Yeah, we might have to just see quokka’s in photos .
I think Blue Mountains is definitely on the itinerary now. I think it has a lot of what we’re looking for and it’s “close” enough where we can rent a car I hope? Or I guess just jump on with a group.
Kangaroo island sounds interesting. But I think the flight time might be prohibitive for us, even though it’s tempting to tell everyone I got to pop some corks with jeremy holmes . I’ve heard amazing things about art/culture in Tasmania right now. Seeing as it’s only a short flight from Melbourne, we might have to make a detour.
Adelaide is only a 1 hour flight from Melbourne. You can then get a flight to Kingscote which is less than half an hour. If you drive and take the ferry across travel time will be several hours.
You’d find driving in NZ pretty easy, if you don’t mind driving on the left …
Just in terms of the wine regions, as a summary, the main regions are:
Marlborough/Nelson at the top of the South Island. It has a lot of very commercial vineyards with a lot of SBs … and some good wines. Good nature activities in the surrounding area (eg Marlborough Sounds, Abel Tasman National Park kayaking, trekking etc). Get there from Wellington (ferry 3 hours, fly 30 mins).
Hawke’s Bay based around Napier. Perhaps NZ’s most interesting large wine area to visit. Syrah, Bdx varieties, Chardonnay. Napier’s a great place. Art Deco architecture and plenty of recreational activities. Drive 4-5 hours from Wellington (nice drive, past Martinborough) or Auckland.
Central Otago based around Queenstown (as above) deep down in the South Island. Spectacular scenery, one of NZ’s top tourist/nature attractions. Thirty good to top vineyards within one hour’s drive of downtown.
Martinborough in the Wairarapa. Small, compact winery area (you can bike around the main vineyards). High quality Pinot Noir and other varieties. One hour’s drive from Wellington (and another 3 on to the Hawke’s Bay).
Waiheke Island. A 20 mins ferry from downtown Auckland. A fun Island to visit. About 25 wineries, several good restaurants, lots of good walks, sailing etc. From Auckland CBD within 45 mins you can drive to Kumeu River, a top Chardonnay producer.
A major non-wine tourist destination is:
Rotorua/Taupo, 5 hours drive in-between Auckland and Wellington (or domestic flight). Lakes, geothermal areas, Maori cultural area.
That’s the broad brush. LMK and I can drill down on any of these.
All I can say is, if you do get to Melbourne, don’t miss this opportunity
We toured parts of the South Island, and drove up through the North island back in '98. The west coast of the south island is about as remote and beautiful as you will find, but it’s really out of the way. Didn’t get farther south to the fjords, which is probably where I would head if we went back.
In many ways, Australia is a LOT like what you’re used to in California (at least outside of the more northern tropical zone). Areas around Sydney are very much like SoCal (with some notable exceptions, such as the Blue Mountains). Mornington Peninsula outside of Melbourne is like driving rural Sonoma county. One fantastic drive I did from Melbourne is the Great Ocean Road, which is very much like driving Highway 1 up through Big Sur. All this to say that Australia is a fabulous place, but for something different than you can experience here in California, I would spend more time in NZ than AUS.
Working from memory, we flew from Sydney to Christchurch, drove west and stayed at the rustic lodge at Mt Cook. Then somehow got to the west coast, driving up past the two glaciers (Fox and Franz Josef - which were not that impressive back then, and I assume even less so now). Continuing up the west coast to Westport, heading east to Blenheim. What I remember most about that east leg was that it was night time, and I’ve never, ever seen so many stars as I saw just stopping by the side of the road out in the middle of nowhere. Ferry across to Wellington, then up to Tongariro nat’l park to stay at a lodge there, don’t remember what it was called. I do remember on the drive up there, whatever road we were on had one of THE most amazing valley drives I have EVER taken (and I’ve driven a lot of places around the US and Europe). Wish I could remember what route we took - I’ll look at my old map, and see if I happened to mark it. From there, straight up to Auckland, but now I would try to get out to some place like Craggy Range on Hawkes Bay for some wine tasting.
Charlie,
Fellow Berserker Pete Limin is from Townsville, it’s a 4hr drive north of Cairns but they have the Yongala Wreck there which he says is one of the best dives in the world so worth checking out. They also have the tropical climate but not sure how it is in their winter. Let me know if you need more info, he doesn’t check in often.
Alan, you’re describing a great drive there, I’ve done part or all of it many times.
You would have gone over a mountain pass on the Southern Alps (I forget, I could look it up, Arthur’s or Haast Pass). There’s actually a magnificient traintrip on the same route over and through the mountains (Kiwirail’s Trans Alpine Express). The West Coast of the South Island is as remote, rugged and beautiful as anywhere I’ve seen …
The Tongariro National Park in the Central North Island is another great spot. The highest point on the Island with its three mountains (Mt Raupehu is Mt Doom in the Lord of the Rings). The North Island’s skiing and walks.
The Craggy Range Winery (with Te Mata Peak behind it) is a great place to stay in the Hawke’s Bay.
A week plus of driving there. Charlie if you google map Christchurch - Westport - Nelson - Blenheim - Wellington - Waiouru - National Park - Taupo - Napier you’ll see the route. (The Taupo - Napier highway is another desolate, magnificent drive I love).
Count me as someone who prefers the north island of NZ but I prefer water to mountains. If the weather allows it though, Charlie, part or all of the adrenaline 4 in Queenstown might be right up your alley. I only did the tamest one, it was still a blast. But I got wet, plenty cool even though it was early summer.
As far as the barrier reef, it’s the roughest water I’ve ever been in. Take a pill, don’t stop looking at the horizon, and take the quickest boat you can (I took a fast catamaran, was half the transit time).
Also worthwhile from Cairns is the train to what is either an Aboriginal reserve or nature preserve (I forget)
I guess i assumed Fu was an advanced diver… but yah if just a newb/casual diver, stick to day trips out of Cairns where you go to shallower/easier reefs. Still a fun time!
Rotorua, Bay of Islands, Coromandel peninsula (Hot Water beach was awesome, scoop out the sand and you have your own hot tub, and a nature tour was right out of Indiana Jones with the glow worms and other crazy cave bugs) and Waipoua forest (kauri trees are as impressive as many redwoods).
Don’t tell the Aussies that you spent time in NZ, they seem to get irate when I told them.
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. I’ve heard amazing things about art/culture in Tasmania right now. Seeing as it’s only a short flight from Melbourne, we might have to make a detour.![[wow.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/7/7d450e9830889c8943b674446a21b7254cad657e.gif "wow"){kind=small}