Thursday, August 28, 2014

New Zealand - North Island to South Island Road Trip Itinerary



New Zealand is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever visited. It seems to have almost everything.. I would want to see and do...

Volcanoes, Mountains, Lakes, Beaches, Glaciers, Hot Springs, Mud Pools, Wineries, Cafes, Dolphins, Whales, Cable Cars, Helicopter Rides, Paragliding, Bungee Jumping (for Sherick)... and lots of delicious Steak!

...No wonder the Hobbits chose to live there! ;)

We visited during Summer in February, and it was sunny and cool, with occasional raindrops. All the accommodations we booked had free parking available. 

I have already written about Wanaka and Picton (The Mailboat Cruise) in my previous posts. I will try to write about the rest of the places in my future posts. In the meantime, here is the itinerary I am very happy to share! :)

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North Island

Day 1 - Auckland

Car Rental - Collect from Auckland Airport - Apex Car Rental New Zealand

Accommodation - Sai Motels - 1 Night

New Zealand Road Trip Itinerary

Day 2 - Auckland to Rotorua - 3 Hours

Accommodation - Astray Motel and Backpackers - 1 Night

Champagne Pool Rotorua New Zealand

Day 3 - Rotorua to Taupo - 1 Hour

Accommodation - Blackcurrant Backpackers - 1 Night

Huka Falls Taupo New Zealand

Day 4 - Taupo to Wellington - 5 Hours

Accommodation - I would not recommend the place we stayed at - 1 Night

Wellington New Zealand


South Island

Day 5 - Wellington to Picton - 3.5 Hours

Ferry - Cross the Cook Strait - Together with the Car - Interislander Ferry

Cook Strait Sunrise New Zealand

Accommodation - Tombstone Backpackers - 1 Night

Picton New Zealand

Day 6 - Picton to Punakaiki - 4 Hours

Accommodation - Bluewaves Homestay - 1 Night

Punakaiki Pancake Rocks New Zealand

Day 7 - Punakaiki to Franz Josef - 3 Hours

Accommodation - Perivale Farm Cottage - 2 Nights

Franz Josef New Zealand

Day 8 - Franz Josef

Accommodation - Perivale Farm Cottage - 2 Nights

Franz Josef Glacier New Zealand

Day 9 - Franz Josef to Wanaka - 3.5 Hours

Accommodation - Wanaka Bakpaka - 2 Nights

Lake Wanaka Sunset New Zealand

Day 10 - Wanaka

Accommodation - Wanaka Bakpaka - 2 Nights

Mount Roy Wanaka New Zealand

Day 11 - Wanaka to Queenstown - 1 Hour

Accommodation - No. 70 Studio Accommodation - 3 Nights

Queenstown New Zealand

Day 12 - Queenstown

Accommodation - No. 70 Studio Accommodation - 3 Nights

Lake Wakatipu Queenstown

Day 13 - Queenstown

Accommodation - No. 70 Studio Accommodation - 3 Nights

Lake Wakatipu Paragliding Queenstown

Day 14 - Queenstown to Christchurch - 6 Hours

Accommodation - Aalton Motel - 2 Nights

Lake Tekapo New Zealand

Day 15 - Christchurch

Accommodation - Aalton Motel - 2 Nights

Christchurch New Zealand

Day 16 - Christchurch

Car Rental - Return at Christchurch Airport - Apex Car Rental New Zealand

New Zealand Road Trip

Enjoy planning your trip guys! :)


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References:

Our Budget for 16 Days for 2 Persons sharing the Car and Room
Plane Fare from Singapore - NZD 1,000 x 2 = NZD 2,000
Car Rental and Gas - NZD 1,500
Accommodations - NZD 1,500
Food - NZD 800
Activities - NZD 1,400
(Doubtful Sound Tour, Lord of the Rings Tour, The Mailboat Cruise, Bungee Jump for 1 Person, Glacier Walk for 1 person, and other entrance fees, Excluding Helicopter Ride and Photo Shoot)
Total for 2 Persons = NZD 7,200 / USD 6,000

Accommodations - Please click on the Hotel Names to visit the website
Ferry - www.interislander.co.nz
Car Rental - www.apexrentals.co.nz

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Wanaka, New Zealand


Let me show you this place I never knew existed, and am really glad I discovered. 

Wanaka, South Island, New Zealand.

Surrounded by mountains and situated at the southern end of Lake Wanaka, this town of at least 7,000 people.. only.. almost made us decide to migrate to this paradise.

Lake Hawea, New Zealand

It is 1.25 hours away from Queenstown, but we drove from Franz Josef Glacier which is 3.5 hours away.

Passing by Lake Hawea.. what a beauty!

Lake Hawea, New Zealand

Almost there, and a rainbow says hello :)

Puzzle World Wanaka New Zealand

We're here! 

