Going Commando with Tripwaffle - Birthday Bash to the Deep South of NZ

[kookaburra75]

In Dunedin we stayed at a motel owned by a lovely Australian couple. We did the Taieri Gorge scenic train trip, walked around the botanical gardens and bird aviaries (Australian and NZ birds), and drove to the Tunnel Beach (recommended by the motel owners).

In hindsight, I should have done some more research about what was in and around Dunedin, and we could have included the gardens and beaches. Something to include for next time.

But scored badly at the St Moritz in Queenstown. They gave us a room on the 7th floor just above the hotel entrance. It was dark and dingy , not much natural light. The room while big, the bathroom was tiny. We hope they give you a bright room. We should have stayed at the Crowne Plaza Queenstown right on the lake - a good location. Hubby said we win some and lose more at the St Moritz!

We were lucky at St Moritz. We were upgraded to a Lake View Suite, which was on level 3, one below the reception/bar/restaurant floor - that took a bit of getting used to in terms of pressing down from the lobby to get to our room.

 

[Myrna]

So happy that you got upgraded to a lake view room at St Moritz

 

[kookaburra75]

Day 6 dawned and we checked out of Fable Dunedin. Originally I had looked at doing Dunedin to Queenstown in one day, but we decided to break up it up into two legs. I picked Gore as it was halfway, and would take us through the countryside. We decided to keep to the coast as much as we could, so I mapped out travelling through smaller places in Google Maps along the coast or close to, before rejoining the highway at Milton. That took us through Brighton, Taieri Beach, along Akatore Rd and Glenledi Rd, and into Milton.


One option I didn't have in Google Maps was selecting sealed roads only. After we left Taleri Beach the road turned to gravel. It was in good condition and I drove to the conditions, including going down and back up a couple of river valleys. However, MrsK isn't so much a fan, and has remarked a few times how I always seem to find gravel roads. Alas I was only in a Hyundai Palisade, and not something that could handle gravel roads in a decent manner i.e. sideways through corners. But there were many blind corners with ball-bearing gravel, so I held myself back.

Along the coast just past Taleri Beach

View along the road near Akatore , looking east out to sea

We arrived in Milton in time for lunch and a comfort stop. We tried out Kink 'N The Road, and it was a good mix of cafe and pub bistro. We shared a meal as it was big enough for two. After fuelling up, we headed off down the highway towards Gore. It was an uneventful drive with some traffic. One good thing in the South Island, they have plenty of overtaking lanes on the highways so you can get easily past slower traffic. Obviously someone in NZ Highways had a sense of humor. To get to Gore you drive through the town of Clinton - and yes there was a big sign saying you were on the Presidential Clinton-Gore highway.

We got into Gore in the afternoon, and headed to the Riverlea Motel for the night. It was relatively new, with large rooms, good price, and only a short walk into the centre of town - I'd recommend it as a place to stay.

The other thing I had read about Gore, was that it was a centre for trout fishing, so of course they had to have a big trout.

MrsK and the Big Trout

There was also a visitor centre and shop next to the trout. We went in search of the bungy sheep toy, but with no luck. I did check out their selection of socks where they have different themes. One set were Pavlova socks, so I remarked loudly to MrsK they were there, but they should be in Australia, what were they doing here? The ladies behind the counter took the bait, and so I quickly bought something to calm them down. At least they didn't mention the rugby.

My sock haul

After dropping by Woolies for supplies, we walked into town for dinner, at The Thomas Green Public House & Dining Room. It was a good meal, again we shared an entree and main. Like most places we tried, they had a good range of NZ wines and local beers. We then walked back to the motel for a good night's sleep.

 

[kookaburra75]

Day 7 was a short run from Gore to Queenstown. Before we headed off from Gore, we had to do a quick wash. We used the Liquid Laundromat, which is a chain in NZ. I had to buy a charge card for NZ$10 from a machine, but then that did the wash and dry cycles. I figured I might be able to top it up later in the trip if need be. While we were waiting for the wash we headed up to The Stable Kitchen for a coffee and cake. We just got in before a bus tour pulled up, so that was lucky.

