4th September 2013, 16:03
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| 100% Pure New Zealand EDIT: New Pictures on Page 2 Your journey starts beneath the southern skies Plucked straight from a film set or a coffee-table book of picture-perfect scenery, New Zealand is jaw-droppingly gorgeous. 'Wow!' will escape from your lips at least once a day. It’s here that you’ll experience things you never thought possible. New Zealand is a mix of spectacular landscapes, cosmopolitan cities, and Maori culture offer a diverse range of unforgettable experiences, all delivered with the laid-back, friendly Kiwi hospitality. It is an island country in the Pacific Ocean with a waist size of less than 250 kms! You can cross the country from the West Coast to the East Coast in less than 3 hours! It is one of those geographically isolated countries which were last inhabited by humans due to which it has developed a large biodiversity of animal, fungal and plant life; most notable are the large number of unique bird species. Self Drive-Self Planned-Self Organized Holiday Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer It all began when I was planning for a self-drive overseas holiday and Australia (OZ) was my first choice in the southern hemisphere owing to its vast size and beautiful roads. While researching and planning my OZ trip I came across many OZ people (a few of them were my friends living there) who were all praise for New Zealand (NZ) and many in fact recommended clubbing OZ tour with NZ. Once I went through online travel websites, I started to further like the idea of NZ. It looked like a perfect destination for a self-drive holiday. (The Icing on the cake was Indian Driving License was valid for driving in NZ the only condition being it should be printed in English.) It was one place where you can experience all the three seasons in a single day. There is a unique diversity, breathtaking landscapes, beaches, mountains, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, geysers and what not. The more I read about NZ, the more I liked the place. So the decision was made and NZ it was. Visa application process was a smooth one albeit number of documents required was very high. It was my first overseas trip so everything, every activity and every adventure was meticulously planned. Since me being a Research Analyst by profession, research began early about 6 months prior to departure. The most useful website proved to be https://www.tripadvisor.com/ and https://www.rankers.co.nz/. Most of us must be aware of the former website but it’s the latter that provided first hand local reviews about locations, activities, car rentals, etc. Some of the other noteworthy NZ Travelogues on TeamBHP:
We left home in the middle of the night at 2am and after all immigration formalities and clearance boarded Singapore Airlines flight from Mumbai Airport. It was a never ending flight (18 hours flying time + 6 hours layover at Singapore.) Layover at Changi Airport was like spending time in a shopping mall. Best were the massaging chairs at regular distances to keep foot ache in check. Then we boarded the flight again for the onward journey and next 12 hours from Singapore to Auckland was a bumpy night. We encountered a lot of turbulence that night due to bad weather (worse part was we were seated in the second-last row of seats in the aircraft). Nonetheless, me and my wife had a broad smile when we saw the first glimpses of New Zealand. Our flight landed at Auckland Airport and there we saw one of the strictest Bio-Security measures at immigration. Kia Ora! They are very serious about protecting their agriculture and vegetation industry. After traveling for almost 30 hours (door to door) we crashed into our hotel beds with loads of Jet lag and fatigue. Itinerary
My Rides: Kia Cerato 1.8 litre 4 Speed Automatic - North Island Subaru Forester 2.5 litre 4 Speed Automatic - South Island Luge Ride, Helicopter, Cruise Vessel, 500Bhp Jet Boat, 8-Seater Aircraft, Beechcraft 1900D, Boeing 777 Highlights of the Trip When George Bernard Shaw visited New Zealand a reporter asked him his impression of the place and, after a pause, Shaw is said to have replied: "Altogether too many sheep" ....... George Bernard Shaw 1934. Although the human to sheep ratio has changed over the last decade (1:20 earlier; 1:7 now), still the number of sheep living in NZ are far more than the number of humans. This country is dotted with thousands of sheep in its picturesque landscapes grazing under the sun. Visitor facilities are modern, road conditions are excellent and road discipline is second to none. Most of cars that I saw were fitted with bike racks indicating love for biking in this part of the world. I also came across many Harley Riders touring the country on these thumping monsters. Kiwi hospitality deserves a special mention here since there was not a single soul in my 3 week stay of NZ that I came across as unfriendly or rude. People are warm and welcoming. We travelled places, met local people, ate and stayed with them in their houses (farm stay), bought stuff from road side stalls/shops, gave lift to hitch-hikers and explored everything we could possibly think of. Indians are well respected in this part of the world and we could sense that at a cultural event (Maori Hangi Dinner). At one instance when the GPS on my iPhone was not getting a lock, I asked a couple of locals for directions and he was more than pleased to offer me help, so much help that one can’t even expect in India. Everything in NZ is so pure and natural. The lush green landscapes, crystal clear waters, fresh unadulterated air, untouched beaches, and above all a positive energy which imbibes every traveler. Infact the government