Additional Friendly Hostel Reviews (South Island)

MARLBOROUGH, NELSON

Bayview Backpackers, Picton

Set in Waikawa, just up the road from Picton, Bayview is a reasonable backpackers, but not as nice as their rating had led us to believe. Our double room was pretty good, I had no complaints there. But there should probably be a better bathroom set-up; in the high season I imagine it seems quite full with only two toilet/shower combination bathrooms to go around. It isn’t a huge place, but there’s probably not enough facilities. Also, Becky thought it was a bit of a mess when we got there, though who doesn’t like homemade bread everyday? Thus, 6.5.

Leeways Backpackers, Blenheim

We’ve got mixed thoughts on Leeways. One on hand, our double room was ridiculously well-appointed for $40 total, with a mini fridge, TV, and DVD player, and was quite nice in general. One the other, the hostel is located on a somewhat industrial, busy road, and the set-up is a bit odd as you have to walk through the shower room to the backyard. Parts were nice but other parts not so much. They did have a ping-pong table, which is a definite plus. Update: we find ourselves here in the winter to do some pruning work, this is definitely a long-termers place, with plenty of people here to prune over the winter, almost all Germans. Bumping up the grade from 5.5 to 6.5ish, but beware it will likely be packed!

Watson’s Way, Renwick

A really nice purpose-built backpackers in Renwick, it was nearly empty when we were there in winter, but could see that it would be really nice in summer as well. Kitchen was spacious, clean, and well-appointed, a large lounge with many chairs and TV, and the grounds were well-kept, looked like there would lots of good places to chill outside in warm weather. They choose not to allow long-termers, which almost certainly keeps their rating up, but their volumes low. Guess they would rather not have that sort of crowd and vibe. Room was a little small for having 6 beds, if there were other people I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much, so consequently it’s a 7.5.

The Bug, Nelson

A warm and inviting hostel located in a house on the outskirts of Nelson city, there’s a lot to like about the Bug. Clean, well-maintained, and attractive in the house, a nice outside BBQ/picnic area, free (if glacial) internet, nice kitchen, and good rooms, from what we experienced. Downsides are the lack of much dining space and a really bad layout for parking. Very nice, but we rate it a little lower than most other backpackers seem to: 8

GOLDEN BAY

The Barn, Maharau

Backpackers/campsite located just a few hundred meters from the entrance of Abel Tasman National Park, which is quite nice. Double rooms were really quite nice, dorms didn’t look as fun since they were right next to kitchen and people were walking through there. Kitchen was fairly nice, nothing spectacular, but location at the park is main draw here, and is good for that. 7.5

The Nook, Pahora

Situated on the road from Takaka to the northern end of the Abel Tasman, The Nook features a hodge-podge of accommodations ranging from a bach-type backpackers to a strawbale cottage to a actual housetruck that sleeps 4. We stayed in the backpackers and had the place to ourselves. Kitchen was good, though the sink is small and tough to clean things in, the dining area was pretty good, living room was cozy (especially with the fire, which got nice and toasty), though it might be a little small with a full house. Bathrooms were also nice and clean, and rooms were good with only doubles and twins in the main house – no cramped dorms here. The real prize here is the setting out in the middle of Golden Bay paddocks, with a property that oozes charm and cozyness. 8

Shambhala, Takaka/Collingwood

A remote Golden Bay backpackers with a bit of a Buddhist twist. Nice place with cool vibe, uses solar power and rainwater for power and water, so that presents its usual challenges. Nice and clean, with great location set off the road several Ks, meters from a rocky beach and its entrance is almost directly across from the famous Mussel Inn. Enjoyed Shambhala a lot. 9.5

The Innlet, Collingwood

As you’d expect in Golden Bay, Innlet’s a wee bit rustic, though charming and cruisey. Set on the road just a bit north of Collingwood at the edge of Kahurangi NP and very close to the beach, it’s got a great location and features a substantial bushwalk in the back of the property. Nice big kitchen, clean and attractive rooms, cozy fireplace in the generous living room, and attractive grounds, complete with streamside hot tubs fashioned from bathtubs. John, the host, is also happy to chat and recommend things in the area, which we liked. 8

KAIKOURA

Adelphi Lodge, Kaikoura

On the whole it was an uninspiring stay at Adelphi Lodge for us. It’s a pretty large hostel, with a bit of a rooming house/Barton Fink in the South Pacific kind of feel. Large kitchen, and really big lounge/TV room, which I thought was pretty good. Also enjoyed the hot tub. Location is good, in the middle of Kaikoura’s downtown, with off-street parking, but the train rolls by several times, very loudly during the night, which is not great. Overall, eh. 6.5

Dusky Lodge, Kaikoura

Located on the highway coming into Kaikoura from the north, it shares a building with a Thai restaurant, which is a bit unusual. Our dorm was nice and clean enough, if a bit spare, though not overcrowded. Kitchen really wasn’t that nice, which was a bit of a surprise since the rest of the common areas looks pretty attractive. Nice wood fires throughout the building kept it warm and cozy in winter, and we took advantage of the hot tub and free breakfast (during winter only). Probably is a 7, but could see giving it an 8 possibly.

