Lake Heron Station (June 20)

On Saturday we drove from Dunedin all the way north through Timaru and then headed inland again and up towards Mt Hutt and the Lake Heron Station. Located at the north end of Lake Heron the station was first established in 1857 and has been in the Todhunter family since 1917. The valley is beautiful and is surrounded by spectacular mountains. The focus of the station is on Merino wool production which they ship to Icebreaker but they also run Angus cattle and are involved in lamb production. They are also partners in a helicopter skiing operation which takes guests into the Arrowsmith Ranges and other nearby mountains. The station runs along the east side of Lake Heron and is 19,000 ha in size with the homestead located at 700m but with some grazing land at higher elevations.

We arrived late afternoon and had some time to do a little exploring before dark. Then we enjoyed a nice dinner and a relaxing evening in front of the fire in the cottage. The cottage has three bedrooms and a nice living room/ kitchen area – really pretty deluxe for just the three of us. It was so nice and quiet up that we all slept late in the morning and then woke to a bright sunny day. We packed some snacks and headed off for a hike in the surrounding hills. A short row across the lake gives you access to Mount Sugarloaf and we decided that we would tackle that. The top did not look far off but we soon found that this was a false summit (one of several) but we finally made it up to the top. We stopped along the way and enjoyed the incredible views – breathtaking. When we reached the summit the clouds had started to move in but it was still quite mild.

When we got back I looked up the elevation of Mt Sugarloaf and it was 1238m. With the farmstead at 700m that means we climbed 538m which is quite a climb for Bree. Once again she never got tired and talked the entire way up (and down). This time she wasn’t a chipmunk but instead was a Viking in search of dragon eggs and dragons to hunt.

Before leaving the sheep station we had a chance to talk with Anne and Phillip about their operation. They currently run 10,000 Merino sheep but also have around 700 head of Angus cattle. We toured the woolshed and Phillip explained how important nutrition of the animals is to the strength of the fibre. I had always thought that the benefit of the New Zealand grown merino wool was that the colder winters made for a more insulating product. However it is more likely the consistent nutrition that produces the superior product as fluctuations in nutrition can cause weakness in the fibre (Russ’s had a good analogy relating this to growth rings in trees). Therefore keeping the animals in good condition is important to produce good quality wool.

The shearing here is done once a year and typically takes place after winter in September. The wool is sorted and then baled for shipping to Icebreaker. The station produces about 50 tonnes of wool per year. It might be possible to run higher numbers of animals but Anne and Phillip want to manage their grasslands in a sustainable way and feel that their current numbers allow for this. They have agronomic pasture and do feed out alfalfa and other forage in the winter but also graze a large portion of native range. These native pastures are larger in size but are still run in a rotational grazing system.

Phillip is also a helicopter pilot and flies for their heli ski business during the winter months. This along with the cottage and tourism (they do guided hut walks) and the beef and lamb production helps to diversify income. We stayed at the cottage for three days and had a wonderful time. It was great to learn a little more about Merino sheep farming and to spend some time in a hill station. It was also nice to be away from everything – no television, no internet, no phone, no stores, no people – and just relax.

Dunedin (June 18)

From Queenstown we drove straight over to Dunedin to spend a few days before starting our journey back north again. Dunedin is located on the west coast and is the “doorway” to the Orago Peninsula. It is full of Victorian and Edwardian architecture and is sometimes referred to as the Edinburgh of the south.  It is quite a hilly town and seems large although the population is only around 124,000.

The first night there we decided to take a tour of the Speights Brewery. Speights is one on New Zealand’s most popular beers and has been made in Dunedin since 1876. The tour was very informative and at the end we were allowed to sample the Speights line-up of beers and one cider and operate the taps ourselves. I imagine some people get their monies worth out of the tour at the sampling alone!

The next day we toured Cadbury World – Cadbury’s chocolate factory for New Zealand and for export in the south. The products here are quite different from at home with many of the bars being marshmallow based with a chocolate coating. A New Zealand standard are Jaffas which are chocolate balls covered in a hard orange sugar coating. On the tour we saw several different products being made including the start of the Easter eggs for next year. We also saw a five story high chocolate fall that dumps over one tonne of chocolate. We were all given sample bags and by the end of the tour we each had quite a large bag full – I am sure Bree will help us eat our way through these before we have to leave for Canada.

