Out of Africa

After 14 days, over 50 elephants, a dozen lions, and countless World Cup 2010 billboards - we are back from a fantastic vacation in South Africa.

 

We tried springbok steak, slept in a home guarded by three ostriches, drove 800 kilometers on South Africa's superb highways, saw our first wild elephant (and rhino, lion, leopard, Cape buffalo, hippo, and hyena). I had a dinky point-and-shoot camera with a 25mm lens and just 3x zoom, so thankfully the animals cooperated by coming up close to the vehicle to get their pictures taken. John was ready to zoom off if inquisitive giraffes came too close, but we wondered whether our car rental insurance would cover elephant damage.

We successfully resisted the touristy urge to cram tons of sightseeing into our two-week trip, and visited just two places: Johannesburg, and the area around Kruger National Park. In our too-short stay, we visited friends, took in a good dose of South African history, and saw an amazing number of wild animals up close. I can now identify lion tracks and elephant poo - or rather, "spoor" and "dung". Our ranger would be horrified if he heard me call it "poo." And I'm still far from being an expert at classifying antelope.

Johannesburg was an interesting mix. Posh and cosmopolitan in Sandton City; semi-abandoned and in need of revitalizing in the old downtown; still relatively quiet and full of bird life in the suburbs, where Kathy's good friend Mathew offered us a guest room at their lovely family home. World Cup 2010 posters were everywhere! John scoped out the stadiums and moaned that we were a year early.


South Africa has great roads (that is, except for the areas undergoing roadwork for the World Cup). After being car-less in expensive Singapore for the past four years, it was refreshing having a smooth highway all to ourselves. In fact, this Africa trip may end up costing us a lot if it entices John into buying a car! We opted for a practical Corolla instead of a high-performance BMW - I figured we'd save on speeding fines, and anyway typical game-viewing speed is below 30kph on Kruger's unpaved roads. We got one speeding ticket in 10 days of driving... and that, only because John overtook a queue of 3 light vehicles and an agonizingly slow truck, uphill, on a highway bridge, while passing a parked police car. No hope of getting out of that one.

(John says - at least it wasn't curved, at night, and raining!)

We booked a variety of places - a lodge at the exclusive Sabi Sand private game reserve, a cozy guesthouse with two resident hippos, and regular bungalows at Kruger National Park. The view from our room:

 

But the absolute highlight of our trip was the Wolhuter Wilderness Trail that we booked in Kruger. We spent three nights out in the bush, in a section of the park that is closed to regular tourists. Eight guests doing the walking trail, two armed rangers, one great cook. Oh, and Corlia, our ranger's wife.

Living in a tiny city-state, it is hard to comprehend the vastness of the African bush. On our wilderness trail, we had just our group (and the resident Section Ranger), alone in a wilderness section more than half the size of Singapore. No other sign of humans or human habitation in sight. And that section in turn was just a fraction of the total Kruger National Park, which is over 350 km long and an average of 60 km wide... close to two million hectares. How many hectares is Singapore? About 60,000.

We saw a tiny corner of a tiny pocket of Africa. It left us humbled and feeling very small... insignificant in the thousands of hectares of African wilderness, and the tens of thousands of years that humans and animals have co-existed on this planet.

More stories to come.

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Thank you, Africa

 

We've just returned from a fabulous, amazing two weeks in South Africa. We spent about 10 days out in the African bush - and it wasn't nearly enough.

More stories to come... but in the meantime, our deepest thanks to:

• Kathy, for inspiring us to go
  
• My parents, for raising me with a spirit of adventure and a friendly familiarity with elephants
  
• Mathew for being a fantastic host and introducing our taste buds to South Africa
  
• Tita Birgitta and Tito Carl for graciously welcoming us into their home, and for patiently staying up to hear our excited stories about Kruger
  
• James, Corlia, Philemon and Johannes for an unforgettable introduction to Kruger's Wolhuter Wilderness Trail
  
• Our very good-humoured trail companions - it was a pleasure evading rhinos with you
  
• Wayne and Connie at Elephant Plains for finding us 4 of the Big Five on our first game drive
  
• All the staff of the Kruger National Park
  

And most of all, to the two hippos of Gardenia Hide... for making Africa personal, and memorable.

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Climbing Mount Kinabalu

Mount Kinabalu is often described (not entirely accurately, I might add) as a "beginner's mountain".

That's because it doesn't require special technical expertise. Anyone reasonably fit and determined can walk to the summit, the highest in Southeast Asia at 4095 meters. So when our friend Alex invited us on a Kinabalu climb with her sister's friends, we said "Sure!"

However, like any mountain, Kinabalu deserves plenty of respect... starting with a good training plan before you go.

I was a little too taken in by the brochures ("anyone from 7 to 70 can climb!"), busy with work, and perhaps a tad overconfident after having survived our trek in Nepal. So we were lax in training for KK... a few enthusiastic running sessions when we started out, eventually tapering off into a short hike up Bukit Timah (a whopping 165 meters high) every other week.

Moral lesson: when travelling with a group, always check out your tripmates before you go.

