Must see's in New Zealand

[catherine_reyes]

I'll be in the North and Sound islands of New Zealand for 18 days

(including a few days for hiking in Abel Tasman). Any

recommendations for must-see stops on either of the islands? I'd

also appreciate any insight into the type of weather to be expected

and speed of film that will be most useful at that time of year. My

gear of choice will be the Contax G2 system with print film. Thanks

for your comments.

[jcimage]

I was just in New Zealand for 19 days back in mid-Feb to March. There is so much to see and do. And it also depends on the what you like to photograph.

 

If I had to narrow it down I'd say:

 

Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland in Rotorua

 

Franz Josef glacier and/or Fox glacier

 

Since you'll be in NZ soon, they're currently in the season of autumn. It's going to be fairly cool to cold. The hottest it ever got while I was there was 23C, and most of the time it was in the 18-20C. And lows in the 10-12C. Rain is expected so have rain gear ready.

 

I lived out of a backpack and had my D1x with me.

[alex_lofquist]

Queenstown and Milford Sound on the South Island; Wakarewarewa near Rototua on the North Island. Bring a polarizer to accentuate the rainbows that appear everywhere with great regularity. (Watch the effect visually, and don't depend on the solar orientation alone. Tend towards overexposure for deeper color when using print film. I would give it +2/3 stop compensation.)

[scott_robertson1]

I was on a <a href="http://www.slrobertson.com/new-zealand.htm">photo trip to New Zealand</a> for about a month this past December. Both islands have superb landscape photography possibilities, so be sure to have the wide angles covered (don't know how wide the G2 lens goes). I took so many photos, in fact, that I've only edited through about half of my digital shots (most of the digital image selects from the North Island are on my <a href="http://www.slrobertson.com">stock photo site</a> with the South Island to appear within days) and still have 40 rolls of slide film waiting to be developed and scanned. Even though we had a lot of rain, especially while touring the North Island, the scenery was still spectacular. Bring a tripod if you can, and a cable release if the G2 accepts it. A set of graduated neutral density filters can help tame bright skies, though by using print film you will have more exposure latitude than with the slide film I was shooting. 100 ASA print or slide film should work well on sunny days, 400 ASA on rainy days. Keep in mind that film is generally more expensive in NZ than in other parts of the world, such as the USA, so you might want to bring plenty with you. Remember not to pack any undeveloped film in your checked luggage, however, or it will most likely get fogged by the baggage scanners.</p>

 

<p>My favorite part of our trip was an overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound. We visited Milford briefly, and while it is beautiful, Doubtful Sound, actually a fiord system, is much larger, more remote and not nearly as crowded. We were the only ship on the water.</p>

 

Scott Robertson<br>

<a href="http://www.slrobertson.com">www.slrobertson.com</a><div></div>

[barefoot]

I'd also recommend Doubtful sound over Milford Sound. Other places I'd strongly recommend on the South Island are Kaikura, Lake Tekapo, Otago Penninsular. In fact I'd spend the 18 days on South Island.

 

For film, I'd take Portra 400UC.

 

Have a great time.

 

Stuart

[NetR]

From the previous post - "Kaikura" should be Kaikoura and is an hour or so north of Christchurch - great place for whale watching trips. The other advice is good - most of the scenic stuff is in the South Island but it depends what you like. If you like volcanoes and geysers, Rotorua in the North Island is the place. You didn't actually state when you will be here, but at present we are in autumn (fall). Check weather at www.stuff.co.nz or another NZ site to get an idea - rain or showers will be relatively common.

 

Regards, Ross

[michael erlich]

Take a ride on the Kingston Flyer steam train on South Island.

[catherine_reyes]

Thanks for the great recommendations. I'll be there in late May, early June. Is that still a rainy time of the year?

[rj__]

Auckland is a nice city with some good restaurants. If you want to get out on the water, there's a former America's Cup boat that takes passengers for a decent sail in the harbour a couple of times a day.

