December 2022 - Wanderwiles

Christchurch

The George Hotel in Christchurch felt sophisticated and luxurious after our pretty but simple motel in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. I’d found The George online when looking for somewhere to use two Hyatt free night certificates we needed to use. Although not a Hyatt, The George partners with Hyatt and free night certificates are usable there for some dates and categories.* A lovely spacious room with huge bathroom, a seating area and a balcony overlooking green trees confirmed I’d made a good choice. Hagley Park North sits just across the street from The George and the Christchurch Botanic Gardens and city center are a short walk away.

I’d made reservations for dinner at Cellar Door, a wine bar set in the south quad of the lovely Christchurch Arts Centre. We spent the hours before dinner wandering the city center, taking the old cathedral undergoing major reconstruction as well as other lingering signs of mass destruction beside gleaming modern buildings and stately older stone structures reflecting the English and Scottish whalers who settled in Christchurch. Remnants of the devastating earthquake in 2011 that killed 185 people are apparent everywhere and make Christchurch a striking mix of old and new, ruins and construction, bustling and deserted, cheerful and mournful.

Cellar Door turned out to a happy choice for dinner and we enjoyed flights of local wine along with venison and fish from the Canterbury region. Dark was just descending as we left Cellar Door, so we strolled across the street to the Christchurch Botanic Gardens lured by the hot pink lights setting off the adjoining buildings of Christ’s College and the Canterbury museum, flower beds and fountains.

A fun treat awaited us back at The George: A small teddy bear sat by my pillow with a tag proclaiming him to be George the Bear and stating that he wished to travel with us. George has his own Facebook page and is quite the traveler judging by the photos I’ve seen (and posted) there. What a fun and clever idea! Fun for the guests, free advertising for the hotel. I’ve snapped quite a few photos of George on his travels and he’s now living with us in Paris and even gets out and about here on occasion. He’s very excited about an upcoming trip to Uzbekistan. 😉

We had no real plans for our full day in Christchurch so set out on foot to cover as many of the recommended sights as we could. An early stop near a riverside memorial wall for the victims of the earthquake made us stop and read the tributes. One with a photo of a young man and the anguished words of his parents and siblings stays with me. Heartbreaking. The lunchtime earthquake lasted such a short time, but the resulting loss of life and property was staggering. We came across more memorials: a garden where a collapsed news building once stood, a touching display of 185 empty white chairs of all styles on the grounds of a former church, and on and on. A white baby carrier among the chairs was particularly poignant.

Around Christchurch [clockwise from top left]: on the Avon River, New Regent Street, Hamish Hay Bridge, Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre, White Chairs Memorial on the site of the former St. Luke’s in the City Anglican Church

More uplifting was a stop on 1930’s-era New Regent Street dotted with pastel mission-style buildings housing cafes and boutiques. Although New Regent Street took damage in the 2011 earthquake (and later quakes as well), it was rebuilt and restored. A period tram carries tourists to the popular pedestrian street and covered mall.

Dating even further back to the 1880’s, Hamish Hay Bridge is a lacy wrought iron and stone confection spanning the Avon river and connecting to Victoria Square park. The park is flanked on opposite sides by the modern city hall and the large Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre. The Convention Centre is eye-catching with its tile facade and unusual shape. The tiles and shape are supposed to represent the “Canterbury region’s braided rivers.” The tiles looked like a herringbone pattern to me, but I liked them all the same.

Of course, David soon called for a local beer brake so we made our way to the Canterbury Brewers Collective inside the Riverside Market in downtown Christchurch. The CBC offers a large selection of local craft beers on tap and in bottles. We had fun sipping tasty beers and chatting with the owner about beer and about his eventful life. He’s a native of Christchurch, but had moved to the Seattle area where he had the bad luck to live through the housing crash. Having lost his home, he decided to return to Christchurch with his wife. They arrived only days before the 2011 earthquake. His stories of the quake and the days and weeks and months afterwards were harrowing. If you’re feeling down on your luck, remember what this guy has been through. And he’s still going and still positive. Bravo and best of luck to the Canterbury Brewers Collective!

Canterbury Brewers Collective in the Riverside Market

With our thirst quenched, we headed to the Christchurch Botanic Gardens. We’d only scraped the lighted surface the night before so wanted to see more. The gardens were well worth our time: Gorgeous grounds, interesting native plants, artistic fountains and bridges…and a plethora of tiny ducklings!

We found ourselves without dinner plans and with very few options on a Monday night. Heading back to the Art Centre area, we found Cook ‘N’ With Gas open and the menu looked good. The quaint eatery was deserted save for one table of three in the back. Unfortunately, everything that had appealed on the menu was unavailable. Our friendly waiter checked with the chef who finally agreed he could thaw some venison that should be good, but we’d need to patch together some of the sides from other dishes since he had none of what was supposed to go with the meat. We gave it a shot and the result was mixed insofar as the combinations went, but the meat was fine and it wasn’t a bad meal. Cheers to the chef for improvising.

The next day it was time to head across the South Island through Arthur’s Pass to the west coast. I’d read about some of the overlooks near Christchurch, though, and hated to leave without seeing at least some of them. So we drove thirty minutes out of our way to Sugarloaf Reserve and a great view of Governors Bay from Summit Road. The detour was worth it:

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* I often want to combine one hotel certificate of mine with one of David’s for a two-night stay. Obviously, we want to stay in the same room and not have to pack, check out, change rooms (after some hours) and check back in to a new room. But, not infrequently, even when I’ve found two consecutive nights available at a participating hotel, the category of room may be different. For example, at a recent stay in Monaco, I could find only one night in a king bed with ocean view and one night with two double beds with an ocean view or a king bed without an ocean view. In this case, I booked my preferred room for the first night (an ocean-view king) and the less desirable room for the second night using our certificates. Then, I called the hotel and explained that, although we had two reservations, we are one couple and would prefer not to move if at all possible. We had a similar situation with our bookings at The George and elsewhere in New Zealand. I have never had a hotel refuse to do this. After all, it’s easier for them, too, if the room is available. Anyway, there’s no guarantee and the rooms may genuinely be fully booked and unavailable, but it never hurts to ask.

