with the excitement of hundreds of miners desperate to make their fortune in the local gold fields. The miners have long gone but their legacy lives on.

Less than a half-an-hour drive from Queenstown on New Zealand’s South Island, this pretty place, hugging the banks of the Arrow River, is a delight to visit. Historical wooden buildings dot the main street that is now filled with cute boutiques, art studios and cafés, plus a pub or two. Even the new builds pay homage to those of the town’s past golden days.

Today Arrowtown is charming and quaint

On a flying visit, a museum would not usually be on my agenda but I'm glad I made an exception for the Lakes District Museum. It was a treat. The museum paints a picture through working displays and artefacts of early Maori life and what the European settlers and miners had to endure during the gold rush of the 1800s. 

Unfortunately, there was not time to hire a gold pan to see if there was any treasure left in the Arrow River but I did feel somewhat richer for visiting Arrowtown.

Thunder Creek Falls

I was about to get even wealthier as my tour continued along the Haast Pass to the West Coast. Unbelievable scenery, rainforests, glaciers, and waterfalls littered the route which was once the pathway for the Maori explorers looking for pounamu (jade). Thunder Creek Falls, one of the country’s finest tumbling into the Haast River, was stunning.

The tempestuous Tasman Sea

When it comes to beauty no picture could ever capture the magnificence of the grandeur of the West Coast of New Zealand. Wild, rugged, raw and remote, this region sandwiched by the tempestuous Tasman Sea and the Southern Alps, is unequalled in New Zealand. It is a potent cocktail of lush wilderness and untamed coastline laced with a story to tell of settlers on the prowl for gold and coal.

In Lake Matheson you could see the reflections of Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman in the crystal clear waters. But my standout moment was getting up close and personal, or as near as I could, with the nearby Fox Glacier. 

Fox Glacier

Named after Sir William Fox, a former Prime Minister of New Zealand, the steep walk up to see the face was worth it. Unfortunately, the Fox and its twin the Franz Josef Glacier which I also saw in the distance, have melted incredibly quickly in recent years making hiking up the mountains too dangerous. Getting a glimpse was reward enough. 

As I sat savouring a glass of pinot gris that night over dinner, I reflected on a very special day that will be imprinted on my memory forever.

By Daralyn Danns

Getting there

Which city you fly into in New Zealand will depend on where your tour starts from and therefore, which airline you choose. Highly recommended are Cathay Pacific cathaypacific.com and qantas.com The service and inflight experience is spot on. Ensure that the flight you book is operated by the company and not just code-sharing.

The tour was part of the Grand Pacific Ultimate Small Group Tours which I booked through Trailfinders (trailfinders.com) as I did the flights

The advantage of travelling aboard the Ultimate Coach is that instead of carrying the normal 48 passengers, it only carries 20. You sit in comfort in leather fully-reclining seats so no neck ache at the end of a long day. (Distances are vast in New Zealand.) There is plenty of personal storage. It is much easier being in a small group, no hanging around waiting for people, no long queues for the loos, overall much cosier

First published in All About Hair (All About Hair UK), the travel and lifestyle blog with a luxury twist

Destination Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand

Framed by the Remarkables Mountains that seem to carry on forever, Queenstown hugs the shores of the clear blue waters of Lake Wakatipu. Whatever you have heard or read about the “Adventure Capital” of New Zealand, it will astound you more than you can imagine.

Many flock to this South Island town for an adrenalin rush. Jumping off a bridge, paragliding, mountain biking or holding on tight on a jet boat on the Shotover River,  billed as “the ultimate in water sports excitement”, were not high on my agenda. So I was pleased to discover that this delightful historic alpine town pulsated energy and danced to the beat of a city with many sides to its character.

The clear blue waters of Lake Wakatipu 

It has a superb gastronomic scene with plenty of enticing restaurants. Ferburger is a Queenstown institution and serves arguably one of the best burgers you have ever eaten. There is always a line but the wait is worth it.

The tranquil waterfront is the ideal spot to meander and take in the awesome scenery. It is also a good place for people watching, and enjoying a glass of pinot noir, for which the Central Otago region is renowned, at one of the many bars or cafés.

Queenstown

If you find you are consuming too many calories, do not worry. There are several outstanding walks, from the challenging Tiki Trail  which leads from the base of the Skyline gondola to the summit of Bob's Peak, to a sedate saunter through the stunning Botanical Gardens. 

For those of you whose idea of exercise is a trip to the shops Queenstown will not disappoint. The streets surrounding the waterfront are packed with boutiques and stores as well as some interesting art galleries.

Wine buffs will want to venture further afield and take a trip through the Gibbston Valley to sample the best numbers of the area. For those that yearn for a bit of quiet solitude there is good trout and salmon fishing. Golfers will adore this place.

TSS Earnshaw

Following an action-packed day, I relaxed on a leisurely cruise aboard the 100-year-old steamship TSS Earnshaw. The beauty of Queenstown passed before my eyes as the “Lady of the Lake, as she is known as, sailed to Walter Peak where we sampled a taste of farm life.

After seeing sheep and deer as well as Scottish Highland cattle, we enjoyed a buffet dinner. This was followed by a trip to the shearing shed to watch farm dogs round up the sheep and a farmer, which was a first for me, shear one.

Street in Queenstown

Compact and gorgeous, the spiritual home of bungi jumping will have your heart pumping and you do not have to be sporty!

By Daralyn Danns

Getting there

Which city you fly into in New Zealand will depend on where your tour starts from and therefore, which airline you choose. Highly recommended are Cathay Pacific cathaypacific.com and qantas.com The service and inflight experience is spot on. Ensure that the flight you book is operated by the company and not just code-sharing

The tour was part of the Grand Pacific Ultimate Small Group Tours which I booked through Trailfinders (trailfinders.com) as I did the flights

The advantage of travelling aboard the Ultimate Coach is that instead of carrying the normal 48 passengers, it only carries 20. You sit in comfort in leather fully-reclining seats so no neck ache at the end of a long day. (Distances are vast in New Zealand.) There is plenty of personal storage. It is much easier being in a small group, no hanging around waiting for people, no long queues for the loos, overall much cosier

First published in All About Hair (All About Hair UK), the travel and lifestyle blog with a luxury twist