In the evening we drove out to the tip of the Otago Peninsula to visit Penguin Place, a private conservation reserve that is home to s small group of Yellow Eyed Penguins. These penguins are quite different in that they are solitary. They are also the most endangered type of penguin which makes habitat conservation for these birds very important. The place we visited is actually a working farm but they are protecting all their shoreline and planting native shrubs to give the cover the birds need. They have built in ground tunnels and covered shelters so that you can go down near the beach and watch the birds as they return to shore without frightening them. We were lucky enough to see several of the penguins arrive in the surf and then walk up the beach and into the shoreline area where their nets are located.

That night a storm blew into town and we could hear the wind blowing all night. I thought we might wake to snow or at least rain but it was just windy and cloudy in the morning. We packed up the car once again and prepared for a long drive up into the hill country in South Canterbury where we are going to spend a few days at one of the Icebreaker sheep stations.

Queenstown (June 16)

Ironically the one town that we didn’t plan to stay in we ended up staying for four nights! We had originally planned to just pass through Queenstown on our way to Te Anau which is the gateway to Milford Sound but when we arrived it was late afternoon and we decided to stay the night. The weather for Te Anau was not good and we found out we could take a coach from Queenstown to Milford Sound for close to the same price as from Te Anau. We were also tired of packing and unpacking and decided staying in one place for a few days would be nice. We found a great place right in town and there were special rates since the ski season has not opened yet.

The first day we took the trip to Milford Sound which I posted earlier. The second day we took it easy and toured the town in the morning. I took Bree to Cookie Time were she sampled some of the New Zealand made cookies and we stuffed as many cookies into a container as we could for a set price. I think we will be eating cookies for the next week or so! We also restocked on paper and coloured pens at Smiggles (Bree’s favourite stationary store). Bree spends most of her time in the car colouring pictures and making toys out of paper so are stocks were running low and we still have a lot more driving to do.

In the afternoon we went on the Shotover Jet Boat ride. Russ had done a jet boat when he was in Queenstown a few years ago and said it was something we should do. The trip he did was on the lake so this time we decided to go down the Shotover River. It was incredible! I have to admit I was a little nervous as the boat travels so fast and they take you so close to the canyon walls but they are well trained and it is all part of the thrill. They also do some 360 turns and Bree would scream her head off and then laugh like crazy afterwards. The ride was at least 30 minutes long and the boat is quite small, holding approximately 15 people. As soon as the ride was over Bree wanted to go again!

The third day Russ and I took turns going for a run in the morning and then we all went up the Skyline Gondola which overlooks Queenstown. They have a luge ride that you can take at the top and we had done this at Rotorua when Bree was a year old. This time Bree was tall enough to ride on her own and after a trip down with me she decided to drive her own cart. She did a wonderful job but her arms were getting tired by the end and she hit the median just at the end of the ride. She was fine but it did scare her a little and the next ride she decided to come with one of us.

Queenstown is like a tiny Whistler, pretty much a resort town with tons of outdoor gear shops and tourist activities. There are also lots of great restaurants and pubs and we did grab take away a few nights. Queenstown sits on Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand’s longest lake at 84km. From here it is only a short drive to Coronet Peak ski area and to The Remarkables ski field. For us staying in Queenstown was great as we parked the car the day we arrived and did not use it again until the day we left. It was really nice to have a few quiet days and not have to pack bags or drive. Now we are packing up the car again and planning a longer drive over to Dunedin. From there we will start working our way back up the coast.

Milford Sound (June 13)

One of the things that Russ really wanted to do was to see Milford Sound and today we finally made it. We ended up taking a bus from Queenstown which meant quite a long day as it is about a 4.5 hour bus ride each way (and longer if you add in the stops). However, it was worth it as we got to sit back and relax and also the bus driver was able to tell us all about the surrounding area and I found that very interesting.

 We left Queenstown and travelled to Te Anau and from there we made our way along Fiordland National Park and up into Milford Sound. Along the way we stopped at several places. One of these was Mirror Lakes were you can see a perfect reflection of the surrounding mountains in the shallow, still lakes. On the drive you also travel through the Homer Tunnel which is quite long and was dug entirely with picks and shovels starting in 1935 and opened to allow traffic through in 1954. I am not quite sure how driving through the tunnel works as there were no stop lights and if a bus is in there is really not much room to get back. The drive through took a few minutes and I imagine that sometimes another vehicle must have to back up. Apparently rental vans often get a little too close to the side and do some damage to the roof – this is known as “tunnel bite”. Just after Homer Tunnel we stopped and walked in to the Chasm, where you can see waterfalls and shaped rocks and potholes, formed by the running water in the Cleddau River.