I knew I was in trouble when we got to the airport and one of our travelling companions was wearing a Singapore Ironman 70.3 km t-shirt. Not just any Ironman shirt, a FINISHER's shirt.

We spent the night at a lodge in the national park at the foot of Mount Kinabalu. Early the next morning we set off via Timpohon Gate. Naturally the glossy ads failed to mention the pouring rain. It IS a tropical rainforest, after all...

Luckily there were no leeches.

We reached Laban Rata rest house after a 5-hour climb. Grueling for me, an easy jaunt for our fit mountaineer companions. Why is it we always end up on trips with semi-professionals?

We spent the afternoon resting and pondering our crazy itinerary for the following day. Our group originally planned to hike up to the summit first thing in the morning, and then do the Low's Peak Circuit via ferrata and descend by the longer but more scenic Mesilau trail.

One thing we've learned from travelling is that we have limitations. John and I made it up to the summit (slowly) but decided to skip the via ferratas, saving energy for our descent. Alex took the easier Walk the Torq ferrata while her sister Caroline completed Low's Peak Circuit. In the end all of us descended via Timpohon -- after learning that Mesilau goes down into a valley and finishes with a 2 km uphill walk!

Our advice: If you're planning on the Via Ferrata, we recommend planning a more relaxed schedule with two nights on the mountain instead of one. That way you can see sunrise on the summit and then take your time with enjoying the breathtaking views on the Via Ferrata -- instead of rushing back down to safely descend off the mountain before dark. Apparently it's quite common for groups to be over-ambitious and end up scaling back their ferrata plans or dropping them altogether. When the expeditions agent tells you that the ferrata route is strenuous and difficult... believe them.

Even though we didn't do everything we'd planned, it was an exhilarating experience watching the sun rise from Low's Peak. During every step of a trek, we always swear we'll never do this again. But on our ride back to the KK airport -- safely recovered from any vestiges of altitude sickness -- we were already thinking of our next climb.

Tips for climbing Mount Kinabalu:

• Train properly - cardio and stair-climbing twice a week and a steep 3-hour hike each weekend, starting 2-3 months before you go.
  
• Know your limits and go slowly. This also helps reduce the risk of altitude sickness.
  
• Book early. Accommodation fills up really fast.
  
• Spend two nights on the mountain if you are planning the Via Ferrata.
  
• Bring earplugs. Unless you're a sound sleeper who can rest with snorers in the same dorm!
  

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Tom Yum Goong and Phad Thai on Phi Phi

When we arrived at Ko Phi Phi, we had lunch at Jasmine's on Laem Tong beach, where we were surprised with an interesting variation on tom yum goong – it had coconut milk. The food was good, but the addition of coconut milk was a bit unsettling. If you're ever there, try the deep fried banana fritters with honey. Yum.

Dinner was at posh Zeavola's beachfront restaurant, with elegant votive candles and perplexing but delicious octopus ink bread. Steph had a gorgeous glass of strawberry-topped house iced tea. Of course, this luxury came at a price – tom yum goong here cost about four times what it did at Jasmine's. Zeavola's tom yum was a tourist-oriented version, low on chili but made flavorful by galangal and lemongrass. The shrimp were huge!

We had grand plans for the next day. We would work up an appetite snorkeling, have a leisurely lunch at Ruen Thai restaurant up on the hill, and then relax with a massage at Wana Spa. The snorkeling worked fine, but we hit a snag when we disembarked at Phi Phi Island Village and walked up to the bar to make a reservation for Ruen Thai.

"What time would you like to book, ma'am?" the bartender asked, consulting a large reservations book.

"At 12," said Steph.

All she got in reply was a blank, puzzled look.

"12," she repeated, pointing to her watch. "Now. Can we go now?"

It turned out Ruen Thai is only open for dinner. The bartender must have thought we were crazy, wanting to eat at midnight!

So instead we had phad thai and tom yum goong at Marlin restaurant. The food was good enough, but I felt it was overpriced. When the menu quotes you prices in euros along with baht, that's generally not a good sign.


Our next new find was our cheapest, and in my opinion, the best. On our last full day on Ko Phi Phi, we took a longtail boat to see Ko Phi Phi Ley and stopped in Ton Sai on the way back for lunch. The phad thai at Leon restaurant was packed full of flavor and had just the right level of chili for me. Okay, so it's a stretch to call it a restaurant – it's a bunch of folding tables and plastic chairs in the middle of the souvenir market. The place might also have been called Sammy or Mr. Soda – the menus had all three names so I can't be sure what its real name was, but you can't miss it: look for the billboard full of scrawled backpacker recommendations, the large "thank you" sign, and a handwritten sign advertising "the BEST papaya salad!".

The tom yum goong woke us up and cleared our sinuses, a sharp contrast to the cool refreshing fruit shakes. We had a filling meal for three, two perfect fruit shakes and a cool glass of orange juice – for about 50 baht per dish.

Now if I can only find someplace in Singapore that serves great phad thai for 50 baht…

Contact information and more details

• Jasmine is on Laem Tong beach, Ko Phi Phi – sandwiched between Erawan Palms and the Holiday Inn. Price range: 70 to 80 baht per dish. Rating: 3 out of 5, because of the coconut milk in the tom yum.
  