Let's have some fun for a short while at Stuart Landsborough's Puzzling World.

Puzzle World Wanaka

These old men could not take their eyes off me! 
(It doesn't show properly in the picture though.)

At the Hall of Following Faces.

Puzzle World Wanaka

Nature calls.. Taking a dump with the guys.. haha! ;)

At the Roman-Style Toilets.

Puzzle World Wanaka

Time to get lost.. but please do not enter this labyrinth if you have limited time. The achiever in you will just get stressed ;)

At the The Great Maze.

Lake Wanaka New Zealand Summer

And now.. my dream paradise awaits.

Lake Wanaka New Zealand

Lake Wanaka and the Southern Alps. 

Yes, this is the town.

Don't you just envy those two? Lying on the sand.. Reading a book..

Lake Wanaka New Zealand Sunset

Waiting for this sunset!

Ok.. the tree blocked my sun.. but it is there, you can see right?! :)

Lake Wanaka New Zealand Twilight

Twilight.. How darkness can be so beautiful!

Wanaka New Zealand

Good morning!

When we were on our way to Wanaka through the Haast Pass, we passed by a sign that says 
"To Blue Pools"

We did not know what it was, so we didn't stop. When we got to the hostel, we googled pictures of it, and knew we had to go back the next day.

Blue Pools New Zealand

Only a 30 minute drive away.. and here I am, trying to be one with them.. whoever piled up all these rocks :)

Blue Pools New Zealand

The glacier-fed icy cold water in these pools has a distinctive blue colour. 

Blue Pools Haast Pass

It is so clear that the swimming trouts look like they are suspended in the air.

Blue Pools Haast Pass

The Blue Pools.

Lesson learned - If there's a sign, just stop! Check it out, and have no regrets! 

Wanaka New Zealand

Now let's go back to town. 

Gosh, it's really so pretty!

Cinema Paradiso Wanaka

Time to have a movie date at their classic Cinema Paradiso.

Cinema Paradiso Wanaka

Where you can choose to sit on.. a car seat inside that yellow car, a lounge chair, a couch, an airplane chair... and eat freshly baked cookies and home made ice cream.

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Wanaka Engagement New Zealand

Back to Lake Wanaka for some precious moments :)

Wanaka Engagement New Zealand

Since we were already engaged, and we knew we would be coming to this amazing location, we hired Swedish photographer Fredrik Larsson for a 2 hour pre-wedding photo shoot.

Wanaka Engagement New Zealand

He would just leave us to cuddle and be natural.. but we were shy.. haha! :P

Wanaka Helicopter New Zealand

It was our first time to ride a helicopter, and the reason for our now addiction to helicopters.

Lake Wanaka Aerial View

Aerial view of the Wanaka township.

Mount Roy Helicopter Ride

Landed at Mt. Roy.

Mount Roy Lake Wanaka

At the peak, overlooking Lake Wanaka.

How can you not be so happy to be here?! :)

Mount Roy Lake Wanaka

Loving every second of this moment.

Mount Roy Lake Wanaka

And now you understand why Wanaka has a special place in my heart :)


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References:

Full Trip Itinerary and Budget - New Zealand - North Island to South Island Road Trip Itinerary

Car Rental - www.apexrentals.co.nz
Helicopter Charter - www.alpineheli.co.nz
Engagement Photography - www.larsson.co.nz

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Summer in Kyoto


Kyoto, Japan.. is.. just love.

Our vacation was supposed to be spent in Osaka, but because Kyoto was just about an hour away by train, we allotted a day for it. However, a day in Kyoto was not enough.. and would never be enough. We went back again on another day. And still, it was not enough. 
Next time, I will spend at least 4 days in Kyoto!! :)

It was very, very hot on the first day, so we had to be strategic on the places we wanted to see, as the heat made our walks really exhausting. And our regret was, not staying overnight in Kyoto, and missing out on the night scene. 


So here's where our walk started..


Gion District Kyoto Japan

The Gion District, the most exclusive geisha district in Japan. 

Gion District Kyoto Japan

The streets are lined with well-preserved old-style wooden merchant houses or teahouses, where the geishas, or geikos as they are called in Gion, entertain their patrons.

Gion District Kyoto Japan

Unfortunately, we did not see any geiko because we did not stay until the evening. This area would have looked really mesmerising with all the lights and drama at night.

Gion District Kyoto Japan

We just kept walking and allowed ourselves to get lost somehow.. As we felt like we were in a movie set location.

Kennin-Ji Temple Kyoto Japan

Reached Kennin-ji Temple, the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto.

Kennin-Ji Temple Kyoto Japan

Local people pass by the temple grounds all day long, as it has become part of their regular walkway.

Yasaka Shrine Kyoto Japan

And now at the complex of the Yasaka Shrine, where worshippers frequently drop by to offer prayers to their god of prosperity and health.