In Milford Sound we took a boat and travelled through the sound and out to the Tasman Sea. We had pretty nice weather with some clear skies and some light rain. We were told that it rains up to 7 or more metres a year in Milford Sound so rain is pretty common! The good thing about having the rain is that the waterfalls are quite impressive when it rains. We also saw at least 5 rainbows that afternoon alone. Sometimes I think that New Zealand should be called land of the rainbow instead of land of the long white cloud as I have seen more rainbows in the last 6 months then I have in the last 6 years at home.

Bree made friends with a young girl named Claire on the bus trip and they had fun running around the deck during the trip. Claire and her family were visiting from Singapore and it was nice to chat with them. The drive back home was long and everyone on the bus had a little sleep except for Bree who managed to stay awake and play the entire trip home. We were back in Queenstown by 7pm and ready for a quiet evening in. Milford Sound was definitely worth the trip. It is hard to do it justice in writing and even our pictures won’t really show how magnificent it is.

Wanaka (June 12)

Wanaka is a small town located on the shores of Lake Wanaka and is the entrance to Mount Aspiring National Park. Wanaka is well known for hiking, biking, skiing and adventure activities and is a like a small version of Queenstown. The lake itself is 45.5km long and the day we arrived it was clear and sunny out. Russ and I took advantage of the weather and did a short run along the lake before it got dark.

The next day it was clear again but the upcoming forecast showed a storm moving into the Milford Sound area and we decided to head down to Te Anau while the weather was still good. So we packed up and headed off for Queenstown and then Te Anau. Before we left town we decided to stop at Puzzling World which is in Wanaka. It was well worth the stop! The place is full of optical illusions and we had a great time touring the different rooms. Our favourite was the room that was tilted so that everything seemed to be moving uphill (when in fact is was actually going downhill). There was a pool table where the ball appeared to roll uphill, a chair on the wall that you sta on and it went “up” and also a river that appeared to run uphill.

Outside they had a large maze and the goal is to make it to the 4 corner towers (red, blue, green and yellow) and then back out. They tell you this generally takes an hour or more and when a 6 year old is leading the charge it takes even longer! We ended up running around outside for quite some time but it was a good way to burn off some energy before driving. The gift shop was full of all kinds of puzzles and they had many of these out on tables for you to try. We could have easily spend hours just playing with those but we had to move on. If you are ever in Wanaka this place is worth a stop.



Mount Cook (June 11)

We woke to heavy rain and as the clouds lifted we could see snow on the surrounding hills, even on Mt John where we hiked yesterday. Despite the rain we decide to head up to Mount Cook knowing that we might not see the Mountain but we will get to see snow. Just as we are packing up the power in Lake Tekapo goes out and we are unable to even fuel up the car. We decide to drive to Twizel, just past the turn off to Mt Cook so that we can get gas and a cup of coffee at one of the cafes. It is a short drive and despite the cloud we still have pretty good views. In Twizel Bree runs into two girls that she met on the ferry and they have a quick play in the playground before the rain starts again.

To get to Mount Cook you turn off of the main highway and drive along the west side of Lake Pukaki, which is even larger than Lake Tekapo. The Mt Cook village is fairly small and because it is off season we are able to get a very nice room in the Hermitage Hotel with spectacular views of Aoraki National Park. Attached to the hotel is the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre which houses a museum and a 3D theatre and Planetarium. Unfortunately when we arrive the cloud cover is still low and there ground is covered in very wet snow but by the early afternoon the clouds lift and we finally get a glimpse of Mt Cook. At 3754m high Aoraki or Mt Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand. It is part of the Southern Alps which host a range of impressive mountains. From our view at the hotel we can see out towards the Mueller glacier but due to the very wet and icy snow covered ground we decide not to walk out to it. Instead we decide to enjoy the benefits of a fancy hotel and we buy a pass to the many movies and planetarium features that are held throughout the day. We watch the 3D movie called Mount Cook Magic and then take in the Space Traveller, Black Holes and Space Opera in the planetarium. Russ went to the feature film titled Hillary on Everest while Bree finally got to enjoy sometime in the bathtub (something we rarely get in holiday park accommodation). In the evening we all went to the Panorama restaurant for a “fancy” dinner out.