  
• Zeavola is also on Laem Tong beach. Their Tacada restaurant is most definitely a date place. If your budget doesn't extend to dinner at Zeavola, wander over for an after-dinner drink and soak in the ambience. Price range: 300 to 400 baht per dish. Rating: 4 out of 5, for the atmosphere, the excellent service, and the deliciously unusual bread.
  
  
• Marlin and Ruen Thai are at Phi Phi Island Village at Ao Loh Ba-kao. Price range: 350 to 450 baht per dish. Rating: 2 out of 5, didn't think it was worth the price.
  
  
• Leon eatery (or Sammy, or Mr. Soda) is at the open-air market in Ton Sai, a short walk from the pier. Wander among the stalls until you see the big "Thank You" sign. Price range: 50 to 60 baht per dish. Rating: 5 out of 5 – best value and best flavor, how can you beat that?

Read the previous post or check out the rest of this Krabi and Ko Phi Phi trip series.

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Loving Ko Phi Phi's Low Season

With tourism bringing crowds to ever more remote places, low season is today's version of 'the less traveled road'. And it’s a blessing to the cash-strapped - if you don’t mind a little rain now and then, you can enjoy many beautiful parts of the world at very reasonable prices, with no crowds.


May through October marks low season on the Andaman coast. At Ko Phi Phi, we stayed at Phi Phi Erawan Palms resort, which offered double rooms for 1,800 baht (when booked through Sawadee.com) – this goes up to a whopping 4,500 baht at the height of peak season.

We had the beaches at Laem Tong and Ao Loh Ba-Kao all to ourselves.


Hin Klang Reef, Bamboo Island, and Mosquito Island were pretty much deserted when we got there – it was just us, dozens of parrotfish, and a small but menacing community of black sea urchins. Our sole human contact, other than with our boatman, was with a family of three Americans who briefly gushed "beautiful reef, beautiful fish!" before setting off... once again leaving us to the silence of the Andaman sea.

The wind was blowing too strongly for us to see Ao Maya, a magnet for day-trippers from Phuket anxious to see where The Beach was filmed. Ah, the sacrifices one must make to enjoy the low season. We swam for a while in the lagoon at Ao Pileh before distant lightning strikes and arriving day-trippers prompted us to scramble out of the water.


After crossing the inter-island swells in a tiny longtail boat, the ominous grey clouds on the horizon were enough to make us flee to our favorite rainy-day pastimes: eating and shopping. Note to self: low season water travel requires a strong stomach!

Ton Sai was backpacker central even in the off season; I can just imagine how packed it must be during peak. I stood for ten minutes on the main alley and watched wave after wave of Caucasian shoppers and backpackers walk by, with few Thais or even other Asian tourists in the mix. While cheap rooms were available in Ton Sai for a fraction of what we were paying at Erawan Palms, the hustle and bustle of "downtown" just didn't fit with our idea of a relaxing vacation.


Back at Laem Tong, we scouted around for evening activities. Even at low season prices, I can’t afford to stay at luxury resorts like Zeavola, with rates ranging from 5,500 to 11,000 baht a night. But for the price of a cold cocktail, we were able to indulge ourselves, lounging on cushioned beach beds that would otherwise go unused. Staff are at their friendliest when there’s no one else waiting to be served, and instead of rushing us at dinner they cheerfully brought us a second serving of their delicious octopus ink bread and let us soak in the relaxed ambience of their romantic beachfront restaurant. If we weren’t so perplexed by the bread’s color, I would never have guessed its ingredients included anything more exotic than toasted cheese.

The other benefit of low season is discounts on the ultimate in pampering – spa treatments. At Wana Spa at Phi Phi Island Village, we booked a two-and-a-half hour package that included a milky jacuzzi soak, a scented body scrub, and a relaxing aromatherapy massage for about 2,700 baht per person. Okay, so it was an indulgence that was over ten times more expensive than the humble Thai massage we got in Krabi town for 250 baht, but I consoled myself with the thought that the same spa package in Singapore would probably set me back at least 6,000 baht, if not more.

Tourism authorities all over the world are doing their darnedest to market rainy season tourism, quoting euphemisms like "fruit season" or "green season" to dress up the cold, wet truth. I’m half-hoping they’re unsuccessful, so that we can keep low season the exclusive province of knowing travelers with a penchant for cut-rate trips.

Low season optimists know that weather forecasts that predict a 50% chance of rain can be flipped around and read as a 50% chance of, well, no rain. Here’s hoping we continue to stay lucky.

Contact information and more details

• Sawadee.com hotel reviews and bookings - www.sawadee.com
  
• Phi Phi Erawan Palms resort - www.pperawanpalms.com
  
• Phi Phi Island Village resort - www.ppisland.com
  
• Zeavola resort - www.zeavola.com
  
• Longtail boats can be booked by trip or by the hour with the Chao Ley (sea gypsy) cooperative, which sets standard fees. You can also book through resorts at a slightly higher rate.