Sunrise Lodge, Kaikoura

This is definitely the best place we’ve stayed in in Kaikoura, which isn’t saying heaps as we weren’t impressed by the other places, but it’s still pretty nice. The sleeping quarters are set in a purpose-built building behind the office, which lies on the main road through town, and like every other hostel, seems to be located just yards from the train tracks. Still, not ridiculously loud, so that was alright. Kitchen and bathrooms were good and well-maintained, and the beds and linens were more than satisfactory. The hosts are a hands-on German or Dutch couple, and they help to make the place even more cozy. 8

CANTERBURY

Hanmer Backpackers, Hanmer Springs

A nice, cozy backpackers in scenic, if sleepy, Hanmer Springs. Run by a friendly newcomer to the backpackers business, it’s a solid, if unspectacular hostel. Nothing really exceptional, but good vibe that we enjoyed. 8

Le Gite, Hanmer Springs

A small, cruisey, well-kept backpackers a few minutes of Hanmer Springs proper, it’s a small collection of buildings in a residential neighborhood. Really pretty small and homey with a nice kitchen and cozy common area, the wood fire was quite good on a cold night in Hanmer. Would definitely stay there again, our share room had good beds and it was only a 5-10 minute walk downtown and to the hot pools. 8.5

Marine Backpackers, Sumner

A pretty sizable hostel located a block from the beach in the Christchurch suburb of Sumner. It’s also a bottle store and bar and can get rather loud and busy, especially on weekend nights. During the day and evening we really enjoyed this hostel, as there are two kitchens and a nice lounge area on the first floor, along with a sizable patio/beer garden for BBQing. However, this is not a great place to get a good night’s rest, as the bedding is pretty low-grade (flat pillows, thin mattresses, squeaky beds), noise from the bar is highly audible throughout the second floor, and some of the rooms face the bar’s bright sign, making for tough sleeping. As a result, it’s only a 6.5, and I probably wouldn’t stay here again but for the sweet location.

Canterbury House, Christchurch

A sprawling, medium-sized backpackers on Bealey Ave just north of the city center, downtown is only a 15-minute walk away, which is nice. The atmosphere in the hostel was rather odd, like being at a retirement home or your grandfolks’ house, probably as a result from being owned by an older gentleman, had to be in his 60s. Two Asian women, one who seemed to be his wife, run the place during the day, and it’s a pretty sedate place, except for the Muzak and Christian music that was on most of the time. Beds were nice and everything was clean and well-kept, which was a plus. We were the only ones staying there at the time (early winter) but almost definitely wouldn’t stay there again, weird feel. 6.5

Dorset House, Christchurch

Dorset’s a bright, modern, and spacious hostel located in the northwest area of the city centre, directly across from the park, so it really has a winner of a location. Kitchen was clean and well-sized, bathrooms were good and numerous, lounge was large, with TV and videos, internet, pool table, and plenty of couches, and bedrooms were also just fine. Probably the best hostel we’ve stayed at in Chch so far, which is good, but they don’t put the heat on, which is not great. 7

The Old Countryhouse, Christchurch

The OC’s (don’t call it that) a cute little multi-building hostel located east of the city in Chch, probably Richmond or Shirley somewhere. It’s got a set of attractive buildings with a well-manicured lawn set behind an unprepossessing set of gates in a working class neighborhood. The buildings are nice, kitchen and bathroom facilities definitely adequate, but the beds in the bedrooms are substandard: the mattresses in our dorm were hard as rock and the “linens” consisted of a thin blanket, which was quite lame. The bedding was so lame it makes this place a 7.

Bon Accord Backpackers, Akaroa

Bon Accord is one of Akaroa’s set of downtown hostels, and is composed of several small one-floor buildings in an attractive property next to the stream running through town. In our building the kitchen and bathroom were quite small, which wasn’t a problem in the off-season when we visited, but would be an issue if it were full. Nice little lounge area and the slippers on the bed were an unusual, nice touch, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and guess that they’re clean. 7.5

Chez La Mer Backpackers, Akaroa

Located in downtown Akaroa, Chez La Mer gets a high rating in the 80s from BBH, but not sure exactly why. It does have a great location and is a cute house, but way too small for the volume of travelers. Even in the off-season we found the living room packed, which needs only 5-6 people to do so, and there was nowhere to store food in the house. Bathrooms and bedrooms were fine, nothing special but good. They mean well, but just too small to rate higher than a 6.5

Onuku Farm Hostel, Akaroa

Onuku is located about halfway up a mountainside 6km south of Akaroa, so it’s pretty much in the sticks. Great location when the weather is good, you can get awesome views of the waterway. Offers dolphin swims and kayaks for reasonable prices, other backpackers say they’re great trips. Pretty cruisey vibe at Onuku, somewhat hippie, but the lodge isn’t set up great for lots of people to hang out at the same time. Dorms were OK, cleanliness was good overall, showers all seem to be outside, so if it’s really cold they might not be much fun. Good spot overall, weather wasn’t great during our visit, which was a bummer, but in great weather this place would rock. 8.5

Mountain House, Arthur’s Pass

The tiny town of Arthur’s Pass, really a glorified refueling place between Chch and Greymouth, supports just two backpackers, and of the two Mountain House had the higher ranking, and so we stopped there. Not a bad little modern purpose-built joint, with a number of dorms and other rooms, slightly impersonal but BIG kitchen and dining area, what looked to be heaps of toilets/showers, and a cozy lounge on set above it all on a second floor. Probably your best bet if you need to stay in the Pass, the Mountain House is more than competent and efficient, if a little sterile. Sterile beats the funk in a place with 20+ beds, though. 8

Buscot Station, Omarama

A hostel located in a house on a farm out in the sticks of Omarama, got a very high BBH rating, 93%. It’s pretty nice, but given the number of people staying here, there just aren’t enough in the way of facilities to accommodate people well. With an average-sized kitchen, dining room, and living room, having 20 people stay here at the same time seems a bit excessive. Still, it’s in a nice location with pretty scenery, but it needs bigger and better facilities to handle this much traffic. More like a 7.5, I think.

