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Trip Overview Kayak Abel Tasman Bay, explore glacier caves, paddle through foaming whitewater |
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An illustrated itinerary of one of our many travel adventures for gay men, lesbians, and friends. This information supplements our
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1: Sunny Nelson We begin in cheerful Nelson, at the northern tip of the South Island. This pleasant fishing port and crafts community gets more sunlight than any other spot in New Zealand, and offers a warm introduction to local hospitality during our initial two-night stay.
Who will be there? With our emphasis on active vacations and the outdoors, Alyson Adventures' trips draw people who are energetic and outgoing, who enjoy interacting with life and with each other. The majority of people on a typical trip are traveling alone but there are usually several couples as well. Single travelers don't need to pay a single supplement as we'll match you with a roommate if you'd like the double-occupancy price. A majority of the group will most likely fall in the 30-to-55 age range but there will almost certainly be some who are older and quite possibly a few in their twenties. While we have opportunities for you to enjoy multiple activities on this tour, there is no need for you to be experienced or advanced in any of them before arrival, nor is there an expectation that you participate in each and every one. While some members of our group will have experience, most won't, but everyone will enjoy the various options available throughout the trip. There are often less-adventurous options available or perhaps you would prefer to have a quieter day of rest and relaxation at one of our overnight lodges or explore an area on your own. Of course, being in fairly good health will enable you to more fully enjoy all that New Zealand has to offer and to recuperate in time for the next day's activities.
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2: Biking through Vineyards and Orchards Our first adventure of the tour takes us biking through one of New Zealand's wine-producing regions outside of Nelson. You'll enjoy the pastoral setting with towering poplars, fruited apple trees, climbing hops, pastures of wildflowers, and verdant green forests - it's an amazing interplay of texture and light. Our local guides will lead us to some of their favorite vineyards, organic farms, and perhaps artisans, as we relax into our first full day in New Zealand. We'll be cycling about 20-25 miles, with longer options if you'd like. A van will accompany us in case you need a lift or have mechanical problems. After we return to Nelson, we'll receive a medium-sized duffel bag to pack gear into for our 3-day / 2-night adventure in Abel Tasman National Park that starts tomorrow. Our main luggage will be stored until we return to Nelson on the evening of Day 5.
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3: Kayak or Hike along Opalescent Abel Tasman Bay The next morning, we'll take a lighter load with us as we head for our three-day adventure along the aquamarine shores of nearby Abel Tasman National Park. Our days will be filled with sea-kayaking, hiking, and/or boating (let us know which you prefer) as we explore the coastal regions of the park. We'll enjoy two nights of lodging at comfortable sea-side inns overlooking the bay and meals of locally-sourced, organic ingredients. And don't forget the Kiwi custom of a break for morning and afternoon tea! Our luggage will be forwarded each day while we carry only small items, snacks, and lunch on our backs (if hiking) or in our kayaks. No one who visits this breathtaking park forgets the diverse scenery: native forests and streams, tree-fern-filled grottos, and turquoise waters lapping at golden beaches. While kayaking or hiking through this wonderland, you'll also delight in the melody of New Zealand's native birds. We might spy little blue penguins coming ashore to nest or dolphins darting past the end of your paddle. Highlights always include the antics of New Zealand Fur seals and their pups if the prevailing winds allow us to see them in the Tonga Island Marine Reserve. We start the day by driving from Nelson to Kaiteriteri, where we'll board a launch for a leisurely motorized cruise to our starting destination, Totaranui, located at the northern end of the park. The cruise will give us a nice overview of the bays, isles, inlets, and headlands that we'll be kayaking and hiking along over the next three days. After we're dropped at Totaranui, we'll have lunch and then hike through the picturesque rainforest of the Te Pukatea Loop (or further if you are energetic). Afterwards, we have a leisurely two-hour hike from Totaranui to our eco-friendly beachfront lodge on Awaroa Bay (or you can catch a boat ride if you're not up to the hike). If tides allow, we'll be able to hike across the sands of the Awaroa Estuary to our lodge. The Meadowbank Lodge where we stay tonight is the former homestead of one of the earliest settlers in the area and provides panoramic views of the estuary and bay. After dinner, feel free to explore more of the area or enjoy stories with our guides and hosts around the open fireplace.
