NEW ZEALAND

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SOUTH ISLAND

West Coast

Lake Wakatipu south of Queenstown

Countryside north of Queenstown. In New Zealand, one can meet bicyclists of any age and any nationality. We met some even here, high up in the pass.

Peaceful lake Hawea embodies the beauties of New Zealand.

This Coleman fuel was purchased in New Zealand. It is available in the US as well, but is sold without the description - POISON - there. We have a feeling that if Coleman was forced to label its products in the US the same way it has to do it in New Zealand, it may not be able to sell much of it. At least people in New Zealand realize what they are buying and that they should be using it appropriately out in the nature.

Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier reach far down, almost to the sea level. While approaching them on a dirt road, we saw signs "In the year X the glacier ended here". Both of the glaciers had been retreating in the last century, but it appears that the trend was reversed in the last ten years.

Abel Tasman

It is a rather unusual feeling when you board a boat attached to a tractor and are asked to put on a life jacket. However, this is how water taxis operate in the Abel Tasman National park. We took the taxi several miles north along the coast and then returned back, sampling yet another of the Great Walks.

Turquoise water, golden sand beaches, islands and hills covered with vegetation is the scenery of the Abel Tasman coast. 

We hoped to go for a swim, but the water was already too cold - it was the beginning of fall season.

Ferry to the North Island

This is how sheep and cattle are transported between the islands. The sheep were clearly expressing their dissatisfaction with the level of comfort they got for their ticket.

NORTH ISLAND

Around lake Taupo

The north Island is still very volcanically active. Earthquakes, geysers and hot springs are nothing unusual here. However, we liked best this large mud pool.

We spent more than one hour watching the pool bubble.

The Maori Culture

Traditional welcoming dance in front of the village looks so fearful that an uninformed visitor would be likely to run away to safety. 

Every Maori village has one beautifully carved house in which excess food is stored for the times of need - food like dried fish, crop, meat preserved in fat, etc.

Maori dancers with traditional tattoos

Tongariro Crossing

Tongariro Crossing is sometimes called the most beautiful one-day walk of New Zealand. It is part of yet another of the Great Walks. The crowds testify to its popularity. To get a little bit of solitude, we first hiked fast to get ahead of everybody, then took a detour to the peak of a nearby volcano and finished the walk after everybody left.

Tongariro Crossing passes through truly unique volcanic area. This is the volcano that we climbed.

The weather changes amazingly quickly there. We can testify that the guidebook was right when it said that before one manages to say "Where did the clouds come from?", they are all around.

Climbing up the unstable slopes of Pukekaikiore proved to be the most difficult part of the trek. It took us more than two hours to negotiate the steep slopes, sliding two steps down after each step up. However, going down was a piece of cake - just like skiing.

Our hard effort was well rewarded - at the top we reached the most beautiful volcanic crater that we have ever seen.

As the clouds cleared here and there, we had great views of the landscape surrounding Pukekaikiore volcano.

We found the Red Crater to be the most unique formation of this hike full of surprises. The combination of rich red and black colors is in reality even more distinct than on this picture.

From the Red Crater one descends down to three turquoise lakes. Hot steam is rising from the ground all around, but the water in the lakes is cold.

This is a view at the Red Crater from a distance. Unfortunately, its colors are hidden in a shade. Tongariro National Park is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. It was a great culmination of our visit to New Zealand.

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