Tailor-Made Tekapo, Lake Tekapo

Tailor-Made is a bit of a sprawling place, taking up three houses and an another guest lodge in a residential neighborhood above Lake Tekapo. Fairly ordinary accommodations, clean and bright lounge and dining areas, if a bit utilitarian. Nicely maintained yards with hammocks and such. Becky really enjoyed the reading lights, a nice thoughtful little touch which is worth so much. 7

Empire Hotel Backpackers, Oamaru

This is really an underrated place, we thought, especially given the size of the joint. Located in what looks to be an old boarding house (or something similar) in downtown Oamaru, the rooms were nice, warm, and clean, bathrooms were numerous and clean, the kitchens large, and the internet free. It also had a TV room, what more can you ask of a big hostel? We liked it so much we stopped there twice. On our first visit we saw (or rather, heard) blue penguins in a nearby garage, sadly by our second visit they were gone, as one had been runover, bummer. 8.5

SOUTHLAND

Happy Inn Backpackers, Milton

Perhaps the only reason to stay in Milton is the Happy Inn, run by an eccentric, gregarious, juggle-happy, bike-crazy, bread-baking, Buddhist Swiss, Tony, who will not allow his guests to wash their dishes nor seemingly go without a moment of conversation. A very friendly and outgoing chap, Tony regaled us with heaps of stories of biking across Asia, setting up circus tents in Australia, his Buddhist beliefs, and tales of backpackers gone before. He also taught juggling and washed our dishes after we had cooked dinner, a backpacking first for us! It can get a bit much what with him talking so much, but it’s generally fun and entertaining, and overshadows anything else at the hostel, which he converted from an old gym years ago. The lounge is warm and cozy with heaps of books and music, bathrooms are OK, bedrooms were clean and suitable, but your opinion of Happy Inn will largely rest on how much you enjoyed Tony. Might be best when there’s a few other people to distract his attraction, wish we could’ve gotten him to fire up the sauna… Still - 8

Falls Backpackers, Purakaunui

Situated way out in the middle of nowhere in the Catlins, this is a homey hostel located in a separate house on a farm. Actually it’s down the road from the Purakaunui Falls, so not hard to get to, though that doesn’t mean it’s near anything else. The bedrooms were really nice, and the doubles were huge, the size of master bedrooms, and the place could easily be a B&B. The bathrooms are also really quite nice and well-apportioned. Unfortunately the kitchen fails the place, as it’s really too small to accommodate more than a few people at a time, and the lounge falls prey to this as well. Luckily we had the place to ourselves when we were there in the off-season, and so really enjoyed our stay and the ability to stretch out fully there. Free eggs! 8

Waikawa Holiday Lodge, Waikawa

Waikawa is basically sticks-ville, Catlins, so if you’re looking for small-town isolation, this is a good place to do it. The Holiday Lodge is located right across the street from the notable Anglican church, and it’s really best if you think of it as a rustic bach, rather than a hostel, as it’s just a small house with 3 bedrooms and another double in a small adjoining building. Everything in the house is in good enough condition, though it is quite small and in need of an update. On cold nights the fire is quite cozy though, and it can be a good base to explore the Catlins area for a day or two. 6.5

Dolphin Lodge Backpackers, Curio Bay

Curio Bay is an isolated beach in the Catlins, and there’s definitely some amazing natural beauty there, with Hector’s Dolphins, yellow-eyed penguins, and the petrified forest on the ocean. Be sure to buy food in Invercargill, Dunedin, or your starting point before going there, as there’s about one camp store, a takeaways, and a restaurant in the general area. The backpackers is a nice, cozy beach affair, with good views of Porpoise Bay, a spacious kitchen and lounge area, and a number of dorm rooms. Because of the surf and the lessons offered by the hostel manager, it’s popular with both experienced surfers and wanna-bes. Cool, cruisey atmosphere and it’s a good place to chill for a few days away from the hustle and bustle of Invercargill or the like… 7

Southern Comfort Backpackers, Invercargill

A hostel consisting of two houses across the street from each other in a nice residential neighborhood near Queen’s Park in Invercargill. Nice location and the exterior/gardens of the houses were very attractive, in particular. Interiors were also in good condition and facilities appeared to be well-cared for, nice hostel to stay at, with fireplaces in lounges as well. 8

Kackling Kea Lodge, Invercargill

A pretty nice little backpackers on the outskirts of Invercargill, Kackling Kea is literally the larger part of its owner’s home. Good bathrooms from what I could see, and for its size it looked to have a large enough dining/lounge-type area. Free bread in the morning was nice, though not particularly flavorful. Dorms were nice, clean, and the heater generated enough heat in the night. Probably would choose Southern Comfort again if we had to spend another night in Invercargill, but still give Kea an 8.

Stewart Island Backpackers (non-BBH), Stewart Island

Not sure what’s going on with this place, but we certainly didn’t love it. Double was only a couple bucks more than dorms, which probably means dorms are overpriced. We got the double, not a brilliant room or building by any means though. The facility seems purpose-built to reverberate and carry sound, we heard every cough, yell, and especially slammed door in the building. Kitchen is OK but a little ghetto, lounge is spacious but depressing. Bathrooms are outside, a bit below average especially in winter. A high school group was loudly banging around when we visited, which depresses our rating, so it’s not recommended. 4

Barnyard Backpackers, Te Anau

Almost feel bad giving this a pretty mediocre rating, but staying there in winter is not really a treat. Beautiful scenery at its location on a deer farm outside of Te Anau, and the main office/kitchen/dining area/owner’s living quarters is really a great building with character. However kitchen is industrial and charmless, it’s a good hike to your room from the main room, and heating is insufficient in the rooms in the winter. Just enough negatives to make us not choose Barnyard again in the future, could be nice in summer though. 7

Milford Lodge, Milford Sound

The only budget accommodations in Milford, the Lodge is a large utilitarian hostel, with outdoor access to the facilities and rooms. Kitchen is large and useful, and bathrooms are pretty good with great hot water for the showers. The lounge is also good and spacious, plenty of room to spare there. However the power goes off at 11 or so, which includes the heaters in the rooms. In the middle of winter this is really unfortunate, as it can get below freezing quite easily in the Fiordland, making for a miserable night trying to sleep. Thus the Lodge only gets a 6.5.

