New Zealand - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

[Wayne Potgieter]

No trips for me this year. Kids asked for a spa pool for the new house and a choice needed to be made.

The spa pool won.

[patches]

2 hours ago, hayleyearth said:

We are not going far, just Omokoroa for 6 days then Mt Manganui for another 6 days.

Our little man is only 2 months so we won't be camping this year, something we really love to do but now need a bigger tent, our are only 1.9mx2m... Not enough for 4 people 😅

You'll have to upgrade to one of those family sized tens with the various rooms... just for the next 5 or so years, then the kids can be in their own tent and you can dust off the 2x2m

My dirt-bike adventure tent only weight 1.8kg, but is like a coffin. I basiclly end up spooning my backpack and boots.

Then we have the "car-camping" tent which is a monstrous overkill, with separate rooms etc, but it takes up most of the car boot, and I don't think it's worth pitching for anything less than 3 days.

So the middle-ground is a Quechua pop-up tent from Decathlon. So quick to put up (2 seconds according to the name. Realistically about 3min including pegs). Pretty spacious (2.85m x 2.3m, but may still be a little tight for a family of 4), and it has a black-out/reflective coating, so stays cooler in the heat, and doesn't wake light-sensitive sleepers up at the crack of dawn.

Only downside is it's odd shape. Can highly recommend though!

https://www.decathlon.com/collections/camping-tents/products/camping-tent-2-seconds-3-person-fresh-and-dark?variant=39370553557054

46 minutes ago, Wayne Potgieter said:

No trips for me this year. Kids asked for a spa pool for the new house and a choice needed to be made.

The spa pool won.

The tribe has spoken!

I'm sure many memorable summer memories will be had in said spa-pool!

 

One of the things I'm really looking forward to (weather dependant) is an overnight cruise in Doubtful Sound. I've done Milford Sound a couple of times (never had brilliant weather though), but I believe Doubtful Sound is supposed to be better... just harder to access... or maybe people just say it's better to justify the hassle of accessing it.

Edited December 17, 2021 by patches

[hayleyearth]

16 minutes ago, patches said:

You'll have to upgrade to one of those family sized tens with the various rooms... just for the next 5 or so years, then the kids can be in their own tent and you can dust off the 2x2m

My dirt-bike adventure tent only weight 1.8kg, but is like a coffin. I basiclly end up spooning my backpack and boots.

Then we have the "car-camping" tent which is a monstrous overkill, with separate rooms etc, but it takes up most of the car boot, and I don't think it's worth pitching for anything less than 3 days.

So the middle-ground is a Quechua pop-up tent from Decathlon. So quick to put up (2 seconds according to the name. Realistically about 3min including pegs). Pretty spacious (2.85m x 2.3m, but may still be a little tight for a family of 4), and it has a black-out/reflective coating, so stays cooler in the heat, and doesn't wake light-sensitive sleepers up at the crack of dawn.

Only downside is it's odd shape. Can highly recommend though!

https://www.decathlon.com/collections/camping-tents/products/camping-tent-2-seconds-3-person-fresh-and-dark?variant=39370553557054

The tribe has spoken!

I'm sure many memorable summer memories will be had in said spa-pool!

 

One of the things I'm really looking forward to (weather dependant) is an overnight cruise in Doubtful Sound. I've done Milford Sound a couple of times (never had brilliant weather though), but I believe Doubtful Sound is supposed to be better... just harder to access... or maybe people just say it's better to justify the hassle of accessing it.

Yip, those Quechua tents gets my vote. Our small one is also one of those work the dark coating. It made camping with a 6 month old a dream due to being able to do naps in the middle of the day in summer!

 

That size one looks like it can work for us!

[GrahamS2]

On 12/17/2021 at 4:57 AM, patches said:

It's South Island for us! Fly to Chch then road trip our way down to Fjordland and Southland.

At some stage in 2022, I'm going to pester you for ideas. I've been wanting to fly over and do this exact trip (with a little fly fishing planned in...)

[patches]

3 minutes ago, GrahamS2 said:

At some stage in 2022, I'm going to pester you for ideas. I've been wanting to fly over and do this exact trip (with a little fly fishing planned in...)

Pester away! Hopefully the January 16th date for opening up a little more with Aus will hold.

I've heard from an Aussie or 2 that fly fishing on the South Island is world class. I can also have a colleague that spent 3 months fly-fishing all over the South Island. He should have some good info.