Aoraki Mount Cook National Park

View from our patio at Aoraki Court Motel

A close second to Milford Sound, Aoraki Mount Cook National Park was high on my list of places to visit in New Zealand. After our overnight in Wanaka, we were off to this highlight. The road took us through Lindis Pass and yet more desolate mountains, uniformly tan and dotted with clumps of spiky brush. We stopped at a scenic overlook describing an early release of the Scottish red stags that have so thrived in New Zealand. We drove a short stretch across the Ahuriri River before crossing that river to turn north then along Lake Pukaki, now with wide dry fields where Google Maps showed a much wider lake. As with many places we’ve traveled, climate change was making itself known here.

We received a friendly welcome at Aoraki Court Motel and were soon checked in to a spacious room with kitchenette and a sliding glass door opening to a patio with a spectacular view of the mountains. [See lead photo above.] The weather gods were still smiling and the deep blue of cloudless skies made a perfect background to snow-topped peaks. We split a local beer on the patio, basking in the sunshine and the view.

Even the view from our bed at Aoraki Court Motel was awesome.

Scanning a binder of local hiking trails we realized we still had time for an afternoon hike near the motel so made a quick job of changing shoes and heading out. The hike was an easy ramble with lush greenery-framed paths and views over the valley in which the motel sits, a pretty and fun teaser for what awaited us the next day. We made it an early night, looking forward to getting closer to Mount Cook, glaciers and mountain lakes the next day.

Our weather luck held for the most part (more about wind later) and we started off in high spirits for the Hooker Valley Track. We found this track to be an easy three hour or so hike, well laid out and very popular. We decided to head to Kea Point first and were rewarded with dazzling views of Mount Stefton, The Footstool, Mueller Glacier Lake and Mount Cook. White clouds crested a ridge and spilled down the far mountain slope beyond a tall moraine wall left by the glacier.

We retraced our path from Kea Point to continue on to the iceberg lake that was our Hooker Valley Track destination. As we continued on our hike, the already stiff wind began to increase. It raced down the mountains and along the valley causing us to lean in to move forward. Several suspension bridges over rushing pale blue water and deep gorges became more and more exciting as the wind continued to grow. Vegetation swayed around a long raised boardwalk across a high valley plain.

At last, we arrived at Mueller Glacier Lake where dirt-streaked icebergs floated in the opaque pale water. A signed warned us of the hazards: 3C (37.4F) water temperature, unstable icebergs, waves caused by a calving glacier. Only moraine skree seemed to border the lake now, but it was still a beautiful and unique spot. We hiked to a point near the “beach” at the water’s edge, but high winds made going further seem unwise as well as pointless. Several times, I was nearly blown off my feet and the wind came and went unpredictably on the narrow path.

Icebergs floating on Mueller Glacier Lake

The wind was an interesting and increasing challenge, periodically blocked by terrain, then slamming into us full force when we rounded a particularly large boulder or came around a slope. Recrossing the suspension bridges got to be downright scary on our return. At one point, I thought to pull out my phone mid-bridge for a pic, but I needed my hands free to hold on to the cable rails. I could see, too, that there was a good chance of my phone being ripped out of my hand by the mighty wind. Oh well, we had plenty of photos and I opted to hold on. David had fun snapping my pic from the far side, though, as I crossed behind him buffeted by the wind.

Wanaka and Albert Town, New Zealand

Iconic view from Wanaka waterfront #thatwanakatree

The 4.5-hour drive between Milford Sound and Wanaka required a big southward dip before turning north to take us along Lake Wakatipu almost back to Queenstown. From there, we left the green and blue of the water’s edge to cross the barren landscape of desert tan and scrub brush of the Crown Range.

Albert Town/Wanaka was primarily a layover between Milford Sound and Mount Cook/ Aoraki National Park. When I’d planned this trip, I thought we might be in need of a washing machine at this point in our travels so had prioritized that. The Albert Town AirBnB turned out to be much more than that: lovely, quiet, very comfortable, budget-friendly and a short drive to Lake Wanaka and downtown. Our host hobbled out to greet us with a truly harrowing story of a hang-gliding accident six months before from which he was only just recovered enough to walk, albeit gingerly. Hang-gliding was already off my list, but this confirmed my choice. Our host had done hundreds of flights before his accident, but when I asked him if he’d fly again, he gave a firm no.

We started a load of laundry and had only a bit of time to kick back before dinner reservations at Kika, one of the top-rated restaurants in town. Kika has a laid-back vibe with tasting menu and an interesting variety of sharing plates. A big, free-standing stone fireplace stands in the center of a minimalist dining room in dark tones with plain wooden tables and chairs. We ordered a creative cocktail, followed by several fun small plates and local beer. Our little cabin in Knobs Flat with our simple homemade meals had suited our time in Fiordland National Park, but we also enjoyed this pleasant return to civilization.

With so little time, we got up early the next morning for a run to Pembroke Patisserie, just a short drive up the road from our AirBnB. Pembroke provided a taste of France in little Albert Town. It was packed with locals on a Saturday morning. We packed up after breakfast and drove back into Wanaka to walk around the lake, snapping photos of the gorgeous waterfront and the Wanaka Tree. (See my lead photo above and you can checkout #thatwanakatree on Instagram for thousands more photos of the iconic tree.) After our short but thoroughly enjoyable stay in Albert Town/Wanaka, we were off to our next stop which I was really looking forward to: Aoraki/ Mount Cook National Park. If only we could get as lucky with the weather there as we had at Milford Sound!

Milford Sound, a New Zealand treasure

Postcard perfect: Mitre Peak reflected in Milford Sound

My number one must-see in New Zealand was Milford Sound. This time our pandemic-induced rescheduling worked to our advantage. When I’d first planned this trip in March 2020, the Milford Sound Road (a world-famous drive I definitely wanted to make) was severely damaged and closed. We could still fly in, maybe, but that wasn’t what I envisioned and gave us little wiggle room if the weather in this rainiest of rainy places didn’t cooperate. Now, in October 2022, the road was open and we had a two-day window to hopefully see the Sound on a reasonably clear day.