It was bit exciting as we drove through the farming country, towards the mountains. We went via Lowther and Kingston, and up along the edge of the lake to Queenstown.



Getting closer

We stopped in at Kingston for lunch, picking up some wraps from the general store. It's obviously a centre for mountain biking and other outdoor sports. There's surprisingly a lot of new builds in the area.

At Kingston, looking north up the lake

We arrived into Queenstown mid afternoon. The last time I was here was in Sep 2000, and my the place has grown. The airport used to be out of town, now it's in the suburbs of Queenstown. Likewise, all the new subdivisions and building work going on.

Queenstown 2004

Queenstown 2026

We pulled up at the Hotel St Moritz. I'd used some Accor points to help with the costs, and selected a Lake View Balcony room to make sure we got a view of the lake. When we checked in my status was recognised (we took the drinks option) and we were upgraded to an Alpine Lake View suite - that was very nice.

View from our balcony

We walked into the centre of town, and the sun was out and it was a pleasant 25deg. Thankfully, it stayed like that for the rest of our trip. Down at the wharf they had a range of adventure sports, including the Hydro Attack. We saw many of them out on the water, doing dives and jumps. But we went the more leisurely option of the Shotover Jet Boat (next day).

At the wharf, looking west along the lake

One thing we had quickly worked out in our time in NZ is everything seems to be built on the sides of steep hills. Hotel St Moritz was no different, and it's a steep climb. Before we headed out I asked the staff at reception is there was any type of shortcut that would make things easier. They suggested we walk up to QT Hotel a couple of doors up, and go through their lifts to get to their rooftop bar, and then down to the street level. We used that route many times during our stay. We did spend some money in the QT Rooftop bar to pay our way so to speak - it has a happy hour and great views too.

We wandered along the wharf area with its many bars and eateries, all having happy hours to try and attract trade. It was very busy with most places being nearly full. We found a couple places to get a drink or food, and then headed back to Hotel St Moritz, via QT,

 

[kookaburra75]

We spent three nights in Queenstown, to check out the place and use it as a base to look around the area. Back in 2000 I had gone on the Shotover Jet Boat ride, at what was a small operation with three boats. I was keen to try it again, and MrsK was up for it as well. I had also visited the Gibbston Valley Winery, which then was a shed and a cave. I booked in our ride on the Jet Boat, and off we went.

We drove out the Shotover River, and as with everything round Queenstown, the operation had expanded massively. It was a very well run operation. They got through a large amount of people, and had you out on the water on time. And it was so much fun! The typical jet boat rides you see on on Sydney Harbour, or even on the lake in Queenstown have nothing on racing along the river, through the rock canyons.

Watching boats come in to the pickup/drop off point.

We bought the video and some photos of the experience.



While both of us have dodgy backs, you sit in what is a bucket seat and an brace yourself against the floor - neither of us had any issues. The only one was trying to gracefully get out of the boat after the ride.

After that thrill ride we drove up to what was the original bungy jumping site in New Zealand, the AJ Hackett Kawarau Bungy Centre at the Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge, which started in 1988. In 2000 I dropped into the place to check it out, it was a very small operation but busy - and no, I didn't try it. What I and a couple of others found amusing was an award from NZ Tourism for the setup. We were chuckling at the thought of going into the bank with their business case to get a loan.
"What are you going to do?"
"We're going to tie ropes around tourists' ankles and throw them off an old railway bridge, over a gorge"
"Including Australians?"
"Yes"
"Well then, here's the money"

Like everything, the operation has grown massively too. We watched a few poor souls take a leap, cheered on by their 'friends' at the lookout area.



After watching people for a while, and listening to their screams we headed back to Arrowtown in search of lunch. It's an old gold mining town with many original buildings. We managed to get a park, which despite it being quiet was a challenge. I'd hate to see it in peak season. I think you'd be better off getting the normal bus service from Queenstown.