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4: Island-hopping in a Kayak A full, hearty breakfast is served at the lodge, and then we hike southerly around the inlet and across the Tonga Saddle to Onetahuti Beach where we have our first sea-kayaking instruction and prepare for our day exploring the isles, inlets, and secluded beaches. If you haven't kayaked before, don't worry, we use stable two-person sea kayaks. With a little instruction and practice, you'll soon be comfortable paddling the gentle waters of Tasman Bay. Soon you'll glide past wind-sculpted islands onto the golden beach of a sparkling lagoon. After a quick swim, catch a few minutes of sun on the sand, with the lingering tang of salt on your tongue. Enjoy your lunch on the beach and then the kayaking continues. Don't be surprised if you see seals playing in the surf this afternoon as your kayak ripples through the gentle waves. Most of the group will be out on the water today, but the hiking trails of Abel Tasman also are spectacular, winding through the tea trees and native beech forests to rocky overlooks, picturesque waterfalls, and even across a few of New Zealand's famous suspension bridges. If you're an avid hiker, you may choose to hike instead of kayak. Or if you'd like to take it easy today, you can catch a boat to our next destination. Late this afternoon we'll arrive at tonight's eco-lodge at Torrent Bay, another small, intimate seaside inn. You'll have time to settle in and explore the area before dinner. After dinner we'll take our gaze skyward to find the Southern Cross and hear more about this unique part of New Zealand.
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5: Exploring the Astrolabe Roadstead As we kayak today from Torrent Bay, around Anchorage Bay, and Watering Cove, we emerge into the Astrolabe Roadstead, a waterway that will take us back to our starting point at Kaiteriteri. Along the way, our guides will help us identify sea birds and will tell us of the Maori and early settler impact on the area. As we pass Fisherman Island the winds coming through this area tend to pick-up, perhaps allowing us to raise a spinnaker and sail as a kayak-flotilla back to our beginning point as we enjoy our last afternoon in the beautiful waters of Tasman Bay. Late this afternoon, we'll return to our hotel in Nelson.
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6: Rainforests, Cave-rafting, and Pancake Rocks We depart Nelson this morning as we begin our journey to the Wild West Coast, which we'll explore over the next four days. We first follow the beautiful Bueller River as it cuts a steep path through the mountains before bringing us to the Tasman Sea. If time and weather allow, we'll stop for a short walk along the headlands overlooking the sea. Along our route today we have a chance to try a unique underground adventure: blackwater rafting in the Nile River Cave System. After we're outfitted in designer wetsuits and gear, we'll plop ourselves in an inner tube and float on the gentle current through an ancient underground wonderland sculpted in limestone. Lighting our way is a galaxy of glow worms overhead. For those not quite sure about underground tubing, you can opt for a more sure-footed eco-tour through the magnificent calcite portions of the cave and the prehistoric valley it occupies. Tonight's lodging is in the small village of Punakaiki, famous for its blowholes and layered, wind- and water-eroded sea cliffs, locally known as pancake rocks. Nature has eroded these headlands into an outdoor gallery of artistic shapes, color, and shadow, softened by lush Nikau Palms. If tides and winds are right, the waves from the Tasman Sea crash fiercely into the cliffs, creating massive hissing geysers as water spews through the blowholes.
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7: From Rainforests to Glaciers We'll stay in Punakaiki though late morning to give you an opportunity to explore the area on your own or perhaps to saddle-up for a coastal horseback ride. We then follow the coast southward to the old mining and port town of Hokitika. Originally settled during the gold rush of the 1860s, Hokitika has undergone several transformations since those heady days. Today, one of the biggest local industries is carving jade (locally known as greenstone). You can watch the artisans at work in several shops. Another workshop produces handcrafted gold jewelry from the small nuggets that are still found locally. If there was ever any doubt that the South Island is lightly inhabited, these roads prove it. Even on the major west-coast road wasn't paved until 1995. Traffic is so light that most bridges can only handle cars in one direction at a time -- and still there's never a wait. (Even more interesting is one bridge -- still on the main road -- where a one-lane bridge handles not only car traffic from both directions, but also a railroad track!). This area of the west coast is known for blustery storms, loads of rain, and temperate rainforests growing up the sides of the tallest mountain range in this part of the Pacific, the Southern Alps. As the moisture-laden winds from the Tasman Sea blow up the Alps, the water vapor cools, resulting in huge amounts of rain and snow fall. The large catchment areas at the top of the mountains create a bowl where layers and layers of snow piles high, pressing itself into dense blue ice. As the ice overfills the catchment area, it flows as a glacier down a steep valley, where it peters-out in the middle of a temperate rainforest, about 650 feet above sea level. It's an amazing sight to see these massive rivers of ice surrounded by tree ferns and green moss. There are two main glaciers here and we'll be stopping for the next two nights at the first one, Franz Josef.