The day started out sunny and promising in Queenstown, but as we drove two hours south and then west past flocks of sheep and large herds of domestic stags towards Te Anau, the weather turned increasingly gray and ominous. By the time we stopped for lunch and provisions at Te Anau, a light rain had begun. The weather only got worse as we drove another 40 miles/50 minutes to the cabin I’d chosen for a two-night stay at Eglinton Valley Camp at Knobs Flat. The camp is located well within Fiordland National Park, the home of Milford Sound. I thought our modest one-room cabin was in the perfect location, about half-way between the town of Te Anau (where lots of visitors to the Sound stay) and Milford Sound (where there is an expensive lodge and a campground, but where it’s possible to get stuck if the Milford Sound road is closed to not-that-infrequent mudslides, ice, and related road damage. [Eglinton Valley Camp also offers RV spots for those traveling that way.]

The cabin boasted a pretty hike to a nearby waterfall and other longer hikes around Lake Gunn, but with the rain now coming down hard, we found ourselves cozy and snug but with not a lot to do for the rest of the day. Oh well, worse things could happen. Our host advised us that it might be worth driving the 34 miles to Milford Sound anyway just to see what the weather was like there. Besides, Milford Sound is supposed to be extra special in the rain as a myriad of waterfalls along its walls come to life. We read and heard that pitch quite a few times. When blue sky finally peeked out, we decided to give it a try.

Milford Sound Road as we begin the ascent from Knobs Flat

I was a little worried about the twists and turns on a wet mountain road, but the Milford Sound Road was in good shape and David is a champ at driving. [Check for conditions on the Milford Sound Road here.] It actually snowed on us at higher elevations and the misty waterfalls streaming off the sheer walls around us were beautiful. Still, the low clouds and rain/snow made for poor visibility and a scenic overlook supposedly offering a view of Mount Crosscut nestled between Mount Christina and Mount Lyttle did no such thing. [See photo at end of this post.] Avalanche warnings made the approach to the Homer Tunnel feel a little ominous and the steep, wet road awaiting us on the other side was made even more exciting by hairpin turns. As we descended into the valley, long thin waterfalls poured off the rocky walls around us.

The Homer Tunnel and beyond

We arrived safe and sound at Milford Sound to more rain and clouds. I didn’t even bother to get out and snap photos at the Sound. The low clouds and rain made it impossible to see far and the surrounding walls and mountains were totally hidden behind the gray. I did go into the tourist office, though, while David waited in the car as there’s only pay parking and we didn’t plan a long stay. I walked into an empty office with a sign saying they were short-handed. This was to be a common occurrence everywhere we went in New Zealand. The Covid-19 pandemic and New Zealand’s related strict rules on immigration and guest workers had left many businesses short-staffed and begging for workers. After wandering a bit, I ran into a woman who seemed to be a janitor in the cafeteria area and asked her if anyone was working the front desk. She asked me to wait and was soon back with a young man who offered to sell me tickets for a boat tour of the Sound leaving soon. When I mentioned the rain, he told me it wasn’t really raining. Gesturing with my dripping umbrella, I disagreed. Then, he gave me the line about how some people say Milford Sound is better in the rain because of the waterfalls. Having seen lots of these thin, long streams on our way in, I was more interested in actually being able to see the Sound. When I pointed out that the weather forecast looked good for the next morning and we could come back early, he finally agreed that, yes, if I wanted to see the sides of the Sound and the peaks surrounding it, the next day would be better. In fact, it was slated to be a relatively rare clear morning. And, oh yeah, there would still be lots of waterfalls given all the rain that had fallen today. We’d hoped to be off early on the next leg of our journey the following day, but the great part about staying so close at Eglinton Valley Camp was that we had a two-day window to try for clear weather. Leaving a bit later than originally planned was no big deal. It was an easy decision, and I bought tickets for a boat tour with Mitre Peak Cruises (a smaller boat company recommended by our host at Eglinton Valley Camp) at 8:50am the next morning.

The drive back down towards Knobs Flat remained gray and drizzly until we were nearly back at our cabin. The sun came out then and we were able to hike to the nearby waterfall, an easy ramble across a small creek and through bright green woods. With time on our hands afterwards, we drove about ten minutes to Lake Gunn Nature Walk (still within Fiordland National Park) and enjoyed another easy walk along well-marked trails to the lake where rain arrived again and sent us back to our cabin for the evening.

I was beyond excited the next morning as we packed up and headed back to Milford Sound. The weather looked good, but who knew what it would be like by the time we got to the Sound. I scoured the scattered clouds, worried that the rain would return. There was no need. The weather continued to clear as we drove toward the Sound. We arrived bright and early to glorious, blue-bird skies. Perfection!

Check-in was easy and we milled around with other excited passengers before being called to board. The boat was comfortable with less than twenty passengers aboard and plenty of comfortable seating inside and room on both the bow and stern viewing decks. Hot drinks were available to take the chill off when we came in from the crisp and windy decks. We were the first boat out although others were docked and waiting, but it wasn’t particularly crowded as it was shoulder season on a Thursday.

What can I say? The boat ride through Milford Sound to the Tasman Sea was all I’d hoped for. Brilliant blue sky and water ringed by rocky cliffs and snow-covered peaks, thin temporary waterfalls spilled off the sheer walls (some we were told would dry up before the day was out) between the more substantial permanent waterfalls.

Fiordland crested penguin

We spotted a fur seal and a couple of Fiordland crested penguins, we laughed as spray from Stirling Falls drenched the stern deck of our boat. When we finally docked after as perfect of a cruise as I could have hoped for, we were treated to final postcard views of Mitre Peak reflected in Milford Sound from the parking lot. [See lead photo.] Happy sigh.