We found The Winery, which had tapas style snacks, and a lot of local wines. It has a good setup, where you get a charge card, which you use to get pours of the wines from a Coravin type system. They also served several wines by the glass. We had a great lunch. MrsK stuck to the Quartz Reef Blanc de blanc, from just up the road at Cromwell. I had a couple of tasting pours of NZ reds that weren't pinot noir that I hadn't tried before, including the Stonyridge Pilgrim 2022, which was brilliant.

The view from our table at The Winery in Arrowtown

Seeing that the Quartz Reef winery was relatively close, we headed up the road to Cromwell. As the Gibbston Valley Winery was on the way, we dropped in for tasting flight. Like everything, it was a lot larger than when I visited in 2000, although I'd say not for the better. The wines back in 2000 were extremely good, and now they seem just average. A nice setting through.

The gardens at Gibbston Valley Winery

We headed onto Cromwell and on our way in we thought that Google Maps had got it wrong, as we were heading into an industrial estate, but that is where they have their winery operation and cellar door/shed. The vineyards are just out of town at what is known as the Bendigo Region.


The unassuming Quartz Reef operation, with the obligatory snow capped mountains in the distance

We chatted with the staff at winery, which included the owner Rudi Bauer. We enjoyed all of their wines, and as a bonus they have several outlets in Australia, including the IGA Ainslie in Canberra. MrsK was very happy.

We headed back to Queenstown and after freshening up, walked to the wharf area for dinner. We picked the Italian Public Kitchen as we were feeling like italian, and it was a good choice. We sat outside, the food was excellent, waiter provided some good advice on NZ reds other than pinot noir - I do like NZ pinots noirs, I just wanted to try something different. We then traced our steps back via the QT's lifts to our room.

 

[kookaburra75]

Our next day in Queenstown was spent wandering in and around central Queenstown. We looked at different lake cruises that were available, including those on the ESS Earnslaw, but those trips were connected to lunch or evening bbqs with farm experiences like herding sheep. Not really our thing. We booked with the Million Dollar Cruise for their afternoon cruise, which gave us a loop around the arm of the lake back towards Kawarau Falls. It was good to see the 'posh' areas of Queenstown, and where the water buses/taxis went to.

After a in room breakfast of yogurt and fruit we ventured out for brunch/lunch and exploring Queenstown. MrsK was seeking a hairdresser where she could get a shampoo and blow dry, with maybe a little bit of a curl. We found a hairdresser next in the casino building (which we didn't realise existed) but she wasn't entirely happy with the result. She said the hairdresser 'Brenda' wasn't to be messed with.

MrsK and her "just a hint of a curl please'"look

We checked out the different activities around the lake, including the Hydro Attack boats. While it seemed like a good idea, we just couldn't see what the attraction was in being closed up in a water version of a motorbike and jumping around. It's the sort of thing that would spill your coughtail.

The Hydro Attack boats at the wharf

While wandering around, we noticed that there were gulls of different persuasions, but they really didn't hassle people for food. We spotted Southern Gulls, and Black Billed Bulls. But the real bullies were the ducks. They would gather around people eating food on the seats and benches, and stand around looking at them, up close. It had big vibes of Hitchcock's Birds.

Ducks - don't turn your back on them

In the early afternoon we boarded the Million Dollar Cruise., and sailed out into the reach off the lake. It was choppy going out of the Queenstown harbour around to the reach. It wasn't a day to be out on the lake proper. The tour and the commentary was good and provided a lot of background to the why and where these parts of Queenstown had been developed. One thing that was interesting, is that the wharfs around that part of the lake are serviced by water buses/taxis, which includes the Hilton Queenstown and DoubleTree. If we come back to Queenstown that might be an option.

Cruising on the lake

After a good day on the water we retired to our room. It was a good size with space to spread out. But, the choices of art work left a bit to be desired. The image of the rabbit on the wall bordered on creepy. Its eyes followed you around the room.

