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more new zealand holiday ideas
..walking the milford track
Around 100 years ago, in an article that appeared in the London Spectator, the poet Blanche Baughan declared the Milford Track to be ‘the finest walk in the world’. Here is a little of what she said:
"This is truly the "region of the perpendicular" - the mountains are split right straight down from their summits to within a few hundred feet of sea level. The other valley-side, perhaps half-a-mile from its fellow, is equally steep and just as precipitous; and presently, as the track ascends, as the trees lessen both in size and number, and the frowning white-tipped walls begin to draw together above the canyon, you realise that you are walking at the bottom of a gigantic furrow of the earth."
Milford Track is arguably New Zealand’s most famous walk. The 53 kilometre journey begins at the head of Lake Te Anau, and leads you across suspension bridges, board walks and a mountain pass. The Milford Track will show you pristine lakes, sky-scraping mountain peaks and enormous valley views; and it will take you to feel the misty breath of Sutherland Falls, the tallest waterfall in New Zealand.
On a sunny day it is postcard perfect but some walkers say that only when it rains, and torrents of water cascade down the steep mountainsides, have you truly experienced the magic of the Milford Track.
Guided walkers take five days and four nights to complete the 53 kilometre track; independent walkers usually take a day and night less. The track is always walked from south to north, to minimise impact on the environment. There are three public accommodation huts and three private lodges on the track; camping is not permitted.
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The Southern Scenic Route, which curves around the southern coast of the South Island
from Dunedin through the Catlins to Invercargill, then on up SH95 to Te Anau, provides
a range of dramatic scenery. From rocky islets, sparkling waterfalls, high headlands,
thunderous surf, quaint fishing villages, and dense native forests to snowcapped
mountains and mirrored lakes the landscape provides eye candy for all tastes. We
spend three days travelling this scenic route and complete several short walks along
the way. We visit spectacular Purakaunui Falls, dine on Bluff oysters, touch Jurassic
tuatara, and rescue cast sheep on our farm stay at Mt Prospect station. Bob also
learns to free dive and prepare paua ready for the BBQ, stalks deer with a local
hunter at night, and discovers that thanks to a bit of kiwi ingenuity, anyone can
enjoy a day’s hiking on a Great Walk, no matter how fit they are!
day one: dunedin to curio bay
Key
- Destinations
- Apex Locations
After embracing kiwi culture and attending a spirited rugby game between the Canterbury
and Otago at Carisbrook Stadium the previous evening, Bob and I leave town on the
Southern Scenic Route bound for Curio Bay.
We travel alongside magnificent beaches en route to Taieri Mouth where fishing boats
line the river, before climbing high into the hills and descending to Lake Waihola.
Following a quiet cup of thermos tea on its peaceful shores, we continue on through
Milton and Balclutha and then turn off for the Catlins, following the well signposted
Southern Scenic Route.
Our first stop, shortly after the seaside village of Kaka Point, is at Nugget Point
where we walk a narrow and windswept trail to the lighthouse. It’s perched upon
a high, narrow spur of land that juts into the ocean, with a steep drop to the rocks
below where elephant seals, sea lions and fur seals and a colony of gannets make
their home. The nuggets, a series of rounded rock islets, protrude from the ocean
like a random scattering of raisins.
“Impressive,” says Bob, leaning into the keen wind as we admire the view before
continuing on to Owaka via Cannibal Bay, the traditional homeland of adult bull
sea lions who return here after breeding. Finding the beach deserted, we drive to
an old-fashioned kiwi tearoom on the main street of Owaka and tuck into egg mayonnaise
sandwiches.
We make a stop at Catlins Adventures, which provides a tourist information service
and offers horse riding, deep sea charter fishing, flyfishing and hunting excursions,
then pay a visit to Owaka’s Mushroom Man, Jason Skinley, who crafts brightly painted
wooden toadstools in a shed attached to his home. I purchase several for my garden
and we drive on to the renowned Purakaunui Falls where a ten-minute walk leads us
through mixed podocarp and beech forest to a beautiful waterfall tumbling over three
or more ledges.
At nearby Purakaunui Bay, with its high dramatic cliffs that featured in the movie,
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, a group of Friesian cows follow us onto the
beach...
please click the link to download the full
Dunedin to Te Anau scenic drive, courtesy of apex car rentals new zealand...
the kiwi way
to read more extracts from our driving holiday's guidebook please click on any of
the following links:
north island scenic drives
south island scenic drives
purchase new zealand driving holidays online
If you would like to purchase a copy of this stunning nz pictorial guidebook online
please click here (RRP $24.95 plus postage)
view today's best deals for dunedin to te anau rental cars
With apex rental cars the longer you hire the lower the daily rate. Please click
the link to view today's best dunedin to te anau rental car
deal.
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