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10 September 2017

This is the final part of my musings of the road trip #2.

Two weeks in the South Island , on my own, in a rental car. I got some great shots, so I am happy. But there was one camera I took along and it recorded nothing significant so I should be really grateful to be alive….

I recently bought a dash cam and I decided to bring it along and mount it in my rental car. The news is awash with reports of bad drivers on the road and frequently on the wrong side of the road so I thought I should record that event before my demise.

Maybe I was lucky but I didn’t have the chance to yell out an expletives even once!

One thing I did notice though is that when you give way to drivers on a one way bridge it is customary for the on coming driver to wave at you in acknowlegement of your courtesy. This didn’t happen much- unless the driver was local. How did i know he or she was local? Well not many tourists drives Utes with a dog(s) in the back!

I was probably the slowest driver on the road bumbling along at 90 km /hour. Even the camper vans of which there were as many as sand flies caught up with me. However I was one of those considerate drivers who went to the left or even stopped to let people pass. I wasn’t intersted in speeding (not that the Nissan Tiida could ) but scouting the scenery for a good shot. it really is a holiday when you don’t have to rush anywhere.

Along the way to Haast I had to stop at a bridge for 20 minutes as it was under repair. So I had a nap and was awoken by passing cars. I looked behind me expecting to see a queue of backlog traffic. There was about 6 cars behind me in over a 20 minutes wait. Thats what I like about driving in the South island-empty roads.

Here are some of my observations of the South Island trip:

1. I met and talked to more foreigners than travelling overseas.

2. Every one I met had a positive experience of the journey and go home happy.

3. Queenstown is like another planet compared to other towns in the rural south.

4. Good coffee is everywhere. Even in the remote places there is a caravan with an expresso machine.

5. Good food with healthy choices are rare-mostly pub grub, meat plus fries

6. Craft beer is rare.

7. Westcoast white bait is the best. A lot fatter than what I’m use to get in Blenheim (east coast white bait). So big it can be filleted…..only joking. Lastlight Cafe at Tuatapere had the best white bait fritters on my journey.

8. Why does every eating place wrap the cuttery in a serviette . It s tighter than a Singaporean air hostess uniform-yes that tight. I end up ripping it off just to get at the cuttery and I destroyed the serviette at the same time!

9. Very few Japanese tourist nowadays. Mostly, Chinese, Dutch and Germans.

10. Steam punk has changed the face of Oamaru

11. No meals are served after 9pm. The problem was the Sun set at 8pm.

12. At the Haast Pass Hotel I got the second mornings breakfast at no charge , because NO one stays more than on night at Haast! That is a great shame as there is lots to see around the area, Jacksons Bay for example.

13. Magaret Mahey Playground is worth a visit when in Christchurch. Infact I will be returning with my adult children after Christmas.

14. The South Island is still a very special place which wants to make me return again and again. its great to be a living in NZ !

1. 24 March 2017 Surat Bay Nikon D800 iso 200 165mm f5.6 1/640sec 70-200mmf4

2. 25 March 2017 Slope Point Nikon D750 iso200 300mm f8.0 1/250sec Nikon 300mmPF f4

3. 25 March 2017 Mc Clean Falls Nikon D800 iso200 14mm f3.5 1/40sec Nikon 14-24mm f2.8

4. 26 March 2017 Cannibal Bay Nikon D750 iso 200 24mm f4.0 1.0sec Nikon 24-70mmf2.8

5. 26 March 2017 Jacks Bay Nikon D750 iso 200 24mm f8.0 1/4 sec Nikon 24-70mm f2.8

6. 26 March 2017 Jacks Bay Nikon D750 iso 200 24mm f4.0 1.0 sec Nikon 24-70mm f2.8

On my road trip I stayed in Omarama 3 nights. The reason being I wanted to photograph the Lindis Pass and it was close to other places of interest. It was these three days that experienced the best times and the worse time of my two weeks.

Lets start with the best. I had a whole day with nothing on the agenda so decided to go to Mt Cook. I was thinking it is a bit touristy but I haven’t been to the Hermitage for a least 20 years so I will see whats changed. Short answer everything! I asked at the Hernitage if there was one walk I should do what would it be. They recommended the Hooker Valley walk as it was the most popular and relatively easy (ie no steep climbing necessary). Well they weren’t wrong. Even though the carpark at the beginning of the walk was full of cars, the length of the walk seemed to have absorbed all the visitors so it wasn’t crowded. I even came across a chinese couple having their wedding photos at the first suspension bridge.

This walk must be one of the most beautiful walks in New Zealand . Not beautiful in the sense of “pretty” (as discussed in a previous blog I don’t do pretty) but very dramatic. Three suspension bridges, wild rivers, tall mountains, and a glacier at the end with ice bergs floating in the lake. All we needed was some penguins or artic kiwis……But what makes this walk truly amazing is how accessible it is -providing you have a vehicle! Once you leave the carpark and head over the first rise you are there! The closest experience we get in Wellington is coming down the Ngauranga Gorge and seeing the view of the harbour.

When you come upon the first scene your jaw drops and you say “wow!” It was so impressive the first camera I picked up was my cell phone and I hate using cell phones as a camera. But I got this new HTC phone (HTC10) and its the first camera I got that takes those instant panoramas. So I shot the scene with a 180 degree twist of my waist . The shot was acceptible and ready to export it around the world with the limited social media skills I have. I really wanted to show everyone what a great place I’m in and hopefully make them just a little envious.