Not quite Monty Python Holy Grail, but close

 

[kookaburra75]

Our final day in Queenstown got near. We certainly enjoyed our time here, and would come back to explore the area more, especially in the winter. Although I imagine it would get stupidly busy. The traffic was congested at times, which was partly due to roadworks. Staying down near the edge of the lake is a must. Many of the Airbnb places I checked out had magnificent views, but were perched up on the side of the hill.

View from our room towards The Remarkables. The apartments in front of us looked interesting, as they face onto the road next to the lake.

A sight to excite glider pilots - stacked lenticular clouds

When we walked around we checked out the other hotels. QT looked good, as it had the rooftop bar and it faced onto the road next to the lake and would have great lake views. Crowne Plaza was in town, but tucked in behind the wharf buildings, so I'm not sure how much of a view you'd get. The Hilton and Doubletree that I mentioned above were on the lake, but out of the main part of town.

We enjoyed our stay at Hotel St Moritz, having the Lake View Suite. It is getting a bit old and I imagine if you're tucked away without a lake view it might not be as good. It was very busy with bus tours coming and going. The bar and restaurant were good, although I was surprised they didn't have trout on the menu, given where they are.

We packed up our gear and loaded up the Palisade for our next leg, through to Lake Tekapo.

We stopped in at Cromwell for fuel and a comfort stop, before heading on to our lunch stop at Omarama. It is a magnificent drive, going along the ridges and valleys, with the snow capped mountains out to the west. It reminded us a lot of driving through Scotland. We had lunch at Boots and Jandals, which was good but big. Sitting out in the sunshine, we spotted the attempt at a 'big' thing in Omarama - not as good as Goulburn.

The 'big' sheep

We headed off on the rest of the drive to Lake Tekapo, again looking at the mountains and seeing the top of Mt Cook coming into view.

Looking across Lake Pukaki

We pulled into Lake Tekapo, and found our way to our apartment, the Woolshed Suites. I found them through Airbnb, but they are managed by The Godley Hotel next door. The apartment had everything we needed, but we had to open the windows to cool the place down. That's something we've found in NZ so far, everywhere seems to have the heaters on. The place was busy, as it was a long weekend and there were a few motorbike tours rolling through.

We wandered around the lakefront and dropped into the TLV Restaurant and Bar, and took in the view as the sunset behind the mountains.

View from TLV

View from our apartment

We had dinner at Jack Rabbit Café & Bar, which is part of the Godley Hotel and received a 10% discount on drinks and meals. The meal was good, again the serves were big, so we shared an entree and main. The place was busy with the motorbike tours, but no problems with service or the views. We had a wander after dinner to take in the views of the mountains and the serenity. It was quiet while we were there, but looking at the large parking areas that weren't being used, I imagine it get very busy during peak season.

 

[kookaburra75]

AFter a good night's sleep we got ready for our next leg, down to Timaru. After breakfast in the room we packed the car and headed up to the peak of Mt John, which overlooks Lake Tekapo. It has a large setup for astronomy by University of Cambridge. There was also a coffee shop, with a view.

Morning Coffee View

View out to the west

View back down to Lake Tekapo

After our coffee we headed off down Highway 8. The scenery was spectacular, particularly the change from the mountains to more farming country. Everything was a vivid green colour. I picked the 'rural' route so we weren't on the highway too much, but no gravel roads.


It was an easy drive, and we stopped for a coffee and stretch our legs at Fairlie. There were a few places to eat, and we picked Eat Cafe Fairlie, for a coffee, and I tried a Cheese Roll as I had seen them at various places - tasty but I'm not sure I'd order it again. The bakery looked good too. We headed off down the road, and passed many B&B's, farmstays etc. It would be a good area to come back to and stay.

As we headed into Timaru we kept an eye out for a laundromat for a final wash. We stopped at the Liquid Laundromat in Timaru, but it was busy. We trekked on to the next laundromat that was near where we would be staying and it was perfect. The Timaru 24-hour Laundromat had machines that you could pay for by phone/QR code, and was virtually next door to Evie's Bar & Grill. We had a leisurely lunch and glass of wine while getting the washing done.