Read more about Ko Phi Phi

• "swam for 45 minutes with three 15-20ft manta rays swooping around us" - Schiavoni Files
  
• "tonnes of farangs running around but somehow, the whole place doesn't seem as shamelessly touristy as say Patong" - unkster
  
• Rock climbing at Ton Sai tower: "At the top of the routes, you overlook Ao Ton Sai and Ao Lo Dalam, which are the two bays in the skinny part of Ko Phi Phi." - All Thai-ed Up
  
• Post-tsunami cleanup report by Project Aware

Read the previous entry or check out the rest of this Krabi and Ko Phi Phi trip series.

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Singapore to Krabi for 20 SGD

Where would we be without budget airlines? Stuck at home, probably. Last Saturday, we flew Tiger Airways to Krabi for a round-trip fare of about 20 SGD, not much more than the cost of a taxi to Changi airport. Plus airport taxes and various fees, of course, of about 100 SGD – still cheap.

Having just spent the last eight weeks working days, nights, and weekends, Steph and I were sorely in need of a break. The call of Tiger’s low-cost fares proved irresistible. John carved a few days’ vacation out of his busy schedule and we booked the night flight to Krabi.

Fares below ten dollars are usually only available if you book several weeks to three months in advance, but because it’s low season we were able to snag cheap flights just five days ahead of time.

Tiger’s stopped doing free-for-all seating. They now offer seat selection (for 5 SGD) or automatically selected seats. They also offer exit row seats with more leg room (for 25 SGD), extra baggage allowance (for a fee), and special arrangements for oversized sports equipment (you guessed it, for a fee).

Passengers are not allowed to bring their own food. Tiger Airways claims this primarily is out of concern for the delicate sensibilities of passengers who may not be thrilled about durian or curry scents wafting about in an enclosed space, but at least they’re honest about pushing up revenues from chips and cup noodles ("Please don’t deprive our cabin crew of commissions..."). Rebel that I am, I discreetly snacked on my barbeque-flavored Pringles while leafing through the in-flight magazine (which is still free – so far).

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong flew Tiger Airways back from Hanoi last November. I wonder how much he paid for his fare, if he ordered any of those cup noodles, and whether he paid to request more leg room. Not that he would have had to worry about depleting government funds by opting for an exit row seat - Temasek Holdings, the Singapore Government’s investment arm, owns 11% of Tiger Airways.

Tiger travelers may pay humble fares, but we’re in prestigious company.

Information and Contact Details

• Tiger Airways is at www.tigerairways.com
  
• Phone: +65 653-TIGER (9 am to 9 pm daily)
  
• Partner Octopus Travel offers special hotel rates for Tiger passengers
  
• Hostelworld.com does the same for hostel bookings

What others are blogging about Tiger Airways

• The Tiger Airways Australia blog at Wordpress is tracking Tiger’s progress towards launching Australian domestic flights in December 2007. I’m looking forward to seeing those 119.99 SGD one-way flights to Melbourne.
  
• Don’t expect Changi’s regular conveniences, as there's "nothing much you can do inside the budget terminal" - Life Snapshot
  
• "Yes, you do pay less than half the normal fare... but no food????!!!!" - wagg
  

Check out the rest of this Krabi and Ko Phi Phi trip series.

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Day 9: Last Day in Christchurch

This was our ninth and final day in New Zealand, the end of a great vacation.

We'd planned on the weekend market at the Arts Centre as well as the International Antarctic Centre for this day, but we decided to sleep in and have a leisurely breakfast instead.

After packing and a quick shower, it was across the street to the bus stop and off to the airport!

All in all we had a good nine-day itinerary, it was a fabulous trip around the South Island.


We enjoyed our stays in Christchurch, Fox Glacier, and Queenstown. Lake Matheson, Mount Cook and Lake Tekapo provided glorious views, our tandem bungy jump was the experience of a lifetime, and we'll have to come back someday to see Milford Sound and go kayaking at Abel Tasman.

Anyone else have good New Zealand travel stories to share?

Read the previous entry or check out the rest of this New Zealand trip series.

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Christchurch: Summers B&B at Knowles Court

Our cab pulled into an empty gravel driveway surrounded by a nondescript brick wall. There was no one in sight, although I’d briefly caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure through the old house’s windows.

"Are you sure this is the place?" John asked. We could see lights in the living room, so we walked cautiously through the garden to what looked like the front door. Knock, knock.


A few minutes later our host appeared in the doorway. He was large, imposing, and the very picture of a proprietor of a grand old Christchurch manor home. He gave us a hearty welcome, and on finding out we lived in Singapore, regaled us with stories of his excellent Chinese cooking. Yes, multi-course Chinese dinners complete with proper rice vinegar. No wonder Summers B&B is popular with Asian students and teachers.

Knowles Court is a registered Heritage Home. Sounds good, right? It was built in 1910, and if you wander around I suspect you can still see some of the original plumbing. Clawfoot tubs may look luxurious in pictures, but ancient showers and toilets are certainly something else.

We entered our apartment just as darkness started to fall. Our host gave us a short tour and turned on the heat. Then he left, shutting the door with an ominous thud. We were on our own.