 

The South Island is spectacular. Personally, I prefer the west coast to the east coast, the former being more rugged with sensational rainforests. There is much to see north as well as south of Fox Glacier. If you are looking for an interersting place to stay, I highly recommend Dr. G. McSweeney's lodges at Lake Moereki and Mount Cook (http://www.wildernesslodge.co.nz/) . They are expensive, but worth every penny. I stayed at Lake Moeraki, which was an amazing experience, especially trekking through the rainforest to the Pacific Ocean to watch the world's rarest penguins.

 

I would encourage you to go to Kaikourra to try to see some whales, but there are some things you should know. The voyage out to where the whales are, and back, takes a few hours. You may or may not see any whales (if you don't, the fee is refunded). The boat is enclosed and the ocean is, well, like an ocean. If you are prone to seasickness, you are going to suffer. On the day I went, many, many people were sick. That said, if you are ok on the water, definitely give it a go. As a place to stay, there is a convent nearby that has been turned into a small hotel. The owners, a New Zealander and his French wife, are terrific people. An evening at the hotel is a pleasure, and quite reasonable.

 

One comment about Milford Sound. If I had it to do over again, I would give it a miss. It is jammed with tourists and not really that big a deal. There are more interesting places. I might think otherwise if I was going to hike in the area. On the upside, we took a small plane from Queenstown to Milford. The flight over the mountains was something that I'll never forget. If you have a chance to get into the air in New Zealand, in a small plane, go for it.

 

Consider Stewart Island if you are interested in birds.

 

Driving is an interesting experience. The terrain is rugged and almost all of the roadways are two lanes. Every once in awhile, there is a third lane for a short period to facilitate passing. Truck drivers are very good about slowing down at these three lane sections to let cars pass. Bridges are one lane and there is a right of way system. The bridges are for both trains and cars, meaning that when you cross a bridge, you drive over the tracks. You will certainly find that your driving skills are put to the test.

 

If you like wine, there are some awfully good winemakers in New Zealand and many of them will be happy to give you a tour if you make arrangements in advance.

 

Bring a good raincoat. You'll need it (see the word "rainforest" above).

 

It's a marvelous country, with marvelous people. You'll have a great time.

 

Here's a picture of Auckland harbour, taken from the balcony of hour hotel:

[alex_lofquist]

I would agree that a light plane over the mountains is a good way to go to Milford Sound. My wife was scared silly, (She claimed that she did not put all her weight down), but I loved it!

[www.whitemountainphoto.com]

My favorite place on this Earth so far, my wife and I spent three weeks circumnavigating the South Island and getting married on top of the Remarkables two December's ago...Lake Tekapo, Hiking and waterfalls around Milford Sound are amazing, but a bit out of the way for 18 days over both islands. The drive from Mount Cook park to Wanaka (my favorite town on the SI) is beautiful. The sea kayaking on Abel Tasman is spectacular. The town of Hokititka was sweet too. The best part are the people themselves. As a group, they are the nicest, kindest, most polite and helpful that I have met anywhere. If you would like to see some pictures of these spots, you can view a bunch at my web site www.whitemountainphoto.com, sorry not sure how to create the link. Have a great time!

 

Dana

[NetR]

> The bridges are for both trains and cars, meaning that when you cross a bridge, you drive over the tracks.

 

There is ONE such bridge that I know of, a little north of the Fox and Franz Joseph glaciers. This may have been the only time RJ_ was allowed to drive.

 

And in answer to your question about rain, yes it will still be rainy in June, with a small possibility of some snow to the south from time to time. Check out www.stuff.co.nz or www.nzherald.co.nz for weather. Check out www.purenz.co.nz for torism ideas. Phil Greenspun wrote an article on travelling in NZ that is right here on photo.net under the Travel tab. A few years ago, but scenery doesn't shift around much. Regards, Ross

[lovethismoment]

You are going to be very busy in 18 days! At best you'll probably only be able to get to maybe half of each island (though not actually see all in each half). Driving times between places are longer than you might think since most roads are quite windy, and when I was there (in March this year) there were lots and lots of roadworks. And I came across 2 bridges you share with the train (and one intersection where the train ran through the middle of a roundabout...weird).

