Arriving in New Zealand, I faced my greatest dilemma yet. Was this it? Was this the sign I had been waiting for? I was “stuck” in one of the most beautiful countries on another passport that offered me a longer visa-free stay with no way of getting back into the United States [see post: Emergency and Second Passports]. I could have contacted the U.S. Embassy immediately, but I did not. I could not. I wanted to stay. I wanted to finally diverge onto a new path. A new adventure. My adventure. I played with the idea of staying for days. As usual, the rational side of me forbid it. I did not have the courage to take the chance – To quit my job and leave everything behind just like that. With a heavy heart, I contacted the U.S. Consulate General in Auckland and arranged for an emergency passport.
Christchurch
Rewind a few days. My grandmother and I spent the past week enjoying Australia’s highlights. New Zealand was the second stop of our three week journey around Oceania. We wanted to explore both islands, but decided to spend majority of our time on New Zealand’s South Island – renowned for its natural beauty. Mountains. Lakes. Glaciers. The South Island offered everything that I was looking for in the perfect destination.
After a rather nerve-wracking morning, we arrived at Christchurch International Airport in the late afternoon on Saturday, August 26, 2017. I had booked a two-night stay at The Grange Boutique B & B and Motel, centrally located in the city center. Most of Christchurch was destroyed in the 2011 earthquake. But, I imagine, it was once a beautiful city at the foothills of the Southern Alps.
While the city is almost all under construction (being rebuilt, building by building), artwork fills the streets and brightens the city that once was.
We spent that evening walking around the city center before enjoying a four-course dinner aboard the Christchurch Tramway Restaurant.
This unique dining experience offers the chance to take in the sights of central Christchurch while indulging in gourmet meals. Highly recommend.
Arthur’s Pass
We only had one full day in Christchurch, which we had saved for a day trip to Arthur’s Pass. Given the time of year (winter), every company that I had contacted rejected my reservation request because the minimum group numbers for the tours to operate were not met. I also reached out to companies that offered private tours, but these operators priced the same exact itinerary at triple the cost. After almost giving up, I found Craig (owner of CanNZ Tours) hidden in Google’s search results. Praised on the Internet, his reviews promised a wonderful day.
Since Craig was already booked for the day I had requested, he reached out to his other guests to ask if my grandmother and I could join. Not only did he accommodate us, but he even offered to cut the cost of the tour given the new number of guests. How considerate.
That morning, Craig showed up to our hotel with a welcoming personality. The plan was to take the TranzAlpine – a passenger train that offers one of the world’s most scenic train journeys. One-way, the entire journey takes just under five hours; however, we were only taking the train for part of the way. We drove out of Christchurch, through the Canterbury Plains, and boarded the TranzAlpine at Springfield Station.
The journey took us into the mountains, along the Waimakariri River, and up into Arthur’s Pass National Park. The views along the way were truly spectacular.
We disembarked the train at Arthur’s Pass Station, where Craig was waiting for us with his van.
First stop: Otira Gorge. Pulling up, a kea swooped down and landed right in front of Craig’s van. This would be our first of many encounters with New Zealand’s cheeky mountain parrot.
On the way to have lunch, we stopped on the side of the road and entered a forest straight out of a fairytale. Surrounded by moss, lichen, and native mountain beech, I felt like Alice in Wonderland.
After an eventful morning, we were ready to eat. Craig drove us to a nearby lake for a scenic, homemade picnic lunch.
Following lunch, Craig presented us with two optional activities: a jet boat ride on the Waimakariri River and a farm visit. Apparently, jet boating is an iconic New Zealand experience – and an adventure that my grandmother could actually partake in.
My grandfather (her late husband) was a champion speedboat racer. In their earlier years, my grandparents spent quite a bit of time in and around boats. I figured my grandmother would not mind partaking in this adventure. Well, it sure was an adventure. What was supposed to be a 20 minute dose of adrenaline turned into a multi-hour rescue mission. The activity began as expected – we hopped into the jetboat and took off through the Waimakariri Gorge.
The 360-degree spins and hairpin turns provided a thrilling experience. Firmly grasping the bar in front of us, we skimmed the shallow waters of the river until the jetboat came to a sudden stop. We were stuck.
Given the time of the year (winter), jetboat rides were not popular. It was cold. There were no other groups on the river or partaking in the activity after us, so most of the staff went home. The driver was unable to reach anyone on the radio. And, my phone was dead so I could not even call Craig to let him know. The driver jumped into the water and tried to move the boat off the pile of rocks.
Unlike a motorboat that uses an external propeller in the water, a jetboat draws the water from under the boat through an intake and into a pump-jet inside the boat. About an hour later, the other male passenger jumped into the water to help move the boat.
No luck. The boat was not moving. Getting stuck in the snow for hours in the mountains while in Bolivia, was the highlight of that trip. Getting stuck for hours on a freezing cold river, not so much.
Another hour later, we finally got in contact with people that said they could help. The sun had set behind the mountains when we finally heard the rescue boat approaching in the distance.
I was not worried about being stuck – I was worried about missing the farm visit. Luckily, the owners of the farm were actually watching us from across the river and waited for us to arrive.
My grandmother grew up on a farm, so watching sheep herding and shearing demonstrations was nothing new to her. On the other hand, I was fascinated with both processes. We warmed up with a cup of tea and headed back to Christchurch.
I was ready to throw in the towel and claim that New Zealand is the most beautiful country that I have visited on my first full day in the country.
Christchurch to Queenstown via Mount Cook
We had to get to Queenstown one way or another. Flights between the two cities were cheap and abundant; but, that would mean we would miss everything in between. Renting a car was also an option; but, the cost was close to just booking a one-way tour – in which we could just sit back and relax. Prior to departing on this three week journey around Oceania, I booked the “Christchurch to Queenstown via Mount Cook One-Way Tour” through Viator for that Monday, August 28, 2017. This “tour” was basically a narrated bus ride from Christchurch to Queenstown with a detour to Mount Cook village for lunch.
We left Christchurch early that morning and began the 11 hour scenic journey through the Otago countryside towards Lake Tekapo, into the Southern Alps to the base of New Zealand’s tallest mountain, and then onward to our destination: Queenstown [see post: Mountains, Sounds, and Vineyards: In and Around Queenstown].