QUEENSTOWN, WANAKA

Holly’s Backpackers, Wanaka

A small-medium-sized backpackers located in a large house in a quiet, older residential neighborhood in Wanaka, a few blocks away from the lake and the main shops. Good location and it’s a nice, bright, well-kept hostel with very friendly management, who we got to know well since we stayed for a long time, over a week. We stayed in an 8-bed dorm in the basement, which was not bad despite the number of people in it. Everything seemed to be clean, nicely maintained, and cheery, vibe was good when we were there. Apparently they get large numbers of Japanese skiers in the winter, so keep that in mind for booking then, if you can get a bed. 8

Matterhorn (non-BBH), Wanaka

A medium-sized hostel right off the heart of town in Wanaka, Matterhorn is OK but certainly not great. Our dorm room was adequate, but sleep was ruined by snoring Aussies and sounds reverberated throughout the building. Kitchen was OK, but there wasn’t much room for eating and lounging for the amount of people in a building of its size. Bathrooms were OK, our bad sleep helps to give this place a 5.

Poplar Lodge, Arrowtown

A small, homey little backpackers situated about a block from ‘downtown’ Arrowtown, Poplar is a nice, relatively quiet hostel spread out over two buildings on a sleepy residential street. Bathrooms were nice, kitchen well-appointed, and rooms seemed clean, not too cramped, and well-kept. Recommended for getting away from the Q-Town hustle-bustle. 8

Deco Backpackers, Queenstown

A sprawling, warren-like hostel located in the hills above Queenstown, near the Gondola, Deco Backpackers was a pretty good value in Queenstown. Though it calls itself ‘Deco’ they are but few Art Deco flourishes on any of the buildings, with utilitarian backpacker facilities more the standard. Facilities are good, with decent bathrooms, sizable kitchen with lots of heating elements, heaps of refrigerators, and a pretty nice lounge/dining area. Given the number of guests, dining area could be a bit bigger, but seems to be no room for that. Our room was a twin, which was nice enough for the money. Would stay again, especially because of the free wifi, which is quite a good feature. 7/8

WEST COAST (aka the Promised Land of hostels)

Beaconstone, Charleston

We really enjoyed Beaconstone, located in Charleston just a bit south of Westport and set in the bush about 5 minutes off the highway. The hosts, Grae and Nancy were really gracious and conversational, the place was immaculate and quite small, and they obviously put a lot of care into building and maintaining it. Also, Beaconstone was eco-friendly as it was off the grid, had composting toilets, and used solar power. A really relaxing and cool place to stay. 10

The Old Slaughterhouse, Hector

Billed as “the best hostel in the world” from a hostel survey, I don’t know if was the best hostel ever, but it was really quite nice. It’s got a tremendous view of the Tasman Sea owing to its location halfway up a mountain from the highway along the ocean. The Slaughterhouse requires a 10-minute hoof pretty much uphill, so you need to scrutinize what you take up with you, but the views and hospitality are well worth, we thought. David and Ina, the couple that own and live in the hostel, were really friendly and fun to talk to, the building is inviting and beautiful, and as I already mentioned the views are million-dollar. Becky really enjoyed the dogs as well. Huge recommendation. 9.5. A second visit six months later only confirmed our earlier opinion. Perhaps some people won’t appreciate the unheated rooms or the walk to the bathroom, but we don’t mind. Has to be a 10.

Rongo Lodge, Karamea

Another really good west coast backpackers. Rongo is a bit different from the first two as it’s set in Karamea so it doesn’t boast great views or a gorgeous building like the previous two, but the atmosphere is really what makes Rongo special. Described by Beaconstone’s owner, Grae (who no one would confuse with a square) as really hippy, we figured Rongo would be eccentric and fun, and it really was. The owners are quite chill, and have built Rongo to have a really friendly, peaceful vibe, and it comes across well when you stay there. Half the people we met there said they “planned to spend one night, and ended up spending four” as they enjoyed the atmosphere so much, not to mention the 4^th night was free. Rongo has its own little radio station, always broadcasting, driftwood fires in the parking lot every night, parties most nights, and its not uncommon for travelers to do dinners together and with the staff. Not the greatest facilities ever, but free (with donation) wifi was great, the atmosphere is terrific, and you’ll feel at home pretty quickly at Rongo. 8.5

Te Nikau, Punakaiki

Yet another nice backpackers, Te Nikau is a bit bigger than the others we’ve stayed at, but still nice in its own way. Located right off the highway in Punakaiki, its set in the bush, and consists of a main lodge and smaller lodges. We stayed at one of the smaller lodges, which was a self-contained sleeping quarters, kitchen, and bathroom. The kitchen was basically a greenhouse, which was different, but nice, as it was sunny but kept warmth in, which was good since it got so chilly and damp in the bush at night. Surprisingly good night’s sleep in the dorm, given how many people were in our room, but it was all good. Te Nikau appeared to have a small army of woofers, which was probably necessary given how big their area of land was and the multiple buildings to clean. Really pretty nice place overall. 8.5. Updated: stayed in another of the buildings with Marie and Alex, a bit different, not in the forest but the kitchen was bigger and better, reiterate our previous ranking.

