Numerous tour guides in Huaraz offer day trips - most are congregated around or just off of the main street near downtown. For day trips, typically you will be picked up at your hotel between 6 and 8am in the morning and dropped off at your hotel between 6 and 7pm in the evening. Travelers certainly can arrange independent travel for day trip activities by by hiring a private taxi or taking a mini bus called a "collectivo". For longer treks or … [Read more...]
New Zealand, South Island – Driving
Most all of the roads on the South Island are very narrow with little or no shoulder space. Driving is on the left hand side of the road - if you come from a country where you drive on the right hand side of the road, you have to pay extra attention to be sure you are driving on the correct side of the road. Bicycling is quite popular in New Zealand in the summer time, and with the narrow roads and no shoulders, you have to be extremely … [Read more...]
New Zealand, South Island – Christchurch
After driving around the South Island coming into Christchurch can be somewhat of a shock as this is by far the largest city on the island and it can be a bit crowded - especially in comparison to the empty roads found on most of the rest of the South Island. This is not a large city by global standards but is large by New Zealand standards - with nearly 400,000 people. One can't help but notice the intriguing looking Gothic type buildings and … [Read more...]
New Zealand, South Island – Gold Mining
Gold Prospecting is easy to do on the South Island, mostly in part because a large number of gold mines are scattered throughout the island. New Zealand's gold rush, in the mid to late 1800's was after the big rush in California. So called Fossicking, IE, gold panning is allowed in many areas - with special "fossicking" sites available for visitor's to use free of charge. There are still quite a few active mines - those who visit some of the … [Read more...]
New Zealand, South Island – Lake Wanaka
Lake Wanaka (www.lakewanaka.co.nz) is the gateway to Mt. Aspiring National Park - but one should also spend some time in town exploring the diversity of attractions and experiences available. Besides its scenic location near Lake Wanaka it is a bustling tourist town with plenty of shopping and small little cafes and restaurants. As with most of the popular tourist towns in New Zealand, lodging will be extremely tight if you do not have prior … [Read more...]
New Zealand, South Island – Mt. Cook
Mt Cook is by far one of the most impressive highlights of the South Island and New Zealand in general. A prominent peak with its jagged edges, angry looking glaciers and height, it towers above the nearby mountains. The beauty of this area is that you can experience to a small extent, what the Himalayas look like from only an elevation of about 500 meters. On clear days the panoramic vistas are absolutely stunning. Note that Mt. Cook is … [Read more...]
New Zealand, South Island – Milford Sound
Milford Sound on a clear day is among the most beautiful scenery in all of New Zealand. Unfortunately clear days are really hit and miss as Milford averages over 6 meters of rain a year. Woo! One year they had like 10 meters of rain. On a clear day, this along with Mt. Cook will be one of primary natural highlights of any trip to New Zealand. However, on a rainy foggy day, the entire mood of the region changes and often visibility is severally … [Read more...]
New Zealand, South Island – Queenstown
Queenstown is the hub of outdoor activities on the South Island - IE the outdoor capital of New Zealand, especially in the summertime. The activities are seemingly endless! These include bungee jumping (A.J. Hackett founded the world's first commercial bungy jumping company in New Zealand) paragliding, hang gliding, zip lining, helicopter tours and jet boating. This area of New Zealand has been compared to the resort area of Lake Tahoe in … [Read more...]
New Zealand, South Island – Arrowtown
Arrowtown is an old gold mining town rich in history, located near a small creek (Arrow River) which was known as the richest yet smallest gold bearing river for its size anywhere in the world. One can still pan for gold at this creek for free, but don't expect to get rich from doing so. Forgot your pan? The visitor center rents gold pans. Contemporary Arrowtown is a collection of extremely nice upscale tourist shops and galleries. The town … [Read more...]
New Zealand, South Island – Other Info
This page contains general information about traveling and sightseeing in New Zealand. These items below are based upon several activities the author experienced while traveling on the South Island. Tracks - all hiking trails in New Zealand are called tracks, and people who hike these are called Tramps; the "sport" of hiking the "Tracks" is called "Tramping". In other countries this same outdoor activity would be described as simply … [Read more...]
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