and local people propagate drinking water from any water body (river/lake) or tap. Auckland offers the best shopping experience & Night life whereas Queenstown offers the best of adventure sports. Sky-Diving, Paragliding, River Rafting, 4WD Adventures, Caving, Canyoning, Luge, Balooning, kayaking, you name it Queenstown has it. Rotorua is a small town which literally smells of sulphur (due to geothermal activity). Franz Josef allowed us to experience one of the most magnificent glaciers and snow caves whereas Kaikoura offered us one of a rare opportunity to catch a glimpse of mighty whales and dolphins in their wild habitat. Christchurch is where we stayed in a farm stay (Pete's Farm Stay) which was an experience in itself. For all food lovers, NZ offers a multitude of options for eating out. Not a single day went where I had slept not getting anything that I wanted to eat. (Indian-Chinese, Punjabi, Continental, Italian, etc.). Infact we ate Wada-Pav and Bhel-puri at Queenstown, something which I hadn't even thought of! The cool climate combined by organic farm produce and of course the talented chefs at those restaurants ensured that I was not far away from home. It wouldn’t be an understatement if I say that I ate better Indian food that what I have ever eaten in Mumbai! Accommodation:
>>Auckland to Rotorua by Cerato >>Rotorua to Queenstown by Domestic Flight >>Queenstown to Franz Josef by Forester >>Franz Josef to Christchurch by Forester >>Christchurch to Kaikoura and back by Forester Review of my Rides: Kia Cerato: Perfect car size of Kiwi Roads since most of them are two lane roads without a divider in between. Slow to shift but ample torque available. Refinement levels decent. Subaru Forester: This one gave me a tough time navigating the twisting roads from Queenstown to Franz Josef. Body roll and wide body proved to be a not so engaging drive in the mountains. Actually you really dont need an SUV in NZ unless you want to do some serious offroading (which too is not covered by insurance). Luge Ride: Nice sharp steering with direct feel of the tarmac. Its like a go-kart without and engine. 500Bhp Jet Boat: The most thrilling ride which does 360degree spins too ! 8-Seater Aircraft: Had goosebumps in my stomach in this tiny aircraft. Pictures Disclaimer: I am a novice at photography so kindly excuse me for my average photography skills. Auckland Airport  The Skytower at night  The Sky Jump  The Skywalk -192 Meters in the air with no handrails (I have a fear of heights, hence couldnt let go off the rope)  My Ride for North Island  Rotorua Farm Tour  Ostriches were plenty  Aah! finally convinced him  This one was an isolated one  Wild Boar  Kiwi Farm  One of the Juiciest and Tangiest Kiwis  They were all over the place  Some deers too  View from my room, Lake Rotorua  Maori People  Scenic Lake Rotorua  Queenstown ! The Best Place in NZ  Breathtaking Mountains  The biggest lake I have ever seen  South Island offers multiple of such scenic spots every few kilometres, every spot being more scienic than the previous one  My Best Pic  Milford Sound  Milford Cruise  Panini Sandwich  Bowen Waterfalls  Stirling Falls, Milford Sound. Remember the movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine? Wolverine escapes from the ‘Alkali Lake’ facility  Real Discoveries Vessel  Basking in the Sun  [b]Proud to see an Indian Flag up there  Last edited by rahulsharma2008 : 6th September 2013 at 15:14. |
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6th September 2013, 10:48
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| BHPian Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: MH03
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| re: 100% Pure New Zealand EDIT: New Pictures on Page 2 Pictures rarely do justice to the beauty of this place. Especially when I was just learning to use my Nikon D3100 DSLR Camera. I had bought this camera way before this trip so that I could explore all the features of this camera and get used to clicking in different conditions. But as Henry Cartier said "Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst" The 8-Seater Aircraft  Airborne  Gigantic Rivers  Eagle Eye's View  Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.  The finest workers in stone are not steel or copper tools, but the gentle touches of air and water working at their leisure with a liberal allowance of time - David Henry, Thoreau  Kawarau Bungy Brigde  Landside prone area of the mountain  Nature is often hidden, sometimes overcome, seldom extinguished  Iconic Bridge of South Island  Delicious Fruits for Breakfast  Circuit for Luge Ride  The Chopper  Franz Josef Glacier   Glacial Ice  Dust all the way from Australian Deserts  Our guide making way for us to go down the crevass  Ice Cave  Hangi Dinner  Time to fill her up again  He loved the ride (It was the milder version of the Jet Boat in Lake Wakatipu)  Picture Perfect  Pizza Perfect  Hey did you see my clothes?  Devastated by Earthquake  My Friend Pratik Gandhi during his Skydive  Last edited by rahulsharma2008 : 6th September 2013 at 15:16. |
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6th September 2013, 11:01
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| BHPian Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: MH03