Today we woke to a beautiful view of Mt Cook and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast before the clouds again moved in. We decided to head over to Wanaka for a night or two and headed out onto the road again around noon. By chance we stopped in Tarras for a bite to eat and ended up at the Shrek museum. Shrek was a merino sheep that got lost and lived on his own for 6 years before he was found. The fleece on him was impressive! Shrek became famous and has toured around New Zealand helping raise money for charity. Sadly Shrek passed away this week at 17 years of age.

The entire drive from Mount Cook to Wanaka was spectacular. This is definitely New Zealand hill country with the open grasslands covered in Merino sheep and herds of beef cattle. Even though winter is on the way in the animals are all still out grazing. We are trying to arrange to visit an Icebreaker sheep station somewhere in this area and I look forward to learning more about grazing sheep in this environment. To me the land here looks much more like Kamloops and the continental climate is more similar to what I am used to. I feel very at home in this Central Otago region and could easily spend more time here but as our trip is coming to an end soon we have to move on.

Lake Tekapo (June 9)

We have finally made it up into the mountains! Lake Tekapo is approximately a 3 hour drive in a south west direction from Christchurch. The first part of the drive is flat, along the east coast and then you head west up into the mountains. The day we arrived was clear and sunny and the views of the area were spectacular. Since it is the “shoulder” season accommodation was easy to come by and we splurged a little to rent a self contained house located right by the Church of the Good Shepherd. The views from the house are incredible and we look out directly over the pale blue lake.

We arrived early afternoon and it was so warm that we sat on the deck,  played monopoly and had a beer. A group of tourists from China came by and ended up on the deck taking pictures with us. The sun is now setting early now and once it began to cool down we went over to Alpine Springs which is a series of hot pools, an ice rink and when there is snow a small tube park. There are three outside pools but these are not natural hot springs, the hot water is a result of the cooling required for the ice rink. We spent the entire evening relaxing there and Bree even found a friend to play with.

Today both Russ and I were able to get a quick run in and enjoy the cool, crisp air. It would be similar to fall at home in Kamloops. We then went back to the hot pools as our pass was good until 1pm and soaked until we were prunes. The day was a little cloudy but by afternoon the clouds had burned off and we took the hour hike up Mount John where the Mt John Observatory and the Astro Cafe are. The walk is fairly short but climbs around 300 metres but once again Bree walked and talked the entire way and we made it up in 45 minutes. We had a nice snack at the top and enjoyed the views. I finally got to see some of the native grasslands and from the top we could look out across the open grasslands. The walk down was much quicker but it was definitely getting colder.

Back at the house we went over to visit the Church of the Good Shepherd which is a stone church built in memory of the pioneers of Mackenzie Country in 1935. Just down the path is the statue of the Border collie, erected in 1968 in tribute to all the border collies that have made it possible for farmers to manage the grazing of these highlands.  Bree wanted to play along the lake and as she was jumping from rock to rock she slipped and fell in. She was laughing about it but she was pretty much soaked and the water is not very warm. Luckily the house was across the street so we ran back home and got her dried off. Now we are all relaxing in the cozy, warm house and tomorrow we head up to Mount Cook for a few days.

Kaikoura and Christchurch (June 7)



From Abel Tasman we had to back track to Blenheim and then headed down to Kaikoura on the east coast. As we hit the coast line much of the drive reminded me of the Okanagan with the dry, grass covered hills and all the vineyards. Since this area is in the rainshadow of the mountains running down the center of the South Island it stays quite dry. In fact we left a rainy Nelson area only to find sunshine out on the east coast.

Kaikoura is a popular area to come and see whales, most famous are the sperm whales, but humpback whales and Orca whales also visit the area. We looked at the cost of the whale tours and decided we would wait until our return visit on the way home (and see if we still had any money left). We instead took a walk along the peninsula walkway out at Point Kean and then walked along the rocky shore. Here we came across a large seal and I wouldn’t have even known he was there if he hadn’t warned us with a bark.