The bed was simple and somewhat old, clearly not the luxurious queen bed with fluffy down pillows and sumptuous duvet that I’d conjured up in my imagination when making our booking. There was a huge closet in the bedroom. It was large enough to hold a person and I was afraid to open it for fear that it did.


The living room was sparsely furnished and had a small TV. An empty candlestick stood on the windowsill, instantly transporting us onto a real-life set for Cluedo. "Colonel Mustard in the living room with the candlestick!" We looked at each other and laughed nervously.

We explored the dining nook, where we found a length of twisted curtain tie on the shelf. "Mrs. Peacock in the dining room with the rope!" Our overactive imaginations manufactured an atmosphere of general creepiness and we scared ourselves silly.

We stayed awake for as long as we could watching TV, and then gingerly crawled into bed. We pulled out one of the headlamps we’d brought to Nepal, pulled the chain to turn off the room light, and slept with 4 bright white LED lights keeping us company.

The one redeeming factor of our stay was the delicious cooked breakfast, served to us in our private dining room by our host’s wife.


The apartment lost most of its sinister atmosphere in the bright morning sunlight. "You have no power over me!" I crowed happily, feeling triumphant until I opened the bathroom door and gazed sadly at the sub-par shower. As you can imagine, I am not generally keen on bathroom fittings that may be twice as old as I am.

As we left, John looked back at the house and quipped, "We never did find out what was in the cellar..."


Lessons I've learned on how to choose a bed and breakfast:

1. If you are booking in a home built at the turn of the last century, check to make sure the plumbing isn’t as historic as the house’s foundations.
   
2. Don’t get carried away by good-looking websites. Be wary if photos focus on details like lampshades and table corners instead of showing the entire room.
   
3. Always check reviews. I got lucky with Ropatini’s, but I’ll be a lot more cautious booking unreviewed B&B’s in the future.

Summers B&B may well be a terrific choice for New Zealand breakfasts and Chinese dinners, and I understand the house is being steadily though slowly fixed up. Until our favorite creature comforts are in place, though, I think we’ll stay somewhere else next time...

For the less-easily scared, here is their contact information:

• Summers B&B is at Knowles Court, 274 Papanui Road, Merivale, Christchurch; a few minutes by car from the airport.
  
• Web site:www.summers.net.nz
  
• E-mail: stay@summers.net.nz
  
• Phone: +64 3 355 1145
  
• Rates range from NZ$60 to 120 per double per night with breakfast
  

Bloggers tell tales of scary stays in other places:

• “We were both awaken (sic) by a thrashing sound of something flying." - Iloilo City Boy, in Iloilo
  
• “I kept visualizing this enormous spider (the size of a grown man's hand) crawling out from behind the mattress and on to my pillow." - dcb, in Cairns
  
• A Haunting in Hugo: Old Johnson House Inn, also built in 1910 (Coincidence? Ha, I think not) - Open Magazine

Read the previous entry or check out the rest of this New Zealand trip series.

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Day 8: Queenstown to Christchurch via Mount Cook

Day 8 was another road-trip day, going from Queenstown back to Christchurch, again via Newmans coach. We left Queenstown a little past the scheduled time of 8:20 AM and arrived in Christchurch around 6:45 PM. For the first time on our nine-day trip, the skies were grey and rain poured the whole day.

Well, almost the whole day. The sun peeked out for 10 brief minutes at Mount Cook, just enough time for us to take this picture.


The coach stopped at Mount Cook Village for lunch. Instead of crowding into The Hermitage with the rest of the tourist crowd, we borrowed a huge umbrella and walked over to The Old Mountaineers' Cafe.


One day we'll have to come back and try their kayak tours.

We stopped again at Lake Tekapo for pictures of the Church of the Good Shepherd. This chapel is one of my favorite churches, along with Caleruega in Tagaytay, the Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat in Manila and Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. Small and intimate, the church has a large picture window right behind the tabernacle, with a beautiful view of Lake Tekapo.


What other people are blogging about Mount Cook and Lake Tekapo

• "350 km there and back, but what a trip." - World Signia
  
• "Reminded me of Helms Deep in The Two Towers" - drmnsd
  

Read the previous entry or check out the rest of this New Zealand trip series.

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Queenstown: Southern Laughter

I'm a compulsive reader. Give me a piece of printed text, however mundane, my eyes are irresistibly drawn to the letters. So it was heaven wandering around Southern Laughter where every last inch of the place is plastered in poster-sized Far Side cartoons and jokes of all sorts.

And these beds! The bed in the double room was so comfortable it was hard to get an early start.

What I like most about Southern Laughter is the crowd. In the winter, the hostel serves free soup at 6 pm. People gather in the common room with their soup bowls, swapping stories and laughing at re-runs of Friends. I figure anyone who can stay in a hostel wallpapered with Gary Larson cartoons has to have a good sense of humor.

The rest of the facilities are pretty good. They've got a couple of spacious kitchens, and lounges with video libraries where we scared ourselves watching Stigmata late at night. The hot tub is fabulous after a long day of canyoning, if you don't mind making new acquaintances while getting your soak. Alternatively, if you'd prefer to meditate in the hot tub alone, 6 pm is the perfect window of opportunity while everyone else has rushed off to the soup pot.