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| re: 100% Pure New Zealand EDIT: New Pictures on Page 2 Shotover Jet in Full Glory  Maneuvering through the Shotover River  From left to right: Mr. & Mrs. Pancholi, My Better Half & myself; Our Irish friends Aine and Enda; Our Guide in the background (looks like Andrew Symonds  ) Team work saw us through in Grade 4 & Grade 5 rapids  Path of Shotover Jet  Bungy point  [b]Thats Pete's Farm and his house http://www.petesfarm.co.nz/  Closer look at his house  And Thats Pete  Showing his skills  The Alpacas  The Sheep Dog  Doing his duty (not seen in this pic)  Road ki... har mod pe....  Common sight in this part of the world  Agrodome Show  A Sandwich which had more fries than sandwich  Grounded due to rough weather... err... watered due to rough weather   Water is the driving force of all nature.  Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.  Climb mountains not so the world can see you, but you can see the world.  Bold & Beautiful  If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it  The mountains are calling and I must go.  No other man-made device since the shields and lances of the ancient knights fulfills a man's ego like an automobile.  Apex - One of the best car rental companies  Couldnt get enough of these  A Beautiful sunset that was mistaken for a dawn.  These three weeks were like an unfolding dream. Never a moment went by where there was a dull moment. Of course the painstaking homework and planning helped me achieve this level of satisfaction, it was heightened by the fact that this was my first international trip and that too on my honeymoon. Kia Ora Bhpians ! Last edited by rahulsharma2008 : 6th September 2013 at 15:40. |
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6th September 2013, 16:07
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| Team-BHP Support   Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Delhi
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6th September 2013, 16:16
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| BHPian  Join Date: May 2013 Location: Plano, TX
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| re: 100% Pure New Zealand EDIT: New Pictures on Page 2 Wonderful Pictures  Thanks for a lovely travelogue. Could you please let us know on the availability/variety of Veg Food in New Zealand?Last edited by Prodigy07 : 6th September 2013 at 16:18. |
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6th September 2013, 16:43
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| Senior - BHPian  | |
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6th September 2013, 19:50
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6th September 2013, 20:12
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| BHPian  Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Raleigh
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| re: 100% Pure New Zealand EDIT: New Pictures on Page 2 Quote:
Is that the MUM->SIN flight for 18 hrs? I am surprised. I used regular between Chennai->SIN which was just 3.5 hrs. I thought, add ~2.5 hrs to it for MUM->SIN. Did you venture into SIN city? SIA provides a transit visa and free tour around the city if your layover is more than 6 hrs or so. | |
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6th September 2013, 20:20
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| BHPian Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: MH03
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6th September 2013, 21:28
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| BHPian  | re: 100% Pure New Zealand EDIT: New Pictures on Page 2 No wonder NZ is called paradise on earth! Buddy, thanks a lot for sharing such a wonderful log. The pictures are outstanding. Please share maximum pictures .And thanks for the other 3 trip logs. I wasn't aware of them  . |
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6th September 2013, 21:34
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| Team-BHP Support  Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Mumbai
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6th September 2013, 22:27
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| BHPian Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: MH03
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| re: 100% Pure New Zealand EDIT: New Pictures on Page 2 Quote:
While booking my hotels, I ensured that at all places I booked hotels which were walkable distance from these Indian Restaurants. I hope I have been helpful. Happy to see an Ahmedabadi Gujju-Bhai in the small village of Franz Josef  | |
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7th September 2013, 08:19
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| BHPian Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: MH03
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I stayed in 4 and 4.5 star hotels in most of the places and the average expense of stay per night worked out to be INR 12k/Night. International Return Flight costed me about Rs. 1.20lakhs for two persons. In addition to this I had taken a domestic flight from Rotorua to Queenstown which costed me about Rs. 30k for two people. I hope I have been helpful. | ||
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10th September 2013, 09:05
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| BHPian Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: MH03
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| re: 100% Pure New Zealand EDIT: New Pictures on Page 2 Quote:
Adventure activities are plenty in the whole of New Zealand whether it is land, water or air. Everything is done in a highly professional way and you can even book online in advance (usually you dont need to for most of the activities since most of them can be bought off the shelf). We did a host of activities as I mentioned. Following are the details: List of Activities Done:
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10th September 2013, 11:36
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| BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Bangalore
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