New Zealand

  • New Zealand,  Oceania,  TDM,  Travel Journal

    Queenstown, Arrowtown & Wanaka (New Zealand)

    It’s nice to get some sun back in Queenstown after a day of torrential rain in Milford Sound. The road to Queenstown isn’t as nice as the roads we have been able to take so far. However, towards the end, when we drive along the lake (I forgot the name) bordering Queenstown, reflecting perfectly the half-snow-covered mountains on its motionless surface, we say “wow”. I love it! Queenstown Queenstown has everything to please: small houses, clean Disneyland-style streets, a nice lake with swimming spots (pebble beaches), a path along the lake for joggers and cyclists… and one of the best burgers in New Zealand: Fergburger We are fortunate enough to…

  • New Zealand,  Oceania,  TDM,  Travel Journal

    Te Anau and Milford Sound (New Zealand)

    Part 1: Travel Diary No visit to New Zealand without a visit to Milford Sound, all guides tell us about the country. Hence our 3h drive from Les Catlins to Te Anau, the last town before the Milford Sound Arrived at 4pm and totally exhausted after so many turns under an overwhelming heat, and being afraid of sand flies (which I will talk about at the end of the article), we decide to offer ourselves the ultimate luxury: to sleep in a youth hostel and not in a campite The next day, we leave early (8am) for Milford Sound with the idea of taking the cruise at 10:30am (one of…

  • New Zealand,  Oceania,  TDM,  Travel Journal

    The Catlins: Slope Point, Curio Bay and Purpoise Bay (New Zealand)

    To go from Dunedin to Milford Sound (nicknamed the most beautiful fjord in the world), you have to stop somewhere in the middle, otherwise you die of fatigue. It is in the Cathlins that we chose to stop, because the corner isn’t very touristic On the way, we notice trees so badly treated by the wind that they are completely frozen, even when there is no wind Waipapa Point We arrive near Slope Point around 5:00 pm and take the opportunity to visit Waipapa Point. What is for us a banal view point has turned into an unforgettable experience. While JB watches the beach closely, a sea lion (which he…

  • New Zealand,  Oceania,  TDM,  Travel Journal

    Moeraki Boulders and Dunedin (New Zealand)

    The trip from Mount Cook takes 3h30 – 4h (I don’t remember), for more than 250km. I’m the one driving, in the rain so I don’t go super fast. In New Zealand, there are so few people on the road that even a public danger like me can drive (on the left) without any problem. When I see someone speeding towards me, I take advantage of numerous stops/point left views to stop and let the person pass me. Moeraki BouldersWe arrive at Moeraki Boulders in rain and wind. They are balls dating back to the dinosaur era. Are they fossilized dinosaur eggs? Or just fossilized rocks? Nobody knows. There are…

  • New Zealand,  Oceania,  TDM,  Travel Journal

    Mount Cook (New Zealand): salmon and snowy peaks

    We leave Akaroa directly after the excursion to see the dolphins As the trip to Mount Cook is very long (more than 400km), we choose to stop at Tekapo Lake, 1 hour from Mount Cook, to sleep Lunch is next to a lake seen on the way. Some ducks and vans keep us company. We aren’t very difficult for lunch. In general, a few slices of pan toasted bread and a good omelette are more than enough. If we have a little more time, I also prepare a salad. Dirty dishes are put in a plastic bag to be washed in a campsite in the evening Lake Tekapo is very…

  • New Zealand,  Oceania,  TDM,  Travel Journal

    Akaroa (New Zealand): encounter with Hector dolphins

    Part 1: Travel Diary Part 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary The sale of farm products in “honesty box” The road from Christchurch to Akaroa is, at the beginning, nothing extraordinary. We are just happy to come across a farm selling eggs (between NZ$5 and NZ$6 a dozen) and manuka honey. It’s very easy to spot this kind of farms, they put signs on the side of the road with the list of products sold. For eggs, people usually come with their cardboard, but for tourists like us, they give free cartons. When it’s marked “free range”, it means that the hens have access to the outside Either the…

  • New Zealand,  Oceania,  TDM,  Travel Journal

    Christchurch, Hanmer Springs and Kaikoura (New Zealand): Travel Diaries

    After 10 hours of flight from Kuala Lumpur (imagine the number of hours of flight from France!), we land in Auckland … …. to catch a plane 4 hours later to Christchurch. Checking prohibited or restricted items at customs is going better than expected. Like Australia, New Zealand is very fussy about customs. However, we took care to throw away any food, any item containing honey, and to declare ourselves as pestiferous (dirty shoes, items in contact with non-potable water, contact with wild animals during the last 30 days). We were expecting to be quarantined for weeks to prove that we were not infected with Ebola, and in the end…