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8: Glacier World At the glacial terminus, a steady torrent of water gushes from a sub-surface river. A picturesque 45-minute hike, against a glistening mountain backdrop, takes us to the edge of the ice. There, we fit on crampons, pick up a pointed walking stick, and begin exploring an icy world on our glacier hike.
From a distance, the glaciers simply look like large, two-dimensional sheets of ice. Close up, they become an eerie ice world, full of tunnels disappearing into the glacier, serpentine rivers of chilled water, fantastic ice structures, and yawning crevasses. Occasional creaks and crunches remind us that as the glacier moves -- some of the world's fastest, at speeds of up to 2 or 3 feet a day -- new crevasses and formations continually appear and disappear. Our experienced local guides swing their ice axes to cut steps in the rock, and guide us to routes where we can see the many faces of the glacier. Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers are among the few spots in the world where a glacier advances to a temperate rainforest. After a day on the glacier, those who want to explore the green world below can choose from several short hikes.
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9: A Mountain Jewel Even if you aren't normally an early riser, this is a great morning to get up early and go for a hike to take in the grandeur of this unique setting. After breakfast, we leave the glaciers, and drive down the west coast, across Haast Pass and into Wanaka, with stops enroute to see primordial swamps and forests, waterfalls, and vistas of huge glacially-formed lakes, including Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea. We spend three nights in the quiet mountain village of Wanaka, enjoying a wealth of activities. Perched on Lake Wanaka, with Mount Aspiring National Park rising behind it, Wanaka offers sports on land, on the lakes and rivers, and in the air. We'll arrive in time for a quick hike above our hotel to view the layout of the town, then we'll settle in for a relaxing dinner. Afterwards, take a walk along the lakefront and through the quaint downtown, stopping at Kai Waka Pai or Cafe Paradiso for a nightcap.
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10: Jump, Slide, Rappel: The Art of Canyoning What will be your favorite activity on Wild Kiwi? Many travelers give that title to a sport you may never have heard of: Canyoning (sometimes known in North America as canyoneering). Don a wetsuit, then hike down to a crystal stream that over the millennia has carved its way deep into the bedrock. Now, you'll simply follow this stream and canyon as they wind through the rocks and trees. First obstacle: The stream drops fifteen feet, through a narrow trough, into a pool of water below. There's no obvious way to get down until your instructor demonstrates. It's quite simple: sit at the top, and just slide down.
Those are the three basic canyoning techniques: slide, rappel, jump. Soon you've got the hang of them -- or so you think. But in the natural environment of the canyon, every situation offers its own peculiarities. The next water slide looks to be about 25 feet, and just about straight down. No problem, it's a deep pool of water, explains your guide, and you soon discover he's right. Nature has created a water wonderland that, in our opinion, outshines the best man-made waterparks. After sliding on your bum down a short slide, you'll pop onto your belly and slide as the water snakes you through a sinewy trough and empties you into another deep pool of crystal clear water. Tuck your head and you dive right in. As the others catch up, you can rest behind the waterfall and take in this other worldly grotto of moss, ferns, and falling water splitting sunrays into magical rainbows.
If you're not participating in canyoning, you can sign up for one of many other activities offered. Biking, wine tours, or even a full day of paragliding lessons on Mt. Iron, overlooking the lake, at a site known for its steady winds. New designs have made it easier to learn this once-dangerous sport. Your first glides will be short distances, from the bottom of the hill to a grassy paddock. Soon, as your instructor communicates through a radio in your helmet, you'll increase the distances. By the end of the day, you could easily find yourself flying solo, right from the summit.