The staff was friendly and efficient, except for the one new guy whom we stumped on his first day by asking him about white-water kayaking. He got a little flustered after that. Turns out nobody offers white-water kayaking in Queenstown because it's too dangerous for the inexperienced.

My only complaint about Southern Laughter is - you guessed it - the bathrooms. The showers are fairly decent, although nothing like the superb ones at The Old Countryhouse. It's the sinks I can't stand. This hostel deserves to be in the Guinness Book of World Records for the world's smallest hostel sinks. There's barely enough space to wash your hands, let alone brush your teeth or wash your face.

You also need to watch out for the fire station across the street... but Queenstown is small enough that I guess practically all the hostels have to deal with either bar noise or fire engine noise. We opted for the fire station because at least we know the sirens won't run every night!

Minor quibbles aside, stays at Southern Laughter are bound to be cheerful ones. And that definitely gets my vote.

Information and Contact Details for Southern Laughter Lodge

• Web site: www.southernlaughter.co.nz
  
• Rates range from NZ$23 per person for a share dorm over 4 beds, to NZ$54 for a double with shared bathrooms/showers.
  
• Address: 4 Isle Street, Queenstown, New Zealand
  
• E-mail: southernlaughter@xtra.co.nz
  
• Phone: 0800 5284 4837 (local toll-free) or +64 3 441 8828 (international)

What others are saying about Southern Laughter

• 2.5 stars at BUG
  
• "open-minded, fun, and altogether wonderful people staying here" - one of several user reviews at Hostelz
  
• "funny cartoons are framed everywhere...even in the toilets!!" - A Kookie in a Nutshell

Read the previous entry or check out the rest of this New Zealand trip series.

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Day 7: Canyoning in Glenorchy

I woke up slightly dazed after a late night out. The previous morning, we'd done a tandem bungy jump, and in the evening watched a local band perform at Altitude. The combination of alternative rock and country square dancing in the same set was a strange quirk that we put down to the diverse audience.

I hauled myself out of bed and contemplated what we'd signed up for. Four to five hours of wilderness fun, promised the brochure. Climbing cliffs, sliding down waterfalls, and jumping into icy pools. Although I'd previously been all gung-ho to go canyoning, in the cold morning light that prospect seemed somewhat less appealing than it did the night before. Did I mention that I'm afraid of diving into dark rocky pools?

Our guide drove us from Queenstown to Glenorchy. We were a motley crew of four, all first-timers: a visiting American hopping over from her business trip to Australia, a Kiwi Experience driver, John, and me. We signed the requisite waivers releasing Twelve Mile Canyoning from any responsibility in case we, oh, fell off a cliff or something.


We pulled on our full-body wet suits, padded vests, helmets, and life-jackets. By the time I was fully dressed I looked like a neoprene version of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man. Hiking around Mount Aspiring National Park in a padded wet suit is no joke!

I have no pictures of us canyoning, for obvious reasons. Our camera is neither waterproof nor shockproof, although we were ready to submit ourselves to conditions our camera would never survive. Suffice it to say that a few hours and several waterfall jumps later, we were tired but happy. A plunge into ice-cold fresh water is one heck of a way to wake up.

Jump off a rocky outcropping into a freezing pool? Bring it on.

Information and Contact Details for Twelve Mile Delta Canyoning

• Web site: www.xiimile.co.nz
  
• E-mail: canyoning@xiimile.co.nz
  
• Phone: +64 3 441 4 468

Canyoning all over the world

• "I started my abseil with a slip and ended up hanging upside down" - Clare and Dan, at Empress Canyon
  
• "35 metres of insanity!" - Sarah and Dave, in Ecuador
  
• "The excitement of the jump trumps the coldness many times over" - Spark, off Piha

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Day 6: Kawarau Bridge Bungy Jump

"You booked the tandem one?" asked the lady at the AJ Hackett Bungy counter. "You're crazy."

Having your sanity questioned isn't exactly the most confidence-building start to an extreme activity, but we took it all in stride. The AJ Hackett folks had written our jump site, Kawarau Bridge, on the back of one hand just before we boarded the shuttle from Queenstown. They now wrote our weights on the back of the other hand and sent us off to the bridge.


Kawarau Bridge was the first commercially-operated bungy site. I didn't know whether to be comforted by their 18 years of experience, or alarmed by the thought that some of the original bungy ropes might still be in use.

A burly jump coordinator walked us through the obligatory safety briefing as he harnessed our ankles together. "Make sure you jump forward and out, not down," he warned us, "otherwise you'll end up going too deep in the water. Oh, and don't forgot to smile at the camera."

We shuffled nervously onto the platform. With our ankles firmly bound, it took our best penguin impressions to get us to the edge. We knew a single mis-step could mean falling ignominously down 43 meters to the river below, far too early for any souvenir photos.

Finally we stood at the edge of the platform. The cold blue-green waters of the Kawarau river swirled ominously below us. I suspect this was not the vantage point at which the Lord of the Rings film crew were standing when they chose this river as their River Anduin.


