Aotearoa is the Māori name for New Zealand and means “the land of the long white cloud”. New Zealand is a nation of islands. The North Island and the South Island, which are separated by the Cook Strait, and approximately 600 smaller islands that lie offshore. About 1/3 of the country is protected by public reserves and national parks and is managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC). The country’s land is very diverse. The northern tip of the North Island has a subtropical climate with beautiful bays and islands. The North Island’s center is a geothermal wonder with volcanoes. The Southern Alps encompass the South Island. The west side of the South Island consists of fiords along the Tasman Sea with rainforest environments. The east side of the South Island comprises the Canterbury plains.
Prior to human settlement several species of bats and several marine mammal species were the only mammals to inhabit New Zealand. New Zealand was teeming with bird life. The introduction of rats, stoats, weasels and bushy possums by the Polynesians and Europeans have put several bird species on the endangered list. Predator Free 2050 is a plan working towards eradication of three of the most damaging predators, the rat, stoats and possums by 2050.
As I have said in some of the other posts, Dave is a meticulous planner and spent months researching. We decided to go in the fall when the weather was still nice, the children would be back in school and our destinations would be less crowded. New Zealand is in the southern hemisphere, so the seasons are opposite to those in the United States. New Zealand’s fall is March through May. We are big National Park fans, and decided to visit all 13 National Parks, which gave Dave a starting point for planning our itinerary. The southernmost part of the South Island is the closest to Antarctica and the weather gets cooler there first, so we started on the South Island and worked our way up to the North Island. We rented a car in Queenstown and began our epic 8 week journey, putting 5000 miles on our rental car!
Here are a few things we learned in our 8 week trip:
We were not on vacation, we were on Holiday.
You do not make a reservation, you make a booking.
We were tramping, not hiking.
Rubbish=trash.
Queue=standing in line.
Way out=exit.
Wash locks=shampoo.
Soft locks=conditioner.
Wash up=hand and body wash.
Smooth up=lotion.
Trundler=grocery cart.
Torch=flashlight.
Plaster=bandaid.
Sunnies=sunglasses.
Ute=utility vehicle.
Lots of tea, espresso machines and French press coffee, but no drip coffee.
Most places are not handicapped accessible, very few lifts (elevators) available. National Parks have very few handicapped accessible trails, lodging, or facilities.
Sheep shearing is a big deal!
Roads/driving:
You drive on the left hand side of the road.
Metal roads=paved roads.
Unsealed roads=gravel or dirt roads.
One lane bridges are the norm.
Very few motorways, all but a few roads are two-way (one lane in each direction).
Roads are very narrow, winding and steep! Most do not have guardrail’s and if they do they are insignificant!
Most towns have public restrooms either free standing or at an isite (visitor center)
Food:
Most cafes and dairy’s (small shops, convenience store) have cabinet food and take away.
Cabinet food=food that is premade in a see through cabinet that you can get to go.
Take away=cabinet food you get to go, or they will bring it to your table.
95% of the restaurants and cafes, you order at the counter or bar.
No tipping the restaurant staff, you might see several people come to your table. They do not always communicate well with each other.
Deer are farm raised and you will see a lot of venison on the menu, especially on the South Island.
Lamb is almost always on the menu.
Green Lipped Mussels are big on the South Island.
Crayfish=Lobster.
Pies=Individual meat pies
Beef is more readily available on menus on the North Island.
Very little chicken available on menus.
Hamburgers and Pizza are available most places.
Fish and Chips are on most menus.
Popular Ice Cream flavor is Hokey Pokey (honey and toffee).
Capsicum=sweet peppers.
Kumara=Sweet potato
Courgette=Zucchini.
Cabinet Food
One Lane Bridge
Public Restroom Sign
Green Lipped Mussels
Crayfish
Lamb (top) and Venison (bottom)