Kea bird at the Mount Crosscut scenic overlook on the Milford Sound Road

The ride back down Milford Sound Road was a treat, too. We stopped off at that scenic overlook for an entirely different view from the day before. There was Mount Crosscut, just as promised! And the sign warning us not to feed the Kea birds turned out to have a point: A handsome specimen with emerald green wing feathers sat nearby, clearly hoping we didn’t read signs.

What a difference a day makes!
[Mount Crosscut in the distance, viewed (on a clear day)
between Mount Christina and Mount Lyttle]

We felt like we’d actually been lucky to see Milford Sound and the Milford Sound Road in both rain and sun, so different, but both beautiful. In high spirits, we drove on to our next destination: Wanaka and an Albert Town AirBnB.

Queenstown and we begin our time on New Zealand’s South Island

Lake Wakatipu from the Harbor View Walk, Queenstown

Our flight on New Zealand air from Auckland to Queenstown went off without a hitch and offered us some great views of the two islands en route. We picked up the rent car that would be our transportation for the next weeks (sadly, now substantially more expensive than a similar car had been pre-pandemic) and headed to our hotel. The route we followed on the South Island was as follows:

Our roadtrip through New Zealand’s South Island. At Picton, we took the ferry and continued
back to Auckland via Wellington and Rotorua, a total trip of more than 2000 miles.

We took our rent car on the ferry from to Wellington and continued driving across the North Island and back to Auckland from where we’d fly back to the States. We were really happy with our itinerary and I’ll cover the entire trip including fjords, hot spring spas, wineries, geysers, Maori settlements, a glowworm cave and more in coming posts.

Queenstown sits in a gorgeous location on Lake Wakatipu. [See top photo and below.] The city promotes itself as an adventure sports destination with bungee jumping, hang gliding, a wheeled “slalom” course and more promoted everywhere. We were in New Zealand for the natural beauty and culture, however, so I’d only booked us a night in town, eager to get on to Fiordland National Park and beyond. I used 15,000 Wyndham points to book us at the uninspiring but perfectly nice and conveniently located Ramada by Wyndham Queenstown Central. (Wyndham is a chain I seldom use, but I had scored the points during a promotion so was happy to be able to use them.)

With limited time, we dropped off our luggage and headed back out to explore the lakeside park and Queenstown center. A long walk along the lake let us admire the lake, mountains, and the TSS Earnslaw, a 1912 Edwardian twin screw steamer that regularly plies the lake. We enjoyed a beer and fries break at the Pub on Wharf in the quaint old harborfront, sitting outside on a crisp, sunny day.

T he TSS Earnslaw coming into the Queenstown wharf

I’d booked dinner at The Bunker restaurant (They’ve got a cool-looking upstairs bar, too.) and we looked forward to a true New Zealand meal in a cozy atmosphere. We enjoyed a meal of a yellowfin tuna tartare with coconut “caviar” starter and a venison main, but the cozy atmosphere, complete with wood-burning fireplace, was a little diminished by the gathering smoke in the room. Oh well, we left satisfied and ready for an early start the next morning. Up next: Eglinton Valley Camp and Milford Sound!

Auckland

Arriving by ship is a great introduction to Auckland. We sailed through outlying islands to dock early in the morning at the cruise ship terminal, in walking distance of downtown. Since we were disembarking and had luggage, we hailed a cab for the short ride to our hotel. With lots of free night certificates to use on this three-week trip, I chose the Four Points by Sheraton for this initial two-night stay. (We’d be back in Auckland for another two nights at the end of our stay in New Zealand.) The hotel is clean, modern and convenient. Happily, our room was ready early so we settled in quickly and had the full day ahead of us.

Top on my list was Waiheke Island, a roughly 40-minute ferry ride from the Auckland waterfront. The weather was gorgeous, but predicted to get more cloudy in coming days, so we decided to take advantage of the opportunity. I discovered that ferry tickets are available online at a small discount and bought them on my phone to avoid a line we found once we arrived at the dock. [Ferry tickets from Fullers360 were NA$40 + NZ$6 tax/per adult, round trip, for a total of NZ$92 for the two of us.] We then joined a much longer line waiting for the ferry. Waikheke is clearly popular with the locals on a pretty weekend day. (We were a little surprised at the fair number of people dressed up for the occasion. Young women in midi-skirts and dresses may have been a bit chilly on the ride over, but they were ready for stylish lunches at the island’s wineries.) Although the line looked daunting, the ferries are large and we easily made it on board and claimed seats on the upper, open-air deck. The ferry ride itself is an experience. We stopped only once at Devonport, before continuing on past the islands of Rangitoto, Motutapu and Motuihe en route to Waiheke.

We bought an AT HOP card at the small ferry terminal on Waiheke and 4 single-journey bus rides, figuring we’d ride to the wineries and also stop in the beach town of Oneroa. Oddly, it’s necessary to buy the journeys in advance and add them to the AT HOP card (which you also have to pay a one-time fee for). You can’t just buy a ticket on the bus if you run out of pre-purchased tickets. We ended up not stopping in town, so were stuck with a couple of extra bus ride passes we never used, even though they were good in Auckland as well. Not a big deal, but an awkward and annoying system for tourists.

With lunch time approaching, we opted to go straight to the wineries, asking the bus driver to tell us when to get off. With this less-than-well-thought-out plan, we found ourselves at Stonyridge Vineyard at lunchtime. Restaurant tables were all booked on this sunny Sunday, but we were happy to take seats on the outside deck overlooking green hills and make a lunch of wine and a lovely cheeseboard. Unlike the world-renowned Marlborough wine region on the South Island, Waiheke is not sauvignon blanc country. We opted for a three wine tasting package consisting of a white and two reds: a chardonnay (Luna Dorada, 2020), an unusual blend of syrah, grenache, mouvedre and viognier (Pilgrim 2020); and, a “Bordeaux” blend (Larose, 2019). All were very good and this was looking to be a promising three weeks of discovering New Zealand wines.