But back to the description ‘accessible.” How many other walks do you know where it starts being fantastic just a hop, skip and a jump from the carpark and continues being amazing for the next one and a half hours ending at a glacier? I did the Tongariro crossing and even with some training it took a bit of effort to get to the top (ie bloody tiring) and to top it off , it was so foggy I didn’t see a thing! This is so accessible that there is a chinese bride all the way from China wearing a wedding dress and her husband in a suit. Not exactly tramping attire!

It takes a lot to impress a cynical old curmudgeon like me but this place did. I have even booked to stay in Twizel (not Omarama ) in January to take my family on this walk. And I would like to see it in the middle of winter with snow everywhere and hopefully spot some Artic Kiwis…. Maybe that would be my next road trip.

Before Omarama, I stayed in Ranfurly as it was convenient to St Bathans and Danseys Pass. Ranfurly has come a long way since I last went through as a student. The motel (of the same name) was very clean and nice. The local hotel restaurant had great food and the place even had 2 Four Square shops. Well thats progress …..competition. Anyway I met this girl called Rose (aka Rose from Ranfurly) and my opening line was “when’s the baby due?”

She wasn’t pregnant…… great start Chris-how to win friends and influence people. She’s probably thinking who is this rude Asian. Hopefully she can tell from my accent and limited English I’m not from NZ but just another (rude?) Asian tourist. Lets blame the Chinese from Mainland China again. They seem to be the scapegoats for a lot of NZ woes like bad driving or Auckland house prices (both not true). At least they don’t freedom camp! We Chinese prefer hot showers and flushing toilets. However I digress….Yes the situation wasn’t good. One lone Chinese man in a bar full of burly farmers and he is insulting one of their locals. Where is Winston Peters when you need him? He should have the power to get (send) me home safely without getting hurt….

Anyway Rose from Ranfurly took it well after my apology and said she considered it a compliment as she was pass child bearing age. Whew, live for another day. And Rose did look young…… Anyway turns out Rose is a foodie and that explains the misdiagnoses. She asked me where I was heading and I said I got 3 nights in Omarama. Then she was less complimentary about the food in Omarama and apparently she had tried everything there. But she has a friend who runs a kebab place called “the Love Shack” and its the best food in the town as the owner makes all the sauces herself and is passionate about her food. Unfortunately I didn’t get to try her food as she wasn’t open in the morning near breakfast time, and I returned from my hunting late at night.

I did notice one thing though, I went to breakfast at this cafe that had a lot of Asian bus tourists visiting looking at souveniers. I needed to feel at home after the Ranfurly incident and it would be nice to feel anonymous again amongst a sea of black hair and brown eyes. Unfortunately I can’t speak mandarin but I can read english.

On the menu was Eggs on Toast $12 -that sounded steep for me , but hey I’m Asian I can afford it! But the Scottish in me (must have rubbed off in me when I was training in Dunedin-epigenetics) said to check out across the road. There I had breakfast 2 days in a row. The cost of the Eggs on Toast, $8.00! Wow, a 50% mark up just by crossing the road. Is that why the chicken crossed the road? To get more money for her eggs? Still to be fair I didn’t order the more expensive eggs on toast so I can’t compare the dishes directly, only menu prices. Maybe the expensive option had abalone, or manuka honey sprinkled on the toast or even served with a dash of XO brandy?

But the main point of this article is to let you know I stayed in the worse hotel room that I can remember since Kathmandu (35 years ago , Lonely Planet recommendation!). I have been in a few seedy motel rooms (really?) but this one takes the cake , or should say rotten eggs on toast?

All the bad reviews on Booking .com were correct but I didn’t read these till after my stay. I chose this on price $120 a night instead of $160 upwards. Accomodation is expensive outside the main centres in the South Island -blame the epigenetics again. I tend to ignore negative reviews of accomodation in NZ as overall Kiwis have a high level of cleanliness and functionality. The room may be basic but still functional. Sometimes a lot of negative reviews are from tourists who expect 5 service and amenities on 3 star prices. But boy was I wrong! Teach me to read the fine print next time.

First hint of things to come. On checking in the service was very matter of fact and on finishing registration she just pointed my attention to the Wifi number. No little piece of paper given to me with the number, no pen or paper offered to me to write it. She just expected me to remember it. Maybe seeing I was Chinese she expected me to be good with numbers, after all we invented the first calculator -the abacus, not the Casio.

Then when I climbed up to the room and opened the door , the smell. The room was so musty and warm. It smelt old, very old. I quickly opened the windows but they had no insect screens so all the bugs can fly in. The carpet looked like an argument for decreasing biodiversity…. when was it last shampooed or vacuumed?

The sheets on the bed were unpressed and gave the impression the sheets had not been changed. So I had to apply the snift test. I wasn’t quite sure but it seemed clean. At least it wasn’t a sauvignon blanc with the the hint of gooseberry and cats pee….

The thought was would I survive my 3 nights here without oxygen? Would I be the first human to die in NZ from global warming and the green house effects?

Obviously I lived to tell the tale. There was no aircon or internal ventilation. But was there hot water? One review said there was no hot water. But I waited and waited and literally 5 minutes later we got hot water. So every night and morning the first thing before doing anything was to turn on the hot water first.

I can see why there is a water problem in Central Otago. Everyone in the hotel (ie survivers) were leaving the taps running to wait for the hot water!

But at least the wifi worked….

I tried to go to the restaurant for dinner but it was empty and it didn’t exactly set the gastric juices on fire. The local pub was much better and friendlier.

On the morning of departure I was thinking what to say when on checking out as they normally ask “how was you stay”. I had my answer all ready with a list of issues. But again I was disappointed . The question never came The lady just talked about the weather and said see you later. I wonder why?

Next time I go through Omarama I must check out the kebab place but I definitely won’t be staying….

Omarama-pull your socks up!