Arthurs Pass & Punakaiki

We traded in our little Ford Focus (which we loved!) for Keith - an Escape campervan. What's cool about Escape is that all their vans are painted. It just so happens we got the only artist -inspired van. What makes it even cooler is that the artist is Keith Herring, the famous NYC graffiti artist (see picture below).

What's so amazing about this country is that in one day's drive you can change climate and landscape many times. We went from the dry flat lands of Canterbury into the Southern Alps of Arthurs Pass and out to the rainforest of the Punakaiki coast. We'll let the pictures of Arthur's Pass speak for themselves. But all we have to say is HOBBITS!

All the campervan parks were booked for Christmas, so we jumped right into our new way of mobile living. We pulled over onto the beach, grabbed some chairs, a bottle of wine, cheese, and of course PB&J and watched the sunset. We discovered that Wither Hills Pinot Noir goes very well with PB&J! We slept with the sound of the waves crashing outside the van and woke up this morning to hit the road again. We stopped to see the pancake rocks and blowholes in Punakaiki and then made our way to Franz Josef.

Tomorrow we hike the Fox Glacier.

JULIA & ANDREW - even though you didn't answer the last question, we'll give you another one. What movie trilogy was mostly filmed in New Zealand? There's a clue in this blog post.

Watch how you go...

Ian & Greg

Keith...

Kaikura/Road to Christchurch

We were very sad to leave Marlborough (and the amazing BEC Spa Resort) but the coastal drive to Christchurch was incredible. The pristine turquoise ocean against the dry hills, green forests, and snow capped mountains was mind blowing. We stopped for lunch in Kaikura at The Store, a stunning restaurant right on the ocean.

Tomorrow we trade in our car for a campervan and head to Franz Josef & Fox Glaciers.

Watch how you go...

Ian & Greg

Greg's 30th in Marlborough

My 30th birthday was more than I could have ever hoped for. Ian surprised me by booking us 2 nights at the BEC Spa Resort in Marlborough. It is a small B&B surrounded by the picturesque landscape of the wine region. The owners Aloka and Leon were so gracious and made us feel completely at home. Every minute, from the moment we arrived till we left, was a complete dream.

The following day we were taken on a wine tour by DeVine Tours. The sun made its first appearence in days and made the entire valley glow amber against the dry hills. Peter, our amazing guide, brought us to many of the boutique wineries and taught us so much about growing grapes and the New Zealand wine industry. After many tastings and a lunch amongst the vines of the Highfield winery, we had dinner at Herzog.

I can't really put into words what the dining experience was like because anything I say will sound trite. It was the single most fufilling and enjoyable "dinner" I ever had. The seven course menu with a different wine pairing for each course was set against the lavender bushes and olive trees in the garden.

The 2 days of wine, food and scenery was a complete sensory overload that left me utterly fufilled and grateful that I have someone who put it together for me.

-Greg

BEC Spa Resort...

Our hosts Aloka & Leon...

View from our bedroom...

Highfield Vineyard...

Don't even say anything...we know!

Peter (on left) , our expert tour guide...Inside Seresin, a bio-dynamic winery...

Ferry to South Island & Abel Tasman National Park

Wellington was a pretty cool city. By far had the most character than any of the other cities so far. There was a young downtown energy on Cuba Street. Due to the rainy weather we saw "Four Holidays" also know as "Four Christmas'" in the States. We have to say we loved it! Vince Vaughn was at his type-casted best.

After a day of prepping we took the 3 hour car ferry to the South Island. Once again we both got sea sick! Almost as soon as we arrived the sun finally came out! We drove through Marlborough to Abel Tasman National Park. The Park sits on the northern rocky coastline with white sandy beaches nestled in the many bays. We were so happy when we drove up to our guesthouse that resembles a Swiss Chalet in the Alps. The next day we went on a full day sea kayak excursion where we saw many sea lions and crystal clear turqoise water. Lunch was on a secluded beach. Tonight we are cooking dinner for our hosts. Tomorrow we are going on a 7-hour hike which visits the inland areas we saw while sea kayaking.

Watch how you go...

Ian & Greg


Poor sheep...




Our Swiss Hotel Guesthouse...
Cooking in our Guesthouse...


Ian posing on our own private beach...

Walking across the bay at low tide...

Water taxi launch...

Can you spot the seals?