From top: Stonyridge Vineyard deck, Te Motu, and Tantalus Estate

After lunch, we took a footpath across a field to neighboring Te Motu Vineyards where we tried a four-wine tasting flight at a picnic table in their casual outdoor space. Feeling up to the challenge of one more winery, we walked back toward the main road. Our path took us along unpaved roads, lined by trees or bordered by spring flowers, through vineyards (past a black helicopter waiting to whisk away wine-tasters who’d thrown a bit more cash at their outing than we had) to Tantalus Estate. We settled at a table on the patio behind their chic glass-walled restaurant and tasting room overlooking their vineyards.

The Tantalus driveway led us back to the main road where we soon caught a bus back to the ferry terminal (a less than 30-minute ride). We’d met a small group we recognized from the ship who told us they’d also tried to use the bus, but had been stranded in the town of Oneroa when the bus was either full or just didn’t stop for them. They’d resorted to hiring a cab for the rest of the day. With that story in mind (and not seeing much of interest to us in Oneroa anyway since we’d eaten and drunk our fill and weren’t interested in shopping or a chilly beach), we opted not to risk a stop there.

You’d think we’d have had enough wine for the day, but back at the Auckland waterfront, we opted for dinner at Botswana Butchery and were pretty easily sold on a bottle of wine with dinner. We knew we couldn’t drink a whole bottle, but figured it would be fine to take a half-bottle back to our hotel. Wrong. It turns out that corking a bottle for taking home after a meal is illegal in New Zealand. Our waiter assured us, though, that he’d keep it for us. That wasn’t really going to help since we only had one more night in Auckland and didn’t plan on returning to Botswana Butchery. Oh well, it was a good meal (fabulous venison Wellington was a highlight and house-baked bread with smoked butter was addictive) and lesson learned about the wine. After our wine-filled day, we didn’t really need any more anyway.

Albert Park (top left), Auckland Domain, and Parnell Road

We spent our second day in Auckland exploring. We walked through Albert Park to the Auckland Domain, a huge green area that includes a lawn bowling club, beautiful gardens, meandering paths, and the Auckland Memorial War Museum. We took a small path through lush woods to pop out near the Parnell train station. Small footpaths and roads threading between backyards led us to Parnell Road, the main street of Auckland’s oldest (and one of its most expensive) suburbs. We window-shopped and read menus in the many restaurants housed in buildings that ranged from one-to-two story painted clapboard to vintage facades of masonry to four- and five-story modern rectangles. Finally opting for Lala Café, we enjoyed a late lunch before continuing our ramble back towards downtown. With our pretty day now threatening rain, we took refuge for a while before heading back out to admire Auckland’s charming vintage buildings and the contrast they presented to the sleek high-rises and iconic tower. Tired, we opted for dinner in the hotel and called it an early night, excited about our flight to the south island the following morning.

Another transpacific cruise, this time to New Zealand

Majestic Princess in Papeete, Tahiti, en route to Auckland, New Zealand

I’m behind on blogging as we settle into our year back in Paris. Still, I do want to write about our time in New Zealand (which included 2000 miles of driving!) before too much time slips by. So, first here’s a quick recap of the Princess repositioning cruise that got us there:

The Covid-19 pandemic canceled a three-week trip to New Zealand we’d planned to start in March 2020, within days of New Zealand shutting down. With the pandemic mostly behind us and New Zealand again opening, we were finally making the trip.

We’d originally planned to fly to New Zealand and return via repositioning cruise during their fall (our spring). This time, we were going in our fall (New Zealand’s spring) so the order was reversed: We sailed from Los Angeles to New Zealand via Hawaii and Tahiti and flew home. As always, one-way cruising has the benefit of eliminating jetlag, and the price on repositioning cruises is almost always a great deal. Usually, there’s also the bonus of unusual out-of-the way stops along the way. Our original cruise would have stopped in the Kingdom of Samoa, Tonga, Bora Bora and Maui in addition to Hawaii and Tahiti, a much more appealing itinerary. This cruise (leaving from Los Angeles) had originally offered only the addition of American Samoa, but that island was closed due to Covid concerns. Likewise, Tonga suffered a devastating volcanic eruption in January 2022 and looks unlikely to recover any time in the foreseeable future. So, we were left with overnight stops in Honolulu, Hawaii; Papeete, Tahiti; and, a new one-day stop in Tauranga, New Zealand. I wasn’t thrilled with this itinerary, but it was still a pleasant-sounding way to get from the U.S. to New Zealand.

The three-week cruise turned out to be a mixed bag. Engine trouble had us staying longer in Honolulu than expected and an extra night in Papeete. There was also a Covid outbreak onboard, but that didn’t effect us too much. We’ve been to both Hawaii and Papeete, so weren’t really interested in too much touring. We went to Iolani Palace in Honolulu, an easy walk from where our ship docked at the Pier 2 Cruise Terminal. I hadn’t been in years and enjoyed revisiting the only royal palace on U.S. soil. After that, we just caught a Lyft to Waikiki Beach and a favorite beachfront spot for maitais, The Edge of Waikiki at the Sheraton. Not a bad way to spend a day!

I’d planned to rent a car in Papeete and do the ring road around Tahiti, something we’d not done before. Unfortunately, due to the delay in Honolulu, the ship arrived so late in the day that I decided to cancel the car and spend our full day at a resort where I’d purchased day passes. Te Moana resort turned out to be a great choice and we had a lovely, leisurely day there lounging around the pool, enjoying a top notch lunch, and kayaking along the coast. The resort boasts a spectacular view of nearby Bora Bora which only gets more dramatic at sunset. [Note: It’s an easy ferry ride from Papeete to Bora Bora which is more naturally beautiful than Tahiti. If you’ve never been or are willing to hire a tour or do a little planning (and spend a bit more) to rent a car, it’s well worth the trip. We’d been to Bora Bora not too long ago, though, and decided to relax and stay on Tahiti this time.] I highly recommend a day pass at Te Moana for those looking for a way to spend a day in Tahiti.