After staying the night in Kaikoura we drove to Christchurch and went to visit Kiwi Dave’s sister, Nadia, and her husband Daryl. They have Fin who is 10 years old and Paige who is 8 years old and Bree was very excited about getting to spend some time with other kids. We spent the afternoon visiting and while we were sitting in the house an aftershock hit. It is a very strange feeling, not so much shaking as rolling. Russ was outside and at first did not notice it until he saw the car moving. I thought Bree might be scared so I went to the room where she was playing with Paige and asked if she had felt the house move. She just looked up and said “Don’t worry mom that was just an aftershock, they happen all the time.” Obviously Paige had filled her in and Bree was not that concerned.

Daryl is involved with the West Coast Breweries and is also an owner of the West Coast Bar and Grill which is located in Christchurch and he graciously offered to take us to dinner. Russ and I both had a sampler tray of their beers and my favourite was the pale ale, which is quite a hoppy beer. It was also wonderful to have a nice dinner out for a change and Bree was happy playing with Paige and Fin. Unfortunately Russ had just started to come down with a bug and was not feeling all that well but he still enjoyed the wonderful meal.

We stayed at the Christchurch Top 10 Holiday Park which is massive. There were lots of construction workers staying there and it is only about a 10-15 minute drive to the city center. The next day we went down near the city center and it was incredible to see the streets that were all wavy (bumps and dip) from the pavement moving. We did not go right up to the Central Business District which is still cordoned off as they work to remove buildings and secure the area.

Daryl dropped off Paige and Fin in the morning and Russ and I took all the kids to the Onarawa Wildlife Center. This ended up being a great deal as the kids were only $5 each and there was a lot to see. We spent the first hour at the adventure play ground because they had the best flying fox (zip line) that we had seen yet. Once the kids got over their initial fear they didn’t want to stop. Then we went to watch the tiger feeding. Later we were able to help feed the giraffes and there was even a baby giraffe, only 5 months old. There were also rhinoceroses, lions, zebras, water buffalo and a variety of other animals. By the time we had lunch, hit the playground again and then made a brief visit to the gift store close to five hours had past. We took the kids back to the Holiday Park and let them play on the jumping pillow until it was time for them to go home. Bree and Paige were begging for a sleepover but finally settled on playing for a while after dinner before saying good-bye. Paige lent Bree a stuffed dog to take with her on her travels and we will return it when we come back through Christchurch on our way north. It was great to meet Nadia and Daryl and I think two days of kid play time was what Bree (and Russ and I) needed!

Abel Tasman (June 4)

Abel Tasman was well worth the visit. We stayed three nights here and had some time to visit a little of the area. I have always wanted to paddle and hike in Abel Tasman so we arranged a trip that would allow us to do both and also was kid friendly. As much as I would have enjoyed a 3-4 day trip I realized that early winter with a forecast for wet weather was not the best time for this. Instead we paddled from Marahau out to Watering Cove and on the way we went out to Adele Island and saw the seals. Since we had a six year old the company recommended a guide and this would also allow us to leave the kayaks and hike back while the guide arranged for the water taxi and took the boats back. It was worth it as our guide knew the area well and was able to show us things we would not have seen on our own. Bree went in the boat with the guide and Russ and I got to paddle together for a change.

We paddled for about two hours and then arrived at Watering Cove. Here we grabbed our daypacks and headed off on the trail alone. From Watering Cove back to Marahau is approximately 12km and I was a little concerned that this might be too long for Bree. I needn`t have worried because Bree had no problems at all and I don`t think Russ and I would have hiked it much faster on our own. Not only did we make it out in around three hours, Bree also provided a nonstop commentary about the surrounding forest all the while pretending to be Eleanor the chipmunk.

The next day was raining and fogged in so Russ and I each went for a run along the coast and then we drove out to visit the Ngarua Caves. I had not heard about the caves but the owner at our motel told us that they were worth a visit. Wow was she ever right! The caves are located in the Golden Bay region at about 2000 feet above sea level. The drive up to the caves was an adventure in itself. Unfortunately the fog made it impossible to see anything although the view is supposed to be spectacular. The tour was 45 minutes long and we walked underground through a series of caves. There were stalactites (from the top), stalagmites (bottom up) and also Moa bones (the now extinct bird that once roamed New Zealand).  One large middle section was named the Cathedral and the acoustics in here were amazing. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour and I was reminded of a tour I took as a teenager back in some similar caves in England. The tour ended with us climbing up a ladder and out a hole at the end of the caves. We walked back to the start across a landscape scattered with large stones. Apparently part of the filming for the Lord of the Rings took place here.