NZ tips and advice

Chris Gilbert said:

milford track is sweeet. but you need a permit and you gotta apply
a year+ in advance. you might be able to get a guided walk but
that costs $$$$nzd.

expect [censored] of rain rain rain rain rain.
summertime = rainy season.

--
-stu

Stu said:

expect [censored] of rain rain rain rain rain.
summertime = rainy season.

Unfortunately the missus is a teacher and the Xmas break is
the only feasible place to fit in 3 weeks outside the southern
winter. The flights are also pretty extortionate but that's the
way it goes. At least we know what we're likely to be getting
ourselves into.

Cheers

Chris

Stu said:

expect [censored] of rain rain rain rain rain.
summertime = rainy season.

Reminds me of a couple of quips about the weather here.

"How long has it been raining ?"
"Oh, since about the 5th century."

"Do you get a summer in the UK ?"
"Yes, it's usually around August 10th."

--
Press ENTER once to quit or twice to save changes.

Mail john rather than nospam...

Quoted message said:

We've already pretty much drawn the conclusion that we're
going to have to go back and do more of it in the future but
we're looking to make the best possible use of our time this
time 'round and people's experiences of the place would be
appreciated.

Got back from NZ last week. Have done South Island in two long visits. My
son lives in Q'town and sister in law in C'church.
The weather over the last few weeks has been bloody hot with 41c at
Alexandria. But last week was wet, when my son did the Kepler trail, he
rates it above Milford.

Last time we did Abel Tasman, wonderful, great birds. As knees now clapped
out, we used water taxis along the coast and walked back to base. But the
trails in AbelT are superb, but like many trails in NZ you spend a lot of
time looking at trees. Bit like walk ins in Nepal.

This time we did the Catlins and Otago peninsular. The Catlins are a hidden
gem, which even Kiwis are just discovering. Very foggy coast walks but then
when it burnt off very hot. Stayed at a great BB at Nugget point, Nugget
Lodge, only two suites, but right on the coast, sealions and penguins etc.
Owner is a ornithologist.

Fijordland, is where the keen walkers go, but it can be very wet, very very
wet.
We struck lucky in 2003 and had wonderful weather. Milford you must book.

If you want to do the Franz Josef glacier, its a slog with hundreds of
others to see a glacial snout. IMO, not worth it. If the weather is fine and
you have the dosh, take a helicopter trip around Mount Cook and land on the
top of the glaciers,.

Like many we prefer Doubtful Sound out of Mannopuri, as Milford is wall
towall tourists.

A few tips. Use 100% DEET for the dreaded sand flies, or wear tights under
shorts, you may look a [censored], but its what the cognoscenti wear.
RADAR, long roads at 100kph, watch out, esp around
Cromwell
Next time we will do North Island and end up in Q'town and go to the Catlins
again.

HTH
JT

John Taverner wrote:

<snip>

Thanks John. Some useful points.

What was the name of the B&B you stayed at at Nugget Point ?

Chris

Quoted message said:

What was the name of the B&B you stayed at at Nugget Point ?

www.nuggetlodge.co.nz/

Until I get round to writing a FAQ, you'll have to cope with the fact that
I'll probably reply to this in bits and pieces, as things occur to me. Lets
think.

Weather - can be very variable. I was down in Fiordland just before xmas,
and had wonderful weather on the Routeburn and Kepler. Just the week before
both had been closed with snow. The week after, it rained torrentially. Jan
and Feb on the other hand have been seriously hot :-)

Info - http://www.tramper.co.nz/ is a good, accurate resource. DoC (Dept of
Conservation) provide great support for trampers (and maintain most of the
tracks/huts). Their website is http://www.doc.govt.nz/index.html You can
check the availability of the Great Walks, and book, online. IIRC, you could
still book the Milford Track over xmas in October, but don't rely on this.
Book as early as poss, if you want to do this. The advantage of the booking
system on the Great Walks is that you are guaranteed a bed. Huts on Great
Walks have much better services than others (many/some of which resemble
bothies), but cost correspondingly more. But then, you are paying from
sterling, aren't you? :-)

Lonely Planet publish a useful Tramping Guide to NZ.

