After spending the last few months at the grindstone we recently hopped on a plane to Queenstown for a skiing trip. Heading out with a bunch of (real) doctors, the group of 11 congregated at nice Bach (pronounced batch – it’s kiwi speak for holiday home) overlooking the mountains and Lake Wakatipu.

Queenstown is known as the adventure capital of NZ but is choca with tourists. As a result it’s a bit busy even though it is in a stunning location. We didn’t spend too much time in the town as we were off in the cars up to the ski fields most days.

Our first day was to The Remarkables and the snow was falling pretty heavily throughout. On the slopes this meant good conditions under the skis but seeing anything was tricky through the pea soup. Once off the slopes, and wanting to get back to the roaring fire, we were told we needed to put our snow chains on… this turned out to be a challenge… cue 5 doctors (4 real) lying on the floor in a blizzard trying to complete the puzzle. One short hour later we set off back down the mountain.

The weather soon warmed up as we honed our skills over at Coronet Peak also. First impressions of skiwi life were that whilst the areas are quite small, they are not too crowded and the views are jaw dropping.

The second half of the week was spent in Wanaka, an überchilled lakeside town home to a partially submerged tree as well as vineyards. Again stunning views were the norm. We also had a hot tub at the Bach to soothe the aching limbs.

This is very belated and unfinished but hey, some nice pics. We went skiing in August.

Hey blogpossums,

Apologies for the large hiatus prior to this post. A combination of laziness, too much work and then no work at all being the main reasons.

This is the tale of what is, so far, our favourite walk of NZ. It started with a long drive down a short (unmade) road to reach Raspberry Creek carpark, Mt Aspiring NP. From here we strolled through the morning sun through the valley. On our right was Rob-Roy glacier as we followed the turquoise stream onwards.

We continued on to Mt Aspiring hut, occasionally passing walkers returning from ascents of Mt Aspiring itself (3000m+j. As the heat built there were increasing stops to fill our hats with icy river water as well as for our delicious snacks (peri peri tuna, half block of cheese, sesame/ginger tuna and SCROGGIN).

With spirits high and kilometres being swallowed faster than the above snacks we reached the signpost for Liverpool hut. Great news 1.5km to go. Less ideal news was that it was also 2 hrs to go. This was on account of the 800m ascent to go. From here on it was more like Mount Perspiring to us, clambering over roots/rocks as we ascended. As we came out of the treeline we could see the safety of the hut… this was as well as the near vertical drop to the valley floor and the waterfall that necessitated a 30 min loop to the tantalisingly close hut. With legs like jelly we eventually made it to the hut!

Once at the hut we were greeted by 4 Israeli’s making tea and exchanged stories of the moderate peril encountered on the way. Dinners were made (curry/rice/naan – phwoar) and it appeared only the 6 of us would be overnighting as no further peeps had arrived. But then, with the sun setting we glimpsed 4 bedraggled lads at the so near yet so far moment. Half an hour later the likely lads trudged in to camp looking more traumatised than even we had. Perhaps this was more due to not bringing sleeping bags and having cold pies to eat. Still a full bottle of whisky soon warmed them up!

In the morning the keas (alpine parrot) put on a show for us as we ate breakfast. We’d never seen so many in one place. It was then back the way we came through another gloriously sunny day!

Gidday blogpossums! The final air bed has been deflated, the last morsel of angel cheese vanquished and aside from our neighbours the gibbons (we live near the zoo) quiet has descended. The last few weeks however have been a whirlwind of adventures so let’s get stuck in to those!

First of all we had the pleasure of Jamie and Jenny (two of the original Sheffield posse) who despite strong vegan tendencies delighted us by becoming live in chefs for the 2 weeks they were in Welly. Other adventures included hiking up to viewpoints such as Mt Kaukau, drinking the local amber nectar and taking the Wellington cable car for the first time. It appeared, at the time, that Jamie had achieved worldwide notoriety (at last) when the waiter that delivered his flight of 3 coffees recognised him. Turns out that an old schoolmate, from the People’s Republic of Wirral (Liverpool, UK), had become a barista here – what were the chances??? Jamie also took advantage of some healthcare tourism getting a backstreet dental check up.