Yasaka Shrine Kyoto Japan

Wooden prayer tablets. We did not go inside the shrine itself anymore.

Yasaka Shrine Kyoto Japan

And this is where you wash your hands and mouth to cleanse your body and mind before entering the shrine.

Summer in Kyoto Japan

Lunch time.. we ate at this little shop where locals buy take away bento boxes. 

It's hard to go wrong when it comes to food in Japan :)

Summer in Kyoto Japan

We then took the bus to the Ginkaku-Ji Temple because it was too hot to walk.

Just a tip - it is really worth it to buy the unlimited one day Kyoto bus ticket.

Summer in Kyoto Japan

The path to the temple was lined with souvenir shops, and a LOT of ice cream shops! 

Ginkakuji Temple Kyoto Japan

So happy to finally arrive at the Ginkaku-Ji Temple! :)

Ginkakuji Temple Kyoto Japan

It is Zen, and also known as the Temple of the Silver Pavilion.

Ginkakuji Temple Kyoto Japan

Ok.. I thought we would finally be able to escape the heat.. but no.. ;)

Zen Garden Kyoto Japan

Don't you just love Japanese gardens?! 

They are so pretty in Summer.. I hope I could see them in Spring, Autumn, and Winter when they are even lovelier!

Green Tea Ice Cream Kyoto Japan

Before moving on to our next stop, we had to cool ourselves for a while.

We tried a few, but this shop served the best Green Tea Ice Cream!

You will pass by this shop on the way to the entrance of the Ginkaku-Ji Temple. So please don't get tempted by all the others you will see before you reach this place! :)

Philosopher's Path Kyoto Japan

Starting to walk again.. at the Philosopher's Path. 

It is a pedestrian path along a canal lined with cherry trees. A Japanese philosopher used to walk here everyday to meditate, hence the name.

Imagine coming here during Spring with all the cherry blossoms! It would just be heaven!!

Philosopher's Path Kyoto Japan

Random things along the path.. a Teddy Bear family on a bench, fishing in the canal :)

Philosopher's Path Kyoto Japan

Shops along the way, and stairs for resting ;)

Philosopher's Walk Kyoto Japan

And restaurants, and benches for resting again ;) 

The walk was only at least 30 minutes, and really beautiful and fascinating.. but the summer heat just made it really exhausting.

Philosopher's Walk Kyoto Japan

A wood carving shop.

There were also a lot of temples and shrines along the way, but we did not check them out anymore. 

We could no longer wait to take the bus to have some aircon, on the way to our next stop! haha! :)

Fushimi Inari Kyoto Japan

And here we are.. at the Fushimi Inari Taisha.

Inari is their god of rice, and merchants and manufacturers traditionally worshipped him.

Fushimi Inari Kyoto Japan

The path to the shrine is lined with thousands of Torii (these orange traditional Japanese gates).

Each of the Torii here was donated by a Japanese business.

Memoirs of a Geisha Kyoto Japan

Also, the ending scene of one of my favourite movies, Memoirs of a Geisha, was filmed here.

This was where the child apprentice, or Maiko, was running through, smiling.

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On our second day in Kyoto, we went to the Arashiyama area.

Sagano Romantic Train Arashiyama

We decided to take it slow and relax on this day, so we took the Sagano Romantic Train for a scenic ride.. departing from the Torokko Saga Station.

Sagano Romantic Train Arashiyama

It's an old-fashioned train with wooden benches, and goes through the mountains along the Hozugawa River.

Sagano Romantic Train Arashiyama

The 7 kilometre journey that passes by a forested ravine takes 25 minutes. 

I could not take a proper picture of the scenery because I was just using my iPhone, and the train was moving. But believe me, the scenery was really fantastic! :)

Tanuki Torokko Kyoto Japan

We alighted at the Torokko Kameoka Station, where Tanuki (Japanese Raccoon Dog) statues greeted us.. How cute is that?! :)

Togetsukyo Bridge Arashiyama Kyoto

Took the train back to central Arashiyama, and here we are at the Togetsukyo Bridge. 

This bridge has often been used in historical films. It crosses the Hozu River on the west, and the Katsura River on the east. 

And that's my sister :)

Togetsukyo Bridge Arashiyama Kyoto

Boats for rent.

Togetsukyo Bridge Arashiyama Kyoto

A cafe by the river. 

Bamboo Grove Arashiyama Kyoto

And after a loooong walk.. here we are at the very refreshing Bamboo Grove! 

Isn't it enchantingly beautiful?! :) 

Another scene from the movie Memoirs of a Geisha was filmed here.

Bamboo Forest Arashiyama Kyoto

But now it's time to go. 

I am not done with Kyoto though. I really loved it, and there are still so many things to see. 

I have to visit it again, in another season! :)