The Old Church, Ross

I guess this place is an old church, but it doesn’t really appear to be so, especially from the inside. From the outside, it looks like an old house, but that doesn’t really matter. Located right off the highway next to a river in Ross, which is really not close to anything of big interest, which probably hurts it a bit. It does have a nice outdoor area, free laundry, nice-sized kitchen, good lounge, and huge collection of albums to play, which is a nice feature. Overall a good place, it seems to fit an 80% place just right. 8

Glow Worm Cottages, Franz Josef

A larger hostel, probably with 50-60 beds, owned by the same group that owns Adelphi Lodge in Kaikoura, along with some other hostels. Like Adelphi, The Far Side is prevalent, and there again is free soup and a hot tub. Seems to be arranged like a normal motel with rooms circling a motor courtyard. Pretty cheap at $19 with BBH card for a dorm bed, it’s really a bit big for what we like, but it’s what’s available around here. A bit better than Adelphi, but just OK. 5.5

Ivory Tower Backpackers, Fox Glacier

A large hostel in Fox Glacier, the only one in town so it’s not like there’s a lot of choice. When we were there in winter, we found it pretty cramped in the kitchen and dining area, which were full of lots of other stuck travelers. The lounge had a bad odor, the heaters in the room were really bright but didn’t stay on for very long, and the bathrooms weren’t kept up very well. Showers were also iffy at best. Barely average backpackers. 6

Hello Auckland My Old Friend (Nov. 7 – 16)

So after ten months of traveling, exploring all of New Zealand’s nooks and crannies, we’ve finally made it back to Auckland, the Big Smoke, as it were. The first thing that hit us as we approached the sprawling metropolis from the south was that there was an actual highway. Miles and miles of 4-lane (and sometimes more!) motorway, divided by a median – okay, maybe I’ll skip my usual harangue. Not that the highway is all beer and skittles, as Auckland pretty much has the country’s only traffic, and how… As we slowly drifted into the city in mid-afternoon congestion on a typically cloudy Auckland day, we began to have some brief moments of sadness at leaving the bucolic and traffic-free hinterlands.

But we had important house-sitting duties to do, so slogged on we did. As we’ve mentioned previously, we’re house-and-cat-sitting for our CSing friends, the Newmans, in their new crib in Auckland’s North Shore for a few weeks in mid-November. Fortunately the North Shore isn’t like living in the city, and the city’s ghastly traffic can be largely avoided, unless we need to go south on the motorway for any reason. We try not to find reasons.

This is about as close to Auckland as we like to get! At the summit of Rangitoto...

With our first week here in the bag, I’d say it’s gone about as well as we’d have hoped, as we’ve gotten out a few times, but mostly we’ve done nothing but lounge around. The lounging and temporary lack of responsibility for trip planning has been quite good, but I think more than a few weeks not doing much would drive us nuts. To be honest, it’s been kind of great to have our own space for awhile while we’re here, and much like when we house-sat for Kieran and Belinda in Canterbury, we’ve found traveling to be great, but you can forget how nice having your own space and sleeping in the same place for a few weeks can be.

Another gorgeous day on the North Shore. Some might say, picture perfect...

Although maybe I’m short-selling us a little bit, because we did get out of the house a bunch. We went up to Shakespear Regional Park, which lies out on the very end of Whangaparaoa Peninsula on the North Shore. Somewhat oddly, it shares a border with a military facility which warned of firing range activity on the day we were there. It seemed like a good idea to give that part a wide berth. The park was nice, with heaps of just-flowering pohutakawa trees (often called NZ Christmas trees) but what really impressed us is that they had such a big park taking up some ridiculously valuable oceanfront real estate. Good on ya, North Shore.

A pohutakawa tree in bloom

We also took a ferry out to Rangitoto Island, a dormant volcano island that lays in Hauraki Gulf, not more than a few miles from Auckland’s waterfront. We nearly missed our ferry since we underestimated how much time it takes to get into town around 9 on a weekday morning, who knew there would be rush hour traffic. It was a pretty good hike to the top, though the crater was disappointingly covered by trees. Auckland is built on something like 6 or 7 old volcanoes, and we hear the museum has a pretty frightening multimedia display on what it will be like if there’s a geologic rupture leading to major volcanic activity in the area, which the city is apparently overdue for. Auckland will not be the place to be when that happens.

The outline of Rangitoto in the distance

Lastly, yesterday we got to Piha Beach, one of Auckland’s picturesque black-sand west coast beaches. It’s a haul out there, but it’s well worth it to see the site of one of our favorite NZ TV shows, Piha Rescue, which is like Baywatch, except that it’s real, and there’s no Pam Anderson, nor almost as sadly, The Hoff. West coast beaches, and Piha in particular, are notorious for their dangerous rips, which suck out heaps of tourists, who have to be rescued by the life saving club, thus providing the show with heaps of material. Based on our unscientific survey of Kiwis, most of them say they wouldn’t swim there since Piha is well known here. Most episodes of Rescue bear that out, with Aussies and surprised swimmers of various Asian nationalities having to be saved. We skipped the surf on our visit, as we’ve enjoyed the nice beaches on the east coast, but caught quite a show from the lifeguards in training.