Next guest at Hiropi Village retreat was my skin and blister – Hannah. Arriving after a mere 30hr flight she was straight into a slap up or should we say “snap” up lunch (we had snapper). Amazingly Hannah was pretty perky and was raring to go on the first van expedition to The Wairarapa – home to wine, food platters and SEALS!

After getting our fill of seal pups frolicking in the waves, back to Wellington it was to greet a new visitor – Sophie B of Hertford fame. Unfortunately most of us only crossed like ships in the night and so we may have to wait for special correspondent H. Meakin’s account of 4 days van-lifing. Likewise for Dr Alex who was off cycling the Central Otago rail trail.

Meanwhile the three musketeers were off to walk the Tongariro northern circuit. Carrying tents, kit and more tofu than you see in most Waitrose’s we were off in to the volcanic national park. With The crew eating up the Kilometres faster than they could the cashew nuts, it took no time to get to the camps and engage in the customary idle chitchat that typifies #hutlyf. We were told, by Sam the anarchist hut ranger, that in the event of an eruption not to worry about the lava flow as you could outrun it… Fortunately it never came to that and it was only the bright pink lava flow (Jenny) that the lads had to struggle to keep up with. All joking aside there were some incredible views and bar an unfortunate episode of calorie light hummus/crackers for an alpine lunch we all got on famously.

The whirlwind tour continued as The Meakin contingent reunited and headed off on the ferry to meet Alex in Blenheim. After a treat of a lunch at a Marlborough vineyard we drove through sheep country to get to St Arnaud, Nelson Lakes. Whilst it was a little chilly, the sun was out during the days and the fire on during the nights. Even more exciting was the DVD collection which provided entertainment to the tune of Rush Hour and the Da Vinci Code – classics in anyone’s book. Some fantastic walking was enjoyed before hopping over to Kaikoura for whale watching and crayfish eating. Both did not disappoint especially as the whale watch compère was quite the entertainer. Sadly the trip flew by and aftera slightly choppy crossing home it was time to bid farewell to my sis!

Howdy peeps! We know it’s been a while since we last did one of these but we haven’t felt the need to update you all on the business of dentistry/medicine that we’ve busy with over the past few months.

So… the latest trip was to the South Island was brought about by the arrival of: Mandy, Ces and Ollie (Alex’s mum, sis and sisters bf). They had worked their way down to Wellington after landing in Auckland a few days previously and after sampling the delights (wind/rain/sushi) of Wellington for a day it was time to board the ferry south. After a smooth crossing the first stop was Blenheim, the centre of the Marlborough wine region. Of course with so much delicious grape nectar to sample we were off to the vineyards – Alex and Ces being chauffeured by Mandy whilst Ollie powered a tandem bike with Josh sitting pretty. The wines were absolutely delicious and bar a brief detour to the Wairau river for the Biker Bois it was a pretty easy going afternoon.

Next up was Havelock, the mussel capital of NZ, if not the world! First though we had a day of freezing rain to enjoy. The ladies sensibly went for cinema/swimming pool whilst Ollie and Josh decided to go fishing. Unfortunately all we returned with was a great deal of wet clothes… Our evening meal was, you guessed it, mussels! Mussels cooked every which way followed by mussels submerged in cream. Perfect preparation for our hike to Nydia bay.

Fortunately things brightened up soon after this and spirits were high as we headed off on the Nydia track. It turned out to be a stunning walk over a saddle with pine forest, non pine forest and views of the sounds. Following lunch at the top, the pace down the next section quickened considerably… maybe it was the proximity of a yurt, hot tub, bbq and heaps of dopey dogs waiting below.