"Ready?" asked the burly jump coordinator. "Put your hands together like this," he explained, to keep us from knocking our heads together as we jumped. "I'm going to count to three..."

The tandem bungy jump is a sure-fire cure for bungy jump panic. When the guy counts to three, there is no room for last-minute hesitation. Jumping off a 43-meter bridge is nothing compared to what your significant other will do to you if they jump at the count of three and their ankles (bound to you, of course) stay frozen on the platform.


He counted, "One, two, three..." and we were off. "AAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!" we yelled on the way down. "AAAAAHHHH!!!" as we bounced back up. On our next bounce down, John had enough breath for complete sentences. "I married a crazy woman!!" he yelled.

Finally we stopped bouncing, and started swinging madly from the rope in an effort to catch the long rubber pole that would lower us the the waiting raft. Or, as I discovered later, I was madly trying to catch the pole while John was actively avoiding the pole to get more hang time. Which would explain all the swinging.

We eventually dropped into the raft, got ourselves untied from the rope, and started the short trek back up to the bridge. Behind us, we could hear the exhilarated screams of the bridge's next victim. "I can't believe we paid a couple hundred dollars for that," John mused. "Want to go do the 134-meter one?"

Information and Contact Details for AJ Hackett

• Web site: www.ajhackett.co.nz
  
• E-mail: bungycentre@ajhackett.co.nz
  
• Phone: 0800 286 495 (toll-free local) or +64 3 442 4007 (international)
  
• The classic Kawarau Bridge Bungy
  
• In Queenstown, AJ Hackett also operates the 134 meter Nevis Highwire, and The Ledge Urban Bungy and Sky Swing.

What others are saying about their Kawarau bridge bungy jump

• "My heart's left my body at this point and has ran off back over the bridge, the coward." - Grimbo
  
• Pictures of the jump: "bungee / bungy / bunjee / whatever" - Aniel.Net
  
• "What a rush!!!" - goddess_jen

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Day 5: Fox Glacier to Queenstown

Day 5 was a road-trip day, going from Fox Glacier to Queenstown via Newmans coach. We left Fox at 8:45 AM and arrived in Queenstown a little after 4 PM, with lots of picture-taking stops and a brief pause in Wanaka. I love the Newmans coach drivers, most of them have a great sense of humor and a good spiel - freshwater sharks in Lake Hawea, anyone?


When we got to Queenstown, we checked into Southern Laughter, booked our tandem bungy the next day, and headed off to get some dinner.

We had pretty good pizza - I think it was at Q Lounge, on 53 Shotover Street. First pizza we had in New Zealand. And of course, John had to have his ginger beer.

There were no live bands playing that night... it's a small town, after all. So we walked around the shops until it was time to call it a day.

Information and Contact Details

• InterCity Co. runs both Newmans and InterCity coaches. The web sites provide route maps, timetables, and online booking.
  
• Passes are a convenient way to get around and can be purchased at significant discounts if booked early.
  
• E-mail: info@intercitygroup.co.nz
  
• Phone: +64 9 623 1503

Other NZ Bus Companies Recommended on ThornTree
Disclaimer though, I haven't tried these...

• Atomic Shuttles
  
• Flying Kiwi
  
• Kiwi Experience - "the party bus"
  
• Magic Bus
  
• Stray Travel
  
• Which one to choose?

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Day 4: Fox Glacier Heli-Hike

Fox Glacier heli-hikes are billed as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. That’s partly because after paying our tab we were too broke to consider a second go. Kidding aside, the glacier was amazing.

Having previously had a taste of mountain walks in Nepal, I was by no means keen on walking an entire day just to catch a glimpse of Fox Glacier. Friends of ours highly recommended taking the heli-hike instead, a spectacular – albeit expensive – option for those of us who have more enthusiasm than endurance.

With just two days in Fox Glacier and little allowance for re-arranging travel plans, we booked in advance, paid our 50% deposit, and prayed that the weather would hold. The skies were ominously cloudy the day before, but the day of the heli-hike dawned bright and clear.

Trish served us a huge breakfast spread and then drove us over to Fox Glacier Guides for our pre-flight briefing. Ever paranoid, I’d brought three layers of warm clothing and my not-really-waterproof Clima-Fit pants, only to be greeted by a guide dressed in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt. I later learned that Fox Glacier is famous for being a tropical glacier, ending at just 300 meters above sea level. Despite the low altitude, the ice doesn’t have a chance to melt because it rushes along so quickly: on average, a meter each day. This translates to positively balmy temperatures on top of the ice. Much more comfortable for hikers than the freezing cold one normally associates with glaciers.

We attended our briefing, laced on the boots and boarded the helicopter. After a scenic flight through the valley, our helicopter pilot deposited us on the glacier face where our guides walked the twelve of us through the process of strapping on crampons and reading slide lines.

The pictures tell the rest of the story...



The entire experience was like a walk in the park – the polar opposite of our equally memorable Nepal experience. John kept wishing for bad weather to liven up our hike, looking forward to being stranded on the glacier and hoping the guides would have to break out the rescue equipment they keep cached up on the ice. I, on the other hand, glanced at our troop of twelve tourists and sized up the lone slice of plastic-wrapped carrot cake our guide was carrying... clearly, being stranded overnight would not have been a pleasant experience.