The wild coastline at Piha

Well it’s been a tough week, and we’ve got a couple more to go here. We’re in the process of selling Ron Burgundy, maybe trying to sell some beer if we can gin up some motivation to go into the city, are working out our Tahiti and San Francisco plans, and want to go up to the Northland one last time. Add in my 28^th birthday tomorrow, and I know I know, it’s sounds like a ridiculously busy schedule for the next two weeks, but someone’s got to do it.

Dispatch From The North (Oct. 20 – 21)

Andrew has insisted that I finally take a turn at this blog writing thing and suggested that I write the “farewell to the South Island” post. It’s not his worst idea, actually, as teary goodbyes are one of my specialties. We had a nice send-off from Arapawa with all the remaining Radons waving goodbye from the wharf as we sailed back to Picton (all except for James, who was already pre-occupied with the blue motorbike).

Andrew and I say farewell to Arapawa Island

From Picton we headed to Blenheim to spend one last evening with the boys from Renaissance Brewing, barbecuing with Brian, his fam, and Andy and his giant children. Seriously, who is going to cook for us on the North Island? Brian made a very nice toast to Andrew for all his efforts to spread the Renaissance beer gospel on the South Island. It makes us feel as though we’ll be missed on the Mainland. Here’s hoping the Renaissance guys make a good fist of it, and if/when we return to NZ, we’ll return to an even bigger operation.

The next morning we enjoyed a nice breakfast, and spent a few hours entertaining the kids (OK I entertained the kids while Andrew watched the Springboks beat the Pommies in the Rugby World Cup final) before heading through Picton once again, this time to catch our ferry back to the North Island and civilization, more or less. Several months ago I would have really been looking forward to the trip back to the North Island, since the closer we got to Auckland, the closer we would be to our trip home. In June, while toiling in the vineyards of Marlborough, I had decided that I had had enough of the backpacker lifestyle. I even made a few teary phone calls home and started making alternate (albeit implausible) plans to go to Oktoberfest or Barcelona. I managed to stick it out, however, and now our departure date of December 2^nd seems to be approaching all too rapidly.

Andrew enjoys the calm seas on the ferry

All in all we spent eight months traveling around the South Island, north and south, east and west, looping over track numerous times. We didn’t really have a set-in-stone itinerary, which becomes painfully obvious when you look at our Jauntlet map. But for us much of the adventure of the trip was in not really having a plan. People have asked where we spent our time in the South, and all we can really say is “all over.” I tried to retrace our route in my mind while the ferry slowly moved through Tory Channel, but only got as far as our flight from the dirty flat in Wanaka before I was distracted by our final trip past Arapawa Seafarm (second house from the end as you head into Cook Strait). For the most part, time has seemed to move very quickly, although we could look at certain pieces of the trip (see Lemon Tree Cafe) as being interminably long. The details will soon start to fade, and soon we’ll only remember the good bits.

Our final glimpse of Arapawa Seafarm as we return to the North Island

Moving away from more philosophical ponderings, arriving in Wellington again it was a bit surreal to find ourselves back on George’s doorstep (see CouchSurfing) after having first met him in February. We stayed with him shortly before our departure from the North Island, when all the best parts of our trip were still ahead of us in the South Island. Now we have less than two months to go until we leave New Zealand for good (or at least until the 2011 Rugby World Cup). George was just as we remembered him: friendly, talkative, enthusiastic. Since we saw him last, he had visited the states, went kayaking in Fiji, had a relationship, switched departments at work, and torn down all the gib (drywall) in the guest bedroom. He even found the time to sew a prototype of his new blanket, which we are certain will turn the blanket industry on its head for years to come. What have you done with your last eight months, whew! We spent a cruisey night in the capital splashing out for thai takeaways and chai gelato for dessert (this counts as really living it up for us).

George's amazing blanket! (patent pending)

After watching Borat, Andrew and I crashed on our respective couches. On our first visit George’s living room was dominated by a queen-sized bed set up to accommodate guests. It has since found a new home – in someone else’s home – so we took the couches, making this perhaps our first actual “couch” surfing experience in NZ). The next morning we woke up early to beat the morning crowds at the local cafes. George knows all the best places for brunch with a view and took us to Maranui Surf Club Café for pancakes with bacon and banana (an NZ specialty… you should try it!). Then we hit the road north. We’ve had to say quite a few goodbyes in this country already, and I’ve already shed quite a few tears. I can only imagine my reaction when we get on the plane in Auckland. But we’ve got heaps of time til then, literally weeks!

A couch with a view, from George's living room window

Marlborough Sounds Like A Good Place to Wwoof (Oct. 3 – 19)

Sometime in the past few months, as we were living in Chch, we began to line up our post-Linda and Don plans for our last two months in NZ. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been here for nine months now, and that we’ve now got less than two months to go. It’s hard to effectively describe it, but at some moments it hardly feels like we’ve been on the South Island for eight months now. On the other hand, there are times when I feel acutely aware of how long we’ve been here. But I digress, since this is making me sound like an old person.

Anyway, we became intrigued with the idea of wwoofing somewhere in the Marlborough Sounds, looking for some isolated place accessible only by boat, where we could soak up the natural scenic beauty, etc. etc. Our recent trek on the Queen Charlotte track with L&D only heightened our anticipation of wwoofing on a lush green island in the middle of Marlborough’s rolling submerged mountain ranges. Thus we were excited to find a wwoofing accommodation with a family living on Arapawa Island.

Arapawa is an island located on the Tory Channel at the northeastern tip of the Sounds, where the Wellington-Picton ferries cruise past every hour. The family with whom we’re staying farm and dive for paua (NZ abalone), and also run a few sheep and cattle on their sprawling island property. When we first contacted them they were keen for us to get there as soon as possible after Oct. 1, so the best we could do was to get there on the 3^rd, after putting L&D on a plane the previous night in Chch.