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11: Exploring the wonders of Wanaka Today is a free day to allow you to choose your activity and enjoy more of this beautiful part of New Zealand. While biking, hiking, lake kayaking, and even rock climbing are all on offer, many clients choose to have some down time today to enjoy our wonderful lodge, get a massage, and remind themselves that this is, after all, a vacation. A few might catch the early shuttle up the Matukituki River valley to enjoy a hike to the stunning Rob Roy Glacier, while others might try for a 45-minute flight to spectacular Milford Sound, complete with a boat ride through the Sound (you can make another try when we're in Queenstown if weather today doesn't allow a flight). An option for today is a unique eco-rafting experience, one that is less challenging than our rafting option in a few days in Queenstown. Spend four hours in a rubber raft with local legend Lewis, experiencing a bit of everything: birdwatching, brewing herbal tea from leaves we've just picked, listening to the history of New Zealand, then shooting a few Class-II and (briefly) Class-III rapids.
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12: A Long Rubber Band Early risers watch a sunrise illuminating the mountains of Mount Aspiring National Park before enjoying our last breakfast in Wanaka. Today's drive across historic Cadrona Pass brings us to a stunning perch on the Crown Range Saddle high above the Kawarau River valley overlooking Lake Wakatipu. Once we've descended from the Crown Range Saddle, we'll swing down the Kawarau River to our next adrenaline-rush activity: the most anticipated and talked-about Wild Kiwi event and also the briefest. The bungy jump lasts perhaps 30 seconds from the heart-stopping moment you step into thin air, until you've stopped bobbing up and down sufficiently to be hauled into the pick-up raft. But the adrenaline will keep pumping for hours.
What's your style? A graceful swan dive is the classic exit. A camera captures the critical moment, and just within our group, we see quite a range. One steps off upright, his hands pressed in front of him as if in prayer; another scrunches up in sheer terror. Our 64-year-old steps off as nonchalantly as if going out to buy a loaf of bread. Two guys admit to having been firmly instructed by their mothers not to jump: one does it anyway; the other obeys Mom. (Our advice for future travelers: Don't tell Mom your plans until after the trip. That way, you can have fun without being disobedient.)
Our day is not yet over! Following the rivers out of the mountains, we pass into the acclaimed adventure capital of the Southern Hemisphere, Queenstown, our home for the next three nights. We've got several activities scheduled in Queenstown, but you have virtually unlimited options that you can try instead during our two and a half days here. If you're a whitewater fan, this afternoon is a good time for whitewater rafting on Class-III and IV rapids. Based on river conditions and water levels, we'll head for one of two nearby rivers. The wild and untamed Shotover River takes us through six rapids, then we raft through 500 feet of darkness as we pass through the Oxenbridge Tunnel, an historic diversion tunnel built by goldminers. Or we'll raft the Kawarau, the largest commercially rafted river in New Zealand. Here we pass under the Chard vineyards, and through four sets of rapids. We'll paddle under the bungy jumpers on the Kawarau Bridge, culminating in the unforgettable Dog Leg Rapids. On the Kawarau, there are sometimes opportunities for cliff jumping, and to swim through smaller rapids. Back in town, you'll also want to stroll onto the peninsula and the Queenstown Garden. And this evening, you'll discover that Queenstown's highlights extend into the culinary realm, as well.
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13: Through Whitewater Without a Raft? This morning is on your own to explore Queenstown. A good introduction to the area is the gondola ride to the top of Bob's Peak, 1400 feet above town. Sip a drink at the restaurant as you watch bungy jumpers hurl themselves from The Ledge, a precarious platform jutting into space, or paragliders sail above the lake. Bungy jumping started in Queenstown, and every year some nut in Queenstown comes up with a new adrenaline sport. A few of these are activities that we're happy to skip. (If you want to roll down the mountain inside a giant inflatable ball called a Zorb, please reserve it yourself.) But there's one that we really like, which we suggest for this afternoon: Riversurfing. Never heard of it? Okay, imagine yourself whitewater rafting, with an enormous wave coming up. Now imagine yourself in the same spot, but without the raft. There -- you've got the general idea. Riversurfing has one thing in common with bungy jumping: The first time you hear about it, you think somebody's pulling your leg. But they're not. Armed with a meter-long boogie board, short fins, helmet, and 45 minutes of instruction, you'll hop into the Kawarau River. For awhile, you flow placidly along, admiring the rugged cliffs that tower above you. For variety, try riding your boogieboard like a horse; the balance takes a bit of practice, but soon you'll feel like a wet John Wayne.