[DJR]

3 hours ago, patches said:

Pester away! Hopefully the January 16th date for opening up a little more with Aus will hold.

I've heard from an Aussie or 2 that fly fishing on the South Island is world class. I can also have a colleague that spent 3 months fly-fishing all over the South Island. He should have some good info.

Correct that. 

[Wayne Potgieter]

"Camping - it's not a holiday if you have to build your own house" - Wayne Potgieter  😈

[Slowbee]

[Slowbee]

Eish, sorry about the big images.

 

But if you guys ever get a chance to go to Lake Tekapo, it is well worth a visit. Especially as it is a Dark Sky Area, and you can go to Mount John to the observatory.

The place is mind blowing.  Oh yes, I also need to post a picture of the famous church.

 

[Slowbee]

[Slowbee]

 

We stay close to the Ashleigh River, so get to ride along the flood berm as part of my ride. There are some nice little single track sections, but I will only ride those when my North Canterbury Cycling Club board arrives. 

If I ride from home, all of the riding is flat. And windy. Always windy. And it always changes direction when you hit the turn around point. Always. 🙃

 

[Slowbee]

[Slowbee]

We might have gone snorkeling with Dusky Dolphins as our Christmas present, with Kaikoura Dolphin Experience. If any of you NZ'ers get a chance, it is well worth it. As we get closer to winter the chances of seeing orca's also goes up. And if you like your sea birds, you get to see them as well.

The family decided that Christmas was not about presents, but about experiences. Birthdays can be about wanting stuff aka "birthday gifts".

 

 

[patches]

Back in the office and procrastinating clearing my inbox, so I'd rather reminisce over the fleeting December break...

This road-trip took roughly this route

Christchurch > Dunedin > Riverton > Doubtful Sound > Queenstown > Christchurch

Aaand some snaps...

Old timey street in Oamaru

Nugget Point (the Catlans)

Random shop in Invercargill

Dropping down towards Doubtful Sound (after ferry and bus ride)

Cruising out on the sound (technically a fjord, but ya know)

Kayaking in my socks

Cant go past Lake Pukaki on a clear day and not stop for a pic!

The entrance to Lyttelton harbour as seen from the Godley Head loop track. (FYI London Street Lyttelton is a pretty cool Saturday morning out).

aaand the Christchurch Wizard's parking spot

All-in-all, great holiday! Spent a fair amount of it in Christchurch. The city has transformed a lot since I lived there, we really enjoyed it... still working on convincing the wife to move 😅

 

 

Edited January 9, 2022 by patches

[patches]

On 12/29/2021 at 9:54 PM, Slowbee said:

We might have gone snorkeling with Dusky Dolphins as our Christmas present, with Kaikoura Dolphin Experience. If any of you NZ'ers get a chance, it is well worth it. As we get closer to winter the chances of seeing orca's also goes up. And if you like your sea birds, you get to see them as well.

The family decided that Christmas was not about presents, but about experiences. Birthdays can be about wanting stuff aka "birthday gifts".

Great pics! Looks like you got really close! 

I've only been to/through Kaikoura twice. Once pre-quake and once post. That drive in is pretty awesome (although not for the easily car-sick).

Did you try some of the seafood whilst there?

 

[Wayne Potgieter]

On 1/10/2022 at 10:05 AM, patches said:

Back in the office and procrastinating clearing my inbox, so I'd rather reminisce over the fleeting December break...

This road-trip took roughly this route

Christchurch > Dunedin > Riverton > Doubtful Sound > Queenstown > Christchurch

Aaand some snaps...

Old timey street in Oamaru

Nugget Point (the Catlans)

Random shop in Invercargill

Dropping down towards Doubtful Sound (after ferry and bus ride)

Cruising out on the sound (technically a fjord, but ya know)

Kayaking in my socks

Cant go past Lake Pukaki on a clear day and not stop for a pic!

The entrance to Lyttelton harbour as seen from the Godley Head loop track. (FYI London Street Lyttelton is a pretty cool Saturday morning out).

aaand the Christchurch Wizard's parking spot

All-in-all, great holiday! Spent a fair amount of it in Christchurch. The city has transformed a lot since I lived there, we really enjoyed it... still working on convincing the wife to move 😅

 

 

Man, this place is special....