Back at the ranch on Arapawa Island

We met the husband, Mike, in Picton, where he was making a paua delivery, and rode back with him in their small boat, which is basically the family’s only means of transportation to reach the outside world. As the family lives at the northern end of Arapawa at the end of the Sounds, it’s a bit of a haul to their place, about an hour or so. In fact, from their house on a clear day you can see right across the Cook Strait to the Wellington Hills of the North Island. For those familiar with the Wellington-Picton ferry, their property is the second one on the right as you enter the Sounds, with the red and white maritime markers.

Becky boards the "Freedom" on our way to Arapawa Island

Always prone to motion sickness, Becky had skipped lunch before we boarded, which was smart, as the chop in the Sounds was fairly intense. Arriving at Arapawa we had our most exciting wwoofing induction yet as we had to toss our packs up onto the wharf and then leap from a wildly rocking boat. We narrowly missed a good soaking and lost luggage when a massive wave washed over the wharf right behind us. Antonia quickly came out to meet us on one of their 4x4’s with two dogs and one kid in tow. She then hopped onto the backhoe to pull Mike and the dingy out from the roiling waves. Whew!

The view from the wharf on a calm day

Both Mike, who’s from California, and Antonia, who is a Kiwi, are tremendously keen divers, and met in California some years ago while diving professionally. They’ve been at Arapawa for about 14 years now, and have 3 kids: 9-year old twins Sarah and Jacob, and a 5-year old, James. The kids are tremendously energetic. Mike is often in the States fishing or diving professionally, leaving Antonia to manage the farm in his absence, often with a team of wwoofers. Much like Belinda, she left us amazed at her incredible energy level. There simply aren’t enough hours in a day for her to accomplish everything she’d like to do between teaching the kids, running the house, and all the various tasks in raising paua and running their farm.

Wwoofing at Arapawa gave us an opportunity to do some unique work that we haven’t done previously. Since living on the island requires the family to do correspondence school with their kids, Becky’s background in education came in handy – she helped Antonia in the family’s schoolroom on many days. That was typically followed by sundry household activities (cooking, cleaning, child-minding, pet-minding) until the day eventually wound down around 7:00 PM.

My tasks were generally more varied than Becky’s. In times of better weather, their other wwoofer, Hidei, and I would often go out on the property’s steep hillsides, weeding tarhwini plants and spraying that most hated and invasive plant, gorse. Hidei, who was from Japan, was a good sport and a hard worker, and we got along quite well. Though he spoke almost no English, we communicated reasonably well, which I attribute largely to my excellence in the art of mime.

I’d say I also earned my forestry merit badge at Arapawa, wielding a chainsaw to carve up firewood, which can become tiring, but which I rate as excellent work. It’s surprisingly satisfying to stack up a huge pile of freshly cut firewood. Mostly I was keen to do any job that required use of one of their several 4x4’s. I never mastered backing up a 4x4 with a trailer on the back, but riding around the property, up forested hills and through shallow creeks, I could easily see why you’d want one, or three, as they had at Arapawa. Actually, I think many of their chores might just be convenient excuses to go for a ride on the 4x4…

Andrew's a lumberjack, and he's okay

Sarah and Jacob negotiating turns to ride the blue motorbike

Becky and I both spent heaps of time in the paua farm, especially on the many rainy spring days we endured at Arapawa. If anything, the weather at the edge of the Cook Strait is changeable – some warm, sunny, 20ºC weather interspersed with rainy, cold, 10 ºC days. And the wind is really something there as well; maybe not Canterbury bad, but when a southerly gale is blowing through the Sounds it certainly les you know. On the paua farm our specialty was in separating and sizing small paua, a yearly task that was well-suited for bad weather. We got pretty good at it – I can tell a 45mm paua from a 50mm one by sight.

Becky measures some paua at the farm

We ended up staying with the family for 16 days, and besides a few trips out on their inflatable dinghy never left the island in that time. It’s a unique experience living on an island, and I was interested in how the family lived their life on an isolated island with only a couple neighbors. Though with modern communications, biweekly mail boat visits, and ferries going by every hour, the isolation certainly isn’t complete. They even had broadband Internet and Sky (cable) television, certainly not regular fixtures in all Kiwi homes. We certainly weren’t complaining that they had those things.

We have to say that it was perhaps the most remarkable place we’ve wwoofed at. Between the Sounds, a sprawling property on a relatively isolated island, the outdoorsy 4x4-loving kids, a paua farm and hatchery, and hosts that dive for paua for a living, there were so many interesting things going on. We were properly immersed in the family’s life, even joining them on a family picnic to the “Knob,” the highest point on Arapawa Island. Loaded up on two four-wheelers with two dogs in tow, the eight of us traveled to the Knob for lunch and to take in the views, which were spectacular.

Enjoying our picnic lunch at the Knob

Also, many of the things about wwoofing at Arapawa were top-notch. Antonia is an excellent cook, preparing roasts, cottage pies, and heaps of other tasty dishes at dinner. And don’t even get me started on desserts – they took dessert very seriously, which I was happy to see. There was always a cake, cookies, or a crumble around. Mike says he gains ten pounds when he’s at home, and I could certainly believe it. If I hadn’t been running around as much as I was, I probably would’ve gained weight as well. Additionally, the family had a very good set-up for having wwoofers, as we had our own very nice ensuite room in a small building off the house. Hidei had his own ensuite room separate from the house as well. You could hardly ask for better food or accommodation in a wwoofing arrangement.