 

Anyway, getting distracted. The absolute best thing I did while I was there was Tongariro Crossing, which is a walk over Mt Tongariro, which is an extinct volcano. It's in the centre of the North Island just north of Mt Ruapehu, if you've heard of that. The walk goes past Mt Ngauruhoe, which is an active volcano that was used as Mt Doom in the Lord of the Rings movies and is a really cool looking mountain. You walk through 2 craters, view a spectacular red crater, and there's a few brightly coloured lakes. The landscape is amazing in a very stark way, and it's definitely not something you are going to see every day. The downsides of it are that it's a 17km walk and most of the climbing is very steep. I'm not hugely fit, so with all the camera gear I had I found the climbing pretty painful. Also I imagine there could be snow up there by the time you go as it was pretty cold up there in March.

 

Other recommendations. I'd recommend staying at Taupo rather than Rotorua to see all the thermal stuff as it's by a lovely huge lake and it doesn't stink like Rotorua (believe me, you'll be sick of the smell of sulphur very soon).

 

On the South Island, I've been to Queenstown and Milford Sound before so didn't go this time, though the area around Queenstown is lovely. If you're already planning to be around Abel Tasman NP though I doubt you'll find time to get down to Queenstown. Top of the list on the South Island then would be Farewell Spit in the Golden Bay area (in the general vicinity of Abel Tasman). There were a lot less tourists and the area is lovely, and there is a gorgeous beach. Then the Banks Peninsula, which is near Christchurch. It's all mountainous with many bays. Then Kaikoura with the whale watching. I'd recommend taking sea sickness tablets as I'm not normally a person that gets motion sick but for some reason the jet boat made me feel terrible.

[lovethismoment]

<p>

I've just put some of my New Zealand photos up in <a href="http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder.tcl?folder_id=392378">http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder.tcl?folder_id=392378</a> if you want to see them. They're only with my digital as I have no way to scan in my slides at the moment.

</p>

<p>

I forgot to mention Punakaiki before. The blowholes and "pancake" rocks are worth stopping to see if you're driving past. If you can try to get there at high tide. Franz Josef Glacier was good but I'm a bit anti it as I got 3 really disgusting blisters on a walk there that took weeks to heal (it was 4 1/2 weeks ago and I still have scabs!)

</p>

[lovethismoment]

I'll stop responding soon! I forgot (again) to mention Castlepoint on the North Island. It's kind of out of the way, and there isn't much there except a lighthouse, but the scenery is lovely (and so is the drive to get there) and there are next to no tourists, which is always a bonus!

[peter_s]

I know NZ better than most, having spent 23 years there. I go a lot, and often take friends. If I were you, I would just do 'highlights' of one island in say five days and then focus the rest of your time on the other. Otherwise you'll find you spend a lot of time on the road. If you're used to that form of travelling, fine, but it's not for everyone.

 

In June it will be quite cold and more so the further south you go. You may encounter snow in the lowlands (though you should be okay on the Abel Tasman) in the south of the South Island. If you do any hiking elsewhere, be prepared for adverse conditions. This is the off season so you may find getting around on tourist transport difficult.

 

In terms of location, I'll put in a plug for Milford Sound, only because in the off season you'll have a totally different experience to the hordes in the summer. It's one good location regardless of the weather: fantastic views when it's clear and darkly atmospheric when cloudy. If it's just raining, it has thousands of waterfalls.

 

Abel tasman will be great. I have hiked it myself in the off season and it was superb. Carry a polarising filter. The time of year means you won't have to get up too early or stay out after dinner to get the best beach light.

 

Moeraki Boulders north of Dunedin is makes great photographing at that time of year. Someone posted a good shot of them on photo net this week some time.

 

If you're in Auckland, go up Mt Eden at sunset for a great view. In Wellington, try Mt Victoria. You can drive or bus to the top of both. In Queenstown, take the cable car up to the Skyline restaurant for great views. Do it for dinner.

 

Frankly, however, anywhere on the coast has potential for good photographs, particularly at either end of the day. Take a lightweight tripod.<div></div>