A mini airport and an isolated yellow private jet were the welcoming sign to the village of Makorora. Or rather West Makarora. That and the immense landscape of never ending trees, hills, rivers, valleys and mountains. A feast for your wandering eyes. When everything human has failed you, only nature can set you free again. Read more about (West) Makarora[…]
First night in the cold misty township of Franz Josef and I’m staying in Glow Worm Cottages. Quite mystical and spooky, and in total isolation seemingly from the parties of New York, the business meetings of London and the flair of Milan. Franz Josef Township is an extraordinary little place. Over dinner I met Read more about Glow Worm Trek, Franz Josef, New Zealand[…]
Belfast or Beal Fierste, is obviously the capital city of my home country of Northern Ireland. That home will always be the original Belfast – where the name began, just like New York is really just York with skyscrapers. So around the world there have been scattered a few “Bangors” and “Belfasts”, and spontaneously I Read more about Backpacking in New Zealand: An Intervention of Fate on my Trip to Belfast, South Island[…]
Well I certainly didn’t mean to do Para Gliding. But then life is better when its all spontaneous. Queenstown, by the way is a very popular tourist resort nestled in between two massive mountains ranges and national parks near the south of New Zealand’s South Island. Over the years, Queenstown has developed into a party Read more about Paragliding Over Queenstown, New Zealand[…]
New Zealand really can teach the rest of the world how to treat passengers travelling on buses, coaches and tour companies. The treatment of the passengers is always top class, and on any given route you get lots of stop-offs where you can decide to stay, get off or get back on. And the stop Read more about Backpacking in New Zealand: Bus Through Arthur’s Pass[…]
After the Franz Josef Trek, it was time for a really really chilled out evening. This began by getting freshened up and dried up in the wetness of the Glow Worm Cottages. Then there was free soup to be had at the hostel kitchen. Excellent home brew and well needed in the cold climate Read more about Backpacking in New Zealand: A Night Out In Franz Josef[…]
Arrival at Greymouth was via the immense northern mountains of the New Zealand South Island. On arrival there I was greeted by grey skies and drab surroundings, knowing a had a few hours sightseeing there meant nothing, though like many others its a popular venue to stay overnight and to do adventure sports. Read more about Backpacking in New Zealand: Grey Skies At Greymouth[…]
Well I arrived safe and well in pretty Christchurch. The Garden City. Of course I had been to Christchurch many times before, and indeed to Christchurch Airport. However that was Christchurch in Dorset, just up the road from my home for the best part of six years while living at Bournemouth. The flight Read more about Arrival Into Christchurch (No, Not That One!)[…]