Next stop on the whirlwind tour was Abel Tasman national park, where we’d booked a 3 day kayak and camp self tour! Joining us for this leg were Jamie and Jenny (formerly of Sheffield uni and latterly of house of vegan fame). Initial excitement took a bit of a dent after our canoeing lesson was led by the only angry Kiwi we’ve so far encountered. Being told we were “not going as it stands” and receiving responses such as “no” to questions like can “could we have some help please” and “could you speak louder” certainly was unexpected. However once we’d shed Captain Birdseyerate (having graduated canoe school following multiple resits) we were on the open ocean cruising around seal laden islands and setting up beach camps in stunning locations. Culinary delights included Supernoodle Surprise and Curry Roulette. The only challenge being avoiding thefts from the omnipotent Weka (a kleptomaniac flightless bird). Ever a source of hilarity the Weka became an inspiration for campfire (no actual fire) songs including; “all we hear is radio weka”, “I came in like a weking ball”, “wekking 9 til 5”. Obviously watch out for the compilation cd, Now that’s wekae call music 2019, out soon!

From here it was back to Wellington and back up north for Ollie, Ces and Mandy. Currently this post doesn’t have many photos of these guys in so I shall update it once I can get my hands on them!

Our latest van expedition took us over to the South Island for the first time. We took the ferry on NYE, enjoying a beautiful journey across the Cook Straight and through the Marlborough Sounds. From here we drove to Nelson and parked up at our campsite on the beachfront via a meal out. The meal in Nelson was good and the atmosphere in the square likewise (in spite of the tragic compère). By this stage Dr Alex had been awake for 36 hrs, having worked the night before, and so we took part in the 9pm kids countdown before heading to bed.

The following day was spent in and around the warm waters of Nelson, returning to the campsite only to restock wine and snacks!

From here we headed west along the north coast to Collingwood. As with much of New Zealand there was muchos wind but again we were metres from the water in a beautiful spot (and the wind stops you getting bitten at least). From here we explored Whakariki beach and farewell spit. Whakariki was a vast wind whipped beach littered with interesting rock formations and the odd seal. It also backed on to huge dunes. The spit is a nature reserve so can’t be walked on but has many a bird nesting we were told.

Next stop was the top end of Abel Tasman – yet more beautiful beaches but this time no wind! Pure relaxation was had, even more so once we got to the camp to find a winch operated fire-pit-cum-bbq which we cooked our steaks on. We also got in a bit of stand up paddle boarding to see seals (surprise,surprise) but also a cormorant colony.

Last stop was Pelorus bridge, a bridge over a freshwater stream. Cold water swimmer of the year Alex forced the Lilly livered Josh in which was a lovely way to end the day. There was also a waterfall riddled with glow worms which was a site to behold come nightfall.

Our last bit of roadtripping (for now) on the North Island took us to the Kapiti coast. We didn’t get up to a huge amount other than enjoying the vast beaches once more, although one night in the camper was slightly tense after our neighbour (in a v large Motorhome) decided we we were too close to their van and wanted us to move. It seemed odd as it was a freedom camping spot – essentially a car park with a view… anyway fortunately a friendly kiwi came out and told them where to go!

With that behind us we entered Wellington and, between the excitement of getting bank accounts/tax numbers, we found a great city. Certainly smaller, more scenic, hillier and windier than what we’ve been used to. Also compared to many other towns we’ve seen there were many more places to eat/drink, some open past 9pm! There’s also a food and drink emporium called Moore Wilson’s which has an incredible selection and will likely be the source of our Christmas banquet. It’s like a department store of only food and drink.

As our first week came to an end we had a few days before our next accommodation was ready so back in to the van we got and headed off to Cape Palliser and the Wairarapa. The cape is the most southern point of the North Island and home to very large waves and even larger SEALS!

After a windy night in Ngawi we headed off in search of seals. Only 5 minutes down the road we found one masquerading as a speed bump and had to get it moving to be able to carry on. After that we could not move for the furry things.

From there we saw the famous lighthouse and headed off in a stunning coastal walk. It was actually warm but my current hair density is no match for the baking NZ sun hence the hat. That aside it was a beautiful walk with a waterfall as the midpoint. Also not another soul to be seen!

From here we headed to Martinborough to get positively pickled in wine land! Almost all the streets are lined with vines and people wanting you to come in for tastings. Of course it would of been impolite to refuse and as such we (at the request of Lady C-P) hired a tandem bicycle. Despite some initial wobbles we mastered the sway of the thing and made it the requisite hundreds of metres between vineyards…

From here we were back to Wellington to start work. More on that next time…

Feliz Navidad blog possums!

