Archive for the 'Ground Transportation' Category
Hop on that hog!
Posted by Ruth Atherley on June 17, 2009 at 12:40 pm
One of the coolest things I saw at TRENZ was Harley Tours New Zealand. The company has been in existence for seven years and came under new ownership about a year ago.
Baz and Ali Howie are incredibly friendly, easy going and know what it takes to give you an excellent motorcycle experience across New Zealand. And not just on any bike either, we’re talking Harley Davidson.
They offer rentals or self ride guided tours for those with a motorbike license. If you don’t have a license, you can still experience the Harley thrill on a chauffeured passenger tour.
Take a look at the photos on Flickr and check out their website – all the info you could possibly need is there. Baz and Ali are great people and will give you the ride of your life!
As they say: “On a Harley it’s all about the journey not the destination!”
Getting around on land
Posted by Ruth Atherley on June 10, 2009 at 6:59 pm
InterCity Group (the company that is bringing the Ipipiri ship to the Bay of Islands) also has a pretty interesting approach to travel through New Zealand. They offer a Travelpass and Flexi-Pass. These allow you to travel throughout the North and South Islands on coaches (buses) in comfort and at your convenience. You can hop on and off where you choose and the costs are based on the number of hours of travel. If you are planning on checking out several spots, it’s worth a look.
One of the bonuses of travelling this way is that you will get to travel New Zealand alongside the locals. I know that when I travel, the people I really want to talk to are the ones that live there. They know the best places to go, where to eat, what to do, what NOT to do and can give you a glimpse into the life of a Kiwi.
Check out the websites here:
The long, beautiful road to Haast
Posted by Ruth Atherley on June 5, 2009 at 1:51 pm
After leaving Arrowtown, we drove towards Haast, which is on the West Coast of New Zealand. We took an incredibly beautiful route that went through Wanaka, which is a lovely resort town that sits on Lake Wanaka.
We took the Haast Pass, which is a mountain pass in the Southern Alps. Lyle, my driver from Limousine South, was very knowledgeable about this area and kept me entertained with stories and information about the people and places that make this area so memorable.
We stopped at one spot for a quick two-minute walk into the woods to see an amazing waterfall. It was about a two-hour drive and at every turn, the scenery was more spectacular than the last. (Check out the images.)
I dropped my bags at the Haast World Heritage Hotel, which is perfectly surrounded by nature and beautiful views of the mountains, and headed out for my next adventure with Waiatoto River Safari.
Stepping into the past in Arrowtown
Posted by Ruth Atherley on June 2, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Today, I got to see some beautiful places. I travelled by car with Lyle of Limousine South, from Queenstown through to Haast. Along the way, we made some incredible stops. The first was in a small town called Arrowtown. Here I met up with Justin Eden at Joe’s (a local coffee shop and landmark), who not only owns The Gold Shop in Arrowtown, but was also a gold miner – back in the day.
Stepping out of the car, I felt like I had been transported back in time to the late 1800s, during a gold rush. On the main street in Arrowtown, the shops and buildings have all been preserved or restored and the result is incredible. It is a little piece of history.
The locals are quite engaged in the town’s history and they like to play dress up. (I have heard from a few others that it’s a bit of a Kiwi thing – playing dress up. I am going to investigate this charming little quirk a bit more and will keep you posted!) Each year, the town hosts several corporate style events and everyone gets involved. They wear the clothes of the era (mid to late 1800s) and have parades in the streets. The lucky business types that get to experience this are thrown into something pretty magical.
Justin told me a story about a town parade held many years ago. The mayor was participating in the parade in a stagecoach. Justin and a buddy decided that they were going to hold up the stagecoach and rob the mayor – just for a bit of fun. They asked the person driving the stagecoach if the horses were ok with loud noise, he said they were. They got dressed up like bandits—the hats, the scarves over their faces, the whole nine yards—and loaded old muskets with blanks. They stopped the coach in the middle of the street and shot off the blanks. It turns out the horses did NOT like that noise and they reared up and, explains Justin, nearly gave him and his mate a heart attack. But the driver got the horses under control, Justin robbed the mayor (who thought it was pretty funny) and the people that lined up for the parade got a really good show!
This is a town with an amazing sense of adventure. I hope my photos do it justice. Justin has promised me some photos of the old days. Once I get them, I will tell you more about this great town. It’s definitely on my list to come and stay here!
Queenstown, here I come!
Posted by Ruth Atherley on May 31, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Once Chris dropped me off, I headed into the Air New Zealand lounge to await my short (1 hour and 50 minute) flight to Queenstown. It has the best cappuccino that I have ever had. What’s surprising was that it came from a machine (as opposed to a barista). It was incredible! And the lounge has the best staff. The gentleman at the front desk was charming and welcoming and it really felt a little like home. I was able to check my emails, have a coffee and just sit still for a moment. It was heaven.
On the plane to Queenstown, I sat beside a lovely young couple from San Francisco. They were heading out on a 16-day vacation and were so excited about it. Both outdoorsy types, they were going to hike, do a glacier walk, a jetboat experience and then decide where to head next. They laughed pretty hard when I told them once I landed, I was going to drop my bags at my hotel (the Queenstown Park Hotel) and head straight out to bungy jump at the AJ Hackett’s Kawarau Bridge Bungy centre. All of a sudden, I wasn’t feeling so brave! (…More about bungy later though.)
The plane landed right beside a huge mountain in Queenstown. I have never seen a commercial plane be that close to the side of a mountain before – it was quite an experience coming in. It felt like we were adventure travellers landing where no one had gone before.
At the Queenstown Airport, a smiling fellow met me by the name of Christian from Limousine South. He was friendly and welcoming. Although, he also seemed to laugh a little more than expected when I explained I was going to bungy jump that afternoon. Hmmm…I am starting to detect a pattern here!
Christian drove me to my hotel and on the way he showed me the heart of Queenstown, which is a great place. All kinds of shops and restaurants, bars and pubs, and even two casinos! And all within walking distance of my hotel.