View from our lounge chairs of the Te Moana infinity pool and beyond

Te Moana offers 3 types of “relaxation”/day passes. We chose the 7000 CFP/person package (10am-6pm) which included pool/motu access, lunch plus coffee or ice cream, and two hours of kayak or paddle board. (The “motu” is a manmade “island” with a small snorkeling area, not an actual small private island as you might find in Bora Bora.) Other options ran up to 14,000 CFP/person and included a scuba dive or massage sessions. Other day pass options were available at the Hilton for a higher price and less positive reviews. The Intercontinental apparently now has day passes, but didn’t at the time.

View of Bora Bora at sunset from Te Moana resort

We arrived in the port of Tauranga to local fanfare and waiting media. It turned out our ship was the first to dock in New Zealand since the pandemic. The cruise port is actually at Mount Maunganui, a pretty resort town, across the bay from the city of Tauranga. We had a great view of the small mountain for which the town is named from the ship and couldn’t wait to get ashore and do a little hiking there. We originally thought we’d need to take a ferry to Tauranga, but a woman who was part of the waiting information brigade on the dock told us not to bother. The town and mountain of Mount Maunganui were the places to see. We took her advice and had a great day.

After a quick walk into town to an ATM machine, we strolled along a waterfront promenade to a trailhead at the base of Mount Maunganui. The small mountain is well covered with paths and popular with locals. A hike to the summit rewarded us with sweeping views. The mountain sits at the tip of land that shelters the inland bays and harbors from the Bay of Plenty. We headed back down the opposite side of the mountain to wide Maunganui Beach (which makes lists of most beautiful beaches in the world) to watch surfers before walking on to Maunganui Road, the main street of the town of Mount Maunganui. The town bustled with cruise ship visitors and shop owners seemed thrilled to be busy again. We had our first encounter with “possum merino,” a unique New Zealand knit made from Australian possum fur, sometimes combined with sheep wool and/or silk. The Australian possum is an invasive pest according to some, and a treasure according to the many vendors of possum products we met during our time in New Zealand. The wool is soft and very warm. I bought a gorgeous sweater in Mount Tauranga and David bought a cap. It was still cold in this antipodean “spring!” Stops for lunch and local beer and iconic sauvignon blanc wine boded well for the rest of our trip. This first, unexpected stop in New Zealand was a great beginning and had us looking forward to leaving the ship the next day in Auckland where we’d kick off our three-week explore of the country’s two islands.

Corsica, at last

Corsica is a French island in the Mediterranean southeast of Nice and just north of Sardinia. It’s the birthplace of Napoleon I and a place of rugged beauty with a culture all its own. I wanted to visit Corsica for decades, but despite living in Paris on-and-off for years, I never made it. The time had finally arrived!

After finishing a house-and cat-sitting gig in little Thoiry, France, we flew EasyJet from Geneva to Ajaccio, Corsica, an 1h10m non-stop flight. We picked up a rent car at the Ajaccio airport and drove two and a half hours through rocky mountains to Bonifacio at the southern tip of the island, stopping a long the way to admire views and snap photos. We had nine nights in Corsica and I’d agonized over where exactly to spend our time. With all the winding roads, driving times in Corsica can be long and I didn’t want to fall into the trap of rushing around trying to see everything and being rushed everywhere. I settled on Bonifacio as one of two places to stay because it was just so dramatically beautiful. And given how many dramatically beautiful places there are in Corsica, that’s saying a lot. Wow, was I happy with my choice of Bonifacio!

Medieval Bonifacio sits atop dramatic cliffs overlooking the sea on two sides and a pretty little harbor on another. The hotel I’d chosen, Hotel Santateresa is at the highest point in the old town, at the very tip of the peninsula on which the town sits. The only thing between the hotel and the point of the peninsula is an old cemetery perched high above the Grotte de Saint-Antoine (cave of St. Antoine, also known as “Napoleon’s Hat” for its shape).The cemetery and a large parking area by it are popular with tourists as is the whole town. Happily, the Hotel Santateresa has plenty of guest-only parking, a welcome privilege. We enjoyed the hotel with its pretty views, large room, and easy walk into town. It was just far enough away from the bustle of the old town to be quiet at night, but close enough to walk in and out during the day as we liked. It is a bit of a steep hike down to the harbor, but that’s just a fact of the town layout; you’re going to be walking up and down steps whether you stay up in the old town or down by the harbor. I’d gladly stay at Hotel Santateresa again.

I’ve visited a lot of medieval towns and, at this stage, it takes a lot to really blow me away, but Bonifacio (“The City of Cliffs”) did. It’s just so achingly picturesque and authentic-feeling despite the obvious touristy overlay. The steep, narrow cobbled streets and steps beg to be explored. Terraces clinging to the cliffside give sweeping views of the sea.

Tiny shops and restaurants sometimes reveal a back window opening onto a breathtaking vista. Multiple times, we crossed paths with religious processions carrying a large crucifix (and once a large statue of a saint) and chanting. Participants wore modern clothing and shoes under their robes, but the primary purpose was religion and local culture, not a show for the tourists. Bonifacio has five churches and five religious brotherhoods, the earliest of which date back to the 13th century and trace their origins to Genoa. Throughout the year these brotherhoods make processions through Bonifacio carrying the crucifix and their patron saints.

A friend with family roots in Corsica had recommended we take a boat tour from Bonifacio, saying I’d love the different perspective on the town from the water. There are several large boats that leave multiple times a day from the harbor. I talked to a couple, but the idea just didn’t appeal. It was hot and lots of people (50-90 passengers) on a big boat just sounded hotter and I had a feeling we’d feel trapped. I pondered a private tour, but it was June and I hadn’t booked anything in advance and time was limited, so I was afraid we were out of luck. A stop at the Information building at the end of the harbor changed that. I explained my concerns to the woman there, and she suggested a small tour company with an ad in an information booklet. A phone call later followed by an online payment of €150 for both of us and we were booked for a 3-hour sunset cruise with Corse Nautic Escape.

What an awesome sunset cruise with Corse Nautic Escape!