After some sub-par wwoofing experiences (see Lemon Tree and the garlic farm), Arapawa Island proved to be the wwoofing tonic we were looking for. We were made to feel a part of this amazing family and learned a great deal during our time here. They benefited from our efforts and 6+ hours of work a day while we enjoyed comfortable accommodation and delicious food. Becky’s cooking will have improved after our stay here, and I’ve learned new things as well (most importantly, I’ve learned I should try and figure out how to get a 4x4 when I get home, hehe). It’s been a great way to spend a few weeks this spring before our quickly approaching departure from the South Island. Cheers, Arapawa!

A final farewell from the wharf

Guest Blog: Linda & Don on the South Island

Well, everyone, Don and I have survived our trip to NZ, and have traveled well. Andrew and Becky have since effectively covered our vacation in their blog, but they seem to want something from us too. Why would that be? They do such a grand and thorough job as it is. Nevertheless we will give it a whirl.

Don takes in the view from the Old Slaughter House

There are some aspects of the trip that B&A can’t touch, such as the flight into Chch. Since B&A landed in Auckland and took the ferry across, they missed all the magnificent views from the plane. Don and I were mesmerized even before we landed in Auckland. I, a lover of sunsets and sunrises, was blown away by the sunrise as we approached Auckland. My only disappointment was a lack of a picture window on the plane. Surely the transportation industry is missing the point when they don’t market the views from the skies, as no one else is able to compete against them.

Linda and Don enjoy the sunset (over the Tasman Sea, not the Southern Alps)

Once we resumed our short trip from Auckland to Chch, Don and I were glued to the window, both fighting for the best view. The scenery was unrivaled and unending. The Southern Alps, which NZ is famous for, were often beyond our vision during the land trip because of the cloud cover. Not so in the skies. These tall peaks, covered with snow, jutted through the clouds trying to reach out to the plane. They were absolutely glorious, and a good welcoming to the South Island. Beyond the mountains and the clouds we were greeted by the vineyards, sometimes covered with red netting, and remote roads, seemingly going nowhere for miles and miles. Only in the air can you really see how unpopulated and unspoiled NZ is. New Zealanders have a paradise, and they know it.

B&A also introduced us to the world of hostels. For those of you who are not familiar with this term as used in NZ, a hostel, or BBH, is a larger home with many bedrooms which include singles, doubles, and dorms. They provide, if you are lucky, multiple bathrooms, and kitchens. Sometimes you are asked to leave you shoes at the door, and always to clean up the kitchen after your meal. We were more often than not able to stay at the best hostels, and once, Becky informed me, our hostel had the best rating in the world--that would be the ‘Old Slaughter House’. This hostel, built on the side of a steep hill, included a ten minute hike up the hill in order to reach it. We were fortunate as our host, David, brought our luggage up on his four-wheeler, saving our backs and our lungs.

Don discusses his latest journal entry with Becky, while Andrew enjoys appetizers at that evening's backpackers

David had other amenities not offered by most hostels. Of course, the best one, as far as I was concerned, was the sunset. We could watch the sun as it sank into the ocean from David’s wrap-around porch high on the side of the hill. He also offered hot water bottles to keep us snug as a bug at night. Did I mention before that these hostels do not have central heat? Well they don’t. No comforts like home! Some supplied small electric heaters; others fireplaces. But not David, he supplied hot water bottles, and I am going to run out and buy them for my girls to use this winter when they come home for visits. They’ll just love it.

Living in a hostel also gave us the opportunity to cook and enjoy all our meals together. Thanks to Becky this usually came off without a hitch. Most kitchens, as far as I was concerned, only had the most basic supplies. But Becky managed to cook varied and healthy meals. However, she expected Don and me to take turns with her and Andrew. This included, not only the cooking, but the planning, the buying, the storing, the dishwashing, etc. etc. Most meals came off pretty well, but then there was the night of the omelets. What a disaster that was! I won’t even go into it. Thank God there were nights we eat out or had smoked salmon, or mussels at David’s or the nights that Chris and Belinda cooked for us. Those were great nights! Chris made us a traditional NZ pavlova cake. I tried to replicate it last night for my friend Pam. It was nothing like Chris’s. In fact, I had to make it twice. The first time it just fell apart; the second time it did again, but I was forced to use it. The only saving grace was the whipped cream, strawberries, and kiwis. Anyway, Pam acted like it was great. Thank goodness for friends.

Unlike some of our friends, who have toured NZ via a cruise ship, we were fortunate to tour the country in B&A’s Subaru, affectionately called ‘Ron Burgundy’. Because of this reliable hunk of machinery, we saw places most tourists never get to see. It took us up the highest mountains and to the most desolate beaches such as Gore Bay, where we saw our first bull kelp. If you don’t know any better, when you see it floating in the ocean, it looks like a seal. Ron took us to Farewell Spit, a narrow peninsula consisting of sand, seals, and a Gannet Colony. This peninsula, much like the 90 mile beach on the north island is restricted to one tour company so it is vastly desolate.

We wade across a tidal pool to make our way to the gannet colony at Farewell Spit

Did I mention that Ron only knows how to drive on the left hand side of the road? Don was able to experience this first hand, the day he volunteered to drive. The ‘golden rule’ according to Don is keep the driver in the middle of the road; left turns are like right turns and right turns are like left turns unless it is a gentlemen’s turn (ask Becky or Andrew for clarification). And, then there are give ways, round-abouts, judder bars, and one-lane bridge give ways. Also, New Zealanders are speedsters, never staying within the posted speed limit, always looking for the opportunity to pass you.

Don behind the wheel of Ron Burgandy

We had fun; let’s do it again in 2011.