Travel etc - DoC and TiCs are so helpful that I wouldn't bother with guided
walks at all. If you only want to do the Great Walks, or those near main
centres, you don't need cars. The TiCs will phone round and book all your
transport for you. In the areas around Te Anau and Nelson particularly, this
is not a problem. OTOH, driving on NZ roads is not the same experience as
trying to reach the Lake District up the m/way. I live 2 hours 35 mins from
Aoraki/Mt Cook, and it ALWAYS takes me 2 hours 35 mins to get there! (But
avoid SH1 South of Christchurch)

Tracks - Abel Tasman is terrific, and the weather can be better, but the
whole area is very crowded over xmas/new year. I'd look at (from N to S)

Nelson Lakes
Lewis Pass (transport a little harder)
Arthurs Pass (one of the few places with a range of one day walks)
Visit Aoraki/Mount Cook for sure - the Hooker Vally is a good easy day/half
day walk, but there's a shortage of walking routes that are not
mountaineering in nature. The Old Mountaineers Cafe is a great place to have
a pint!
Queenstown (or much, much better Glenorchy) - particularly consider the
Routeburn/Greenstone loop.
Te Anau. Delighful place, with access to Kepler, Milford and Hollyford
Valleys, as well as some much more remote walking.

If it helps, my trip over xmas was the Routeburn from Q'Town, and then the
Kepler.

Supplies - INSECT REPELLANT. SUN SCREEN.

HTH - doubtless I'll think up some more! If you have specific questions, I'd
be glad to try to answer them.
M.
http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/m.houghton/outdoorsnz/
--
From Sunny South Canterbury

Once upon a time I tried not to spoil my reply address.
Then the Swen-virus started to send me emails :-(
Remove mashed to reply. Sorry.

Following this keenly. My wife and I are hoping to move there in the not too
distant future... Fingers crossed.
Rich

--
Wales and Borders 15th Century Living History Society
www.15thcentury.co.uk
Rich and Lu's New Zealand Adventures
http:[email hidden]/
"John Taverner" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What was the name of the B&B you stayed at at Nugget Point ?

www.nuggetlodge.co.nz/

"Mark Houghton" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Until I get round to writing a FAQ, you'll have to cope with the fact that
I'll probably reply to this in bits and pieces, as things occur to me.

Lets

Quoted message said:

think.

I knew that this would happen - following-up to my own post again!

When you travel here, make sure that all your tramping gear (boots
especially, but also tents) are immaculately clean, or they will get cleaned
for you by the MAF people at the airport! They are looking especially for
any caked mud that might be holding insects or their off-spring. It can help
for you to assure them that you've washed them in disinfectant, though I
don't think it's an essential.

Have this sort of gear handy, to unpack on request. I've only ever known
these people to be reasonable, but if you're not prepared, it might delay
you at a time when you are ready for a sleep.

Mark.

--
From Sunny South Canterbury

Once upon a time I tried not to spoil my reply address.
Then the Swen-virus started to send me emails :-(
Remove mashed to reply. Sorry.

Mark Houghton wrote

Quoted message said:

Until I get round to writing a FAQ, you'll have to cope with the fact that
I'll probably reply to this in bits and pieces, as things occur to me.

Lets

Quoted message said:

think.

Lots of good stuff. Thanks Mark. We'd thought about doing Abel Tasman,
especially after John's comments, but we're a bit crowd-shy. We have to
accept that its the summer hols down that way and if we want to see the
best places we have to expect it.

Chris

"Richard Layton" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Following this keenly. My wife and I are hoping to move there in the not
too distant future... Fingers crossed.
Rich

And what's wrong with cold, dismal, windy, over taxed, over priced, over
worked, junked food UK?

Jhimmy
(just jealousy setting in, best of luck)

Chris Gilbert said:

Mark Houghton wrote

Quoted message said:

Until I get round to writing a FAQ, you'll have to cope with the fact that
I'll probably reply to this in bits and pieces, as things occur to me.

Lets

Quoted message said:

think.

Lots of good stuff. Thanks Mark. We'd thought about doing Abel Tasman,
especially after John's comments, but we're a bit crowd-shy. We have to
accept that its the summer hols down that way and if we want to see the
best places we have to expect it.

Chris

Abel Tasman was reasonably not crowded at all end March 2004 (we were
only four sleeping at a (tiny) campsite half way -all four Europeans...)

Heaphy Track in the same sector is great, I was alone at one of the huts
end March also.

"Pierre Lavaurs" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Chris Gilbert said:

Mark Houghton wrote

Quoted message said:

Abel Tasman was reasonably not crowded at all end March 2004 (we were only
four sleeping at a (tiny) campsite half way -all four Europeans...)

Heaphy Track in the same sector is great, I was alone at one of the huts
end March also.

March is a great time to go - though I think that Chris had to be there
earlier. It is far less crowded, and the weather is usually still quite
good. OTOH
http://www.abeltasmangreenrush.co.nz/hutavailability.asp shows that there
are some dates in March which are fully booked, but lots of availability.

I also agree about the Heaphy - it's a good, varied track.

M.