Before our upcoming canoe trip we decided to explore the nearby Taranaki region, including its main town New Plymouth. First stop the beach – a beautiful long stretch of black volcanic sand which was great for dog watching. Unfortunately the surf that this area is known for was not forthcoming so we kept relatively dry… and explored some of the cultural delicacies of the area. This included the Govett-Brewster gallery containing Len Lye’s dynamic sculptures – each one a fibreglass contraption spinning and oscillating to give something of a performance (look them up on YouTube!}.

From here we headed inland to Mt Taranaki National Park for the evening at a car park 900m above sea level… unsurprisingly it was chilly and we were mid-cloud for the entire evening. However we woke to glorious sun and amazing views of the volcano, around which we had a good stomp.

Soon it was time to enter our final week on campervanners, and to celebrate that we got ourselves ready for our first Great Walk (or more suitably Great Paddle) – the Whanganui Journey. This is a course which follows the Whanganui River and can be a 3 or 5 day trip. The river is particularly important for the local Maori tribes (iwis) and was given the legal status equal to a person in 2017.

We rocked up at Yeti Tours HQ on Sunday afternoon to collect our gear and attend a briefing with Head Honcho Gavin. Unfortunately this was interrupted by the tears of a returning customer who felt their canoe being overly weighed down was the source of a capsize or two… Laughing this off we sat down with Gav and found the briefing to be mainly about packing huge quantities of food and booze in to your chilly bin (and making sure to freeze everything to make it cold for 3 days). With mild trepidation we headed off in Gavs family car (no need for more than 2 customer seats on this day) with the smell of a smoked fish pie/pasty in our noses. Once at the river we were advised to point it downstream and go through the main flow (look for the good Vs, avoid the bad Vs ie obstacles) when we hit the rapids… we were also advised that there is no way out other than down the river for 90km.

Anyway once on the water Alex ‘The Power’ Canfield and Josh ‘The Rudder’ Meakin made a fine combo and managed to miss most obstacles, riding the rapids like seasoned pros. When we weren’t in rubber dinghy rapid mode we were treated to lots of birds, goats and plant life lining the river. Another highlight was staying in the two huts along the way. As they were only accessible by river they felt remote but had a great sense of camaraderie. It was great to play cards in the evening and see them on the water during the day. At this point Gavins advice paid dividends – we’d lugged an Apple pie and custard (both frozen) from the start and heated it by steaming on a gas hob. After quite some time a tepid pie and custard was met with great delight all round!

The last day involved some heavy paddling in to the wind a the most tricky rapids of the trip… at one point taking on a third of a canoe of water at a 1 metre high pressure wave. Still, we felt smug to be bailing our canoe out rather than swimming it overturned to the banks as our friends did! Finally we reached the end of what was probably the highlight of the trip so far!

the Bridge to Nowhere – built in the hope that the small farming settlements would then be connected to the rest of the world by road…

Next stop Wellington – our home for the next year!

As the eau d’oeuf entered our nostrils we knew we’d reached Rotorua, land of geothermal activity and sulphur! Getting up early the next morning we headed to none other than Geothermal Wonderland: Wai O Tapu… and wondrous it was as we explored on a hot sunny morning. With the underlying lava n that boiling water to steam and with different dissolved elements causing varying colours and aromas it was unlike anything we’d seen before.

On Sunday morning we caught the end of the NZ v Ireland rugby game in the shopping centre, and Josh made a new best mate who told him the story of him meeting a “true English gentleman” on a trip to Southampton in the 60s. Unfortunately he was not able to qualify as gentleman number 2 due to not owning a tophat.

Having originally planned the Tongariro Alpine crossing (day hike) next we were dismayed to find the path closed due to snow (its not all sunshine and gelato yerknow). Having scoured brochures and pamphlets we decided on cycling the Timber Trail; an old logging route through the dense forest of central NZ. Turns out 82km of mountain biking with over 1000m of vertical ascent was challenging in places… who knew? But the chance to cycle over suspension bridges in the sunshine with no one else about was really great, especially as we booked to stay in a trackside lodge between days 1 and 2. Evening entertainment was a lecture from a department of conservation man on his work in Antarctica. Whilst fascinating in parts, we both now know many techniques on the removal of frozen: penguin crap, horse shit, seal doofers and other excrement. So please write in if advice needed!