As it was check in time we drove around to The Grosvenor hotel, which had free parking across the road. We unloaded the car and headed up to the room. They had a lift but it was as old as the building (1915) complete with the inner and outer doors. They claim that "...Queen Elizabeth II has stayed twice giving the hotel its well-known pedigree." The room up on the second floor was large and on the corner, so we had a view over the port area. The area was very quiet, being a Sat afternoon. We had a drink at the bar and went off in search of other things. The Speight's Ale House was very good, and we sat in the sun enjoying some good wines and beers. The area has a number of historic buildings dating back to the 1870s, and they've been restored/reused well.

We searched for somewhere for dinner, preferably with seafood, and within walking distance of where we were staying. We found Pier 64 Restaurant & Bar on Stafford Street. There are several eateries and bars along that stretch of road, as well as some fabulously retro motels, overlooking Caroline Bay. We shared entrees and mains, and a few good glasses of wine. After a nice dinner we wandered back to our room for our final night in New Zealand.

 

[bPeteb]

Didn't do Black Sky Project in Tekapo? The weather looked perfect. Stars are not everyone's thing of course

 

[Cossie]

I was in that area (Fairlie) for a rally a few years back, everyone said I had to visit the Fairlie Bakehouse for their pies. Some reckoned they were the best in N Z. The queue was out the door and down the street!

 

[drron]

Back in 1966 on my first trip to NZ I hitchhiked around the both islands with a mate. We both thought that the Speights product was the worst we encountered
The people though were incredibly nice such as the milk truck on the South Island’s west coast. He stopped at a roadside stall saying that they sold the best strawberries in the country. He also offered us some free cream to go with the strawberries.

 

[OZDUCK]

Some lovely country to drive through in that part of NZ and you seem to have seen a lot of it. You have also reached one of my 'ancestral' homes. My great grandmother was born in Timaru in the 1870's.

 

[kookaburra75]

Didn't do Black Sky Project in Tekapo? The weather looked perfect. Stars are not everyone's thing of course

We didn't, although it was on my list. We could have booked on the tour which takes you up to the top of Mt John for a dinner - the main road is closed to the public at 4pm. I did look out the window at 4am when I got up for a 'comfort break' and there were some good stars. I think we got a good view of the skies from country towns in Victoria we stayed at recently.

 

[kookaburra75]

I was in that area (Fairlie) for a rally a few years back, everyone said I had to visit the Fairlie Bakehouse for their pies. Some reckoned they were the best in N Z. The queue was out the door and down the street!

They had a queue when we pulled in, that's why we went up a few doors to get something. I'm sure their pies are great.

 

[kookaburra75]

Back in 1966 on my first trip to NZ I hitchhiked around the both islands with a mate. We both thought that the Speights product was the worst we encountered
The people though were incredibly nice such as the milk truck on the South Island’s west coast. He stopped at a roadside stall saying that they sold the best strawberries in the country. He also offered us some free cream to go with the strawberries.

It's funny with beers. Over the years many here in Australia have gone from absolute cough, to now premium. Think Boags, Southwark, Resch's (ducks for cover). I have always been a big fan of Monteiths Black, but Speights have a big range of beers now which are heaps better. Although I still couldn't being myself to drink Steinlager.

 

[kookaburra75]

Some lovely country to drive through in that part of NZ and you seem to have seen a lot of it. You have also reached one of my 'ancestral' homes. My great grandmother was born in Timaru in the 1870's.

It's a beautiful place in the world. As I commented on, the Kiwis know how to do mountains properly. I think they would sniff derisively at the Stirling Ranges.

The places down the coast, Timaru, Oamaru, and Dunedin were first and foremost working ports for the agricultural industries and have lovely history, buildings, and culture. We really enjoyed them all, and have put other coastal towns right around the perimeter of the South Island on the list to visit.

 

[kookaburra75]

Our final day in NZ. We spent some time in the room spreading everything out and working what what we could pack into what bags. My July case took the brunt of the 'extras', and with a little encouragement by sitting on it, I got the zip closed. Likewise our other bags, and keeping out what we thought we'd need when we arrived in Sydney.