Thankfully, our Vertical Limit visions remained just that – fantasies – and all too soon we were back on ground level at the hangar, unlacing our boots and picking up our “I Climbed Fox Glacier” certificates.

Information and Contact Details

• Web site: www.foxguides.co.nz, providing trip information and online booking.
  
• Fox Glacier Guides is on State Highway 6, Fox Glacier, near the intersection with Cook Flat Road. Click here for directions and a map.
  
• E-mail: info@foxguides.co.nz
  
• Phone: 0800 111 600 (local toll-free) or +64 3 751 0825 (international)

What other people are saying about Fox Glacier heli-hikes...

• "Our chopper pilot was a bit of a showoff" – 2headedturtle
  
• "I even went swimming in a little lake..." – Paul Notte

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Fox Glacier: Ropatini's B&B

When we travel, we try to avoid huge chain hotels... not that there's much chance of a sprawling hotel complex in Fox Glacier, population 258. This time, our search for a charming place to stay led us to Ropatini's, a garden homestay bed & breakfast about 10 minutes' walk from Fox Glacier's main intersection.

Trish and Collin were gracious hosts. They shared colorful stories of their life in New Zealand and the visitors they get trooping through Ropatini's. Before opening up Ropatini's, Trish worked at heli-hike operators Alpine Guides (now Fox Glacier Guides) and both Trish and Collin ran the local backpackers'; lots of interesting tales there.

Trish's sideboard table was constantly laid out with freshly-baked muffins, bread, and chocolate chip cookies. It was the first B&B I've stayed in that welcomed us with afternoon tea... perfect after the long bus ride up from Greymouth.

We loved the postcard views of Mt. Cook and the Southern Alps from their picture windows. Terry the Thar (complete with plastic nametag) presided regally over the dining room as we breakfasted on boiled egg, toast, jam, cheese, muffins, orange juice, and tea.


The guest rooms set an equally high standard, with comfortable beds and spacious, well-lit bathrooms. I'm particular about my showers and these were heaven. The two Garden Studios stand side-by-side in a free-standing cottage a few steps from the main house. Guests also have a choice of two rooms in the main house; an ensuite room with a super king sized bed, and a queen room with a shared bathroom.

 
Plan lots of extra vacation time if you book at Ropatini's, as getting out of bed will be a challenge! The in-room TVs were tiny, but who goes to Fox Glacier to watch TV? They also offer free wi-fi, if you've got your laptop with you.

Restaurants in Fox Glacier stop serving dinner fairly early - around 8:30 pm. Every evening Trish would call into town to see which cafes were open that day and who was still serving meals. All her recommendations were excellent. My favorite was The Plateau, beside the glow-worm forest.

Trish and Collin made us feel more like family than visitors. We had a great stay and I will happily go back any time!

Information and Contact Details

• Ropatini’s is at 87 Cook Flat Road, Fox Glacier.
  
• Directions: They’re between the school and Sunset Motel; ask the coach driver to drop you off in front of their driveway.
  
• E-mail: ropatinis@xtra.co.nz
  
• Phone: 0800 009 644 (toll free local) or +64 3 751 0779 (international)
  
• Rates during low season range from NZ$130 to 200 per double per night with breakfast for a one-night stay, with a NZ$20 or more discount per night if you stay multiple nights
  

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New Zealand's South Island in 9 Days

A guide to seeing the South Island in 9 days... or, what to do when you can't take enough time off work!

Day 1: Arrived in Christchurch

Watched Scared Scriptless. Stayed at The Old Countryhouse.

Day 2: Whale watching in Kaikoura


Day 3: TranzAlpine to Greymouth, bus to Fox Glacier

Took in the views at Lake Matheson.

Day 4: Fox Glacier

Day 5: Fox Glacier to Queenstown

Day 6: Bungy jumping in Queenstown

Day 7: Canyoning in Queenstown


Day 8: Queenstown to Christchurch via Mount Cook and Lake Tekapo

Day 9: Flew out of Christchurch



Preparing for the trip

Pack the right clothing for the time of year you are travelling. We recycled our Nepal packing list, sans rubbing alcohol as we weren't expecting leeches this time. As usual, I brought far too many shirts and John didn't pack enough warm clothing. Learn from our mistakes and don't forget to factor in wind chill when you pack!

Glacier heli-hikes and Kaikoura whale watch tours can fill up quickly, so it's best to make your reservations for those before you arrive in New Zealand. Particularly when you've inadvertently planned your trip during a New Zealand holiday weekend, like we did.

As anyone who's ever tried to redeem frequent flyer miles knows, it's always advisable to book frequent flyer redemption tickets well in advance. Like weeks, months, or even years. You never know when one airline (*cough* Air New Zealand *cough*) is going to stop flying between Singapore and New Zealand, causing the remaining direct airline's flights to be booked solid. Thankfully we managed to squeeze through at the last minute. Whew.

It was a great trip.

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