Another stretch of calm water, then you see the Class-III rapids ahead. Now the adrenaline starts to flow! Keep left, the guide motions. Before you know it, you've gotten through the churning whitewater. Still not hard. Your instructor motions you to the side, and explains: Try it again, but this time, catch the wave and surf it! A backward eddy carries you upstream to the rapids, and you stand on a rock, then plunge in and try again. Aim 45 degrees upstream, catch the eddy behind that rock, paddle like hell to the rapids, and then catch the wave! On your second try, you succeed, and ride the wave for perhaps five seconds, foam swirling past as you surf in place. More scenic flatwater. A bridge appears ahead -- something seems to be falling from it -- hey, it's the bridge where you bungy-jumped a couple of days ago! You paddle over to the side and watch a jumper. And then . . . here come the Class-IV rapids. Your guide motions you ashore, and from a nearby bluff, you preview what's to come. See that wave there, he says, motioning to a pile of water that would seem able to sink the Titanic. That's the one you need to watch. Actually, it would be hard to miss. Minutes later, you're in it, trying to remember your instructions. Attack that wave. Weight the board, and dive down into it. You do your best, but the monster simply slaps you back. Yet somehow you pass on through, and soon you're cruising on smoother waters. Some good news about these particular rapids: If you feel they're too much for you, you can walk around them. Some even better news: Those who wish can walk back and run them again. This evening, a few of us will go out on the town and see what Queenstown has to offer. With its adventure activities during the summer and world-class skiing in the winter, there's a lot to look at and plenty of night clubs to visit. What an end to an exciting day!
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14: Biking, Hiking, Rock Climbing and More After two weeks in New Zealand, you'll have some ideas about how to spend your last day. There are plenty of choices.
Those who want excitement without sweating today can jet-boat within inches of jagged overhanging rocks on one of the famed Shotover Jet boats. These remarkable boats, powered by jet rather than propeller, can go through water a mere four inches deep, and the pilots take great delight in blasting full speed toward a looming boulder, then turning a full 180-degrees within a single boat length. Or take a calmer boat ride: the restored steamship TSS Earnslaw makes several trips across the lake each day. Pan for gold in nearby Arrowtown, once a thriving settlement, and the nearby ghost towns of Macetown and Bendigo. You could get there by bus -- but we recommend mountain biking. The dirt road to Macetown takes you across 40 fords, perfect for a hot day. Horseback riding is available on Doonholme Deer farm, where both new and experienced riders are welcomed -- though we recommend that beginners stick to a half-day ride. The trails take you into 800 acres of rolling countryside, with spectacular mountain views that seem to be ubiquitous in Queenstown.
Or, weather conditions permitting, take a day trip to Milford Sound. Rudyard Kipling described this deep fjord as "the eighth wonder of the world." A winding trip through dark forest and through a snow-packed pass takes you to the tip of the glacier-carved inlet, where you board a boat to ride past cascading waterfalls and Mitre Peak, rising a full mile above the water. The boat draws so close to a thundering waterfall that you could fill a wineglass with the spray. In fact, one waterlogged guest has done exactly that. Southern fur seals eye us carefully as they sunbathe on a rock. Perhaps you thought we were exaggerating when we called Queenstown "the adventure capital of the Southern Hemisphere." But by now, it has earned the title. This evening, we'll come together and celebrate one last time as we end our two-week vacation together at our closing dinner at one of Queenstown's finest restaurants.
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15: Departure Day The hardest thing about our trips is saying goodbye to a wonderful group of new friends. As we make our way home from Queenstown, however, there's one thing you can be sure of: active vacations like this one draw a special type of person. We depart knowing that many of us will see one another yet again.
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