The boat turned out to be a sleek 42′ power boat that could accommodate twelve people. Instead, it was David and me, one other couple, and the captain. Perfect! The other couple and the captain were French, so I did translation duty for David, but that was no issue. The boat slipped along cliffs and into a sheltered cove of clear water to allow time for a swim and to set out generous charcuterie and cheese plates accompanied by local wine. [Corsican cuisine relies heavily on cured meats (mostly pork), cheese, chestnut products, and wine.] The last portion of the cruise took us a distance from shore to view Bonafacio in the lowering sun, then right up to the cliffs and into the Grotte de Saint-Antoine. We cruised past the steep cliffs rising up to the town opposite the harbor where the 189 steps of the Escalier du Roy d’Aragon (built in 1420) snaked down to the water. Finally, we circled the U Diu Grosso (“Grain of Sand”) boulder for that spectacular sunset view of Bonafacio atop the cliffs before heading back around the peninsula point and into the harbor as darkness fell. It was the perfect way to end the day and our time in Bonifacio.

Cruising around U Diu Grosso

We spent our last six nights in Corsica in the capital city of Ajaccio, birthplace of Napoleon. Our lovely AirBnB apartment boasted a big balcony with sea views of the famous Iles Sanguinaires (“Bloody Islands”) in the distance. (The islands are named for their appearance at sunset rather than anything violent in their history.) We were in walking distance of Trottel Beach and driving distance of several other beaches that lined the Route de Sanguinaires road out to the crumbling tower called the Tour Genoise de la Parata.

Hiking the Tour Genoise de la Parata (and a brave little sparrowhawk) with the Îles Sanguinaires and lighthouse in the distance

We spent our days enjoying the beaches, taking long rambles into the city, and hiking up to the Tour Genoise. We did a 2-tank scuba dive outing from Trottel Beach with E. Ragnole. The owner was friendly and chatty, removing any hesitation I had about booking when I stopped in to ask questions. When I told him I tend to get cold diving, he made sure I got both a long wetsuit and a shorty to wear over it. The staff was great, too, and we were assigned an English-speaking guide who we had to ourselves for the two dives. The price was reasonable and the dives were enjoyable, but the underwater landscape underwhelmed. The monochrome colors below mirror the rugged sand-colored landscape above. We saw barracuda, but missed the colorful coral and fish we’re used to. With other options calling, we opted not to dive a second day.

We also took one more sunset cruise, this time with Neptune Croisière, out to the Îles Sanguinaires. The bar was set so high at Bonifacio that this cruise with a dozen passengers, although enjoyable, couldn’t compete. Still, it was fun and included an apéritif stop on an île with enough time for us to hike through a huge seagull rookery to the lighthouse and an old keeper’s house on an opposite peak.

We loved our time in Corsica and hope to get back someday to explore more of this unique island. Next up: New Zealand via Hawaii and Tahiti.

Saint-Claude, France, and a magical hike to the Trou de l’Abîme

I had to share a quick post about the charmingly pipe-happy town of Saint-Claude, France, and the nearby Trou de l’Abîme, an enchanting hiking spot in the Jura region of France. With the June weather getting a little too hot for us in the village of Thoiry where were spending a couple of weeks house-and cat-sitting, we were off for a day in the low Jura mountains searching for somewhere cool. The pipe-happy town of Saint-Claude and the nearby Trou de l’Abîme riverside hike were the perfect finds.

The Saint-Claude Cathedral (with a pipe plant sculpture)

Saint-Claude and the Musée Pipes et Diamants

Saint-Claude bills itself as the pipe-making capital of the world and sports a giant puffing pipe, pipe plant art and pipe-shaped trash cans throughout town to honor its claim. We were really planning on hiking, but of course, we had to check out Saint-Claude. The old town perches atop high walls looming above a valley river. We visited the cathedral (always a promising place for a little break from the heat) and then were lured in by the quirky Saint-Claude Pipe and Diamond Museum. I’m so glad we were! We loved the collection of elaborately carved pipes including “pipe portraits” of famous figures and the personal portrait pipes of members of the local Brotherhood of Master Pipers club. We learned about the town’s history of pipe making, read directions on how to properly smoke a pipe, and watched a video of the robed brotherhood doing their thing. Oh yes, and there is a smaller area with diamond exhibits, too, but we’ve seen lots of diamonds and passed through that area quickly after the pipes. After a short break for cold beers and lunch, we were ready to move on to the Trou de l’Abîme (hole of the abyss).

The easy hike starts just off the road beyond an old mill covered in bright green overgrowth and looking like something from a fairy tale. Soon, we were walking along a pathway in the cool shade of moss-covered trees along a small, rushing river. Metal and wood stairs and catwalks took the path upward along the side of a narrow gorge carved by the river. The river opened into three “marmites de géant” (giant’s cauldrons), deep holes carved in the river by swirling water carrying small stones and grit. The air around us carried a wonderful, fresh-smelling chill, Nature’s own air conditioning!

Les Marmites de Géant

The hike continued past the marmites and upwards through more moss-covered forest until we reached the Trou de l’Abîme, the entrance to a vast underwater river that reaches a depth of 45 meters and surfaces and retreats underground for a total of 667 meters, 345 of which are subterranean.

So there you have it. No famous sights, but a quaint town and unique natural beauty made for a fun and interesting (and cool!) day.

Chamonix-Mont-Blanc and the Aiguille du Midi cable car

Looking back at Chamonix, France, from the Aiguille du Midi cable car as it ascends

Decades ago, I was intrigued to learn it is possible to take a cable car over the Alps from Chamonix, France, to Italy. I’d wanted to make the trip ever since, but I learned that weather was a huge factor. The Aiguille du Midi (“Needle of the Midi”) is a 12,606ft mountain peak in the Mont Blanc massif. The Aiguille du Midi cable car is the highest cable car in France and the closest you can get to the summit of Mont Blanc without climbing. Weather can turn bad quickly at such high altitudes and the cable car can be halted without notice. Losing visibility is also a risk if clouds form on the mountain peaks. Even when living in Paris, a dash for the Chamonix cable car (a 6+ hour drive or multi-stage train trip) on a day forecast to be sunny just never made sense. With two summer weeks to spend house- and cat-sitting near Geneva, I realized we were only an hour and twenty minute drive away from Chamonix. My time might finally have come to visit the famous ski town and the Aiguille du Midi cable car!