After two days of cycling resulting in rather tired legs, we decided to head to the coast for a few days recuperation via the “Forgotten World Highway”. Alex soon learnt her presumed definition of highway was not ‘a non-gravel road’ when we encountered a 12km tortuous gravel section half way along…however the scenery was great even in the rain. We stopped off for lunch in Whangamomona, famous in New Zealand for staging a revolution to become an independent republic after a disagreement over district boundaries – they even have their own president despite only having a population of around 50! Their presidential history also includes a goat who was sworn in after irregular voting patterns…

Next stop New Plymouth!

Gidday blogpossums,

Our travels next took us to Tauranga and neighbouring Mt Maunganui. Having ended our time in the Coromandel in biblical rain (not all of which remained outside the van) we headed for an Airbnb in Mt Maunganui. After two weeks in the van it was time for a bit of luxury! Sleeping in a real bed, freshly washed clothes, twice daily hot showers and being hosted by a dental nurse, what could be better? Other than revelling in our new found grandeur we particularly enjoyed the surf town vibes of MM. Eating tacos, drinking craft beer, getting beard trims (not Alex) and watching the surf action on the beach. The latter enticing us to the extent that we had our first surf lesson… unfortunately there is no photographic evidence but onlookers were heard exclaiming “mean as”, “gnarly” and “hard up”. We also took a walk up the mount of MM for yet more great views!

Next stop was Dotterel Point… we parked up in the surf club car park overlooking both the beach and coastal inlet. Alex was most happy about the presence of dotterel – very cute small birds that run around on the sand. We cooked our dinner overlooking the beach while the local kids did their surfing drills. The next morning we encountered the only unfriendly kiwi so far of the trip – after placing the camping stove and gas on the picnic table, Josh returned a mere minute later to find it had disappeared. No other campers had emerged from their vans, so where could it be? Turns out it was on the front seat of the local rubbish van, with Mr Rubbish only slightly sheepish!

Once vital van life equipment had been recovered a victory breakfast of boiled eggs was served! Now it was time to head south inland to Rotorua for a wet and wild afternoon of white water rafting. Having being promised the highest raftable waterfall in the world, there was some trepidation as we set off down the river. However with the Jesper steering the ship and the Alex “the power” CP we got down in one piece. Highlights were of course the 7m waterfall as well as getting stuck “surfing” a rapid.

More about Rotorua soon!

Having left Auckland in our newly fixed Sharkmobil we headed for the Coromandel. This is another peninsula albeit smaller than the last one we visited.

Days one and two were spent around Whangamata (pronounced fangamata) which for once had a beautiful beach. We also found what we thought might be the best campsite of the trip with stunning views, fresh coffee and it’s own beach. This was until night fell, when the plague of cockroaches descended upon the toilet block. So the next morning we headed to a freedom camping spot in a coastal car park.

Today’s activity was to be kayaking to Donut Island and despite a slight delay due to white caps and sea dust (both terms meaning choppy seas) we were off with a couple of other Brits met on the beach. Once at the island we made our way through the cave inlet and into the central lagoon. This curious island was formed by a collapsed volcano if you believe the chap who lent us the kayaks, though he also claimed the existence of a three eyed 200 year old reptile that could still be a resident…

Next stops were Whitianga, Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach. There’s not much to mention about Whitianga other than the cruel denial of a clam chowder due to Sunday lunch no longer being served at 13.40! Our main gain from the seaside town was a serious WiFi stealing session when parked in front of the bank in the pouring rain, thank you BNZ.

Cathedral cove was also quite interesting due to the size of the arch though having been spoiled a little by other scenery, it didn’t blow us away. There were also quite a few people unlike most of NZ. Joining the seal colony (for seal read tourist) at hot water beach however was good fun! After digging a few holes where the water was either cold or scalding hot we got our porridge just right by invading a friendly American’s pool.

On our way out of the Coromandel we walked round a disused Gold mine. The long tunnels made for a different type of stomp. The rain then set in and we decided that having handled the Coromandel for long enough we’d escape to sunnier climbs!