Now, one slight admission. On the flight over I had a small bag I carry that fits a powerbank, various cables and small camera batteries - labeled 'Stuff'.

After MrsK asking whether I had picked up everything (I said yes at the time), I did leave it in the seat back pocket. On Day 2 I realised that's what I had done, so started the process of trying to report it as lost property and hoping I could pick it up on the way back through Christchurch. Unfortunately the Emirates website was confusing. As I used Qantas points for the flight I didn't have a Emirates ticket number, and couldn't use their portal. I called the number on the website a couple of times, but the message was to send them a text, which I couldn't do to a landline number. I finally got onto a person who said to send an email to 'bagging [email protected]' email address with the details. I did that and then sat back to see what would happen. When I got to Christchurch Airport asked at the information desk about lost property, and was steered to the Jetstar counter as it was looked after by Planebiz. They told me to check with the Emirates desk, which is also looked after by Planebiz too. They knew everything about my 'Stuff' bag and returned it to me. A happy outcome and good service. There was nothing critical in the bag, but it would be a pain to replace things.

We headed off from Timaru after having breakfast at a cafe around the corner, and trundled into Christchurch. We thought about dropping into a winery for lunch, (Tussock Hill Winery) but it was packed and no parking available, although we did get to see how people live up in Christchurch 'Heights'. We headed out to the airport to drop off the car and settle into the lounge.


We found the Apex depot after fueling up the car. It was an unmanned fuel station where you had to prepay the amount you wanted. Thankfully having refulled a couple of time I guessed it within NZ$5. We dropped off the car without any problems and jumped onto the shuttle bus that took us around to the terminal.

After a wait to retrieve my lost property, we went through immigration and headed off to the lounge, which was the Manaia Lounge. It was packed. We managed to find two seats to wait. Thankfully the Qantas flights to Brisbane and Sydney departed soon after we got there, so the lounge emptied. If it hadn't we would have gone back into the terminal for some space. Cruising through duty free I did pick up a bottle of Scapegrace Black Gin which fitted into the Antler bag.

Our ride home

Our flight was called and we settled into row 28, to try out being further back in business class. It was slightly busier, with maybe 20 people in business class. We had dinner, and retired to the bar to celebrate my birthday, and chat to other passengers. Most were Aussies returning to Australia from NZ, including a retired Qantas Flight Attendant and his partner who was formerly with TAA. It was great service and certainly we have now seen what the business class service can be from an airline other than Qantas.


We arrived into Sydney without any fuss. We were warned enroute that there may be delays or even diversions due to storms in Sydney, but we certainly weren't worried - delayed on board a flight with champagne.... Being a Sunday night we were through immigration quickly and certainly the new arrangement for passport control is better, but nowhere as easy as other places that don't require you to get a receipt/ticket and then go through the gate. Why?

We got a taxi to head over to Kings Cross where we were staying. I must admit, the arrangement with Ubers and Taxis out the front of SYD International is confusing - but in Ubers' favour. I don't mind catching a taxi when getting back in, as they have been sitting in the queue and need to make a dollar - unlike feeding a global money machine. We were at the Hotel Indigo in Kings Cross quickly and checked into our room. With my status we got an upgrade, which was nice and we had corner room that looked towards the city.


Day and Night Views from our room

We spent a couple of days in Sydney at Hotel Indigo, venturing out to have lunch at Watsons Bay and Coogee. Being close the train and bus routes, we used them to get around town. The room was ok, but very impractical. It had the frosted glass box for the toilet and shower, and vanity/kitchen bench setup for the basin and kitchen appliances like the kettle. The small fridge was in a closed cupboard with no ventilation, so it couldn't keep anything cold. The bed was comfortable, as was the couch, but there was no table/desk and chair, so if you were there for work there was nowhere to set up. It was nice, great location, and the price through Luxury Escapes was good, but we wouldn't stay there again.

After our stay in Sydney we boarded the Murrays bus back to home and ended our Birthday Bash to the Deep South of NZ.