Aiguille du Midi cable car rises from Chamonix

I realized I wouldn’t be going over the Alps to Italy this time. We needed to stay in Thoiry to take care of the house and our charming feline charge, Leo. The practicalities of traveling via cable car didn’t really make sense either the more I thought about it: What to do about cars? Luggage? Riding up the highest cable car in France to look Mont Blanc “in the eye,” so to speak was more than good enough for me. I scoped out the weather predictions for the Aiguille du Midi mountain peak, picked the sunniest near-term forecast, and bought our tickets for the Aiguille du Midi cable car online.

The day arrived bright and sunny in Thoiry and we headed off. I’d chosen at 12:05 time slot thinking we’d have a leisurely start, time to look around Chamonix, and hopefully let any clouds burn off. My plan mostly paid off, but my concerns about weather were well-founded. We arrived to a clear day in Chamonix, parked just across the street from the cable car base building at the Parking du Grépon, and walked around to find a crowd in the paved plaza in front of the building waiting for their time slot to be called. Touristy types like us mingled with mountaineers hauling gear. It was warm in the sun and we headed on into town to explore and to find the makings of lunch to take up the cable car with us.

Chamonix and the Arve River with the Alps and Mont Blanc in the distance

Chamonix is every bit the pretty Alpine ski town I expected it to be. We had fun wandering the streets and really lucked out with our picnic lunch choice: Le Refuge Payot, offering local foodstuffs, turned out to have a terrific deli in the back with baguette rustique and aged meats cut to order. I chatted with the young man making our sandwiches about the changes wrought by Covid and how Chamonix was starting to regain its mojo. We also discussed the jarring shortage of Dijon mustard in France. David and I had only just discovered the empty mustard shelves upon arriving in Thoiry. There’d been plenty of mustard –which we use copiously – in Antwerp, only a shortage of certain cooking oils due to the war in Ukraine. Our sandwich-maker informed me that Chamonix, too, had no mustard. It was a sad state of affairs in a mustard-loving country and we commiserated the shortage as we discussed the crazy state of the world in general. We talked about masking and anti-maskers, government restrictions and lack thereof, all the things that most of the planet has had to deal with in one way or another. It’s a strange, bonding experience in a way. In some form or fashion, we’ve all experienced the global pandemic. Despite huge progress, all was not back to normal in Chamonix and business was relatively slow, even for the summer season. I wished him luck as we paid and packed our sandwiches into backpacks full of the warm layers we’d brought for our cable card ride.

Passing another cable car on the way up. Mid-way, the mountain slope is pretty barren, but there’s a small bar and hiking paths.

Business wasn’t so slow at the Aiguille du Midi cable car when we returned following our walk. Buying tickets in advance was definitely the right move. I’d been happy with our 12:05pm time slot, but I’d been eyeing wispy clouds growing in the direction of Mont Blanc apprehensively as we walked around Chamonix. The skies were still cloudless in the other direction with more than a dozen hang-gliders flitting above the town. For all the good that would do us if clouds snagged on the higher peaks around the summit of the Aiguille du Midi. I wanted to get up the cable car as soon as possible while the skies were still reasonably clear in that direction. Once our time slot was called, we moved quickly through the line to be packed in a probably-not-pandemic-smart way into the cable car. We snagged good spots and had wonderful views as the car moved steeply upward. There’s a stop midway, but getting off there risks being unable to find space on a crowded summit-bound car, so we stayed on to the top. And what a top! The Aiguille du Midi and the mountaintop buildings at its highest reaches exceeded my lofty expectations. Wow! And, wow, was it cold after the warm day below!

Mont Blanc across from the Aiguille du Midi. Look closely to spot climbers.

Thankfully, we’d come prepared and I’d even managed to wiggle into some layers on the ride up. Icy air and bright sunshine greeted us as we stepped onto the first of many terraces in the sprawling complex of buildings at the summit of the cable car. I hadn’t realized just how extensive the structures on the summit are; they’re truly impressive, and the soaring Alps surrounding them are even more so.

Just some of the impressive construction atop Aiguille du Mid

We wandered from building to building, terrace to terrace, marveling at the sweeping views. In all directions, we could see lines of linked mountaineers and other mountain climbers in pairs and smaller groups. It was so strange to watch people engaged in strenuous activities out in high altitude as we watched from the ease and comfort of viewing decks and big plate glass windows. Binoculars are a must-bring for a trip up the Aiguille du Midi! We could zoom in on people climbing Mont Blanc itself, wondering if gathering clouds would make them turn back, idle-if-fascinating entertainment for us, potentially life-threatening for them. Equally incongruous were the climbers around the summit buildings: We were watching Mont Blanc climbers at one point when a woman climber appeared over a boulder just in front of us. More than once, a climber appeared beside or just above a viewing deck.

A climber summits a peak adjoining a viewing terrace

Facilities at the top of the Aiguille du Midi included museum-quality exhibits on the effects of altitude and the construction of the cable car and its buildings, Le Tube, a large passage suspended between two buildings, a café, a restaurant (still closed due to Covid on our visit, but due to open soon), a gift shop, toilets and more. There is also that connection to the cable car descending into Italy. I found the whole thing wonderful, the vision, skill and chutzpah required to conceive of and build such a place remarkable.

Pas Dans le Vide with buildings and terraces below and Chamonix beyond

It would be easy to spend hours at the summit buildings, and we did. One of those hours, though, was spent in line for the Pas Dans le Vide (“Step into the Void”), a clear box over a breathtaking drop into which visitors step for an extra-special view and photos. There’s no extra charge for the experience. At first, we thought the whole concept was a waste of time, but as we found ourselves mesmerized by the views and realized we still have a view as we waited, we gave in and joined the queue. Would it have been a great trip without the Pas Dan le Vide? Yes! Am I glad we did it? Oh heck, yes! I mean, who knows if we’ll ever go back and it was unique and fun.