Dec 31, 2003 03:43 PM
3821 Views
(Updated Dec 31, 2003 03:43 PM)
Believe me, these guys mean it when they say ''100% pure''.
Endless picture postcard scenes of mountains, lakes (yes, the color of kaho na pyar hai), loving family, dense forests, good roads, incredibly friendly people, a fully loaded Totoya PRADO, music by Pink Floyd, pure air and water, clean, cheap motels, no crowds, excellent beer (Export Gold), and excellent vegetarian food - can you blame me for calling this paradise on earth ?
NZ South Island - August 5-16, 2003 has definitely been the most wonderful vacation of my life. Compared to NZ, vacations in several other countries (W. Europe, US, Brazil, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Maldives) pale in comparison. Here are 10 things to do in NZ South Island : (- these are just off the cuff - there may be many I missed out and more I don’t know about - please let me know, I’ll keep them for my next trip).
Do not fix your itinerary unless you are going in peak season. Even then, you can always get accommodation in some B&B / farm / motel away from the town.
DRIVE, DRIVE, DRIVE. you hardly see any traffic. Driving is very easy. I just can't imagine taking a bus tour in NZ. It would be like ordering curd rice at bade-miya's kabab place. Budget Car Rental was reasonable and they offer excellent support. (we had to change cars because of a problem, but they were very accommodative and helpful)
Make sure in south island, you visit at least Christchurch, Te Anau, Doubtful Sound/ Milford sound, Queenstown, Dunedin, Fox Glacier, MtCook/Aoraki, Fiordland, Wanaka (not necessarily in that order - plan your route on https://purenz.com)
If you only have a couple of weeks, don't try to combine it with a trip to Australia or North Island. Too hectic, unless you have a month off.
Stay at a farm or Bed and Breakfast. We stayed with this family near Wanaka, at a place called Larchwood Lodge, these are the most friendliest people I have ever met. I can't imagine how 2 families can get so close in a day. They even spent 3-4 hours with us watching the sunset and drinking wine and sharing our dinner, and telling us about New Zealand's history and culture. Nowhere can you get such treats.
Take the ''trips n tramps'' tour to Milford Sound from Te Anau. It's a wonderful drive through the Fiordland National park and a very humbling experience to be among the giant forests and glaciers millions of years old. Chris is not a tour guide, she's a NZ national treasure of information. Very entertaining, and it helps that she looks like Helen Hunt. Her husband's also in the same business. Interesting people, they love their jobs. (i'd love to do something like that in life)
Take a trip the glow-worm caves in Te Anau
Take a long walk / hike in the Fiordland national park/ Milford area. There are walks ranging from half day to 20 days - suit yourself.
Visit the Little India bistro for some excellent North Indian food for a change. They are located in several towns in prime locations. The malai tikka is excellent. Good service at affordable prices.
Buy local crafts - wood carving, pottery, woolens. They are expensive, but very good quality.
I can't do justice to this second best country in the world (of course, India's the best, duh) in such a short space - so do email me in case you are looking for any specific information, and i'll try to help. Lovely country, am still saving to go back there for another vacation. Suitable for honeymooners, singles, couples, families with kids, bunch of guys, bunch of girls, bunch of guys and girls, aged travelers, middle aged travelers.
Just about anybody who likes nature.
